Disclaimer: See first chapter. And also the words/poem found later on in this chapter belong to Bette Midler from her song: the rose. And the words: For You, Always. Are from a card I saw on the show Charmed. No offence is intended, please don't sue.

Notes: Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed: calistra, pand, SpiritKez, northernmoon. I tjope you enjoy this chapter. Everybody please read and review!

Mystic Fayth: Run Miguel! Run! Miguel will make a little bit of a nuisance of himself to M/A shippers, but can you really blame him? Max is one incredible person! Don't worry though; this is still an M/A fiction, as I am a huge fan of that pairing. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Transgenic-girl: Thanks. I just couldn't resist, I'd been watching PotC and how can you not love Jack Sparrow you know? Anyways, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Alana84: I know, I can't help it if I'm bad with updating. Thanks for reviewing though, and I hope you enjoy this chapter that hasn't been too long in waiting for an update…right?

X-X-X-X-X

Are you the one?

Who'd share this life with me,

Who'd dive into the sea with me,

Are you the one?

Who's had enough of pain,

And doesn't wish to feel the shame, anymore,

Are you the one?

Are you the one?- By: Within Temptation.

X-X-X-X-X

The minutes ticked by for the nervous blond haired transgenic waiting outside apartment number 946. The irony of that apartment number didn't escape Alec, it was the sum of his and his love's barcode numbers together. 452 added to 494 equals 946.

He tried to remind himself to be calm, just be calm…in an unforeseen battle of nerves he was swiftly losing. He could hear Kharla's voice and Jondy's chanting advice in his head, but that wasn't making him feel a whole lot calmer. Who could be imagining what they'd do to him if they got really pissed off? After all, when it all came down to it he was one transgenic male against almost all of the '09 escapees. Not a very comforting thought.

Calm, he would be calm damnit! Calm, and suave, and apologetic. He had almost achieved that serenity too…and then the door opened.

Max looked on in shock at the man leaning languidly against the wall beside her door. One knee up with the foot propped up against the wall at the height of said knee, and a hand in his favourite grey leather jacket with his other one holding something down out of her view behind his angled body.

She fruitlessly tried to ignore how good he looked, how good he smelled. With his hair tousled even more than usual as if he had just been running his hands through it –something he only did when he was nervous- and those clothes moulding to his gorgeous body due to his body's position…

If he noticed her scrutiny he gave no sign of it. Instead he just fixed her with puppy dog hazel-green eyes, that screamed with to many emotions to read when she was trying to avoid his gaze. The gaze from the eyes she had once been able to read so well.

"Max…" his voice trailed off, and he huskily tried again "Can we talk? Privately?" he added when she was about to suggest that this was a perfectly good place. She'd forgotten how well he knew her.

Grudgingly, she moved back a couple of steps and gestured for him to come in. but she never turned her back on him. That would make her vulnerable and she couldn't have that. Not now, not ever again.

He didn't sit down on the couch. And didn't let on how much her lack of trust hurt him, not that he didn't deserve it he was forced to admit. But wasn't that why he was here? Yes, it was.

He brought up the bouquet he'd been hiding behind his back. "What are those?" she asked harshly, "flowers for your new girlfriend?"

The blond transgenic flinched as though he'd been struck. "No." Alec smiled charmingly at the fiery brunette in spite of the pain in his eyes, "These are for you."

He let the smile drop from his face and the pain in his heart shine through after she had taken them from him. "Max… I'm so sorry."

"Flowers don't make everything better Alec."

"No." he agreed quietly. "They don't. But it's a start. I want our friendship back Max. I missed that. I missed…I missed you." He finished hoarsely.

She turned her face away from his. "So why flowers?" she changed the subject, but her message was understood. He had a chance, a small sliver of space back into her life. And he would do nothing wrong this time.

Alec let a smile bloom on his face. He supposed it was time to see if she was still remotely attracted to him, he could normally tell when women were although he had been blind before admittedly. He wouldn't push anything if she was, but it would give him a starting point and allow him to see how much he would have to do.

So, he moved forward with a languid, easy grace, and allowed his hand to briefly caress hers 'by accident' as his hand moved towards the blossoms in her hands. "That's purple hyacinth for an apology. It's a plead for forgiveness." He let his fingers drift over to the pale pink hydrangea "and that's hydrangea. It symbolizes a heartfelt apology. The heather and the alstroemeria symbolize friendship, or my hopes for it at least. As do the" Alec let his fingers briefly caress her wrist as they swept past on their way to the "yellow roses." He finished quietly.

Unseen by her he tucked the jonquil behind a big yellow rose, allowing their similar colors to blend together. That flower was for another time, but he hadn't been able to resist putting it in the bouquet. It was the jonquil that represented his heart and his hope. After all, it represented love….and affection returned.

X-X-X-X-X

It was ten minutes after Alec had left, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to move herself from the couch. They had talked, only talked, for hours after he had come over. It was just like Alec too. She had only intended to give him a tiny sliver, and he had taken out a chunk. It had been only a few hours since she had talked to him again, and she was already falling for the guy again. Damn him.

Kharla's voice ran through her head from a conversation they'd had a couple of days ago. Maybe you should just give him a chance…after all you were best friends…he must have missed you too if the looks he sends your way are anything to go by…

Damn Kharla too. For giving her false hope that he could ever feel the same for her. Maybe she'd just see this thing through with the secret admirer…and maybe just maybe with Miguel.

X-X-X-X-X

A couple of months later she came home to her apartment in high spirits. Alec had had leave crash because he had some work he had to start early the next day, but Max had stayed an hour longer living it up with Original Cindy and watching Sketchy get trashed just like she had in the old days, but with some noticeable improvements. Zack had joined them, and loosened up a little. And so had Jondy, Krit, Syl, Zane and Kharla. It was great watching her old family meet her new one. Joshua and the others hadn't been able to make it fro various reasons, and Alec had left early…but still. For once, everything was going well. Kharla and Original Cindy had even begun to date, and were both quite happy with each other. Kharla had even begun to consider moving out of T.C. and in with OC. Well, after her 'work here is done' whatever that cryptic comment meant. But then, that was Kharla for you.

She and Miguel had also been getting along more. And if he didn't have blond hair and sparkling hazel-green eyes, he was fascinating and he made her laugh. More importantly, he didn't make her cry. Her secret admirer hadn't been online quite as much since Alec had re-entered her life, but maybe she just had less time to go online now what with all her time spent reacquainting herself with her old crush, and meeting a possible new one.

Everyday she grew more convinced that Miguel was her 'secret admirer' but there were times when what he said didn't quite seem right.

The brunette chuckled to herself as she shook her head to rid herself of her fanciful thoughts.

She opened the door to her apartment and continued on to her bedroom. Upon reaching it though, she almost took a step back. Then she realized what it was. It was something from her secret admirer.

Max moved forward and picked up the card. It was definitely from him alright. The card bordered by flames read:

Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it's only seed

And on the back held loosely in the coloured phoenix's claws and becoming a part of him were the words: For you, Always.

And in back of the card was a single blossom. One she recognized from a conversation she'd had with Alec a long time ago, before she'd left the city. They were talking about the most romantic flowers and Alec had corrected her on the assumption that the red rose is the most romantic flower. He'd said "If I really liked somebody, I'd send her an orchid. A really nice one. That's the most romantic flower." He'd then proceeded to show her a couple of pictures of really pretty orchids.

And on the bed before her was a single breathtaking species of orchid.