A/n: Sorry I havn't been around much lately guys, RL and writer's block again. Anyway, thanks for your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Fingers crossed I'll be updating Maple Syrup again pretty soon as well.

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Chapter 22: Aftermath

Over half of the transgenic's forces were circling the pile of fiery rubble that had once been the Familiar's headquarters, searching for some trace of their leader. Alec was among them, desperately aware that three of the four most important people in his life were missing, and the other was comatose. He made it to the far side in record time, his hazel eyes squinting through the smoke for signs of life.

At first, he thought he must be imagining the voice; a voice that four weeks ago he'd never thought he'd hear again.

"Alec? That you?" It called hoarsely.

The X5 froze, tuning up his hearing to triangulate where it was coming from. "Logan?" He asked, not able to believe his ears.

"Over here, Alec; a little help?" He pinpointed the origin of the sound, and kicked his way through the debris to the two figures on the ground.

Logan was sitting awkwardly, one leg stretched out in front of him while he cradled Max's head in his lap. Alec crouched beside him, questions bubbling from his lips.

"Logan? Where's Josh? Are you hurt? What's wrong with Max? How did you escape?"

"Joshua didn't make it, Alec," Logan told him sadly. The young transgenic bowed his head in grief for his canine friend.

"And Max?" He asked, fearing she was dead too.

"Just out cold, as far as I can tell; a brick or something caught her when the building blew. She'll be ok, I think. You go get some help; I'll stay with her."

"I can carry her," Alec said, numbly.

"You gonna carry me, too?" Asked Logan. "I'm pretty sure my ankle's broken; jumping out a third storey window will do that to you. Go on, we'll be here when you get back."

Alec looked from Max's still face to Logan's reassuring one; seeing the powerful blue eyes again calmed him considerably.

"I'll be right back," he said, taking off.

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Logan waited impatiently for Alec to return. He'd known instinctively that Alec needed to hear that Max was going to be fine; the boy looked more shaken than he'd ever seen him. And it was probably true, since she'd survived far more dangerous injuries, but that didn't stop him worrying.

It was then that Max's eyes fluttered open.

"We've gotta stop doing this," she said, a faint smile crossing her features.

"Just promise not to die on me this time," Logan replied, stroking her hair. "Or ever."

"I'll do my best," Max replied. "You ok?"

"I will be," he said. "Alec's getting help; you just rest."

"He all right?"

"Not really. I told him about Joshua."

"Oh."

"Yeah." The couple just sat in silence for a few minutes, until a crowd of transgenics descended on them bearing stretchers and medical supplies, carrying them off to the field hospital.

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Max stood on an empty crate to address the assembled transgenics, her features lit by the dying flames of the familiar's headquarters.

"We won a battle tonight," she said, not needing to shout in the hush. "You should be proud of yourselves, of the Transgenic people. In the nine months since Manticore burned we've achieved great things; we've become a race, a community… a family."

"We have suffered losses; too much blood was spilled tonight for our cause. Always remember our brothers and sisters who've left us; that way there'll always be a little of them left alive. And one day, when transgenics are accepted, are able to live free and untroubled in this country that created us, we'll remember that it was their sacrifice that made it all possible."

"This fight wasn't the first; and it will not be the last. We are different; and people are afraid of things they don't understand. Our task now is to make them understand, to show them that we are people too. It'll be hard, and it will take time. But as long as we stand united, we can succeed."

Max's eyes found Logan's, as he stood at the back, leaning on a makeshift crutch. "I stand here tonight, and for the first time, in a very long time, I feel like anything and everything is possible."

Max began to step down, but she stopped when she heard the applause. Very slowly and deliberately, Mole, of all people, was clapping. He was swiftly joined by the rest of the crowd. Before she knew it, Max was surrounded by cheering transgenics, chanting her name, over and over. Again, she searched desperately for Logan, and found the crystal blue eyes full of pride, admiration, support and love as he clapped with the rest.

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Alec sat beside Jondy's unconscious form in the back of the medical truck, as the victorious transgenics headed back to New TC. Only Max, Logan, Krit and Syl were not with the convoy; they'd departed for Seattle to deal with Sandeman. Alec's fingers were wrapped tightly around hers and he winced at every pothole on her behalf. To the X5, every minute felt like an hour, and every hour like an age, while the woman he hadn't even known he loved lay before him like this.

"Please, Jondy," he whispered. "Just wake up; I promise I won't get you back for the darts thing… you can play another prank on me and I won't even complain… please… I'll do anything… I can't lose you too…"

Alec bowed his head as tears began to stream down his face, his shoulders shaken by silent sobs. He wept until there were no more tears, and then just sat, drained, clinging to her hand like a lifeline.

He almost had a heart attack when she squeezed back.

"J… Jondy? Can you hear me? Jondy!"

Her eyelids fluttered, and one opened, just a crack. "Shut up, Alec," she mumbled. "I'm trying to sleep." Her eye closed, totally missing the joy on Alec's features.

"Yes, ma'am, shutting up, ma'am," he said, trying not to laugh out loud.

For the rest of the journey, he just sat in silence, his grin threatening to tear his face in half.

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Dawn was breaking over Seattle, blood red and ominous over a bank of cloud. The city was waiting; the tension in the air was almost palpable.

Krit parked the sedan, stolen from the familiars, outside Sebastian's place, and turned to look at Max, hidden in the back with Logan.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"As I'll ever be," she shrugged, emerging from under a blanket. "Not like I have a choice or anything."

"You trust this Sandeman guy?" Asked Syl.

"Not really. But Joshua did, and that's good enough for me," replied Max.

"Come on," said Logan. "We don't want to keep the world waiting, do we…"

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Lydecker, Sandeman, Sebastian, Bling, Sketchy and Normal all stood or sat in uncomfortable silence. Catalina was sleeping in the next room after giving blood, Original Cindy by her side. All of them looked up as the door swung open.

"Let's get this bitch over with," said Max, striding in.

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"Six days," said Sandeman, pacing back and forth. "We only have six days before the coming. That isn't enough time. Two weeks wouldn't have been enough time." He slumped into a chair, despairing.

"Then what can we do?" Asked Original Cindy.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. There's barely time to inoculate a couple of million people, let alone billions… all my work… everything I've done… wasted…"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," said Logan slowly. "But… the poison is spread by the air currents, after it falls from the comet? And it only lasts a couple of days?"

"Yes, what of it?" Asked Sandeman, distracted by misery.

"Well, doesn't that mean that if we could get the cure into the atmosphere, it would neutralise the poison without it ever reaching the ground?"

Max looked at Logan in sudden realisation. "You mean like those rocket thingies White was trying to use to kill off transgenics?"

"Something like that, yeah. Would it work?" He asked, looking across at Sandeman, who was wearing the kind of 'clubbed baby seal' expression normally reserved for Sketchy on his twelfth beer.

"Some kind of aerosol… in the upper atmosphere… if we could get it in a jet stream… yes… that could work. That could work."

"Told you he was smart," said Max smugly, wrapping an arm around Logan's waist and brushing her lips against his cheek.

"We need to get all three of you hooked up to give blood right away!" Said Sandeman, suddenly invigorated. "There isn't a moment to lose!"

"What do you mean, three?" Asked Max suspiciously.

"Well, you, Logan here, because he has your blood in him, and Catalina, of course…"

"Catalina?" Said Max. "Who's she?"

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For the first time in her life, Max looked at her mother, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes. The woman stirred, eyes fluttering open.

"Mom?" Said Max, feeling the first drop trickle down her cheek.

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