Set in TC, post Jam Pony hostage situation.

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I do not own any of the characters or places.

This fic is not actually connected to my other DA fic, And the Children Shall Lead Us, although some of the same characters are involved. Also, this will likely be a number of ficlets, each of which could potentially stand on its own. I have no idea how many will come or when. Hope you enjoy.

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"Wait, Josh. Come on, Big Guy." Alec pleaded as Joshua led him into TC's makeshift infirmary, pulling him by his good arm. "Max is just overreacting. I'm fine."

"Alec, not fine. Alec nearly fainted." Josh answered.

"X-5's don't faint, Josh. I just...stumbled a bit." Alec argued.

"Fell down steps...disoriented. Alec not ok." Seeing Alec about to continue his protest, Joshua added, "Little Fella say take Medium Fella to medics...Medium Fella get looked at....no arguments."

"Fine...whatever..." Alec huffed, flopping down on one of the room's two cots that served as both exam tables and hospital beds. "Fine....if it'll make Max happy....fine."

"Alec get looked at....then Alec be ok...make Josh happy." Joshua replied, releasing Alec's arm and patting him on the back. Joshua didn't miss Alec's flinch at the contact of the big dog-man's hand.

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Gem lay on one of the two cots in the infirmary, marveling at her beautiful new daughter. She could never have imagined the sense of pride and protectiveness she would feel for the wide eyed infant resting in her arms. She looked up suddenly as their quiet time was interrupted by the transhuman, Joshua, hauling a resisting X5-494, into the infirmary.

She thought back to earlier in the day, after the crash, when Joshua had led them to Jam Pony for help. She'd had no idea who this Alec was or how he'd be able to help, until she realized that Alec was X5-494. She remembered 494 from Manticore and knew that if anyone could get them out of this situation, 494 could. Despite his less than perfect record at Manticore, 494 was well trained and resourceful, giving Gem a measure of hope. She couldn't have imagined at the time how tense the next several hours would be.

She listened as 494, Alec, argued with the transhuman before finally giving in to the big dog man. She remembered that 494 had been shot, but that seemed like a fairly minor wound for a transgenic. Of course, who knew what might have happened to Alec during the fighting that followed. Gem had been a little pre-occupied at the time.

Her musings were soon interrupted by Sabrina, one of TC's two medics, coming in with a very odd looking contraption.

"It's the best I could come up with on such short notice." Sabrina shrugged, placing the makeshift bassinet next to Gem's cot. It was basically two open crates joined back to back. One crate sat with the opening down while the other crate sat on top of it with the opening up. A piece of an old blanket covered the inside of the top crate.

"Well, beggars can't be choosy." Gem replied with a smile, sitting up on the cot to lower the baby into her new bed. She had her daughter and they were free, at least for the time being. That's all Gem really cared about at the moment.

"You should get some rest." Sabrina instructed, before turning toward the X-5 sitting on the other cot, apparently with his own personal guard dog. X5-494, Alec, had been flirting with her, teasing in his bright green eyes, just a couple of nights ago. He didn't look so flirtatious now. Now he looked spent, his face pale, green eyes hooded, the left surrounded by bruises. This was the soldier she remembered from Manticore, at least it was for several months after his botched mission and reindoctrination. He had just finally seemed to be recovering from that when he was sent back to psy-ops for his twin's misdeeds. It seemed the guy just couldn't catch a break. Sabrina new that Alec had been involved in the stand-off at Jam Pony earlier because the transgenics and transhumans inside TC had watched the news footage for most of the day. She'd also heard about 494's bullet wound.

Approaching Alec and the canine transhuman, she smiled, "I thought I told you I wouldn't' go out with you, Alec. Guess you just couldn't stay away."

"You just give me the all clear so I can get Max and Josh here off my back and I'll be out of your hair, Bree." Alec assured her.

"Alec hurt," Josh butted in, much to Alec's dismay. "Almost fainted."

"I didn't faint!" Alec defended as Sabrina's eyebrows rose. "Transgenics don't faint," he huffed.

"You do look a little pale, Alec," the medic commented, noting the faint sheen of sweat on 494's forehead. "Is it the bullet wound?"

"No, the wound's fine." Alec answered. "Dalton got the bullet out and dressed it."

"Head wound?" Sabrina questioned, taking Alec's head in her hands and searching for cuts or lumps. She found an egg size knot on the back of Alec's head and moved around him to take a closer look. "No bleeding," She commented, "But you could have a concussion. Were you knocked unconscious during the fight?"

"No," Alec insisted. "It's not my head."

"Then why'd you faint?" Sabrina quizzed, coming around to face Alec again.

"I DIDN'T FAI…..I didn't faint, ok. I went to take a whiz….and started peeing blood….ok. That's enough to make any man …transgenic….whatever….a little weak in the knees. It just…took me a few minutes to recover." Alec grumbled.

"I guess you've got a point there," Sabrina conceded. "Shirt off," she ordered, then watched as Alec struggled to get his shirt over his head, while Joshua awkwardly tried to help.

Alec's chest, sides, and back were livid with bruises, particularly over his left kidney.

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Gem bit her lip, schooling her face into her Manticore mask, in an attempt to keep from laughing at 494's indignance when accused of fainting. But ouch, peeing blood couldn't be much fun and all those bruises had to hurt, a fact that Alec confirmed, when he let out a tiny gasp as his shirt finally came over his head and again when Sabrina began to poke and prod at his ribs.

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Taking a step back, Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you've definitely got some broken ribs, maybe a concussion. The blood in your urine should stop in a couple of days, provided your kidney's only bruised and not punctured."

She shrugged at the startled look on Alec's face. "If we had Manticore's capabilities we could do a scan, or at least an ultrasound. Here…" Sabrina motioned to the bare essential equipment around them, "all we can do is wait, monitor your vitals, transfuse you if needed…."

"Great," Alec mumbled, trying to get his shirt back over his head.

Sabrina stepped forward to help out, wishing she could do more for her fellow X-5. But, trapped here in Terminal City with the police and probably the National Guard surrounding the fence by now, all she could do was wait and hope Alec and the rest of them survived.

"You should rest, Alec." She held up her hand to stop his protest. "At least for three or four hours, preferably more."

"Alec rest," Joshua agreed. "Max said…make Alec do what medics say…Alec rest."

Sighing, Alec lay back on the cot, knowing he couldn't fight these two and not really wanting to. He was wiped out, hurting all over, and wondering how long it would be before the military burst through TC's gates to finish off what White's goons started.

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Alec tensed at the unfamiliar sound, looking around, trying to figure out where he was and what was happening. With much relief, he recognized TC's infirmary. Sabrina had awakened him several times during the last few hours checking his vitals and making sure he was coherent. Finally she'd declared that she thought he'd make it and let him rest. Alec wasn't sure how long he'd slept and he had no idea where that mewling noise he kept hearing was coming from.

Resisting the groan that tried to escape as he sat up, Alec looked around the room. Gem, the X-5 who'd given birth literally in the middle of a war zone, lay sleeping on the cot across from his. Then Alec noted the crates next to Gem's bed and realized where the noise that awakened him was coming from. Rising and padding softly across the room, he looked down into the biggest brown eyes he'd ever seen.

"Hey there," he whispered, only to see the tiny face scrunch up and tiny lips quiver as the faintest cry cam from Gem's baby. "Shhhh…shhhh…shhhh…shhhh," Alec tried to quiet her. "You'll wake your Mom," he reasoned. "She's done a warrior's duty today and then some, little one." Seeing that his reasoning was getting nowhere and that the tiny transgenic tot looked about ready to wail, Alec did the only thing he could think to do. He reached down, picked the baby up with one big hand under her head and shoulders and the other under her little bottom, and held her almost at arm's length with an expression on his face that said, 'what now, kid?'

Much to Alec's surprise the little face stopped scrunching, the tiny lips stopped quivering, and the baby looked at him with a look that said, 'who are you, you big lug?"

"Well now, aren't you a pretty thing?" Alec cooed, bringing the baby closer, resting her head in the crook of one arm, his other hand still under her bottom.

"She certainly is," Gem suddenly answered.

Alec, engrossed with the little beauty in his arms, nearly jumped out of his skin, turning quickly toward Gem, who had to laugh because Alec looked like he'd been caught stealing the crown jewels.

"Ahh…sorry," Alec apologized, his reddening cheeks showing more color than Gem had seen in them all night. "I ahhh…she was crying…and ahh…."

"It's ok, 494….Alec," Gem corrected herself. "You can hold her."

Alec looked around as if he was unsure what to do until Gem sat up and patted the bed beside her legs. "Why don't you sit down?" She knew that with 494's reflexes he'd never drop her daughter, but he looked so skittish right now that she didn't want to take any chances.

Alec nodded mutely before sitting on the edge of the bed, looking back at the baby in his arms. "She is beautiful." He commented so quietly that Gem was pressed to hear it, even with her transgenic senses.

"I think so," Gem replied.

"What's her name?" Alec couldn't help but be curious.

"Nadia…it means…"

"Hope…in Slavic," Alec supplied, nodding his head in agreement. "It fits."