Title: Today 'They' Won the Battle Part 4
Author: Rhasa
Category/Keywords: Developing Max/Alec relationship
Rating: Pg-13
Spoilers: none
Summary: It's lonely at the top.
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money being made. No infringement intended.
Author's note: Part of the "Today 'They' won the Battle" series. You don't
have to read the other parts to get this but this one sort of follows on
and it is a developing relationship after all so why no check the others
out at fanficiton.net
Today "They" Won the Battle part 4 By Rhasa
Max woke to the sound of continuous pounding on her door. She gave a small groan as she rose out of bed to answer whoever it was that had woken her at two in the morning. Yesterday had been a particularly long day and she had welcomed the chance to doze, seldom needing it in the past, but longing for it now.
Another sequence of heavy pounding had her shouting back at the door as she approached it. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Hold your goddamned horses will ya'?"
Her ire didn't lessen any when she opened the door only to have smoke blown straight into her face.
"Maxxxxxxxxxxx!" a rather jovial Mole sang to her, compulsory cigar protruding from the side of his mouth.
"Mole? What the hell-" she began, but was hastily silenced as he reached forward and grabbed her arm effectively dragging her out of the doorway.
"You're wanted in the command centre right away."
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked quickly, trying hard to keep an edge of panic out of her voice.
It had been a hard couple of weeks, beginning with the raid on the warehouse which had turned out to be a trap by White and his men and which had meant the loss of seven transgenics with many more wounded. Max was wound tight, on edge, walking a fine line between keeping a cool authoritative façade and losing it all together. She didn't know if she could handle another attack right now.
"Mole!" she practically yelled, when he failed to answer her questions and stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the hallway. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he simply said, and reached for her arm again.
"Nothing?" she asked, as she deftly snatched herself away from his grasp.
"Nothing's wrong, it's not what you think. You're wanted in the command centre."
"Well then what's so damn urgent but not wrong that you have to wake me at two in the morning?" she snapped.
"Nothing. Nothing's urgent, as such," he said with a twisted smile on his face.
"Well then, I'm going back to sleep," she said after squashing the rise of panic in her chest. From his tone it couldn't be too serious, so she made a turn back towards her room.
"No. No, no, no, no, no. You're wanted in the command centre now."
"Mole!" she whined. "It's late, or early. I don't want to go to the command centre. I'm tired. I want to go to bed. I don't usually need sleep but when I do my body's pretty insistent about it."
"No, no, no. You can sleep later. Right now you're 'needed' in the command centre," he slurred around his cigar as he reached for her again and continued to drag her towards the nerve centre of Terminal City.
By the time Max got to the command centre she was well and truly pissed. Mole's elusive and cryptic comments failed to pique her curiosity and she was looking to kick whoever was responsible for this little jaunt's butt. The fact that a larger than usual crowd now stood around her with odd grins and smirks on their faces didn't make her feel any less irritable.
"Well? What's going on?" she barked while crossing her arms in a gesture of pure annoyance as the crowd swarmed around her.
Truth be told, Max was starting to feel a little nervous as she stood there waiting for explanations which didn't seem to be forthcoming anytime soon. Transgenics and transhumans alike simply stood and stared at her, grinning. She was beginning to feel like a sole gazelle amidst a pride of lions, as she stood scanning the crowd waiting. waiting. until her rich chocolate eyes locked on a pair of dazzling green ones that were all too familiar.
"Alec," she whispered mostly to herself, already convinced that he was the one responsible for this whole mystery.
"Heya, Maxie," he said, stepping forward, with a devilish look on his face.
"Hey yourself. What's going on?" she asked in a somewhat good natured but deeply suspicious tone.
"I've got a surprise," he offered, smirk still firmly planted on his face.
"A surprise?"
"Yeah. And we all wanted you here to share it."
Max looked over to Mole as he snorted at Alec's remark, knowing full well that from her slimey friend's response and his impatience at getting her here that if it wasn't for her they'd all be "sharing" Alec's surprise already.
"So give," she said, biting on the temptation to stamp down her foot.
Alec still seeming pleased with himself, moved to the side and began to pull a blanket off a large object that Max had failed to notice standing there.
"Ta da," he sang enthusiastically.
"It's a keg," Max said.
"Yeah."
"It's a keg of beer," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah."
"You brought a keg of beer into Terminal City."
"A keg of beer, a case of scotch, couple bottles of burbon and even a magnum of very expensive champagne," he stated somewhat proudly. "I thought given the past couple of weeks we could all do with a little R and R, and since we can't go to a party we'll bring the party here." He looked cautiously over at Max trying to gauge her reaction. "So? How about it boss? Wanna party?" he leered.
Max glanced at the overly eager, almost child-like faces, of the worn soldiers that stood before her. She knew what Alec was asking. It took a more than average amount of alcohol for transgenics to get drunk, but once drunk, things could quickly get out of hand. He was asking her permission. Permission for a few of them to blow off steam, wind down. Permission that she dare not refuse if she wanted to get her head torn off. Damn him. Couldn't he have asked her in private? She sighed. Who was she to deny them a bit of fun?
"Max?" Alec prompted.
"I say let's peg this keg," she answered, wishing she could sound more enthusiastic than she felt.
A cheer erupted from the crowd, as those most keen rushed forward offering technical advice while vying for one of the first drinks of what was going to be a very long night.
XXXXXXXXX
An hour later and the impromptu soiree was well under way.
Max scanned her eyes around the command centre focusing on various individuals and groups. Mole and Dix seemed most in their element. Max chuckled as she watched and discovered that Mole could smoke and drink at the same time, his cigar never leaving his mouth as he downed what must have been his seventh straight scotch. Kyra, the designated "doctor" of Terminal City, had taken time out from her endless duties in the infirmary to enjoy the festivities and nodded eagerly as Joshua offered to refill her champagne glass. People seemed to be genuinely having a good time. There was laughing and smiling, things that had been missing recently from TC. There must have been close to seventy or eighty people there and the number seemed to be steadily growing as undoubtedly word got out at Alec's score.
Alec.
Max walked around the room searching for the lovable rogue. She had whispered in his ear earlier that she would be having 'words' with him later. Now was as good a time as any. Passing by the computer banks, Max caught a glimpse of him. He was deep in conversation with a smiling and sickening sweet looking X6 female, one that Max had not as yet talked to. Seeing him lean in close and whisper in her ear, Max decided now was as good as time as any to introduce herself. Walking steady towards the two she was sidetracked by a glimpse of a rather small arm reaching up from under the command table towards a half finished glass of scotch. Bemused, Max watched as it slowly and stealthily inched closer and closer towards its target almost succeeding right before Max's own hand caught hold of it and pulled - hard.
"Hey!" A voice yelped as a small form jumped up trying to lessen the pull on its arm.
"Well, what have we got here," Max began. "Dalton! What do you think you're doing?"
"Partying like everyone else."
"Don't you think you're a little young?"
"Oh come on, Max. I'm X7. I'm not like a human kid. I've seen and done things that no normal kid would ever get to do in his entire lifetime. What's age got to do with it?"
"That's beside the point," she said.
"What are you? My Mother?" He countered.
"Watch it or I'll smack you upside your head like a mother would if she was spoken to that way."
"Oh come on, Max. Please?" he begged. "Pleeease?" He looked up at her again.
Max knew she couldn't resist those eyes of his. "Just one," she relinquished. "Then off to bed. That's an order."
"Yes, Mom," the small transgenic smirked at his own cheek.
Max couldn't help but smile back while she watched him take a sip of the amber liquid and cough.
"There. You can now cross that off your 'been there, done that' list," she told him.
"'Don't know what all the fuss is about," he said before shrugging his shoulders and turning to leave.
Max couldn't resist the urge and reached out and ruffled his hair before he left.
Turning back into the room, she let her gaze wander back towards Alec only to find he and his female company gone.
Max didn't look very hard. What Alec did with his own time was his own business, but she had to admit to herself that without him here she was feeling pretty much alone, isolated. She was trying to get into the partying mood, she really was, but it just wasn't happening. Others around her would nod in her direction every once in a while, a casual "heya Max" expression on their faces, but so far none of them chose to interact with her or bring her into their conversations.
It's lonely at the top, Max mused.
Staking out a quiet corner from which she could observe the festivities, Max settled in to keep an eye on everyone and ensure her troops enjoyed themselves while being responsible about it. She was surprised to be nudged some time later.
"Hey. You passing out on me already?" A familiar friendly voice said, as Alec took a seat beside her.
Max quickly looked up, not knowing how long she had dozed off, concern pushed far back into her mind that it wasn't at all like her to do such a thing, and discovered that things were pretty much the way she had last remembered seeing them, then surmising that she couldn't have been out of it for too long.
"Too much to drink?" Alec asked looking down at her with a mixture of amusement and slight concern in his eyes.
"Hardly," she answered while straightening herself up a bit. "I haven't had a drink all night."
"Ah well, we have to remedy that," he said, as he reached down next to her and produced a pitcher of beer.
"A pitcher of beer?" she smiled.
He smiled back.
"You brought me a pitcher of beer," she said her tone one of incredulity and sweetness.
"I think I may recall something about you recently saying, and I quote, 'I'd do anything for a pitcher of beer'," he grinned devilishly at her, while beginning to pour her a glass.
Max sat silently watching him as a burst of laughter came from over Mole and Dix's direction. She smiled.
"You did good, Alec," she whispered as he handed her the now full chilled glass. "I wasn't too sure about all this at first. You still should've ran it by me, but it's just what these guys needed," she said as she once again cast her eyes around the room, and took a sip of the brew, pleased with what she saw.
"'What the guys needed' wasn't really why I did all this," he said taking his own taste of the cool liquid and sighing deeply after he swilled it down. "I'm worried about you, Max," he said plainly and honestly after a while, while staring at his shoes.
He was expecting some argument from her, some typically 'Max' comment like "yeah right, since when do you worry about anyone but yourself" or something similarly sarcastic or defensive or biting - the usual Max way.
Instead, he got her small voice answering, in barely more than a whisper, "I'm fine."
"Are you?" He pressed.
"Yeah," she said, while hastily taking another sip of beer and silently praying she would be able to swallow it past the lump that had suddenly made its way into her throat.
"I know it's not easy," he continued after a moment. "I know none of this is easy. I know it's not what you wanted. I know you feel responsible, even though you shouldn't. I know how much being leader of this bunch costs you. I know how much the raid at the warehouse and White killing seven of our guys cost you. I know you're scared, afraid and that you worry about our future."
"You know all that, huh?" she tried to joke.
"Yeah. I know all that. And I also know that you have to live a little, Max. Do something to take the load off every once and a while. Relax, kick back, chill out, hang loose whatever," he quipped while looking at her.
"You wanna know what I know?" she asked turning to him, after thinking for a while.
"What?"
"That you really must have been the star pupil in 'common verbal usage' back at Manticore. Live a little? Take a load off? Kick back? Chill out? Hang loose?" She smirked.
"Yeah, well."
"Don't worry about me, Alec. I'm fine. Just a little tired, maybe, but-"
"Do you miss him?" Alec asked suddenly, looking at her again.
"What?"
"Do you miss him? Logan. Do you miss Logan?"
Max tried to open her mouth. She was thrown by the question. They hadn't talked about Logan in so long. She looked down, her long lashes partly concealing what was in her eyes.
"The truth?" she added, after a long silence.
Alec nodded.
"Not as much as I should," she whispered. "He had to leave. He was in as much danger living inside Terminal City than he was living outside. I know it was the right thing to do. Besides, it's not like he has to stay in Canada forever."
Alec watched her closely as her words trailed off and she lost herself in her own thoughts.
"I guess I don't so much as miss Logan the man, as much as I miss what he was to me," she added softly after a while, a look of confusion on her face.
"What do you mean?"
"I miss having him here because he was someone I could rely on. He was always here for anything. He could pick me up when I was down; he was hopeful and optimistic when I needed him to be. He was a shoulder to cry on. A friend. I guess. I miss all that."
Alec stared at her as she lowered her eyes, his heart breaking a little at her words. He reached over and cupped her chin in his hand, gently lifting her face so he could meet her eyes. "Max," he sighed. He wanted to tell her, to make her see what she couldn't, that he was trying to do and become everything she had just said and that she didn't need Logan.
But he knew she wasn't ready for certain truths just yet.
"See here?" he pointed. "One shoulder to cry on. Has your name on it," he smiled.
She smiled weakly back.
"Not to mention one damn fine ass to kick everyone once and a while." He joked trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, now. That is an added bonus," Max joined in. "I knew there was a reason for why I like having you around."
They both smiled took sips of their beers and looked around the room again. The party seemed to be winding down a little. No doubt the beer would run out fairly soon. A few would be nurses hangovers, albeit mild ones, tomorrow. It had been a good night.
"Well come on boss," Alec said sharply, jumping up after downing the last dregs. "Time to tuck all these good little soldiers into bed."
Max followed his lead and began to move towards the others, her mood somewhat lighter than it had been earlier on in the night. As she walked ahead of him, Alec reached out softly and placed his hand on her arm, stilling her. She turned to face him.
"Max," he began awkwardly.
She watched his face as he fought to say what was on his mind, intrigued as to what it was that had him so dumbstruck. He struggled for a moment, his mouth obviously not cooperating with his brain, before he sighed deeply, shrugged his shoulders and began to move on.
"So about this 'I'd do anything for a pitcher of beer' claim of yours." he began as they continued to walk together.
TBC
Rhasa4@yahoo.com
Today "They" Won the Battle part 4 By Rhasa
Max woke to the sound of continuous pounding on her door. She gave a small groan as she rose out of bed to answer whoever it was that had woken her at two in the morning. Yesterday had been a particularly long day and she had welcomed the chance to doze, seldom needing it in the past, but longing for it now.
Another sequence of heavy pounding had her shouting back at the door as she approached it. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Hold your goddamned horses will ya'?"
Her ire didn't lessen any when she opened the door only to have smoke blown straight into her face.
"Maxxxxxxxxxxx!" a rather jovial Mole sang to her, compulsory cigar protruding from the side of his mouth.
"Mole? What the hell-" she began, but was hastily silenced as he reached forward and grabbed her arm effectively dragging her out of the doorway.
"You're wanted in the command centre right away."
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked quickly, trying hard to keep an edge of panic out of her voice.
It had been a hard couple of weeks, beginning with the raid on the warehouse which had turned out to be a trap by White and his men and which had meant the loss of seven transgenics with many more wounded. Max was wound tight, on edge, walking a fine line between keeping a cool authoritative façade and losing it all together. She didn't know if she could handle another attack right now.
"Mole!" she practically yelled, when he failed to answer her questions and stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the hallway. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he simply said, and reached for her arm again.
"Nothing?" she asked, as she deftly snatched herself away from his grasp.
"Nothing's wrong, it's not what you think. You're wanted in the command centre."
"Well then what's so damn urgent but not wrong that you have to wake me at two in the morning?" she snapped.
"Nothing. Nothing's urgent, as such," he said with a twisted smile on his face.
"Well then, I'm going back to sleep," she said after squashing the rise of panic in her chest. From his tone it couldn't be too serious, so she made a turn back towards her room.
"No. No, no, no, no, no. You're wanted in the command centre now."
"Mole!" she whined. "It's late, or early. I don't want to go to the command centre. I'm tired. I want to go to bed. I don't usually need sleep but when I do my body's pretty insistent about it."
"No, no, no. You can sleep later. Right now you're 'needed' in the command centre," he slurred around his cigar as he reached for her again and continued to drag her towards the nerve centre of Terminal City.
By the time Max got to the command centre she was well and truly pissed. Mole's elusive and cryptic comments failed to pique her curiosity and she was looking to kick whoever was responsible for this little jaunt's butt. The fact that a larger than usual crowd now stood around her with odd grins and smirks on their faces didn't make her feel any less irritable.
"Well? What's going on?" she barked while crossing her arms in a gesture of pure annoyance as the crowd swarmed around her.
Truth be told, Max was starting to feel a little nervous as she stood there waiting for explanations which didn't seem to be forthcoming anytime soon. Transgenics and transhumans alike simply stood and stared at her, grinning. She was beginning to feel like a sole gazelle amidst a pride of lions, as she stood scanning the crowd waiting. waiting. until her rich chocolate eyes locked on a pair of dazzling green ones that were all too familiar.
"Alec," she whispered mostly to herself, already convinced that he was the one responsible for this whole mystery.
"Heya, Maxie," he said, stepping forward, with a devilish look on his face.
"Hey yourself. What's going on?" she asked in a somewhat good natured but deeply suspicious tone.
"I've got a surprise," he offered, smirk still firmly planted on his face.
"A surprise?"
"Yeah. And we all wanted you here to share it."
Max looked over to Mole as he snorted at Alec's remark, knowing full well that from her slimey friend's response and his impatience at getting her here that if it wasn't for her they'd all be "sharing" Alec's surprise already.
"So give," she said, biting on the temptation to stamp down her foot.
Alec still seeming pleased with himself, moved to the side and began to pull a blanket off a large object that Max had failed to notice standing there.
"Ta da," he sang enthusiastically.
"It's a keg," Max said.
"Yeah."
"It's a keg of beer," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah."
"You brought a keg of beer into Terminal City."
"A keg of beer, a case of scotch, couple bottles of burbon and even a magnum of very expensive champagne," he stated somewhat proudly. "I thought given the past couple of weeks we could all do with a little R and R, and since we can't go to a party we'll bring the party here." He looked cautiously over at Max trying to gauge her reaction. "So? How about it boss? Wanna party?" he leered.
Max glanced at the overly eager, almost child-like faces, of the worn soldiers that stood before her. She knew what Alec was asking. It took a more than average amount of alcohol for transgenics to get drunk, but once drunk, things could quickly get out of hand. He was asking her permission. Permission for a few of them to blow off steam, wind down. Permission that she dare not refuse if she wanted to get her head torn off. Damn him. Couldn't he have asked her in private? She sighed. Who was she to deny them a bit of fun?
"Max?" Alec prompted.
"I say let's peg this keg," she answered, wishing she could sound more enthusiastic than she felt.
A cheer erupted from the crowd, as those most keen rushed forward offering technical advice while vying for one of the first drinks of what was going to be a very long night.
XXXXXXXXX
An hour later and the impromptu soiree was well under way.
Max scanned her eyes around the command centre focusing on various individuals and groups. Mole and Dix seemed most in their element. Max chuckled as she watched and discovered that Mole could smoke and drink at the same time, his cigar never leaving his mouth as he downed what must have been his seventh straight scotch. Kyra, the designated "doctor" of Terminal City, had taken time out from her endless duties in the infirmary to enjoy the festivities and nodded eagerly as Joshua offered to refill her champagne glass. People seemed to be genuinely having a good time. There was laughing and smiling, things that had been missing recently from TC. There must have been close to seventy or eighty people there and the number seemed to be steadily growing as undoubtedly word got out at Alec's score.
Alec.
Max walked around the room searching for the lovable rogue. She had whispered in his ear earlier that she would be having 'words' with him later. Now was as good a time as any. Passing by the computer banks, Max caught a glimpse of him. He was deep in conversation with a smiling and sickening sweet looking X6 female, one that Max had not as yet talked to. Seeing him lean in close and whisper in her ear, Max decided now was as good as time as any to introduce herself. Walking steady towards the two she was sidetracked by a glimpse of a rather small arm reaching up from under the command table towards a half finished glass of scotch. Bemused, Max watched as it slowly and stealthily inched closer and closer towards its target almost succeeding right before Max's own hand caught hold of it and pulled - hard.
"Hey!" A voice yelped as a small form jumped up trying to lessen the pull on its arm.
"Well, what have we got here," Max began. "Dalton! What do you think you're doing?"
"Partying like everyone else."
"Don't you think you're a little young?"
"Oh come on, Max. I'm X7. I'm not like a human kid. I've seen and done things that no normal kid would ever get to do in his entire lifetime. What's age got to do with it?"
"That's beside the point," she said.
"What are you? My Mother?" He countered.
"Watch it or I'll smack you upside your head like a mother would if she was spoken to that way."
"Oh come on, Max. Please?" he begged. "Pleeease?" He looked up at her again.
Max knew she couldn't resist those eyes of his. "Just one," she relinquished. "Then off to bed. That's an order."
"Yes, Mom," the small transgenic smirked at his own cheek.
Max couldn't help but smile back while she watched him take a sip of the amber liquid and cough.
"There. You can now cross that off your 'been there, done that' list," she told him.
"'Don't know what all the fuss is about," he said before shrugging his shoulders and turning to leave.
Max couldn't resist the urge and reached out and ruffled his hair before he left.
Turning back into the room, she let her gaze wander back towards Alec only to find he and his female company gone.
Max didn't look very hard. What Alec did with his own time was his own business, but she had to admit to herself that without him here she was feeling pretty much alone, isolated. She was trying to get into the partying mood, she really was, but it just wasn't happening. Others around her would nod in her direction every once in a while, a casual "heya Max" expression on their faces, but so far none of them chose to interact with her or bring her into their conversations.
It's lonely at the top, Max mused.
Staking out a quiet corner from which she could observe the festivities, Max settled in to keep an eye on everyone and ensure her troops enjoyed themselves while being responsible about it. She was surprised to be nudged some time later.
"Hey. You passing out on me already?" A familiar friendly voice said, as Alec took a seat beside her.
Max quickly looked up, not knowing how long she had dozed off, concern pushed far back into her mind that it wasn't at all like her to do such a thing, and discovered that things were pretty much the way she had last remembered seeing them, then surmising that she couldn't have been out of it for too long.
"Too much to drink?" Alec asked looking down at her with a mixture of amusement and slight concern in his eyes.
"Hardly," she answered while straightening herself up a bit. "I haven't had a drink all night."
"Ah well, we have to remedy that," he said, as he reached down next to her and produced a pitcher of beer.
"A pitcher of beer?" she smiled.
He smiled back.
"You brought me a pitcher of beer," she said her tone one of incredulity and sweetness.
"I think I may recall something about you recently saying, and I quote, 'I'd do anything for a pitcher of beer'," he grinned devilishly at her, while beginning to pour her a glass.
Max sat silently watching him as a burst of laughter came from over Mole and Dix's direction. She smiled.
"You did good, Alec," she whispered as he handed her the now full chilled glass. "I wasn't too sure about all this at first. You still should've ran it by me, but it's just what these guys needed," she said as she once again cast her eyes around the room, and took a sip of the brew, pleased with what she saw.
"'What the guys needed' wasn't really why I did all this," he said taking his own taste of the cool liquid and sighing deeply after he swilled it down. "I'm worried about you, Max," he said plainly and honestly after a while, while staring at his shoes.
He was expecting some argument from her, some typically 'Max' comment like "yeah right, since when do you worry about anyone but yourself" or something similarly sarcastic or defensive or biting - the usual Max way.
Instead, he got her small voice answering, in barely more than a whisper, "I'm fine."
"Are you?" He pressed.
"Yeah," she said, while hastily taking another sip of beer and silently praying she would be able to swallow it past the lump that had suddenly made its way into her throat.
"I know it's not easy," he continued after a moment. "I know none of this is easy. I know it's not what you wanted. I know you feel responsible, even though you shouldn't. I know how much being leader of this bunch costs you. I know how much the raid at the warehouse and White killing seven of our guys cost you. I know you're scared, afraid and that you worry about our future."
"You know all that, huh?" she tried to joke.
"Yeah. I know all that. And I also know that you have to live a little, Max. Do something to take the load off every once and a while. Relax, kick back, chill out, hang loose whatever," he quipped while looking at her.
"You wanna know what I know?" she asked turning to him, after thinking for a while.
"What?"
"That you really must have been the star pupil in 'common verbal usage' back at Manticore. Live a little? Take a load off? Kick back? Chill out? Hang loose?" She smirked.
"Yeah, well."
"Don't worry about me, Alec. I'm fine. Just a little tired, maybe, but-"
"Do you miss him?" Alec asked suddenly, looking at her again.
"What?"
"Do you miss him? Logan. Do you miss Logan?"
Max tried to open her mouth. She was thrown by the question. They hadn't talked about Logan in so long. She looked down, her long lashes partly concealing what was in her eyes.
"The truth?" she added, after a long silence.
Alec nodded.
"Not as much as I should," she whispered. "He had to leave. He was in as much danger living inside Terminal City than he was living outside. I know it was the right thing to do. Besides, it's not like he has to stay in Canada forever."
Alec watched her closely as her words trailed off and she lost herself in her own thoughts.
"I guess I don't so much as miss Logan the man, as much as I miss what he was to me," she added softly after a while, a look of confusion on her face.
"What do you mean?"
"I miss having him here because he was someone I could rely on. He was always here for anything. He could pick me up when I was down; he was hopeful and optimistic when I needed him to be. He was a shoulder to cry on. A friend. I guess. I miss all that."
Alec stared at her as she lowered her eyes, his heart breaking a little at her words. He reached over and cupped her chin in his hand, gently lifting her face so he could meet her eyes. "Max," he sighed. He wanted to tell her, to make her see what she couldn't, that he was trying to do and become everything she had just said and that she didn't need Logan.
But he knew she wasn't ready for certain truths just yet.
"See here?" he pointed. "One shoulder to cry on. Has your name on it," he smiled.
She smiled weakly back.
"Not to mention one damn fine ass to kick everyone once and a while." He joked trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, now. That is an added bonus," Max joined in. "I knew there was a reason for why I like having you around."
They both smiled took sips of their beers and looked around the room again. The party seemed to be winding down a little. No doubt the beer would run out fairly soon. A few would be nurses hangovers, albeit mild ones, tomorrow. It had been a good night.
"Well come on boss," Alec said sharply, jumping up after downing the last dregs. "Time to tuck all these good little soldiers into bed."
Max followed his lead and began to move towards the others, her mood somewhat lighter than it had been earlier on in the night. As she walked ahead of him, Alec reached out softly and placed his hand on her arm, stilling her. She turned to face him.
"Max," he began awkwardly.
She watched his face as he fought to say what was on his mind, intrigued as to what it was that had him so dumbstruck. He struggled for a moment, his mouth obviously not cooperating with his brain, before he sighed deeply, shrugged his shoulders and began to move on.
"So about this 'I'd do anything for a pitcher of beer' claim of yours." he began as they continued to walk together.
TBC
Rhasa4@yahoo.com