Disclaimer: Not mine except new characters.
A/N: My first attempt. In response to my reviewers this chapter was written. It is mainly about an hour the evening before Max and Ben go off with Lydecker. Sorry it's a long one but too many people wanted to get a word in.
Many Thanks:
Elle6778: Hope you enjoy this, Max and Ben mission starts next chapter.
Lakergirl08: Thanks as for Ben, well read and enjoy.
Honey X5-452: Nice to have you back, sorry this is long but I hope you'll like it.
Angel Of Darkness231: Glad you enjoyed.
Angelofdarkness78: Gald you enjoyed.
Shygirl1: In answer wait and see.
Darkangelgirl: Glad you like.
EminemIsCool: They'll get a chance, hope you enjoy this.
Who Loves The Teacher?
Chapter Forty-one: Dinner and Tantrums
Max and Ben went straight to Max's office from her apartment, only stopping so Max could ask someone to find Lydecker and send him to her.
Max wasn't happy, "why do you want to upset the other members of our unit?"
"I'm not, but why are they siding with the others against you?" Ben retorted. "The people who run this place with you are denying their true nature, pretending to be ordinaries and mixing with ordinaries."
"No, they have never pretended to be ordinaries," Max replied exasperated, who did he think he was judging them without really getting to know them. "You haven't given them time to find out what they're really like."
"How much time does it need, to realise they're a bunch of losers?" he rebuffed.
At that moment there was a knock on the door and Lydecker walked in. "Ok kids are you ready to discuss the mission?"
"Hi 'Deck," Max greeted, "When were you thinking of leaving?"
"I've been in touch with the teams and told them to return to the Wyoming facility. Thought we'd have another couple of days, so you can catch up here," Lydecker stated. "Then we'll be off until we've retrieved them all."
"Sounds good to me," replied Max.
"Sooner the better," snapped Ben. "Be glad to get away from Wonder Boy, his crone and hangers on."
Max looked daggers at him, "I wish you'd give them all a chance," she sighed.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Dage came back to see Issy and shoo Alec and Alex out of med bay just in time for Alec to keep his promise to meet up with the others for dinner. As he and Alex entered the canteen he could see his some of his old unit sat at a table with Joshua and Mole, and two spare seats.
"Those seats for us," he called over. The canteen wasn't very full at this time, most of the residents having a snack about 16:00 and another meal at 20:00. Alec liked to come between the rush; there was more choice and less arguments, and if you wanted to talk it was possible.
"Yeah," replied Biggs, "do you want to leave Alex with us while you collect your food?"
"Sure," Alec replied, then turned to Alex putting her down, "you go and sit next to CeCe, I'll be over in a minute."
After collecting the food and sitting down to eat the questions began, "So is Issy really well enough for visitors?" Mole asked.
"Yeah she's doing well, just wish she would concentrate on getting better, not asking about what's happening out here," he replied between mouthfuls.
"What sort of things does she want to know about?" asked CeCe.
"How Ben is settling in, I guess," replied Biggs, Alec nodded, "Yeah she was asking me the same, I tried to hedge, but she seems to read through that."
"Yeah it can get annoying when she does that," Alec grinned, passing Alex some food to eat. "Sorry sweetheart are we ignoring you," he turned to his daughter who was busy trying to pull his arm away from the table.
"So what we going to do about him?" asked Mole.
"Hey I'm locked down on this one, unless he starts something I've given my word to leave him alone," Alec replied earnestly.
"So, do you want him to start something?"
"No, not really, there's too much at stake for everyone," he replied honestly. Then a grin spread across his face, "although it would be interesting to find out which of us is the best!"
"What about the others?" asked Mitch.
"I don't know much about them," Alec replied. "What did you think of the three that were here?"
"You mean after their initial reluctance to be thrown in a cell," laughed Mole.
"Yeah, well I think all of us would have problems with that," Alec grinned.
"After we'd convinced them that as soon as Max was back they'd get to see her, they were only noisy if we forgot to feed them," replied CeCe coyly.
"I hope you didn't do it on purpose?" Alec chided.
"No, we had a few problems with the ordinaries while you were away," replied Biggs. Seeing the quizzical look on Alec's face he added, "Nothing we couldn't handle. What about the other two, Syl and Krit?"
"I don't know much, they turned up when we were trying to rescue Issy and have stuck around since," he replied distracted. "Come to think of it, we never found out what they were doing in the woods, guess I'll have to ask them next time we meet."
Joshua had taken over helping Alex with her food, leaving Alec to finish his own.
"So how are we supposed to act around them?" asked CeCe. "I mean they are 09ers."
"I think Issy would say treat them how you would want them to treat you," Alec replied. "Personally I'd say as allies in the fight." Finishing off his main course and reaching for the ice cream, Alec said, "So Mole what's been happening in my absence, have you shot anyone?"
"No, we were gonna do target practise on the ordinaries," he smirked. "Those who got too close, see if we could shoot next to them, without hitting them, of course. Sort of fifty points for a button, twenty-five for a cigarette, fifteen for a hat, but even the marksmen thought minus a hundred for drawing blood was too high to attempt."
"Don't let Max hear about that," Alec laughed. "Though I can see the merits, could do with some live target practise myself."
"What don't you want Max to know?" a male voice spoke behind him.
Alec watched his friends stiffen and turned to see who was talking. "Hello Jondy," then turning to the male closest and offering his hand, "Hi, we haven't been introduced yet, I'm Alec and these are Mole, Joshua, Biggs, CeCe, Mitch and my daughter Alex." Alex smiled at them while he continued, "And you are?"
"I'm Zane, that's Seth and you've already met Syl, Krit and Jondy," was the reply. "But you haven't answered my question."
"Just a little sport Mole was considering while Max and I were away," Alec passed it off. Then changing the subject "You just coming for food," they nodded. "Why don't you join us, then we can get to know one another."
While they got their food Mole, Biggs and Joshua brought another table to join them. When they sat down Alec had questions. "So Seth, I thought you worked for Eyes Only and fell off the Space Needle, what happened?"
"Talk about direct," Seth replied concerned, "How did you know?"
"Max talks in her sleep," Alec teased with a grin. Most of his friends realised it was just a joke, but the others didn't and eyebrows were raised.
"What do you mean, you and Max!" exclaimed Jondy. "I thought you were with Issy."
"There was a time," he mused, but seeing their faces he decided to come clean. "It was after my run in with the police over brother Ben's misdemeanours that Max opened up about her family. Then I pushed for more information."
"I hope it wasn't all bad," replied Syl.
"No, but according to her you're dead," he turned to Seth. Then he added, "at least until you turned up here."
"Tried to, but the cat's reflexes had me landing on my feet, almost in front of Issy's car," he replied. "Broke lots of bones, but she bundled me into the car and hid me somewhere safe until I recovered. She did two ops, so I could lose the barcode and serotonin deficiency and sent me on my way. So how's she doing?"
"Improving fast, thanks," Alec replied.
"So how easy was it for you to adjust to Manticore's destruction?" asked Zane.
"Personally I'd met Max before and was outside when it happened," Alex started.
"Yeah they'd been assigned as breeding partners," laughed Biggs, "not the best way to start a relationship." Max's family looked appalled by the suggestion.
"Yeah that's just the look she gave when I told her," Alec laughed. "But after initial problems we became allies, as I followed her lead on how to behave outside Manticore, although she had to save my life a few times along the way"
"Yeah, I think Alec fell on his feet easily," replied Biggs. "If took most of us months to find a safe home, we left the area and had problems with the ordinaries. Luckily we found out how to get in touch with Alec and he sort of found us work and a home."
"Our CO thought it better for us not to have contact with one another, only he knew where we all were after we escaped," Syl explained.
"That must have been hard," CeCe interjected, "I know Max has had a thing about finding you, whereas I always felt support after the initial dispersal problems."
At that moment two figures entered the canteen.
"What's this collaborating with the enemy so soon," snarled Ben at his siblings.
Max put out her hand to calm him, "come on Ben we just came for food not trouble. Let's come back later when it's quiet."
"No I want to know why everyone flocks around him and hangs on his every word," Ben spat as he knocked Alex's chair. Alex would have fallen off but Joshua caught her quickly.
Max gasped wondering how Alec would react, she could see him trying to mask his anger.
Alec turned to Alex, "are you alright sweetheart?" pointedly ignoring Ben. Then to Joshua, "Can you take her to Gem, she'll be safer."
Joshua growled at Ben as he carried Alex, and looked hard at Max as he passed her.
Ben was annoyed by Alec's attitude, he was trying to get Alec to start the fight to give himself the moral high ground but it wasn't happening. What would bait Alec enough, with that thought Ben said, "how's your whore, dying in med bay."
Max gasped wanting to get Ben out and say sorry to Alec. Everyone else was shocked that Ben would be so insensitive.
Alec knew what was happening, but that was just one push too far, "look psycho boy don't you think it would be better for you to give it a rest," he snapped.
"Oh yeah I forgot my psychosis got you time in psy-ops, it didn't do much for you then," Ben taunted knocking Alec's chair and the table.
Mole saw how white Alec's knuckles had gone holding the spoon and said quietly, "if you don't do something, I will."
"No it's my fight," replied Alec equally as quietly, so only those sat at the table heard.
"Oh come on Alec, don't you want to prove that you're better," Ben tried.
"No because I know I'm better without the fight," Alec replied evenly.
Ben had had enough and pulled Alec out of his chair, "Fight or I will beat you to a pulp, you arrogant show off."
"Whatever," Alec replied lazily getting into a fighting stance.
Ben took his reluctance as inability and attacked. Alec blocked the blows easily but did not retaliate.
"Know something, you fight like a girl," Alec taunted, remembering his night in the ring with Max, this time he wasn't going to lose.
"Alec don't go there," Max warned worried about both men, one her SIC and one her brother (partner). That was part of her problem she didn't know what to call Ben, was he her brother or did she want him as a lover.
As Max pondered Ben's position in her life the sparring continued.
"I didn't start this, I just might have to finish it," replied Alec keeping his attention on Ben.
"Ben don't do this," Max pleaded.
"Stay out of this Max, or you might get hurt," Ben replied as he and Alec circled, both of them moving chairs out of the way.
When Ben thought Alec's attention had wandered he aimed a blow to Alec's chest. Alec blocked and retaliated knocking Ben back a few steps. "I was wondering if you could fight," snarled Ben as he did a spinning kick to Alec's side.
"I'm better, but I have more important things to do," Alec replied sarcastically as he moved out of the way of the kick.
They continued for several minutes the speed of the exchange increasing but Alec just fending the blows, rather than fighting. Mole had grabbed hold of Max to stop her trying to interfere, saying "leave them to fight it out, Princess won't hurt your boy and the only one he'll let beat him is you."
Three more figures entered the canteen and stood watching the display. "Nice to see they haven't lost all their training," remarked Lydecker.
"But they shouldn't be fighting each other," Sandeman sighed. "They will need their aggression to fight the familiars."
"Alpha males can't always keep it in check," Issy commented, realising this wasn't the time to interfere.
Only the fighters failed to notice the new arrivals, until Mole commented, "better break it up."
Alec heard and wondered what had happened and in turning to look relaxed his guard. Ben did a crescent kick to Alec's head and knocked him across the room.
Alec landed at Issy's feet and looked up. "Are you supposed to be out of bed?" he asked shaking his head and flipping himself upright.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to be falling at my feet yet," she teased.
"Yeah sorry about that I just got distracted."
"So you'd rather talk," jeered Ben. "That must mean I've won."
"Give me two minutes and we can continue this," Alec whispered to Issy. "I don't think so," he called to Ben.
"Remember to avoid injuries," snapped Lydecker. Then to Sandeman, "I hope this doesn't affect the retrieval mission."
Alec resumed his fighting stance opposite Ben. "So you think you're better?" he taunted.
Max realised something was wrong with the way Alec had spoken to Ben and shouted, "Alec, no."
But it was too late the fight had changed to another level and before long Alec had Ben in a choke hold. "Submit and I'll let go," he snarled.
Biggs and CeCe were worried, much as they didn't like Ben, it was a long time since they'd seen Alec this worked up and determined to win.
"He's not normally like this?" asked Jondy.
"No last time I saw him like this was in Bosnia," replied Biggs. "One of the enemy had raped and killed three women, with our sight we saw it. Alec turned and went after him by the time we got there it wasn't a pretty sight. Took the whole journey back for him to get under control, he vowed he'd never allow it to happen again."
Max was stunned by the revelation, "so he's got a psycho side, how come psy-ops didn't find it."
"Because he's not psycho," snapped CeCe. "We've all got a feral side we just keep it in check your psycho brother forgot that, Alec never did."
Ben was beginning to lose consciousness when Max stepped over, "stop it Alec or I'll stop you."
"Fine," Alec replied deadpan as he loosened his grip, "but if he ever tries it again one of us will be dead."
Ben slumped to the floor holding his neck and breathing heavily. Max went to his side as Alec went to Issy.
"You alright?" Issy asked.
He appeared to think about it for a minute and said "Yeah I'm always alright," with his trademark smirk. "Come and meet the others, they've been asking about you."
As they walked past Max and Ben, Ben went to lunge and Max whispered, "no." Issy shot him a look and Ben slumped down again.
"Come on Ben," Max cajoled. "We're leaving in the morning, let's get some rest. I'll get some food sent up to my apartment."
"You better not pull any of those tricks on the outside," Lydecker warned Ben as they passed, then to Max, "good idea moving the plans forward."
The chairs were re-set as Alec and Issy joined the group.
"You alright buddy?" asked Biggs concerned that Alec had unleashed the wild animal within.
"Me, yeah, I'm always alright," he grinned. Then seeing the concerned looks, "seriously it's back where it belongs. Now where were we when we were rudely interrupted," and they returned to their conversation.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A/N: 244 reviews before the next. This was issued one review early because I promised to update today.
9