A/N- Many thanks to you guys and those who sent me emails to rekindle my DA fascination. I have started a new DA fic to be posted soon, so hopefully things will pick up and you'll get more stories.
REVIEW ME! and yes I know its been a while since I updated. My bad. In my defence has been down for about three weeks.
Chapter 4 Seize the boy
"So, boo," O.C said as they skidded around the corner. "How's things wit' you and your boy?"
"Okay, I guess," Max hedged, not sure how to answer that. It wasn't that she didn't trust O.C, she did—sort of—it was just that she had been trained to be sceptical and to suspect people. She wasn't supposed to just spill the beans to a girl she had just met. Although she wasn't sure if that was the way that things were supposed to be just now. Maybe it would be nice to get someone impartial view on things with Alec. She didn't have to tell the whole truth, did she?
"Just okay?" O.C raised an eyebrow. "Honey, girl like you can do better than 'okay, I guess.'"
"Yeah," Max bit her lip and drew up on front of Jam Pony. "It's just that things are different to what I expected them to be."
Way different.
O.C. and Max chained up their bikes and yelled to Normal that they were on a break before heading to their lockers to get their lunch.
"How's that?" O.C. continued once they were settled.
Max unwrapped her sandwiches and stared at the bread, suddenly not hungry.
O.C. noted to look on her face and touched her arm, "Boo?"
Max sighed, "See, we were brought up at the same… orphanage, but didn't really meet until I was fifteen, I was a jock and he was a … geek." She grinned. "He was an ass to me and we pretty much declared war from that first meeting… Well, I declared war. I think he was interested."
"Huh," O.C. said. "Name me one man who ain't!"
"It wasn't until one of our mutual… friends became, uh, indisposed that we called a truce." Max grinned at the memory of sweet Sunny going into heat.
Max and Alec stood on either side of a squirming Sunny, trying to take her to the isolation wards. With one on either side it was easier to drag Sunny through the woods towards Manticore even if Sunny was trying to paw Alec all the way there.
"Get that top off Soldier I want to see some skin," she ordered hoarsely and reached out to grab Alec's ass.
Alec yelped and took a deep breath, immediately regretting it when the smell of her pheromones tugged at his senses and flooded him.
"Skin?" he grinned. "How much?"
"Don't make me smack you again," Max ordered in distaste and kicked his shin.
"Ow! Dammit 452, you…" he paused when it appeared he had regained his senses "No my bad. Wasn't expecting that."
They took off Max's outer shirt and tied it around Sunny's mouth to stop her insults to Max's parentage and comments about Alec's physique.
Even he began blushing.
"You girls have some issues with my body, don't you! What with you and my ass and her and…"
"Can you keep your head out of your pants until we get to iso?"
"I need help," he admitted "C'mon 452 distract me."
"How?"
"You could get naked?" he suggested and dropped Sunny's arm when he held up a hand to defend himself from her ire. "I was joking."
He waited with bated breath and then; "Wait 452, was that a smile?"
"No," she wiped the smirk off her face.
"It was, it was, you smiled! Call off the search, put a halt to the FBI manhunt, we have found 452's sense of humour."
"Hey! I have a sense of humour!" she defended hoisting Sunny's arm higher.
"Oh please. The national guard couldn't find it." He helped her get Sunny over a rough patch of forest.
"I do, I just don't happen to find you funny, smart aleck."
"Yeah right, I'm hilarious," he offered and moved a tree out of the way.
Sunny wriggled trying to get closer to him.
"Urgh," Max said in disgust. "Would you please stop that!"
Sunny glared at the one who was keeping her from her prize.
"Mmph mmh fmmma bmmf," she gurgled through the gag.
"Hey, do I insult your test tube?" Max scolded. "I'm trying to keep you from making a hideous, revolting mistake."
"HEY!" Alec cried, affronted. "Hideous AND revolting, a little redundant, don't ya think?"
She shrugged "I call it like I see it."
"You know most girls here think I'm one hell of a catch."
"It just goes to show that an I.Q test wasn't part of the prerequisites to get in."
Max grinned, "We helped her out and a truce was called. In time we became friends. Best friends. It took a hell of a lot but we got there eventually and I couldn't imagine being separated from him for a second."
"Damn," O.C. sounded disappointed and Max smiled at that.
"So we hung out, got closer. I started to have… to get… to want…"
Okay, Max, too much information. You have just met this girl!
"You got hot for the boy?"
"Pretty much," Max laughed, uneasy at sharing. "Of course being brought up in Man… in a man… hating dorm," she amended—damn, this girl was too easy to talk to—, "I hadn't got a clue how to deal with him."
O.C.'s eyes took on a far away gleam, "A girl's dorm? Damn, sounds like my idea of heaven."
"Mine too!" Sketchy said sliding in next to Max. "Afternoon girls, what are we doing?"
"Girl chat, go away, fool," O.C. demanded.
"Now that's not nice, is it Max?" Sketchy pouted. "I'm sure Max wants me here."
"Sure I do," Max said sweetly and Sketchy preened at O.C's disbelief.
"So Cindy, when you get your period and the blood is really thick and heavy do you—"
Sketchy paled and jumped to his feet, "I have to be… somewhere else!"
Max and O.C. broke into hysterics as Sketchy raced up to Normal and requested more work… now!
"Good one, girl you go!"
"All in a day's work," Max giggled. Pix had once told her that talk of female personal problems tended to make human men act strangely. He had wanted to know why since he was quite happy to discuss her heat cycles and stomach cramps. They had decided that humans were weird. The thought of Pix brought a pang.
"So, you were going to tell me stories of you all alone in the girls dorms?"
"Maybe later," Max tried to straighten her face at O.C.'s mock disappointment.
"So, you and your guy start to fall and get busy?"
"Thus we come to the crux of the matter," Max winced. "He loves me, I love him but we haven't…" she trailed off in embarrassment.
"Why not?"
Max stared at her hands, "I guess I'm… everyone that I've let close to me, real close ends up dying, leaving or hurting me. Even Alec."
O.C's eyes flashed, "Does he hit you?"
Max chuckled at that. "He wouldn't dare. I hit harder than he does."
"Words hit harder'n fists," O.C. remarked sadly and Max nodded.
"What if I… if we…"
Shut up, Max!
"Get busy?"
"Right and he leaves, or gets hurt or dies?"
Even though she was somewhat unwilling, having a hearing ear that might just understand led Max to lay out her insecurities for Original Cindy to see. They weren't unfounded at all. Everyone that Max had loved had left her one way or another. First there was Zack and Ben who she had adored more than her life and they were gone, she knew that they weren't dead, thanks to Ben, but they had left her.
As she watched her sibs disappear into the night she felt an odd sense of foreboding that this was the last time that she would see them all together.
Ben turned before he left with Zane and bought his hand up to touch her shoulder. Her nodded his goodbye and went to catch up with his partner.
She shook off her feelings as Zack motioned for her and Jondy to go together which would leave him on his own. She shook her head but Zack frowned his disapproving.
Follow orders, he motioned and Jondy pulled Max to her feet. Casting a look back at him as she headed for the trees with her sister, Max knew that he was one that she would miss the most.
The two of them made good ground and their feet made tiny imprints in the snow as they made their way to the perimeter fence. The snow blizzard motorbikes roared behind them and as they rounded the last corner they heard yelling and screaming. Jondy almost stumbled as it registered that it was Seth who had screamed. Max pulled her along and squeezed her hand in comfort; they knew that they would lose brothers tonight.
She felt her feet slide out from under her as she hit a slippery patch of ice but before she could right herself her sensitive toes registered cracks in the ice and suddenly she was plunged into icy water.
Max shook herself out of the memory of falling through the ice and fighting for her life, fighting to survive.
She had survived that. Then she had survived the next six years of hell with her new "unit". Bulli and Unit 6 who delighted in making her life a living torment until she had fought back and won herself a place in Special Ops and that, she thought triumphantly, was the day that she started to live again.
Oh, there were a few hiccups— she mentally grinned at the thought of the "Ben" incident being a small hiccup—but she was able to have a family that she loved and adored and adored her back. Then with a few well placed bombs her world was in tatters again.
What if Alec was next, what if she really was the poison that she had always been told that she was? Wouldn't it be better to stay away from him?
Could she bear it if they made love and she lost him, could she live knowing what she had lost?
"Could you deal if you lost your boy an' never showed him how much you care?"
Max jumped as she realised she had spoken out loud and O.C. had answered.
O.C. sighed, "Listen to me, boo. I don't know what's going on wit' you. I know ya'll have some issues and secrets. But straight up now from a friend, I guarantee that if your boy died tomorrow—hit by a bus or died of a heart attack—could you survive knowing that you had now, knowing that you had tonight and never did anything?"
The words died in Max's throat as she thought of Alec dead, his beautiful green eyes no longer sparkling with vitality and mischief, his lips cold to touch and his hair lifeless.
She choked and raised a trembling hand to push her hair out of her face.
"Now, normally I wouldn't push and I'd say to a sista ta come home wit' me and ignore the pansy-assed of the species," Max managed a grin at O.C's humour. "But honey, while you were sleeping the world got mean. Used to be all you had to worry about was random hit and runs and 'natural diseases'. These days a bullet from a Steelhead is a natural cause and wit' dem at war wit' the Salt Mafia, Beanies and Rude Boys on the Left side, Seattle jus' ain't safe. Ain't no solid G's that you'll last 'til tomorrow. My old girl used to say Carpe Diem, seize the day, coz, hon, tomorrow you might be dead."
O.C. looked sadly at Max and left without a word leaving Max staring pensively into space.
----
"No, make the lips fuller."
"Fuller?" the artist stared at Lydecker like he had grown a set of wings. If he gave the picture fuller lips she'd either look like a puffer fish or a botox reject.
"Fuller," insisted Lydecker, his tone stating that he was serious in this.
"Is she a transgenic or a Platypus?" White asked snidely, sipping his coffee.
Lydecker raised an eyebrow and glared at him.
White smiled widely and ignored Lydecker's near growl.
The two men glared at each other for a full minute before Otto cleared his throat, "Ahem, sir. We have had reports of two more transgenics captured on their way out of Seattle."
"Must have been young," Lydecker sniffed.
"Yes, Sir. X8s."
"Great," White rolled his eyes. "They ask for soldiers and they get kindergarteners."
"I'd like to see you go one on one with those kindergarteners," Lydecker snapped and stalked out of the tent.
"Me too," hissed White as he slammed his coffee mug down and stalked out of the tent.
Otto Gottlieb turned to Mendez. "I betcha fifty dollars Lydecker cracks first."
"Nuh uh, White is two days away from an embolism, I'll take that bet."
One of the lab techs leaned over, "Lock 'em both in the brig," she grinned. "That'd sell tickets."
"OTTO!" White's voice yelled.
Otto rolled his eyes, "Only if we can take turns shooting at 'em."
Otto made his way across the compound to see White and Lydecker standing by a large crate. He looked down to the floor to see four children, no older than eight staring up at them.
"My name is Colonel Lydecker," he snapped.
The four children stood to attention quickly, their hands slapping into a salute and back's ramrod straight.
White smirked, "Cute."
"State your designations."
Silence.
"State your designations."
The oldest looking opened his mouth and croaked, "X82- 333."
"Ah," Lydecker nodded and regarded the four small children.
"So, breeding mutes?" sniped White. "Always made me wonder why you bothered with the younger ones. Isn't it daunting to have to stop drills to change a diaper?"
Lydecker stiffened as White taunted his kids.
"Tell me Colonel, how exactly do they hold a gun whilst sucking their thumb?"
"Our training program for the pre-soldiers has produced sterling results."
"Like the 09ers?" White blinked innocently.
Lydecker glared at him; there was just something about this arrogant son of a bitch that more than got up his nose. His whole attitude rankled and he wanted nothing more than to shut him up.
"How much do you know of the early transgenics, son?"
White shrugged gracefully and sat on the hood of the nearest car, wrapping his arms around himself. "In-vitro implantation into surrogate mothers harvested and passed into the facilities when they are old enough to hold a gun."
"Close but no cigar," it was Lydecker's turn to smirk. "Once the babies are born they are separated from the surrogate and taken to another facility where they are tested and their specific DNA coding is stored. According to their DNA listings they are assigned a training program and instruction. All before they are a week old."
"A training program at that age would be useless," White remarked idly. "Unless you lace the pacifier with some secret recipe for hormone growth?"
White looked mockingly sceptical and Lydecker's bruised ego elaborated.
"It's a well documented fact that a child's first five years are the most crucial of its life and this is when the most intense guidance is required, to prepare them for the extensive training that they receive at the main facilities."
"What guidance?" White turned up his leather collar to ward off the night chill.
Lydecker smirked at the semi-interested tone in his voice. It wasn't often that he was able and even allowed to brag— after all, boasting about your success in a top-secret Military installation made the 'top- secret' part redundant—but Agent White knew the score about Manticore and that allowed Lydecker some leeway.
"At first it is simply pattern recognition and nutritional supplements, brain stimulation through neural receptors to encourage additional intelligence. Their limbs are exercised to a more rigorous degree than normal children. Once they can sit and told their heads up to fix on objects they are placed in front of computers and shown hacking codes and hidden encrypts."
White looked disgusted, "You put babies in front of computers?"
"Yes," Lydecker stated proudly. "It enhances their recognition of it in later life. They are trained not to react so much to sharp feelings or loud sounds and then we aid with Bi-lingual formation by allowing twenty four hour recordings in different languages. Compliance is learned first and they are schooled in obeying commands. Then comes walking, blurring, and firearms. Once they reach the age of four they are taken to the main facility to be educated."
"So why didn't he answer?"
Lydecker shrugged, "Speech is secondary in terms of importance. All transgenics learn to use hand signals before they are taught to speak."
White waited a beat and added sarcastically, "Right, after all, what do they need voices for at that age? Who cares that they can't speak as long as they follow orders?"
"Exactly," Lydecker ignored the sarcasm in White's voice. "These obviously hadn't been out of the baby facility long enough to develop proper speech patterns which means they will be easily reindoctrinated." Lydecker spun on his heel. "Sedate them."
The guard turned his tranquiliser gun on the four wide-eyed children and four loud shots ran clear in the night.
The children slumped to the floor and White watched impervious.
"Take them to Wyoming and get McCarthy to start the program immediately." Lydecker ordered.
"Yes, Sir."
Lydecker nodded at White who just watched silently as he stalked away into the shadows of the camp.
White slowly unfolded his arms and pulled away from the car that he had been sitting on. He glanced briefly at the way that Lydecker had gone and then turned to the guards.
"Shoot them."
The guard nodded, "Yes, Sir!"
White smirked, "Fe'nes'tol."
----
"Honey I'm home."
Normal had been called away on family business so he had told them that they could all go home early, content in the knowledge that his place of business wouldn't be burned down in his absence. Max walked into the apartment and dropped her keys on the table stretching luxuriously.
She could faintly hear some noise from one of the inner rooms and so she toed off her boots and headed towards the voice.
As she walked into the bedroom she could hear Alec's deep voice rumbling beneath the sound of running water and she giggled at the thought of Alec singing in the shower.
She crept through the bedroom and pushed open the bathroom door, letting clouds of steam roll by her as Alec's rich voice sang something about missing his baby.
Seemed Alec had been listening to the country channel.
Max stepped into the steamy room and her eyes were immediately glued to the glass screen in one corner of the room where droplets of hot water and steamed glass were the only thing to separate her view of her naked boyfriend. She had seen him naked before of course. They shared the same showers at Manticore for a while and they certainly weren't shy about stripping at a moments notice. But there was something delightfully sinful about watching him like this.
His hands raised to his hair as he slicked it back, his baritone sounding out even louder as he washed his hair.
Max watched, mesmerised, as he slid his hands back, massaging his nape and shoulders with his strong hands. Soap cascaded down his back in tantalising droplets and slid even lower to where the glass frosted and the picture was obscured.
Max slowly walked forward watching as Alec washed himself, totally oblivious to her presence. He was stunning, no words really could do him justice. His finely proportioned body was a canvas of hard, masculine lines and soft, supple skin, slippery with water and oh so tempting. The muscles in his back rippled as he reached for the dial, obviously finished with his shower.
Max reached out and touched his shoulder unable to help herself.
Alec yelped as he spun around, almost falling in the bathtub.
"Shhhhit, Max, you almost gave me a heart attack!" he grinned to dispel his words but it fell as she didn't respond. "Max?"
She raked her eyes over him from head to heel and slowly, very slowly back up with eyes hooded in desire until she met his.
The look in her eyes was one that hit Alec hard. He knew that Max wanted him, knew that she wanted to be with him. But to see it laid bare here for him to see was almost more than he could handle and it gave him a shot of pure craving right to his core.
Alec's voice was deep as he responded to the look in her eyes. "Max?"
"You. Look. Delicious." She said softly and a predatory look crossed her face as he responded to the drawl in her voice. "Can I taste?"
"Please," his voice came out stretched and pleading.
Max reached out, her hand trembling as she gently touched his strong chest. She swallowed as her hand traced down the solid plains of his body, goose bumps appearing on his arms despite the heat in the air. She leaned forward and let her lips touch where her hands had just been.
It was Alec's turn to swallow as he felt her feather-like touch on his overly sensitized skin.
Her lips were full and trailed silky over his wet body shooting spirals of pleasure into him. Her hands trailed up his forearms and up to his neck, pulling him down to her for a deep, soul- searching kiss.
Alec was drowning in the sensation and the taste of her that promised so much more than he had expected. His fingers entwined themselves in her hair, pulling her closer. As she opened to him, his tongue darted into her mouth, tasting her.
Max pressed herself against him, letting her curves slide against his more angular form as she deepened the kiss letting all of her insecurities go. She loved him, she really did.
An unknown devil— possibly a relative of Pix—took hold and Max pulled away, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Okay, thanks for that," she said breezily and turned walking out of the bathroom with Alec's jaw at about floor level.
-
Max was sitting on the sofa when Alec walked into the living room, his face set in a belligerent scowl. He had thrown on a pair of jeans but left off his t-shirt so that his damp hair left droplets of water on his skin rather than a shirt.
She stifled a giggle and he pouted.
"Nice, thanks for that."
The giggles grew harder as he slumped on the sofa.
"Ma-ax!" he whined and she couldn't hold them back anymore, letting loose her mirth in peels of laughter.
"S-sorry Alec," she gasped when she could get a hold of herself. "I couldn't resist."
"Me either," Alec shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "And let me tell you, cold showers? Really not helping."
Max bit her lip as Alec stared at her. He hadn't seen her this relaxed and carefree since they were back at Manticore. It seemed that all of the troubles that were associated with finding her siblings, finding their family and trying to make her way in this unfamiliar way of life has miraculously been lifted to show the woman that he had fallen in love with in the first place.
He smiled indulgently at her, forgiving her for her torture. Almost.
"You're mean and nasty."
"And you are sexy and sweet," she grinned widely. "And I adore you."
Alec's pout disappeared at her words and he smiled. "Forgiven."
"Oh good!"
Alec leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "So mind telling me what that was all in aid of?"
Max shrugged, not really willing to let Alec in on what had been going through her head at that time.
"You looked good; I wanted to see how good." She settled for.
Alec stretched his arms out and joked, "Feel free to carry on checking."
Max bit her lip knowing that he was teasing but more than willing to do as he asked. They hadn't really spoken much about this aspect, other than for Max to tell him that she wasn't ready. But, truth be told, she had thought about it a lot.
He seemed to inspire that in women.
But Max wanted to know what all the fuss was about.
"Have you had sex before?" she blurted out.
Alec dropped his arms and looked at her strangely, "What brought this on?"
"Have you?"
Alec nodded lightly," Yeah, I have."
"Oh," Max seemed disappointed.
Alec sighed as he took her hand, "It wasn't our idea, Maxie. We were about sixteen, you guys had just arrived but Unit 8 were requested to do some field operations and I am their CO, so I went along. We were sent with Trainer Banns and Unit 4 and one of their girls went into heat. It was almost a total disaster," he shuddered. "Nearly the entire unit tried to mate with the girl. Luckily Banns had a taser and managed to knock most of us out before it could turn into an orgy. She was sent back to headquarters under armed guard and the rest of the female transgenics. But then he was left to deal with a group of highly… horny male transgenics. So," he sighed, "he took us to a brothel."
Max's eyes bugged, "Say what now?"
"He hired prostitutes to… uh, help us get back into control," he half- grinned. "I wish I knew what he wrote down on his expenses sheet for that."
Max laughed despite her initial disbelief. "So you've been with really experienced women then?"
Alec shrugged, "I guess, but it was just sex. The first real kiss that I ever had was that one with you up on the hill as Manticore burned." Max glanced over at him as he continued, "The most intense emotions I have ever felt are when I am with you. Fighting, kicking or kissing. There is no one that can bring me out like you do, Max." he leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you."
Max edged closer and snaked her arms around his neck so that her body pressed against his. She tilted her head up to his and placed a feathery kiss on his bottom lip, slowly trailing her tongue along the crease of his mouth, seeking entrance. He parted his lips and their tongues met, slowly exploring one another's mouth. She closed her eyes and kissed him more insistently, sighing contentedly as his hands found their way around her waist.
Alec pulled her even closer to him as his lips left hers and travelled slowly along her jaw line. She leaned her head back as he sought out the hollow just below her ear before trailing his tongue along the gentle curve of her neck. Max shivered at the feel of his lips on her and ran her hands over his chest, her fingers instinctively smoothing along his muscles and tracing the still wet drops from his shower.
Alec shivered more from desire than cold and pulled her closer to him, his hands twined in her hair making her arch into him more firmly.
Max made the sweetest little noise deep in her throat and he growled in appreciation as her fingers danced along the edge of his jeans.
"Please," she whispered and he felt a rush at the implication in that voice.
Alec's finger skimmed the hem of her shirt and he grasped it in his hands tugging Max's shirt over her head and then he threw it away feasting his eyes on the simple black lace bra that lay beneath. His eyes darkened in passion as he moved over to her breast and sucked her through the material. He was lost in the exquisite sensations of her, her throaty moans and the way she was writhing under him. He was dazed at the idea of finally having her and he pushed roughly at the denim jeans she wore anxious to rid her of all constraints.
A loud moan escaped Max's lungs and it awakened his consciousness. He pulled back from her and looked down at her face flushed with desire, full pouty lips and passion heated eyes.
"Max," he paused and bit his lip. "Are you sure? We can stop...or we can take this slower. We don't have to do this right now. I-if you're not sure or wanna wait," Alec somehow was able to say even though his heart lurched. He had been waiting for her forever but if she needed to he would wait forever… well, maybe not that long. He wanted her to be sure, as far as he knew she hadn't had sex and he wanted things to be perfect for her. Not that he was some great Lothario, having only had one or two partners whilst on away missions during 'downtime'- well, before he fell for Max anyway.
Max's hand cupped his cheek with care as she looked deeply into the eyes that cared so much for her that they screamed his love without him ever saying a word. "Alec, you know how I feel about you. I want to be with you. Kiss me already and if you stop again I might have to beat you with a shovel."
Alec's lips quirked and he chuckled against her mouth, "Yes, ma'am. Your wish is my command."
TBC....
With thanks to everyone that reviewed me. The unedited version of this NC-17 can soon be found at my site- Deny Convention.
Very busy at work right now- although I have quit my job for X-mas yay!!! So I don't have time to add personalised reviews but I swear the next chapter I will. Love you all.
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