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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! So, here's the next chapter. It's a bit short, sorry. But the next ones will be longer. The next chapter is almost ready to go, so it should be up soon, I hope. Um, this chapter and the next one have nothing to do with any episodes from the show, but chapter 5 will, but then it will continue after the show, so just hang in there for those of you who don't like re-written bits of the show. Anyway, here it is!
Chapter 3: Talks with Joshua
As Max drove through TC towards HQ, her thoughts drifted to Alec. The only conversation they'd had since he'd stormed out of her 'office' yesterday had been a brief one this morning to check that they were still on for the raid at Harbor Lights that night. Yeah, brief cause Alec walked off the second he'd said yes. Didn't even let me get a breath in to continue talking. Typical, always running from his problems Max thought to herself, but the little voice in the back of her mind couldn't help adding yeah, sounds like someone else I know. The more denial type part of brain shot back; shut up, before she thought great, now I'm mentally yelling at myself. Oh this is fantastic! I'm losing my mind, and it's all Alec's fault, why'd he have to get so god damn angry? Thinking back over their conversations from the last few days, she remembered about how angry he'd been when she'd told him what she had said to Logan, about them being a couple. It had surprised her how much it had upset him, but she'd been even more surprised when he'd turned up at Crash and told her he had not, in fact, told Logan the truth. She remembered how relieved she'd been at hearing that.
But now, thinking back, had she been more relieved that Logan still thought they were dating or that she got to continue pretending that she was Alec's girl? Wait, what? Where the hell did that come from? I must have hit my head and forgotten about it. Shake it off, shake it off. And why had he been so angry yesterday? She was always saying that kind of thing to him, but it never got to him like that before. He's seemed fine, actually, until she'd almost mentioned…Logan. But why would that upset him. She'd only meant that Logan's guys were usually more reliable then the ones Alec seemed to deal with. It wasn't like it was a personal attack against Alec specifically. She shrugged to herself as she stopped her bike. He sure was one strange man.
'Hey medium fella. You alright?' Joshua came up behind Alec, determined to figure out why Alec had been so mad yesterday and so quiet today. It wasn't like him – he was always so talkative, or as Max said, too talkative. He'd asked Biggs earlier, but he'd had 'no clue' as he had said. It had taken Joshua a while to figure that one out when he'd first heard Alec say it a while ago, but now he knew it meant that you didn't know the answer. He had started using it, as he did with a lot of the phrases he heard Alec and Max use, like his favourite one 'gotta blaze'. But he'd come here to talk to Alec so he could 'get a clue' and he wasn't leaving without one. He had spent the better part of the afternoon thinking about how to start this conversation with Alec, and trying to decide whether he should try and be subtle or go 'straight for the kill', another of the phrases he had picked up, although this one was from Mole. He had come to the decision that subtlety was not the best option for two reasons; one, Alec was smart enough to pick up on things like that, he had seen Max trying to get things out of him, and two, Joshua wasn't good with the whole subtle thing. So he asked the question straight out, determined not to leave until he got an answer.
'Yeah Josh, you know me. I'm always alright' Alec grinned, using his almost trade-mark phrase, and tried to get past the large dog-man, but had no such luck. He wasn't really in a hurry to get anywhere, he just wanted to leave, cause he knew that Joshua was the one person who could get any sort of real honesty out of him, without even trying. Damn it, he's not gonna let me go, is he? Just don't look him in the eye, don't look him in the eye.
'No, Alec not fine. Alec yell at Max, now Alec quiet. Too quiet.' Joshua said this simply, as was his nature. He noticed how Alec was avoiding eye contact, and knew that he was hiding something from him. Like last time, with the necklace. Joshua had never found out what was really going on then, but after what had happened with Annie, he thought he knew. Alec had loved someone, and they had died, and he blamed himself. Joshua had never brought up that night with Alec, cause he knew that Alec and Max had talked about it, and if he opened up about it once, he wasn't likely to open up about it any time soon.
'Hey, what can I say? When I'm 'normal' I talk to much, now I'm 'not normal' cause I'm not talking enough. Guess I better keep working on finding that happy medium, huh?' Alec answered easily, ignoring the first part of Joshua's statement. He tried to pass by Joshua again, without success and almost let out a sigh. Should've known it would be that easy. Now I know why Max doesn't like fighting around Joshua.
'Alec, why did you yell at Max?' Alec looked up, straight as his face. He realised that at this point, the truth would be easier. Or at least, a small, tiny, miniscule part of the truth, since I myself don't know the whole truth. Damn Max! This is all her fault, somehow. He looked at Joshua, and mentally he gave a sigh, since he couldn't give an actual one.
'Just blowing of steam. It was a long day, you know, and I was worried about Biggs. It's all good. Hey, I'll even apologise to Max if it'll make you feel better.' He gave Joshua his trademark grin as he said this. Joshua looked at him and was about to say something when he heard Max's voice calling his name.
'Joshua? Hey, big fella, you seen Alec around any…?' She stopped talking when she noticed Alec standing behind him. 'Oh, hey. You ready to do this?' she asked, and he knew that she was referring the Harbor Lights raid, because that was the only thing they had talked about since yesterday, and even that had been very briefly. He still wasn't quite sure as to why he had gotten so made at her the other day, or if he did he was pushing it to the very back corner of his mind.
'Yep, just let me get my jacket.' He said curtly as he stepped around Joshua and Max, glad for the interruption, and headed to the far side of HQ, where Biggs was sitting. Max watched him walk away, and couldn't help but notice how nice his walk was. But thankfully she was quickly brought back to reality when Joshua put his hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, and saw that he was studying her.
'Little fella? Max and Alec have a fight?' She just looked at him, thinking it was a statement. Yeah, we always have fights, why's he bringing this one up? Then she realised that Joshua was asking her a question. And it was one that she didn't really have an answer to.
'No, not really a fight, more of a… I don't know Joshua. I mean, I know I was being critical of him yesterday, but I do it all the time and he's never taken it so seriously before. I don't know what I did this time to set him off like that, what I said...' She trailed off, lost in thought. Joshua looked down at her, studying her again. He thought he knew why Alec had reacted the way he had. And why it was bothering Max so much more then she was letting on. But he also knew that making them understand it would be a whole other thing because they were two of the most stubborn people he had ever met, but he had to let them do most of the figuring out by themselves. But at the same time, a little help wouldn't hurt them either. So he said 'Alec wants you to trust him. What you think is important to him.' And then he gave a quick pat on the head and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts. Max stared after him, confusion covering her face. What? That's insane. Alec doesn't care what anyone thinks about him, especially me, as he's told me and proved to me countless times before… but he has been way less reckless recently, and he's been helping out heaps around here. Maybe he's finally growing up? Alec, growing up? That's never going to happen. He's the mental age of two year old! Mmm, but the packaging is definitely not that of a two year old. Oh my god! Max rushed over to Alec, grabbed his arm, and headed out the door, eager to get this night over with so she could go talk to Cindy.
Joshua stopped at the edge of HQ and turned to study his two friends, who were walking out the opposite door, not looking at each other, until Biggs called out to the room 'Anyone got a knife that sharp enough to cut the underlying sexual tension between these two?' Two heads snapped around in unison, glaring at him. Then Alec turned to Max, grinning, and said 'Ya know, you do have some issues Max, maybe their simply the result of pent up…' But he never got to finish his sentence, as Max hit his head hard, and shoved him out the door, muttering at him.
Joshua shook his head slightly at the sight of them; he hoped his two friends would work things out. He knew Max loved Logan, but even though he supported her attempts to find the cure, and made his comments about her and Logan 'gettin busy', he could never get rid of the feeling he'd had since the first time he'd seen Max and Alec together, of how right they'd looked, despite the fact that they had practically hated each other. And then when he'd come back into Max's life, and she was constantly complaining about him, and they were always fighting, he'd noticed it again. It had taken him a while to realise what it meant, and he still didn't know what would happen. But he knew one thing for sure: even if Max found the cure, it wouldn't be Max and Logan who were 'gettin busy'.
A/N: ok, hope you liked it! Please, please review! Thanks!