(In the junkyard)
Max said, "I can't believe how screwed up all this is." Logan said, "I know." Alec said, "And to think I thought my night was gonna end up in a sewer. I wish." Max said, "For the last time, shut up." Alec said, "You know, it's your fault that I am sitting here in this monster saliva to begin with!" Logan said, "It's not her fault." Max said, "Yeah, right. It's not my fault. It's just my life. Even if we get out of this, what happens tomorrow, Logan? We still have the nomlies, and Manticore, and all fates against us. I shoulda known that one night was just too damn much to ask." Logan asked, "How much time do we have left?" Max replied, "Not enough." Logan sighing said, "Oh, Max...it wouldn't have been enough anyway. We knew that." Alec said, "Whoa. Whoa, whoa, call me slow on the uptake, but am I getting the distinct impression that this virus thing is still hanging around?" Logan said, "Shut up." I had to ask, "What are you guys talking about nomlies, manticore, virus what is all this?" They gave each other a look that said they were busted and needed to tell me something. They finally told me pretty much everything and I now I was closer to them but I confessed nothing about myself. Max said to Logan, "I'm so sorry." Logan replied, "I know." Joshua yelled out, "Max? Logan?" Max answered, "Joshua! Joshua, in here! Joshua! Alec said, "Hey, buddy!" Joshua appears at the car window and I knew he was the earlier projects of manticore because he looked more animalistic then us but not in his eyes. Max said, "Joshua! Get us out of here!" Joshua says, "I didn't stay put." Max and Logan said, "That's okay." Max said, "Come on. Come on, hurry up!" Hal yelled, "Get us out of here! Hurry!" Joshua rips the door off the car and begins to free said, "Come on!" Joshua asked, "You okay?" Max replied, "Yeah." Alec said, "Hey, buddy. Back here. Back here. Come on!" I said, "So this is Joshua." Alec said, "Yeah but don't be afraid he's as cuddly as a puppy." I replied, "Who said I was scared he's helping us and that's all that matters." Max says to Logan, "Keveral! Where's the Keveral?" Logan says, "By the phone. By the phone. By the phone. Right there." Alec says, "Back here. Back here." Joshua frees Alec then me while Max grabs the Keveral cylinders. The gossamer appears. Joshua exclaims, "Oh! Gossamer!" Max jumps out of the car and faces the gossamer. It tries twice to slime her, but she dodges each time. They begin to fight. Max holds up the Keveral angrily. And I have to say I'm impressed at how well she holds up. Max says, "Want some of this? Come on! You're going to get it!" Max lures the gossamer through the junkyard.
Later, everybody has been freed and is busy removing slime. I stick out my hand as a sign of thanks to Joshua and he takes it with a little apprehension. Irving asks, "What was that thing?" Alec says, "Not to worry. There is a logical explanation for everything that happened here tonight, all right? (Irving gives him a look.) Just give me a minute." Max says to Joshua, "Hang tight." Max steps over to Logan. Alec says, "Come on, everybody. Let's clear out of here, huh? Give these two some breathing room." The three other men file past Alec with myself in tow. Alec says to Gordie, "You all right?" Gordie nods as he passes by. Alec nods at Max. A little distance away, Alec and I find Gordie playing fetch with the gossamer. Gordie says, "Come on. Here it is. Come on. Ha ha. Here ya go." Alec says, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch out there, pal." Gordie says, "He's okay. He's just lookin' for somethin' to keep him busy. (To the gossamer) Here you go, boy. (To Alec) That's why he came here, I guess--you know, all the Keveral in all these old car parts. It's mostly just the junkers that have any in them. So--so what is he, anyway?" Alec says, "Uh, well, like I already explained to the other fellas, he's, um...a Tasmanian ant-eating aardvark...an "antvark," as we in the trade like to call him." Gordie asks, "Trade?" Alec replies, "Uh, zoo trade. I'm with the Tasmanian Zoology Foundation. He escaped from one of our facilities." I rolled my eyes and felt like letting out a giggle but Gordie didn't notice and went along with what he was telling this guy. Gordie says, "Now, wait a minute. Finders keepers." Alec said, "You want to keep this thing? Like as a pet?" Gordie replied, "Why not? His spit's gotta come in handy. Smells like silicone--worth at least a buck a pound. (To the stuffed dog) What do you say, Chopper? You want a little brother? Ha ha! What? (To Alec and me) Chopper says yes. (To the gossamer) Good boy." Alec said, "Well, good. Looks like everything's sane and right in your world. Just, uh, keep him locked up at night, okay? Gordie said, "No problem. No problem." Alec and me are walking when I asked him what it was like for him at Manticore he told me a little but was holding back and I didn't want to push him and I just took hold of his and as a sign of comfort and he just looked into my eyes and I felt like this moment would never end. Then he slowly leaned forward and kissed me so softly and gently that I felt that I wouldn't be able to breath again. Then he walked me to my place still holding my hand. I opened my door and he said goodnight with a peck on my cheek and walked away.
I came into my apartment with my back to the door and touched my lips and could still feel the tingling he left with that one kiss. As I feel asleep all my thoughts were on Alec and us being happy together in another place where the country didn't fall and we weren't some experiments being hunted.