Chapter 8: Picture Perfect

Disclaimer: Again I don't own anything or anyone from the show. Anything that you see that's new here that's the only thing that's mine.

Pairing: MA

Rating: Mature for language and sexual content. Yes people y'all can go all giddy and all that.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm evil. I don't mean to be, that's how I saw things happening in my head –shrugs- Anyway, thanks to iluvaqt for offering her expertise on proofreading –hands her a large box of cookies - Alright kids! I do hope you like this one.

"I'm comin' home OC."

"Boo, you ain't gettin' that sexy ass home until you do what you gotta do. Stop bein' such a damn sissy an' tell that damn boy o' yours that you love him already!"

"But Cindy, you should have seen them… her…"

"So she's a damn Cindy Crawford wannabe, so what? Since when does my Boo let anything stop her from gettin' what she wants? You ain't soundin' like the Max Guevara I know. And you said it yourself, you haven't really asked if they're together. For all you know they could just be cozy or somethin'. You know how Alec was before he left. He's a damn tomcat."

Max closed her eyes and exhaled softly. She paced around her hotel living room as she listened to her best friend over the phone. What the hell was happening to her anyway? She had no problem with pursuing Logan back when. Oh, that's right. This was Alec not Logan. Stopping in front of the couch, Max finally gave up pacing and plopped down on the couch unceremoniously

"I just don't know what to do you know…"

"Girl, just tell the boy how you feel, if he feels the same way then good for the both of you, if not, then he's missin' half of his life. Max, just get that ass of yours off the couch, stop stalling, march down to his place, look him dead in the eyes and tell him you love him. No buts. And if Cindy Crawford wannabe is there just throw her ass out."

Max managed to let a small smile grace her lips. "Now or never right?"

"Now or never, Boo. And if you ask me, I'm leanin' towards the now. Now git! Move! I don't want you to call me again an' tell me you chickened out or I swear I'll march my ass down there and do the confessin' for ya!"

She exhaled softly. "I'm goin' I'm goin' geez…" They both fell silent for a moment until Max spoke up again. "Thanks Cindy."

"You are very much welcome boo. Take care okay? And just tell him…"

"I will. I'm goin' right now. Bye Boo."

"Later Sugah."

Dropping the phone from her ear, Max turned to look at the clock on the side table next to the couch. 10 A.M. Sighing softly, she pursed her lips and contemplated for a moment before finally deciding to stand up and make her way toward the bedroom.

It was now or never.

Alec shifted on the bed and let out an exasperated sigh. Pushing the covers off his head, he checked the clock on his night table. 10 A.M. He'd barely slept last night and he still had trouble sleeping this morning. Grunting, he finally kicked the covers away and sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. Clenching his jaw, he stood up and made his way toward the bathroom. Maybe a good hot shower would at least make him feel better, even if only for a little bit. At this point, he would take what he could get.

A long hot shower, a hot mug of coffee and one big bowl of cereal later, Alec sat on the couch flipping through the channels hoping to catch something to keep him distracted. To stop himself from thinking of her. Max. To keep himself from picking up the damn phone and calling her. He sighed softly when the only amusing show he found was a very old rerun of a cartoon that featured a rabbit and a duck.

"Bugs and Daffy!"

"Daffy and Bugs!"

"Bugs and Daffy!"

"Daffy and Bugs!"

"Bugs and Daffy!"

"Daffy and Bugs!"

"Daffy and Bugs!"

"Bugs and Daffy!"

Alec huffed and let a half smirk play on his lips. At least for a moment, he was free from thoughts of her. His eyes were starting to get glued over the TV screen when his enhanced hearing picked up movement outside his door. His brows creasing, he turned his head in the direction of the sounds and waited. It could be nothing. At least that was what he hoped for.

Max stood there for a moment feeling like her feet had suddenly rooted to the floor. She lifted her hand but paused. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, she muttered silently to herself that she could do this. That she had to do this before she went back to Seattle. She had to tell Alec. She had to let him know why she was really here. Sighing softly, she opened her eyes then finally knocked on the door.

He waited. Whoever it was that was on the other side was really taking his time, or rather her time to do something. Anything. Alec pursed his lips as he placed the TV remote on the center table and stood up. Before he could take a step toward the door, there was a soft knock. He raised his brows. His heart raced inside his chest. It couldn't be Max now, could it? Ugh. There he goes again. Huffing out air through his nose, Alec finally strode over to the door and opened it.

Alec reared in surprise to find that it was indeed, Max who was on the other side. "Hey…"

"Hey… I know I should have called first… to check if you're… uhh… this a bad time?"

His brows creased again slightly. Did Max Guevara just stammer? Huh. Now that was a first. Alec shook his head before he took a step back and opened his door wider for her to enter. "No it's okay. Told you I wasn't doin' anything. Come on in."

When she stepped inside, Alec closed the door and then ushered her toward the living room. As she stepped further inside his apartment, her eyes darted around the place looking for any sign of Brianna. Part of her wanted the Cindy Crawford wannabe to be there so she would have an excuse not to face Alec. Another part of her, the bigger part of her, wanted the other girl to just be out of the way. Max sat down on the couch and caught sight of the show he was apparently watching. She had to smirk.

"You're watching cartoons? That's really… educational…"

Alec chuckled softly as he bent and took the remote. He pushed the off button, placed the remote down the table and sat next to her on the couch. "Yeah well nothin' was on. It's better than flippin' through the channels like I have ADD or somethin'." Max had to smile at that. Then complete and utter silence followed after. Dammit.

"So uhh, where's Brianna?" she asked before she looked around for effect.

Alec creased his brows as he watched her, debating about what to tell her. If he came up with some fabricated story then he would just be lying to Max and using Brianna at the same time. It wasn't fair to either of them, besides, he didn't have to prove anything to Max.

"At home, and I'm guessin' Chris is probably with her right now."

"Chris?"

"Yeah. Chris. Her boyfriend."

Wait what? Brianna has another boyfriend? Max frowned. "Oh… uhh… I thought you and her… you know… I mean she was here last night to make you dinner and I heard you call her sweetie and you were sitting so close to her… I just thought…" And not to mention that damn kiss.

Alec huffed as he looked down for the briefest moment before he looked back up at her. "She did make me dinner, just like any close friend would. She knows how lazy I am when it comes to whippin' up real food. And that sweetie thing? That's what I've been callin' her ever since... forever, even when we stopped datin' she preferred me calling her that. She said it felt really odd if I just called her by her name." He frowned a little as he studied her face for a moment. "I didn't know you were paying attention to details that close…"

Max was forced to look down at that moment. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. Boy did she feel stupid for assuming things. Then she remembered how much energy she spent crying her eyes out last night. Yes, she cried for Alec. Ugh. Stupid doesn't even begin to describe…

"Earth to Maxie… come in Maxie…"

Max finally lifted her head and offered Alec a small smile. "Sorry. I guess…" Alec raised his eyebrows as he waited for what was she was going to say next. It didn't make that any easier for her to come up with an intelligent response. "I just assumed…"

"No duh…"

Max found herself instantly glaring at him and swatting his arm out of reflex. Alec laughed softly. At least the mood seemed to lighten even for just a little bit. It made things easier somehow, at least for Alec. "Can I get you anything?"

How about a rather large pitcher of beer? Right. Like that would really help. "Yeah sure, if you have beer in your fridge that would be fine."

Alec had to raise his eyebrows at that. "Gee Max, ain't it a bit too early to be gettin' wasted?"

Max rolled her eyes. "Like that could really happen, Alec."

A soft chuckle erupted from Alec's lips before he stood up. "Two ice cold beers comin' up. I'll be right back."

Max nodded and watched Alec make his retreat toward his kitchen. When he finally disappeared behind the door, she sighed softly. Well that wasn't so hard now was it? Chewing her bottom lip, she moved to take off her jacket and placed it on the center table in front of her. Max finally let her eyes take a good look around Alec's apartment. This was definitely bigger than the one he had back in Seattle. It was classy even and to say that the place was loaded was an understatement. From the big flat screen TV to the sound system. Her eyes came to rest on the big display cabinet not far from where she sat. Max frowned and stood up. She strode over to where it stood and tilted her head as she looked at the framed pictures one by one. There was a group picture of him and the guys, a solo picture of Brianna, then one of them together. There were also pictures of the gang back in Seattle, old ones, but out of all them only one had caught her attention. It was of her and Alec, taken five years ago. They were hanging out on top of the Space Needle and Alec had been messing with his new phone. He had been taking pictures of the city lights below them, of the sky filled with stars above, and had eventually turned the damn thing on her. She had been adamant on refusing to let him snap a shot.

- Flashback -

"Come on, Maxie. Relax! Just one shot…"

"Alec, don't okay? Stop it..."

Alec chuckled softly. "Aight okay, how 'bout I snap a shot of both of us? Huh? Come on… Whaddya say?" he wagged his eyebrows playfully at her for effect. A sure Alec trademark that she was beginning to get used to.

"If I say yes, will you stop already?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Fine."

Alec scooted closer to Max and she in turn leaned her head onto his chest, her cheek gently pressed against it. Alec lifted up his hand and let the lens of his camera phone face them.

"Say cheese!"

- End of Flashback -

"Takin' a trip down mem'ry lane?"

Max blinked and turned to look over her shoulder to see Alec right behind her. She smiled. "Yeah, sort of. I didn't know you had this printed out."

"It was too good of a picture to just erase from my phone, so I had to make a hard copy of it."

Max placed the frame back on the shelf before turning her body around to face Alec. He handed her the beer bottle. "Thanks…" she said as she took the bottle from him. Lifting up the bottle to her lips, she took a small sip as she walked past him, going back to the couch to sit back down.

Alec watched her every movement. She was so close yet so damn far away and it made his heart yearn for her more. If he didn't know any better, he would have done something stupid already but no, that wasn't the wisest of move that much he was sure of. He did know better. That was why he was trying so damn hard to control himself, to keep his emotions at bay. He took a generous swig from his beer before he finally joined Max on the couch.

"So d'you come here to finally give me my invitation?"

The question made her completely rigid for a good second or two. Right. That. She had lied to him last night. Max had not realized that little fact until now and of course she was trying her best not to panic. Now was hardly the time to do that.

Pressing her lips, she leaned forward and placed the bottle down on the center table before she lifted up her gaze to meet Alec's. She offered him a rather small smile. Where to start? Now she wished she hadn't lied, that she just left before anything came out of her mouth but it was too late for that now.

Alec frowned when he noticed she was taking an awful long time to respond to his rather simple question. He moved to place his bottle down on the center table as well before he scooted closer to Max. "Max, is everything alright?"

Max sighed and tore her eyes away from him. Instead, she looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap. "Alec I…" I lied? No. She had to rethink how she was going to say this.

"There's no wedding."

Alec raised his eyebrows at that. "What? What do you mean no wedding? You and Logan postpone it or somethin'?"

Max shook her head as she finally lifted up her head to look at him. "No. The wedding is off Alec. I called it off."

"What? Why? I mean this is what you've been wanting for like forever Max…"

"I thought that too you know…"

"Maybe you're just havin'… you know… one of those things… what do they call it? Cold feet? Weddin' jitters? That sort of shit…"

"Alec… I'm not having that. I just… I can't marry Logan."

"Why not? Whatever happened to I-love-you-Logan?"

Max sighed softly. She felt a lump forming in her throat, she was so close to just blurting out her feelings towards him but she felt that it wasn't the right time. The right moment. Hmm. Maybe she needed to rethink that whole not-the-right-time thing. Last time she went down that path, she ended up with the whole virus thing between her and Logan. It had taken her years to finally solve that one, with the help of Alec of course.

"I still love him Alec, don't get me wrong but…"

"But what? Not the right time? Come on Maxie, you've been that road before. That whole it's-never-the-right-time mumbo jumbo. It's bullshit. If you love Logan then there should be no buts."

Max let out an exasperated sigh. The urge to back out again was so strong that it was starting to annoy the fuck out of her. No. She wasn't going to clam up. She came there to tell him and that was what she was going to do. Grabbing her beer bottle, she took a generous swig before slamming the bottle door on the table again.

Alec frowned as he watched Max take a drink from her beer bottle. Why in the world would she need to drink anyway? It wasn't like she would get something from it. "Max, you really should…"

"Shut up."

Alec clamped his mouth shut and straightened. He had not heard her say it like that for so long that somehow he was taken back by it. Max held his gaze with her own.

"Just listen okay. Don't say anything. In fact, you don't have to say anything back. I have to get this out. I have to say it so just please…"

You don't have to say anything back. It echoed inside his head over and over. His mind went into overdrive as well as his heart and he found himself thinking back to that night. I love you. Was she about to tell him? Right to his face? He was beginning to feel panic building in the pit of his stomach. Fuck. Now really was not the right time for nerves. Maybe he should just let Max talk and he'll deal with what she was about to really say after she had said it. As much as he didn't want to wait for the answer to his question, Alec nodded in agreement.

"I love Logan. But not the way I used to…" Max started. She didn't know how things would turn out after this but there was one thing she did know, she had to let him know how she felt. Whatever happened next, she was going to leave up to him.

"Always thought that he was it, you know. Logan's the one. He's the guy for me, but the past few weeks, I came to realize something. That it wasn't him. That even after everything we went through, I realized that he can't really make me happy. That no matter how hard we both tried, things aren't really the same. He deserves to be happy and I believe that I deserve that too. I don't want to make his life miserable, and that's exactly what's going to happen if we go through with the wedding, 'cause then we'd be living a lie. I don't want that, Alec. I can't live with that and I'm sure Logan doesn't want that either."

Alec frowned. Okay, now would be the proper time to panic. Or maybe he was just reading too much into this. Yes, Max had said those three words, admitted them outloud. Granted that he hadn't been in the room when she said it, but she still had and he had heard her. It could be the idea of just being with another X5 in general and it really had nothing to do with him. Yeah. That was it. He didn't want to get his hopes up. Not yet anyway. "Max… I still don't get why you have to come all the way here just to tell me that Logan's not the one for you. You could have just called me. Really…"

Max exhaled softly. "I know… I just… Aren't you even going to ask what made me change my mind?"

Alec huffed at that, a small smile on his lips. "You finally realized I was right, that we don't belong with 'em?" he stated more than asked. Now that he was kind of being forced to really face the possible truth, it scared him - out of his mind. This was one big giant step for him.

If she wasn't being so serious, she would have given him a bigger smile or a light laugh even. She nodded. "Yeah.. That and… I realized how I really feel… Who I really wanna be with…"

Alec raised his eyebrows. Dammit, he suddenly felt like he was in one of those sappy, tear-jerking soap operas. Hell, he could even hear himself mutter, 'these are the days of our lives,' or something along those lines. Max looked at him intently. Alec pursed his lips before he swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat. He was nervous. Scratch that. He was very, very, very nervous.

"Listen Max, if you need an honest opinion about Biggs or whoever that X5 is that caught your attention, I'm sure he'll make a fine mate for you. Seriously, you should have just called if you wanted to hear what I had to say …" he said before quickly grabbing his beer bottle and standing up. Chicken. He could almost hear Carlos say.

Max creased her brows as she watched Alec grab his beer bottle and stand up quickly. Far too quickly for her own liking. Was Alec giving her a hint that maybe he didn't feel the same way and he was showing her an easy way out? She sighed softly and stood up as well. No. Whether he wanted to hear this or not, he had no choice.

Max reached for his arm to stop him, before he could take a step away from her. Alec creased his brows and turned to look at her hand then up at her face.

"Max…"

"You're not walking away from me again. No way. I won't allow it…"

Slowly, she reached for the bottle and took it from his hand. She placed it back down on the center table before she turned her attention to him again. Max tugged on his arm causing him to face her, his eyes swept down to the carpeted floor beneath them. She lifted up her hand and gently cupped his cheek as she urged him to look at her.

"Alec please… look at me…"

His heart raced wildly inside his chest. Her voice. Alec hadn't heard her use that kind of tone on him. So soft. So gentle. So sweet. He had to close his eyes for a moment before he finally opened them and looked at her. Their gazes locked.

"The first time I let you go it hurt so much that I couldn't function properly. Back then I didn't know why…"

"Max…"

Quickly, she moved her thumb over his lips to silence him. God, all she ever wanted to do was kiss them again. Then she realized nothing and no one was holding her back now. She slowly moved her thumb off his lips, her eyes drifting down toward that soft plump flesh. Without even warning him, she leaned in quickly closing the gap between them as she crashed her lips against his own.

Alec let out a soft gasp as their lips met. It was a move he hadn't really made an effort to anticipate. That and he was too busy trying to calm himself down. For a second or two, he just stood there frozen, like he didn't know what to do or how to kiss back. It alarmed Max when she noticed it. She tore her lips away from his and pulled back, her eyes searched his, silently asking him if this attempt of hers was futile. Silently begged him to give her, them, a chance.

He looked at her. Really looked at her. His own eyes searched her beautiful brown orbs for sincerity, for truthfulness behind the action, that this was not just some game to her. Alec frowned.

"Alec I…"

Max started. But it was cut short abruptly when Alec brought his lips down to hers. She quickly moved to snake her hands over the back of his neck, clinging to him like he was her lifeline. Alec wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and held her tightly, as if telling her that he wasn't about to let go. Not now. Not ever. Not this time.

The kiss was desperate. Hungry even. Both clung tightly to each other, afraid that if they let go or loosened their hold on one another, one would slip and disappear into thin air. Neither wanted that. A soft groan tore from the back of Alec's throat when Max slid her tongue inside his mouth as it sought his. Tasting him. Taunting him. Encouraging him to do the same. So he did.

Max moaned in response. She found herself lost in the kiss. The kiss she so desperately wanted and needed from the man she had unknowingly loved for so long. Max felt him shift his hands toward her ass and cupped them, lifting her off the ground in the process. Her legs instantly wrapped around his waist, the kiss building to a more frenzied pace. His hands were now groping her as hers pulled at his shirt, desperate to feel more of his skin against her own. The last thing she said came out in a soft whisper almost like a desperate plea…

"Make love to me…"

Beads of sweat clung to the tangled bodies that moved in perfect synchronization. His hard yet deliberate slow thrusts were met by her own movements. How could she have not noticed it before? How could she have not realized it sooner? His body melded perfectly with hers, like they had been made to fit each other.

"We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner."

"I always do this. I always go for the ones I can't have."

"Max, we don't belong with 'em…"

"When are you going to finally see that?"

Was it possible that Alec had known all along? That from the start he had known that they were a perfect match and that he tried his very best to make her see that?

Max arched her hips higher as she met Alec's thrusts halfway, the solid yet torturously slow friction between her skin and his made her whimper.

His name leaving her lips in a rather delicious manner made Alec grit his teeth and groan. He slid his hand up to her arm and wrapped his hand around her wrist before he managed to pull back and tugged her forward against him. Without even breaking their contact, Max found herself straddling him, the new angle working to her advantage as she found him sliding deeper into her. Biting down on her bottom lip, she began to thrust and grind against him. All afternoon and way into half of the night, their bodies danced in perfect rhythm to music only they could hear. Max allowed herself to be completed loved by this man. Alec allowed himself to finally let his feelings take control of him.

For the first time, Max finally knew that she had made the right decision, that she had found the one who was going to make her happy.

For the first time, Alec knew how and what it felt like to make love to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The woman that could actually make him let go of the tight rein of control he held over himself and allow himself to be consumed by his feelings.

The clock on the side table by Alec's bed read 12:30 A.M.. Max lay across Alec's chest with her eyes closed but she wasn't sleeping. A soft, gentle smile adorned her lips as she concentrated on the feel of Alec's fingertips brushing over her bare back. A soft chuckle tore from her lips when she heard the low grumbling of Alec's stomach.

Alec's eyes sparkled and a wide smile played over his lips. "That's your fault you know. You kept me in bed all afternoon…"

Max opened her eyes and lifted up her head to look at him. "Hey I didn't force you to do anything…"

"No, you didn't, but that doesn't mean you never sweet talked me…"

Max raised her body for a bit, glared at Alec playfully and swatted his chest lightly. "I hate you…"

Alec smirked at that. "No you don't."

Max smiled at him. He was right, she didn't hate him. Everything she felt was contrary to what she had just said. Slowly, she leaned in and placed a soft, gentle kiss over his lips. For a long moment, both allowed their lips to dance with each other and savored every sweet moment of it.

Alec lifted up a hand and cupped the side of her neck before he finally forced himself to tear his lips away from her own. Max whimpered in protest which made him half smirk. He finally opened his eyes and looked at the X5 before him. Gently, he brushed his thumb across her cheek, a soft smile played upon his lips.

"I love you too, Max…"

Her eyes widened. She wasn't really expecting him to say that. Wait. Did he just say I love you too?

"But I didn't…"

"I heard you. Back in Seattle, I heard you say it."

Max knitted her brows as she felt her eyes began to burn. He had heard her. A very soft smile made its way to her lips. "I thought I lost you for good back there you know…"

"I wanted to come back, tell you how I really feel, but I couldn't. I had to let you figure things out on your own even if I wasn't sure if that was what or how you really felt…"

Max brought her hand to his cheek and cupped it. "Alec, trust me, I'm sure. I wouldn't have come all the way here if I wasn't."

"Say it. I wanna hear it again…"

"I love you, Alec. I love you so much you have no idea…"

Alec smiled. "Oh I think I do."

Max lofted an eyebrow at that. "Oh really…"

Alec moved to wrap his arms around her, somewhat forcing her to lie on top of him completely, an action to which she more than willingly obliged. "Yeah. I mean, you did call off your wedding plans…"

Max looked at him in response. He smiled at her. She smiled back.

"I love you too, Maxie."

They kissed.

Everything was finally perfect.

At least that was what they hoped for.

Or so they thought.