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Ahem, okay, i'll behave.
That said, remember the challenge to draw/design/manip a pic for the last chapter of SF is still open. I have had ONE. come on.
Ch14b Release
Harley had managed to get all six children settled in; had found at least half of their units and watched their reunions with something akin to relief.
It wasn't that he was opposed to children at all, but having six fully fledged transgenics of varying ages totally dependant on him had more than tried what limited patience he had been given by Manticore. Especially when two were in the realms of the terrible teens and had questioned almost every decision he made. He was actually glad to finally get to live for himself for a change and, with that in mind, he went to find Cece.
Back at Manticore he had spent a lot of time watching Special Ops and Unit 8, wishing that he had been part of the obvious camaraderie and friendship that they had. It seemed that whenever they were on the outs with each other, the whole of the facility seemed colder and that much less inviting and when they all made up it was like the sun had come out.
He, and indeed the rest of the facility, watched them like they were one of those soap opera things they saw on television. They wondered who had been dating who and what that fight was about, why he wasn't speaking to her or why those two refused to see that they were made for each other.
Needless to say many of the other transgenics had developed a bad case of hero-worship or started to fancy one of the elite. It had been an odd experience to have idols and crushes that walked around with you and who it was possible to interact with.
For Harley's friend, Elf, Pix was his mascot. He idolised Pix and wanted to share some of his jokes, pranks and tricks and talk to the man who always made him smile.
Sadly, Elf had been killed by gunfire during an away mission in Arabia and never got to speak to his idol, but Harley?
Harley had watched the women of the group.
He had marvelled at Max's abilities and determination; he had felt protective over the sweet Chance; he had been scared of psychotic Drew and he had respected the talented Tara.
But he had watched Cece with a single-mindedness that was rooted in appreciation for her unwavering loyalty to Alec and her ability to stick to her opinions no matter how unpopular that made her.
It had been luck of the draw that he had pulled her as Sex Education partner and he had made sure that he used that to his full advantage, hoping maybe to talk her into letting it become something a bit more permanent. He had been more annoyed at the destruction of Manticore than he had ever been at anything and had cursed Director Renfro to hell and back for cutting short his playtime with the delectable 202.
Now he knew she was somewhere in the building he was determined not to let this chance slip through his fingers.
He finally found the catering area and searched for the kitchen, where he had been told Cece would be.
His palms began to sweat as he heard her voice above all others and he edged closer to the door trying to get up the courage to go in to talk to her.
He paused when he heard his name mentioned and stilled trying to listen harder.
"So? He's cute!" He heard Gem say.
"I barely know the guy," Cece's voice filtered through and he smiled.
There was a snort. "I think I can safely say you know him well enough, darling."
Cece huffed. "Gee, thanks Gem, that's just what I want to hear."
"You can't hide from the guy, Cece, and from the way he looked in Alec's office, he hasn't forgotten you."
Of course he hadn't, Harley thought. She'd been on his mind pretty much non-stop since the day he'd first seen her.
"Can't I just hide in the kitchen forever?"
Harley frowned, why was she so insistent on not seeing him?
"No," Gem's voice was firm. "You have to tell him."
Tell him what?
"Exactly how am I supposed to do that?" Cece's tone was full of sarcasm.
"It's not like he won't be able to guess once he sees you, sweets."
"What am I supposed to say to him? "Hey, Harley, not only are you a genetically engineered piece of perfection but you have super-sperm, Happy Father's day!"?"
Harley's jaw dropped.
"It's a start," Gem said, ignoring the sarcasm.
"He'd run a mile."
"You know the great thing about being transgenic?"
"What?"
"You could catch him."
"Hah, ha," Cece said flatly. "No, I'm gonna hibernate for the winter. I could live here in the kitchen."
"Even transgenics get hungry," Gem pointed out clattering some pots. "He'll see you eventually."
"I hear Greenland's nice this time of year," Cece said weakly.
Harley decided it was time to make a move, even though his head was reeling.
"I hate the snow," he said as he leaned on the doorframe and looked at the mother of his child for the first time in months.
Cece spun around with a small squeak and faced him.
The first thing that he noticed was that she had let her hair grow. It used to swing just below her shoulder but now it was curling almost to her much fuller breasts, skimming her neck and showing off her elfin features to best advantage. Her frame was still tall and made that much more sensual by the pronounced curve of her full belly. Her features glowed and even the distressed look on her face couldn't mask her beauty.
His gaze fell to her stomach and he let a lazy smile grace his features. "Hey there, Cece."
Gem let her gaze flick between the two. "Oh, look at the time, I have to go… go… away." she finished lamely and hurried out of the kitchen, ignoring Cece's yelp of panic.
The door closed firmly behind her and silence settled on the room like a blanket.
Cece cast her eyes everywhere except Harley, finally latching her gaze on the very interesting piece of flooring by her feet. Fascinating it was too, all with squares and hard cool tiles in a very nice grey colour and ooh, look, wasn't that a stain starting in that corner? Maybe she should clean the floor, after all wasn't she supposed to have this nesting feeling starting about now? In fact if she tried really hard—
"Cece?"
Cece bit her lip. "Hi."
Harley bit back a smile. "Is there something that you wanted to tell me?"
Cece looked down at her bulge and back up at him incredulously. "Isn't it obvious?"
He blinked innocently. "No."
She narrowed her eyes. "No?"
He held back a grin as she started to bubble over.
"No? It's not obvious? The fact that I look like a capsized super-tanker isn't obvious? The fact that my feet are swollen like watermelons in harvest season isn't obvious?"
"Do watermelons have a harvest season?" he wondered aloud.
"Unimportant!" she thundered. "I get up ten times in the night to pee, I eat more than four Xs put together, I can bitch for America, my back aches constantly, my legs are sore, I have marks—MARKS!—on my body that sure weren't there before—" Harley wondered if she'd let him look for them "—and… and I'm fat."
She deflated so quickly with that and he could tear the tears starting in her voice as she pouted, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm fat. You know what that makes me?"
"Beautiful," he said as he walked forward. "You are so damn beautiful that it makes my teeth hurt."
Cece's gaze fell from his and he cupped her chin in one strong hand, smiling at the tremor that started in her body at his touch.
He had hope.
"I'm pregnant," she whispered as he reached up and ran a finger over her cheek.
"I know," he whispered back softly.
"I don't know what to do," Cece confessed hesitantly, looking up into his possessive gaze as if hoping that he would have the answers.
Harley took a deep breath. "Do you want me around to help figure it out?"
There was a moment of silence when Harley waited with bated breath for the phrase that could change his entire life. He wouldn't beg; if she said 'no' then he would walk away. But if she said yes…
…there was a world of possibility in that one world.
"Yes."
A world they'd share together.
>>>>
Getting back into Terminal City was harder than getting out of it had been and Max was very proud of the arrangements that Pix had put into play. She was able to get Tara and Zack inside with very few problems and noted the various ways in which they could beef up security.
The three of them made their way through the streets with Max feeling almost bubbly, showing her brother what they had already achieved and the safety measures they had implemented to ensure that there was no breech of security and, despite himself, Zack was impressed.
That wasn't to say that he was prepared to bring the others in on this until he was 100 sure that they would be safe here. He still maintained that the ideal thing would be for them to all scatter and go to ground but the more that he saw of Terminal City, the more he realised that, for some, that would be impossible.
The girl who could melt against the wall might stand a chance but the boy with the hooked hands and tail would never fit in.
Max was telling him about all of the wonderful things that Terminal City was and could be for them all, a home away from home and a safe haven.
Even whilst his head yelled at her for her phoney sentimentality he found his heart secretly yearning for all that she offered.
She took him into central command and Tara followed amused at seeing her commanding officer babble at the man, seemingly trying to gain his approval.
Greetings were yelled from several quarters as they walked in and Max took the time to greet each person by name or designation, it was one thing that she had learnt back at Manticore, to keep command and respect you had to gain the respect of the individuals of the unit, not just a group as a whole.
Zack was bemused as she was greeted almost as a returning hero, something that she shrugged off good naturedly.
She headed up to the centre dais and smiled at Mole.
"Hey, Gecko, where's Pix?"
Mole thumbed over his shoulder to Alec's office and peered down his cigar at the blond standing behind her. "Who's the square, Princess?"
Max hesitated. She was well aware that most transgenics had issues with the '09ers, herself notwithstanding, and didn't want to scare Zack off. On the other hand if he came back he had to know that he wouldn't be as accepted as some of the others.
"Zack, he's my brother."
Mole blinked and his finger tightened on his gun. "That so?"
Max watched him; her eyes intent on the lizard man's, transmitting both a warning and a plea for understanding and trust. Mole acknowledged it with a nod.
"Okay," Mole shrugged. "Pretty boy and Pixie have guests."
Max frowned and knocked on the door.
"C'min."
"Great security." Zack rolled his eyes and Max felt the childish urge to poke her tongue out at him.
The door opened and Max poked her head inside. "Okay to come— FLEX!"
"Hey, Max!" Flex took two steps and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a huge hug and spinning around quickly.
Alec smiled indulgently as Flex grabbed at his girl. He had been so worried that she wouldn't be able to get back into Terminal City—a ridiculous worry since he knew her, but then fears were so seldom based on logic or rationality. He was so relieved that he ignored those Max had come in with apart from absently noticing Tara, and he focussed on the smile lighting up her face and ensured Flex's hands stayed above waist level.
Max giggled as her feet went flying and she scrambled in Flex's embrace.
"Put me down, dumbass."
"Okay, sweetheart."
Max found her feet and punched his arm glancing around the room from Alec, Pix and Dek to Chance and the room's other occupants. There were small people who she didn't know, two blondes that looked like twins, one dark skinned girl and two small boys, one curled up by the door; and a few newer faces that she did recognise.
"Sunny, Biggs, Skye," she greeted with a beaming smile hardly reminiscent of her usual dour self that they all looked askance at her.
"Who gave Max happy pills this morning?" Biggs drawled and she rolled her eyes.
"Just happy to see some of my friends, of which you are not included," she retorted and Biggs laughed.
"There she is!"
"Good to see you, Max," Sunny said as she came over to hug Max.
"Hey, Max," Skye welcomed with her usual lack of tactility.
"You all been together?" Max asked quickly as Tara also welcomed her friends.
"No, me and Biggs have been in LA making a packet," Sunny detailed happily. "Casino's are the place for a transgenic to be, seriously."
"And me and my boy, who you still have your hands on incidentally," Skye said with an arch look at Max still clasping Flex's hand, "were in the wilds of who knows where with the Swiss family Manticore."
The small boy wrinkled his nose. "She mean us?"
"Sure, Zeph, she's just geographically challenged, we're Greek not Swiss," the taller of the boys stated dryly.
Max's lips twitched. "And you are?"
"Isacar at your service, ma'am," he said with a small bow. He gave a quick glance to Flex and then reached for Max's hand, bestowing a small kiss on it before anyone could say anything.
Alec glowered and both Dek and Flex burst out laughing.
"Oh, I like him!" Dek said between guffaws.
"Try living with him," the blonde girl said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm Icarus."
"Nyx," introduced the other girl.
"This is Zeph and that's Galen."
Max smiled. "I suddenly understand the Greek comment."
Skye smirked. "Guys this is Max. 452."
Their eyes opened wide.
"Wow!" Zeph breathed.
"452? Really?" Nyx asked curiously.
"Don't tell me, you expected someone taller?" Max groaned quite used to the reactions of those who met the C.O. of Special Ops for the first time. The younger Xs hadn't really had the chance to be around the older Xs, especially not Special Ops, unless they had been in a training lesson of Max and Alec's back in Manticore.
The status and legend of Max; the '09er who became the greatest had made the rounds of the younger transgenics and the stares she got sometimes embarrassed her to the point of blushing. She tried to carry off the nerves through humour.
"She looks even smaller from far away," Alec teased and Max narrowed her eyes.
"How about I kick your ass, pretty boy?"
"Always thinking about my ass," Alec said pouting at a blushing Icarus.
Max scoffed. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, you have one redeeming feature."
"Not what you said last night," Alec shot back hoping she'd blush.
"Was that before or after you woke up drooling?"
There was a shout of laughter as Alec realised he had been beaten.
"That's my girl!" Flex said approvingly.
"My girl," admonished Alec.
"My girl," corrected Zack and everyone looked at him for the first time.
"And you are?" Alec raised an eyebrow as he checked out the alarmingly attractive male that was standing far too close to Max for his peace of mind.
Zack folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorframe staring at Alec imperturbably. But it was only a façade as his heart was pounding in his chest like a lump-hammer as he stared at the mirror image of his brother.
He had frozen upon entering the room and seeing Alec. Even though he knew that Ben had a twin, had known since watching him and Max at Manticore, it was surreal and not just a little unnerving to see him in the flesh, looking so much like Ben and yet not at all.
He could see in the way that he held himself that Alec was different.
Alec had a lounging gracefulness that proclaimed that if you messed with him, he would hurt you—badly— but until then he would be your best friend.
But Ben had a tremor of dangerousness simmering just beneath the surface that was only vaguely hidden by a playful psychosis.
The comparison was of patting a restrained wolf to being alone with a rabid tiger; both would happily rip your arm off but only the tiger needed no excuse.
Zack had covered up for Ben on more occasions than he could recall and when he had discovered Ben's latent homicidal tendencies he had felt like he had failed his little brother, it was one of the reasons why he was so uncomfortable around him; well, that and the fact that he wasn't sure he would wake up with a full set of molars if he fell asleep in Ben's presence.
Alec may not be the same guy, but they both shared DNA and 'blood will out'. No matter how comfortable Max seemed around this Alec dude, deep down he was still Ben's twin and was not to be trusted.
Maybe he'd stick around for a while just to keep an eye on this guy.
"Zack," he introduced himself belligerently.
Alec bristled insulted at the slow once over and even slower answer. "And that would be?"
"An '09er," Dek filled in quietly and there was a muted hush suddenly.
"Max's brother?" Alec said somewhat hopefully.
"If it makes you feel better," Zack shrugged one shoulder, obviously enjoying the sensation that he had caused. "Some of us see the relationship in less… familial terms."
Flex grimaced. "So you are Max's brother?"
Zack simply smiled, much to the irritation of Alec.
Max decided to step in sensing that all the Alpha males in the room were ready to start peeing in corners to mark their territory. "As great as this family reunion is, I think that one is flagging." She pointed to the smallest boy who had yet to say a word.
"That's Galen," Zeph said. "He doesn't talk."
"Ever?" Max blinked as Skye picked him up and hauled him over her shoulder.
"Not as yet," Skye corrected with a glare at Zeph who pouted under her admonishing look. She softened and he wrapped himself around her leg.
The interaction had taken mere seconds and yet it had told them so much about Skye's place in the lives of the children.
Max smiled. "Wow, that's sweet. Although you may want to offer Cece some pointers."
"Yeah, I heard she was knocked up, who did that?"
"Some X called Harley, I heard," Tara offered with a smile for the young girl Icarus.
Alec's gaze left Zack with whom he was having a staring contest with and he did a double take. "Harley? Huh, that explains that."
Everyone looked bemused at him and he waved. "Never mind."
"Can't wait to see Techie," Flex said with a smile.
"He should be in the lower quarter," Pix said, "with Feen."
"Of course," everyone chorused.
"That reminds me," Sunny turned to Skye and Flex. "Have you seen Steve?"
There was a moment's silence.
"He didn't make it," Flex said watching Skye carefully as she hugged Galen to her.
"Shit," whispered Biggs. He had always been fond of Steve; in fact they had been in the same unit since before Chance had been born. He sat back on his chair and Sunny tucked her head into his shoulder knowing how he felt.
"I'm so sorry," Max whispered and Alec bowed his head.
"Damn it."
"Has anyone seen Drew?" Sunny suddenly said.
"No, why?" Dek felt an icy fear clutch his heart.
"Mets didn't make it out either."
"Oh, god!" Tara felt tears come to her eyes as she pictured the reaction of Drew to that. They may not have been together but she knew that Drew and Mets were still good friends.
"How?" Pix asked quietly.
"It was a falling beam, he saved me and Biggs." Sunny honoured his memory with tears in her eyes. "Steve?"
"Gun fire," Zeph said, "he saved us all."
The hero's deaths didn't make the fact that they were dead any easier but it was nice to know that that was how they would be remembered.
"We'll set up a memorial to the dead," Pix said. "Now that we are getting more and more transgenics together we are getting an account of the fallen. Some will want to know."
"Anyone seen Coco?" asked Skye.
There were shaken heads as no one recalled seeing her.
"Well, there is still time. I mean, Max's signal only went out yesterday, so the rest of the guys could be in transit," Pix tried to be comforting.
"Sheesh, you are all so sentimental," Zack said. "No one would think you are Manticore the way you whine about each other."
There was a wave of hostility towards the encroaching '09er.
Max spun around to glare at him. "Zack!"
"I'm just saying," he smirked. "I wouldn't get so worried about searching for twenty or so highly trained soldiers. After all you had special training, didn't you?" His sarcastic comment was met with more than a few raised eyebrows and a feeling of piteous resentment that he couldn't understand the bond that they with each other.
Max alone was silently watching him without rancour or distaste. "And yet you know where every '09er is at this moment in time. In fact," she put up a hand when he began to interrupt, "I'm sure that within a year of being on the outside you had found each and every one and had started to monitor them."
Zack's jaw was clenched. "We were children. They needed looking after; I'm their C.O., Max."
"So am I." Her tone was final and she had more than put her point across.
"What?" Zack was confused and even more so with the canary-eating grin that she gave him.
"Max is C.O.," Dek relished filling in the blanks. "Not just of Unit 8 but Special Operations and operatives. Max was basically the head of all transgenics in Terminal City."
"Except me!"
"Except Pix," amended Dek without losing a step.
"No one was in charge of me!" Pix said gleefully.
Zack was still staring at Max with a blank face. "C.O. of Special Ops?"
"452 let everyone out!" Zeph chirped out with a fierce expression of pride. "I was locked in my cell and it was dark and there were explosions and I was scared and then 452 came through the radio telling us to chill and she opened the doors and told us to go to ground until she found a safe place for us and she did!" His hands ended up on his hips with a glare for Zack.
Max felt uncomfortable with the effusive praise and hero-worship that the small boy showed. Alec was just amused and Flex patted his dynamo on the head.
"Well said, Zeph."
"Yeah, thanks," Max affirmed uneasily before turning back to Zack. "The point is that these people are as much my responsibility as the unit are to you. As C.O. I expect you to respect that, even if you don't understand it."
Zack looked intently at this beautiful woman with the raven hair and strong expression and he realised that although she was and always would be his Maxie, she was all at once so much more. Standing in front of him was a leader, a warrior, someone who had been to hell and back and would gladly go through it all again for the ones she loved.
She was more than a soldier and Zack had never been so proud of his little sister.
He nodded slowly, trying not to display any sort of emotion.
"Right, Maxie."
Max smiled. "Don't call me that."
Zack reached over and placed an arm on her shoulder, ignoring the glare that came from Alec. "You may be C.O., but you'll always be my Maxie."
"Mine," Alec muttered mutinously as Max placed her hand over Zack's.
There was a sudden shrill of a phone and everyone looked at Zack as he casually picked the ringing cell from his pocket, using the time to pull himself together.
He checked caller ID and grinned. "Yes," he answered and listened for a few seconds, his eyes intently on Max's. "Affirmative on that, I appreciate the heads up," he paused. "Is one of the dreaded trio about? Yeah? Put him on."
Zack held out the cell for Max. "It's for you."
Max frowned as she grabbed the phone and listened as a masculine voice came on the end.
"Yeah, what do you want, Zack, Oh Master of the mundane?"
Max blinked. "B.J.?"
Silence and then. "Max? Max, that you?"
"Yeah." She looked up at Zack in wonderment and a sparkle that he had seen when she first realised who he was.
"B.J.?" Dek brightened up. "No way!"
Max grinned and spoke into the cell. "Where the hell are you?"
"Seattle, babe, outskirts with Zan and Emma and a particularly fine piece of ass called Jace."
"Well, you, Zan and Emma have got twenty minutes to get your skinny little butts to Terminal City and present." Her words were harsh but the tone was delighted.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the cheeky voice retorted. "Oh, wait, HEY ZAN!"
Max heard a muffled yell from the background. "Got any messages for Max?"
There was one shout and sudden scamper of footsteps before someone yelled. "Hey off the phone!"
"I wanna talk to her."
"Nope, mine."
"Give me the damn phone, B.J. I wanna talk to Max."
"No, you don't, not really."
"B.J., I swear I'll—"
"Oooh, what's this button do?"
"Don't you even dare, you little sh—"
The conversation cut off and Max giggled as she turned to her friends. "Hey, guess who's coming home?"
"BJ!" Pix crowed and slapped Dek on the back. "Our little team is almost complete."
"White better watch his back," Flex said dryly. "When Dek, Pix and BJ get together the world weeps."
"I know I'm scared," dead panned Skye.
"You're never scared," Zeph said loyally and everyone smiled at his obvious love for his surrogate mother.
"Thanks, Kid," Skye reached over and ruffled his hair. "All right, troops, Alec said he's found us a place to bunk up. I, for one, am shattered, so off we go."
"Yeah," Flex agreed. "Pack up and ship out."
"Aye-aye," Zeph giggled and Isacar rolled his eyes.
"If we were at sea, I'd toss you overboard as ballast."
"I can swim," the younger boy replied instantly.
"Not if sharks eat you," Isacar found himself saying. "You can't swim faster than them."
"Can too."
"Can't."
"Can too."
"Can—why am I arguing with a nine year old?" Isacar shook his head. "I knew the fumes of this place were toxic."
"Either that, or your brain is shrinking," Nyx offered.
Dek beamed at the Greeks. "Can I keep them, please?"
Skye rolled her eyes and exchanged amused glances with Tara.
Alec watched carefully as Skye hoisted Galen higher onto her shoulder and Flex reached over to help Nyx pick up the bags they had brought with them. Biggs brushed his lips against Chance's hair and Sunny and Pix gave each other another hug whilst Max leaned up to kiss Zack on the cheek, telling him to go get B.J and the rest of them and bring them to Terminal City.
Zack glanced over Max's shoulder to the glare Alec was shooting him and kissed Max's cheek in return, a triumphant smirk on his face.
The Zack left, looking somewhat bemused at having to carry out orders from his baby sister.
Max moved over to Alec. "Hey, what's with the pensive face?"
"Family," he said shortly, pulling her into a loose embrace.
"What?" She frowned confused.
Alec turned her around and pointed to the rest of the room where they were all laughing, joking and teasing each other mercilessly.
"I often wondered what the point was, why we had left Manticore and what our purpose was now that we were out in the world. I mean, we were soldiers, Max. Who are we if not what they made us? You know what I've just realised?"
"What?"
"Family. This is what makes it all worth while. You and Zack, Biggs and Chance, Flex, Skye and their weird-ass little family. This is what we have been fighting for. This is what we have that Manticore could never understand."
Max closed her eyes in sheer relief. "You get it!" she said quietly. "I never thought that you would, but you do"
"Yeah, I do," he answered and leaned down to kiss her.
She surrendered happily to the feel of his lips on hers and snuggled into his arms.
He was silent for a moment and then couldn't resist any longer.
"Doesn't mean I'm going to like Zack, though."
>>>>
Max stretched luxuriously and felt the satisfying pop as muscles and cartilage appreciated the exercise in a very audible way. Zack had left to bring the others to Terminal City and to Max it was a very formidable victory that Zack realised that being together was better than them all scattering to the winds.
Flex and Skye had taken their kids to get settled down in one of the nearby building, joined by Biggs and Sunny who had become a favourite of Icarus almost immediately. Pix asked Max if she'd mind taking a list of weaponry that they had in store and letting them know how well they'd be able to defend themselves should White choose to attack now.
The huge racks of weapons that Mole had somehow managed to procure reminded her of something out the movie Matrix © that Alec had once shown her. In one scene, huge racks of weaponry whooshed into the long white room, and it was oddly reminiscent of their own weapons storage area.
Originally it had been part of a school changing room for Physical Education, so there were plenty of hooks and racks. Some enterprising transgenic had taken it upon themselves to reorder and alter the room to suit their own purposes and so where the coats used to hang, now were machine guns, where shoes were once stored were now rounds of ammunition and grenades.
There was even a flamethrower in an old hockey-stick rack.
How Mole had gotten that… Max wasn't sure she wanted to know.
She checked off the rounds of bullets for several of the nastier machine guns and stretched her neck again.
"Aching?"
Max relaxed as Alec's voice came from behind her. "Mmm," she muttered rubbing her neck. "Must be carrying around a load of stress."
"He could have walked," Alec muttered darkly, obviously sore at how close Max and Zack had been.
Max gave him a reproachful look. "Alec."
"He may be your brother, Max, but he had way more than brotherly feelings for you."
"Ew!" Max wrinkled her nose. "That's gross. You have a twisted little mind, Alec."
"Less of the little!" he exclaimed playfully.
"What are you doing up anyhow?" She turned back to the racks of guns, hoping to hide her reluctant smile. "I would have thought that you'd have hit the sack by now."
"Couldn't sleep, I found something was missing from my bed… again," he frowned. "Is this gonna be a regular thing?"
Max bit her lip. "It's not like we do much when we share a bed as it is."
Alec jolted. "What?"
Max carefully kept her gaze averted. "I mean that it's been a few weeks now since we found Dek and Aiden and since then we haven't done… anything."
"I thought you needed space? Time?" he said carefully. "I thought you wanted to take it slow."
"Yeah slow, not glacial. I mean we could pussy-foot around each other for years, talking, touching hands, maybe the odd heated glance between courses of pasta. But that's not who we are," she turned to him, clutching the clipboard to her chest. "Hot blooded, Alec. I… want you, I always do and this waiting—well, it's driving me crazy."
The words were hardly out of her mouth when he moved almost faster than she could see, grabbing her up, hauling her against him and crushing her mouth with a kiss so hot she wondered if her lips were smoking.
He didn't just kiss, he plundered, and Max's hot blood pumped like liquid lava through her veins.
"Shit, Max," Alec gasped as he drew back, his hands gripping her shoulders and his eyes hot. "I have been acting the perfect gentleman and all this time you actually wanted this?"
"Always," Max fisted his hair and dragged his lips back to hers. "Here?"
"Damn right!" Alec grabbed at her jacket and yanked it halfway down her arms, not wanting to move those fingers entwined in his hair. He ripped at her shirt, tearing it away at the neck and latching onto her lips again in savage passion.
Max groaned aloud and tugged and tore at his t-shirt and, because her hands were busy, used her teeth to mark him.
He grabbed for her, wrenching his mouth away as he cursed the catch on her jeans. Max was no less impatient with his own khaki pants and the tear of fabric promised them unwearable in future.
Alec had presence of mind to kick the door shut behind him in one powerful kick before Max jumped, scissoring her legs around his waist and rendering all thought impossible. He slammed her against the racks so hard that the guns rattled and fell to the floor in an odd parody of their clothes, and Max gasped hoarsely, knowing that she would be bruised the next day.
Alec's own blood raged and boiled as he crushed his mouth to hers again, their hands dancing over each other's bodies, remembering their secrets after so long apart.
Teeth and claws, nails and lips, biting and licking, sucking and rediscovering; his hands, her hands; his breathing, her breathing; it all mixed and swirled in the mind until they weren't sure where one started and one ended, and then they were joined, a hiss from one and a yell from the other as sensation overrode reason.
The heat simmered as they caught their breath and their eyes focussed on each other, only on each other.
The sound of flesh slapping, sliding against flesh, mixed with the sound of ragged breathing was all that was heard in the room and neither cared what could be heard outside. All heat, desperation and speed that came of frustration and long-denied love was built to a crescendo faster than expected. Her breathing was short, shallow, and caught, releasing in a strangled gasp as he drove her over the edge, following as he did in everything as the explosion rocked them both.
>>>>
Aiden sighed in pure relief as he leaned back in his chair and stretched.
He had made it back from Manticore and joined in welcoming back the majority of Unit 8 and Special Ops, happier than he could say to see B.J. and Emma again.
He had always gotten along with the empathetic transgenic and could see the affection that she held for the gruff '09er known as Zack, almost as soon as they stepped in the room together. He had been bemused at the vast changes that occurred; the fact that Skye was a mommy, the fact that Flex was a dad and not a ladies man. Biggs's reluctant acceptance of Pix and Sunny's new take-charge attitude. They were all growing up so fast and, sadly, maybe even growing apart somewhat.
He had gone to find Dek, knowing somehow that his friend would be able to make him feel better and, knowing that even if he couldn't make Dek feel better about Drew, then at least he could sit up with the sleep-deprived transgenic.
Pix had allocated Dek to security detail for the night, including sorting out the guard rotation and conscription for the military detail.
Dek muttered something about more bloody paperwork than being in the foreign legion which made Aiden point out that Dek had never been in the foreign legion.
Dek was silent for a moment and then requested something anatomically inappropriate and probably impossible for Aiden to attempt with a goat and a bamboo plant.
Points for originality were given before Aiden reclined in his chair.
"I ache in places I didn't know I had!" he moaned and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "It's so tiring being so inactive all day. Even press ups in the middle of the room haven't helped me stay limber. Manticore only knows how couch potatoes survive," he paused, "Or do they survive only to be turned into fries when it gets hot? Why do potatoes have such a bad reputation?"
The thought would now irritate him for hours.
"Was it that bad?" Del asked sympathetically realising what was behind the babbling of his friend.
"It was harsh remembering all the stuff we did." Aiden pushed back the feelings of being alone at Manticore without the familiar comfort of his friends. It hadn't been a nice feeling. "I swear I could hear the echoes down the hall."
"Echoes?"
"Footsteps," he clarified. "One, two, one, two." He gave a lopsided grin, letting a tired kind of charm show through.
Dek agreed with Aiden's feelings. Although he hadn't gone back to stay, he had gone back once to sift through the debris of C block to try to find any remains of Drew.
By that time, though, someone had removed all of the fallen, so he hadn't known about Steve… nor Mets and that was something to think about on a different day.
But he could identify with Aiden's feelings. There had been something eerie about the abandoned building and he had felt the chill of the place seep into his bones like a ghost settling over his skin.
"I'm going to be okay with it though," Aiden continued. "I just want to hibernate for a week or so."
"So I can't persuade you to do a rotation?" Dek looked at his almost barren guard detail. "Pix is insisting people match up in pairs for safety until all the holes in Terminal Dump-heap are plugged up."
"No."
"C'mon, Aiden, be a pal," Dek teased, not caring whether or not his friend took the assignment or not. He just wanted someone to tease and knew Aiden was willing. Aiden wasn't as pretty as Drew, but he did the job just as well.
"Even if Renfro herself came back from hell to tell me get my ass in gear or I'll join her, I'd tell her to take a hike."
"Really?"
"If Lydecker turned up dressed in a tutu and ordered me or he'll dance Swan Lake, I'd say 'No'."
"After you're done throwing up," Dek was enjoying this.
Aiden got comfy, propping his feet on the strategy table and closing his eyes. "Of course. Not for you, not for Max, hell, not even for a case of best Irish whisky and a Ferrari."
Dek pushed the papers away. "A shiny red one?"
Aiden pretended to consider that. "Nope, not even."
"A black batman car with Boadicea wheels and laser guns attached."
"Leather interior?"
"Of course."
"No."
Dek was still laughing when the door opened.
"Is this a bad time?" the girl said and Dek shook his head, recalling her from the room earlier. She had been older than the blonde and not nearly as annoyingly perky. Dek remembered that she had stayed close to Flex and he definitely seemed to be overprotective of the deceptively delicate girl with the Chinese DNA.
He smiled at her uncertain expression.
"Not at all, sweetheart, what can I do for ya?"
"Nyx, not sweetheart," she stated.
Aiden's eyes flew open and his feet slipped off the table and jarred on the floor as he stared at her. "Hey, Nyx."
"Aiden, right?" she queried.
Aiden nodded with a smile. "What are you doing up? I mean, I thought you'd be asleep, not that I thought… I mean I do, but—"
Dek eyed him oddly before turning to an equally bemused Nyx. "What my weird friend is trying to say is that he has an extreme lack of sleep and wonders why you aren't tucked up in bed like all good transgenics."
"Couldn't sleep, new place," Nyx said with her usual economy of words.
"Flex said that you were recruiting for guard rotation, I'm a good shot."
"Good?" Dek raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"83 at five range."
Dek whistled. That was pretty damn good considering that he was only 91 at five range. "Do you have a partner?"
"I didn't realise that one was required." She stood loosely to attention, her back straight and her hands touching the base of her spine.
"Pix's orders, he says that just until the security leaks are plugged that no man is alone."
"I'm hardly a man," she replied icily. "I'm sure Flex would be willing to—"
"I'll do it."
Dek turned at Aiden's blurted words, cutting off her comment on her reliance on Flex, the once 'stud' of Manticore. "Excuse me?"
Aiden stood up. "Dek and I were just talking about me taking up a rotation; I was just about to go find a patrol partner."
Dek opened his mouth and closed it quickly as Aiden kicked him hard in the shin.
"Oh," Nyx blinked, her oriental features set in an expression of serenity belied by the twisting of her hands behind her back. She looked at the tall dark haired male with a smattering of unease. She may have grown up around attractive men by default, that didn't mean that she was immune to a particularly appealing one.
Especially when his mouth curved and showed two dimples hidden in his cheeks.
"If you don't mind, that is." Aiden gave her his very best smile and even Dek could feel the ice around the girl melt.
"I have no objections."
From his vantage point in the chair Dek's gaze flickered from the suspiciously eager Aiden over to the pink-tinged cheeks of Nyx and a slow, satisfied smile slid across his features.
So that was the way the land lay.
He brought his hands up behind his head and settled back to enjoy the show. "Are you sure you aren't too tired?" he inquired solicitously of Aiden with a gleam in his eye.
"Don't be ridiculous," Aiden replied absently, not taking his eyes off the girl. "It wasn't hard work. I was just glad to help."
Dek bit his lip. Oh, this was too easy. "How about I give you sector eight on the north side, guard change at 5am?"
"Great, Nyx?"
"Accepted," she said with only a slight shifting in her posture to show her unease.
"Well, off you go then," Dek said cheerfully.
Aiden practically raced for the door to hold it open for her and she passed through keeping her eyes lowered. Aiden almost tripped over his feet as he followed her.
As the door shut behind him and Dek was left in silence he propped his feet on the desk and grinned at the ceiling.
With Zack and Dek both making Alec jealous of Max; Cece and her reunion with her babies father; Techie and Feen's relationship; Mole and Max and now Aiden's interest in Nyx, things would definitely not be boring around here.
He couldn't wait until Flex found out.
>>>>
Good transgenics may have been tucked up in bed, or otherwise engaged, but the world did not stop for megalomaniacs with delusions of grandeur.
Ames White stood in the cold night air, huddling his hands in his pockets and reminding himself that centuries of genetic breeding should have eradicated the feelings of cold like they did pain tolerance. After all, it would come in handy if there were another ice age.
He stomped his feet and saw his breaths turn to mist in the crisp air.
"Are you listening to me?" growled a voice.
White resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How could he help but listen to the feeble plotting of his 'superior' when he chose the most god-forsaken place in Seattle to meet clandestinely and yell at him.
The dull wail of ships at sea and the echoes of seagull cries as they settled down for the night mingled with the splash of water against the docks beneath their feet irritated White.
White was all for mysterious and covert meetings conducted under cover of darkness to expound on heinous schemes and conspiracies—it was why he was in the conclave after all. But government officials never seemed to hit the right tone, taking it from secretive to seedy with a few well chosen words.
Or not so well chosen as the case may be.
"Yes, sir," he hissed.
"Good, your job was to cover up this fiasco and keep it from the public not let some Freak hand the S.P.D's asses to them on a plate on prime time television!"
"You want blame? That ass Lydecker wants to preserve the Freaks, it's his fault it managed to escape." He smirked. "It's hard to escape when you have a bullet in your brain."
"Screw passing the buck, White, you were chosen to work with Lydecker on this operation, you have your orders and he has his. I expect you to work within them to do your job!"
"How am I supposed to do my job when my entire operation doesn't officially exist?" White growled forgoing the niceties due to rank.
"This is a disaster!" The man stomped like a spoiled child and White wondered how much he'd had to pay to get to the clearance level he was at. If he got there on merit alone then the human race was in worse shape than he thought and he already thought it was in the toilet.
"You want to contain the transgenics? Give me a free hand. The cat's out of the bag; we might as well acknowledge the fact that they're out there. If we enlist the public's support, this thing'll be done in a week."
He could see the idea wash over the man's expression before it closed down.
"We acknowledge anything, and it's over. Congressional hearings, subpoenas... No. We're gonna make this go away. We're gonna spin it, and spin it good. Luckily we now have the chief of police in our pocket. He's willing to give us the body of the transgenic and all the autopsy work, provided nothing like this ever happens again. You understand?"
White watched him, belligerent distaste evident in his expression as the man turned and walked away, confident of his acquiescence.
That was what irritated him the most of the whole human experience, their unwavering arrogance and dogged belief in their own unshakable place in the universe and in the food chain.
White leaned back against the hood of his car and regarded the retreating form of the senator.
They were so damn sure that they were the top dog, that nothing could ever take their place as masters of the universe. No wonder American's looked so damn confused in alien invasion movies; their perception of their own infallibility was prodded and couldn't withstand the scrutiny.
Thinking that way; it was only blind luck in most cases that allowed humans to come off victorious in those battles.
And with men like him in charge it was easy to see why dumb luck would appeal.
"Yes, sir," he mocked with a sneer.
Just wait and see what would happen when the real masters of the universe take over.
>
In a truck not far from the dock, Otto Gottlieb put down the transmitter and looked up at Lydecker.
"That's all, sir."
Lydecker leaned back against the metal walls and regarded Otto thoughtfully. "Did that sound particularly patriotic to you?"
"No, sir," Otto replied carefully. "However you did know that Agent White had an alternative agenda."
"Do you think that is the end of it soldier?" he deliberately used Otto's previous position to drive home that they were all the same underneath- just soldiers for their country.
Otto had to admit that, by the sound of Agent White's voice, this was far from over and he had walked away from the meeting with the distinct sneer of someone who knew that he was going to gain and keep the upper hand.
"Sir?" Mendez said from his corner and Lydecker looked over to him, oddly expecting to see a 'dunce' cap on the eager man.
"Yes?"
Mendez cleared his throat before speaking. "The facility for that transgenic was right and tight, security detail was round the clock, there is no way that it could… that it should have escaped. The last person to log into the building was Agent White."
Lydecker perked up. "White deliberately released that animal into the city. Why?"
"You heard what he said sir, he wants to go public. Maybe he hoped that the transgenic would make it onto the news."
"Selective leakage?" Lydecker nodded at that.
It made a certain amount of sense. He had known that there was something off about White, bit it wasn't until he started to dig that he realised exactly how off he was.
His record was clean. Not just clear but squeaky clean, never so much as a late library book.
It was not just unheard of, but impossible, especially with White's attitude and arrogance. It meant that someone somewhere had the pull to eradicate any blemishes on that record.
It meant that he was a spook.
He had some hidden agenda that went beyond what Lydecker himself had been permitted to know and part of that was the reason he was finally caught out.
After discovering that none of the transgenics that they had sent had actually arrived at their intended destination raised all sorts of flags, and Lydecker gathered his forces for a full search on White and what they had uncovered thus far was more than unnerving.
Secret telephone calls, forged documentation, clandestine meetings—it all added up to something classically wrong with the scenario and Lydecker was beginning to wonder how far up it all went.
"White wants the transgenics dead," said Mendez, summing up what they had learned in five short words.
Lydecker raised an eyebrow at the succinct summary of their findings.
"So it would seem. But why?"
He regarded the two men that had suddenly become allies and felt a surge of triumph that he could transfer the loyalties of two men from White to himself. They were quite the coup and he knew that they would be necessary in days to come.
"Perhaps," he said. "It's time we called in reinforcements on this little matter. After all," he smiled savagely. "I have a whole facility at my disposal."
Sakura- Thanks pet. I am going to continue writing but whether it'll be this or another story I'm not so sure. There is still a lot I can do with these guys.
Aleja21- Cheers pet, please keep reviewing.
Toniboo- A calm reunion this time, but fireworks are in the offing. Logan is a dumbass- we knew this.
blueJean452- Cheers pet, hope Alec and Zack amused!
CrimsonReality- Cheers pet.
Caboodle- hey doll, that is a good idea. She wouldn't look to kindly on the ones who blew her home to kingdom come would she? I know that you can respond on the reviews page but not many people are aware and I think it will discourage anonymous reviews.
ChaiGrl- Thank you pet, keep reviewing and I will keep writing.
Mae- I know, poor Sunny and Chance, but it could be worse… just wait.
Moonlite star- I know-overused plot device, but how else was she supposed to met her brother? Max will confront Logan, possibly when she is a touch calmer though. I think she'd try to kill him in this current state of mind.
Mystic Fayth- hey there. Thanks for the kudos and somewhat random smile.
Kim- Ahh the return of the black book. I really should write it's own little story, I'm sure if it could talk…
Crazyvampire Slayer- I imagine that your reaction would be the same if you knew that Pix was in charge- total shock!
7sTar- Thank you angel, its nice of you to say and I thank you for taking the time to review, it means a lot. Supernatural hasn't aired here yet, so I'll look forward to that—even if he does look older.
Geminangel- Sorry for Logan? Hmm I think ill have to do something about that! Just say I was going to kill off a major character—which would you prefer? LOL!
Sigma1- cute little dance! Although that is a nasty cough, perhaps you should go and see someone about it? Poor Sigma, I do hope that you are feeling better soon. Apart from the hearing in one ear beinga bitt off after my nasty cold, I feel much better.
Meri24- Glad it cheered you up. You know it really cheers me up to get reviews, so thank you. Alec is not going to be happy—not for a long time. Mwhah hah ahh
RoxyRoo- Although he has had to grow up some, I think there is far more of the old Pix left that we will see again. He is such a great guy.
Lady Marauder- I like the idea of Pix in charge but Max is slowly taking the reins.
Grey daze's nirvana- Oh good, the male of the species isn't one that I understand or even like mostly. I say that with some authority after having three brothers and one father all under one roof and then being followed around by a puppy—grrr. He was surprised because he had only seen Max from far away and didn't recognise her when he saw her. When he heard Tara call her name it sparked the memory and he remembered the long hair and attitude.
Jenwin23- wow that must have taken some time! I agree with what you said about Alec, he is taking a somewhat lax attitude to things right now. thank you for pointing that out to me and I have taken steps to rectify that. He will be less show-Alec from now on. Gracias.
Elfie- I haven't been watching Buffy but its odd how the phrases stay in your head, even years later and become part of your vocab! What sort of curses would they have? They wouldn't really understand religious curses such as calling on deities, although I will have to think about that one. European transgenics? Hmm begs the question of where Snademan is now and what he is doing? I always thought he sounded kinda weird and being all daddy-like for Joshua- URGh.
Mrs- hey I appreciate every time you get the chance to review, pet. Many thanks. Good luck with Psych—just remember Freud was a pervert and Darwin disagreed with his own theory.
Black rose9- cheers pet, more reunions coming up soon. Enjoy them.
Elle6778- Actually Pix commanded the lockdown and Alec was frantic. And no, LOL, Alec and Zack are not going to get on very well. Imagine the fun when Ben returns too!
Angel of Darkness231- Well I gave you the reunion and Zack/Alec's reaction but as for the male fight… ooh I want one too now!
Pinkflipflop3- I want to know what the benefits of being a pink flipflop are! Pix and Biggs are tremendous fun when they get together. As for Zack/Alec and, of course, Dek/Ben—oh these things are going to come to a head and explode in a most satisfying way!