Show: Dark Angel
Rating:
Status: WIP
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairing: M/A
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from anything, nor anything else
Summary: Even supersoldiers have limits. Max unknowingly pushes Alec to breaking point. The newly appointed leader of the Freaks finds he has some unexpected emotional issues to deal with. A story that came to me whilst listening to 'Passive' by A Perfect Circle. Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 8: Endings and Beginnings
The sun was setting as they all gathered staring at the little plot of land they had cleared for a graveyard. A mournful lull had fallen over the city as its inhabitants said a final fairwell to their fallen friends. They were unused to paying their respects to the dead and they had no idea about the kind of ceremony that usually accompanied it. Just being there together seemed enough.
Max stood at the front the wind blowing through her hair making it wave like a flag behind her. She took a long breath of the evening air. It seemed strange that she could hear the world continue around them. The microcosm that was Terminal City sat quiet and still in the middle of Seattle that continued to hum regardless.
So much had been sacrificed and Max knew she would never get used to it. Every battle she prayed would be the last, but often hope seemed more scarce than food and joy more fleeting than peace.
In the quiet it was not hard to pick out the sound of footsteps approaching. She didn't turn round but found her attention focused in on the sound. They came to a stand still beside her and she knew her instincts had been right. It was Alec.
At first he said nothing. He just stood there and Max was acutely aware of it. Her anxiety returned in full force. Now was probably not the ideal time for a chat but she wanted to be sure that he wasn't talking to her because of the solemnity of the moment, not because she'd really screwed up their relationship this time. He shifted his weight to his right foot so he seemed almost imperceptibly closer to her and then finally put her out of her misery.
"I'm sorry." He said quietly, Max didn't move, she couldn't quite bring herself to look up at him," Here I was thinking, this time I was right, this time I wouldn't be the one apologizing ... I guess ... I guess I went too far huh."
Max shook her head. "No you were right. I deserved what I got." She couldn't bring herself to say more. Admitting her mistakes and apologizing were two things Max had never been good at, her self-preservation and her pride were too strong.
"You must have hated me." He said after a moment.
"No." She said dropping her head to hide her smirk, "Well no more than usual."
Despite her casual jest she felt the truth of her own words. In the past that would no doubt have been her reaction, to place all her feelings of anger and blame on Alec. He had been her scapegoat for so long. She also knew that if their situations had been reversed, if he had gone out there and almost died trying to be some half-baked hero, she would have been livid. She would have had no hesitation in ripping into him like he had ripped into her. Then she would have comforted herself by putting all her time and energy into hating him. It proved that they had both grown up.
They were silent again, for so long Max began to question her jest. Suddenly he reached across the short distance that remained between them and took her hand. Max only barely contained her smile, which would have been entirely in appropriate considering their current location.
She allowed herself to glance up at him and found him staring straight ahead not daring to glance back. He didn't want to give himself away. If he looked at her he wouldn't be composed enough to hide anything. but the gesture had been enough for her.
"Does this mean you forgive me?" she asked looking at him properly .
"I didn't say that." He said, his hardened exterior cracking. He glanced at her, his trademark smirk now firmly back in place. And then she knew they were going to be okay.
...
Logan dropped his eyes from the scene in front of him. Too reminiscent of a scene from some months ago but this time his place in that scene had been very much replaced by another and he was painfully aware of the fact that Alec didn't need to have latex gloves on to do it.
He looked back up at Max. She was looking up at Alec as if she was trying to get his attention. It was funny, he had always imagined it to be the other way around. Alec vying for her attention pulling the stunts he used to pull, and the easily avoidable mistakes he had made.
Logan took one last look at the scene before turning unnoticed and leaving.
A/N I know, I know, sorry for the delay. This is not the end, I think this story still has a little further to go. Let me know if you agree or disagree. x