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

With Ben In Between

Alec had drowned himself a ¼ down a bottle of scotch when someone was banging on his door. Not even drunk, just pissed angry, he answered it by ripping the door open. The last person he expected to see stood there, Cindy. She wasn't fuming, like he would expect her to be, she just stood there waiting to walk in. "Cindy?"

"Pretty boy," she reciprocated. Alec moved to the side and she walked past him. "You probably think I'm here to put a smack-down on your ass."

"Why would you think I would think that." He snarked back.

"Don't give me attitude, Alec," she had his attention, she never called him by his name. Slightly taken a back, he blinked, "I'm here to see if you're alright." That was very unexpected.

"What? I break up with your best friend and you want to know if I'm ok? Am I drunk?"

"No you ain't drunk, and yes I'm here to see if you're alright because I know why you broke up." Well wasn't this night just full of surprises.

"You knew?"

"Yeah, I knew. I knew about Ben when Ben was alive and Max was with him. I knew you were his twin when she told me."

"So I'm the big joke for you all. Come here to gloat and laugh at how stupid I was to think I could fall in love with her?"

"No. I know you're hurt, Boo." Alec sat on a stool and stared at his hands, he was shattered. "I didn't agree with what she did and I'm not here to condone it either. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Why did she do it?" Alec was still looking at his hands, his voice like a little boy's. "Why did she play me like that? Why did she let me fall in love with her if she was only going to rip my heart out of my chest?"

"Because she was scared and… sigh I don't know Boo. I do know that she was confused at first, but she didn't play you. She fell for you." Alec snorted at that, "none of that," she reprimanded. "She does care about you Alec, she's told me so many times and it scares her. When she realized she was in love with you, she told me that she had let go of Ben for good. But she was afraid to tell you about the two of them because she was afraid this would happen. But on the other hand she would feel guilty if she didn't." Alec never looked up. "Don't hate her, and don't beat yourself up because you fell for her.."

"No matter what, I live in his shadow, no matter what." Alec whispered, Cindy blinked not understanding that statement.

"What?"

"Ben, no matter what he wins and I remain in his shadow."

"You're gonna have to explain because I have no idea what you're talkin' bout." And Alec did, and suddenly Cindy understood a lot of what he was feeling and saying.

"Don't tell Max. She doesn't need to know." Alec requested when he had finished. Cindy could see nothing would be gained, only lost, if she did.

"I won't," Cindy promised. Alec had never looked up from his hands, until Cindy made him face her. Tears were brimmed in his eyes, and Cindy felt for him. Two hearts were broken in one night, and only those two who held them could fix them. Pulling Alec into a hug Cindy felt him respond immediately. He reminded Cindy of a child grasping for some love, and in a way that was exactly what he was.

"Thanks." Alec said as he walked Cindy to his door. When she decided she had her answers, she said she would take her leave. Giving him one last hug, Cindy walked out the door. After he quietly closed the door, Alec made a call and went to prepare for the reason of that call.

When the call was made, things were now set in motion. Taking in everything that had happened that night, Alec grabbed his scotch bottle and grabbed a box buried in a closet. Tonight was a night to let out the past... and get extremely, numbingly wasted