CHAPTER 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or any of it's characters.

Things around Terminal City began to get back to normal, the protesters outside started to get bored and look for other things to do for most of the day instead of harass and abuse the transgenics they hated so strongly. Alec, Joshua and Mole made sure the accommodations around the place sucked just a little bit less by getting the X6s and X7s to clean the place up some while the X5s and nomalies built what they could for permanent homes with what they had, which was well enough for them to do. They had an extent of tunnels below so the Xs undercover could bring in supplies and needs of their friends and family in Terminal City. While Max recovered nicely at her old crib Alec ran the show along with Dix and Luke keeping the protesters and reporters at bay. Joshua, now very happy and in a much more joyful mood after finding out Max's condition was yet again well and in a perfect state and well being, had yet again teamed up with Mole and went about the city checking up on the others and helping when they could, taking down reports of complaints to suggestions and questions. Alec was glad Max was well again when he saw her back at White's torture chamber it was a sight that broke him completely, lucky his training allowed him to dismiss his feelings and do what was necessary for her survival. Her weakened state and broken body hit him hard and his hatred for White leveled with that of Joshua's, the only difference between him and Joshua was- he made his own rules. The newest one he now had? The next time he saw White, he would kill him without a second thought, not Max or the police or anyone with any moral standards would stop him. White will never do to anyone else what he did to Max, Alec would make sure of it the next time he was able to. He had seen the extent of her damage and was glad her fast healing enabled her to get better quicker than the average human being, if not, who knows what her state would've been all he knew was that he liked the smart mouth, quick minded Max back and did. She showed up to make an appearance one night to the lot and had to go see Ace, one of her "brothers" she left at Manticore when she escaped. They chatted for quite a while until she came back to Joshua who nearly gave her a few new broken bones when he bear hugged the air right out of her, and gave a smart "hello" to himself when she walked pass, or maybe it was more of a, "What are you still doing here?" He couldn't remember. She seemed much more happier and relaxed now, and he could only imagine why...

"You seem at ease." He said casually but insinuating something completely different.

"Was," She corrected, "Then you stepped in."

"Felling better? You look better, too bad he didn't get to your vocal cords too, help us out a little." He shrugged.

She looked at him and instead of the angry look she tried to portray, there was something else there, and she must've realized it cause she looked away before he could read it.

"Do you have a purpose or are you here just to mess up my day?" She asked snottily.

"You know Max, you can fool some of them out there, but not me, not some of the others out there either. It's pointless you know." He said a bit seriously but in a light tone.

She looked at him once again as if he struck something within her and her eyes seemed so full of whatever she was feeling it was hard to depict what exactly that was. He wondered if it was apart of him too- the look, the transparent look that was a dead give away to what his heart was feeling. It was, it was in him, in Max and every other soldier that was ever taught the cold, brick wall stare that blocked all emotion, sometimes it didn't work, especially when it hit close to home. What ever Max was thinking about was hitting her hard.

"Do you... want to talk?" He tried again.

"Since when did you become my therapist, Alec?"

"Well, if you don't want to say anything I will. I'm really glad you're all right, and White will get what's coming to him. He almost killed you-"

"What?" She said before he could finish, which he knew she would, "Alec if you kill him-"

"What?" he interjected rather loudly, "The guards behind the gate might not trust us? The mobs out there will cry blood? Too late, Max!" He stood now towering over her seated form, "No matter what we do they won't ever accept us." He crouched low at eye level with her, "Max when I saw you lying there that was no joking matter," Her eyes lowered and she wouldn't bring them up to his for a second, "He hit you head on with a car, then beat you senseless, if you didn't get medical attention soon you would have been dead. What will it take for you to realize that someone has to stop him? Does someone have to get killed before you'll agree to it? How many more lives must he ruin? Joshua, you, me, hell even Logan's, not to mention everyone from Manticore, he ruins people's lives and if he were gone then we could focus on the real matter at hand- Terminal City. If you haven't noticed, we've been decreasing the nomalies and X series are going to ground and finding new havens to live. Hell, I've been sneaking out of here some nights just the same as you have. I'm sorry, Max I have to do what I have to do, and I'm doing what's necessary to survive, if Manticore didn't instill in me anything else, it was that."

He had left her there, that was days ago since then she'd go around meeting and hanging out with some of the others asking them how they were and that she understood their actions and need to get away. He would send recon teams around the perimeter every night to surveillance what the cameras didn't catch, all was clear. He'd sometimes take his bike far from the city and into new areas where he wasn't recognized just to hang out at a bar or club, and every now and then he'd sneak into a tattoo parlor and remove the appearing barcode it was a painful process but necessary to survive.

Today had seemed a bit off from the beginning, there were a few less nomalies in one section where he swore there were a few more of them, Max had came in earlier talking to Dix and Luke about what they might need to get by for the next week. The thing that was off about her was that she seemed distracted and flushed, Joshua pulled her aside and whispered something to her, what ever he said must've unsettled her cause she ran out before he finished.

"Hey, what happened?" Dix asked.

"Max feel sick, she had to go home." Was all he said.

"From that virus?" Alec asked confused.

"No." With that he left the room.

"Wait!" Alec yelled, "Shouldn't we go see if she's all right?"

"No!" He yelled back.

Alec shrugged and went through out the tunnels below and emerged in an abandoned building. He pulled on his hoodie and shades to conceal his identity- which he proudly saw Max take the idea some months ago and do. He took his bike and sped down the allies and back streets, passed the sector police and rode for a while to one of the safe houses. He hopped off and went in to chill for awhile in his down time,

"Alec! Oh my God your here!" Coran said. The house seemed to have been ran sacked bad.

"Coran? What are you doing here? Where's Rin, Dan and the others? What about Jax? I didn't even see him out there." Coran was one of the '09 escapees Rin and Dan were X5s undercover and Jax- was an X7 addicted to some video game he got his name from.

"It was horrible, White- he tracked one of us down to this house- I think one of the X7s, Kali yeah it was her. She came back with some of the others from her unit with the supplies and he ambushed them! They were kids, just nine years old and they just killed all of them! Rin, Dan and Jax were here waiting when they saw those "Familiar" guys jump out and mow down the group, they went for cover but her and Jax didn't make it, Kali and her group didn't know what hit them, Jax ran over to save as many as possible when he got one between the eyes and Rin was so upset at the sight of the kids she shot as many as possible- she got three before they hit her with multiple rounds to the chest. Dan called me and Zane, and I called Vic and Seth. Seth was our XO back then so he decided to send Dan and Zane out on reconnaissance duty, I was told to stay here and guard the perimeter, Vic is on the other side keeping watch and Seth is out sending word to gather up the troops- it's going to be a war. Ben, Brin, Tinga, Zack... then Max was almost killed, Seth is very upset he's out for blood. Our whole unit is being killed off and especially the twelve of us. You know back at Manticore we were very close... Me and Vic, Seth and Zack, Max and Jondy, Tinga and Brin it was like if one left, their "equal" was with them, thats why Zack paired us up the way he did, and now look, we got a bunch of dead kids and a ran shacked house. I was waiting for you to come by... I need to find Seth right now and you need to stay with Vic."

"No, wait-" Alec tried.

"No! Look, Vic is right out side and Seth is on his way to Terminal City to gather up what's left of our unit there. He'll be getting the others that are in hiding too, Syl, Jondy, Krit... I have to be there, he's the closest thing to a brother I have, and I've already lost too many brothers and sisters- I almost lost Maxie too, I'm tired of our blood being spilled because of us just trying to be free of trying to live and make it in this broken world we live in. I'm going to find Seth, you and Vic stay here and until me and him get back." Before he left he took one last look at Alec, "I wonder how Max does it... She sees you every day and yet can look pass the looks."

Alec gave him an odd uncomfortable look, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ben, you look just like my brother, Ben. I don't know how she can look pass that."

He walked out the door and closed it with the lock on leaving Alec sitting there feeling just a little out of place.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Max sat in the tunnels below where they went in and out of Terminal City, she was brooding over the fact that for the next three days she would have to keep a low profile until her estrus cycle was finally gone. It was the most embarrassing time for her to know that at anytime she could lose control and make the worst mistake ever. It's happened time and time again, and sometimes she felt that low and disgusted feeling with herself when she realized what she'd done when it was all over. I've got to go home, she thought. She went through out the tunnels until she reached her new motorcycle that Logan had given her. Logan, she thought, I could go there he can help me- I mean we are together, right? But the voice also informed her that he'd see this new embarrassing side to her that he might not like. What if he thinks this is just an excuse from her? An excuse to be with someone else? She can hear the battle of conflicting thoughts play in her mind as she pushed her bike through the end of the tunnel and into an abandoned building in Sector 7. She hopped on and raced through the remaining sectors until she reached her old crib, she rolled the bike inside and crashed onto her bed in the empty apartment. She knew Original Cindy was at work and Logan was probably at his new place working on some new Eyes Only project. She would just lay low, lay low until this bitch was over, then she could see what was going on at Terminal City, too bad Dix and Luke didn't elaborate more.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"We're moving out." Vic informed.

"What?" Alec said getting up, he had been stuck there for a few hours knowing something big was going on out there and he wasn't apart of it.

"We're leaving. Seth and Coran just called, Dan and Zane just came back with word of a movement. The Familiars are setting up a plan to take us out with the help of connections they have with the FBI, CIA, and NSA. They even have people in the government. It's a war now, and Seth has a group set up to take out the first wave, they just have to find Max and Reese."

"I don't know about Max... Reese? Who's that?" He asked.

"He was in our unit back then, don't worry about it." Vic grabbed his jacket, "Come on."

They raced towards the tunnels until Alec stopped abruptly, "Wait!"

Vic rolled the window down along side him, "What's up?"

"Max, should we get her?"

"You know where she is?"

"Yeah she might be at home. Come on, I might know where." Alec and Vic sped to her apartment and went into the building.

"She lives here?" Vic said, "You know I hadn't seen Maxie since the escape."

"Really?" Alec said, "But you've been involved with Terminal City since...?"

"I know, I know but every time I sung by she was out or doing something with that Logan guy or something. I can't wait to see her."

"Yeah, yeah." Alec rolled his eyes. He knocked on the door and waited.

"Who is it?" He heard a breathless voice ask.

"Open the door what are you doing?" He asked a bit annoyed.

"Alec?" Her voice sounded like she'd been in a battle, or was that fear? "You know, this isn't a very good time right now Alec, how about I come see you in a few days?"

"What? No." He pushed open the door and walked in, Vic following close behind.

"Alec! What the hell are you-" She stopped looking at Vic and he saw her eyes almost come to realization almost instantly. "Vic...? Vic!" She jumped into his arms instantly and he returned the hug tightly, and Alec could actually see the affection between them, he felt a little out of place once again.

"Ok, we got Max can we go now?"

"What? Go where?" She asked, and he saw now how heavy she was breathing and how uncomfortable she felt.

"Are you ok?" Vic asked.

She looked at the floor and backed up some, "I can't go anywhere. You two have to go, I'll see you tomorrow or so, ok? Promise."

Alec thought for a moment what her behavior might depict, what might be wrong or what she might be hiding. They took Behavior and Psychology course back at Manticore. There they learned what to look for when a person was lying and what they're body language and facial features actually said. But this was a lot easier, he'd actually seen this before, but he couldn't figure out where...

"Um, ok Maxie. I'll let Seth and the others know."

"Seth?" She said wistful, "Who else?"

"We'll see. Just take care of yourself, Seth is out there now because of you. He heard what happened to the rest of the 12 of us, and he's not happy at all. Zack, Ben, Tinga, Brin, and then you... well, good thing you made it." He touched her cheek, "You turned out beautiful Maxie," he smiled "Just like the rest of them."

She had tears in her eyes and she touched his hand, "I missed you, Vic."

"See you soon, baby sis." He kissed her cheek and left out the door.

Alec smiled finally remembering what he was trying to figure out he walked up to her and saw her gasp taking a step back.

"I said go away, what are you, deaf?" She scowled.

"You know Max, back at Manticore there were quite a few female X5s that exhibited symptoms of Estrous cycles... The doctors and techs there experimented all the time there trying to figure out what exactly made that happen. What in the genetic make up caused their feline DNA to overtake their human DNA in the female reproductive system? They came up with the conclusion of a certain strand they were introduced to since the in vitro. Some of the males even showed signs of sensing these times in "heat" as they conveniently put it. Most of the females were made barren because of the interference they caused about 2- 3 times a year during training, others were allowed to keep it for experimental reasons. So, I guess you're lucky you escaped."

Her heart was pounding and he knew it, he liked her being angry at him, and she was probably more furious than she could show. He knew that the stronger feline side was out now and it wouldn't allow her to feel anger, only desire- the desire to copulate, to reproduce, something that was far from Max's personal agenda.

"So what, you know what's going on. Then you should know that you being here isn't a good idea." She said her breathing slowing and becoming deeper.

He laughed, he would never let her live this down, "Aww, Maxie... you don't even like me like that. Besides, aren't you and Logan an item? Go let him take care of you."

She sat down fidgeting and rubbing her hands against her thighs, "Don't call me that. Besides, I can't let him see me like this, I'm like... some kind of freak right now. I hate this... I hate this. Just two more days, then it'll be gone, just 48 more hours. I can do this... I can do it."

He laughed, "What ever you say." He walked to the door, "Don't do anything you gonna regret."

He left leaving her there with a look of hurt and unease giving him the impression she'd already done so in the past. Him and Vic went straight to Terminal City, Alec on his motorcycle and Vic in his newly stolen black sports car, Alec made a mental note to borrow that one day from him, it was too nice to be driven by just one person.

"Max all right?" Vic asked as they went through the tunnels.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just some female stuff I guess. So, where's this XO Seth of yours? Does he have your little unit back again?"

"That's the word that was passed. Let's find out." Vic said simply.

"So, I just have to ask, do all of you think of yourselves as one big family?" Alec inquired.

Vic looked at him questionably, "Didn't your unit? I mean, I'm guessing if Ben was cloned, then all of us were. All we have is each other, all of us look out for one another and take care of each of us. I'd do anything for them, and I know they would for me. Zack was our leader, he did what ever was necessary to keep us safe. After Jack died he swore that no one else would follow him. Then Max, getting that seizure... she was next to go under the knife and he wouldn't allow that. Her and Jondy were just as close as ever back then, they were the youngest, if something happened to Max most of us would have been devastated. She was crushed to see Jack under the knife and during the escape Eva was killed by Lydecker's own gun trying to protect her... Jondy never did get over that memory and I have a feeling neither did she. Eva was just as important to us, I still have nightmares about that night. If they weren't my family, then I'd sure as hell would like to know what the hell you'd call them, they're all I have in this world now and I'd be damned if anyone kills anymore of them off."

Vic didn't wait for an expression or anything from Alec he just continued until he got to the main room. There, sitting around Seth was the crew Vic referred to as his brothers and sisters, Alec knew some and some were brand new.

"How's it going? Max can't make it, she's not feeling well. I don't even think she's in the wind about this. So who's here, everyone?"

"Well, not everyone," Seth mumbled.

"Can some one give the ones who've been in hiding for years some news? I mean, the only thing I heard was the burning down of Manticore. Want to give me a heads up?" One girl asked, Alec noticed that she was gorgeous and he wondered which one she was.

"Me too, I last heard Zack, and Brin died." Zane said. "I haven't been properly updated since I've been back, some one want to fill me in?"

"What?" The girl said, "Zack and Brin are dead?" Her eyes brimmed with tears.

Zane put his arm around her, "Don't worry it's ok. Shh."

Seth cleared his throat, "Yes, Brin is dead, but from I understand, she was turned. Zack is alive, but that's all I will say on that matter. Tinga," his voice broke slightly and he bowed his head momentarily, he cleared his throat and continued, "She was killed by a woman named Renfro who was also killed back when Manticore exploded. Zack was suspicious of her murder and informed me about it later on when I tried to get in contact with her I found out the suspicion was true."

By now the girl Alec found so alluring was tearing, along with another girl and a few of the males bowed their heads to hide the emotions.

"Not to mention I'm sure some of us heard about Ben..." He continued.

Now her eyes went straight to him along with a couple of others.

"Jesus," He mumbled turning slightly feeling very uncomfortable now.

"But Ben's..." The girl pointed at him awkwardly.

"No Jondy, that's not Ben, his name's Alec, a friend of Max. No, Ben's dead too, he was real messed up... that day out in the woods, with the convict? Most of us in this room were there, Max too, well he couldn't leave Manticore behind. I'm not real sure about the details but I know he didn't make it out of there. There was no choice though what had to be done was done."

The girl... Jondy, kept eyeing Alec now, though not the way he'd like, more like confusion and sadness. He wished she'd stop.

"So," She said slowly, "That's not Ben, its a clone? Do we all have one?"

"Ok," Alec jumped in not being able to take it anymore, "I'm not an "it" alright? I'm a different guy. I'm sorry what happened to Ben, I really am, Max told me about him about what he was like back at Manticore about how that place got to him. It wasn't his fault, Max was right, it was that place that got to him. But me, I'm a lot different than him, once you get to know me that is... You'll see why Max is able to tolerate me. So please, continue your little meeting, I'm out of your way."

"No," the other female said next to Seth, "You may not be our brother, Ben but you did come out of his tube, so that would make you... brothers, which makes you our brother. You should be apart of us, come on."

"Oh please." He heard the familiar sarcastic tone behind him, "Is that how we should think of him?"

He turned quickly and saw Max give him a scowl as she entered the room, she still looked a little fidgety but she played it off nicely.

"Max," he said surprised.

Vic stood, "Are you feeling better?"

"I feel great, so what'd I miss?" She said standing next to Coran and Zane.

"Catching up on who's not here, and Alec's purpose." Seth informed.

"Right..." Max said a bit uncomfortable, "What else should I know?"

"We're coming up with a plan of how to take out the Familiars before they take out us." Seth spoke again.

"But, what about the media, and the soldiers out there. There right out there waiting to place the blood of others on us, if they see we're killing people-" She tried.

"Max, has being out here softened you that much?" He said angry. "Our unit is being killed off one by one, you were almost killed a month or so ago, there is no discussion in this. Do you really care about them out there? Those people don't care about us, even the nomalies care more about them and theirs than us and ours. I've been around for a while now picking up where Zack left off, I've been watching all of you and this place here, with the exception of you, Mole, Luke and Joshua the others stick with theirs. Your numbers have been decreasing by the day and I for one don't think they're thinking of all of us. I'm going through with this and I expect those who want to be rid of being hunted down for the last time to join me. Now, Zack and I always came up with good battle plans back then, but I bet now, together we can all come up with something. Once we get it together I'll get with the leader of the nomalies and we'll put our ideas together. For now, let's just get some rest, we can relax for a while before we get to business."

"Seth..." Max said quietly.

"Later, Max." Seth said quickly giving Alec the chance to see how much Max wasn't a leader.

He always saw how Max was more of a loner, and no matter what anyone said she always did what she wanted or what she thought was right, and right now she had a look that said this was something she wasn't going to go through with. Every one got up and each seemed to go to another they hadn't met in long time. Alec slid next to her,

"Max, surprised to see you."

"Shut up, Alec. I'm controlling it- what are you doing here? Felt like coming to an '09 Escapee Reunion?" Her sarcasm was yet again very evident.

"No I thought I'd go check out what you all siblings were like together. I bet Zack was a trip when you were together." He said remembering the last time he met him.

"Please, you don't know any-"

"Max?" The girl, Jondy they called her, came up to Max cautiously, with tears streaming down her cheeks, "I couldn't believe it, you're alive."

Max stood up and looked into her blue eyes searching for a memory that would identify this girl, and almost instantly it came. The mats, during martial arts training, her bar code 371225867210, her helping her during her seizure and never leaving her side during the escape. The last memory was of her falling through the ice and the muffled sound of her screaming her name above. Through training that was the one thing they were told never to do, risk your life for the other, that would mean two dead soldiers and the mission unaccomplished, but she risked it staying there waiting for her to submerge. Finally she knew the next tactic would be to draw attention away from the hole and onto her, so she led them away as much as possible.

"Jondy." Max confirmed standing mirroring the look on her sister's face.

Jondy hugged her tightly and returned it with the same feelings, after a moment passed Alec was forgotten as they sat down and started to catch up.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Max knew the heat cycle would be for only another day or so and she had seen all her brothers and sisters from the escape, her dream was a reality. She was out now and her need for companionship was as powerful as ever. She knew she should go see Logan and just talk to him, he would be more than willing since now they were finally together. But she looked like a desperate slut and that's the last side she wanted him to see, if even showing him that side was even an option. She couldn't just go in there and jump his bones, what if that was a side he disliked? Ever since hooking up with him, she for some reason cared what he thought of her, and how he perceived her, something that she could care less in anyone else.

She sped down the street and parked near a local store, just thinking of Logan got her hormones rising. Stop it, she thought, don't think like that right now. But there was a guy that passed her, muscles, biceps, and what seemed to be a set of nice abs, she smiled flirtatiously with him and looked passed him to another good looking guy just behind him, cute, great body... Her hunter's instinct told her that anyone would do, just pick and move on. Across the street were two more also giving her the eye and her heart raced at the excitement that could be the end of this uncontrollable urge and need to mate and breed that was so conveniently included in her genetically screwed up package. I could just pick... she thought, yeah then we could leave it as that and Logan would never know I don't have to be embarrassed at all. But the less heard voice, the most ignored one that screamed to be listened to- her voice of reason said that it would be stupid to mess up a relationship that took almost two years to create and Logan loved her no matter what and she should just let him help her, that way when all was said and done, she would feel like that whore she played out to be. Too bad that thought got thrown out the window when she looked at hot boy and his biceps once again.

"Hey there" She said walking up to him seductively.

He looked over at the other guy and she sensed the other two coming from across the street but instead of sensing any danger, she took his silence as a challenge.

"Shy?" She smiled and saw him shift uncomfortably.

"Come." He said simply.

She followed him almost like a fly to a light, and even though all of the warning signs were going off in her head she couldn't thinking about the pulse between her legs, and the "equipment" this guy had to sooth it. She saw the other guy, and the two from across the street close behind her, and suddenly she felt unease creep into her spine.

"You know," she said a little nervous, "I don't do the whole group thing."

He stopped, turned around and looked at her with a smile, a slight confused look crossed his face when he laid eyes on her, she knew she looked desperate. Why did she leave the apartment? There was a meeting at Terminal City and she told Alec she was on her way... an hour ago. It was the worst part of the estrous cycle, the time that depicted her strength to over power the death gripping urge to copulate. She always lost, with a few exceptions that was more the other person's fault more than her own strength. Her face flushed, heart racing and hormones at its peak, she realized sadly that there was something wrong and her fighting skills was deeply affected by her heat cycle so it was all she could do but try. She backed up some to get a better look at the men ready to attack her, but all she saw was the muscles and the six packs, the only thing that puzzled her was where they might have come from, who were they?

"I'm a bit surprised, 452."

Oh no, she thought, please not now, not now when I can hardly think straight.

"This isn't like you... makes me a bit curious, what's wrong 452?" White asked coming from behind her.

"You know," slight uncomfortable laugh escaped her, "Girl's got to do what a girl's got to do."

"Like picking up a guy in an alley?" He now stood face to face with her, "You don't look so well."

"Yeah well, it's an off day."

"So, where's Logan? Isn't he here to save the day?"

Suddenly, Alec stepped from out the shadows along with Mole, and Joshua,

"No, but he is expecting her soon, so if you don't mind..." Alec smiled.

Max blinked, what the hell?

White's smile fell, "So, was this all a plan of hers to "trap" us?" He looked annoyed, "What makes you think I don't have people guarding the perimeter?"

"What makes you think we don't?" Joshua growled.

"Search and assess," Mole said simply, "MOUT, military training on urban terrain. We're highly qualified for finding you morons."

White's jawline moved indicating his high annoyance for him, "What makes me believe you? How do I know there are any more around?"

Just as that was said a small, thin, sharp, pointy, wooden stick came seemingly from nowhere and lodged itself in one of the guy's arm, he didn't even notice until the rest of them smiled and White looked over and saw it.

"What the...?" The guy said, "My arm is numb."

White looked over at Max, and whispered in her ear, "I swear, I don't know what the hell is going on with you right now, but some day... some day, I will find you and I will kill you, slowly... painfully... and happily."

With that he walked out the alley with the other guys and left Max a little shaky but still in her hormone driven state. She looked over at him and the others, and desire instantly hit her when she laid eyes on Alec, strong,built,sexy...

"How about it?" She heard him say with a coy smile and an inviting stance.

"Really?" She asked in a dreamy sort of tone.

Suddenly, like a slap in the face Alec gave her a confused look and said almost in an annoyed tone,

"I said, how bad is it?"

"What?" She turned her face to keep the look of disgust from them. "I'm fine."

Alec angrily walked up to her and grabbed her arm tightly turning her around and walking her back to her bike,

"Max, you are far from fine. You almost pulled some stranger on the street to make this... heat, go away. Go to Logan's, get this out of your system and come back."

"I can't," she whined, "what if he looks at me like..."

"Like he would have if you would have let some guy you didn't even know have his way with you in a back alley?" He said incredulously, "Go to him now before you do something you will very much regret." He looked sternly in her eyes.

She knew he was right, but the sexual thoughts and instant body response to him was almost overwhelming, "Ok," She breathed.

The whole way there she had no idea how she was going to ask or plead for him to not think this was an act, that this wasn't a desperate attempt in any way unfortunately this was for real. She was in his apartment in the next two seconds and behind him in the next second.

Logan turned instantly detecting her from the moment she stepped in,

"Max," he said slightly irritated, "I've been trying to contact you for the last few days now, what's going on. Are you all right?"

"Logan?" She was almost breathless by the look of him, he appealed more to her than anyone she had laid eyes on since the heat cycle began. "Let's make up."

He stood now completely evaluating her, sweat almost immersed through her shirt, her breathing was labored, her pupils were wide and dilated, desperate seemed to have had a whole new meaning now.

"Max I don't want to jump to conclusions now or anything but you mind telling me what's wrong." He said as she swayed over to him in her best demeanor as possible.

"Just give me a kiss," she whispered onto his lips.

She softly, teasingly kissed him and her heart hammered as she felt the instant rush of him kissing her back. Immediately, seductively, she deepened the kiss and started to remove his shirt.

"Max," He said against her lips, "This is it, isn't it? Your in heat? Is that what this is?"

"Does it matter?" she could hardly breath, she was going to get what she finally wanted, what she needed. "Just shut up, don't worry, I promise you'll like it."

"Max..." he said as she removed her shirt and jeans faster than he realized she could- he was surprised to see that although they had been with each other maybe twice now, her body always amazed him. "I know you need this, but can't you get pregnant... I mean that is the purpose of this isn't it?"

By now they were in the bedroom and she removed his pants and boxers all at once and the sight of him and the fact that she would finally be satisfied and relieved of this torture was all but too exciting.

"Logan, please. If I'm not with you it'll be someone else. Anything to stop this... anything, I'll do anything."

He looked in her eyes and just the look of her, those beautiful dark eyes, her full lips, that genetically perfect enhanced body, and the fact that he finally got his angel was more than enough reason to give her what she needed. It took only a second to get her out of her lingerie and since foreplay was out of the question, they went right in to it. Max had nothing more in mind than to just get it over with but it felt so much better than she could ever remember, for once it wasn't about him getting off but about him helping her get off instead. She knew that this was a lot different than their usual soft and careful actions before, but Logan seemed like a pro and she was so filled with ecstasy and fulfillment the events of the night would go unremembered. For Logan however, he would awake a happy man and seeing the resting figure of Max laying next to him still sleeping off the rest of the cycle and exhaustion of the night before, would give him enough reason to give her the package he made for her with her mother's where abouts and a ring asking her to live with him, and be his always for a lifetime.

Author's Note: I just want to thank all of you out there for reading my work, I know there are a lot of MA fans out there but I love the ML fic any comments and suggestions are appreciated.