Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. This fan-fiction had been written purely for entertainment purposes. No infringement intended and no profit had been made out of this.

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews. Virtual kisses all around! Sorry this chapter took so long, I got stuck on one bit which I'm not happy about. Still not exactly satisfied, but I thought I should just post it!

Rules Can Be Broken - Chapter 13

(by elle6778)

Zack looked up from the bed when Max walked out of the bathroom, clad only in a white bathrobe provided by the motel. She walked to the opposite site of the bed and continued to rub her hair dry with a small towel, not speaking a word or even glancing at him.

Knowing that he had probably upset her with their conversation earlier, he was torn between saying something or just leaving it at that. Much as he balked at having 'something' happening between them, he was even more disinclined to see her like this.

Taking a deep breath, he broke the silence. "Max?"

"Hmm?" she responded as she ran her fingers through her hair, taming the wet strands.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, peachy."

"Look, Max. I'm sorry about just now. But you know it can't go on," Zack tried.

"It's okay, Zack," she said simply.

Zack exhaled loudly. This was Max in one of her 'I-don't-want-to-talk' moods which he had never known how to deal with even when they had been kids in Manticore. He watched her as she got up to stand by the window, noticing her damp hair resting against her smooth cheeks. The bathrobe was too big for her, but she had tightened it around her waist so that it remained in place. He gulped involuntarily at the sight of the curve of her breast peeping out between the folds of the robe and decided suddenly that it would be safer for him to look elsewhere.

"Where're your clothes?" he asked. It would probably be better if she was dressed, instead of walking around the room naked underneath the bathrobe.

Max turned to him and said, "Washed them. It's kind of needed it after all these days. It'll dry by tomorrow."

Zack's eyes widened. Was she planning to sleep like that? With HIM in the room? What was she thinking? How was he supposed to ignore the fact that he was sleeping in the same room with a practically naked woman? He might be a genetically enhanced super soldier, but he was still a red-blooded male.

"You should probably do the same," she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste, oblivious to his thoughts.

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes," he said, beginning to wish that she remained silent. Her 'I-don't-want-to-talk' mood was definitely much more acceptable than her coming up with something like this.

Max rolled her eyes. "You've been wearing that for what? A week? Or was it more than a week. Come on, Zack. It's disgusting."

Zack scowled. She was probably right. But after tearing up his shirts to use as bandages, he had no more clothes apart from what he had on.

"Max, I don't think it's a good idea for both of us to stay in this room wearing nothing but bathrobes," he said uncomfortably.

Raising her eyebrows, she said, "Zack, we're both adults. I'm sure we can manage. How about this? I promise to keep my hands to myself, okay?"

Zack frowned. How was he supposed to tell her that it was not her hands that he was concerned about, but his own? That he did not need any further encouragement to stray from his resolve to keep from touching her, or kissing her. Or something stupid thing like that. His body seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to Max, much to his disgust.

"Zack? Are you shy?" Max said, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Shy? It's not about me being shy!" he protested indignantly.

"So what's the problem?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I'm going to get it washed now, alright," he said, walking to the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Shy? Hell, no.

Worried? Most definitely.

Not too long ago, he had somehow managed to lose control and had kissed her. And when she had walked out of the bathroom a few minutes ago, he had a hard time keeping his eyes averted from her indecently exposed cleavage when she raised her arms up to towel her hair. The image was practically burned in his mind now. This time, he knew that he had to make sure that he kept his hands to himself, however delectable she might look in that fluffy white bathrobe.

Zack groaned as he pulled his clothes off. He hoped that his hormones did not decide to do the thinking for him this time. Discipline was what he needed. He needed to think like her CO, not some hormonal teenager. He was a soldier, damn it! Control and discipline should be second nature to him.

Yeah, then why is it so hard for you to keep your cool, huh, the annoying voice in his head piped up.

It was just a temporary aberration, Zack replied to the voice as he stepped into the shower.

The voice snorted. Who are you kidding, Zack? You've fallen for the girl. Hard. The signs are all there. The uncontrollable lust, the jealousy and the possessiveness. All you have to do now is to admit it.

Zack scowled, stepping out of the shower. There was no way he would succumb to those feelings. The whole thing was just not right. Grabbing a nearby towel, he dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist.

But why was it not right?

It was not right because he was her CO. Not to mention that these kinds of feelings put them in danger. All this sentimental bullshit clouded the mind and made them all vulnerable.

So basically it's just fear, right, Zack? The voice challenged. The fear of commitment because you're scared of being exposed, being hurt. You're running scared, Zack.

Zack stiffened. Was he running scared? Was that why he never allowed anyone to get close? For the fear of being hurt? What happened to the fearless genetically engineered super-soldier Manticore created?

Groaning out loud, he began to wash his clothes, brushing the voice aside. It would not matter soon anyway. They were almost at San Francisco, where they would be parting ways. One more day, and he would not have to think about this anymore.

One more day and then he could go back to watching her back from a distance. The thought of that made his heart clench painfully. He knew that he was going to miss her, but it had to be done. They could not continue this way. Especially now that he knew how he felt towards her.

He wrung his clothes dry and laid it on the rail over the radiator, next to Max's clothes. His eyes did a double take when he noted that her lacy black panties and bra was hanging there. Zack gulped as he realised that Max was completely naked underneath the bathroom. Great! Now his wayward mind would have more to think about.

Zack looked around, searching for a bathrobe, frowning when he did not find what he was looking for. Was there only one bathrobe in there? Zack groaned. The situation had just gotten worse. If he did not know better, he would have said that fate was definitely plotting something against him.

Or maybe Max was plotting something. He would not put it past her to try something again tonight. Steeling his resolve, he decided that the games would end tonight. Whatever they had done so far was already moving into a dangerous territory.

It was time to put a stop to it.

Securing the towel tightly around him, he opened the door and walked into the room.

Max was already lying down in bed, her eyes shut but there was no telling whether or not she was asleep. Zack did not have to look around the room to know that there was no couch in the place. So he would either have to sleep in the bed or on the floor.

Max continued to keep her breath even and her eyes shut when she felt the bed dip beside her. She kept still until she heard Zack's breathing even out, and then slowly, she turned to face his back.

Grinning in the dark, she thought of her next course of action. Perhaps if words were not enough to convince him, actions would. She was counting on the fact that he was a red-blooded male, who as far as she knew, had not had any physical gratification recently. The question was whether or not she dared to go as far as she had planned. The whole thing might still turn pear-shaped. But it was not as if she had anything to lose anyway.

Carefully, she raised her hand above the covers and scooted closer to him. With one hand she traced a gentle line from his barcode down to the base of his spine. And then she waited with bated breath for him to turn around and yell at her.

Nothing.

Slightly disappointed at the lack of response, Max moved her hand to his muscular arms, sweeping over his skin lightly as she pressed her lips softly against his back. His unique scent invaded her nostrils, making her flush in reaction. And still, Zack did not move or react.

Bolder now, she snaked out her tongue to taste his skin, suppressing a moan when his taste hit her senses. Absently, she wondered why she was torturing herself like this. Her arm curled around his body to his bare chest, her hand skimming up and down. Her fingers tingled when she brushed against his nipple.

Instantly, she heard Zack in a sharp breath, his body turning rigid. Finally!

"Max, what are you doing?" he hissed softly.

"I'm a bit cold," she said with a cheeky smile. "Remember the lesson they taught us at Manticore about sharing body heat?"

"That lesson did not involve tongues, Max," Zack said tightly.

"I thought you're sleeping," Max said, and then rolled her eyes at herself.

Zack was one of the best Manticore soldiers around. Of course he would wake the second he felt her hand on him. But then, why he did not stop her earlier? She smiled to herself when she registered the implication of his actions. Whether Zack realised it or not, he was ready to cave. He just needed a little encouragement.

"And I thought you promised to keep your hand to yourself," his irate voice reached her.

Max grinned. "I lied."

"Max, don't do this. We'll regret it in the morning," he said in a demanding tone.

"Regret what?" she asked as she snuggled closer, pressing her front against his back. Her right arm settled itself around his bare waist, effectively spooning herself against him.

Zack released a groan, but surprisingly did not move away.

Encouraged, Max shifted so that the lapels of her bathrobe fell open, allowing their bare skin to touch. Max stifled a moan at the contact just as Zack froze.

"Max…" he choked out roughly. "Stop it!"

Ignoring his warning, Max pressed herself closer against him and moved her hand in circles around his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple under her palm. And then she suddenly felt herself pushed roughly to her back with Zack's weight pressing down on her. His blazing blue eyes seared into hers as she watched him fight a losing battle for control.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, she pulled his head down, her lips locking onto his. Zack groaned deep in his throat as he responded to her kiss hungrily. Max was too swept up in the feel of his lips to wonder why Zack suddenly gave in so soon. She had expected him to resist further, but she guessed even Zack had his limits.

His hand moved down between them to seek her breast. Max gasped as his fingers tugged the bathrobe off her, allowing himself access to her heated skin. She arched against him, trying to increase the contact, noticing hazily that at some point, his towel had become undone. He responded to her demands by lowering his head to her skin, his lips wreaking havoc with her senses.

Suddenly it all stopped as he pulled away from her. Propping himself up on his elbows, his eyes bored into hers in an initially unfathomable expression. And then she noted that he looked almost angry as he stared down at her. Max's eyes widened as a feeling of uncertainty engulfed her. Why was he looking at her like that?

"Is this what you want, Max?" he growled roughly, the chords in his neck clearly visible as he strained for control. "Because I don't think I can stop if this goes any further."

Max looked up at him, for the first time feeling unsure of what she wanted. She wanted him, but not at the expense of himself. Not if he was going to beat himself up afterwards. "Zack…You know how I feel, and I know how you feel."

"That's not what I asked, Max. I want you to understand that it is not going anywhere after this. This is going to be a one-time thing. We can't be together," he said as he lowered his lips to nip her neck. "And I don't want to hurt you," he said against her skin.

"Then don't," she said, a lump forming in her throat at his tortured voice. Why was he saying things like this now? She looked into his eyes and saw his resolve hardening.

"Then I can't do this," he said roughly.

A feeling of confusion and hurt washed over her. "Zack?"

"No, Max," Zack said in a hard tone. "This has gone far enough." He pushed himself off her, letting himself fall back to his side of the bed, breathing heavily.

Puzzled at his reaction, her mind still hazy from arousal, Max wondered what had just happened between them. One minute he had been all over her and the next, he withdrew. Trying not to show him how upset she was, she said quietly, "Zack, this is not wrong, you know."

He exhaled a heavy breath. "I can't give you what you want, so quit pushing it," he said harshly, making her wince involuntarily.

"But…"

"Go to sleep, Max," he said with a tone of finality as he turned his back towards her.

Knowing that she would achieve nothing by protesting, Max decided to concede for the moment. But sleep refused to claim her, and she lay silently through the night, wondering what had gone wrong.

The sound of someone clearing their throat penetrated Zack's sleep, causing him to snap awake instantly. Jumping up from the bed in reflex, his eyes immediately locked on the source of the sound.

Sky was leaning against the wall, watching him with an amused smirk plastered over his face. "Tsk, tsk, Zack. Now I understand why you left me behind," he said, looking pointedly at Zack, then the bed.

Suddenly noticing the state of his nakedness, Zack reached down to grab the towel on the floor and secured it around his waist. Flashes of what happened last night which had brought forth his state of undress began to invade his mind. Zack was furious that he let himself go so far. He did not know what came over him, especially all those things he had said to her to push her away. His intent had been to warn her, to teach her a lesson, but the rejected look in her eyes had stabbed him hard. It made him feel like a first-class jerk.

But now was not the time to think on it. Now, he had Sky to deal with. He could not really talk to Max about what happened last night anyway with Sky around.

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked, flicking a sideways glance at Max, who was sitting up in the bed, clutching the sheets against her naked body. Satisfied that she was adequately covered, Zack turned his full attention back to Sky. "How did you find us?"

"It's not hard to trail a pair of good-looking transgenics, you know. People notice, and people talk," Sky replied casually, still not moving from the wall.

"So, I guess Manticore on its way now?" Max asked with a yawn, getting up from the bed with the sheets around her. Without waiting for an answer, she made her way to the bathroom without a single look at the two of them.

Zack's eyes narrowed as he noted the appreciative glance that Sky was giving Max. A now familiar feeling of possessiveness rose in him. "Hey, soldier, what are you looking at?" Zack growled.

Sky turned his attention back to Zack. Noticing the expression on Zack's face, Sky held his arms out in a placating gesture. "Calm down, Zack. But can you blame me for being distracted?"

Zack glowered. "Cut the crap. What are you doing here, Sky? Is Manticore waiting for us outside?"

Sky shook his head. "No. I didn't tell them your whereabouts, though they're under the impression that I'm on a search mission for the two of you. Told them you're headed north."

"And why should I believe you?" Zack asked, actually wanting to believe Sky but unsure of the other transgenic's loyalties.

Sky sighed heavily. "Look, Zack, do you think Manticore will ask me to come in here to chat with you when they can just bust in and grab the two of you right now? Manticore isn't known for allowing us to say our farewells, Zack."

Still sceptical, Zack asked warily, "So what is it you want?"

"The same as what you want. I want out from Manticore," Sky said resolutely.

Zack raised his eyebrows. He did not expect that from Sky. "Let me get this straight. You want to escape from Manticore. Go AWOL. Have Manticore hunt you down for the rest of your life?"

Sky grinned. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

The bathroom door opened and Max walked out, fully dressed. "So, Sky's on our side, huh?" she asked, obviously having overheard the conversation from the bathroom.

"I just can't stay away from you, Max," Sky said cheekily.

Max rolled her eyes, but did not comment on his statement. Instead, she asked, "So what happened to you? Why have you decided to go on the run?"

Sobering up, Sky explained, "Well, I got my memory back, so I remember Manticore and all the training shit we had gone through. But I also remember the time since you guys got me out of the hospital. And frankly, I think I prefer freedom to a lifetime of servitude to Manticore. Even if it means Escape and Evade for the rest of my life. You guys are my heroes," he finished with wink.

Max snorted. "Right."

"Then why don't you just disappear? Why go through all the trouble to track us down?" Zack asked.

Sky took a deep breath. "Because I need your help for us to disappear for good, and I think have a plan which may work."

t.b.c.

A/N: A bit different this time between Zack and Max, I know...So what exactly is Sky up to? Please review and let me know what you think!