Rating: PG

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: M/A

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Dark Angel and I have no money so suing me would be pointless.

Summary: You can't control what you hear; you can only pretend its not being said. How will Max cope when something becomes too real to ignore? M/A (as if I'd write anything else)

Chapter3

In the deep darkness of a brownout, Max breezed down the open road on her baby loving the way the wind swept through her and the engine rumbled and purred beneath her. Sometimes it was the only feeling of freedom she could get.

Her smile faltered as she glanced into her rear-view mirror to see a dark figure on a motorcycle pulling up behind her. She was certain now that she was being followed. So much for nice relaxing mid-night ride she sighed as she gunned her engine and sped away.

She took off along a main road but quickly dived into a network of alleyways hoping to shake her pursuer but with no luck. He was still hot on her tail. Growling Max darted out into an open street and crossed back over to a main road and began to weave in and out of the traffic. Another quick glance and a growing sense of panic told her that he was still there and now gaining on her.

She pushed on revving her bike up to its limit till it could give her no more. Surely now she'd escape, but to her horror he crept into view beside her as if they were not riding at neck brake speed, but in fact taking it in their stride. Max was terrified. She would have to admit defeat, she would have to recognise his victory over her, and she would have to recognise him. In a last ditch attempt to get away Max swerved into her street and dismounted. She ran with all her transgenic speed up to her apartment door. She was about to open it when it opened by itself to reveal him standing inside already waiting for her smirking. It wasn't possible. She frowned, frozen to the spot, her heart beating fervently in her chest.

"Hey Maxie, are you ready?" He smiled at her sweetly and held out his hand to her as he waited for her to make a decision. Max stared at him and then at the offered hand.

"Alec..."

Max gasped as she shot straight up in bed; her breathing heavy and her senses buzzing erratically to match the erratic beating of her heart. She looked round and threw the offending radio-alarm clock across the room. The resounding crash it made as it connected with the wall at the opposite end of her room did nothing to calm or relieve her tension. The dream still running over in her head as if something in her was desperate for her not to reject it and its implications. Max frowned and groaned in frustration, burying her face in her pillow and screaming.

"Get out of my head!"

As if having him around all the time wasn't bad enough now he was invading her brain too. This whole thing was getting out of hand. It was as if the whole world was in on this great conspiracy to stop her forgetting or ignoring the fact that something had changed because of Alec's confession. Max was fairly sure that Alec would keep his feelings to himself as long as Max was with someone else. Alec wasn't stupid or crazy; he knew that she was holding out for Logan. So why did anything have to change?

Max's train of thought was interrupted as she realised she could still hear singing. The song that she had automatically assumed was her radio alarm blaring at her was actually someone singing. She looked over apologetically at the poor beaten piece of electronics. It wasn't its fault it just happened to be in the way when she needed to vent. Max groaned when she did finally recognise what it was that had woken her, it was Alec and he was singing. He wasn't a brilliant singer but at least he could hit the notes. Max growled. Was this some kind of cruel joke, give a girl sleeping pills and then keep her up anyway. But it was then that she realised it was dark outside. How long had she been asleep?

Max collapsed back into her pillow and stared at the ceiling. She tried not to listen to Alec's soft voice as he half hummed his way through a slightly abridged version of 'If There's Any Justice' by Lemar. She couldn't help smiling as he completely forgot half the verse and started humming it before picking it up again halfway through a line.

It was not the first time she'd heard him sing, in fact he occasionally sang in the shower, but it was something that he definitely didn't do outside the apartment, it would interfere somewhat with his image. She was surprised that he let her hear him though. She could so easily turn it round on him and let everyone in on his little secret. She would certainly be justified in getting a little revenge for all his jibes and teasing. Maybe it spoke of the trust in their relationship. In a silly way Max wondered if he did it just for her. Max quickly shook the idea off and got up.

Stepping out of her room quietly she heard the shower start up and sighed with relief; at least she didn't have to deal with talking to him just yet. She was making her way across the room when she heard the distinct sound of a belt hitting the tiled bathroom floor and an image of Alec undressing appeared unbidden in her mind. She had to get out of there and quick. Closing the door quietly after her Max moved down the rickety stairway and out into the cool night air. Max sighed in relief as the breeze cooled her skin that was slightly blushed with heat. She had to get him out of her head.

"Hey Max!" Max looked up the road and saw Cece walking towards her an odd look on her face.

"Hey, everything alright Cece?" Cece looked on edge; her eyes were darting around as if she was afraid she had been followed.

"Umm, no not really." She said "I was supposed to go on the recon mission tonight but ... I, uh, I can't."

"Why not?" Max asked but then she started to put the little clues together. Cece's flushed cheeks, her edginess, and her dark eyes. Cece was in the early stages of heat. "Oh." Max said feeling for her friend who was probably on her way to containment.

"Yeah." Cece sighed "Could you go for me? I'd ask someone else but now is definitely not the time to go looking for people." Max nodded, she tried to hide her smile as she thought about how her luck seemed to have finally changed. Taking this job off Cece's hands allowed her to get away from Alec and gave her a distraction so that she wouldn't have to think about her current situation anymore.

"Sure, I'll do it I've got nothing else on at the moment." Cece looked infinitely relieved.

"Thanks." Cece began to fidget and knew she had to get moving again or she would be in big trouble. "I owe you one Max. Tell Alec I'm sorry..." Max froze and she tried to keep the sudden wave of panic from her features. "...He was going to meet me at HQ in ten minutes but seeing as you two live together I suppose you don't have to worry about that. Catch you later Max." And with that she started to move away quickly towards the containment facility towards the rear of Terminal City muttering angrily about why Biggs was never around when she needed him. Max however wasn't really listening, she wasn't really constructing coherent thoughts except

Oh Shit.

A/N: It's a bit short but hopefully you liked it. Let me know. R&R. xxx