It's in the Genes
Author: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or any rights to Dark Angel or Supernatural, nor am I making any profit from this story.
Summary: Crossover with DA and Supernatural -AU– It's the Winchesters who break Alec from jail in Hello/Goodbye and then they start road tripping together. No slash.
Author's Note: Thank you for of all your encouragement and interest to see the story continue!! I've mapped out the plot line/chapters and I'm thinking the full story will wrap up in 10 -12 chapters. Hope you continue to enjoy it!
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Chapter 5
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Alec and Sam looked worriedly to Dean, felt the older man's sudden onslaught of tension.
"Dean, what's…" Sam began to ask but Dean nodded to the bar's television, drew his younger companions' attention to the news report that had his gut clenching.
They didn't need to hear the newscaster's words, could read the headline scrolling at the bottom of the screen. "Mutant escapee from covert government project Manticore gunned down by Police". And truly, if a picture was worth a thousand words, live feed coverage was worth a billion.
Eyes coming to land on Alec's features, Dean saw the tension in the other man's jaw, saw Alec wince as the "mutant" was riddled with bullets. "Let's get out of here," he ordered and left the stool, knew unquestionably that Alec and Sam were trailing behind him, following his lead.
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Alec watched daily as the news reports kept coming in and getting worse, were polluted with words like Manticore, government Experiments, genetics, mutants, dangerous. And then the worst of it, the leak that Alec knew White had initiated: Some of these mutants looked human, were among them, were a threat to human beings. He watched in horror as some of his fellow Manticore alumni got hunted down and killed. But when Max's face appeared on the report, when he saw the rest of his kind taking a stand in Terminal City, he knew that he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He wasn't a Winchester, wasn't even truly a human being. He was a transgenic, was an X series, was as much a mutant as everyone else huddled in Terminal City.
Surging from the end of the bed, Alec stalked for the door, wasn't prepared to have Dean there already, blocking his path. "Dean.." he began, needed to explain that he didn't belong with them anymore, maybe never had.
But Dean's stronger green gaze lanced into his, held him in place as much as Dean's hands on his chest did. "I get it. I really do. Those are people like you getting killed, maybe even people you know."
"Then you know I have to go back, have to help them," Alec steadily stated, even as a part of him wanted to stay, wanted to believe that he could turn his back on who he was, what he was, be who Dean and Sam said he was, wanted him to be.
Reading the determination and the guilt in Alec's expressive eyes, Dean sighed. "Yeah, I know you do." Stepping clear of Alec, he looked at Sam who had stood to watch the confrontation with trepidation. "Grab your stuff, Sammy. Looks like we're heading to Seattle."
Alec grabbed Dean's arm, "This isn't your fight," green eyes clashing with green eyes.
His gaze rock steady, Dean replied, "You've fought in our war for awhile. It's time for us to return the favor."
"Dean it's.." Alec quietly began to protest.
"What? Dangerous?!" Dean challenged with a cocky smile.
Alec tightened his grip on the other man's arm, had to make him see what he truly faced. "White and his army, they want to kill me. Might see you and think you're me. And even my own kind…" he looked away a moment, felt shame color his cheeks before he looked again to Dean. "They won't welcome me back with a parade…might not even let me jump the fence to Terminal City. Far as they are concerned, I'm a screw up and even worse, a coward who bailed on them."
"Guess they'll be getting a chance to see you the way Sammy and I do," Dean calmly countered, felt angry that anyone could so badly misread Alec's bravery and honor.
Even as Alec was warmed by Dean's comment he couldn't shake the fear growing in his gut. Turning his eyes to Sam, he knew that Sam would understand his fear, would share it. "You know he shouldn't go. I don't want him killed because of me… either of you killed in the crossfire," he implored, hoping Sam could sway Dean's mind.
"I'm right here, you know," Dean growled, but his words didn't garner the attention of Alec or Sam.
Sam was torn between his loyalty to Alec and his all-encompassing need to keep Dean safe, to have his brother with him for as long as he could. Forever, if the fates could unlock the deal his brother had made. But thinking of the deal only made Sam realize that Dean did not back down from protecting those he cared for. That Dean could bear anything but failing in that self-assigned duty. Stepping beside Alec and Dean, his eyes flickering from Dean and then settling on Alec, he shook his head, gave a small, pained smile, "If you think he'll stop thinking that you are his to protect just because you walk out that door, you don't know him as well as you think you do."
Finding himself the object of both of the younger men's emotional looks, Dean shook his head, groused, "Ah come on, we holding a slumber party here or what?" Sliding out of Alec's hold, he crossed to his bed and began shoving his worldly possessions into his bag.
Sam and Alec, both wearing affectionate yet worried smiles, stood there a moment and watched Dean, their personal body guard.
"You know you Ordinaries are just going to slow me down.." Alec taunted.
"Bite me," Dean shot back, slinging his bag over his shoulder and coming again to face Alec. "So this White character, you said he was genetically built too. Does he have the same vulnerabilities that you do?"
"You mean you two," Alec returned, a smirk on his handsome boyish features, acknowledging in the retort how deep his link to the two men went.
Dean didn't miss a beat, let the chick flick comment go unchallenged, "No, dumbbehind. Does he need his milk fix?"
"I doubt it. He's from another "recipe" you could say."
Dean frowned, "Ah don't say that. Now every time I look at a Petri dish I'll think of food!"
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Standing outside the fence to Terminal City, Alec felt his gut clench. Found he was equally glad he had insisted Dean and Sam hang back, and fervently wishing the two men were there with him, forcing the loneliness searing though him to dissipate. Not wanting to get shot by some half trained kid on patrol, he stood by the security camera, gave a smile and a wave and hoped that someone was manning the security camera console. That Max had enough sense to keep the compound running on a tight military format.
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On the roof of the building across the street, Dean shifted the rifle's night scope sights to the left and right of Alec, found no threats yet, outside or inside the compound. Though he knew Alec wouldn't be real happy if he took out one of his transgenic buddies, Dean still rested his finger on the trigger, was prepared to make a kill shot if one hostile move was made toward Alec. He wasn't losing anyone else. Besides he knew his conscience could certainly handle a few more body counts, especially when the sin couldn't change his soul's destiny, one way or the other. His hands tightened on the rifle as he saw movement in the compound.
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With his enhanced eyesight, Alec saw the soldier's approach, easily determined that it was one of the younger X8 series. He almost sighed. 'Couldn't you get any one older to patrol the line, Max? You know, someone who has to at least shave. Crap, you guys need me more than I thought you would. Course getting anyone to acknowledge that, especially Max, now that would be the trick.'
The male X8 came to a halt a few yards from the fence, his rifle pointed at Alec's chest. "State your business."
"My business?" Alec laughed, earned a scowl from the boy of fifteen. "Ah yeah, my business. I'm X5 series," he stated, turned around and slipped his coat off his back far enough for the X8 to read his bar code. Facing the boy soldier again, he eyed up the compound. "Doesn't look like it has great amenities and the neighbors seem a little hostile…" he quirked, jerking his head to the right where a military jeep sat occupied by soldiers who were there to keep the dangerous "mutants" inside their pen. "But I thought I would see how the freedom fighting was going, have a chat with who ever is in charge."
The X8 pressed his hand against his ear, was apparently receiving orders from "command". Signing off with "Yes, sir," the boy lowered his rifle, gave Alec a look of what almost seemed awe and stammered, "Sorry Sir. I didn't know who you were."
Bracing himself for his piss poor reputation to get him kicked back to the Impala, Alec wasn't prepared for the boy's next words.
"You probably don't remember it, but you saved my unit once, sir. Broke protocol and disobeyed orders to do it."
"What mission was this?"
"NV879: Nevada, the terrorist cell had us pinned down inside the building. Your orders were to neutralize the building. Permanently."
Alec remembered that mission, remembered having to go solo and rogue to take out the terrorists without sacrificing the lives of a unit full of twelve year old kids who had been the only ones small enough to crawl into the building via an aqueduct. Pulling on a smirk he kidded, "I make it a point not to waste explosives on my own kind. It's not cost effective."
The X8 laughed, "Joshua said you were funny."
At the name of his friend, Alec was hit with how much he had missed the big guy.
"Come on over. I'll take you to Max," the X8 said, stepping back to give the X5 room to land.
"Max..she's in charge?" Alec asked, though in truth, he had no doubts that she would be the guiding force behind the genetic stand for freedom.
"Yes, she's the one who convinced us to stop running, has set up the security and organized supply runs."
"Sounds like her," Alec mumbled under his breath even as he was impressed. Then he jumped over the fence to land in a crouch by the X8. "Alright, then, pal. Take me to your leader."
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Dean couldn't help feeling awed when he saw Alec jump over the fence, saw more of the younger man's bag of tricks. "Ah, man. I think I got ripped off on the whole DNA package."
"What was that, Dean?" Sam's voice came from the cell phone Dean had laying on the ground by his right elbow.
Knowing that his brother would be left sitting in the Impala aka getaway vehicle, anxious for any updates on Alec's welcome back party, Dean had agreed to give a blow by blow recap as the events unfolded. "Seems like he got the green light to cross over the picket line," Dean reported. Tracking Alec through the rifle scope, he saw the duo making their way across the parking lot scattered with refuge and burned out cars. Movement ahead of Alec's position caught Dean's attention and he focused on the small greeting party walking toward Alec. His finger resting on the trigger, he counted ten targets, tried to have an open mind as he saw the animal mutants among the X5 series transgenics. "Scratch that. My DNA is awesome," he mumbled, grateful for the absence of scales and a bald misshaped head.
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Watching as a group walked toward him, Alec feared it was a lynch mob, ready to string him up for deserting them all. Seeing Joshua "leading the pack", he knew he would take, without protest, whatever retribution that the big mutant deemed was his due for bailing on them. Because, somewhere down deep, Alec knew Joshua had counted on him, trusted him when no one else would have taken the risk. And he had left him down.
He nearly stumbled to a stop at the look on Joshua's face, the smile that turned up the canine contoured lips, the bounce that was evident in the tall transgenic's step. "Hey, Josh, how have you been?" he casually greeted even as his heart pounded in his chest, still fearing Joshua's greeting.
"Alec!" Joshua called out in happiness and caught Alec into a tight hug, ended up picking the X5 off the ground in his exuberance. "Alec, I'm so glad to see you!"
"Yeah, buddy," Alec wheezed out, Joshua's tight grip constricting around his chest. "I think I got that."
At the pain in Alec's voice, Joshua dropped Alec almost instantly, shot his hands out and steadied the young transgenic when he stumbled on his landing. Bending down, Joshua worriedly studied his friend's face.
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Dean was a breath away from taking out the hulking mutant that seemed intent on crushing Alec in his significant grip when he saw the look on the mutant's face..the smile, saw the way Alec's hands wrapped around the tall creatures frame and not in a defensive move. "Holy crap," Dean exclaimed in perplexed surprise.
"What?! What's happening Dean?" Sam frantically demanded.
Dean reacted with a "Huh," to the scene he viewed through his rifle sights.
"Huh what Dean?!"
"I think Alec just got hugged by Chewbacca."
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"Alec OK? Alec not hurt?" Joshua asked, big hands gentle as they ran down Alec's arms, his torso.
"Nah, I'm fine. Little manly…er..dogly hugging can't hurt me," Alec scoffed.
"No, before. The news…they said you were shot escaping prison. And then you didn't come back…"
"Ah about that …" Alec began, wondering how he could explain road tripping with his clone and his clone's brother, hunting down things more evil and hideous than Manticore could ever hope to create.
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Seeing a late comer to the party, Dean watched the petite brunette stalk up to the gathered group of transgenics and shove her way through. Instantly he knew that it couldn't be anybody other than Max. Max who Alec had spoken of with a mixture of affection, respect, annoyance and censure. "Well, she's definitely not hard on the eyes, kiddo."
"Dean are you trying to piss me off or is it just coming naturally," Sam snarled through the cell phone, frustrated by the lousy job of commentating his brother was doing.
"I think Max is coming onto the scene. And Sammy, she's one hot chick."
"He said she was…said it in the same breath as he said she was royal pain, ordering him around."
"Some orders are a pleasure to carry out, Sammy. That's what you never understood," Dean smirked, watched as Max finally made it to the front of the group and stumbled to a stop as she got her first unobstructed view of Alec.
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As Joshua affectionately cuffed the side of his head, Alec felt a quiet settle on the other transgenics. Looking past Joshua, he felt his breath catch as his eyes met Max's. 'Great. Time for the chewing out. The "do me a favor and leave. I can't stand to even look at you" speech.' When she began walking toward him, he braced himself for her physical and/or verbal assault.
Her breathless, choked words barely registered with him.
"I was so scared. I thought I lost you…"
Going onto her tip toes, Max wrapped her hand around the base of Alec's neck and brought his head down. Then their lips collided together into a kiss.
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Seeing Max draw Alec into a long, deep kiss, Dean proudly smirked. "Oh, he definitely has my undeniable sex appeal."
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Released from Max's long kiss an instant before even his transgenic lungs would have collapsed, Alec looked at Max in stunned confusion even as he reeled from his own receptiveness to Max, to her kiss. Suddenly he felt like he had stepped into an alternate universe, one where he was the celebrated prodigal son and Max was his girl, anxiously awaiting his return.
"Whoa, hey, I think you guys need to stop drinking the water in this toxic wasteland because …what's going on here," Alec said, moving his finger to point at Max, Joshua and the gathered well wishers, "it's …"
Max's right cross connected brutally with his jaw, cut off his words and had him stumbling under the assault.
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Dean winced in sympathy as Max's punch landed on an unsuspecting Alec. "Ouch. Apparently Alec doesn't have my charm, Sammy. His girl Max just tried to deck him."
"What about that waitress you "romanced" in Tulsa?" Sam taunted through the phone.
"We promised never to talk about her, Sammy. Never. Hey, maybe she was a transgenic, one of the crew that escaped with Max years ago."
"Dean the waitress was like thirty, way too old. Man, she just laid you out with one punch, I know 'cause Dad and I were right there, witnessing the whole thing."
"Shut up or you're walking to our next gig."
"Dean, you do realize that I'm the one sitting in the Impala right now, right?"
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Hand pressed to his jaw, Alec straightened, eyed Max with exasperation. "What was that for?"
"That's for not calling me! For letting me wonder if your dumb behind was dead or alive or on White's examination table."
"I called, I told Cindy that I had to leave town."
"One call," Max accused, raising her one finger practically into Alec's face. "And you didn't even have the balls to call me personally."
"I didn't know we were personal, Max," Alec shot back, frustrated by the way Max ran hot and cold around him, about him.
His retort brought Max up short. She didn't know when it had happened, how it had happened that Alec had come to be "personal" for her. She hadn't been prepared to feel such a void when he had left, when he wasn't there. She had tried to rationalize it, tell herself lame things like "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and even war prisoners sometimes missed their captors. But none of it could explain the ache she felt without Alec there, with his smile, with his too perfect looks, his smart aleck comments. And she had come to realize the parts of Alec she had never acknowledged before: His compassion.. for her, for others; his willingness to help..anyone; the look that would come into his eyes that screamed pain even as he smirked and said, "I'm always alright." Then there was his quiet strength that he had always offered to her when her world was imploding. And she had known in her gut that the transgenics in Terminal City would have followed him without reservations, would not have given Alec the flak that they gave her daily, not with his tactical knowledge and commanding, confident presence.
Meeting Alec's eyes, she could see his pain reflected there, pain she had put there, again. Quietly she mumbled, "Yeah, well, we are personal. Get used to it." Then she turned around and started stalking away, called over her shoulder. "We have work to do." But when she took a few more steps forward and realized instinctively that he hadn't moved to follow her lead, she stopped, swung around. By the look in his eyes, she knew instantly that Alec had changed in the past months. He was somehow stronger, more confident, more at peace with who he was and what he was. Was no longer her soldier…her lackey to order around as she chose. Fear fell on her like a ton of bricks and she couldn't help the catch in her voice, "You're not staying…"
Alec wanted to distance himself from the question, from the strange vulnerability he heard in Max's voice, the look in her eyes that he almost interpreted as need. "We thought we would see if you needed any help."
"We?" Max echoed, uncertainty churning in her at the implications, at the realizations that Alec, the loner, had somehow, in a few months' time, become a "we".
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TBC!
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Hope you're OK with how I portrayed Max. In the series she was always so hard on Alec. I think that she was blinded to his good points and needed a real good wakeup call, like his absence to make her see things more clearly.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Have a great day!
Cheryl W.