Love You, Hate You
Disclaimer - Dark Angel is not mine, nor do i claim to own it.
Summary - 6 years since Alec & Max last seen each other, how do they react after all that time?It had been 2 days since the engagement party and Max hadn't heard from Alec. Ben had called the day after to apologise for leaving her alone and going off with the red head. She told him it was ok and that she didn't mind.
He'd promised he wasn't going to lose touch with her and she didn't want to lose touch with him, he wasn't Alec and she didn't have to stay away from him.
Today was Friday and Max had picked up Jamie from school as 12 and he had informed her that he had been invited to one of his class mates birthday's parties and that it was at 4 o'clock today.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Max asked her son
He looked up at her with a grin on his face and shrugged his shoulders "I forgot" Max looked at him and as usual all she could see was his father sometimes he was so much like Alec it nearly killed her.
"You forgot?"
Jamie nodded his head and gave her his best puppy dog look. After a few minutes Max caved in and sighed "Fine, we'll go to the shops and buy you something to wear and your friend a gift"
"Great!" Jamie said jumping up and down with huge grin on his face.
Max took his hand and walked him away from the school building.
"We have to be quick" Max said to her son "Ok"
They stopped a cab and took it to the mall. They quickly found him something to wear to the party but finding a gift for Jamie's friend was proving to be difficult as was Jamie as he became more excited about the party.
Max was walking around the shop Jamie had just disappeared down an aisle and she was off to get him.
"Jamie" she called out to him
"Down here mummy" he called back.
She turned and walked down the aisle not noticing who was also standing in the aisle and who had noticed her.
"Jamie we need to find something now" she said in a demanding tone "I'm trying mummy" he complained.
"Pick something" she said with a sigh.
Shaking her head as he started raking through the toys
"Max?" a voice said from behind her.
She tensed she knew that voice, "Alec" she said as she turned around.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her, she looked at him oddly "Me? What are you doing in a toy shop?" she asked suspiciously he opened his mouth to speak but she spoke over him "You're not following me are you?" she said her eyes widening.
"NO!" he said laughing
"So?" Max asked waiting on him answering.
He shrugged sheepishly "I'm buying a video game" he smirked.
"Video games" Max nodded her head knowingly; he always had a thing for video games.
"You?" he queried
Max didn't get a chance to answer because Jamie came running back.
"Mummy! I found it" he said running up to her.
Alec looked down at the little boy and was speechless he began looking around to see if maybe he wasn't talking to Max but when Max started speaking to the little boy he looked at her, his mouth falling open with shock.
"About time" Max said smiling at him looking back at Alec she found him with a shocked look on his face and his mouth hanging slightly open.
"Ben?" the little boy said facing Alec.
That brought Alec out of his shock looking down at the little boy and then back to Max "He knows Ben?" Max nodded.
"How?"
Max ignored him and spoke to Jamie "This isn't Ben honey this is Alec his brother"
"Is he a twin like you and Aunt Sam?" he asked
Max nodded "Yeah" Jamie turned to Alec and spoke to him "Hi, I'm Jamie" he smiled
Alec bent down to his level "I'm Alec"
Alec looked at him, he was a beautiful little boy but the thing he noticed about him was his green eyes. Swallowing hard he stood up and looked at Max.
"You're a mum" it was a statement.
"Yeah" Max smiled looking down at Jamie.
Jamie looked up at Alec, he didn't know why but he liked this man.
"I'm going to a party" he said looking at Alec after a few seconds Alec realised he was talking to him and tore his attention away from Max and focused on the little boy.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah" Jamie agreed and Max shook her head.
The three of them began walking towards the checkouts to pay for their stuff.
After paying they walked out and stood in the street there was an awkward silence and neither Max nor Alec knew what to say. Alec was still trying to come to terms with the fact Max was a mother and Max was still hoping Alec wouldn't figure out he was his dad.
"Do you want to come?" Jamie asked of nowhere.
Max looked at her son "I'm sure Alec has lots more important stuff to do"
She looked at Alec hoping he would back her up but he grinned at her before talking to Jamie "I'd love to" he said to him.
Max glared at him and he smirked "You can't be serious" she asked looking at him.
He had a glint in his eye "Deadly"
"What about Rachel?" Max asked
He shrugged his shoulder "Away working but she's not my keeper I can do what I want" Max nodded
"Can he come mum?" Jamie asked looking up at her with those big green eyes the same green eyes that belonged to a 23 year man who was standing less than a foot away.
"Fine but we need to go home and get you changed" Looking at her watch it was already past 3. Sighing she added "I hope we can get there and back in time"
"I've got my car" Alec stated
Max nodded "Ok well can you take us home to get him dressed?"
"Where's the party?" Alec questioned
"25 Oak Street"
Alec smiled "I live not far from there we can go to mine and get him ready if you want?"
Max looked at him, he could see she didn't like the idea but he continued "It's closer than yours and he won't be late"
"Ok"
10 minutes later they pulled up outside an apartment building.
"What floor you on?" Max asked "Oh no wait penthouse apartment?" she added
Alec grinned "You know me, I like a good view"
They walked into the building at Max headed for the elevator "its bust there meant to be fixing it today" he informed her
"How many flights until we get to yours?"
"About 10"
Max rolled her eyes and began walking upstairs, after the 3rd flight of stairs Jamie was starting to fall behind and then he started to complain about his legs being sore.
Max sighed "My house would have been so much quicker" she muttered as she walked towards her son and picked him up.
Alec who was a few steps in front of her stopped when he heard her talking turning around he noticed her picking up Jamie. He waited on her catching up to him before turning to her.
"Give him to me" he said his arms going out to pick the little boy out his mother's arms.
Max looked at him strangely "Think I can't carry my own son?"
It was Alec's turn to roll his eyes "I think it will be easier if I do it"
They started to bicker about it for a good few minutes until Alec started laughing "God! You still wind me up" he shook his head.
"Well your still annoy me"
"Give him to me" Alec asked again.
Jamie looked at his mum who looked at him she asked "do you want Alec to carry you?" she hoped he would say no, unlike his father he wasn't very good around new people it took him a while to trust them but like his father he liked to wind her up and he nodded his head "Yeah"
Alec smiled like he'd won the lottery and lifted Jamie out of Max's arms and ran the rest of the way upstairs with him in his arms.
"ALEC!" Max said with a shriek as he started running upstairs, she was terrified he was going to fall with Jamie in his arms.
"Shut up" Alec called back over his shoulder.
Max ran up the stairs after them reaching Alec's apartment just a few seconds after him.
She found the door open and walked in, the place was huge but it was very Alec.
"When did you move to Seattle?" Max asked from what Ben had said she had assumed they were just here for the engagement party and that they didn't live here.
"I just decided to stay" Alec said appearing from a room with Jamie still in his arms.
"When did you buy this place?" she asked looking at the view from the window.
"Yesterday" Alec said in a serious tone looking at her. The way he was looking at her was making her feel uncomfortable. She looked away unable to take his gaze anymore.
"Better get him dressed" Alec said "It's almost 3.30"
Max picked up her back from where she had dropped it by the door when she walked in and asked "Where can I dress him?"
"Take any room you want" Alec informed her.
Max nodded and after taking Jamie's hand in her own she walked him into a bedroom.
Alec watched her go and once she had closed the door he walked out on to his balcony and pulled out his phone.
"Hey" Ben answered after a few rings "what's up?"
"You didn't tell me she had a son" Alec accused.
"Who?"
"Max!"
Ben closed him eyes before answering "You didn't ask" he reminded him
"Don't get smart with me" Alec warned him, he wasn't in the mood to play games.
"So Max has a kid what's the big deal?"
Alec ignored him and asked "Is he mine?"
Ben choked "I don't think so"
"Did you ask her?" Alec asked.
"Did you!?"
"I'm scared" Alec admitted "If he is why would she keep it from me?"
"I don't think he is yours like you said she wouldn't have any reason to keep it from you"
Alec nodded his head taking in what his brother was saying "How did you find out?" Ben asked after a few minutes.
"I met them in a store"
"Ok"
"There here now"
"Here where?" Ben asked not understanding what he meant.
"At mine"
"Wow" was all Ben could think of to say.
"I can't get her out of my head" Alec admitted
"Just don't go hurting anyone" Ben pleaded.
"Not planning on it" Alec said just then he noticed Max and Jamie appear from his bedroom "Got to go" Alec said to Ben and closed the phone and walked back into the house to meet them.
"Ready?" he asked
Jamie nodded and went to sit on Alec's black leather sofas.
"Who was that?" Max asked having seen him on the phone
"Ben" Alec said with a smile, she eyes him suspiciously Alec noticed "What?"
"Are you sure it was Ben?"
"Who else would it have been?"
Max shrugged her shoulders and ignored him, checking her watch it was only just after 3.30 they still had some time.
She walked out onto the balcony Alec began to follow her but Jamie's voice stopped his "Do you have cartoons?" he asked pointing at the TV.
Alec grabbed his remote control and handed it to the boy "See if you can find them we'll leave for the party in 5 minutes" with that he followed Max out onto the balcony.
She was leaning over it looking down at the street Alec stood behind her.
Max felt him behind her and her body tensed "Aren't you a little close?" Max asked not looking at him but at the street. "Am I?" he asked in an amused tone.
Max turned around and noticed how close he really was, she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.
"So does Rachel like this place then?" Max asked, 'Rachel talk about Rachel, she's the one he's getting married to'
"This is my place not hers" he said seriously.
"She's not living with you?"
Alec shook his head "I don't like to share my space"
Max scoffed "What?" he asked.
"You never used to mind"
"There's only one person I'd share my space with"
Max nodded, knowing who he meant.
"Ben" Alec said after a few seconds, he noticed the look on her face and laughed,
"We better get going" Max tried to push past him but he blocked her "Not so fast"
"What?"
"I missed you" he said a lost look in his eye
"Missed you too" without knowing they began moving closer to each other "I'm not letting you disappear again" Alec promised.
"Mum! We have to go!" Jamie's voice called from the balcony door.
Max and Alec pulled away from each other and looked over at Jamie.
"Let's go" Max said pulling away from him she took Jamie's hand and started to walk him downstairs.
At the top of the stairs Jamie stopped and Max looked at him quizzically "What's wrong?" she asked her son.
He ignored her and looked at Alec.
Alec smiled he knew what he wanted "Come on then" he said scooping him up into his arms.
"No! He can walk" Max insisted
"And I can carry him" Alec said before taking off and running downstairs leaving Max to roll her eyes.
5 minutes later they were in the car and on there way to the party. After giving Alec directions to the house they arrived at just after 4.
Pulling up outside the 3 of them jumped out and walked to the door.
Max knocked on it and the door opened "Max so glad you could make it" a young woman in her late twenties said kissing her on the cheek.
The woman noticed Alec and asked "Who's this?"
"Oh this is Alec, Alec this is Cassie"
"Hi" Alec said with a wave of his hand
"Come in" Cassie said stepping aside to let them in.
Alec and Jamie walked.
Cassie pulled Max aside "He's hot is he single?" she asked with a giggle.
Max grinned "No he's engaged"
Cassie frowned "Damn"
"And so are you" Max reminded her.
Cassie laughed "No harm in looking, what is he to you anyway?"
"An old friend" Max said not saying anymore as she followed
4 hours later the party was over and Alec was taking Max and Jamie home.
They arrived at Max's apartment building and Alec switched off the car engine.
A/N - Tell me what you think!