Wow, talk about blown away with responses. I seriously hadn't thought I'd get that many. But Thank-you everyone!! It was more than enough to prod me into cleaning the next chapter up for posting. I split it. Originally it would have been like 26? pages. So here's chapter 2 and chapter 3 should be along tomorrow.

Thanks again for the review *hugs* Unbeta'd, Any errors? PM me and I'll fix 'em.

-2-

Past & Present

--x&x--

The break hadn't been a clean one, much like the Pulse hadn't been pretty. But as all things, with time everything just fell into place.

Or so Max tried to tell herself. It wasn't quite that easy but eventually, move on and rebuild she did. Now she was being forced to give it up all over again.

Typical.

Rolling her eyes, Max stalked passed the guy who was supposed to be packing up the china but seemed much more interested in eying her. He wouldn't be doing that if her father or brother were here—but as usual, they weren't and she was left alone to deal with the daily running of an empty household. Though her father had been the one to personally check into the background of each hired hand who came in and helped with the packing. He'd also gone ahead and hired a driver to pick them up at the airport.

"If something gets broken, it's coming outta your paycheque," she warned the mover, when he almost dropped yet another of her mother's priceless dishes.

God she hated moving. She had done so only once before when moving to New York four years ago—well almost four years since she had yet to have her seventeenth—and she hated that she was moving again. This time, back to Seattle. Krit wouldn't be joining her this time, since he was getting ready for his first year at College. He was following a career in the architect business and was working as an apprentice part-time when not studying.

It had been hectic, but from what she'd seen of her brother he had managed to pull it off the previous year at high school. Then again, Krit always had been something of an overachiever.

Her closest friend Kendra had been heartbroken when she had found out Max was leaving. Moody and the crew had, too. They had thrown her a going away party in the end, with what had to be an unlimited amount of alcohol. Max suspected the boys had just been trying to get her drunk but yet again. Both Theo and Rafer were likely suffering the consequences of the attempt even as she packed. Managing yet again to drink both under the table without getting tipsy herself.

She was certain it was her father's influence. That she had been born with whisky in her veins, thus couldn't possibly get drunk. Though Diamond was convinced it was due to Max's metabolism, since she ate like a horse and never gained a pound.

Turning her back on the 'Crown Movers' guy, Max made her way back to her bedroom but kept an ear open for the sound of shattering china.

"You sure you want to do this?" Kendra asked her, shifting a box his her grasp.

Max shook her head. "I'm not sure of anything right now," she admitted, tugging her off the shoulder jumper back up. She ran her hands up her arms to generate warmth. It wasn't really working. Despite the humidity she still felt chilled.

"C'mere," Kendra coaxed, placing the box down and holding her arms out. "It'll be all right, hun," she said, giving Max a brief hug. "You can stay with me if you want—you know I'd never turn you away. We can go halves on board."

"Much as I'd like to, I already promised Ben that I'd be over to visit him once I got in to Seattle."

"Ben," Kendra's smile stretched out slowly, her eyes far too bright and were eerie to look at. She tapped her lips with a pen she'd picked up from somewhere around the penthouse. "He the guy you were speaking to yesterday, when I called around?"

Uncomfortable, Max shrugged. "Yeah."

Kendra frowned suddenly. "I know we've been over this before, but you aren't using him are you? I mean, his twin was your best friend."

"We're not best friends anymore," Max stated as she picked up another box and set it down with the others, ready to be taped up. "I wouldn't even classify him as a friend. He never bothered replying to my letters or my calls except the first few. He was out on a date the last time I was visiting, even though I let their mom know I'd be over two months prior... He's shown how much he doesn't care. So why should I?"

"Just makin' sure hun," Kendra reassured her. "I was just checking that it wasn't all displacement of feelings. When you first came here it was all 'Alec this' and 'Alec that' and now you never bring him up it's all about Ben. I wanted to make sure it's really Ben that you're thinking of, because I'd hate for you to hurt him. He seems like a nice enough guy."

Max's look was sceptical. In truth, she hadn't thought once about Alec until quite recently. For a time there, she had almost forgotten his existence. "You don't even know him."

"While I don't know Ben personally. I know enough of him through his monthly letters when he got banned from his phone for clocking up that huge ass bill, talking to you for hours on end."

Max reddened as her face flooded with heat. "You read those?"

"Honey, you left them lying on your bed," the blonde waved it away. "But that time you and Ben went out, you had fun, right?" Kendra prodded, getting to the bottom of it. "It was just you and Ben, you didn't see any of the others?"

Max wasn't quite sure what she was getting at. Kendra already knew the answers. "Well, yeah. Ben's a great guy."

"Then what's with the complaints?"

"No complaints. It's just... different with Ben," Max admitted, her brow furrowed. "Sure I was fifteen and he was sixteen last time we met up. So hormones and all that entails with making an already uncomfortable situation even more awkward but it was just... I dunno. Weird," she stated, wringing her hands in an unconscious gesture of nerves. "It's always been different with Ben. He was always the more reserved of the two. Always never quite comfortable around me."

"Well, from what you said before you were seen as 'one of the boys,'" Kendra pointed out. "If he was uncomfortable around you, then maybe he didn't see you as one. Maybe he saw you as the girl you are."

"Yeah well," Max ran a hand through the soft curls of her hair. "It's gonna be hard for all the guys mistaking me for a boy this time 'round."

Kendra smirked. "Hardly. You may look all girly but you still act pretty much the same. Though the dressing has definitely taken a turn for the best. And when you wow your old friends you can let them know your wardrobe was carefully selected by me and be sure to give them my number," she winked.

"Too bad, they're all taken," Max grinned back, thinking it best to leave out the fact that she had changed drastically from the girl she once was. Tomboyish ways or not. "Alec's with some girl called Rachel. Zack is currently with Eva. A girl I vaguely remember from school. Zane is bouncing between two girls—one of which may be pregnant to him. Seth—"

"All this from Ben?"

Max blinked then narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Yeah. What's the dealio?"

The blonde shrugged, looking suddenly smug. "Just wondering. I find it funny that he is telling you who is out for the count. I notice his name was never brought up once. I'm taking it that he's single?"

"Maybe," Max hedged.

"Oh Max," the blonde exhaled a sigh. Dropping the jumper she had been packing into yet another box for the move. She shook her head in exasperation."For someone who aces everything in class, you can be so dense sometimes."

Shaking her head, Max glanced away from her friend's searching look. "Ben and me ain't like that."

"Whatever you say, hun. But it wasn't Alec that had you excited over a simple visit last time you were there. It's really no wonder all the guys in your life feel threatened." Kendra said nothing more on the matter, simply helped with packing the last of Max's things and a smirk fixed firmly in place.

--x&x--

The drive back to her old hometown from the airport was one done in a reflective silence. A corporate car—just a fancy name for an expensive taxi without the little sign or the obnoxious raincoat yellow body—had been hired for the journey. With the way background checks had been run on the movers, she was a little surprised when her dad didn't frisk the car driver for hidden weaponry.

Her father, Donald but preferred going by his surname of Lydecker, was going through some of his files. Apparently already studying an up-and-coming case.

She sighed. All her father ever did was work.

Krit said that he had been a Colonel in the army once. Some special branch with covert ops but had gotten out when their mother fell ill. Max could see her father as a military man. She thought it suited him much more than being some stuffy suit. She'd always thought he looked so out of place in one.

"Mary asked if you'd like to have dinner at her place this evening."

Max's eyes snapped up at the mention of Ben's mother, but her father was still going through his papers.

"She said Ben suggested it. Alec's apparently away on a camp but will be back sometime this week. Mary thought it would be nice for you to have dinner with someone instead of having takeout or eating alone." Here, he did glance up and gave her a hard look. Like she was about to decline the offer.

"Sure," Max conceded with a nod. Not really all that bothered. "That'd be nice."

Lydecker nodded once then went back to browsing through his files and sleek looking laptop. "I'll let her know."

It wasn't the first time that Max wanted to question her father on things. But everything between them was uncomfortable and never quite fit. Like a peg squeezed into a slot that was too small, causing the peg to splinter. Strained and forced, that was the best way she could think of describing their relationship. Always had been. She supposed it was because she looked so much like her mother, as did Krit and having to face children that were almost clones of his dead wife might be a bit too much sometimes. Even for someone like her dad.

She knew how much he loved and missed her mother.

"Deck," Max began, knowing her father preferred going by the pet name his kids gave him as opposed to being called 'dad' or 'father', strange as that was. Lydecker stopped rifling through his suitcase and glanced up, awaiting her question. "Why didn't mom take your last name?"

"Ah this," he sighed. "Went over this question with Krit years ago."

"And?" She prompted. Her curiosity overriding her father's usual rule of showing respect to ones elders—or as Max assumed, considering his old position in the military—someone of senior rank.

He shot her a quelling look that had her immediately bristling. "She wanted to keep her own family name. We argued about it but as you know, she always got her way. Like someone else I know."

That was it? Disappointment flooded her.

She had thought that it would have been something a little more... meaningful. Like maybe finding a sense of freedom from the social bias that usually came with a name such as Lydecker. She herself hated being flagged down by the name. Wherever she went at school she was both welcomed and scorned depending on the crowd and a repeat on a bigger scale was not something she wanted at her new high school.

If given the chance, she'd have dropped out.

"When I enrol, can I go under mom's surname?"

Lydecker paused, making the lines in his face more prominent. Sharpening the already hard planes of his face.

"I just don't want to be known at school as The Lydecker's daughter. Hotshot lawyer from the military," she explained defensively. Hating when he got like this, a silent hardened statue. It always put her on edge. "I got enough of that at my old school. At least if I enrol as Max Guevara, no one will automatically connect me with you."

"Infiltration."

Snorting inwardly, Max nodded. "Yeah."

His smile was jagged around the edges. He patted her head. The closest thing he ever came to shows of affection. "You'd make your mother proud."

The words never failed to make something within Max soar. Probably because it was seldom they were said.

The car pulled up at the large, wrought iron gates. They clanged a bit before opening automatically and allowing the car safe passage up the driveway. Max's brows rose. They hadn't done that last time she was here—in fact, if memory served—they had been broken. Her father must have had them fixed while he was up last, finalising things for their move.

She was certain they hadn't had security cameras, either.

"I've upped security," Lydecker informed her.

Max's gaze cut to him. Easily reading into what was being withheld. "You've had threats already? The case you're taking on that big?" It wasn't that big of a surprise, her last year in New York had been rather action filled. With near constant death threats from irate individuals with a grudge against her father. Though the penthouse hadn't been under such tight security. Knowing first hand since she had snuck out on more than one occasion.

"That and more," he agreed. "These guys, they've been linked to the Pulse. I'm working with the feds. These guys can't get away."

"And they won't," Max agreed, getting out of the car and pulling her pack over her shoulder. She was immediately greeted with two armed men. They nodded at her and continued around the car, apparently checking it for anything out of the ordinary. She noticed the driver looked particularly freaked out by their appearance.

Her father was nodding to the pair of guards, and sporadically signalled them while hauling his briefcase from the car.

"A bit much, don't you think?" Max queried, as the pair walked off. To meet up with another set of guards Max saw appear from the backyard. She blinked. "Four guards?"

"Eight per shift," Lydecker corrected. "With a rotation that constantly changes."

He certainly wasn't leaving anything up to chance. Max nodded. "So no one will be able to slip in. I'm assuming the guard shift is something along the same lines." She glanced to the other. "Your old boys?"

"I called in some friends. They were happy enough to help out."

Which meant he had twisted someone's arm to get them here. Max couldn't keep the wry smile from her face. That was her father. Never one for half measures.

Hesitating briefly on the front step to her house; caught in a surreal moment that had her head almost spinning with vertigo, she withdrew her key and slid it into the door's lock. For a moment it didn't move and she had to use more force. Then, with a slight jangle and click, it creaked open. Announcing it's disuse and need of oil.

Had it really been four years since she had stood on the very same spot with Ben?

The air inside the house was cool, stale and thicker than the exhaust fumes from New York city. It felt impersonal and nothing like the home it had once been. Nothing like the way she remembered it, but more like a ghost house of old furniture with dust covered sheets. She was a little surprised it hadn't been vandalised in their leave.

Drifting from the foyer into the kitchen Max yanked away the sheet covering the breakfast bar and set her keys down, before setting about opening all the windows as wide as she could. The place seriously needed airing out.

"What time should Mrs McDowell be expecting me?" She asked amid her window opening spree and occasional sneeze.

"She said dinner was at seven," Lydeck replied. His briefcase and laptop set aside momentarily as he went about trying to locate the contents of the liquor cabinet, no doubt. "Gives you enough time to unpack and freshen up."

"And ride my baby."

"Max," was the stern warning. One that she was immune to. Much like all her father's other warnings. "You aren't to ride that thing around here."

"Right. Like I wasn't allowed to ride it around New York, either." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Pulling a hip flask from her bag, she tossed it at her father.

"All this security will be for nothing if you go out there and snap your neck on that thing you call a bike. Why can't you get something a little sturdier? Something cute and small like all the other girls your age want. A Lamborghini, perhaps?"

Max shot her father a smirk. "But if I recall you liked that I could take care of myself. Ninja and all."

"I'm fast regretting that statement," he told her. "Now you think you're invincible."

She shrugged. "Whatever. Going to unpack."

The disgruntled words of her father followed her up the sleek marble stairs. "Definitely her mother's daughter."

Hand resting on the ornate gold plated frame, Max paused at the large portrait of her mother. Long wavy hair that spilled over the woman's slight shoulders, with eyes and a smile that was a mirrored by her daughter.

Max had to agree.

--x&x--

Ignoring her father's warnings, Max was on her Ninja not three hours later. Cruising along at a steady pace for once instead of the usual breakneck speed she so loved.

She'd unpacked part of her things—mostly clothes, had a shower and was now just riding around the inner city, looking for the cake store she had seen on the way to her place from the airport. If she was going to have dinner at a friend's place, she should at the very least take something with her and she remembered how much Ben had loved strawberry cheesecake.

I've been at this set of lights before, she thought catching sight of the lights at the intersection. They did seem awfully familiar to her. She wondered if she was going in circles. Four years and I've forgotten my way around Seattle? No way.

Her thoughts were cut off as another bike pulled up alongside her. A black Ducati, possibly one of the ST series—it wasn't as good as her baby, as far as she was concerned. She revved her bike in acknowledgement to the unspoken challenge and offered a curt nod. No one had beaten her in a race since she'd first gotten her bike and no one ever was.

The moment the lights changed, she was off.

Accelerating, Max tore down the road weaving in and out of traffic with a precision that even professional riders would envy. Ignoring the blast of car horns whenever she came particularly close to a collision. Then slowed, thinking she may have misinterpreted the other motorcyclist when they didn't immediately come flying after her.

She growled in annoyance when the other rider shot right passed, looking over a broad shoulder almost as if asking, 'That all you got?'

With a determined huff, Max accelerated again. Trying to catch up to the other bike that was now a full two cars length in front of her. Narrowly missing another small BMW as she wove through the vehicles, she pulled sharply to the right. Switching lanes, so that she was now in the path of oncoming traffic.

Left. Right. Left-left. Rig—left. She swung to the far right, and was almost brained by a set of pipes that was jutting off the side of a passing truck. He honked loudly at her. The noise almost deafening over the blood pounding in her ears as adrenalin filled her veins. As it controlled her movements like she was on autopilot.

The other tossed her another look. This one she interpreted as, 'Are you crazy?'

With a grin, Max pulled her bike harshly back to the left and correct side of the road. Subsequently, just ahead of the other rider. Forcing him to brake heavily and putting her back in front for another win.

And luckily for her, just as she spotted the cake store again.

Swerving, she slammed on her breaks and skidded into the free space at the curb, resulting in many an angry honk from passing cars. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered through the visor of her helmet and flipped off an exceedingly rude passer-by who was shouting obscenities out his window.

Kicking up the stand, she slipped her leg back over her bike just as the other biker pulled up alongside her again. Tugging her helmet off, Max set it on the handle bars of her bike. Allowing her red-brown curls to bounce down to her shoulders and back.

"You're pretty good," the other complimented her. Removing his helmet, he revealed a strong but chiselled face. Blonde hair and green-blue eyes. He was young but clearly out of his teens now. "I don't think you're from around here. I don't recall seeing anyone with your skill on a bike—at least, not a girl."

'Least he's honest. Max liked that. She smiled and unzipped her tight leather jacket. "Haven't been around here in years," she admitted, removing her her half-gloves.

"So you've just moved back?"

"Yep," Max confessed, studying him surreptitiously. What's with the twenty questions? Tucking her gloves in her jean pockets, she stepped away. Intent on the cake store, despite the new acquaintance she'd made.

He followed her.

"There's a rally this Saturday night," he stalled. " Different locations around the city. I think you should enter."

"Daddy dearest isn't very fond of my gambling," Max offered him a saccharine smile.

The young man pressed on. "Something tells me you don't usually abide by your father's rules," he said knowingly and gave a pointed look at her bike. "I'm Zack, by the way." He offered her his hand.

Freezing a moment, Max looked up at the young man. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised his features, trying to age them four years or so. "Zack," she repeated. There were similarities there, but that didn't mean anything. There could be a load of guys called Zack who resembled her childhood friend. "Zack Thompson?"

His eyes immediately narrowed and Max had her answer.

"It's me," she smiled at him genuinely. Actually glad that he had stayed to harass her about her riding skill and tried to get her to enter some kind of race."Max."

He blinked, looking dumbfounded. "Maxie?"

"One and only," she grinned as a smile tugged at his own lips. "Back in town after a good four years away. Dad's been transferred back for some important case."

Nodding, it took him a moment longer for things to sink in. "So how long are you here for?" Zack asked, suddenly angry. "When you plan on leaving next time, think you could say something first?"

Her eyes narrowed at the tone. She had always seen him as another big brother. And he was in a way, since he had been the eldest of the group. The one who always looked out for them—for her. Just like Krit, but more overbearing. Now however, she wasn't too accepting of slipping back into the role of 'little sister.' Certainly not if he was going to talk down to her like she was still a child.

"Yeah well, I wanted Alec to know first and I'm sure you know how that turned out," she shrugged. Not wanting to get into it with Zack. She saw the face he pulled though.

Alec had always been a sore spot for Zack.

A bell sounded overhead as she entered the bakery and picked out a the nicest looking strawberry cheesecake they had on display. It was fairly easy, given the store had only three. The rest were coffee, marble, black forest gateau, chocolate mud cake—and on normal days she may have selected the latter but this was for Ben.

"Why don't we all hang out tonight?" Zack suggested, leaning against the door frame. Observing her study of the cakes laid out before her. It was his way of apologising without actually saying anything."I can call up the guys who aren't away. It'll be like old times."

"Can't," Max declined, fishing out a wad of cash and tossing it on the counter. She pointed to her selection. A predominantly cream looking cake, with a crimson swirl on the top and slices of real strawberries. This was likely to cost her a small fortune. "Plans."

"Already?"

"Yup," she nodded, picking up the pretty cake box as it was settled in front of her. She carried it back outside, where she immediately began fixing it to her seat. It wasn't the best, but secure enough not to go flying once she started up her Ninja.

"So, the race on Saturday. You in?"

Max considered him a moment. "I'll think about it."

"Same number?"

"You bet."

Zack nodded simply then mounted his own bike. "It's good having you back, Max. Everyone missed you," he said and donned his helmet. With a nod at her, he pulled away into the street.

Sighing, Max watched him go before tossing on her own helmet and started up her bike. If everyone missed me, why did he never call? Pushing the thought away, Max wove back through the traffic, towards her neighbourhood. Either way, it didn't matter. She didn't need Alec to protect her like she had when she was younger.

After all, he was just another person from a past that no longer fit her future.

I actually liked Lydecker's character in the show. But whenever I saw him it made me want to cry 'cuz he always looked so damn depressed...

Introducing Zack, and a brief on Max's background though not too much insight into her character. I was wanting to keep everyone's personalities as close as possible to the show. 'Cept I liked Max better in the first series. Second she was too hung up on Logan to have any real fun. He so totally ruined her...