Jade - DA- If Not Now When?

Title: If Not Now When?
Author: Jade
Rating: PG-13 I think a little bit of language
Show: DA
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: M/A ALL the way
Type: WIP
Summary: Alec leaves Seattle. How will everyone react, especially Max?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone apart from Storm.

A/N: This is AU as Biggs is alive and well kicking!

A/N 2: It may seem like i'm making Max out to be the devil at first but please just bear with me.

A/N 3: Please Read and Review

Mood Music: Matchbox20 'Disease'

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Chapter 4 - How to Make Maxie Mad

Location: TC - Outside Max's Office 2100

It was time to go and face the music. After leaving Joshua's place Alec started making his way back to HQ. He wasn't looking forward to his little talk with Max. That's exactly how he wanted it to be: a little talk. If he played his cards right he'd have her telling him exactly what he needed to hear. If he was being honest with himself it wouldn't take much work for him to hear it.

He was finally in front of her door. He took a deep breath and went in straight away without even knocking. There was no point in knocking as the second anyone's hand connected with the door to knock the door opened all by itself. This was due to all those many times Max slammed it and took a little of her aggression out on it.

She was sitting behind her desk on her chair. The desk was covered with papers. Most of them were lists of things TC needed like, food, water, clothes. They were trying to become more self-sufficient but due to the location of Terminal City it just wasn't happening. The soil was too toxic to grow crops in and the nearest water source had a very green glow to it. The rest of the papers were correspondence between the authorities and them. Max had to go through them one by one in detail to make sure they were not an attempt to trick them into accepting terms they did not agree on. She was also looking for any loopholes which could make their lives easier.

Right now she wasn't doing any of that.

She was looking right at Alec and she looked calm. This was bad. Cool and collected Max equalled trouble. This Max would be looking for answers which Alec did not want to give. This would make Alec's task of hearing those words extremely difficult.

"Max" he greeted her.

"Alec" she said back.

"So..." he said taking one of the seats in front of her desk.

"So we have to talk." Max stated slowly punctuating each word.

"About what?"

"You know what Alec." She stated calmly. She had been preparing for this meeting all day as she didn't want to lose her temper during its course but she could already feel the tell tale signs of her anger rising.

"Actually I don't, if I had I wouldn't ask."

"You're leaving."

"That's very perceptive of you. Yes I am."

"Alec stop it."

"Stop what?" Alec knew exactly what she meant and knew she was trying very hard not to loose her rag.

"This!" she told him exasperatedly waving her hands in front her.

"What? Could you be a little more specific this time?" he continued on with his act.

"Ok fine." She took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down. "We have to talk about the fact that you are leaving."

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Of course there is." Max said raising her voice a little as she got more and more agitated by the second.

"No there isn't."

"You can't just leave Alec." she had one hand on her temple massaging it desperately.

"Sure I can. It's like this Max: I've decided to leave and I'm leaving. It's pretty simple really." he stated with a flick of his shoulders.

"It's not that simple!" she shouted as she sprang up from her chair which toppled backwards and fell with a loud thud. He had finally driven her over the edge.

"It is. I really don't understand why you are making such a big deal out of this."

"Because it is! You can't just leave when you want to! People depend on you and you are just going to leave because you want to! Just because you are bored? What happened Alec? Ran out of women to screw huh?" she said icily looking down at him literally and metaphorically.

'The Bitch' was back. And for once Alec was glad as this Max he knew how to handle due a lot of practice over the many months.

"What can I say Max, variety is the spice of life." he said quirking up his eyebrows whilst grinning his infamous 'Casanova grin'.

"This is exactly what I expected of you!"

"That's why I said it." he mumbled. "Look I thought you'd be pleased that i'm leaving. Me, Alec, the constant thorn up your a... erm ...eye? The one who always screws up things for you. The one person you can never depend on, gone. Out of your life for good." saying all these things was killing him. A part of him desperately wanted her to deny all this but he knew that the day that happened would be the day that hell froze over and Satan offered him a pair of skates to skate over it.

"You'll still find other ways to screw up my life from afar. I have faith in you on that front. I wouldn't expect anything less." Max stated her features contorted into an expression of loathing which made Alec's heart skip a beat.

His throat felt so dry. This was torture. Compared to this psi-ops was a walk in the park. He swallowed down the bile rising to his throat and using sheer will power he kept the indifferent expression on his face as he said:

"Wow isn't that just nice Maxie. See I told you you would put the time I left you into good use."

"Don't you dare call me Maxie!"

"Why? 'cause my psycho of a brother called you that! You know the one you took care of in the woods. And Max I'd like to point out the fact that I use the words 'took care of' very loosely." he said making quotation marks up in the air with his index fingers.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!"

"And here I thought I'd be hearing new insults and retorts. Aww shucks. I guess the old 'shut up' was just too good for you to pass up huh?"

"You know what fine! Just go! Get the hell out of here. Just know this I will no longer have your back. I can't speak for anyone else but with me you are on your own. From now on if you get yourself into a mess YOU get yourself out it!"

Alec looked at her as if he had just been slapped. He slowly rose from the chair he was sitting on.

"When did you ever have my back without ulterior motives! It's nothing new and therefore nothing I'm not used to already. So if you think that's some kinda threat you couldn't be more wrong sweetheart." he told her his eyes aflame

"Didn't you hear me! GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF TC AND DON'T COME BACK! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!"

"Like always, your wish is my command Max." He said in an incredibly gentle voice compared to what he had just been told. His mission was accomplished. She had told him exactly what he had wanted to hear. This way he had made sure he wouldn't have second thoughts about leaving.

"Bye Maxie." He said to her, more to hear it himself then for her and with that he turned around and walked out of the door leaving a very frustrated Max behind.

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