CHAPTER: Friend or Foe
The first place Max thought she'd find him was at the Needle and she was right. As she walked out there he was outside looking at the city. She walked slowly to him. She knew he knew that she was there but he didn't move. She placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked in her eyes like he did earlier. She moved closer and pulled him into a tight hug.
He held her like his life depended on it. Did she know it was him or did she still think he was someone else. " Maxie."
She felt a warm tear trickle down her cheek. Her brother was there and very much tangible. " Ben."
She knew it was him. He didn't have to respond to that odd name she called him anymore. He could now talk to her like they did when they were younger. " I'm so sorry."
" How did they---?"
She asked him the question but he was just as confused about it as she was. All he knew he was in blackness, sleeping where he didn't need the answers anymore then someone came calling him then he was there in Manticore again. He didn't know how it happened. " I don't know."
She separated form him." Why didn't you tell me it was you?"
" Because I know you hate me for what I did. I wanted to see you but I didn't want to scare you. When you thought I was someone else you didn't have to look at me the way you did when we were up here last time, with disgust."
" Ben, I don't hate you. I never did. I hate Manticore, they did all of it."
Tears started to flow down his face freely. " When Manticore burnt down I saw you in the woods but I went another way."
" I'm so sorry you had to go trough it alone."
" I wanted to come so many times but I was afraid."
" I'm glad you did." She sat down and took him down with her. " You're okay aren't you?"
" Yeah, I'm good now."
She smiled when she thought about what Alec would say when he saw his clone. " You should meet Alec. He's probably at my apartment so we can go there after. You can meet my best friend and Joshua."
His face twisted at the thought of Joshua's face.
" He's not like that. He's really nice. Manticore just made us think they were monsters. You'll like him once you get to know him."
" He sniffed me."
" That's just his thing. He actually told me that you weren't Alec. He and Alec are friends too."
" Who came first me or Alec?"
Max was still fascinated by the way he hag on to her every word, like was waiting for orders. " You came first. He's 494."
" So he looks exactly like me."
" Exactly. You want to see him?"
He nodded. If Max liked him then he had to be a nice guy.
******************************************************
When they arrived at Max's apartment Alec wasn't there. " He probably didn't' go to Joshua's yet." She looked at Ben who was looking around her apartment. She was still amazed that he was alive and he was okay. " Are you hungry?" He nodded. " Pizza okay?" He nodded again. She only whished he'd talk more.
She went into the fridge and took out some slices of cold pizza. She put it in a microwave that OC had bought and heated it up. She put it on a plate and carried it to him. He looked at it for a while and then began to eat quickly. He ate and ate until it was done. Max looked at him in amazement; he must have been really hungry. " I'll get some soda." She went to the fridge and brought him a canned soda. He drank that quickly. " When was the last time you ate."
" I drove here form Los Angeles. I didn't have money."
She nodded. She couldn't believe he was starving. She whished she had more to give him but her refrigerator was practically empty. He walked to the couch and sat down. " Can I lay down here for a while," he asked.
It suddenly occurred to her that he looked tired. " You can use my bed. The couch isn't comfortable. It would give you a neck ache." The word neck felt bitter in her mouth. She walked up to the couch took his hand and led him to her bedroom. He sat on the bed and took off the black jacket he was wearing. He took off his winter boots and moved up and rested on the pillow. He closed his eyes. Max took the blanket form under the other pillow and covered him with it. She stared at him as he slept. He curled up into a position like a comma. His face against the white bedding made him look so peaceful. She got up and went out side.
She walked to the kitchen and looked for anything that was edible so he'd have something to eat when he woke up. There was nothing. She had to get something. She took some money and walked to the door. Just then Alec pushed the door open. " Where yuh going?"
" I was going to the store."
" Joshua told me that you wanted me to meet you here."
She pulled him inside and closed the door. " He's alive."
" Who's alive?"
" Ben, he's here."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. " You mean Psycho Ben," he asked in a whisper. Max nodded. " And he's here." He asked for confirmation. Max nodded. " Are you nuts, he pulls people teeth out." He walked around looking for him. He saw someone on Max's bed sleeping. " He's sleeping in your bed?" Max nodded again. " I know you're thinking this is like your second chance with him but I'm telling you this is not a good idea."
" Alec he's good now. Besides he has been out of Manticore for a while now and he hasn't hurt anyone."
" Yet."
" Alec I thought you would have been happy for me."
He did want to be happy for her, but he couldn't. Not when he thought her life was danger. " I'm just saying, don't get too attached."
" Come on Alec, he wants to meet you."
" Why me."
" Well you're kind of like his brother."
He twisted his face. " That means you're my sister. That's sick Max." Even though he and Max never did anything it still was odd because Logan was under the impression he and Max were seeing one another.
" You know what I mean."
" Okay, I'll talk to him at least."
" Good," she smiled and hugged him. " I want to go get some food for him. Can you stay here in case he wakes up? I don't want him to think I left him."
Alec nodded. Max smiled at him and walked out the door. Alec pouted to himself. He was stuck in a house with no TV and a psycho.
NOTE: I really liked this chapter. I don't usually like things I write but I do like this one.
The first place Max thought she'd find him was at the Needle and she was right. As she walked out there he was outside looking at the city. She walked slowly to him. She knew he knew that she was there but he didn't move. She placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked in her eyes like he did earlier. She moved closer and pulled him into a tight hug.
He held her like his life depended on it. Did she know it was him or did she still think he was someone else. " Maxie."
She felt a warm tear trickle down her cheek. Her brother was there and very much tangible. " Ben."
She knew it was him. He didn't have to respond to that odd name she called him anymore. He could now talk to her like they did when they were younger. " I'm so sorry."
" How did they---?"
She asked him the question but he was just as confused about it as she was. All he knew he was in blackness, sleeping where he didn't need the answers anymore then someone came calling him then he was there in Manticore again. He didn't know how it happened. " I don't know."
She separated form him." Why didn't you tell me it was you?"
" Because I know you hate me for what I did. I wanted to see you but I didn't want to scare you. When you thought I was someone else you didn't have to look at me the way you did when we were up here last time, with disgust."
" Ben, I don't hate you. I never did. I hate Manticore, they did all of it."
Tears started to flow down his face freely. " When Manticore burnt down I saw you in the woods but I went another way."
" I'm so sorry you had to go trough it alone."
" I wanted to come so many times but I was afraid."
" I'm glad you did." She sat down and took him down with her. " You're okay aren't you?"
" Yeah, I'm good now."
She smiled when she thought about what Alec would say when he saw his clone. " You should meet Alec. He's probably at my apartment so we can go there after. You can meet my best friend and Joshua."
His face twisted at the thought of Joshua's face.
" He's not like that. He's really nice. Manticore just made us think they were monsters. You'll like him once you get to know him."
" He sniffed me."
" That's just his thing. He actually told me that you weren't Alec. He and Alec are friends too."
" Who came first me or Alec?"
Max was still fascinated by the way he hag on to her every word, like was waiting for orders. " You came first. He's 494."
" So he looks exactly like me."
" Exactly. You want to see him?"
He nodded. If Max liked him then he had to be a nice guy.
******************************************************
When they arrived at Max's apartment Alec wasn't there. " He probably didn't' go to Joshua's yet." She looked at Ben who was looking around her apartment. She was still amazed that he was alive and he was okay. " Are you hungry?" He nodded. " Pizza okay?" He nodded again. She only whished he'd talk more.
She went into the fridge and took out some slices of cold pizza. She put it in a microwave that OC had bought and heated it up. She put it on a plate and carried it to him. He looked at it for a while and then began to eat quickly. He ate and ate until it was done. Max looked at him in amazement; he must have been really hungry. " I'll get some soda." She went to the fridge and brought him a canned soda. He drank that quickly. " When was the last time you ate."
" I drove here form Los Angeles. I didn't have money."
She nodded. She couldn't believe he was starving. She whished she had more to give him but her refrigerator was practically empty. He walked to the couch and sat down. " Can I lay down here for a while," he asked.
It suddenly occurred to her that he looked tired. " You can use my bed. The couch isn't comfortable. It would give you a neck ache." The word neck felt bitter in her mouth. She walked up to the couch took his hand and led him to her bedroom. He sat on the bed and took off the black jacket he was wearing. He took off his winter boots and moved up and rested on the pillow. He closed his eyes. Max took the blanket form under the other pillow and covered him with it. She stared at him as he slept. He curled up into a position like a comma. His face against the white bedding made him look so peaceful. She got up and went out side.
She walked to the kitchen and looked for anything that was edible so he'd have something to eat when he woke up. There was nothing. She had to get something. She took some money and walked to the door. Just then Alec pushed the door open. " Where yuh going?"
" I was going to the store."
" Joshua told me that you wanted me to meet you here."
She pulled him inside and closed the door. " He's alive."
" Who's alive?"
" Ben, he's here."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. " You mean Psycho Ben," he asked in a whisper. Max nodded. " And he's here." He asked for confirmation. Max nodded. " Are you nuts, he pulls people teeth out." He walked around looking for him. He saw someone on Max's bed sleeping. " He's sleeping in your bed?" Max nodded again. " I know you're thinking this is like your second chance with him but I'm telling you this is not a good idea."
" Alec he's good now. Besides he has been out of Manticore for a while now and he hasn't hurt anyone."
" Yet."
" Alec I thought you would have been happy for me."
He did want to be happy for her, but he couldn't. Not when he thought her life was danger. " I'm just saying, don't get too attached."
" Come on Alec, he wants to meet you."
" Why me."
" Well you're kind of like his brother."
He twisted his face. " That means you're my sister. That's sick Max." Even though he and Max never did anything it still was odd because Logan was under the impression he and Max were seeing one another.
" You know what I mean."
" Okay, I'll talk to him at least."
" Good," she smiled and hugged him. " I want to go get some food for him. Can you stay here in case he wakes up? I don't want him to think I left him."
Alec nodded. Max smiled at him and walked out the door. Alec pouted to himself. He was stuck in a house with no TV and a psycho.
NOTE: I really liked this chapter. I don't usually like things I write but I do like this one.