Deadly Fix

Summary: Max, Alec, the cure, a hostage situation…

Sorry for any confusion. These stories aren't sequels. I just have a bizarre fondness for title groupings.

Chapter Two

Max sat in the chair, uncomfortably staring at the ceiling. Logan was sitting in the other chair, probably staring at her. She knew she'd been quiet since they'd arrived at the research facility where the doctor worked now, but Max didn't feel like talking. Not even to reassure Logan that she was happy about the idea of finally curing the virus. She had too many thoughts warring for her attention.

She was happy. She was. Walking around knowing you could kill a person just by bumping into them wasn't a good way to live. The problem was that Logan was looking at her like it would fix everything else in their lives. It wouldn't feed or clothe an ever-growing mass of transgenics. It wouldn't convince the world that she wasn't Queen of the Army of Evil that was going to march into Seattle and start eating babies. It wouldn't wipe away the awkwardness that had crept in ever since the virus happened, more so since Alec being her non-boyfriend and the lockdown on TC happened. It wouldn't wipe away the memory of the look on Alec's face when she'd told him about the cure. He'd looked… betrayed. As if she was just going to leave them all behind, leap into Logan's arms and run off to Hawaii or wherever?

"You ok?"

Max turned her head to look at Logan and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Nervous?"

"Only that Alec isn't going to show," she said, although she knew it was unfair. She'd been thinking about him anyway and Alec was just an easy target. It would give Logan something to focus on other than her.

"I should have known it wasn't real," Logan said. "You and Alec."

Max stifled the two thoughts she had simultaneously. First to say, yeah, you should have and second, to defend Alec. It obviously wasn't that unbelievable, or Logan wouldn't have accepted it so easily. "It was too dangerous to be together. We both knew it."

"No," Logan said, a touch of anger showing through, "we didn't."

"We should have," Max replied. They'd been hashing and rehashing this ever since Logan had located the doctor a week earlier and it was getting really old.

"I still can't believe you got Alec to go along with it for that long."

"Yeah." Max was, too. Alec had gone above and beyond the call of duty. It had been weird really. And then he'd seen her holding Logan's hand at the flag raising and it had gotten weirder. He hadn't said anything, but she'd known he wasn't happy about it. He'd caught her talking to Logan a few other times and the tension levels had been unpleasant. It was partly why she'd decided to just go ahead and fess up when Logan said he'd found the doctor. She'd hoped it would make things easier between them.

She'd dragged Alec into her way of life kicking and screaming, forcing him to care when his instincts were only to protect himself. It had taken time, but he'd done it. Joshua first, then gradually others were added to those he offered attention or help, although Alec still kept them at arms length. She was the only one who'd been allowed to see him with his barriers down.

The night before, she'd expected Alec to look relieved when he knew she'd finally let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. He hadn't though. Angry. He'd been so angry. Angry at her for running right back to Logan. And leaving him alone. Again. Sometimes she caught him when he thought no one was looking. Alec was the most social person she knew, and yet the most alone.

"What are you thinking about?" Logan asked.

"Just wondering where Alec is," she said, frowning. "He's late."

"Probably just dragging himself in from a date now that he's free to be a playboy again," Logan observed.

Max tried not to show how much that thought bothered her. She and Alec had practically spent every waking moment together since the Jam Pony disaster. The idea that he could just run off and do whatever stupid crap he'd done before… It was unthinkable. He was her right hand man. When she ruffled the wrong feathers, Alec was the one who smoothed them. When she was the one ready to kill a scaly, cigar-smoking know-it-all, Alec was the one who calmed her down. Times when she was stressed out of her mind, a maddening smirk from him reminded her that it was nothing they couldn't handle together. Times like now. Where. Was. Alec?

The door opened and Alec sauntered in, a grin on his face. "Ah, my two favorite people in the whole world."

A lab coat wearing technician who had been following Alec, gestured toward the last empty seat in front of the desk. "Have a seat, sir. The doctor will be with you all shortly."

Alec nodded, scanning the room, and Max almost smiled, suddenly more relaxed now that he was present. She knew he was checking for weaknesses, exits, danger zones, etc. She'd done it herself. Finally, he walked toward the chair beside Max and dragged it a bit to where he was more comfortable with his defense. He had a good view of the door and was more out of the window's direct line of sight.

"So what's the plan here?" Alec asked. "They need samples of everybody and we're done?"

"They already have all the samples they need," Max answered. "We're here because he thinks he's got the answer."

"They already…" Alec sat up straighter in his chair. "They've already got my DNA?"

"Yeah, I gave them some of the leftover blood you donated when Cricket got hurt," she said.

"You gave them my DNA."

"Yes."

"When?"

"A week ago."

"You gave it to them a week ago," Alec said, his voice flat, his eyes boring into her.

"That's what I said. Is there a problem?" Max asked, feeling her temper flare.

Alec just looked at her, his face unreadable. "You just gave a Manticore doctor my DNA to mess around with and couldn't be bothered to tell me?" he asked carefully.

"I didn't think it was important," Max replied, unease creeping up and overtaking her anger. "Logan checked him out. The doctor's done good things since he left Manticore. I've already met him, too. He's not like some of them, so don't worry."

"Fine," Alec said tightly. "Fine."

She could tell it wasn't. She'd taken something of his and just handed it over. Max hadn't thought of it like that and Alec's behavior told her that she should have. At the time, she'd just been in a hurry to hand over anything that might help the doctor fix her.

"What's going on, guys?" Logan asked, feeling the tension in the room, but not really understanding it.

"Nothing." Alec stood from his chair and Max was reminded of his sudden urge to pace the night before. This time he walked to the wall and leaned his back against it. Alec crossed his arms over his chest, putting more distance between them.

The door opened again and this time the doctor stepped into the room. "Good morning."

Logan stood and held his hand out to the man who shook it. Max didn't shake hands, but she nodded in greeting. She turned to look at Alec and her eyes widened. There was no visible difference in the way he was standing, but she could tell. It was fight or flight time.

Alec was controlling his breathing, his eyes not moving from the doctor. Not good. Alec knew the doctor from before. She could see it written all over him. Yet another thing she'd completely ignored when she'd asked him to come here. She hadn't recognized the guy, but Alec had been at Manticore so much longer. Of course, he would know more of the doctors than she would. She'd been so wrapped up in the cure, she'd ignored everything.

"Alec?"

"Yes?" He still had his eyes on the doctor.

"Everything ok?"

He didn't answer. Max supposed because he wasn't sure yet. She really looked at him and for the first time she could see exhaustion hiding in the background. His eyes were slightly sunken and he was paler than he should have been. How on earth had she missed that? For something like that to show on a transgenic, it would take… weeks.

"I'm told your name is Alec," the doctor said. He waited, but there was no response. "I'm Dr. Miller."

"I know your name," Alec said lowly, a definite warning.

The doctor knew it too. He'd worked at Manticore. He knew what he was dealing with and to tread lightly. "I am glad we can meet under better circumstances," he said carefully. "I know it was not so pleasant the last time." Alec still didn't respond and the doctor pressed on. "I am here to help right this if I can. I cannot change everything that happened at Manticore, but this one I can do something about."

Alec stood away from the wall, his stance turning aggressive, and Max quickly decided she needed to do something before this went any further. "Guys, give me a minute with Alec."

"Of course," Dr. Miller said, smart enough to know not to mess with a stressed transgenic who wasn't restrained. "Mr. Cale, perhaps you would like a tour of the facility? See the sort of things we're working on?"

Logan nodded his agreement, but Max could tell he didn't understand. He was looking at Alec angrily, as if he were purposely holding up the works. She was impatient herself, but Alec was here because she'd asked him to be. She'd screwed this one up royally and she was going to have to fix it. "We just need a minute, ok?" Max offered him a smile. Logan nodded again and followed the doctor through the door, closing it behind him.

Max stood and walked over to Alec, standing directly in front of him. "You can't kill him. We need him."

Alec let out a startled laugh. "I won't kill him, Max. As Manticore went, he wasn't too bad."

"Then why do you look ready to bolt?"

"Cause the last time I met him, I was strapped to a table begging him to give me a gun so I could blow my own head off."

Max just blinked. He'd said it so matter-of-factly. Like she'd say she'd stopped for coffee on the way here.

Alec brushed past her, moving farther into the room where she couldn't crowd him. He still had his arms crossed, physically closing himself off from her.

"What happened?"

Alec smirked. "He said no."

Max rolled his eyes. "I figured that much. I meant why?"

"They weren't very trusting after I screwed up with Berrisford. The first few times they sent me out, they gave me a virus that had a set life. I do the job and come back on time, they fix it. I don't come back, I get sick and die."

"You didn't go back?" Max asked surprised.

Alec shook his head. "Got delayed. Eastern Europe. Missed a train, of all things, and had some trouble tracking the mark. Virus was already killing me by the time I got back. Talk about a bad day at the office. I had this rash right on my-"

"I get it," Max said before he could go any further. And she did get it. She'd seen the virus' effect on Logan. A virus that could bring down a transgenic would have to be even nastier. "Alec, this guy really has helped people since he left Manticore. I need you to do this."

A sly smile spread across his face. "What's it worth to you?"

"Huh?"

"You get to tell everybody we weren't able to get any meat this week. We're vegetarians until we can make some new arrangements."

Max grimaced. "You trying to get me lynched? I was counting on you to get us through that announcement. Everybody'll forgive you. They'll just be pissed at me."

"You think you'd be used to it by now," he smirked. Max smacked him and his grin widened. "So we have a deal?"

"You that desperate to get out of handling the fallout? You have a hot date?" she asked, unhappy with just how surly she sounded.

Alec looked at her, studying her so closely, Max wanted to fidget. "You're the one with the hot date," he finally said. "We get this taken care of, you and Logan can have at it."

Max felt herself bristling. Why did everyone immediately assume the first thing she was going to do was jump Logan? As if sex with Logan was her entire goal in life?

"And you assume the first thing I'm gonna do is go find some random girl?" Alec asked pointedly.

Max's eyes widened. He'd known exactly what she was thinking. Had she been that easy to read? "You've got enough of them looking at you," Max finally said.

"Nice of you to notice," he replied. "So are we gonna do this today? You've got an announcement to make."

"Are you gonna hit the doctor?"

"I'll try not to."

"Then let's do it."

Alec raised an eyebrow and Max glared. "Do you have to turn everything into something dirty?"

The door behind him opened and Max saw him fight not to react. Instead he kept his eyes on her, almost as if she were anchoring him. "It helps get me through the day," he said with a smile.

"What does?" Logan asked.

"Booze mostly," Alec said, turning toward the two men walking back into the room.

The doctor walked in behind Logan carrying a tray with a small syringe on it, along with the normal supplies for giving a shot. Alec very casually backed up a pace and Max met him, placing a hand on his arm to both stop him and offer what comfort she could. Logan noticed what she'd done and frowned, but she refused to leave Alec's side. The fact that he was so openly bothered by this was a testament to just how much was going on in his head.

"Suck it up, Alec. You've had a lot of shots," she said.

"You must have had a stray nun in your DNA mix," he replied. "Compassion's your middle name. It would also explain the frigid thing you've got going."

Max hit him promptly then replaced her hand on his arm. She knew his defense mechanisms were working overtime. The only reason he was still in the room was because she'd asked him to be. That made him her responsibility right now.

"All right," the doctor said. "What we've done is make a virus for your virus, Max."

"So the shot's for Max?" Alec asked. "Then what am I here for?"

"No, the shot's for you," the doctor said and Max felt Alec's muscles tense again under her fingers. "That's why I asked for Max's breeding partner. You have the most compatible DNA. It meshes well with hers. The virus has to be coded for the carrier's DNA as well. That's why Max hasn't passed it to others who could then infect Mr. Cale."

"Nice of Manticore to be so careful," Max frowned.

The doctor only nodded. "We've taken Max's virus and made another one targeted specifically for it. It's like what they did to infect Mr. Cale, only this new virus is targeted for the old virus."

Alec was watching the doctor very closely as he put on a pair of latex gloves. "And you need me because…"

"As I said, this is a companion virus to the one that Max is already carrying. We need another carrier with compatible DNA to incubate the new one. It should be harmless to you, as well as to Max. All it will do is target the old virus and destroy it. Just like the old one, a simple touch will activate it."

Alec shifted from one foot to the other. "You said incubate. How long do we have to wait before the new virus is ready?"

"48 hours should be sufficient," the doctor said. "That will give the virus time to develop properly. Once Max is infected, it should be almost instantaneous, but we'll, of course, do more tests to ensure that Max's old virus has indeed been neutralized."

He made it sound so simple, Max thought. After all of the pain the virus had caused, the doctor could take it away just as easily as Manticore had given it to her in the first place. Her eyes met Logan's and she could see the simple joy so plainly visible there. His hands were restless, wanting to reach out to her, and she could feel the hope that she'd hardly dared to feel begin to bubble up inside her. She'd hurt so many people that she cared about and now she had a chance to ensure that Logan wouldn't be one of them. She wasn't going to be a danger anymore. She wasn't going to be defective. She was going to be whole again.

A movement beside her surprised her. Alec had pulled away and was looking at her face. Whatever he saw there, he smiled sadly, a flash of pain in his eyes, then he turned away from her. Alec walked toward the doctor's desk, grabbed the syringe and jammed it into his arm, quickly depressing the plunger. He then tossed it back onto the tray in front of the gaping medical man. He looked at her over his shoulder, a serene mask firmly in place. I'm always all right.

"Alec…"

"See you in 48, Maxie." Alec walked out of the room and didn't look back.

More soon…