When Max and I walk into JamPony wrapped around one another we cause a fair
stir. Even Normal can't seem to come up with anything to say to us about
the fact that we're an hour late. "Wanna play a game?" I ask her softly,
knowing the cat in her won't be able to resist.
She nods, and tilts her head up to kiss me softly. "Grab me a package babe?" she requests a bit louder than is strictly necessary.
"Sure." I deadpan, but grin when I feel her slap my ass before turning to walk over to the lockers. "You need to work on that fixation you've got with my ass Maxie." I call to her back.
She pauses, and glances back at me playfully. "Same to you Alec." She calls back, and shimmies her butt a bit, laughing.
I can't help but grin as OC yanks her to a bench, then nearly groan as I remember I have to go talk to Normal at the counter to get the packages.
"What would posess you to take up with missy miss?" he asks me incredulously. "She'll only bring you down my boy."
"We understand each other." I offer, then raise my hand to shut him up. "I don't want to hear it Normal. It's none of your business. We do need packages though." I grin at him.
He grimaces, and grabs a stack of packages. "I'm feeling generous, so you and missy miss can take these up to Sector 12 together."
I stare at him. He has got to be kidding me if he thinks I'm riding my freaking bike up to Sector 12 again. I'm sick of riding a freaking bike. "Sector 12? Normal, that's gonna' take hours." I complain. "Unless...
"What?" he asks, leaning forward.
"I was just thinking that you seem to lose an awful lot of time sending us on these runs to the outer sectors."
"Nothing I can do about it Alec. We're bike messengers."
"Well, I was just thinking, Max and I both have motorcycles...
"What, like a MotorPony service?" he suggests.
"Exactly! That's brilliant! You're a genius."
"I could even charge the customers more for it – faster service and all."
"Totally." I agree. "And if it works out well, I know of a few people looking for work who just happen to have bikes. Old friends of mine from my fighting days." Sort of.
"Bring them in, I'm positive it'll be fine." He looks at me. "What are you standing there for? Bip, bip, bip, Alec. No time like the present!"
I scurry away, pleased with my efforts. If we're going to organize the transgenics into any kind of a fighting force, the Xs are going to need sector passes. I walk up to Max and OC, who looks up at me carefully. "If you hurt my boo, I'll lay the smack down, perfect genes or not." She threatens.
I move behind Max and rest my hands on her shoulders. "It's a good thing I don't plan on hurting her then?"
OC nods, and grimaces. "I gotta blaze, Normal's got me in Sector 3 today."
"Later OC." I acknowledge, and sit down next to Max. "She seemed to take it well."
Max smiles wistfully. "She knows why. That I'm worried about her safety. She respects that."
"I have a surprise for you." I grin.
"Already?"
"We just volunteered to join a new department of the JamPony Messenger Service."
She makes a face. "Why would we do that?"
"It's called MotorPony."
Her eyes light up. "Really? No more bike?"
"Nope. Plus, I get to bring in 'friends from my old fighting days' to fill up the fleet. I thought I could get a few Xs jobs, if we're going to do this fighting thing, we're going to need to get around."
"Nice thinking." She leans over and touches her lips to mine and I can't help but smile once more.
"I like it when you kiss me." I tell her honestly, and notice a flush on her cheeks.
"I like it too." She whispers, and I kiss her again.
"Not on my time lovers!" Normal's voice interrupts us. "Bip, bip, bip!"
"Later." I promise, and lead her out to our bikes. As we're climbing on, I notice a familiar face at the other end of the alley. "Go to my apartment, and don't leave until I get there." I mutter to her, placing a few packages in the bag to avoid suspicion.
"What? Why?" she asks.
"I'll be there soon, just go." She nods, and I walk slowly up to the girl. "Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. Where have you been all day? Normal is freaking out." I say, tightly wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "What do you want 453?" I whisper tightly.
She looks up at me helplessly. "Let me go 494. I have to find her." She struggles.
"Then I wouldn't be fighting me if I were you. You're making yourself conspicuous."
"And just how am I doing that?" she shoots at me.
"Women don't usually fight their boyfriends when they wrap an arm around their shoulders." I say calmly.
Her eyes snap to mine. "Where is she?"
"Play nice and I'll take you to her. My name is Alec now, by the way. Come on, let's go." I guide her to my motorcycle and drive us to Max and OC's to avoid running into Max before I'm ready.
She sits on the couch noisily and I cross my arms. "What do you want with Max."
"That's my business."
"And now it's mine."
"How could you be dating her? You know what she did to us."
"That wasn't her. It wasn't any of them. It was Manticore. You know that as well as I do. They escaped to fight for their own survival. They didn't know what would happen."
"Of course they knew! We all knew!"
"No, we didn't. Until they escaped, none of us knew anything about Psy-Ops, or reindoc. We didn't know. Now tell me what you want with Max."
She looks away. "I need to find her."
"Why?"
"Call it a case of mistaken identity." She sneers.
"So someone thought you were her?"
"Yeah." She deadpans.
"Who?'
"I don't know, some government guy."
"Stop lying to me."
"Special Agent Ames White." She spits out.
I sigh. "What does he have on you?"
She looks at me with shock. "How did you...
"What does he have...do you have a name yet?"
"Sam." She whispers.
"Okay. Sam, what is he holding against you to get you to turn against your sister."
"She's not my –
"Yes she is. Genetically, she's your sister. No matter what they taught us at Manticore, our doubles are our siblings. In my case, it's a past tense issue, but moving on. What does White have Sam?"
"My family." She whispers. "I was three years into a deep cover mission when I got word Manticore had burned. All of a sudden, I was free."
"And you were in love with your mark." I finish, thinking of Rachel.
She looks at me strangely. "No, I was in love with one of my neighbours. Jason. He has a beautiful little boy. I adopted him last month." She hardens her face again. "I have to turn in 452 to White in exchange for my family back."
"He won't do it." I tell her.
"You think I don't know that? But I have to try Alec. I have to try."
A plan forms up in my head. "I think I can get you out of this – but you have to play along."
She meets my gaze. "Okay."
She nods, and tilts her head up to kiss me softly. "Grab me a package babe?" she requests a bit louder than is strictly necessary.
"Sure." I deadpan, but grin when I feel her slap my ass before turning to walk over to the lockers. "You need to work on that fixation you've got with my ass Maxie." I call to her back.
She pauses, and glances back at me playfully. "Same to you Alec." She calls back, and shimmies her butt a bit, laughing.
I can't help but grin as OC yanks her to a bench, then nearly groan as I remember I have to go talk to Normal at the counter to get the packages.
"What would posess you to take up with missy miss?" he asks me incredulously. "She'll only bring you down my boy."
"We understand each other." I offer, then raise my hand to shut him up. "I don't want to hear it Normal. It's none of your business. We do need packages though." I grin at him.
He grimaces, and grabs a stack of packages. "I'm feeling generous, so you and missy miss can take these up to Sector 12 together."
I stare at him. He has got to be kidding me if he thinks I'm riding my freaking bike up to Sector 12 again. I'm sick of riding a freaking bike. "Sector 12? Normal, that's gonna' take hours." I complain. "Unless...
"What?" he asks, leaning forward.
"I was just thinking that you seem to lose an awful lot of time sending us on these runs to the outer sectors."
"Nothing I can do about it Alec. We're bike messengers."
"Well, I was just thinking, Max and I both have motorcycles...
"What, like a MotorPony service?" he suggests.
"Exactly! That's brilliant! You're a genius."
"I could even charge the customers more for it – faster service and all."
"Totally." I agree. "And if it works out well, I know of a few people looking for work who just happen to have bikes. Old friends of mine from my fighting days." Sort of.
"Bring them in, I'm positive it'll be fine." He looks at me. "What are you standing there for? Bip, bip, bip, Alec. No time like the present!"
I scurry away, pleased with my efforts. If we're going to organize the transgenics into any kind of a fighting force, the Xs are going to need sector passes. I walk up to Max and OC, who looks up at me carefully. "If you hurt my boo, I'll lay the smack down, perfect genes or not." She threatens.
I move behind Max and rest my hands on her shoulders. "It's a good thing I don't plan on hurting her then?"
OC nods, and grimaces. "I gotta blaze, Normal's got me in Sector 3 today."
"Later OC." I acknowledge, and sit down next to Max. "She seemed to take it well."
Max smiles wistfully. "She knows why. That I'm worried about her safety. She respects that."
"I have a surprise for you." I grin.
"Already?"
"We just volunteered to join a new department of the JamPony Messenger Service."
She makes a face. "Why would we do that?"
"It's called MotorPony."
Her eyes light up. "Really? No more bike?"
"Nope. Plus, I get to bring in 'friends from my old fighting days' to fill up the fleet. I thought I could get a few Xs jobs, if we're going to do this fighting thing, we're going to need to get around."
"Nice thinking." She leans over and touches her lips to mine and I can't help but smile once more.
"I like it when you kiss me." I tell her honestly, and notice a flush on her cheeks.
"I like it too." She whispers, and I kiss her again.
"Not on my time lovers!" Normal's voice interrupts us. "Bip, bip, bip!"
"Later." I promise, and lead her out to our bikes. As we're climbing on, I notice a familiar face at the other end of the alley. "Go to my apartment, and don't leave until I get there." I mutter to her, placing a few packages in the bag to avoid suspicion.
"What? Why?" she asks.
"I'll be there soon, just go." She nods, and I walk slowly up to the girl. "Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. Where have you been all day? Normal is freaking out." I say, tightly wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "What do you want 453?" I whisper tightly.
She looks up at me helplessly. "Let me go 494. I have to find her." She struggles.
"Then I wouldn't be fighting me if I were you. You're making yourself conspicuous."
"And just how am I doing that?" she shoots at me.
"Women don't usually fight their boyfriends when they wrap an arm around their shoulders." I say calmly.
Her eyes snap to mine. "Where is she?"
"Play nice and I'll take you to her. My name is Alec now, by the way. Come on, let's go." I guide her to my motorcycle and drive us to Max and OC's to avoid running into Max before I'm ready.
She sits on the couch noisily and I cross my arms. "What do you want with Max."
"That's my business."
"And now it's mine."
"How could you be dating her? You know what she did to us."
"That wasn't her. It wasn't any of them. It was Manticore. You know that as well as I do. They escaped to fight for their own survival. They didn't know what would happen."
"Of course they knew! We all knew!"
"No, we didn't. Until they escaped, none of us knew anything about Psy-Ops, or reindoc. We didn't know. Now tell me what you want with Max."
She looks away. "I need to find her."
"Why?"
"Call it a case of mistaken identity." She sneers.
"So someone thought you were her?"
"Yeah." She deadpans.
"Who?'
"I don't know, some government guy."
"Stop lying to me."
"Special Agent Ames White." She spits out.
I sigh. "What does he have on you?"
She looks at me with shock. "How did you...
"What does he have...do you have a name yet?"
"Sam." She whispers.
"Okay. Sam, what is he holding against you to get you to turn against your sister."
"She's not my –
"Yes she is. Genetically, she's your sister. No matter what they taught us at Manticore, our doubles are our siblings. In my case, it's a past tense issue, but moving on. What does White have Sam?"
"My family." She whispers. "I was three years into a deep cover mission when I got word Manticore had burned. All of a sudden, I was free."
"And you were in love with your mark." I finish, thinking of Rachel.
She looks at me strangely. "No, I was in love with one of my neighbours. Jason. He has a beautiful little boy. I adopted him last month." She hardens her face again. "I have to turn in 452 to White in exchange for my family back."
"He won't do it." I tell her.
"You think I don't know that? But I have to try Alec. I have to try."
A plan forms up in my head. "I think I can get you out of this – but you have to play along."
She meets my gaze. "Okay."