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

With Ben In Between

When Max walked into Alec's apartment she was shocked at what she was greeted with. Low light, dozens of candles and Alec nowhere to be seen. Walking further into the door, Max saw the island with fancy white linen hanging over the edges, on top was a table setting for two. Smiling she shed her jacket and closed the door. "Like what you see?" Alec's voice came from behind her, looking over her shoulder she saw Alec standing in the bathroom door dressed in simple jeans and long black shirt. Turning to face him completely she let him see her smile. "I'll take that smile as a yes," he answered himself with a smile.

"What's the special occasion? Got some special girl coming over?"

"Yep, and you wouldn't believe how special she is, and how crazy I am about her." Max smiled a little wider as he said that. Simple sentences made her smile and feel this massive flutter in side her. "And the special occasion is that a year ago today this amazing girl decided to give me a time of day and decide let hang around her."

"Sounds like you pretty crazy about her," Max whispered.

"You have no idea," pushing off the door jam he walked slowly to her, "She doesn't really like saying this, but I'm so crazy about her I'm in love with her." The flutter was everywhere in her body.

"I love you too," she said looking into his eyes. She didn't say it often to him because she hadn't fully let go of Ben. When Alec noticed she didn't say it often, out of respect, he didn't say too much to her. So when she did say it, he fell in love with her all over again. Smiling he looked down at her and leaned to give her a kiss.

"Want some chicken?" He asked, no kiss. Max's eyes opened wide after she had closed them anticipating a kiss. When he asked about chicken instead she reached around and smacked him on the outside the head, lightly. This time he did kiss her, good.

Ben could wait another day, right now it was just going to be her and Alec, the guy she fell in love with.

The next morning, Max woke up with a beautiful, white tiger lily on the pillow with a note. Move and you won't get food. Laughing she snuggled back under the warm blankets and waited for Alec to appear with the said food. Sure enough moments late her walked in with two McDonald bags on a tray with a fake rose in a chipped drinking glass. "Wow, swept me off my feet last night, and today…"

"I went cheap and quick!" Alec finished handing her a bag and taking his own.

"Great follow up." Max commented taking a bite out of her egg sandwich. Alec just grinned, literally, a cheesy grin. Man leaned over and kissed him and then continued on with her breakfast. The two laid in bed and ate and talked ever so often. "So when you got to go to work?" Max knew it was one of his days in the office, as much as she hated to admit. She liked him warm and next to her in bed.

"Never."

"What?"

"I called in sick, though I doubt anyway believes me." Alec shrugged his shoulder smiling, "I decided I'd be too tired after last night and wanted to relax all day today." Max sat up, leaning on her shoulder and looked at him, she felt like she was most important person in the world at that moment. He, the perfect solider, was playing hookie. "What?"

"I love you." Alec's face broke out in a wide grin before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"So if I play hookie you'll love me? That's not very supportive of my choice in work," Alec teased. Max just laughed and smacked him on the head again.

"You're a dork sometimes."

"You love me anyways!"

Two weeks since their anniversary dinner, one week since he bought the item in his hand. Sitting at his desk at headquarters he stared at the item. It was almost as perfect as she was, and he couldn't wait to give it to her. "You alive?" Looking up Biggs stood in his door way.

"Hey," Alec greeted putting Max's gift back in its box and in the drawer he had been sitting for the past week.

"When ya gonna give it to her? Personally I'm going to think you're going to give it to me because every time I come here to see ya you're holding the thing out. Sorry Alec you aren't my type," Biggs fluttered his eyes at his best friend, Alec just through the nearest pen at the clown. "Violence is not the answer!" Another pen.

"Then why are you in the military dumb-fuck," Alec laughed, "So what do you want and make it quick. I don't like looking at your face anymore than necessary."

"This just came from the heads," handing a thick folder over Alec knew immediately what it was.

"Transfer." Biggs nodded slightly while he sat in the chair in front of the desk. This would put a huge damper in his plans.

"What are you going to do?" Alec just shook his head and shrugged, he knew he had an obligation to Manticore, but at the same time there was Max.

"I don't know, what do you do? Once you signed in ink, you signed in blood according to Manticore." Alec felt torn.

"Better figure out soon, Uncle Sammy and Monty Cora want answers, soon."

"You aren't ever going to let me live that down are you?" Alec asked. Monty Cora, his drunken nickname for Manticore that he had made up when he and Biggs were in basic training.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Biggs said leaving.

Max sat in her room at her apartment that she shared with Cindy and stared at the box in front of her. She hadn't opened it since she first filled it up back in New York; she hadn't looked at the contents since before she got the call about Ben. But now she needed to, to let go of Ben for good.

Opening the box a wave of memories flashed in her mind as she saw different things. Pictures, nick knack gifts she and Ben had given each other, books, and other miscellaneous items. The first thing she picked up was a frame with a picture of her and Ben. A friend of theirs, who was a photographer, had taken the picture. They were both bundled up with big fate scarves around their necks and fighting the wind. Max's short curls were flying into Ben's face as the photo was snapped, both were laughing and looking at each other. Max waited for the tears to come, and then didn't. The next item was gold pendent with the Virgin Mary on it. Ben had given it to her as a birthday gift, even though he knew she didn't share his favor for religion. 'To protect you,' he had told her simply. She had worn it on occasion, but her job in New York didn't allow jewelry so it often remained in the box it still resided in. Cocking her head slightly she remembered how Ben had a matching one and it had been like a security blanket for him. When he was thinking hard or nervous, he would finger the pendent and seem to ease. It was funny she had never noticed that before.

An hour later, the box was empty and there were piles on her bed. Piles of things to go to charity, burn, and keep for memories. Grabbing an old shoebox, she placed the mementos to keep inside and closed the box. Grabbing the tape, she taped it closed. There really wasn't any reason to open it, not anymore. The rest of things she did as she saw fit with. And at the end of the night she didn't cry or feel the urge to. She didn't feel something melt inside her either. Instead she just felt loved, from Alec and Alec alone. Smiling to herself she grabbed her jacket, it was time.