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

With Ben In Between

A.N: Thanks for the reviews!

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Alec announced as they entered through his apartment, and he checked to see that Vanessa was gone. Sure enough she was, as well as her things, and he opened the door wide enough for Max to walk in. "Make your self comfortable, I'll get us something to drink." Walking into the open living room, Max marveled the comfortable apartment. Setting the pictures down, she walked over to the huge bay window that looked out to the city. "Water good for you?" Alec asked from behind her. Turning around she nodded and took the out stretched glass.

"Nice place you have here," Max commented sitting down on the very comfy couch. Alec sat in a single chair next to the couch and watched Max take in his apartment. It wasn't really decorated, very sparse, a lot like his old one in Seattle. Besides furniture, he had some pictures of friends and family, or adventures. Since finding pictures in Ben's stuff he had some of the pictures framed; like the one of him before their falling out. "I remember that picture, the one of you and Ben together." Alec froze and saw her get up to look at the picture. "I caught him going through this huge album he had in his desk, he was looking at this picture. I think that was the first time he ever told me about you two, briefly anyway. Later on he told me about the falling out, Manticore and how you guys grew up." Max picked the picture up, "but even after that I'd find him looking at that picture all the time." Alec didn't say anything, just watched her.

Anytime before, he would have resented her telling him something personal like that. But for some reason, he didn't. Instead he couldn't help but feel something different, what he wasn't sure. "That was at a graduation party, a friend of ours hosted it. This girl that was in our unit, Lola, took that picture." Alec explained as Max replaced the picture to its spot and walked over to him.

"Should we try and open another set of pictures?" Max asked after a few moments of silence. For a few more moments they stared at each other, both feeling a roaring of emotions and feelings raging inside of them. While thoughts rush through their respected minds with questions and memories. "Or should we try for another day," she tried swallowing a large lump in her throat.

"Uh…It's up to you," Alec tried, taking a large gulp on his water, very much wishing it was the strongest scotch he owned. 'Damn!' Max bit the side of her lip before she reached for an un-opened envelope and opened the seal. When Max's face changed, "what?" Alec watched as her face went from thoughtful to surprised. She didn't say anything at first, but instead handed the pictures to him. Taking the pictures uneasily, Alec looked at them. They were of…him? They were of him in his uniform. Looking at the people around him, it was only a few years ago, when he was in New York for business and Manticore events. Ben had been there. Some where of him and Biggs talking, posing for someone else, and there were others of him alone staring off into space. The last picture was of him with their parents, his dad clapping him on the back with a proud smile on his face, with his mother smiling the smile she always wore in public to events for Manticore. The painted smile of a military wife. But Alec himself was wearing a blank face.

"I didn't know he was there that day," he whispered staring at the last picture. Somehow Max was able to stand up by her self and move to sit in front of Alec on the table. Taking his hands into her own Max weaved their fingers together. Alec's face shot up and stared at her.

"I…" she started, but realized she didn't know what she wanted say. Deciding not to say anything she just have his hands a squeeze so he knew that she was trying to be comforting. When he quirked the sides of mouth up, she knew she had succeeded. "I think two packets is enough for today, how about we grab some dinner and meet up tomorrow to continue." Alec looked back down at the picture and then her, nodding he placed the picture behind her on the table and stood up.

"How about I order some take out? They have good Chinese here too," he offered. Laughing, Max nodded and held her hands up for help to get up.

"You call Chinese, I'll call Logan and tell him the plans. I'm sure he's still doing business or whatever anyways." When she was standing up, Alec handed her his phone and then proceeded to use his cell to call in their food.

"Hello?" Logan's voice filtered through the receiver.

"Hey, it's Max. I ran into someone and I'm going have dinner. Just calling to tell you the plan so you didn't wait up," Max said in one breath.

"Ran into someone? Who?" Logan questioned.

"Uh, Alec actually. He lives here in the city, we ran into each other and decided to catch up. We're going to get some take out," Max explained knowing what was to come.

"Max do you really think that is a good idea? I mean he's your ex, and you guys didn't part on good terms-"

"Logan, yes it is a good idea. We're fine," Max interrupted. "I'm fine, it was my idea. I'll talk to you when I get back, ok?" With that she hung up, when she turned to talk to Alec, she found him missing from the room. Furrowing her brow she looked for him, seeing 3 doors to her left she walked to the middle one that was slightly open with a light filtering from behind.

Pushing the door open, she was greeted with a bedroom that was strewn with random articles of clothing and boxes. Yep, definitely Alec's room, he never could keep his bedroom clean. Looking around the room, the walls were mostly bare, except for the few posters he had had in Seattle and some frames hanging up. Walking over to the fare wall with frames Max looked at the pictures, they were some she had seen before, but some were new to her. The newer ones were obviously older in age since they had a picture of Alec and Ben when they were likely younger teenagers with friends. 'He must've found them in Ben's things,' she thought seeing one of the two sitting on a cliff with a wide-open background behind them. Both were tanned and looked like they were wearing swimming trunk. Ben was sitting behind Alec, making a silly face while Alec was making a sad, puppy dog face. It seemed they had switched roles for the picture. 'It's amazing how much they really looked alike, but there are those subtle differences.' One would be their body build, Ben had been lean while Alec was more muscle and chiseled of the two, plus Ben was wearing his golden pendent that glinted in the sun.

"Hey," Alec's voice came from behind her. Turning around she was greeted with him shirtless and holding a shirt in hand. He seemed shocked to find her in his room, well of course he would. She'd be the same way.

"Hey," she said back suddenly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to pry," she explained weakly.

"It's fine, I was just changing while you were talking to Cale." Alec amended, still shirtless. Damn he needed to put a shirt on for the sake of Max's sanity.

"So what did you order? I just realized I never told you what I wanted."

"I got your favorite, or at least what was your favorite in Seattle."

"Oh good!" Max squealed, "I've been dying for Hunan Beef with extra spice!" Alec couldn't help but laugh at her outburst, "sorry. It's been awhile since I've had some real food. Ever since we got here, Logan's been all about the 'wine and dine' setting, and someone can only eat pasta so much before you start craving the real food."

"Ah, Loggie still doesn't know about the world of take out and real food?" Alec joked as he walked over to where she was standing and looking at the picture on the wall. "I see you've discovered some pictures."

"Yeah, I've never seen this picture before. You guys look so young! Where is that place? It's beautiful."

"It was on our family's land. There was this place that was right by that cliff, an old shack in a tree. It was kind of like our place, to get away from everything and be our selves. That was right after we had graduated from basic training to weapons. After the formal party thrown by dad, we had our own party together and then with some friends."

"The high place?" Alec blinked and stared at her. "Ben use to go to the roof of our apartment building, and just think all the time. He said it was the closest to the High Place."

"Yeah, it was a nick name we came up with when we were younger. Ben would always go there to think and get away from things. I'd always tease him bout going there to practice becoming a priest." Alec joked pulling his shirt on.

"Really? I don't think I could really imagine him as a priest. Sure he had the religion down, but priest life I don't think would suit him."

"Yeah me neither, but it was fun to tease him."

"So you never shared the whole Blue Lady thing?"

"No, I respected his choices about it, but never found the answers like he did. When I realized it wasn't a phase, I had his pendent made so when we were training he had something to that effect with him."

"You got him that pendent? He always would wear it, I never saw him take it off. It always seemed like a security blanket type thing for him." Max thought out loud looking at the picture again, "I wish I could've seen you two together. I bet it was always interesting."

"Yes we were the terror twins of Manticore." Alec joked as they walked back into the front room just as there was a knock on the door, "FOOD!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"So, we have the evening to ourselves," Vanessa purred to her lover as he poured her some wine.

"Alec won't be expecting you?"

"We aren't together anymore," Vanessa said off handedly.

"What?"

"Some how he found out about us-"

"What!"

"He found out about me being with someone else. I don't think he knows it's you," she amended quickly when her lover started to sweat and pace.

RING RING RING

"Hello?" Logan's voice filtered through the receiver.

"Hey, it's Max. I ran into someone and I'm going have dinner. Just calling to tell you the plan so you didn't wait up," Max said in one breath.

"Ran into someone? Who?" Logan questioned feeling a dread creep through him.

"Uh, Alec actually. He lives here in the city, we ran into each other and decided to catch up. We're going to get some take out."

"Max do you really think that is a good idea? I mean he's your ex, and you guys didn't part on good terms-" Logan tried to reason, he was officially scared shitless.

"Logan, yes it is a good idea. We're fine," Max interrupted. "I'm fine, it was my idea. I'll talk to you when I get back, ok?" Before Logan could say more, she ended the call. Logan felt his heart pounding; she ran into Alec, they were going to have dinner. Oh god he needed a bottle or two of wine to calm his nerves.

"What's wrong love?" Vanessa questioned when he hung up, pale as can be.

"Alec and Max ran into each other today, they're having dinner." Not seeing the problem, Vanessa sashayed her way over to Logan and proceeded to nip her way up his neck.

"Then they can occupy themselves while we occupy ourselves," she whispered seductively.

"No you don't understand! Alec finds out about us, he'll kill me!" Logan exclaimed, sweating even more.

"He's not going too, Max thinks you are completely devoted to her and the bun. So he isn't going to find out, now to more important things. You have far to many clothes for my taste." It could never be said Vanessa didn't have a way to convince a man to her way of thinking.