Chapter 9: Fighting to settling in.
Summary: Everyone moves into Terminal City and plans and preparations begin.
A/N: I messed around with the Dark Angel timeline as I figured that Max and Alec left early season two but she had not seen Joshua out of Manticore yet. Go with it. It does not mess about too much, I hope.
A couple of days later, everything was on schedule, the X's were moving into Terminal City so that they could start planning about how to manage a city of this sort. When Max and Alec arrived in TC that morning, the main area was filled with bags filled with items the transgenics had managed to accumulate over the past year or so of freedom.
Everyone then began to find habitable rooms in the decrepit buildings, Max and Alec getting the seemingly best ones. While unpacking some things Max asked Alec how she had managed to become the leader of all of this.
"You were the one that recognised what was happening and got off your ass to try and do something about it which in a way was stupid because it showed off you leadership abilities and your talent for organising."
"But I wouldn't know the first thing about running a city, which lets face it this is turning out to be."
Alec grinned and walked over to her, and put his arms round her comfortingly. "Look you know I'm here to help and you know you can count on all your siblings as well and I have a feeling that everyone else will respect you as long as you don't give them a reason to do otherwise."
Seeing that Max still looked dubious, he decided to give her a little push start. "Look once were are finished here get the leaders of the X's that were over on Oak Street and Mole and all the leaders of this place to come to headquarters to discuss various things like supplies and to prioritise certain things. Get Jondy and all to come as well. It will help to show that you meant what you said and that we will work together, as well as getting some much needed work done. Trust me, we will be fine," he ended reassuringly.
Max smiled feeling instantly better having somewhere to start from. "Thanks," she said, giving him a little kiss before going back to unpacking and putting some more clothing in a drawer. "Since when have you been good at organisation and stuff? Most of the time you are messier than me and that is saying something," she asked curiously.
"Well to be honest being tidy and organised is a bit of a drag when it is being forced upon you so when I got out I was just blowing off twenty odd years or so of cleanliness but now I suppose I'm back."
"Oh joy, but there is just one thing that has been puzzling me."
"What?" asked Alec, with an amused look on his face.
"Why did those X-5s salute you? They are of same rank as you and there is only need to salute an officer of superior rank than that of your own. Where you their CO?"
Alec sighed knowing that this question would come up eventually. "Long story."
"Do I look like I am going anywhere?" asked Max gesturing to her surroundings.
"Well a while after you left, Manticore decided that some people would not just want ordinary run of the mill super soldiers so Manticore put together a special unit. They continually tested and ranked everyone before coming up with the twelve highest ranked X-5s in Manticore and well I was the CO of that unit and since the X-5's were considered to be the most successful of all the fine Manticore made products . . ."
"You were the highest ranked of all," concluded Max as a few things that had been bugging her slipped into place.
"Exactly, well until I went all loopy on the Berrisford mission and even after that I still got enough respect to continue as CO." There was an awkward silence until Alec's thoughtful face broke into a grin. "You know, now that I think of it, it wasn't really a long story."
"That makes me feel better," said Max.
"Why?"
"Cause I've kicked your ass countless times!" she exclaimed smugly.
Alec rolled his eyes and continued unpacking.
That afternoon while the rest of TC's newest residents were finding themselves rooms to live in, Max did as Alec suggested and called a meeting in HQ- a large building with many rooms, soon to be offices, and a large assembly area where a long table and several chairs had been placed.Mole and five other nomilies who introduced themselves as Dix, Hutch, Zip, Fudge and Tina. Also present were, Alec, Jondy, Krit, Syl, Kat, Jace, Zane and the three leaders of the X-Series nation who had now been named John, Dat and Tim.
They were all situated around the large table looking eagerly at Max waiting to see what she had to say. "I called you all here today to enable me to make a list of issues that need to be addressed. First of all I want to thank you for coming as you are all needed.
I'm just going to go through what I think needs to be dealt with then we will go onto your issues. Mole I need you to do a complete inventory check. We need to know what we have and what we don't. We are not barricaded in . . . yet but if any word that all the transgenics have settled in one place we will need to be able to depend on our resources. Now is the time to get them.
Then I need someone to get a list of everyone in TC. We need a population count. We need names, designations and what sort of work they specialised in at Manticore." Hutch raised his hand. "Thank you; gather up a team to help you. Once we have done it, newcomers can sign in themselves.
Also we need a way of letting all the other transgenics know to make their way here with out any ordinaries or familiars finding out."
Dix raised his hand. "I can work on that, I could work some sort of code that only transgenics could understand into some kind of TV broadcast."
"Excellent, get to work on that as soon as you can. Now that all of that is out of the way talk to me people."
Max sat back and let anyone else who wanted to take the floor. She was approached with various topics and problems but managed to deal with them considerably well and without getting on anyone's bad side.
"Okay well from now on all of you and anyone else that gets appointed to a main leadership role will have to attend the daily meeting here at nine sharp. It will be a time to bring any new issues to light and for progress reports and new plans and ideas. We will use this week to get ourselves sorted out and to get into a routine and from then on we will be planning. Any questions?"
Alec raised his hand, "Nine? Unless we are talking pm here, I have a serious problem with that time."
"What problem would that be?"
"That I like my sleep," whined Alec.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Max'll get you up, that is if she lets you get to sleep at all," said Kat with a wink. Max blushed, "I'll see everyone here tomorrow morning at nine," she said bashfully, collapsing in her chair once they had all left. Alec walked over and tried to work some of the tension out of her shoulders by giving her a massage. "You did great," he commented. "Thanks couldn't have done it without you," she said looking up gratefully.
"I know," said Alec with mock arrogance causing Max to grin.
This sweet moment was short lived as at that second, an out of breath dog faced man with scrappy clothes and long tatted hair came barging through the door.
"Joshua?"
"Max, alive! Little fella safe and at TC. Joshua wasn't sure that you had made it out all right."
Max got up to hug the lovable dog man, genuinely pleased to see him again.
"Joshua ran all the way here when Zip told him that an X-5 called Max was helping them."
Max sat for a long time talking to Joshua but Alec got up and left after five minutes worth of catching up without either of them noticing.
He went round to the nursery to see Jen. Because of the breeding program at Manticore, the nursery had to be one of the first things to be set up and all though this meant he would not see as much of Jen, he wouldn't have to worry about her.
He walked into what must have been the cleanest building in TC. There were several fairly new cots that the parents must have brought with them like Max and Alec had done.
Alec went and lifted Jen up, her little legs wiggling with excitement as he did. "There you are, let me see you smile, where's your beautiful smile?" he asked in a musical tone, running a light finer up and down her left cheek.
Alec grinned when she did so on cue. "Either you are a very happy baby or you have spent too much time in this environment already. Well at least we won't have to send you to military school if your behaviour gets out of hand in your teenage years," he joked.
"Alec you do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness right?"
Turning round to face Matt, Alec grinned while rolling his eyes, "Well you would know, was that the first clue that you had when you found out you were mad?"
"Very funny."
"I thought so."
"So this is Jen, well I may not be a baby person but she is a particularly cute baby."
"Yeah, good genes I suppose. So Matt, if you are not a baby person what are you doing here?"
"Oh no, no, no, don't be getting the wrong idea, none of these are mine I just had to ask Finch if she needed anymore supplies for the nursery, Mole's orders."
"Well she's over there going through the supplies now."
"Thanks man," he said going in the direction Alec had indicated.
Alec spent more time just playing with Jen before she fell asleep in his arms. He gently out her back down in the cot, placing a feather light kiss on her forehead before watching her sleep for a few minutes. Then he had to go and see how everyone was getting on with their jobs.
It was quite hectic everyone was trying to do something to help and things were beginning to get muddled up already not to mention that Max was still no where to be seen.
"Well I guess it is up to me then."
Later that evening Jondy was looking for Alec. Earlier she had seen him trying to sort things out and he had looked pretty exhausted even for an X- 5 and she was worried about him.
Eventually he found him sitting on top of one of the highest buildings in TC.
"What is it about us and high places?" She asked walking up to sit beside him.
"Max kinda started me on it, but I think it is the idea of looking, watching everyone else, it's peaceful. Reassuring and a place to clear your head and think, a place you can go for a bit of alone time."
"Oh I'm sorry," said Jondy who had gotten the wrong idea and was getting up, "I didn't mean to intrude."
"No don't go I was just saying, I would enjoy some company actually," he explained glad to see her sitting down again.
"Good because so would I. So, you looked pretty rushed off your feet earlier. You looked like you were trying to do everything at once."
"I think I was actually," he said causing them both to laugh.
They spent a long time up there just sitting, talking and enjoying each other's company.
After a long chat with Joshua, Max went looking in search of Alec. It was quite late and the streets of TC were empty though a lot of noise was coming form the buildings especially the bar.
She went and checked the nursery first, where Jen was still asleep, Finch said that Alec had been their earlier.
"Thanks," said Max, "I'll pick Jen up as soon as I find Alec."
With that, she wondered around TC looking for him. She couldn't find him in any of the places she though he would be and Zane hadn't seen him for a few hours. 'Where would he have went without telling me?' she wondered.
When she started to walk around the quieter buildings, the ones where there were only apartments, she heard someone laughing. She looked up and saw it was Jondy, sitting with Alec up on the roof with their legs dangling of the edge. She smiled at seeing him and her getting on so well and began to walk towards the fire escape that would bring her up onto the roof to join them.
The nearer she got the more laughing she heard, however this time it was Alec's laughter that could be heard. Ignoring the pang of jealousy she felt, Max kept climbing. It was only on a very rare occasion she ever made Alec laugh but she had never realised that before. Ignoring the strange feeling that was coming over her, she took the final step onto the roof.
"Hey guys," she said.
They both turned round smiling, "Hey Max," they chorused. Alec got up to greet her as she was walking towards them.
He kissed her on the lips quickly, "And where have you been missy? I feel as though I haven't talked to you all day. Did you and Josh have a good time reacquainted?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yes actually we did. It seems as though he has been here for a while."
"Well I'm going to leave you guys alone. You know, go find someone to talk to where there is no danger of me becoming uncomfortable before they start making out," said Jondy standing up and dusting of her hands on her jeans.
"In that case I wouldn't look for Krit and Syl, I saw them earlier in the corner of the bar. Zane was down there though, him and Matt where trying to organise a game of strip poker," said Max
"All right!" said Jondy nodding in approval. "I guess there is no point in even asking if you will be there, you two off to do baby stuff?"
"Pretty much, I haven't seen Jen all day," said Max. "I really have missed her. I don't know what I'm going to do when things get hectic around here!
"Kay then bye!" she said looking strangely at Max for her last comment and hitting Alec playfully on the shoulder as she passed.
"Later," he said.
When Jondy disappeared down the fire escape Max sighed and snuggled in closer to Alec. "I'm exhausted, what am I going to do when it actually gets busy?"
"It was busy today Max. Why do you think I was up here I needed a break," said Alec, wearing the same look Jondy just had. "Just because you sat around all day after one meeting doesn't mean everybody else did. If you quite remember you set people tasks today them didn't even go around and check for progress reports."
Max pulled back not liking the way he was talking to her.
"Well excuse me if I wanted to catch up with an old friend. Are you trying to say that I'm not pulling my weight, all because I didn't do the same thing as you today?"
"No but what I am saying is that today was busy but it is going to get a lot worse and if you don't get used to this now what the hell are you going to think when we start planning a war. Look I know you are having a hard time trying to set up a transgenic community and that you are not used to an environment like this but Max you cant expect to get things done if you just tell others what to do then don't do anything yourself. I'm not picking on you or saying anything like that but one meeting, no matter how stressful you found it is not a day's work!"
"Look who's talking. You may have started to do things recently but before that you were the one always trying to get away with doing no work!"
"Like you can even say anything about that, work at Jam Pony starts at half nine Max, not half twelve."
"This is a completely different situation!"
"You are right Max, it is. This is much more serious! You seem to be the leader here, you are supposed to set an example. And I'm sorry if I haven't been working my ass of for the year or so you've know me but I only just got out of Manticore unlike you and you little brothers or sisters who have had over a decade to mess around, sorry if I wanted a break Max!"
Max stared at him in silence for a while, allowing both of them to cool off.
"I'm going to get Jen then head back to the apartment, I'll see you whenever," she mumbled.
She left silently and Alec ran his fingers through his hair. After a few minutes of running over the argument in his head, he walked over to the stairs and hit them in frustration. The clattering of them caused Zane, Jondy, Jace, Kat and Matt who were on their way to Zane's room to look up.
"You guys head on I'll be round in a minute. I'm just going to see what's up," said Jondy, leaving the group and walking over to Alec who was now at the bottom of the fire escape.
"What's the matter? Where is Max?" she asked, wondering what could have possibly gone on in the ten minutes she had been gone.
"We had a fight, and it was over nothing. Ugh will I ever learn?"
Seeing that he was clearly upset she sat on the ground with her back resting on the wall and motioned for him to do so as well.
"Ok so talk me through what happened."
A few hours later, Alec entered the apartment as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb Max or Jen so he even used his stealth ability. It was no good however as it would appear that Max had not went to bed and was still wide-awake.
'Damn shark DNA,' he though as he prepared himself for Max vs. Alec, round . . . he had lost count.
"Where were you?" she asked in a demanding whisper. "I know I said 'I'll see you whenever' but I thought you'd be back by half an hour at least!"
"I was talking to Jondy, she was passing by when I was on my way home and saw I was upset. She made me sit down and talk it through. I felt better when I did, well until now when I come back just in time for another fight."
Max felt the anger raging in side of her. He was the one who had started that fight in the first place now it would appear that he was angry with her. How dare he!"
"Look, it is not my fault we are having this fight," she said, having decided to voice her opinions and dragging him outside so they wouldn't wake Jen.
"Oh so what it is mine?"
"Yes as a matter of fact if you had just come home and . . . "
"And if you hadn't been presumptuous enough to think that . . ."
They continued like this until they both had released all their anger and had said everything they wanted. By the end they were both out of breath and red in the face.
"I don't like it when we fight especially petty, bitter fights over nothing. I was just tired earlier and was agitated easily. I'm sorry," said Alec running his hand through his hair, realising that he would have to be the first to apologise thanks to Max's stubbornness.
"Yeah me too, I just felt that you were picking on me."
Alec wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a quick kiss on the lips making Max smile instantly.
"I love it when you do that," she said, the fight now forgotten.
"I know, why do you think I do it so often?"
"Because you just can't stand to keep your hands of me?"
"That's only a minor factor."
"Come on, let's go to bed," she said walking back into their make shift apartment.
After getting changed they climbed into bed their arms wrapped around each other and Alec just lay watching her sleep for a while remembering something Jondy had said to him when they were talking earlier, trying to console him.
#####
"Max is Max, she stubborn, it is a quality that we all tried to stamp out of her as a kid, it can get pretty annoying at times. We failed, but Alec if you love her you love all of her. If you do not want to fight with her, let her have her own way. I personally never did which is why I know how stubborn she is but hey, it's up to you."
###############
He sighed knowing that it was exactly what he had done, let her have it the way she wanted but it wouldn't happen again, he just didn't have being a doormat in him and he had a feeling that it was going to cause some serious problems.
Summary: Everyone moves into Terminal City and plans and preparations begin.
A/N: I messed around with the Dark Angel timeline as I figured that Max and Alec left early season two but she had not seen Joshua out of Manticore yet. Go with it. It does not mess about too much, I hope.
A couple of days later, everything was on schedule, the X's were moving into Terminal City so that they could start planning about how to manage a city of this sort. When Max and Alec arrived in TC that morning, the main area was filled with bags filled with items the transgenics had managed to accumulate over the past year or so of freedom.
Everyone then began to find habitable rooms in the decrepit buildings, Max and Alec getting the seemingly best ones. While unpacking some things Max asked Alec how she had managed to become the leader of all of this.
"You were the one that recognised what was happening and got off your ass to try and do something about it which in a way was stupid because it showed off you leadership abilities and your talent for organising."
"But I wouldn't know the first thing about running a city, which lets face it this is turning out to be."
Alec grinned and walked over to her, and put his arms round her comfortingly. "Look you know I'm here to help and you know you can count on all your siblings as well and I have a feeling that everyone else will respect you as long as you don't give them a reason to do otherwise."
Seeing that Max still looked dubious, he decided to give her a little push start. "Look once were are finished here get the leaders of the X's that were over on Oak Street and Mole and all the leaders of this place to come to headquarters to discuss various things like supplies and to prioritise certain things. Get Jondy and all to come as well. It will help to show that you meant what you said and that we will work together, as well as getting some much needed work done. Trust me, we will be fine," he ended reassuringly.
Max smiled feeling instantly better having somewhere to start from. "Thanks," she said, giving him a little kiss before going back to unpacking and putting some more clothing in a drawer. "Since when have you been good at organisation and stuff? Most of the time you are messier than me and that is saying something," she asked curiously.
"Well to be honest being tidy and organised is a bit of a drag when it is being forced upon you so when I got out I was just blowing off twenty odd years or so of cleanliness but now I suppose I'm back."
"Oh joy, but there is just one thing that has been puzzling me."
"What?" asked Alec, with an amused look on his face.
"Why did those X-5s salute you? They are of same rank as you and there is only need to salute an officer of superior rank than that of your own. Where you their CO?"
Alec sighed knowing that this question would come up eventually. "Long story."
"Do I look like I am going anywhere?" asked Max gesturing to her surroundings.
"Well a while after you left, Manticore decided that some people would not just want ordinary run of the mill super soldiers so Manticore put together a special unit. They continually tested and ranked everyone before coming up with the twelve highest ranked X-5s in Manticore and well I was the CO of that unit and since the X-5's were considered to be the most successful of all the fine Manticore made products . . ."
"You were the highest ranked of all," concluded Max as a few things that had been bugging her slipped into place.
"Exactly, well until I went all loopy on the Berrisford mission and even after that I still got enough respect to continue as CO." There was an awkward silence until Alec's thoughtful face broke into a grin. "You know, now that I think of it, it wasn't really a long story."
"That makes me feel better," said Max.
"Why?"
"Cause I've kicked your ass countless times!" she exclaimed smugly.
Alec rolled his eyes and continued unpacking.
That afternoon while the rest of TC's newest residents were finding themselves rooms to live in, Max did as Alec suggested and called a meeting in HQ- a large building with many rooms, soon to be offices, and a large assembly area where a long table and several chairs had been placed.Mole and five other nomilies who introduced themselves as Dix, Hutch, Zip, Fudge and Tina. Also present were, Alec, Jondy, Krit, Syl, Kat, Jace, Zane and the three leaders of the X-Series nation who had now been named John, Dat and Tim.
They were all situated around the large table looking eagerly at Max waiting to see what she had to say. "I called you all here today to enable me to make a list of issues that need to be addressed. First of all I want to thank you for coming as you are all needed.
I'm just going to go through what I think needs to be dealt with then we will go onto your issues. Mole I need you to do a complete inventory check. We need to know what we have and what we don't. We are not barricaded in . . . yet but if any word that all the transgenics have settled in one place we will need to be able to depend on our resources. Now is the time to get them.
Then I need someone to get a list of everyone in TC. We need a population count. We need names, designations and what sort of work they specialised in at Manticore." Hutch raised his hand. "Thank you; gather up a team to help you. Once we have done it, newcomers can sign in themselves.
Also we need a way of letting all the other transgenics know to make their way here with out any ordinaries or familiars finding out."
Dix raised his hand. "I can work on that, I could work some sort of code that only transgenics could understand into some kind of TV broadcast."
"Excellent, get to work on that as soon as you can. Now that all of that is out of the way talk to me people."
Max sat back and let anyone else who wanted to take the floor. She was approached with various topics and problems but managed to deal with them considerably well and without getting on anyone's bad side.
"Okay well from now on all of you and anyone else that gets appointed to a main leadership role will have to attend the daily meeting here at nine sharp. It will be a time to bring any new issues to light and for progress reports and new plans and ideas. We will use this week to get ourselves sorted out and to get into a routine and from then on we will be planning. Any questions?"
Alec raised his hand, "Nine? Unless we are talking pm here, I have a serious problem with that time."
"What problem would that be?"
"That I like my sleep," whined Alec.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Max'll get you up, that is if she lets you get to sleep at all," said Kat with a wink. Max blushed, "I'll see everyone here tomorrow morning at nine," she said bashfully, collapsing in her chair once they had all left. Alec walked over and tried to work some of the tension out of her shoulders by giving her a massage. "You did great," he commented. "Thanks couldn't have done it without you," she said looking up gratefully.
"I know," said Alec with mock arrogance causing Max to grin.
This sweet moment was short lived as at that second, an out of breath dog faced man with scrappy clothes and long tatted hair came barging through the door.
"Joshua?"
"Max, alive! Little fella safe and at TC. Joshua wasn't sure that you had made it out all right."
Max got up to hug the lovable dog man, genuinely pleased to see him again.
"Joshua ran all the way here when Zip told him that an X-5 called Max was helping them."
Max sat for a long time talking to Joshua but Alec got up and left after five minutes worth of catching up without either of them noticing.
He went round to the nursery to see Jen. Because of the breeding program at Manticore, the nursery had to be one of the first things to be set up and all though this meant he would not see as much of Jen, he wouldn't have to worry about her.
He walked into what must have been the cleanest building in TC. There were several fairly new cots that the parents must have brought with them like Max and Alec had done.
Alec went and lifted Jen up, her little legs wiggling with excitement as he did. "There you are, let me see you smile, where's your beautiful smile?" he asked in a musical tone, running a light finer up and down her left cheek.
Alec grinned when she did so on cue. "Either you are a very happy baby or you have spent too much time in this environment already. Well at least we won't have to send you to military school if your behaviour gets out of hand in your teenage years," he joked.
"Alec you do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness right?"
Turning round to face Matt, Alec grinned while rolling his eyes, "Well you would know, was that the first clue that you had when you found out you were mad?"
"Very funny."
"I thought so."
"So this is Jen, well I may not be a baby person but she is a particularly cute baby."
"Yeah, good genes I suppose. So Matt, if you are not a baby person what are you doing here?"
"Oh no, no, no, don't be getting the wrong idea, none of these are mine I just had to ask Finch if she needed anymore supplies for the nursery, Mole's orders."
"Well she's over there going through the supplies now."
"Thanks man," he said going in the direction Alec had indicated.
Alec spent more time just playing with Jen before she fell asleep in his arms. He gently out her back down in the cot, placing a feather light kiss on her forehead before watching her sleep for a few minutes. Then he had to go and see how everyone was getting on with their jobs.
It was quite hectic everyone was trying to do something to help and things were beginning to get muddled up already not to mention that Max was still no where to be seen.
"Well I guess it is up to me then."
Later that evening Jondy was looking for Alec. Earlier she had seen him trying to sort things out and he had looked pretty exhausted even for an X- 5 and she was worried about him.
Eventually he found him sitting on top of one of the highest buildings in TC.
"What is it about us and high places?" She asked walking up to sit beside him.
"Max kinda started me on it, but I think it is the idea of looking, watching everyone else, it's peaceful. Reassuring and a place to clear your head and think, a place you can go for a bit of alone time."
"Oh I'm sorry," said Jondy who had gotten the wrong idea and was getting up, "I didn't mean to intrude."
"No don't go I was just saying, I would enjoy some company actually," he explained glad to see her sitting down again.
"Good because so would I. So, you looked pretty rushed off your feet earlier. You looked like you were trying to do everything at once."
"I think I was actually," he said causing them both to laugh.
They spent a long time up there just sitting, talking and enjoying each other's company.
After a long chat with Joshua, Max went looking in search of Alec. It was quite late and the streets of TC were empty though a lot of noise was coming form the buildings especially the bar.
She went and checked the nursery first, where Jen was still asleep, Finch said that Alec had been their earlier.
"Thanks," said Max, "I'll pick Jen up as soon as I find Alec."
With that, she wondered around TC looking for him. She couldn't find him in any of the places she though he would be and Zane hadn't seen him for a few hours. 'Where would he have went without telling me?' she wondered.
When she started to walk around the quieter buildings, the ones where there were only apartments, she heard someone laughing. She looked up and saw it was Jondy, sitting with Alec up on the roof with their legs dangling of the edge. She smiled at seeing him and her getting on so well and began to walk towards the fire escape that would bring her up onto the roof to join them.
The nearer she got the more laughing she heard, however this time it was Alec's laughter that could be heard. Ignoring the pang of jealousy she felt, Max kept climbing. It was only on a very rare occasion she ever made Alec laugh but she had never realised that before. Ignoring the strange feeling that was coming over her, she took the final step onto the roof.
"Hey guys," she said.
They both turned round smiling, "Hey Max," they chorused. Alec got up to greet her as she was walking towards them.
He kissed her on the lips quickly, "And where have you been missy? I feel as though I haven't talked to you all day. Did you and Josh have a good time reacquainted?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yes actually we did. It seems as though he has been here for a while."
"Well I'm going to leave you guys alone. You know, go find someone to talk to where there is no danger of me becoming uncomfortable before they start making out," said Jondy standing up and dusting of her hands on her jeans.
"In that case I wouldn't look for Krit and Syl, I saw them earlier in the corner of the bar. Zane was down there though, him and Matt where trying to organise a game of strip poker," said Max
"All right!" said Jondy nodding in approval. "I guess there is no point in even asking if you will be there, you two off to do baby stuff?"
"Pretty much, I haven't seen Jen all day," said Max. "I really have missed her. I don't know what I'm going to do when things get hectic around here!
"Kay then bye!" she said looking strangely at Max for her last comment and hitting Alec playfully on the shoulder as she passed.
"Later," he said.
When Jondy disappeared down the fire escape Max sighed and snuggled in closer to Alec. "I'm exhausted, what am I going to do when it actually gets busy?"
"It was busy today Max. Why do you think I was up here I needed a break," said Alec, wearing the same look Jondy just had. "Just because you sat around all day after one meeting doesn't mean everybody else did. If you quite remember you set people tasks today them didn't even go around and check for progress reports."
Max pulled back not liking the way he was talking to her.
"Well excuse me if I wanted to catch up with an old friend. Are you trying to say that I'm not pulling my weight, all because I didn't do the same thing as you today?"
"No but what I am saying is that today was busy but it is going to get a lot worse and if you don't get used to this now what the hell are you going to think when we start planning a war. Look I know you are having a hard time trying to set up a transgenic community and that you are not used to an environment like this but Max you cant expect to get things done if you just tell others what to do then don't do anything yourself. I'm not picking on you or saying anything like that but one meeting, no matter how stressful you found it is not a day's work!"
"Look who's talking. You may have started to do things recently but before that you were the one always trying to get away with doing no work!"
"Like you can even say anything about that, work at Jam Pony starts at half nine Max, not half twelve."
"This is a completely different situation!"
"You are right Max, it is. This is much more serious! You seem to be the leader here, you are supposed to set an example. And I'm sorry if I haven't been working my ass of for the year or so you've know me but I only just got out of Manticore unlike you and you little brothers or sisters who have had over a decade to mess around, sorry if I wanted a break Max!"
Max stared at him in silence for a while, allowing both of them to cool off.
"I'm going to get Jen then head back to the apartment, I'll see you whenever," she mumbled.
She left silently and Alec ran his fingers through his hair. After a few minutes of running over the argument in his head, he walked over to the stairs and hit them in frustration. The clattering of them caused Zane, Jondy, Jace, Kat and Matt who were on their way to Zane's room to look up.
"You guys head on I'll be round in a minute. I'm just going to see what's up," said Jondy, leaving the group and walking over to Alec who was now at the bottom of the fire escape.
"What's the matter? Where is Max?" she asked, wondering what could have possibly gone on in the ten minutes she had been gone.
"We had a fight, and it was over nothing. Ugh will I ever learn?"
Seeing that he was clearly upset she sat on the ground with her back resting on the wall and motioned for him to do so as well.
"Ok so talk me through what happened."
A few hours later, Alec entered the apartment as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb Max or Jen so he even used his stealth ability. It was no good however as it would appear that Max had not went to bed and was still wide-awake.
'Damn shark DNA,' he though as he prepared himself for Max vs. Alec, round . . . he had lost count.
"Where were you?" she asked in a demanding whisper. "I know I said 'I'll see you whenever' but I thought you'd be back by half an hour at least!"
"I was talking to Jondy, she was passing by when I was on my way home and saw I was upset. She made me sit down and talk it through. I felt better when I did, well until now when I come back just in time for another fight."
Max felt the anger raging in side of her. He was the one who had started that fight in the first place now it would appear that he was angry with her. How dare he!"
"Look, it is not my fault we are having this fight," she said, having decided to voice her opinions and dragging him outside so they wouldn't wake Jen.
"Oh so what it is mine?"
"Yes as a matter of fact if you had just come home and . . . "
"And if you hadn't been presumptuous enough to think that . . ."
They continued like this until they both had released all their anger and had said everything they wanted. By the end they were both out of breath and red in the face.
"I don't like it when we fight especially petty, bitter fights over nothing. I was just tired earlier and was agitated easily. I'm sorry," said Alec running his hand through his hair, realising that he would have to be the first to apologise thanks to Max's stubbornness.
"Yeah me too, I just felt that you were picking on me."
Alec wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a quick kiss on the lips making Max smile instantly.
"I love it when you do that," she said, the fight now forgotten.
"I know, why do you think I do it so often?"
"Because you just can't stand to keep your hands of me?"
"That's only a minor factor."
"Come on, let's go to bed," she said walking back into their make shift apartment.
After getting changed they climbed into bed their arms wrapped around each other and Alec just lay watching her sleep for a while remembering something Jondy had said to him when they were talking earlier, trying to console him.
#####
"Max is Max, she stubborn, it is a quality that we all tried to stamp out of her as a kid, it can get pretty annoying at times. We failed, but Alec if you love her you love all of her. If you do not want to fight with her, let her have her own way. I personally never did which is why I know how stubborn she is but hey, it's up to you."
###############
He sighed knowing that it was exactly what he had done, let her have it the way she wanted but it wouldn't happen again, he just didn't have being a doormat in him and he had a feeling that it was going to cause some serious problems.
