Disclaimer: Not mine except new characters.

A/N: My first attempt.

Thanks to all reviewers, only those with emails will get replies in future so sign in before you review. But where have the reviewers gone, feedback needed.

Who Loves The Teacher?

Chapter Sixty: Welcome Home 2

As they got ready to leave Ben asked Max, "are you going to ring home before we pack the computer?"

"Yeah thought I'd leave it a bit longer," she replied.

"If you leave it much longer the choppers will be here," he retorted.

"Ok don't nag," she snapped, trying to establish a link with TC.

The first person she saw was Dix, 'Hi Max, I'll get Mole for you.'

"Thanks, how's things there?" she asked, but Dix didn't reply.

'Could be better little sis,' replied Jondy, as she and Biggs stood in front of the monitor.

Max smiled, a smile that reached her eyes, "I'm glad you guys are ok, how did your mission go?"

'Krit keeps saying it was a piece of cake,' Jondy laughed, 'I don't know about that but we got everything we wanted without injury. What about you?'

"We'll be leaving shortly, get the pad ready," she tried to be cryptic in case someone was listening.

'No go on the pad, try by the bluebird,' Biggs replied. Max looked puzzled, 'you'll understand when you get here,' he finished.

"See you at your position," she replied and cut the link.

"What's with the code?" asked Peter.

"We don't know if we're bugged and don't want the enemy waiting for us," she replied. "Hey 'Deck the bluebird at the docks will be the landing point, any problems."

"No I'll just pass the message on," he replied, as they went to board the helicopters.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

White was pleased that he had managed to kill both 452 and 494, Matthias would be pleased he thought as he drove to Roslyn. Maybe at last he could put his father's betrayal behind him.

As he took the road up to the asylum he could see lots of flashing blue lights in the distance, 'what the heck's going on, we never allow them up here,' he thought.

There was a barrier across the road and he had to stop, "what's the problem officer?" he asked showing his id.

"Seems that there was some sort of problem here last night and a massacre took place," the man replied.

White seethed, "I was coming here on agency business, remove the barrier, my agency has higher authority to investigate these situations," he snarled.

"I'll have to check with my superiors," the officer replied.

"I am your superior," White growled, "move it or I'll drive through it," he finished revving the car.

The officer complied not wanting to argue with him further.

White drove at speed to the asylum and went in search of answers to who would attack the conclave. Matthias and the High Priestess were missing, along with some snakes; that could only mean that the transgenics had been here, but there was no proof. White hit the nearest object in frustration.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Issy went to see Alec, "so how you feeling now?"

"Bored, I haven't even got a boob tube in here and no-one stops for long," he whined.

"You're supposed to be resting," she replied, "I did think of sedating you, but didn't think you'd appreciate it."

"You mean you are thinking about me," he replied sarcastically.

"I just called in to see if you wanted to join Psyche with the prisoners for half an hour."

"Anything would be better than counting cracks in the wall," he replied "by the way there's two hundred and forty one."

"Ok," she replied going to where she'd hidden his clothes and passing them to him, "so you're bored but I couldn't leave Alex with you, you'd have got her to find your clothes."

"I knew you'd lied about taking them back to the apartment," he complained getting dressed slowly, he wouldn't admit it but moving fast made him feel unsteady. "What do you mean? I wouldn't use Alex like that," he tried, feeling offended but knowing she was right.

Issy laughed, "you know you should wait for me to remove the drips before you try to put your top on," as the drip stand started to fall on him. Sorting it out she continued, "I know you want to get out, but it's only for half an hour and as it's just down the corridor I've found a wheelchair for you."

He looked at her in disgust, "I can walk, I don't need that."

"Psyche told me how she found you, so you use the wheelchair or stay here," Issy snapped.

"Ok, I give up," he replied realising he was too weak to win this argument, as she brought the wheel chair to the bedside.

She knew his pride would make him resist asking for help, but stayed just in case. She placed the wheel chair where he should be able to get into it unaided, it was a test to see how much he had recovered in such a short time, an ordinary would be lucky to recover in a month and it had only happened yesterday.

When he was settled in the chair, she wheeled him along the corridor to the interview room and Psyche.

"Is he in there already?" Alec asked.

"No I thought you'd want to get comfortable first," Psyche replied.

"Ok before I leave," Issy turned to Psyche, "half an hour, no more and keep the guards outside in case of emergency, any problems use the comms to Biggs and Mole."

Alec was looking up at them, "it's true stick you in a wheelchair and you get ignored."

Issy looked at him and laughed, "hey we're discussing your safety," she bent down and kissed him, "I just want you fit for later," she continued suggestively with a wink.

He looked at her and smiled, "I suppose I'll let you off then."

They went into the interview room and Issy helped Alec into the chair, noting how unsteady he was, but not saying anything. She left taking the wheel chair with her; they didn't want Matthias to know that Alec wasn't at full strength.

Matthias was brought into the interview room by two guards and secured to the chair.

"So we know you're friends think the end of the world for the ordinaries is soon, but can you enlighten us on the date," Alec jested, "I thought I'd take the day off to watch."

"Transgenic scum, White said he'd killed you."

"What can I say, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Alec replied. "But you haven't answered my question or would you rather I let my beautiful assistant have some fun."

"You will get nothing," Matthias replied throwing Alec and Psyche across the room with a stare.

Psyche hit her comms unit, "incident in interview room," as she picked herself up. "So you want to play dirty?" she accused as she mentally increased the tightness on the bonds and started the laser.

Matthias looked surprised at what she had done.

"Did you think that you were the only ones who could destroy by thought," she asked.

Alec was watching from his position on the floor, he'd always thought Psyche was one scary transgenic and this proved it.

"Your powers are weak," Matthias accused as he tried to counter everything she had done, but he couldn't, in fact his own powers seemed to be draining.

Biggs and Mole burst into the room ready to fight. They realised that Psyche had Matthias under her control, but that Alec needed to be got out. Mole went and picked Alec up and carried him back to his bed in med bay.

"So White did injure him?" Matthias sounded satisfied, "and the other is dead, then the date is of no use to you."

"Ok so just out of curiosity when is it?" Psyche asked and Matthias answered.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When Issy saw Mole carrying Alec she feared the worst.

Mole saw her face, "it's ok, princess got thrown off his chair by the freak, Psyche thought it better to get him out of there."

Issy breathed a sigh of relief, "so why's he not saying anything?"

"Because I feel sick," Alec replied starting to heave.

Mole got him to the bed just in time for Issy to give him a sick bowl.

"That can't be good," Mole commented watching Alec.

"No it's not," Issy agreed. "When did you say Max would be back?"

"Couple of hours, why?"

"Cuz if I don't do something drastic he's not going to be fit enough to see her."

Alec had stopped heaving and looked at her, "so what are you planning now?"

"Sedation, three more units of blood and drips," she replied, "you need rest to give your body time to heal. All the fidgeting and thinking about ways to get out is stopping you healing as fast as you'd like."

"So how long do I have to sleep?" he asked.

"Until I'm happy your body is performing properly," she asserted.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The NorBAC team were still working in the labs that Issy had set up but although they could differentiate between ordinary and transgenic blood, they still didn't know how to progress.

Krit and Syl walked in, "we heard you wanted a present from our away day," Krit joked.

"Yeah, did you get us one," David came excitedly across to them.

"Yeah we got this little thing thrown at us," Krit continued whilst opening the case he had been carrying.

David stepped close to them to see their prize, "better not get too close," suggested Syl, "this thing can kill an ordinary."

"Yeah but it's a nice specimen," he admired.

"But who's going to work with it?" asked Syl, "it's no good if you get killed."

"It's ok," replied Mina, "I know how to handle snakes, so that'll be my job."

"Well thanks for bringing it in, we'd better get to work," David said clapping his hands and rubbing them together. Mina prepared to milk the snake of its venom.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The helicopters landed by the dock and everyone disembarked to be greeted by the welcoming committee of Mole, Biggs and Jondy.

After a brief chat with Mole, Biggs and Jondy as they made their way back into TC, Max asked the question that has been bothering her, "so where is he?"

"Alec?" Biggs queried.

"Of course," Max replied surveying the damage to TC.

"Back in med bay," Mole replied.

"Right, after I've seen him, I'll be back to get a proper update," she snapped, "in the meantime find digs for these."

Ben looked at her, "I'll go with you."

"Oh, no you don't," Biggs replied grabbing his arm, "Alec doesn't need you picking a fight."

"I wasn't but she might," Ben referred to Max, who had already started walking to med bay, "I think he might need some protection."

Biggs and Jondy looked confused.

"Let's just say Max and I have sorted out some issues, including that one," he continued, "now can I go?"

Biggs let go of his arm, "ok, but make sure he doesn't get any more hurt."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When Max and Ben got to med bay Issy was waiting for them, "Max you can't go and see him yet."

Max glared at her, "he's my SIC and if I want to see him then I will."

"Not yet you won't," Issy stood firm, "we need to talk first, in my office."

"Alright if I come?" asked Ben.

"Sure but what I'm going to tell you goes no further," Issy replied as they sat down in her office. "Alec doesn't even know what I'm about to say."

Max was surprised; she thought they shared everything, "why haven't you told him."

"Because I don't think he's ready to know the truth," Issy replied, "when he got injured it was touch and go whether he would survive. When I saw how much blood he had lost before we got to him, I thought we'd lost him. Then when he'd lost the feeling in his legs I thought he'd been there too long to repair the damage."

Max was surprised at the revelations; Alec was always alright, now he'd tried to put himself in the same position as Logan or worse to protect her. She thought of Renfro's words, "I'm poison," she said quietly.

"No you're not, you just surround yourself with idiots," Issy replied hoping Max would laugh.

Max smile sadly, "you calling Alec an idiot."

"Frequently, but he usually has the best of intentions."

"So does this mean he's going to end up in a wheelchair?" Ben asked cutting to the chase.

"No," she replied, "but I've had to sedate him and I need your help."

"My help, how, I can't beat your medical knowledge," Max was surprised.

"I know, but I need you to knock him down in the command structure," Issy replied, "temporarily, but he mustn't know that."

Max looked surprised, "you want what?" then she thought for a moment. "You want him to leave TC and me knocking him down would upset him enough to do that."

"Maybe one day, but that's not the reason," Issy explained, "at the moment he feels dejected at messing up and still wants to do everything. If you were to knock him down maybe I can get him to relax enough to recover, he's delaying it by trying to get back."

"But who put him in front of the camera?" Max accused.

"I accept the blame, but that was to give you time to calm down," Issy replied. "He was supposed to still have his drips on show, but insisted on having them removed before you saw him."

"So when do I see him?"

"Now if you like, but he's still heavily sedated come back in the morning to talk, I'll make sure he's awake then."

Issy led them to Alec's room, where he could be seen restrained and with drips and monitors.

"Why the restraints?" asked Ben

"Because if the sedation runs out he'll probably be awake and trying to get out," she replied, "the old Manticore fear of hospitals and the sedation makes it worse because it disorientates."

"And you can't be here all the time," Max added.

"Only if I want Alex to think she's lost both parents," she laughed.

"Ok I'll be back in the morning," Max agreed and left.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Alec's quote is Mark Twain, I think.

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