Disclaimer: Not mine except new characters.

A/N: My first attempt. This is like an interlude in TC's problems, hope you enjoy.

Many thanks to my reviewers, you know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words of encouragement. Sorry Alec494 since you didn't leave an email I can't answer all your questions, but thanks anyway.

Who Loves The Teacher?

Chapter Sixty-two: Alec's Day Off

Three days had passed since Max had seen Issy and been told what had happened to Alec. TC was still having its morning meeting but everyone was wary of even mentioning Alec around either Issy or Max, as they incurred a cold shoulder from both of them.

Mole was getting fed up with them and had decided to sneak down and see how Alec was before the meeting.

Creeping into his room Mole was dismayed to see that Issy still had him restrained, although he appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

As he got closer to the bed Alec's eyes flew open, "Mole, you're a sight for sore eyes," he said quietly, "now can you undo these bonds."

"Tell me why they're there and I'll consider it," Mole whispered warily.

"They're there to stop him falling on the floor," replied Issy. "I thought I'd made it clear that until he was better his only visitors were Max and me," she snapped.

"Well the patient is getting bored of that," Alec replied tensing his muscles hoping that the bonds on his arms would break; one did, much to his surprise.

Issy looked for a second and then disappeared; calling to Mole, "just make sure he doesn't get up yet."

"As if I could with the rest of these," Alec groaned, as he continued to tense and relax his muscles, gradually the bonds started to break, but not so he could use his hands to undo them.

When Issy came back she was carrying some instruments to test his reflexes.

Mole was confused if what they had been told was true, Issy seemed a little too anxious. "So Issy are you going to tell us what's going on?" he pushed.

"I don't know what you mean?" she replied flustered.

"Come on it's been nearly a week and Alec's still strapped to the bed."

Alec looked up alarmed; he hadn't really got any idea of time in this stark environment without any clock or TV. "Ok so you said you wanted to sedate me but now Mole's got me worried," he had stopped flexing his muscles and was watching her.

"Ok Mole you'd better sit down," she replied as she shut the door. "As you've worked out things were worse than the command team was told, but that was because I hadn't got the courage to tell Alec," she still didn't want to say anything before she knew things were ok, everything she'd told Max was what she hoped would happen.

"So what's actually wrong," Alec asked nervously, remembering the lack of feeling he'd experienced and realising she was avoiding his stare.

"I don't know exactly when it happened but you broke a vertebra and damaged your spine," she blurted out wanting to cry, looking directly at him.

"What," both men exclaimed.

"I didn't know what to do but hoped that by keeping you immobile that the stem cells would repair the damage," she was on a roll; if she didn't say it quickly she knew she wouldn't have the courage to speak to Alec again.

"When do we find out if I'm ok?" he asked quietly, not wanting to think about the alternative.

"I was coming to do some tests before the meeting, if my calculations are right we should know," she replied, "but since your strength has returned I would expect the stem cells to have finished their work."

"Ok so let's stop talking and find out," Mole snapped.

Issy approached Alec nervously; she didn't like what she had done.

"Will you stop acting like I'm about to attack you," Alec complained. Tugging with his arm, he continued, "with these bonds I couldn't if I wanted to, which I don't, I just want to get out of here; although I've still got a few questions for you."

Issy and Mole undid the rest of the bonds and Issy did a few reflex checks. "Before you get up can we do another x-ray and get it checked?" she asked unsure of his reaction.

"Well it seems I've been lying here for several days so what's an hour," he sighed, wanting to get up and out of there as quickly as possible.

As Issy went to get the machine Mole turned to Alec, "well you took that a lot better than I would."

"I suppose, but much as I joke about Issy being into bondage, I know she hates it," Alec replied, "so there had to be a good reason and when the sedation ran out I had plenty of time to think about possible reasons; but a week I hadn't realised it was that long. I remembered my fear when I couldn't get back into bed and Psyche found me, then when you had to carry me back from the incident with Matthias things had felt different. Let's just say I'm glad Manticore taught us to hide our emotions."

"So you thought things were bad," Mole grasped what he had been told.

"Yeah, but as time went on I could feel things beginning to seem like they belonged to me again, so when you came in I thought I could get you to release me and escape," he grinned, "I'm glad you didn't though."

Issy returned with the x-ray unit, "Mole can you do me a favour and roll Alec while I put this underneath?" she asked.

"I could try myself," Alec protested, as Mole did as requested.

"Yeah you could, but you'll twist, whereas Mole can keep you straight," she replied patiently, as she put the screen on the bed and Mole rolled him back onto it. "If it's not fully healed the twisting could cause further damage; I'd like to get you out of this bed."

"What and into another," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not yet, I thought a walk down to HQ would be the next order of the day," she grinned back as she took the picture (transgenics didn't worry about exposure to x-rays).

"Don't you think that might be a bit far for a first walk?" asked Mole, as they repeated the process of getting Alec off the X-ray screen.

"He might not have been using his muscles, but he should have the ability of an ordinary," she replied, "and besides if you're there you can always pick him up," she smiled as she took the equipment away.

"Nice to see her smile for a change," Mole mused.

"So it's been a bit sober without me, but what else has happened?" Alec asked.

"Max returned, she and Ben are all cosy in her apartment, the X5s they brought back are a mixed bunch, but settling in well on the whole," Mole informed him, "the mission went well and brought back a snake for the NorBAC team, think they'll be heading back to Canada soon. One of them is an X5 and I think Psyche will be going with them, she and David have been caught kissing."

"I'm pleased for her, she might be scary but she deserves someone," Alec responded, "so I was right about Max and Ben."

"Yeah but she still wants to kick your ass," Mole grinned.

Alec grinned, "yeah, well I think I'll give that a miss at least for today."

Issy returned with the x-ray and went to the screen, "well moment of truth, I hope you're ready."

"Have you seen it yet?" Alec wanted to know.

"No, I thought we should check together," she replied as she lit the screen and looked closely at the picture.

"I can't see anything, but what did it look like before?" Alec asked, craning his neck to see without twisting his body.

Issy picked up another picture from a draw and put it up next to the first. There was a well defined fracture on this picture, but nothing to be seen on the other one.

"Phew," Issy sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"So does that mean I can get up now?" Alec asked; realising this must be an earlier x-ray.

Issy jumped up, "not yet I need to do one thing first, but could you wait outside Mole?"

Alec realising what she meant said, "this is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Probably, but I'll try not to," she replied. (Sorry I'm not going to explain what she's doing, anyone who wants to know will have to ask with an email address.)

When she had finished she helped him up and handed him his clothes, "take things slowly, you might feel giddy," she advised, as she saw him sway.

When he was ready the three of them walked slowly towards HQ stopping every few minutes as someone wanted to ask Alec how he was.

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

The morning meeting had started and Max was annoyed that neither Mole nor Issy had arrived yet. "Well we can't discuss security until Mole arrives, so Biggs how's the training going."

"The new X5s are performing well on the whole, although I think the sooner Peter and Fritz have the medical procedures and leave the better for all concerned," he replied.

The door to the room opened and Mole walked in, "about time," complained Max; then she saw Alec behind him. "When did you get out of med bay?"

"About twenty minutes ago, it would've been ten but I seem to have been missed," he grinned.

"You shouldn't be here," she admonished, "I kicked you off the command team and you haven't proven your fitness yet."

He held up his hands, "I'm only here to prove I'm still around and ask Biggs if I can join the training sessions tomorrow, then I'm taking Issy away for the day."

"You can't she's needed here," Max argued.

"I'll stay for the meeting, if you'll let Alec stay, then I'll hand over to Dage until the morning," Issy replied, brooking no argument.

Biggs had already brought an extra chair over for Alec to sit next to Issy at the table.

Max looked at Issy, "ok but who's going to bring the team up to date, you or Alec."

Issy looked at Alec, "well since I only knew this morning, I'll let Issy do the talking," he replied.

Issy sighed, "I'll start at the beginning, when we found Alec in the ruins a beam had fallen across his legs, a spike sticking out had severed several blood vessels and he was in a pool of blood." She looked at him and he held her hand in encouragement, "he had lost the feeling in his legs, but I wasn't sure why. Although there seemed to be some improvement by the day he joined Psyche to interview Matthias; this changed afterwards. I had been trying to get a portable x-ray machine which arrived the day Max returned. The x-ray showed that Alec had a broken back and partly severed spine, since then he's been sedated and restrained to allow it time to repair. This morning we took another x-ray and it's completely healed," by the time she finished talking she had tears in her eyes and was shaking with emotion.

Everyone in the room was silent, "hey who died?" asked Alec, "I personally think its good news," seeing their surprised faces he continued, "If I can recover from a broken back then it makes us more superhuman than the cult realise," he smirked.

"Well it's good to have you back, but you dare try and pull a stunt like that again," Max grinned. "You still have to earn your place back on the team," she reminded.

"Yeah, well that can wait a day or two," he replied, "seems I've got a lot of people to catch up with first."

"Ok where were we before we were pleasantly interrupted?" Max asked no-one in particular. "Issy what's happening with the procedures?"

"I've been training some of the medical team, who can now continue without supervision," she replied, "in fact the NorBAC girl was started today."

"Any chance of doing Peter and Fritz?" Biggs asked, "seems they are disrupting Ben's group."

"I'll get them on for today," she replied, "but why are they causing problems?"

"They're the ones you thought would be difficult from the Russian mission."

By the time the meeting had finished Alec felt that he was as up to date with everything as he wanted to be.

As she closed the meeting Max went over to him, "are you sure you want the day off, I could do with a workout," she suggested.

"Not from what I hear," he replied suggestively, "I thought brother Ben was doing quite well in that department."

Max forgot that he had only just returned from med bay and hit him hard on his shoulder, almost throwing him across the room.

"Hey what's with the violence, sick man here," he protested and she laughed.

"I've missed having you around," she admitted grinning at him.

"You mean you missed your punch bag," he corrected with a smirk.

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

As they left the meeting Issy turned to Alec, "so what are we doing for the rest of the day?"

"That's a surprise," he replied, pulling her closer, "you know there's one thing I've missed," he bent down and kissed her gently.

"Mmm, me too," she replied, "but I thought you wanted to take Alex with us?"

"I do, I was just warming you up for later," he grinned. "I've just got to see someone, I'll catch you in the apartment in twenty minutes, that should give you time to get ready, just be prepared to get wet."

He turned and left her, she watched him leave, with each step he was walking more fluidly.

Mole was watching her, "you think princess will be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do now," she replied.

"Meaning you weren't sure," he retorted lighting his cigar.

"When I realised he'd broken his back I was more than worried," she replied, he looked surprised. "In some of the early experiments at Manticore they tried to find out if their toys would repair from different injuries, a broken back was one that didn't always work."

Mole looked at her surprised, "But you said you didn't know whether your method would work?"

"I didn't it wasn't one used by Manticore," she replied.

"Wow; that was a risk, glad it worked out."

"Me too!"

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

Alec went to find Biggs, who was on his way to the training grounds, "hey hold up buddy," Alec called, not wanting to risk running yet.

Biggs turned, "I thought you were taking Issy and Alex off somewhere."

"I am, but I need your help," he replied.

"How?" Biggs replied warily.

"Two things has the boat got enough fuel for a jaunt as far as Tukwila?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's spare on the dock," he replied, "and what's the second."

"Don't let Max know we're outside the perimeter," he pleaded.

"She'll kill you when she finds out."

"I don't think she'll go quite that far, but I need to get some fresh air and Issy deserves a break."

"Ok Alec, but don't blame me if she's waiting for you when you get back."

"Thanks mate, I'd better go and organise the food now," Alec replied with a grin.

They were at the training grounds and Alec saw Ben instructing some of the returnees. "Know something, he's not bad at that," Alec informed Biggs.

"No but sometimes his technique reminds me of an arrogant sod back at Manticore," Biggs jested.

"Yeah I suppose I could be sometimes," looking across the grounds he saw Peter and Fritz, "they the ones causing trouble."

"Mmm, seems they can't remember that we're on the same side."

"That was always their problem," he replied sadly. "I'd better get going or Issy will think the worse."

"Who's doing the food?"

"That's a secret," Alec replied smugly, "see you later."

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

Alec rushed back to their apartment knowing he was going to be late and bumped into Max, "seems you're well enough for our fight now," she commented picking herself off the floor.

As he offered his hand to help her, he said "sorry I didn't mean to knock you over, just I'm late."

"I'm sure she'll wait, but what about the fight?" she pushed.

"Tomorrow evening, maybe," he replied.

"Only maybe," she teased, "I thought you'd relish the opportunity for pay back over the cage fight."

"If I remember rightly you only won that by breaking the rules," he retorted, "and because I don't like fighting women."

"I hear you managed alright against Thula," Max goaded.

"Now that's not fair she's a freak, not a woman," he rebuffed, verbal sparing with Max might be fun, but he wanted to get away. "Anyway I'm sure you've much better things to do than chat on the stairs," he tried to charm her.

Max decided to have some more fun, she knew he was planning something she wouldn't like, so time to slow him down. "No there's nothing I'm needed for right now, so I thought I'd stop by your place and catch up," she teased.

"Ok Max how do I get rid of you so I can spend what's left of the day with my family," he gave up.

"You can either tell me where you're going or when you'll be back," she replied, "just so the guards will be ready."

"Where we're going is a trade secret, but we'll be back before dark," he replied.

"That doesn't tell me much," she complained.

"Look we're not going robbing banks, or anything else the ordinaries think is illegal, so just give us some space, please," he pleaded.

"Ok but I want a run down in the morning before training practice," she snapped.

"Alright, just not now," he asked and she slipped passed him down the stairs.

'Now I'm even later, just hope no-one else decides to sidetrack me,' he thought as he approached the door, hearing someone coming up the stairs he opened the door quickly and stepped inside.

"You look like a fugitive," Issy laughed when she saw him.

"I feel like it after bumping into Max," he replied.

"Who came off worse?" she asked with a grin.

Alec was confused for a second, and then grinned, "I had to help her up, so I guess I won round one. Anyway you both ready?"

"Yeah since you suggested getting wet, I put some towels and dry clothes in a bag, but aren't we going to need anything else?" she asked, "like food."

"No all taken care of, but if we don't hurry we won't have much time," he replied picking up Alex in one arm and the bag with his other hand and leading them out of the apartment and down to the dock.

"I hardly call the docks my favourite place for a day out," Issy said sarcastically.

"Wait a moment," he replied taking them over to the boat, "Jump on we're taking it for a spin."

"Where are we going?" asked Issy in amazement. She knew the boat was here, but for Alec to have worked this out since she saw him this morning; he didn't have time without her knowing.

"I was thinking a trip up to Canada, but I've promised Max we'll be back before dark, you know what a worrier she is," he grinned.

"So how long were you awake planning this and where are we actually going?"

"How should I know how long, there wasn't a clock in that room," he challenged, "let's just say long enough to get other people to make sure it was ready." They cast off and Alec turned the boat to go downstream.

"You didn't answer my second question."

He grinned, "no I didn't."

When he saw what he was looking for he pulled the boat into the shore and there was a picnic set up.

After an enjoyable afternoon messing around by the water Alec took them back to TC. He'd never really relaxed like this, always been too tense that someone was out to kill him, or he had to kill someone else. The strange thing was when he thought he wouldn't walk it wasn't how easy a target he'd become, but not being able to do things with his family that upset him more.

As they sailed back up the river he put his arm around Issy, who had hold of Alex, he felt that nothing else mattered.

"Thanks," Issy breathed into his shoulder.

He looked at her and then Alex, "I should be thanking you, I nearly lost the chance on this."

"And tomorrow?" she questioned.

"Tomorrow is the start on getting back to business," he replied, "but I want to aim for more days like today."

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A/N: 408 reviews before the next.

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