Disclaimer : See Chapter One.
A/N: Hey Guys! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed chapter one! Glad you all liked it!
So here is chapter two, and I know the chapters are short guys. but baring in mind this is my first fic on this fandom, so i'll take a while to get into my stride but when i do the chapters will break the 5000 words (at least) mark.
So, Thanks tonnes to Marcus Sylenus for beta'ing this chapter for me! Any remaining mistakes however are mine in my impatience to get this posted lol.
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the last!
K
xox
Setting The Guidelines.
Logan Cale tapped his fingers nervously on the arm of the sofa, Cameron should have been here by now, the meeting was arranged for two o'clock on this dreary Seattle afternoon, and it was now almost three. Dr. Cameron Richards was known through out the science world for being very punctual. -- so this almost hour lateness was completely out of character. Logan reached for his cell phone that was sitting on the coffee table and scrolled down through the names and numbers until he reached Cameron's number and his finger hovered over the call button for a few moments until he put the cell back down on the table and let out a steadying breath. The will be a good reason for the delay. Logan thought as his fingers resumed their impatient drum against the leather of the sofa. Or there better be, I've come too close to this cure for my last chance to back out.
Logan's eyes flicked back to the wall clock on the far wall between the painting of a sunrise and a photograph of himself and Max and above the little table that was used to keep his mail on. Logan pushed himself up off of the sofa and walked towards the window, the sun was trying to fight its way through the collection of dark clouds that had now formed over the city. Letting out an agitated sigh that was something akin to growl, Logan walked back over to the coffee table and grabbed for his cell, scrolling again through the numbers and hitting the call button, a nervous feeling washing over him when the ringing resounded in the hallway outside his door.
"Should I just come in?" The voice joked down the line and Logan laughed slightly.
"Yeah, we've wasted enough time already."
(Two Hours Earlier)
Alec smirked as he settled down at his desk in the "Office block" that they now had. In truth, it was an old building that now served as a headquarters of sorts as well as school, training facility, medical wing, town hall and an anything else that was needed. Alec's desk was as far away from any of the floor to ceiling windows as possible to avoid distracting the hyperactive transgenic and, like the rest of the desks, it looked out into the middle of the large, round room. It freaked Alec out to be sitting there, staring at Mole all day as everyone typed away and got the work done. Of course Alec got the work done, but it was the times in between paperwork that got Alec bored. The past year had been a long and tedious one, full of lies and, of course, self-denial on his part. What he needed was a good lay, but being the awesome friend he was, he was helping Max out with her own case of Denial Syndrome. She wanted Logan, she loved Logan but here she was, pretending to love him of all people.
Alec let out a sigh at the pile of paperwork that had been left on his desk, who knew that there would be so much budgeting to do, why did I get left with the numbers? Alec grumbled internally, shrugging his jacket off before reaching for the first file and the pen, getting ready to settle in for what looked like a few hours work.
"Alec, can I see you for a second?" Max called from her office doorway and Alec smirked, shaking his head at the whispers that were flying around the office and lewd winks he was getting from some of the others. Alec took the two little steps in one of his large strides and slowly approached her door.
"Yeah?" he asked and Max winked at him trying not to glare at the eye roll he threw her way before smirking and turning to close the door and pull down the shades. "What is it?" he asked and Max let out a sigh.
"I got this from Logan." Max handed Alec the piece of paper and sat heavily down on her desk, her arms hugging her body as though she was trying to hide herself from the world. Alec stared at the paper and then at Max again. "It won't read itself." Max snapped, wincing at her harsh tone, but stopping short of taking it back.
Alec sighed and began reading the letter that Logan had left.
My Dearest Max,
I know that the past year has been tough, It's been tough on all of us but one thing has never changed; I miss you. And more than that I love you. I always have and, I need to be with you Max. And I know, deep down you feel the same way for me. I miss the way things used to be before the virus, before the breeding cult and Manticore and the Government made our lives hell and created a massive void between us, but I've taken action to remedy that. Max I don't want you to be mad a me, I really don't but I can't live like this anymore, So I called in a few favours and finally found someone willing to work on the cure for us. If a cure can't be found then an Antidote.
I need a favour on this Max and I know it's asking a lot but please Max, hear me out, I can't go on like this, and I know you feel the same, but on the small chance you don't you can say no to this.
I Need to borrow the lab, for about three months and obviously a sample of your DNA. But this is the part that I think will make you hate me. The scientist I have got is an Ex-Manticore scientist, and I know you don't want people like that in your Living space, but Max it's our last hope. Our Last chance to be happy. To be together. I know how strongly you hate Manticore, and believe me I do to, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up. You can have soldiers watch over the procedure and have people test it out before it goes near you Max, but three months and we can be together again.
Please think about it Max.
I love you always,
Logan.
The transgenic nodded in acknowledgement at some of the comments and letting out a huff of a breath at some others before his Manticore mask set in and his lips pursed in an almost determined line.
"Okay." He said finally. "I'm not having the whole city put under this kind of threat, I'll get some of our best to guard the lab and I'll personally sit in there with Cameron." Alec dropped the paper onto the desk again and put his hands on his hips, tongue flicking out to run over his lips.
"Alec I can't let you do that." Max blurted out and Alec looked at the ceiling.
"Max, I want to do that, I want to get laid." he smirked and Max's eyes dropped back to the floor.
"I'm serious Alec you could end up getting killed." Max's large brown eyes looked pleadingly at him and Alec chuckled.
"So you'll have one less pain in the ass to worry about. Max, it's one scientist and I'm one of Manticore's finest, nothing is going to happen to me." Alec tilted his head and smirked but Max simply shook her head.
"No Alec, I can't run this place without you, they don't like me." Max looked at the ground again and Alec walked over.
"Maxie, I get that you're scared, you're scared that Cameron will find a cure and you'll be left with no reason not to be with him. That's scaring you and you're trying to push the blame around into other things." Alec rose his eyebrows pointedly at her and stepped forwards taking her into his arms before the door opened and he turned around, smirking at the embarrassed looking X5.
"Sir, there's a call for Max." the youngster whispered and Ale nodded.
"Do you know how to forward it through to here?" Alec asked without letting go of Max.
"Um.." the young X5 looked down at his feet and Alec grinned.
"Get Mole to put it through, Liam." Alec nodded at the teenager who smiled at him and whispered his apology for barging in as he pulled the door closed. "Need to toughen that one up." Alec thought out loud as he let Max go and walked around to the other side of her desk, picking up the handset and handing it to her.
"Hello?" Max said into the receiver and rolled her eyes, leaning over and turning the loudspeaker on.
"Did you get my letter?" Logan asked down the receiver and Max sighed.
"Yeah I got it, but I'm not going for it." Max stated simply and jumped when Alec blurred so he was now standing directly in front of her.
"Yeah you are," he whispered so quietly that only Max would be able to hear him. Max shook her head vigorously.
"Come on Max, I'm asking for a three month use of that Lab, that's it, and a DNA sample of course." Logan had a tone of desperation in his voice and Max shook her head again.
"Hey Maxie." Alec said loudly and smirked at the glare she gave him. "The preparations for the lab to be cleared are all ready." Alec winked at Max who leaned forward and slapped him.
"Max I thought you said..." Logan trailed off and Alec held his arm as he rubbed it gently.
"I know, but I wasn't sure at first, I guess now its all done I have to go through with it." Max's heated glare was on Alec who seemed unaffected by it.
"Oh, okay, um...I'll come over when the good doctor arrives." Logan's voice suddenly had an excited edge to it.
"Sure." Max tried to return it, "see you then." Max leaned over and hung up before turning back to Alec. "Do you even realize what the hell you've just done?" Max hissed at Alec who shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah, Max. I'm getting you and lover boy back together so I can go and get me some action, I never asked to be brought into this stupid mess, hell I told you I wanted out of this stupid mess, but I stuck by you. I stuck by you for a whole year and I took shit from the whole city because of what I done!" Alec suddenly couldn't keep control of his emotions. "Do you even realize how hard it is to win back people's respect when they think you stole another man's girl, huh?" Alec's voice had dropped a few octaves and Max found herself on the wrong side of the line of fear.
"Alec, I'm sorry but I can't risk people's lives!" Max yelled and Alec shook his head.
"No, Max, you're not thinking about the cause, you're too scared to take a chance and go after it, He wants you, you want him and the only thing that's stopping you is your pride, so get the hell over it." Alec fumed and walked towards the door, pausing before he opened it. "Don't throw this away Max." Alec warned before walking out and slamming the door behind him.
Logan ended the call and put the cell in his pocket and looked anxiously at the door, part of him willing it to open while the other part wanted nothing more than to go and lock the door. Come on Logan, lets not get carried away with ourselves right now. Calm down.
There was a sharp rap at the door and Logan's heart began to pound mercilessly in his chest, the thundering sound reaching his ears and blocking out any other noise in the room.
"C--come in." he stammered and immediately scolded himself for doing so and taking deep breaths as the door opened and Cameron walked into the room.
Dr. Cameron Ainslie Richards was a tall twenty-nine year old dressed in a dark trench coat which hid a toned and well looked after body, black dress trousers and a pair of smart dress shoes. As Logan approached, he worked out that the Doctor was about five foot ten - give or take a few inches for the heel of the shoes - and had a very tanned complexion which highlighted the sharpness of the large royal blue eyes that seemed to command every bit of your attention as they stared out from under a black fringe slightly windswept like the rest of the shortish black locks.
"Sorry I'm late, they had to check out who I was before they let me through the gates." Cameron apologized and placed the brown briefcase on the floor in order to unbutton the coat.
"It's fine." Logan laughed and put his hand out to stop the movement. "If you don't mind, I'd like to head right on over there." Logan smiled and Cameron nodded, picking the briefcase back up.
"Sure, no problem." Cameron's smile revealed a set of dazzling white, almost perfect teeth. Logan led Cameron out of the apartment before taking a deep breath. It's now or never.
Alec sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face as the cold air enveloped him. Pulling the collar of his coat up higher around his ears Alec set on the walk back to headquarters where Max would no doubt the there to tear him a new one. Shaking his head Alec stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. I really shouldn't let her get to me like this but for the love of God, He thought, She's doing my freaking head in. Just because she doesn't want to give Logan another shot in case she gets hurt or if he dies means I can't have a freaking life. Yeah, well sorry Maxie, but no more, I need something from this dead-end life too, you know.
Alec froze as he heard footsteps approaching and couldn't quite pin point their owner, hardly anyone in TC wore heels, Alec slipped fluidly into one of the alleyways and crouched down behind the dumpster, peaking round at the last moment to catch the owner of the heels. Ah, crap. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and rang Max.
"Where the hell are you?" Max questioned, her bad mood evident even over the phone.
"Not now Maxie, listen this is important, Logan's headed your way with the Scientist." Alec stood up and walked towards the end of the Alley, sticking his head around and watching as the two of them walked through the street.
"And, how old is this Cameron guy? Do you recognize him from Manticore?" Max's questions came thick and fast and Alec let out a frustrated sigh.
"Max, that's why I'm calling. This Cameron guy isn't a guy. She's Doctor Richards, Psy-ops finest."
Alec let his head hit off of the wall as the line at the other end went dead. What the fuck have I just volunteered myself for?
So guys, what do you think?
K
xox