Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: ok, here it is at last, the final chapter of Freedom. YAY!!!!!!! So, without further ado… enjoy. Just letting you know, I actually wrote this a few days ago, but I only just got the chance to post it. SORRY!

Chapter 14: Epilogue

6 months later.

'Alright, that's all for today guys. Meeting adjourned.' At Alec's words a collective sigh rang through HQ. Everyone began to pack up, some discussing their plans for the night. Everyone was glad the meeting was over, it had been a long one, and they were all tired.

Since more and more transgenics had kept turning up in the months following their decision to stand as a nation, they had had to expand the council, so there were now 18 members, excluding Max, Alec and Mole. Max. He looked to the other end of the table where she sat, watching him, that secretive smile on her face. She looked so at peace, calmly sitting there, watching everything that was going on around her, her arms protectively lying over her belly. He still couldn't believe it. It scared the hell out of him and made his heart leap at the same time to think that he and Max had made life together. He remembered when she had told him that she thought he would make a perfect father, and then she had told him that she was pregnant. And in three months we'll get to test out her theory. 3 months… it seems like nothing. Hah! If someone had told me last year that I would be helping to lead Freak Nation, and that I would be about to become a father, I would've shipped them off to the loony bin. Now look at me. He almost laughed at the thought.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Bree and Dalton in the corner, laughing with each other. They were practically inseparable now, had been since that day he'd told Dalton not to waste time, and Dalton had asked Bree out. He smiled. They're perfect together. They reminded him of him and Max, and it made me happy to see her happy.

He turned his head in the other direction as he heard Biggs and Cece's voices coming up the stairs to HQ. They were discussing, heatedly, the state of their apartment. It seemed it was Biggs' turn to clean, and he had conveniently been out of the apartment all day. Alec laughed; this was totally typical of the couple. Biggs was constantly complaining that Cece nagged him and Cece was always complaining because Biggs was always avoiding, which was true. But the love was there, and always over ruled the other stuff, eventually. As with most transgenic couples, it occasionally took a physical altercation to solve their issues, but they always got over it very quickly. As he watched, they entered the room, and when Biggs turned his head and saw Alec, he headed towards him, a grin on his face, leaving a disgruntled Cece behind.

'Hey, Alec! Guess what I found this morning while rummaging through some stuff?' He said as he came closer. Uh oh, he's too happy about this. What kind of incriminating stuff does he have now?

'What?' he asked cautiously, which only served to make Biggs' smile broaden even more as he produced a small slip, of what looked like paper, from his back pocket. On second look, it was a folded photo. As Biggs unfolded it, and Alec saw what it was, he was assaulted by a flood of memories.

They were all crowded in a small group in the tiny apartment they were all sharing for the next few weeks, pressed in as close together as they could fit, watching Miranda as she fiddled with the old camera.

'Come on Miranda! How hard can it be?' Biggs complained, as he stood, fidgeting, next to Alec and Cece. They all laughed when she looked up at him and attempted to glare.

'Shut up, Biggs! It's hard, ok?' She had replied, trying to sound angry, but failing. It simply wasn't in her nature to get angry. He had grinned at her, and she hadn't been able to contain her giggle. 'Ok, there. I think it's ready. So, if I just press this button, the photo will take itself in 30 seconds. There.' She said, pressing a button, before coming over to join the group. She took the empty spot next to Alec, so the two of them were in the middle of the group, and she grinned at him, and he grinned back, before they both looked forward to the camera. 'Say cheese!'

'Hey Max, I think I we need your opinion on this one.' Biggs called across the room, and she smiled.

'Of course you do. Now what is it that you need my opinion on?' She inquired, looking between Biggs' laughing face and Alec's glowering one. 'Well, I, personally, would like your opinion on this hairstyle of Alec's from way back when.' Biggs told her, plucking the photo from Alec's grasp and blurring to the other end of the room, giving the photo to Max before Alec could stop him. Max looked down at it, and couldn't stop the laughter from escaping when she saw Biggs' hair. It was long, almost shoulder length, and it had green and blue streaks through it. But her laughter grew even more when she saw Alec's hairstyle. It was styled in a mow-hawk, and was dyed blue. She looked up, into Alec's eyes, and despite the look on his face, couldn't stop her laughter. He took the photo from Max and was about to tear it up, when he decided against it. Instead, he gave it back to Cece, telling her that they needed to keep it. Then he walked over to where Mole and Krit were standing, talking about their weapon supplies. He listened to their conversation, while his eyes resumed their survey of the room, and the smile returned to his lips.

Max sat at the end of the table, watching Alec survey the room. She still couldn't believe sometimes, how far they'd come. How far TC had come. She looked over and saw Syl and Dix discussing their computer equipment. She thought of her sister's relationship with Ash, who now worked under Jule in the Med building. They had clicked instantly on that first day, and he had totally understood her and had been a great comfort to her while Krit had been under supervision, and they had continued to grow closer every day.

And Krit, whole had been up and about a week after he was shot, was also knee deep in a strong relationship. His week in Med seemed short in the long run, but it had been enough for him and Jule. She still fussed over him, and while he walked around complaining, acting like it annoyed him, Max knew that he loved it. She saw him now, discussing weapon inventory with Mole. Boys and their toys, she thought, shaking her head even as she smiled.

She still had to stop herself from pinching herself every morning, because she couldn't believe it was all real, and not a dream. She remembered what Alec had said that first morning. Do you know how scared I was that I was gonna wake up and find this was all a dream? He had said to her, and she understood the feeling. It still amazed her to think that they had made it, all of them. Well, not all of them. She still thought of Tinga, Zack and Ben... how can I help but think of Ben, seeing Alec every day? But she had long since learned not to remember them in grief, but rather in love and acceptance, just as she had said she would. And she knew, even though he didn't say anything, that Alec was doing the same with Miranda. And if she ever felt herself thinking of them in grief, she would think of those she still had, and how she and Alec had made a safe world for them all, in TC.

And they had even managed to make it safe for them outside the walls of TC too, and they could leave freely without to use the sewers, although no one rarely felt the need to leave their city, and so the stayed where they felt safe and at home. That's what we've done here, really. We made more then a safe place; we made a home for anyone who wants one. We finally made a home for ourselves.

'Maxie, come with me.' Alec whispered in her ear, as he held his hand out for hers. She took it, stood up and followed him out of HQ.

'Where are we going?' she asked as they reached the bike shed.

'It's a surprise, Maxie.' He told her as he got on her Ninja, after seeing that she was comfortable on the back. She wrapped her arms around him, holding on, and he took off. They rode out into Seattle, and they both loved the fact that there were no angry mobs to greet them, and only one or two people even looked up at them. 'Close your eyes, Maxie' he told her, and she did, a sign of her complete trust in him. She even resisted the urge to peek as they rode. She felt the bike stop, and Alec get off.

'No peeking yet.' He told her as he lifted her up. She felt his carry her up what seemed to be an endless staircase, until they finally reached what had to have been the top. He put her down gently, and he sat beside her. She could feel the breeze on her face, and she felt him put an arm around her. 'Open your eyes Maxie.'

She did, and saw with surprise that they sat on the top of the Space Needle. She hadn't been here in over 6 months. She hadn't needed to. But she realised that she had missed it. She turned to Alec.

'I love you, Alec.' She told him.

'I love you too, Maxie.' He told her, and he wrapped his other arm around her to pull her close, and he held her like that for an hour, watching the city buzz. They both reflected on the last year and a half, and thought about how much had changed. Max thought back to that day in HQ, when Luke had played that CD. That song had captured everything that she had been feeling at that time, and while she knew that they weren't completely out of the woods yet, and White was still out there, and their big battle was coming soon, somehow, none of that mattered. A lot of people in TC, and out of it, might say that they were fighting an ongoing fight for their freedom, to her; she had won that battle 6 months ago.

I spent so long looking for freedom, I can't believe I finally got it, and I can't believe how much my idea of freedom has changed. I used to think that freedom would mean just me, but now it means me and Alec. Everything means me and Alec. To think I almost named him Dick.

I can't believe I almost killed her, I can't believe she can love me after everything I did. How can anyone be that perfect? And how can I possibly deserve someone so perfect? What am I doing? Why the hell am I questioning this?

Finally Max stood up and held out her hand to Alec. He took it and stood up, and looked down at her. 'Let's go home Alec.'

A/N: Ok, it's done! Sorry, I know I promised the update much earlier then this, but you know how it is. Sorry if it doesn't live up to expectations. But I have another story in the works, kinda, and a sequel to this so keep an eye out for them! Thanks for reading.