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A Max/Alec fic.

Chapter Five.

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Disclaimer: still don't own dark angel ... sigh.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far, keep 'em comin'!

Alrighty-roo, here's the next chapter (and oy I've been watching way too much Supernatural).

Anyways, in this chapter, Max sets off to find Logan, and Alec is torn between his feelings for Max and his loyalty to Manticore.

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!

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Alec followed from a respectable distance as Max made her way into Seattle.

She was in a hurry, he could tell, and he was actually glad they'd built the "new" Manticore only an hour outside of Seattle, otherwise he was sure she would have run the entire way, and over-exerted her "new" heart.

Alec was still conflicted. He had no idea what he was going to do once she got to her destination.

He didn't care one bit about whoever it was she was supposed to be infecting, but once she realized he had known about the plan and didn't do anything to stop it, she would never speak to him again, if she didn't end him on the spot.

She made her way expertly through the city, and Alec had no more doubts about whether or not she lived in Seattle or not.

She finally came to a stop at a high-rise building, and seemed to be waiting for something, possibly contemplating whether she should go inside or not, and then she started moving again, and Alec made up his mind, fingering the vial in his pocket.

"Max, wait up," he called out, and watched as she jolted, then froze stiff.

He closed the distance between them, but remained behind her.

"You can't be here," she whispered.

"There's something -" he started, but she cut him off, turning towards him.

"That was back at Manticore," she said. "I won't go back there with you ... I can't. No matter what ... feelings there are, I just can't."

Alec sighed, definitely wanting to discuss that more later, but pushed on. "Not what I meant. I was saying that there's something you need to know before you go see this "Eyes-Only" guy."

Max stared up at him. "How do you know about him?"

He looked at her, but didn't answer.

"Look, all you need to know is that Manticore injected you with a virus specifically targeted for him, and if your skin, your dna, comes into contact with his, he'll die," he told her.

She didn't want to believe him, but a part of her knew that her escape had been too easy. Even when she was out from under their thumb, Manticore was still sucking the life out of her.

She stood there, silent, for minutes. Alec waited patiently for her to process everything, hoping more than he should be that she wouldn't be mad at him.

As far as he was concerned, he wasn't going back to Manticore, and definitely wanted to stay in Seattle for a while, if she would have him.

"Is there a cure?" she wondered.

He looked down at her sad eyes and nodded, pulling the vial and a needle out of his pocket.

"I grabbed this before I left," he explained, handing them to her. "It should take a few hours to fully work its way through your system."

Max nodded. She looked up at the building beside them.

"It's only targeted for him?"

Alec nodded.

Max ran a hand through her hair then said to Alec, "Would you come somewhere with me?"

Alec nodded a little too enthusiastically, glad that she hadn't knocked him on his ass for keeping this from her for as long as he did, and followed her.

They made their way through a couple of sector's, using their genetically altered abilities to avoid the sector police, and finally they were at a messenger service called "Jam Pony".

Alec followed her inside, and he could tell that she was jittery.

He knew they must look like a spectacle to the people around them, both of them in obvious "army" clothing, but he figured there was more to the strange looks the people were throwing at Max in particular.

There were whispers of "oh my god, it's her!" or "she's alive?", and finally a loud shriek, and a short, dark woman was throwing herself into Max's arms.

"Thank God, you're okay!" she said to Max.

Max smiled lightly. "Well, thank Zack's heart," she said. "But yeah, I'm alright."

"When'd you get out?" the other woman wondered, still not letting go of Max.

"Just," Max replied.

"Who's the hottie?"

Max snorted at that, and let go of her best friend.

"Original Cindy, this is Alec, Alec, Original Cindy," she introduced.

OC sized him up and down and said, "So, he Manticore too?"

Max nodded.

"Figures. The only fine men I ever seen came from that lot," she said.

"Um ... thanks?" Alec said.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," came a voice from behind them.

Max turned to see Normal glaring at her. She felt more and more of herself coming back each passing minute, and smiled sarcastically at Normal.

"What can I say, the rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated," Max said, stepping away from the two beside her.

"Uh huh," Normal replied. "Well don't think you can just stroll back in here and take your job back, Missy Miss, we've got standards, so unless you have an exceptionally good reasoon for missing all that work, then you can just high-tail it back out of here."

Max cocked her head to the side. "I had a heart-transplant."

Normal laughed. "Well, I will say that is a new one."

Max rolled her eyes and lifted her top, baring her scar and ... other things, to Normal's bulging eyes.

"Well, that's a nice ... scar you got there."

"Yeah, well enjoy it while it lasts, it's fading fast," she replied. "This guy wants a job here," she said, pointing to Alec.

"I do?" he wondered. "Uh, I mean, yes, I do."

Normal sized him up then threw the clipboard with an application on it at him. "Fill that out in a minute and you're hired," he said. "Come on people, show's over, bip bip bip! Back to work!"

Alec put the clipboard back on the counter when he was done, and stood with his hands in his pockets, not really knowing what to do.
Then the girl named Original Cindy came over with Max and ushered him out the door, telling Normal they were going for their lunch break.

Max and OC held hands the entire way back to their apartment, both apparently afraid that if they let go, they would lose the other again. Alec understood that better than he should.

They finally reached their apartment, and Max climbed onto her motorcycle, hugging it tightly. "Oh, baby, I missed you so much," she purred to it. "Mommy will never ever leave you again."

Alec smiled at that as OC made coffee.

Alec said, "Before we forget, we should really give you that shot."

Max's face grew serious, and she nodded, sitting sideways on her bike, and pulling the vial and needle out of her pocket and handing them to Alec.

"Never was big on needles," she said sheepishly.

He nodded and pulled out an alcohol swap, cleaning a spot on the flipside of her elbow.

"Whatcha doin' with that?" OC wondered, walking over to them. "What you givin' my girl?"

"It's okay, Cin, those Manticore blow-holes injected me with a virus specifically targeted for Logan's DNA, and this is the anti-virus."

Original Cindy nodded. "You go see your boy yet?"

Max saw Alec stiffen at that, and looked at OC. "You mean my friend Logan? No, I was on my way there, when Alec filled me in."

"So, what, he on the run too?" she wondered.

"He's right here," Alec stated.

"Mmhmm," OC said.

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After much discussion, it was decided that Alec would stay with Max and Original Cindy until he got settled in a place of his own.

She didn't know what she was going to do about Logan. Whatever this thing was with Alec, it couldn't happen on the outside until she squared things away with Logan first. Which she was on her way to do ... wow, her life sucked.

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Okay, end of chapter Five.

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