The Surprise

Chapter 13: The Day with Two Faces- Part Two.

A/N: Big thanks to everyone who reviewed. I got like nine within 24hrs of posting it so here is your reward. But that doesn't mean since you got what you wanted that I have to necessary keep up my quick updates so keep reviewing!

THE DAY FROM ALEC'S POINT OF VIEW

Alec woke up at dawn, he had barley got any sleep that night and he was nervous that he would be found out. He had to go and see Jondy at half eight and as it was only half six he got dressed and went for a run to try to clear his head.

It was quite a cool morning and there were very few people about, after they got out of Manticore, lie-ins were considered a blessing. 'Shame I can't seem to have any lately.'

He dropped round to the cantine where they were only starting to open up. "Hey, Alec," said Jess, who was the in charge of it, "You are up early, don't usually see you until after the morning meetings. Trouble sleeping?"

"Something like that," he admitted, sitting down at a near-by table. "So what would you like, the kitchen should be up and running in five minutes."

"Uh, some cheese on toast would be great," he said.

"No problem, it'll be ready in about ten."

"Thanks Jess."

Alec sat with his hands in his head thinking about what he was going to do; it was something he never thought that he ever would do. He was going to tell Max that he was going out to order to supplies, which he was but it still felt like a lie to him.

When Jess put a plate in front of him, he snapped out of his daze. "Oh that reminds me, I'm going out later to order more supplies, what do you need for the kitchen?"

"Uh well just more basic food essentials I suppose, we are almost out of flour and sugar. Oh we need more pasta, noodles and rice and well anything else is just a bonus," she said.

"Ok and I will see if my contacts can get a hold of a new oven," he said.

"That would be great, the one we have is really slow." She left Alec to his breakfast and his problems.

Once he was finished, he headed back to the apartment when he noticed it was just after eight. When he got in Max was still asleep but Jen was now lying wide-awake in her cot.

Grinning he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, changed her nappy and started to get her bottle ready. He was half way through feeding her when Max finally woke up. 'Thank god, it's half eight I would've had to wake her up in a few minutes, I'm going to be late.'

"Good morning," she said. "What time is it? " She asked getting up and kissing him on the way to the bathroom.

"Half eight, meeting is in half an hour you've got plenty of time. Though I do have something to do before the meeting so can you take Jen down to the nursery this morning?" he asked.

"Sure just put her in the cot and go, I will be ready in five minutes and will bring her down then, ok?" she asked while brushing her teeth.

"Thanks, bye sweetie, see you later."

He gently placed Jen in the cot after winding her and kissed Max quickly on the cheek before rushing out the door. He ran to Jondy's apartment knowing he was late.

He knocked quickly and waited for her to answer the door. "How many times have I told you to just open the door and walk in?" she asked, clearly annoyed that she had to get up and move.

"Sorry, I know and usually I would but I seem to be getting a lot of bad habits recently so I thought that I might as well try and cut out one of them," he explained.

"Fine," said Jondy, "but nobody else does so next time when I refuse to get up and you are standing there for ages you'll know why and it will be your own fault."

"You are really against movement aren't you?" he asked sitting on the bed beside her.

"Well not all types of movement," she said, a double edge to her voice as she inched closer towards him.

He grinned after figuring out what was coming next but not fast enough to dodge the pillow that had just made contact with the back of his head.

"Hey, not fair!" he yelled, picking up a pillow of his own. "You didn't say pillow fight."

"Sorry," said Jondy. "PILLOW FIGHT!"

They soon began in true teenage fashion a fully-fledged pillow fight. They ran around the room hitting each other with pillows, running into things and knocking them down. The fight ended only when Jondy made a dive for Alec's ankles, tackling him to the ground.

They both lay on the floor out of breath, with their clothes out of place and feathers in their hair. "I can't believe you bust open my pillow!" said Jondy. "What will I do know?" she said with mock anger.

"Well I'm going out today and I'll get you a new one, you can have mine until then, I don't seem to sleep anymore anyway. It's like I caught Max's shark DNA or something," he joked.

"Well anyway about later, we need red wine and romantic music," said Jondy sitting up and trying to get the feathers out of her hair.

"No way," protested Alec. "Are you trying to turn me gay or something? Was the pillow fight not enough for? I feel girly enough for one day and do not need red wine and romantic music to get me more connected with my feminine side that I already am thank you very much!"

"Fine, we will compromise, white wine and, 'soothing' music."

"But I don't like wine or soothing music," complained Alec.

"Yes, but Max likes wine and I seriously doubt that she will appreciate Blink 182 blasting in the background as you pop the question."

Alec crumpled up his face and groaned rolling over. "Can you please not talk about it and especially like that? I'm shittin' it as it is never mind with you harping on about it constantly. I almost wish I never told you."

Jondy grinned, "Why Alec, anyone would think you are nervous," she said faking innocence and surprise.

"Then anyone is right," he mumbled, his face still in the carpet.

"Besides you need my help." Seeing that Alec still wasn't feeling any better she started reassuring him.

Jondy rolled over to him and put her arm around him. "Look you have noting to worry about, she loves you and is hardly going to turn you down, well unless you don't move right now, it is five past nine," she said getting up.

"Shit!" he yelled.

They both ran for the door at the same time, neither of them bothering to straighten themselves out. Max hated people being late and this was so the wrong day for her to be mad at Alec.

They practically blurred all the way to TC well that was until Alec went so fast that he ran into a wall that stopped Jondy as well who just had to roll about laughing. Feeling extremely stupid Alec stood up grinning sheepishly. He tried helping Jondy up of the ground but she insisted, between laughs, that she couldn't get up.

"Go . . .on . . . without me," she said, still laughing, so much in fact that there were tears tripping down her face and she was clutching her stomach in an attempt to make it hurt less.

"I never leave a soldier behind," said Alec jokingly but getting increasingly worried about the time.

"Fine have it your way then," said Alec when he saw that there was no chance of her willingly getting up so he leaned down, picked her up and threw her over his right shoulder and began to run.

"Put me down!" she yelled, hammering at his back with her fists, only when they arrived outside HQ that Alec put her down. All the running had made him a little flushed and Jondy was still sore from laughing so they quite literally stumbled into the meeting.

"Sorry Max," said Jondy as her and Alec slipped into their seats. "We uh . . . got caught up in something. Alec couldn't help but laugh but seeing that Max did not look to please he tried to cover it with a cough but it didn't help to see that Jondy was openly smiling.

"Ok," said Max unsurely, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again. We were talking about planning the attack. Dix's broadcast seems to have worked, already we have had three X-5's show up. Apparently the code . . ." but Alec did not hear anymore than that, he was too busy worrying over that nights events.

He was going into town with Jondy, who was helping him make sure it was just right, to get the ring something that terrified him as it made it seem more final. He had never been so worried or nervous in his entire life and this fact only unnerved him even more, so basically he wasn't feeling to great.

Not to mention that Jondy kept looking over at him with this knowing little smiles that were driving him crazy. He would have to leave quickly after the meeting so that Max wouldn't ask him any questions about it, he wanted to make absolutely sure that it was a surprise.

Seeing that everyone seemed to be getting up the meeting appeared to be over so he rose from his seat and headed out the door and round the back of the building to the main entrance/exit to TC, without even so much as looking at Max.

Jondy had to do something first though he wasn't quite sure what but he though she had said something about a hall. Breaking away from his thoughts he felt a hand on his shoulder, Max's hand.

"Hey, where are you of to?" she asked.

"I'm going to order supplies, remember?" he said, glad that she had assigned him to this particular job so that he didn't have to think something up.

. "Well I'll go with you then, keep you company and all that," she suggested, looking at him hopefully.

"No," he said quickly, thinking up an excuse, he couldn't buy a ring when she was there. "You probably have better things to do and it really is a one man job.

"Oh," said Max, who looked disappointed. "Well you better get going then. I will probably spent most of the day cleaning or sorting out the medical supplies."

"Ok, well I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss before hurrying off towards the gates. 'That was a close one,' he thought as he leaned against the wall waiting for Jondy. 'I thought she knew for a second.'

He stood up straight a few minutes later when he saw Jondy running over to him, "Let's go," she said as they walked out of TC. "Ok, so Jace and Krit are going to organise everything else, they are going to talk to Alicia about fixing up this hall that will be perfect and to Jess about food and stuff.

"What did they say when you told hem why?" asked Alec wanting to know their reactions. "They were both really happy and excited for yous. Now are we going to order supplies or shop for jewellery first?"

"Uh, supplies, the guy I know can get us everything and he is just round the corner," said Alec.

After Alec and Jondy had ordered all the supplies they went round to the jewellery shop, the bit Alec was dreading. "So tell me again why I can't just give you the money and let you go in and pick one while I just stand here?" asked Alec, standing outside the shop.

"Because I said so, now come on!" said Jondy who had to practically pull him in. The shop was not as Alec had expected, her had robbed plenty of jewellery stores in his time but he had obviously hit the wrong ones.

All the other stores and been like everything else in Seattle, run down and just about standing, this place however was completely different. The Foggle Towers of sector five. There was no other word for it; the place was still 'posh'. 'Probably owned by rich kid,' thought Alec who felt very out of place and rather uncomfortable.

Jondy however, looked like she was in her seventh heaven, she ran about studying the contents of each display case at length before finally calling over to Alec, "This is it, this is the one!"

Alec walked over to where Jondy was standing and immediately knew which ring she was taking about before she even pointed it out. It was a plain silver band with a simple square cut diamond, it was not overly flashy like some of the other rings but that was what made it so perfect.

"You know Jondy, I think you are right."

When they got back to Terminal City, if it was possible Alec was more nervous than he had been that morning. He and Jondy were waking along the streets going over what Jondy had named 'Operation Max and Alec.'

"Okay so we can go round to the hall to set things up, where I'm sure everybody else is. Then we can get something to go get Max and tell her that that she has to go and get cleaned up because we are celebrating surviving in TC."

"Then at the last minute they bring her round to the hall and then everyone else discreetly leaves and when she asks what is going on I tell her that I just thought that we needed a break," finished Alec who was surprised how well things had come together.

He out his arm around Jondy's shoulders, "Thanks Jondy, really I wouldn't have been able to do this without you. I don't know how to repay you," he said feeling grateful that she had been so helpful.

"No problem Alec, you make Max happy and that is payment I enough."

"Shit there is Max!" said Alec pushing Jondy into a near-by alley between buildings, hoping to god Max had not seen him. He had the ring in his pocket and Max always put her hands in his jacket pocket when she hugged him, he had always found it cute but not in this situation.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, "Ok, I think she has gone," he whispered. He bent down and gave Jondy a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for everything really."

Jondy smiled and hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Oh and by the way I've changed my mind and thought that I would let you know that I like cards."

Alec laughed and said goodbye, heading for the apartment. When he reached there he flopped on the bed, exhausted and for about an hour he just slept, finally content and happy only waking when Jondy came in to get him saying that he had to move because Jace was away to bring Max up to the apartment.

Alec ran his hands through his hair and followed Jondy out of the apartment, only stopping at the nursery to see Jen. No matter how he justified it to himself, he still felt bad leaving her to someone else's care everyday and he knew it affected Max as well. He knew that it was the only option and that everyone else did it as well but he still felt bad about it.

Then, finally, he put her down and went round to the hall with Jondy. The sight in from of him amazed him. Everyone had really done a great job; the place was dimly lit with, romantic music playing. There were a few tables with chairs set around them with candles placed in the middle. Alec smiled noting the bottle of red wine that was placed on the centre table knowing that Jondy had gotten her way. He could smell the most delicious food coming from the adjacent room and he knew that Jess had worked her magic again . . . everything was quite simply, perfect.

Then Syl and Kat came over to him and hugged him, "You better do this right," said Syl jokingly. "Oh by the way Alec, what we said to you in San Francisco remains true, hurt her we'll kill you," said Krit who despite the threat he had just given Alec, was smiling.

When a few of the other TC residents who had helped out looked at him dubiously, his grin widened, "Well, we'll try anyway." Alec gulped again, getting increasingly nervous as the situation was becoming rapidly more real. He could tell form the amount of friendly faces around the room, that he was doing the right thing, it was about time that he got round to proposing and if it weren't for these people it mightn't have been as perfect. He looked over to see Jondy looking particularly happy. 'And if it weren't for Jondy this might never have happened at all,' he thought.

He was extremely grateful for all of Max's siblings, especially Jondy. They had all just accepted him and treated him like he had always had been 'one of them'. Now, at the 'golden moment' he was appreciative more than ever of their support, because he knew that if they didn't like him, his relationship and credibility with Max would be non-existent.

"Look guys, I'd just like to thank everyone for all their help and support, really it has been very much appreciated. I don't know what I can do to repay you, I mean I already know that Jondy likes appreciation shown in the form of cards but, well if you ever need anything, just ask. I'll be eternally grateful. Well unless she turns me down," he joked, making everyone laugh.

He moved over to the table and sat down fumbling with a certain box in his pocket.

"You, ok?"

Alec looked up to see Jondy sitting in the place opposite him. I will be, soon. I'm just a little nervous I guess."

Jondy raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, extremely nervous, enough to make earlier's state of nervousness non- existence, so much so that I can't seem to stop saying the word nervous."

Jondy smiled, comfortingly at him, "You'll be fine and if not, you'll soon find out, here comes the guest of honour good luck. It's about time for me to exit . . . stage right," she said standing up.

"Still watching cartoons I see."

"Still making sarcastic remarks I see."

Alec watched as Max looked around confused at everybody 'subtly' leaving the room and at that moment, she had never been more beautiful to him. Her face was fresh looking and clean, with her hair pulled back and right then, at that very moment, any doubts Alec had faded away.

"Wait!" Alec frowned as her sudden shout caused everyone to stop moving. He stood up and walked over to her, a questioning look on his face.

"I know what is going on," she told Alec quietly.

"Excuse me?" he asked looking slightly panicked.

"Oh, come on you have been at it all day!" she practically shouted.

When Alec didn't say anything, all the planning, gone to waste, she had found out and was for some reason mad.

"What, surely you didn't think that I wouldn't find out?"

"Well I must admit I did think that someone would slip up and tell you," he said, feeling rather sheepish.

"What . . . other people know? How?"

"I told them," he stated simply, "It wasn't exactly something I could hide from everyone."

"Who else knows?"

He looked around the room. "Just about everyone here and a few others."

Alec felt guilty, she was probably upset that he had told other people he was going to ask her to marry him before he asked her. He would just have to explain that there was no way around it, when he got the chance. Max was now taking it out on her siblings for not telling her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked them.

"Alec asked us not to, he didn't want you to know, for obvious reasons," Jace told her.

"Well isn't that nice, at least he tried to cover it up, but what you take his side now and does what he says? I'm your sister you should have told me!" she said, getting very angry.

"We're sorry Max but we agreed with Alec and thought that it would be best if you didn't know," said Krit, "but you don't have to make us feel guiltier than we already do for not telling you, I mean we wanted to but we promised that we wouldn't."

Max looked round at Syl, Kat and Zane in particular, "Why didn't you three tell me?"

"We only found out about half an hour ago," said Kat.

"Look Max, I really think that . . ." began Jondy but she was cut of by an extremely pissed of Max.

"Don't you talk to me!" she yelled, her voice filled with hatred and venom. "You ruined my life, everyone said you were not capable of it but when it comes down to it they obviously don't know you very well because it seems that you are having an affair with my boyfriend!"

The hall came to a standstill and Alec felt his jaw hit the ground, his stomach churn and his eyes fill with sadness, pain and anger.