Chapter four: Broken

Two weeks had passed without any success at finding Alec, no one knew if he was dead or alive. Many people believed that White had killed him right away but no one dared speak those words especially around Max. She'd been called the next day of the mission and simply asked to come to TC. When Syl told her what happened, Max's first reaction was to faint.

"I don't understand how this could happen." Max was yelling to no one in particular, "How can they lose him, and leave him behind?" Frustration wasn't what she was feeling, somehow not knowing truly, why Max felt her world falling apart.

She'd done everything she could think of, they'd sent out more teams in search of him every night for two months straight. They'd sent out broadcasts for White requesting a bargain with him but White never replied to any of them.

Max had led a few of the missions herself, and that's when things got even worst. She'd gotten ambushed by three familiars who'd not taken it easy on her and before backup could reach her, they had beaten her pretty good. When she'd been brought back to TC is when she'd felt the sudden pain. It was like a knife was going right through her; she rushed to the hospital and upon finding the Doc she could only scream for him to save the baby.

He wasn't able to save her baby, and Max went into a deeper depression. She'd sent Logan away telling him she needed time all this was too much for her at the moment. First, she lost Alec and now she'd lost the only thing he'd left behind.

Things were slowly going back to a normal routine, and before they knew it, a year had passed and they'd finally received word that Alec was still alive and still Whites captive. Mole had been screening through some e-mails when one caught his attention with the subject line that read "Lost X5-494" quickly he clicked it open.

If you want your leader back, you can find him at the old port just out of Seattle.

'What does that mean, and who sent this?' Mole asked himself. "Someone get me Max and Dix." he yelled to anyone that was near him.

"I want to lead the team to go retrieve him." Max said trying to stand, ever since she'd heard the news her legs had started shacking and threaten to buck from under her.

"That's not a good idea, what if it's a trap? We seriously can't risk losing you." Biggs replied that's how they'd lost Alec in the first place and he new that if something went wrong and Max would get hurt he'd get it someday, somehow.

Max knew he was right, she just wanted to make sure nothing went wrong. "Alright but please just bring him home to us." Max replied, she'd meant that for everyone in TC still in denial about her true feelings about him. Especially since, she'd started dating Logan again.

Logan had given her the time needed, and she'd gone back to him. The transgenic weren't happy about it but no one said anything, they weren't in a position to object now that she wasn't pregnant and Alec wasn't there.

That night after the team left Max found herself praying, Mole was with her ever second of the time waiting to hear on the radio for any news. Biggs was heading the team, he'd been under Alec's orders ever since he could remember and they were more importantly best friends. If it was a possibility to bring Alec home Biggs would get it done at all costs.

Two hours later they only message they'd received on the radio was, "We're bringing him home, we need medics." A lot of people had been holding their breaths and started cheering and crying. It seemed like a party was going to get started they were all so happy. Once the shock was over people started running around getting a bed in the clinic ready, others were waiting outside with a gurney. Max just sat there with Mole holding her while she cried, it was the only thing she was able of doing. For once in her life, she wasn't afraid to let her guard down and show emotions.

After she'd settled down Mole, lead her down to the infirmary. "Doc, tell us some good news." Mole said still holding on to Max. She was still shaking a little but was strong enough to stand on her too feet.

"He'll be fine physically in a few days. They were sifting out his nanocytes so he wouldn't heal, as for his mental state I can't know anything until he wakes up." the doc replied closing his pad. "He needs rest right now; I'll call you if anything changes."

Max went to her apartment and called Logan to give him the news. Logan had wanted to come to TC and support her and see Alec but she told him not to. "No one can see him right now the doctor's orders." Max said actually not wanting to see Logan right now. "I've got to call OC and let her know we've found him." She never let him reply she'd hung up right away.

After telling OC they'd found him she'd hung up right away because OC simply replied "I'm coming I want to see my baby boo." Max had laughed and called down to the entrance letting them know that she was on her way.

It was funny that the transgenic didn't mind having OC around but they did Logan, hell they even liked Sketchy. At first, it bothered her but not so much now. She'd headed back to headquarters, she needed to keep herself busy or she'd find herself going back to the infirmary.

When OC arrived, the first place she went was the infirmary, she didn't want to bother anyone but she needed to just glimpse at him to truly believe he was home. Afterwards she went to find Max to which they headed back to her apartment and had a private celebration until OC asked the question Max was afraid of.

"What are you going to say to him?" OC didn't want to be the bad guy but they couldn't fool anyone, sooner or later the question would come up.

"I think the truth would be the best way to go. It's not like I can hide the fact that I don't have a child." Max replied feeling confident that it was as easy as that. The girls stayed locked up for two days just being girly girls as OC called it.

Biggs came knocking on her door around noon, Alec was awake. When they'd gotten to the infirmary there was already a crowd around his bed and you could hear Alec talking and laughing with them, he was already threatening people that he'd beat them at pool and other things that Alec was best at. Everyone got quiet when Max came in and opened a way for her to his bed.

Alec stopped talking and stared as she came to stand by him. She tried to speak but every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Finally OC spoke up, "well aren't you guys gonna say anything to each other?"

"Do we know each other?" Alec was the one that spoke first, and by the expression on his face, everyone knew he wasn't joking. He didn't know who Max was, he knew Mole, Biggs, Syl, OC and even Sketchy but he didn't know the one he loved.

I wanted you to know

That I love the way you laugh

I want to hold you high and steal your pain away

I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well

I want to hold you high and steal your pain

Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when your gone away

You've got a way, you don't feel me anymore