Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or any characters featured in either of the seasons.

With Ben In Between

"I'm telling you man, that's here with the long hair," Biggs said in a low voice to Alec, "And you didn't tell me she wasn't blond!" Alec chuckled at that. "You always go for blondes!" Alec didn't pay attention to the last part because he finally got a glimpse of the mystery girl, it was her. Suddenly he didn't know what to do. "Go talk to her, she's alone." Indeed she was, her friend was gone and she sat at the table staring at her hands. Taking a large gulp of scotch and a deep breath he walked over to his future, hopefully.

"Hi," Max's head shot up at the sound of his voice.

"Hi."

"We never got around to introducing ourselves the other night." Alec looked at her, she seemed nervous, or shocked; he wasn't sure, he knew he was nervous. "I'm Alec."

"Max." Silence.

"So do you enjoy going to those parties?"

"Uh, not really. It was a favor to a friend. I would rather sit around and drink beer than some hoitie toitie champaign." Alec laughed.

"I can agree to that." The ice was broken, and from there they talked. As the night wore on, Alec learned little things about Max, but as he learned the more entranced he became with her. Maybe Biggs was right, she was his obsession. It wasn't until he and Sketchy were playing a game of pool that Max suddenly bolted. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. Before any of her friends could react, he was racing after her.

"Hey!" Max turned around quickly, still looking as if she had seen a ghost, and in a way she had

FLASH BACK

'Man, you're gonna win again!' Sketchy groaned seeing that Alec was indeed going to do so, for the 5th time. Before taking his final shot he looked up at Max and saw her watching him. When he looked away, she ran.

Max watched as the games came and went and each game she felt as if she was seeing a ghost. It wasn't until Alec looked at her with that cocky, winning look that her breath left her body and felt Ben was in front her once again. He had given her that look several times when they had gone to local bars and pubs to hang out with friends back in New York. The only reaction she could muster was run. And that's exactly what she did.

"You ok?" Alec asked catching up to her.

"Yeah, just got stuffy in there, you know." Max replied weakly. Alec stood in front of her and pushed his hands into pant pockets.

"Wanna take a walk?"

"What?"

"Take a walk. You know you walk, maybe talk, possibly freeze our asses off, but in the end we aren't stuffy and we get some well needed exercise after drinking all that alcohol." Max couldn't help but laugh at this. One difference; Alec was a smart-ass, Ben was serious. Something, almost tiny as a dust speck, melted away from her heart. What was that feeling? Nodding, the two began to walk down the street in silence.

That night was incredible, if someone were to ask Alec later on. He got to spend a total and hour and half with his dream girl and actually got to know her. By the end of the night he worked the guts to meet up with her sometime and hang out.

If someone were to ask Max about that night, she would say the same but in a different light. "So Boo, where did you and pretty boy disappear to?" Cindy asked as Max got ready to got o bed. Max avoided looking at her room-mate, which spoke volumes. "Boo," her tone told Max that it was time to talk.

"I went for a walk with Alec."

"With Ben's identical twin."

"Yeah."

"Boo, did you go for a walk with Alec Ben's twin, or did you go with Alec, the guy you met for the second time?" This confused Max.

"What?"

"Did you go for a walk with Alec, Ben's twin, or did you go with a walk with Alec, the guy met for the second time?" She repeated.

"What's the difference, they are one in the same."

"Wrong answer." Max continued to look confused, "Those are two different people right now. Alec, Ben's twin, is the ghost of Christmas past for you, Alec, the guy you just met, is the ghost of Christmas future."

"What are you talking about Cindy?"

"Did you talk and spend time with Alec because of Ben? Or did you because you were truly interested? Can you answer that?"

"Because I wanted to."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"I wanted to, I was interested."

"In comparing the brothers, the past and present," Cindy shook her head. "You spent time with Alec because you want Ben. Right?" Max looked away, "You spent the entire night comparing the two, thinking of Ben, not Alec." Max continued to look away. "That's wrong Boo, he is a human being who has feelings."

"No he isn't! He abandoned Ben for Manticore Military!" Max snapped viciously.

"Says who? Ben? Ben's word is law I guess." Max's face turned into a cold stone, "You can glare at me all you want Boo, but at least at the end of the day I'll be able to deal with myself."

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

"You want to replace Ben's death with his alive twin, who probably doesn't even know you knew his brother, or the fact you were almost his sister-in-law! You want this vengeance on Alec, vengeance for whatever he may have done to Ben. It's all about Ben. You want Ben, and Alec is pretty much his clone."

"So what if I do, what's wrong with that?"

"What wrong with that is Alec isn't Ben, Ben died almost a year ago in tragic accident. Alec is here, alive, and obviously infatuated with you, not your dead twin."

"I don't have a twin." Max muttered.

"That's besides the point. What you are doing is wrong and eventually it's going to burn you badly. I'm sad to see that you would sink this low, Boo." With that Cindy turned and walked out of Max's room.