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A Max/Alec fic.

Chapter Fourteen.

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Disclaimer: See previous chapters ...

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A/N: Well, I'm happy you guys are still enjoying this story. Only a few more chapters left to go before the big finale.

I just love this pairing, I wish that Dark Angel had gotten a third season. They could have resolved the Max/saviour thing, and expanded on the Alec romance, seeing as he was brought in to be a potential love-interest.

Oh well ... this is what fanfic is for.

I'll respond to reviews here:

AlecDeanFan: I'm happy you're still enjoying this story. Yes, that last chapter was a bit sad. It's all a lead-up to the final confrontation with White ... 'cause we all know that once Max reigns in that grief and channels it into angel, people are gonna get hurt ...

recicup: Lol, scary? Well, maybe a little. Honestly, I want to get these chapters up ASAP to make up for such a long absence. I hope you like this one, the next one should be up shortly.

Well, let's get on with it, shall we?

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

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Alec hadn't killed Logan, but he'd wanted to. He made his way to Max's apartment, needing to tell Original Cindy what had happened to her friend. He was barely keeping it together, but pounding on the Ordinary had helped a little.

He walked in, calling out her name.

OC came out of her bedroom, glancing at Alec in the doorway. "You guys done already? Pretty slick, you guys are getting good," she complimented. "Where's my boo at?" she wondered, noticing that Max hadn't come in with him.

Alec looked down at the floor. "She's at TC ... in a recovery room."

Original Cindy blinked, feeling her heart speeding up. "What happened?"

Alec gritted his teeth. "Logan screwed up, his guy was paid off or something. Some guy named 'White' and a bunch of other dudes ambushed us, killed Archer, and shot Max."

OC gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

Before she could ask, Alec told her, "She survived, but she ... Cindy, she was pregnant."

OC couldn't gather her thoughts, it was too much information to receive all at once. She couldn't work through the worry and fear for her friend's life, the relief at knowing she was alive, and then the sadness that she'd lost a baby she hadn't even known she'd had. She looked up at Alec, seeing the sadness and grief mirrored in his own eyes, and did the only thing she knew how to do. She walked over to him, pulling him into a comforting hug, knowing how he felt about her girl. They both needed a little comfort just then.

"Everything's gonna be okay," OC told him, working to believe the words as she said them. "Ain't nothing gonna keep my girl down."

Alec sagged into the embrace, bringing his hands up to grip the smaller girl's shoulders, wanting desperately to believe her.

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Doc had called Alec ten minutes ago, and he now stood outside Max's room. She hadn't told Max about the pregnancy, leaving that responsibility to Alec. After a few steadying breaths he made his way into the room, seeing Max's eyes flicker to his.

"Hey," she greeted with a weak voice.

Alec stood beside her bed, fiddling with his hands quietly. He felt a pressure on one of his hands, and looked down to see Max holding it with her own.

"I'm okay," she told him.

Alec shook his head. "Max, there's something I have to tell you."

Max frowned, looking at the serious, sad expression on his face. "What is it?"

He didn't want to have to tell her, but he knew it should come from him. "Max, when he shot you, he didn't just hurt you," Alec began.

Max nodded. "I know, I saw Archer go down. I guess I shouldn't have charged in like that."

Alec shook his head again. "That's not what I meant, Max ... you were ... I didn't find out until after Doc saved your life, that you were pregnant. I'm so sorry, Max."

Max blinked, feeling her heart constrict as she looked down at her gown-covered, bandaged stomach. "How - when?"

Alec answered as best as he knew. "Doc said you were probably four and a half months ... so when we were at Manticore. It's the only time we didn't use protection."

Max's eyes widened, realizing that she'd been pregnant for so long without knowing. And now it was too late ... the baby was gone. She didn't know what to do. Her eyes drifted down to the hand she held, looking at the red welts and cuts on them. "What happened?" she asked, her voice numb.

Alec looked down to see what she was referring to, and remembered the beating he'd given Logan. "A little stress-relief," he answered, deciding to tell her the whole story later.

Max nodded, not needing a further explanation.

"If you need some time alone to process ... it's okay," Alec told her, even though he didn't want to leave her side. "I can come back in a bit."

Max shook her head, gripping her hand as tightly as she could. "No, I want you to stay."

Alec nodded, and after a moment he lifted up the blanket and slid next to her on the bed, careful of her wound. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her drop her head against his chest, and a moment later the tears came. From both of them. Alec held her while she sobbed, feeling the wetness on his own cheeks, but he made himself remain strong for her, holding her and making soft, soothing noises until she finally passed out from exhaustion.

He stayed with her while she slept, wondering if they were going to be able to get past the loss of a child neither of them had known existed.

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It took three weeks for Max to get her strength back completely, and to get past her grief well-enough to get involved in the search for the man named 'White' who'd taken what was hers. She channeled all of her anger and sorrow and frustration into finding the bastard, knowing that when she did, he would pay for what he'd done.

She continued to refuse to carry a gun, but had found other weapons that she could use. A sharp hunting knife rested at her hip, and across her back was a large and powerful Japanese sword called a tachi. One of Alec's buddies from Manticore had told him about them, and he'd gotten it for her, needing her to have some way to protect herself other than her fists and sarcasm. She admired the weapons, imagining the things she could do to the man responsible for her pain, and started training with them immediately. Every pull of her stomach as she moved only made her train harder. Every time she thought of what her baby would look like when he or she was born, she gritted her teeth and resumed her training.

Alec had told her what he'd done to Logan, and she couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for him ... in a way, he too was responsible for what had happened. It was risky enough to use the same arms dealer twice, never mind consistently for a whole year. Everyone was on the take ... he should know that.

Alec and Max were still together, but things had been different between them. They still shared a bed, and worked effectively together, but they weren't as close as they'd been before. After what happened, Max couldn't bring herself to be intimate with him. She didn't want a repeat of what happened to her baby. But she didn't want to lose him either. She sat him down one day at her apartment, needing to explain herself.

"Alec, I don't want you to think that I don't ... I still have these feelings for you," she told him, unable to say that she loved him. It would only hurt more if she spoke those words aloud. "I just can't let myself ..."

Alec nodded, taking her hand. "I know, Max. I get it. And I'm not mad at you, so don't worry about that. Once this is all over - and some day it will be - I know we'll get back what we had. I can wait for you ... can you?"

Max listened to his words, surprised that he had just given her the speech she'd intended for him. After a long moment she met his eyes, nodding her head slowly. "I can."

Alec nodded in relief, feeling a little bit better. "We're gonna get this guy, Max. We won't stop until we do."

Max dipped her head, looking down at her hands. "I know."

He moved forward, wrapping his arms around her, embracing her carefully. When she didn't pull away he dropped his chin onto her shoulder, vowing that this wouldn't be goodbye.

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End of chapter fourteen.

So, what did you guys think?

Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful.

Until next time ...!