Authors Note; Okay, I know what you're thinking "What's her excuse this time?" Honestly, I have none, because I've been avoiding writing for a while now, I just couldn't do it. So.. Yeah, terribly sorry about that. Now I feel.. Like I should write more, so hopefully this chapter will make things better for you guys.
I mean.. Seriously, I should be ashamed of myself, the nerve!
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A Mother Knows Things
When Gem got home, she'd been surprised to find a sulking Logan on her couch, but seeing as she had a still screaming Jessie in her arms and a complaining Dalton behind her, she didn't really feel like a peacemaker, more like a murderer. If one more soul decided to annoy her, she was gonna kill him or her, no matter what!
So she'd send him home, with one single word.
"Get out of my apartment, or I swear to God, I will hack you to pieces!"
Okay, so there had been more than one word, but she felt like she was about to explode. Her little outburst had surprised her daughter and Dalton as well, and thankfully both of them became as silent as possible while Logan left the apartment with his tail between his legs.
Metaphorically speaking of course, ordinaries didn't have tails, that would just be.. Weird.
Well, that had been yesterday and after his leaving, she'd noticed that Max wasn't even there, but she caught a faint scent of both her and Alec. That explained everything.
It explained a lot more, when the door to the apartment opened and she caught a fresh scent of Max and something that was pure Alec.
"Hey, honey! I made some coffee for you."
"Aaw, Gem! You shouldn't have!"
"Alec?"
"Who else do you call honey?"
"Uhm.. Is there a reason why you smell like Max?"
"She slept in my bed?"
"Right."
"Anyway, I just came to get her some clothes."
"Oh, well do you want some coffee then?"
"Naaah, give it to Dalton, let him know how the real deal tastes like, you know?"
"Uhm.. Sure, what ever."
Gem was about to show Alec where Max kept her clothes, but he'd simply gone straight for the right set of drawer and pulled out different pieces of clothes. It was easy to figure out that he was picking his favorites too.
Tight blue jeans, a red tank top and a leather jacket. The jacket was the only black thing he'd picked, the underwear were surprisingly pink with white lace. Who knew Max had something so girly? With a smirk firmly on place, Alec had kissed Gem on the cheek and left.
Turning around and following him with her eyes, Gem saw a bite mark on the side of his neck and let out a small gasp in surprise, but she also felt happy that her friends had done the deed at last. If she only knew that neither Max or Alec was really sure what they had done.
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After having a good meal, a good laugh and another shower, alone this time. Max felt refreshed as she headed back to Gem's place, it still felt weird knowing it was her place too, but seeing as she slept in the living room, it made it more Gem's place and Max simply crashing there.
Opening the door, she was met by a calming voice coming from Dalton's most precious possession, his boom box. It didn't take long for her to realize that it was the song that Alec had hummed silently on a few times when they had been locked in the closet. It was really beautiful.
"Gem? You home?"
Max went to the bedroom and watched Gem with Jessie in her arms, she was singing along the song and their voices melted together perfectly. Who ever it was who sang the original song, had a slightly raspy voice while Gem had a softer and the combination of them made it so much more.
Either Gem hadn't noticed her arrival, or simply didn't care to acknowledge her, too caught up in the song and Max could understand why, it was a really captivating song and she felt herself relax.
She also couldn't wait to hear Alec sing it too her.
She gasped. There were only instruments playing now in the song and Max felt goosebumps all over her body. Whoa, talk about emotional song! She really couldn't wait to hear it live, how girly as that may be, but she was also curious to hear Alec sing.
"Good song, huh?"
"Yeah, it was really something. You have a great voice too, Gem."
"Thank you, it helps I guess, Jessie likes it."
"She should, I know I'd be a happy kid if someone had sung something so beautiful to me."
"You'll just wait and see, someone will come along and sweep you off your feet."
"Ha, real funny."
Except, Max knew Gem was right. Because wasn't that was Alec was doing? Only a lot slower and a lot more confusingly? It was obvious he had feelings for her, but what did she feel? She saw him as her equal and she knew she could easily feel something more for him. She already felt lust, why not love? Only everything she seemed to love was taken away from her.
In other words, Max was shit-ass afraid of falling in love with him.
"I see Alec wasn't lying."
"What'd ya mean?"
"Your outfit, when he came by earlier and grabbed it, I just thought he was trying to piss you off or something stupid."
"Nope, I left in a hurry yesterday, trust me, I didn't feel like being around Logan."
"So what, you left naked?"
"Of course not! I dove into some pile of clothes even before I opened the door, in a way I'm really thankful that it was Alec's clothes, you know?"
"Uhm.. 'Cause he's got the same size as you?"
"Uhm.. No? Logan saw right away who's clothes it was and it made him back off.. Sort of."
"You think he finally got it through his thick head that you're taken?"
"God I hope so!"
Gem put down a now sleeping Jessie in the make-shift crib Dalton had made, it was a simple piece but with a helping hand from Joshua, the crib was now a colorful piece and Gem loved it. Sleeping next to Dalton was enough for her, she also knew that they needed another bed for him but right now he needed her nearby. Being free didn't always mean it was easy and Dalton had the worst nightmares ever possible and sleeping next to Gem made them more bearable.
"I think Dalton should take my spot."
"What spot?"
"My bed, he's old enough to sleep alone and he's gotten used to living with you and Jessie, so he knows he's safe and he needs to deal with the nightmares too. He can't do that sleeping next to you."
"Have you developed the power of mind reading?"
"Do I even wanna know why?"
"Never mind and thanks Max, but what about you? Where will you sleep?"
"I figured I'd crash at Alec's place."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, so that Logan really gets it, you know?"
"Mhmm.. If you say so."
"Shut up and who won the bet anyways?"
"Cindy, who else?"
Max grinned. Why am I not surprised? She always liked Alec over Logan. Going over her drawer, she started to clean it out with all her stuff and packed it down an old bag that Mole had used before her. Everyone gave away their old stuff to anyone who needed it, no one living in T.C was selfish and it made somethings more easier. So occupied, Max didn't notice Gem moving closer until she felt a hand touch the side of her neck, with quick reflexes only a transgenic had, she spun around and grabbed the hand.
Both women started at each other in shock, neither been ready for the movement caused by Max. What the hell, girl? She released the hold of Gem and felt sorry when she saw her flinch.
"I'm sorry, you just caught me of guard."
"Hey, I could say the same, you know? And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have checked."
"Checked what? There's nothing there."
"Liar, I saw Alec's neck and I wanted to see if you've got them both."
"We do, so?"
"Oh... my god, really?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"You're mated! That's perfect, if Logan tries anything again... He can't win you back, there's no chance in hell now, no snowballs chance in hell!"
"Gem, you're tripping, what are you talking about?"
Gem pulled Max down on her bed and started to explain everything she knew about the claim and being mated, basically it was like marriage, but so much more. The small exchange of blood made them bound together and if trouble would ever occur, god forbid, the other would know. Some even said that if the danger was really bad, you could find your partner with your eyes closed, it was all about focus and focus. During the whole explanation, Max felt herself getting a little bit scared, what had she gotten herself into? But she also felt reassured that nothing could happened to Alec now, because she would know and so would he about her. Which in a silly way meant that it was in fact okay for her to fall head over heals over him.
He already owned her soul or what ever it was he owned now, thanks to the claim, mate, whatever people wanted to call it. That's so messed up, but what ever, it means I can always keep a track of him too!
"So what, I'll know if he's lying and stuff like that? 'Cause that would be awesome!"
"I'm not sure, but I think you'll feel something when he does something that isn't right."
"You think this is why Manticore paired us up as their breeding partner?"
"No, I think it was coincidence, otherwise there would be chaos if you had gotten pregnant. Alec would've done anything to protect your baby. The jerk they paired me with was really eager to please, and it wasn't me he had in mind, he was a pure solider. You? You got lucky."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!"
"Shush, I love Jessie and there's nothing I see in her that belongs to that jerk, okay? Hell, Dalton is her dad if you ask Jessie.. Which by the way, is freaking weird! He's just a kid!"
"True, but a good kid, Jessie's lucky to have him in her life and so are we."
"Sentimental much?"
"True, lets never have this conversation again?"
"Never even happened."
"Deal."
They bumped fists with each other and got up from the bed.
"Oh, before we forget the moment... Thanks for telling me everything about the claim."
"No problem, are you gonna pass it along to Alec?"
"Naaah, I'll let him figure it on his own. He could use some practice with his brain."
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Authors Note; You really thought I'd forgotten about the song? Tsk, tsk, shame on you! ;) Sooooon, my dear readers, sooooon ;)
Authors Note #2; Man do I feel so much more horrible now? When I started to write this chapter, there was some commotion outside with my neighbors and I couldn't focus, the walls are pretty thin and I could hear everything and I didn't want them to somehow be a part of my chapter.. But I guess that happened anyway, since I'm writing this? Anyway, I had to take a couple of days break to start the writing again, so that's why it's taken soooo long. Seriously guys, I'm so sooooorry!
Please review and thanks for the following who reviewed the previous chapter; "cappsy", "452max", "494dwangel", "darkweb47", "Nehasupnfan", "heartbreakingXbreathtaking"