Disclaimer: Okay do I have to write this on every single one of my chapters? I'm stopping right here. I don't own Dark Angel or any of it's contents.

Okay here's a shout-out to the coolest ppl in the world:

Shellybelly23: I'm touched...Out comes the floodgates : ) Thanks so much 4 reviewing... i feel so honored. So I dedicate this to u! Peace!

Mahine: Kick the bucket? Not while I'm in this world: )

purplebunnywabbit: I just love the Green monster sooo much!

FemmePhantom: "Primal on her ass" ha! love it! Can i use dat phrase?

Nena: yes, that is how u spell it...

Jorie: Thank you! U know you should write stories 2! I would be the first one to review!

Alec's P.O.V:

What is love? Is it when your heart stops when you see the center of your world getting hit by a lightning bolt and you'd do anything to take their place? I caught Max before she even hit the ground. I never left her side since she was admitted into the ward. I was there when the seizures hit. I remember the disappointment that turned into anger when I woke up to find her gone.

I guess the combined anxiety and stress finally took its toll because I exploded on her.

All my life, I've never had to care about anyone else. It was great. If I messed up, then I was the only one that got punished. It was like that out here in the 'real world' at first, too. But a petite brunette with a fiery temper changed all that.

When I first saw Max, I knew she was going to turn my world upside-down. Ever since I walked in her cell and met her expressive chocolate-eyes, I knew I was whipped.

That's why it hurts every time she looks at me with disgust and treats me like nothing more than dirt on the bottom of her shoe. But the sad thing is, it's better than being invisible. I thought our relationship finally took a turn for the better during that fateful night about Ben. I thought we were actually friends. I guess that's why it pained me to realize that she still regarded me as an inconsiderate, irresponsible screw-up. Even after all I did to shake that image.

Even after all I did for her.

But I pushed those feelings to the back of my mind, the bottom of my heart. I was a soldier, dammnit! So composing myself, I forced my trademark smirk to cover my face and swaggered out to H.Q.

I inconspicuously checked the reaction of the others. Mole looked pissed, Dix was tinkering with some metal parts, Luke was looking intently at the computer screen, and Wilson looked confused. So far, so good.

"Aaa-lec!" Genoa's screeching voice filled my ears. Does she not know that we're all endowed with transgenic-hearing? I smirked, remembering her face when I refused her proposal. Looks like the stud's still got it...

"Hello, Genoa. Cecile, Beatrix; what a pleasure!" The forcedness of my voice went unnoticed by the G-Crew. The looked up at me with a simper. Ugh! Now, don't get me wrong, like all X's Genoa, Cecile, and Beatrix are all lookers. But I don't know...They're more of a nuisance now than a "notch on my bedpost," as Max would call it.

The alarming thing was, deep in my heart; I knew, without a doubt, that I'd have slept with them during the old days...Before I met a certain, ahem, person. I'll be the bigger person here; there was no use for name-calling.

Whoops. Cecile was talking.

"So Alec, are you and Queen Bitch having a fight or something?" she asked innocently. Genoa valiantly pinched her in the arm. Admirably, Cecile's fake smile remained plastered on her face... and X-5's can pinch!

"How'd you guess?"

"Nothing to it really. You just look like you're world fell apart." She giggled annoyingly. "Plus, she's been gone for 2 hours. I looked at my watch; it was 11:05. That was weird. Max is never late for a meeting. Ironic, especially since she's so anti-discipline.

"Do you know where she is?" I tried for nonchalance. Then, as an assurance, I gave them a megawatt smile.

They fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"Probably off playing "house" to her human," Cecile said with a snort.

My emotions flamed at those words. But my heart was telling a different story; Max hadn't gone to Logan's. I bet a thousand bucks she went to the Needle instead.

I was just setting out to go to her when I remembered something: we were in a fight! I recalled the hurt I felt rising back up my chest. The hole in my heart reopened. How many times has Max wounded me and, yet, I'm still the one that crawls back to her for forgiveness. Well, no more. It's Max's turn, now.

MAX'S POV:

The wind rushed along my cheeks, cool to the touch. I used to come up here because of the lack of noise. After the fight, and the whole F.F.P (Fainting and flying paperweight) Incident, I found myself feeling very lost. So I decided to do something productive, something that would take my mind off of him.

Marching determinedly out of H.Q, I talked to Dix about my body's strange behavior. He then showed me his latest developments concerning my runes. Apparently, a "light from the sky" would somehow better equip my body to destroy the Familiars. Cliff notes version: my already enhanced body gets an upgrade.

I turn more animal than human. This means that I can hear, see, and smell better. But it's not all for the good; my body gets more primal so I'm more emotional than normal. Dix says that's how my body's adjusting. See, if I were more sensitive then my powers could occur more frequently. But he says not to worry because all this is temporary; I should be able to control myself in a matter of days.

"In a matter of days." Are you freaking' kidding me?

And then there's the whole "telekinetic powers" thing. According to Dix, since we already have more-than-genius I.Q's, the next logical step would be telekinesis. Uhuh, logical, all right. That's why I found myself here, the Needle.

I guess one of the reasons why this place means so much to me is because this was where I first met my brother Seth after the escape. Of course, he'd died soon after our encounter. But even for just a second, at least I caught a glimpse of him.

Then, this was where I first realized I cared more for Alec than I'd like to admit…

Flashback:

I was devastated. Logan and I had just broken up and I was feeling very depressed. Then, my savior came out from the shadows. He stood with the moonlight shining down on his body. I know: very melodramatic.

"Hey Max, thought I'd fine you here." He knew me so well.

But I was grieving for Logan. It wasn't right to feel happy right now. "I come up here to be alone," I said in hard voice. But he was nonplussed.

"Yeah, I know. But I figured after everything that went down today; we could both use a friend right now." A friend. That's all I needed; a shoulder to cry on. Well, not to cry on… I still have to maintain appearances here, after all.

I strove hard to conceal a grin that was threatening to form. "Sit down."

He was quiet at first. Trying to give me some space, I guess. But being Alec, he couldn't stand the lack of noise. I wasn't mad; I kinda like hearing his voice. It made me feel safe.

"So, any deep thoughts you want to share? Any, uh, profound realizations about life?"

"Yeah," I said softly, thinking of all the crap Logan had guilt-rode me into doing. "Love sucks."

End flashback

That's it. Meet the Apocalypse, everyone. I thought I'd rue the day when I'd view Alec as more than a pain in the behind. I guess I don't know myself that well, after all. As for the sudden urge to kill Genoe? Not sure just yet. It could be just the overreactions my powers had instilled in me…OR I could be attracted to Alec, which isn't a very unlikely possibility. A wise woman once told me, "Manticore sure 'em nice."

But I was through with thinking; I need to start doing. I looked over the ledge. If I was really enhanced—well more enhanced …

Without further ado, I leaped 500 ft below.

The chances of this being the stupidest thing I've ever done--and I've done a lot of stupid thing--considering the 99.9 percent chance of death? Hell, yeah. But who cares? It was exhilarating, pure and simple. I've never felt anything quite like it.

I felt my blood pound, my essence changing, turning invincible. The wind coursed along my body and the ground rose up to meet me.

Tensing my body, I met the earth.

There was a jarring impact and I crouched protectively into a ball, rolling for about 20 feet before a solid object stopped me. Hmmm. That smells familiar. I looked up...

And felt my heart, literally, stop beating.

"Hi, Max," my brother greeted me.

A/N: k, I changed some things…. For example, although Alec accepts his love for max, she is not about to return the favor just yet… Aight reel in those horns m/a lovaas cuz there's a special reason for this; the purpose of the story was to emphasize max's supereffinawesome powers and their little drama was gonna ruin it! So im sorry ppl plz don't kill me. Also, it would make it boring if both of them admitted to the lovin' cuz then there'd be no UST and no challenge What. So. Ever!