Finding the light

by max333

new problems arise when the government calls a reclaim on the 'Manticorian's', claiming their government property. new players come in to wreck havoc while old players seem to be behind the new ones. all that on top of raising a family, and keeping the peace within and outside of Terminal City. our beloved leaders sure have their work cut out for them before the struggle is over.

6. meeting Ross & a heated conference room

Recicup: thanks! I really wanted to make it a tad more family oriented and let the season end on a note that things would be good that you know they will have a family together and work it out. As for Ross he'll be there for a while…

read and review!

Season 5 ep.6

Finally back in our own apartment, we bring the toys out as we played with the girls. Till I got an idea and got my phone out, "What're you doin'?" Alec asked, showing Nyx a stuffed bunny while making the bunny and Nikita's pink fuzzy teddy dance around. Both girls were laughing up a storm. "I want some cute pictures of my girls, and my devilishly handsome mate." He smiled.

I took several pictures, Alec either sitting or on his side as he acted the small stuffed animals out in ridiculous moments, though none of it was fighting. While the girls cheered and laughed, clapping their hands for more, big adorable smiles on their faces. They sat with their feet out in front of them in their tiny little outfits. With the way the economy was still suffering a depression in its state, I was so thankful for Gem's hand me downs from Eve. It was simply wonderful.

And Alec, ever the warm-hearted person, looked mighty comfortable lying on the floor with only his t shirt, jeans and socks as he entertained his baby girls while I took pictures.

While making silly faces at the girls, he declared, "Get down here Maxie, you've got enough, it's my turn now." He took my phone away as I took the same position next to the girls. Taking a few of the toys and making them move all around, I encouraged the girls to interact with them, as Alec took multiple snapshots.

"Hey! Why not one big one of all of us?" he suggested.

"If you can get the girls to be still." I joked.

Sitting side by side, we each took a child and placed them in our laps. Since Alec had the longer arms, he held the phone far enough away to snap a couple of pictures. Going through them an hour later, I picked a few to be sent to our email at HQ so I could print them out.

"Send them yet?" he asked, feeding both girls, and getting half the mashed up baby carrots on himself in the process, I couldn't help but giggle as he glanced down in despair at the orange stains on his favorite t-shirt, I remarked wryly, "I don't get how a super soldier who is able to dodge bullets can't seem to get out of the way of flying mashed carrots." His eyebrows lifted to his hairline, probably thinking I've lost my mind.

"These girls are the byproduct of us, therefore they will enter into the realm of super soldier prowess soon." He shook his head in wonder as he commented, "I just didn't think it'd be this soon. I've been dodgin' the food, otherwise I'd be completely orange by now! I just feel sorry for whoever cleans the floor! They're getting to be fast little devils" he exclaimed.

He passed me the jar of food he held and the spoon. "Here you can get the next jar to them, but don't take your eyes off them. I'm tellin' you they're gettin' their mom's mischievousness." he warned, leaving to more than likely change his shirt.

"Hey!" I called out causing his head to pop out again from the bedroom in question. "While you're in there can you get the laundry done? We need some more towels done too. Oh and here…" He walked toward me as I tossed him my shirt and bra. Catching them easily he watched as I grabbed a nearby trash bag and draped it over my chest. He looked stunned, and I shrugged in response. "Unlike some people around here, I improvise. Sides, I don't feel like scrubbing baby food out of MY shirts…"

I turn right back around, as Alec walked away and popped himself on the forehead muttering, "Damn! Why didn't I think of that?" he then turned back around and actually grinned at me before asking, "Is it bad I was turned on by that?" I opened my mouth to retort when I realized I had none.

"Go do what you need to do while I try to finish up here without being bathed in carrots." I laughed then turned my head for a split second to reply when I got a splatter in my mouth as I had gone to open it. Stunned I saw two smirks on two very happy faces. I looked down to find the source. The jars laying on their sides, one hand covered in orange goop while the other had obviously tried to hold it while pulling the mess from the jar.

I was stunned. Were regular babies able to do that so soon, or was it truly their genetic heritage from us coming out of them? "Why you little…" I was more stunned than upset. Also because Alec had been right. "AHHA!" he nearly yelled from the bedroom, racing into the kitchen at X5 speed before I could find a paper towel to wipe the baby food off.

"See what I mean?" he remarked, kissing the tip of my nose, avoiding getting the baby food on his face. So I helped out. Taking a swipe I put a dab on his own cheek, "Nice try." He wiped it off still in a good mood, "That just topped off this day." Going back into our room he grabbed the laundry basket, kissed my lips before giving each girl a kiss on the head as he left out to go do the laundry. "There better not be a next time girls." I remark, referring to the food

This time I wouldn't take my eyes off them. I had a feeling that something caught Alec's attention as it took him nearly 2 ½ hours to do the laundry, either that or he was passing the time by in there while I was busy with the girls in here. Calling him he answers, "What?" his innocent voice speaks of mischief. "Why aren't you back yet? Laundry doesn't take that long and the girls are already fed and scrubbed up. I thought we could read them a bed time story together." I stated, picking both girls up while cradling the phone to my shoulder.

"OC didn't want to bother Gem since she's off tonight but the nursery is slammed. I'm callin' in Cece and Daniel to help out but till they get here, I'm stayin'." I nodded then rolled my eyes knowing he couldn't see my nod. "Okay, see you soon." Shutting the phone off and putting it back down nearby, I put the girls in their cribs. I put the diaper and everything on one at a time, not minding that Nyx was playing in her crib a bit as I dressed Nikita up.

Ten minutes later, both girls were dressed as I told them a story to get them to sleep. I couldn't help but recite a familiar story Tinga had told her son before her death. At least this way in memory she would be around for not only me, but her nieces as well.

"Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived in a kingdom in a faraway land. One day she and her brothers and sisters escaped the evil king who held them captive there and tried to make their way in the world." Memories of us each living out our lives as we wanted to, came back to my mind as I continued.

"It was hard, because the king never stopped looking for them. The princess was lucky, she fell in love and had a family, and she was very happy. But the evil king and his men found her and took her away." I started to tear up, "So there was no happily ever after, only the happily ever now that had been hers for a little while." Then I sat up straight, "And no matter what they did to the princess no one could ever take that away from her."

The girls were completely lulled to sleep, more or less from the soothing tone in my voice rather than the sad yet happy tale I spun. Walking out quietly, I shut the door in time to hear, "Wow. That was depressing…and yet just a little hope filled." Alec remarked casually, "If anything it inspires the person, yeah BS can happen but enjoy the little pleasures in life." I gave a half smile, "Yeah I guess. I just thought I'd tell that story in memory of Tinga. She used to tell the story to her son at night." He nodded, "Very sweet of you."

"Come on, lets go drink some beer and lay on the bed." I giggled, "We can get started on twin set number two." He whispered in my ear, licking the shell. I wasn't that far gone yet but the idea somehow sounded very appealing. "Or, we could still enjoy the heat with condoms tomorrow night. I don't think we'll be able to stay quiet with me coming into heat. Thankfully it's not full blown yet." I surmise.

I didn't trust myself to not belt out my pleasure while in heat. It made me lose control of EVERYTHING – though these days with Alec, I enjoyed losing control but not with our baby girls in the next room - and I didn't want to wake the girls up nor have them hear us at all to begin with.

Alec looked at me oddly, "You don't want any more kids?" he asked.

"Alec I love you and our girls, but let's take a breather and get used to being parents before having the next set, or the next child." I soothe.

He looked at the bedroom door to the girls, "Never thought I'd say this, but I wanna have more kids." I smile, then wondered, "How many kids were you aiming to have?" the question had him thinking, "Between three to five." My eyes widened on that one before wincing in premeditated pain. "You okay?" he asked, "Yeah just imagining pushing out another two to three kids." He smiled, "What can I say, a pregnant Max is a sexy Max." I arched a brow.

"You may not believe it, but when I see you pregnant, it causes me to become horny as hell for you. Knowing my seed is growing in there…" he eyes my stomach with a special type of heat. "It makes me want you more than you than you could possibly want me." his eyes glittered with promise towards me.

Shocked to hear this, I responded, "I hear you but I'm having a hard time believing that since most of my pregnancy was spent with you workin' outside and me workin' with Gamble." I had a tiny edge to my voice, the memory still sharp in my mind.

He huffed, "Let's go to the living room okay?" I agreed, not wanting to wake the girls up. "I'm gonna make a small snack. You want something?" I asked, heading to the kitchen as Alec followed, but didn't come around the counter.

He leaned on the counter casually and folded his arms, watching me put together some food for us. I heard his tired sigh, "I must admit I wasn't too crazy about you workin' so much with Gamble. Mostly cause I didn't trust him. To be honest, I still don't fully trust him, but he hasn't done anything to us, just helped us, so he's simply on my 'watch and wait' list." he explained.

I nodded, conceding his point, "I know, I still don't fully trust him either, but he hasn't done us wrong yet."

I just couldn't help but make the following point though. It still gnawed at me, though more on a subconscious level than anything. "I was still available afterwards. I wasn't with him every day, though I did see you out there workin'…lookin' all hot 'n sexy…" I licked my lips as I watched him abandon his place at the counter and bend over to peer into the fridge, admiring his tight ass.

I moaned a little and dropped my knife on the counter. It created a sudden clatter. He raised up, beer in hand and gave me a once-over, realizing my pheromones were spiking thanks to him. The predator in him coming out, he sat the beer down on the counter unopened and began to advance toward me. Feeling slightly skittish and breathing a little hard, I began to back up and he kept following me, intent on what he wanted…and frankly what I needed.

Nervously, I remarked, "Look our barely there sex life during my pregnancy was just as much my fault as it was yours." I compromised, not wanting to get into an argument when I knew that's what the end result would be.

Biting his own lip in thought, he kept stalking forward. "Maybe that's one of the reasons why I want to see you pregnant again…to make up for what we weren't able to do then."

At that moment, he gripped my hips in his palms, pinning me to the refrigerator roughly. I tried to hang onto reason as he reached straight down to unbutton and unzip my jeans.

"Can we at least wait till my next heat? It'll be roughly six to seven months later. I just think we need to…mmm….figure out and get…oohhh…this parenting thing….oh god….before we…oh yes…start to…aahhh….have more kids." I barely got that out as he slipped his left hand into my jeans. I closed my eyes as my head hit the refrigerator, the sensations overwhelming me.

The feel of him rubbing his fingers in between my nether lips, stroking my clit, made my mind go out the door. His constant rubbing was proving to be my undoing. Seconds away from giving in, something totally stomped it out, "Wait!" I stated, the tone in my voice stopped him.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked in concern.

I couldn't believe I didn't think about it earlier, "I'm in heat." I stated as if that would explain everything.

He smiled, "Yeah? So?"

I hit him on the shoulder. Luckily not enough to do much harm as I explained, "We have a meeting tomorrow with Gamble and the General Ross and Deck at noon."

He still didn't seem to get it and I huffed out a breath in annoyance that I have to explain further, "Don't you see? I can't be in heat around all of them!" I state frantic.

"It'll have to only be – Damn it Alec, why are you still smiling?!" I near bark. This was a serious matter. Thankfully my anger was killing off my horny hormones, as he chuckled at me. "Babe, trust me. You're not goin' to claw on every male there. You're mine now."

I arched a brow in disbelief, "But I'll be surrounded by testosterone!" I near screeched. His hand left my jeans.

"You don't get it, when you are mated, you don't feel the compulsion to jump other men. Yeah you'll be horny, but for me only, not anyone else. As long as the meeting isn't that long and we have sex beforehand, you'll be fine."

He seemed awfully confident about this. "I don't know…" I wasn't as sure as he was. "I've never truly had a successful heat where I never jumped if I was out doors. In doors I could busy myself, keep my mind off of it."

I explained, "Push up, sit ups, cold showers, blew one door off its hinges." He quirked a brow in curiosity and I waved it off, "Never mind. Point is I don't trust myself to be out and about while in heat. I've never in my life had a successful time where I didn't get laid with some stranger." I pleaded. Oh god! I sound just horrible! Like a complete and utter whore! But, then again, who would understand better than my former Mr. Lays Anything that Walks?

He chuckled a little as he moved to hug me. "Aw baby. I promise you'll be fine. A little horny for me but otherwise you'll be okay. Guaranteed. I'll be there the whole time." He remarked, feeling me becoming more compliant than before.

I knew he understood why I was worried. It wasn't that I didn't love him or that I wouldn't be faithful to him, I would, I just had never had a successful moment where I could go out during heat and nothing would happen. My only exception was when Eric (luckily) passed out in my bed on that one night of heat I had.

Agreeing I slipped away, 'Sorry but I feel like I need a shower."

"I'll join you." He replied as he turned me in his arm and led me to the bathroom with his arm around my shoulder, the touch reassuring. Naked Alec in shower with naked me…hormones returned fast and totally overwhelmed me. I licked my lips again. Watching him shuck his shirt off, I admired his chiseled chest. He saw me in the mirror as I closed the door to the bathroom.

My hormones acted without thought for my body. Stripping the stupid bag I had on, I trashed it as I stripped my pants from my form, letting my thong drop to the floor once I hit the bathtub. Alec's heated glance watched me as I ran the water and started the shower. He seemed rooted to the spot, so I started to soap up without him, hoping to entice him inside with me. Running it down my breasts, to between my legs. I turned towards him as he pulled open the curtain viewing me.

Tweaking my nipples, I felt his heated gaze on me as I rubbed my fingers over them. I gave a light moan and dipped my head back a little bit in bliss. Finally I open my eyes and smile, hoping it looked sexy, "Okay big boy. You get this when you get some condoms. I promise the next heat, when we've got a handle on our kids will be when we'll have some more." He grunted something that sounded like fine before he left out.

Unbelievably five minutes later he blurred back in, a small box of condoms in his hands, as he stripped himself in seconds flat, "Haven't used these in just over two years...I think these can last up to three though." He remarked, sliding one on, "Wait!" I halted him, "Let's make this interesting." I purred in a seductive manner, "How's that?" he asked, stroking himself. Getting on my knees I pulled him forward by his member.

"Oh Maxie…" he groaned out as I took the condom and put it in my mouth. A tricky thing to learn but not for me. Using a few different methods I deep throated him while putting the condom on him, "Oh my…" he was struggling with his words. Feeling him getting even harder, I stroked him through the piece of rubber. "Maxie…you gotta stop...else I - oohh!" he muttered as I stroked him against my core once I stood back up and guided him against the wall. "I'll stop when I wanna stop. Otherwise…make me."

He gritted his teeth as I was getting ready to jump up and have him sink in me. "Make you huh?" he replied. I didn't get a chance to say anything as he grabbed me from my waist, shoved me into the wall before wrapping my legs around himself and slammed home. Each thrust felt like it penetrated deeper within me. He started to blur within me so fast I was having trouble keeping up my rhythm.

I felt myself on the precipice only to find he pulled completely out, "Let's try a little something new then." Pulling me out of the tub, he grabbed his belt and wrapped it around my wrists, though they were lightly done, as he sat me down on the bathroom rug, before looping it around the door knob. "Alec what are you doin'?" I demanded, "Experimenting. If you don't want to you can tell me and I'll stop." He stated after a second.

"Let's see where this goes." No harm in trying new things. Kneeling down in front of me he pulled my legs over each hip as he lined himself back up with my core. Then to really get things going he threw one of my legs over his shoulder, "I'm sure this is in a 'kama sutra' book somewhere." He stated playfully before thrusting himself within me. With my hands wrapped up over my head and his hands gripping my hips controlling how much of himself went in me and how much of me could move further into him.

"Alec…." I whimpered after a few controlled thrusts, wishing that I could feel him. But even as a transgenic he had my control and that felt amazing, wonderful and frazzling at the same time. "I oh god…" he angled my hips at a steeper angle hitting a spot in me that made me go through the roof, "Oh god do that again!" I moaned, biting my lip from being too loud. "Like this?" he asked, only the pace was much slower.

I growled at him for slowing down, though the strokes did amazing things to my erogenous zones, it just drove me nuts, but the feeling was exhilarating. "You know one day, we should have hot wild sex on my bike." I hadn't realized I'd said such a thing, considering that's a very PUBLIC thing to do, and I'm not exactly an exhibitionist.

Heat can make you have strange thoughts…it caught Alec's ears though, "Tomorrow, night, I know just the place where we won't be disturbed."

That should make me wonder, but all my mind can think of is, best way of introducing a sex toy without it actually being a sex toy, use your bikes engine the revving alone will be the vibrator for the act! "I love you…" I groan, hoping he'll start to speed up. He leans in. Out of instinct I pull on the belt only to remember I can't touch him, "Please let me touch you."

He smiles, "Begging…I like that…and only with me too…" within seconds he had the belt untied as I pull him to me, his thrusts gaining speed as I lock my one arm around his shoulder and the other around his waist. He slams into me, grabbing the belt for himself as he bites into it, his grunting getting louder. "Hmmm….a bound Alec, to do my bidding…" he barely manages to get my meaning as I start to plummet over the edge.

Then I lose my grip on his shoulders as he slams into me one final time, my whole upper body held up by his hands under my backside, "Not before you Maxie…" he groans out, holding back his release. I tried but he wouldn't relent this time. Standing up with me still around him, he puts my bum on the cold counter. Before I can protest it he thrusts himself within me again. The wall behind me I use as leverage to counter his thrusts.

"You all tied, up, like some…oh god…pagan sacrifice….oh mmmm…." He groaned as he thrust even harder than before, "Shut up and fu - " I find his lips slanted over my own, once again swallowing my cries of pleasure as I am unable to contain them. As he rams himself in me, harder than before. It only takes a half dozen thrusts, maybe a few more before I let out a soundless scream as he releases himself within me, triggering my own orgasm. It takes us several languid minutes to come down from that.

The love is so etched in our eyes I don't even bother saying anything. He smiles, then carries me bridal style to our room. Falling naked on the sheets together, he curls into my backside as I pull his arms more securely around me. Then before falling asleep, he puts his leg over my own pulls my hair from my neck, drops a small kiss and says, "Together forever Maxie…" I can't help the tears that form. "No matter what." I state firmly.

It was the next morning that had me fidgety. Hormones or not, my nerves and feelings over this General Ross were helping to kill off my hormonal urges. Alec was providing help by simmering me down. If anything I wanted noon to get here fast. Taking our bikes, with Deck on the back of Alec's, once we let Joshua take the girls for the day, his painting he said he'd love to teach to them. I'm a bit iffy but I can't wait to see the end result. We could put their art work on the fridge or something.

Passing through two sectors to get there, we parked our bikes in the lower parking level before moving upstairs. "Here goes nothing." Alec murmured, ensuring Deck was fine. We didn't know if he'd ever ridden on a motorcycle, but we wanted to be sure just the same, "I'm not an old fool. It's not my first rodeo." He muttered, clearly not a fan. "Didn't say that. You just don't seem the biker type is all." Alec defended.

"Let's just get inside, it's been a while, I'd like to see how the years have treated General Ross." He states and begins walking.

Following the long hallways we entered the usually reserved meeting room. Once Gamble's security left us, something he had to have asked for himself, they stepped outside the room and acted as guards, so we wouldn't be disturbed. Before anything happened I felt my body shifting towards Alec. Deck saw it too. "What's wrong?" he asked, "Nothing…" but I felt antsy. Alec's presence seemed to be doing more harm than good and even his soothing hand on my back was making me want to rub into the front of him.

"You're in heat." Deck resisted the urge to snap at me.

"Not like I could help it." I snapped.

Deck shook his head, "We're having an important government meeting, and you're in heat and bring your mate with you?" He turned to Alec, "494, once you're introduced, go outside and stand guard or at least walk the perimeter. You're providing too much of a distraction right now and that could cost us later."

I realized Deck was right. Although I didn't like to admit it. I checked Alec for his reaction, hoping he wouldn't argue but he nodded and said, "Fine. I'll go outside after I get the meet-and-greet over with." Resigned he sighed, "You do have a point….for once." He muttered.

Walking from the door inside the actual room I spotted General Ross as Deck looked to him with a pensive mixture of loathe, anger, contempt, and a near evil calm. I almost, ALMOST felt sorry for Ross.

The General himself was of strong stature, his hair was starting to whiten, cleanly shaven, nearly six feet tall. Once he saw Deck it was almost as if a light had been reddened behind his eyes, anger I assumed. I could feel the animosity already between Deck and Ross. It was like a palatable thing in the air.

I noticed The General stiffen as his eyes met Deck's cold blue ones. Deck firmed his jaw and gave a slight nod, "Ross." He mumbled, not even acknowledging the General's status.

And to my amusement, that rankled the old coot. "That's GENERAL Ross to you Lydecker."

Gamble's eyes raised to his hairline as he watched the interplay between the two. I smirked a little at Gamble. This is going to be interesting.

"What the hell is HE doing here?" Ross asked Gamble directly, practically dismissing Deck and me. Before Gamble could answer, I piped up, "Colonel Donald Lydecker is known by the Pentagon as the primary expert regarding anything to do with transgenics and transhumans. Since he was there when most of us were born. Also he practically raised us. Therefore he would be a valuable resource in this discussion, wouldn't you agree Mayor Gamble?"

Before Gamble could say anything, Ross's penetrating stare landed on me as he sneered, "Raised you? 452, aren't you one of the twelve escapees in '09?"

"Yes sir I am…however Deck was there the first near ten years of my life. Now he resides nearby for expertise. A mentor if you will." That was pulled delicately from my ass.

"Thank you Max." Lydecker mumbled, giving me a slight nod of his head in acceptance, then turning his eyes to Ross, they narrowed to a very cold blue.

"Whether you like it or not Ross, my kids won't go anywhere unless they have to. Last time I checked, they're now free citizens of the United States of America. They have served their time in the military and should not be forced into service again. I am going to damn well fight you tooth and nail on this. I'm retired military, that is true, however I have the ear of the Vice President of the United States."

"That's nothing." General Ross scoffed, "I have the ear of the President himself."

"Right, like I believe that…as soon as I make public about you and your…how shall I say this…?" Deck tapped his chin in thought, "Mental health indiscretions… they'll find out soon enough that you're just a power hungry controlling sociopath that lucked out, or possibly slept with the right people to get to the top."

"Now Colonel…" Gamble held a hand up, "Let's not throw insults. This is an informal meeting yes, but…"

"Oh shut the hell up Gamble." Ross groused at him. An accent I wasn't completely familiar with was in his tone.

I watched him carefully as Ross shifted positions and seemed to come at Deck. Knowing we couldn't have any literal fights happen I broke into action. Before anyone could blink, I had Ross in a submission hold facing the wall, his arm twisted behind his back. It was a completely automatic response and I heard Deck chuckle from behind me.

"Yeah my kids are rather protective of their own Ross. And I believe every last one of them would much rather kill you than work for you. Now that they have the freedom that they do, they will fight with everything they have to keep it."

"Call off your dog Deck!" Ross growled, trying to get out of the hold and not being able to do so.

"Dog?" I ask and pull his arm up tighter, hoping I break his shoulder I was so pissed. "Did you seriously just call me a dog? I'm part cat you bottom feeding man-in-black wannabe! Shows what you know!" I hiss by his ear.

To this Alec came bounding into the room, prepared to fight, "Alec stop! I got this!" I rose my voice to speak to him, "You sure?" he asked, looking about the room seeing everyone else seemed to be watching Ross and myself, "Yeah. Go." He exited the room reluctantly, but once he was gone, I kept the pressure up on Ross. A small sound came out of his mouth. Could it be pain? Good, I hoped so!

"Max!" Gamble suddenly seemed to appear right behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Let him go Max."

"Are you kidding me? He just called me a dog! Apologize! NOW!" I insisted as I shoved him for good measure further into the wall.

All I received was a glare of hatred from the old man. Gamble kept his voice calm and placating, "Max, you are all guests here, but if you don't let him go, I'll be forced to call in the guards and have you arrested. Do you really want that? Please let…it…go! This will serve no purpose than to create further animosity. Please Max." I could hear Gamble imploring me through his tones.

"Fine!" I grit out as I shoved the General to my right and away from me. I pointed at the evil Phoenix leader, "You either start talking to me with at least some amount of respect or we don't talk at all and I move this higher up the food chain, you got that? I have no intention of me or my kind working for you in any capacity."

I stepped forward one step and hissed, "Besides Deck's right…we would rather kill you than work for you and we were all trained as assassins, just like your soldiers. Also an added bonus on my side?" I got in the General's face and tilted my head, "Shark DNA. I…don't…sleep. You on the other hand have to sleep sometime." I poked him in the shoulder and ended with, "Food for thought." My voice was sweet enough to make sure the warning was clear and concise.

"Max…" Gamble shook his head and then rolled his eyes, "Really? You just threatened a public official?"

By then Ross raised a hand to stall Gamble but stared me up and down, like he was sizing me up, "Oh no it's okay Gamble. Because once she's mine…" he glanced up at the other men and gave a wicked smile and shrug, "For the Phoenix project of course…" then he turned back to me, I rolled my eyes in disgust, feeling the need for a bath from that look alone. It wasn't a sexual look but it was icky enough to make me feel the need for a shower, stat!

"I have ways of breaking you that Manticore never dreamed of. You WILL learn the proper respect of a General you piece of worthless animal trash."

"And you!" he pointed at Deck, "You do anything to jeopardize these plans, there's hell to pay."

Deck sat in one of the office chairs and leaned it back, his fingers steepled in front of him, "Ahh, this brings back SO many memories."

"Okay… everyone? Let's stay calm and sit back down. Come on. We have an agenda that we need to discuss." Gamble indicated everyone in the room with a look, showing he's used to authority by now and asserting when he has to.

Taking a deep breath, I calm down and walk back to my chair. Sitting next to Deck, I start sorting the information within again as Deck leaned over and whispered, "Good going… I personally would have shot the bastard."

"Later, I might let you." I hiss at him.

"So with discussing Manticore's soldiers…"

"Oh you mean the prelude to the 'Phoenix Project'?" Now Deck frowned at the General's words. The obvious insult laced within the words was making Deck want to defend his pride and joy.

"I think you're - " I stopped Deck with a hand on his arm and whispered, "Remember the point here is to get the General FAR away from wanting Manticore alumni to work for him…Terminal City is NOT working with him." he pursed his lips as his need to defend what he helped organize and create almost came out. The General gave us death glares as he knew something bad had been about to be said about his own group. Would have served the old general right since he shot the first volley about Manticore.

For once, I was inwardly relieved that Alec was not in the room and that Deck was here instead because, in the end, Alec's earlier words came back to me. That I would have no compulsion whatsoever to jump any man here. Not sexually anyway. And I was thankful for that much. Beat the snot out of them? Possibly. That remains to be seen.

"Let's conduct business shall we?" I spoke again.

The General eyed me with some disdain, which in turn put some starch in my spine as he confirmed, "So you call yourself Maxine Guevera – McDowell." I finally realized the accent was Yugoslavian. The bastard seemed to read my mind as he explained, "I spent the last few years in Yugoslavia undercover. The accent has stayed with me since then. I am born and raised American." He stated proudly.

"Yes I am known as Max, and the man who just left to secure the area is my Second in Command Alec McDowell."

I noticed my slip as I admitted having Alec's last name on the end of my own but he said nothing about it. At that point it took mere seconds for the General Ross to size me up.

"So X5-452 and my guess is that the one you call Alec is X5-494. The leaders of the transgenics and transhumans… Kind of reminds one of an ant colony of sorts, hm? How interesting."

An ant colony?! Really? We're not fucking ANTS! We're better and a LOT more organized than that. Besides…I ain't deliverin' a couple hundred of soldiers to this maniac…only through my dead body. I quirked my head to the side, trying to remain somewhat passive about his remarks and keeping the blank face I perfected in Manticore.

"With all due respect General Ross…" I began to bite out with a bit of reluctant deference, "We lead our fellow transgenics and transhumans as a community." He smiled.

"A community…that's funny…a community of 'Chimeras' living as people when in reality you're nothing more than disposable tools to be used. That's what you were made for."

I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent a smart ass retort from coming from my throat and remain calm, not letting him bait me. "I beg to differ. We're not disposable. If anything we're indispensable. Worth five men a piece I believe." I peered at Deck for confirmation of my numbers on that one.

"Manticore realized after your escape their error in allowing you a little too much independent thought. So I know they took your twins and put them through a process that Manticore liked to call 're-indoctrination'…frankly I just call it 'simplifying'. Either way it was to make them more docile, and the reality was, Manticore couldn't successfully simplify them."

He acted like it was a failure on Deck's part, the glance he sent him told Deck and everyone else as much, "However it did make the X5's great commanders over the X6's and later series, but keeping them in line at times was…well, not always easy. I have some of those twins…and believe me, they are now fully cooperative in ANYTHING I tell them to do." His grin was evil yet full of pride at what he managed to do.

"Manticore failed where Phoenix succeeded. We are the true successor of Manticore, and you and your kind belong back with us. At home base." He told me in a no nonsense tone.

Damn he really knew a lot….Then his eyes shifted to the slight narrowing in Deck's direction. Before anything could be said he continued, "You 452 escaped Lydecker's grasp for all those years." He stated more than asked once his eyes returned to me.

I said nothing, there was something negative to come from this I knew it. He turned his beady little eyes to Deck, then back to me, "You were lucky it was him looking for you."

I turned from Deck to Ross then back to Deck upon the General's words, "Why?" I knew I was asking a loaded question. Ross laughed before giving Deck a look that said he felt that no matter what he was better, it made me want to knock him on his ass just to show proof that he wasn't the all mighty ass he thought he was.

"Because had it been me you would have been found in a week and put through every test needed to ensure you'd never be ABLE to nor want to escape again. Over at my facility we have ways of making you see the error in your 'Chimera' way of thinking. Actual thoughts of being able to live amongst humans, be human…it's laughable." He smiled a tad evilly.

"Colonel Lydecker has been and always will be weak. Even we knew he thought of your group as his 'kids'. Pathetic." I could hear Lydecker's heart beat rising, the anger that was flowing through him was being kept steady beneath the surface. If General Ross wasn't careful he would be met with an accident from either of the three of us in this room. His way of thinking wasn't well received.

"Of course it could also have something to do with how Manticore decided to delegate things." He added, I looked on. "They wanted to recoup their losses, with us, we know that every soldier is expendable. The rules of the game." I narrowed my eyes at the blatant lack of need for human life in his eyes.

"As I said before, Deck failed to find you for years, I would have never made that unfortunate error." I narrowed my eyes at him "You're right…" Gamble, Deck and Ross appeared surprised. I smiled sweetly and gloated, "Lydecker is the better of two evils."

As bad as he is, as much as we may have wanted to end him back in the day, at least he sees the value in his soldiers and doesn't see them as mere tools to toss away upon completion.

"So I take it you are close with your SIC?" he asked in a non-committal way, suddenly changing the subject and catching me off guard. "No use hiding it, the other half of your last name is his." He explained my earlier slip up.

I knew by the careless way the General looked at me, he felt if we were his soldiers, we would have been expended already…if we didn't escape him first. It was why I finally let loose my tongue a little bit.

"None of your business. So…are we here to listen to your bigotry all day, because it's really getting old." I snapped.

"You're right, what I would like to discuss is your surrender to military order to return to what should be your only positions as expendable soldiers." He actually smiled like it was going to happen…I was in near disbelief….near mid you.

FUCK THAT! I couldn't help myself, I laughed at his audacity, "Yeah that's not ever going to happen." I straightened up.

"We've worked our asses off literally to establish ourselves as people. And you seriously believe we're going to give that up? If you think that, then you're completely delusional. We have lives, identities, families, homes, and if you think that even for a mere SECOND that we're gonna roll over and give all that up, you're sadly mistaken. We're not moving or following any so called military order you give us. You have no authority whatsoever over us now, and I'll make damn sure you won't later."

I was unable to contain my rant on that one. Ross had a near blank expression to his face, as if he was waiting for me to stop yapping.

"You talk as if I care about those petty things." He looked bored, I narrowed my eyes in rising anger, "YOU may not care but there's about a couple hundred transgenics and transhumans that do." I remark.

"Plus we're U.S. citizens now. Under whatever contract you have, it is now null and void due to the changes that have occurred. You can't touch us without going back to the committee that enforced it." I finished off.

"And they're nicely sized contributors to Seattle." Gamble added. Ross didn't seem to like it at all. "I'm sure I can convince them otherwise." He remarked, already thinking of ways to undermine all our hard work. "We're getting away from the real issue here today." Lydecker came up, "And what would that be?" the General asked.

Looking smug at Deck. "You're here because a friend of a friend told you to make this happen." The General made his face stony.

"That 'friend' is Special Agent Ames White and he's someone for you to watch out for." The Phoenix leader looked unimpressed, "His mission is to eliminate any force that gets in his cult's way of super power." He was right…it was a tactical diversion and if we didn't nip it soon then it would be wasted effort. "A cult?" Ross asked in complete disbelief. Yeah a couple of years ago that would have been my look.

"Yes a snake cult. Although the cults name has been dubbed the 'breeding cult', they refer to one another as 'familiars'. They have been selectively breeding with the best of the best to achieve the best traits. It's been in effect for thousands of years." he stated as I went silent hoping General Ross would believe it. Granted it's not like there have been a great amount to back up that intel but we we're working on it. We had the symbols pictured so maybe.

"Their purpose and nature is to be the supreme beings in the world, to have total control." General Ross had the nerve to laugh. "Deck, I believe you made more sense when you drank." But no one was laughing, "Sir it is true." Gamble stated, "Bull! But…this story is elaborate, I must say." He laughed again. "Those that are a member have a tattoo, two snakes wrapped around a staff." Deck's words made Ross stop laughing.

I went on myself, "Listen they're planning a subtle take over…believe me I know how crazy it sounds, that was my reaction a few years ago, but I've done the research, so has Deck. He was held captive by them for a period of time…" The General looked like he didn't want to hear it, well too bad!

"This 'recall', you being here…" I indicated to everything that was going on now, "Is them looking to distract the people in the government, yourself included, from the real threat…themselves."

Seeing General Ross MIGHT be listening I continued, "They aren't to be taken lightly, they will do whatever it takes to end the reign of what they consider the weaker species." I iterate. The General appeared upset, "Now you listen to me - " he tried, Alec walked back in and beat him to the punch.

"I think this meeting is concluded, now if you want to verify our findings go ahead, the more information the better but till then…nice to see you." Alec remarked leading me out. "Alec…" I growled. Now alone once again we began walking out when my hormones began kicking back into gear.

It was like all that time it was building up in there and now I needed an outlet. "Empty room now!" I hissed in need. "We'll be down in ten minutes, got something to take care of!" Alec called to Deck and Gamble. Deck rolled his eyes and guided Gamble away. Muttering something about heat cycles in passing.

Grabbing Alec's arm I pull us into a small conference room as he kicks the door closed. Grabbing his neck tie and shirt he begins to pull both off as he shuck his shoes off and get to un buttoning my shirt. "God your pheromones are coming off you in waves." He groans, now pushing me onto a desk.

I try to unbutton the bottom buttons when he rips it off the rest of the way. "Need you now." He growls. Heaving panting came from me as he tugged down on my pants, barely giving it time to un zip them when he pulls himself out. Though when he un zipped himself is beyond me.

"Alec I need you." I whimpered in need, now sucking his ear lobe in between my lips. He shuddered before finally getting my pants past my hips. He made to get them further when the material bunched up too close together to let them go down. So he improvised. Ducking down, he slipped himself up between my thighs as they were the only parts of my legs uncovered. Rising back up, he aligned himself with my sex.

"Oh god!" I managed to get out seconds before he went to slip inside. "I want to cum inside you so badly…feel you wrapped around me…" he told me through a dark toned voice. I quivered on his voice alone. Grabbing my ass he pulled me up and with the table behind us knelt on it himself, before laying on top of me.

With his head buried in my neck he began to thrust within me, in hard and short movements. The sensations made my head go through the roof. One hand gripping his hair I pushed him further into my neck, feeling his tongue gliding up and down, leaving a wet trail of steam in its wake. I wrapped my legs around his waist, bending my knees further in to try and get him in deeper than he already was.

Alec POV

Feeling her legs bend trying to get me in deep made me groan in pleasure. I lifted them to up around my shoulders since with her pants still on it proved difficult to get them up any further than they already were. I could already feel her starting to clench around me. My fingers having found her succulent little aroused bud and feeding it pleasure. I could feel her walls clamping down around my fingers.

"I wanna cum…" she whispered feverishly into my ear, before nibbling on it. But before I could she then cursed, "We need a condom." I was about to protest when she found my wallet in my pants pocket. It occurred to me that while hers were around her knees, mine were still around my hips. What are the odds?

Pushing me out, I felt like whining…till she pushed the condom on and pulled me back into her hot core. I sighed in relief as I looked into her eyes, hoping she knew what I wanted, "Give us what we both want." She told me. Knowing what position would work better for the clothing issue at hand I pulled out, much to her displeasure…and mine…flipped her over on all fours before plunging back inside her wet heat from behind.

I groaned in bliss filled agony as I began to lose myself to the moment. My thrusts became a bit harder as she groaned louder. "Shhh, Max…" I 'shushed' my lips right next to her ears as I bent over her form. My thrusts hard and short again I couldn't resist the urges coming on. Sitting back up though only briefly I slapped her ass several times earning muffled groans from her mouth as she bite into something from below to prevent her sounds from being heard.

"You like that baby?" I asked, leaning forward again, my voice by her ears. "Want my cum?" I demanded of her, the question making her mouth open wide, as her back arched. My continuous thrusts making her clench around me repeatedly. "I…oh god!" her body began to rise in motion for her climax. I pulled her fully up into my arms. One looped around her breasts, the other came around her waist before I dipped it below and between her folds.

The double sensations became too much for her to handle and she began quaking in my arms. I felt her inner muscles milk me before I fell into my own orgasm. It triggered her own as she fell back against me. Several minutes later our breathing returned to normal. "That was a close one." her voice full of sleepiness and sated sex.

I smiled, "As long as it's with me I don't care how close….I love when you get this horny for me…can't resist goin' at it in a conference room." She slapped my arm but it became more of a caress than anything. "We should get back to TC and update the others on what happened…just not on this." She looked back at my face.

"Damn…and here I was hopin' to brag to everyone that we did it - " now she smacked me, "Such a charmer." She mocked. I smiled, "You seemed to like it when I asked you 'want my cum?' what part of that is charming?" she gulped, "Face it you love the dirty mate you have as much as you love the sweet charmer mate within too." She rolled her eyes but we both knew the truth of it.

Max's POV

Leaving out of the room we said our goodbyes to Gamble as Alec put Deck on the back of his bike. Thanks to the 'sex session' we just had I felt more calmed than before of my bodies responses now. I'd be good for a few more hours before I felt the itch again.

Arriving back we knew we'd need to inform everyone of the events…tactfully, "So how'd it go boss?" Mole asked, cigar stub bit in between his teeth, the smoke puffing out in tiny air bursts, as we got off our bikes. Having rolled in just as he walked outside, "Not sure yet…let all heads know there's a meeting in 20 at our place. We've got new game in town and we need a new game plan of our own." I replied tone serious towards the end.

He nodded before getting on his phone, texting all the heads of our different departments.

"I'll take Deck back to his place, man looks a bit emotionally beat down." Alec points in Deck's direction, "Go ahead. See if he says anything along the way. Doubt it though." I remark.

We headed to the apartment, Alec eventually caught back up with us and I for once was grateful that even though Gem was going to be busy with us, OC would be with the girls on her shift over at the nursery. Walking between buildings back to our place we ran into Zack and Cece, "Heard there's a meeting." She replied. I then saw Daniel coming up behind her.

"Yeah, everyone's comin' to our place for it. Might as well tag along." I told them. Coming in with them behind us I now saw everyone gathered in the now seemingly small living room.

With Mole, Joshua, Gem, Cece, Daniel, Zack, Krit, Syl, Alec and myself all gathered around the conversation began. "So what's this all about?" Zack demanded, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the counter next to Gem. For once, subtlety was over-rated and I didn't mind that, "There's a General Avram Ross, and he means serious business." I started. Alec walked forward from his position next to me.

"From what we've gathered, he runs the 'Phoenix group'. And they aren't exactly on the ally express. That's for sure. This guy makes Lydecker look ideal for getting his commanding status re - instated." Shock was around the table from Alec's wording. Syl questioned, "Well that's great…speaking of, where is our Colonel?" she asked, looking at us, know he originally hadn't been part of the meeting.

"I dropped him off at his place, seeing the General Ross stirred up some old memories." Alec explained, "Oh what? He got his feelings hurt?" Zack's cruelty wasn't lost to anyone. Deck may not be the most favorable but if General Ross made the normally calm man get angered then something was definitely up.

"Dude, I'm not a fan of Deck either, but seriously if someone got under Deck's skin then its serious business. Lighten the hell up!" Krit said, not really feeling like dealing with Zack's near constant sour mood.

Outraged Zack replied, "Are you forgetting that he's the reason we had to live on the run for ten years? Always on the go, constantly looking over your shoulder?!" as he sat up. Gem lightly pulled him back down. It seemed to quell him only a little bit, "Have you all really forgotten what we went through, what we lost?"

His words spoke of truth, but they were also the rage of a man that no longer existed. All that was left of Deck was information. He was no longer the same man he was over ten years ago. It was something Zack would need to learn on his own. "According to the General we should be grateful that it was Deck that was sent to bring us in and not him." he glared at me, face still twisted in mild anger at not being heard, of not getting his point across.

Thing is we knew, we all knew, he was stuck in the past of not seeing where we were or that Deck wasn't the problem, General Ross was.

"Manticore's version of 'simplifying' would have been child's play compared to this guy." He shut up, "Besides, Deck's not the issue, and it's not just General Ross. We have a slightly bigger issue." Alec stated, making his place right next to me once again, "Lane, your bossy twin and his crew, have joined him on the Phoenix Project." "Lane?" Zack asked, "Yes, we found out he joined Ross's forces just a little while ago."

Zack sat back at Alec's words, "They are essentially a serious force to be reckoned with." They all but Syl, Krit, and Zack nodded in understanding, "Not to mention that this all stems from White calling this in to be a distraction from everyone around. Most of all us." More nods, "Why distract us, didn't we kill off their plans?" Cece asked.

"They're planning a takeover. That's what we've gotten from Gamble." Zack bit his lip to keep from muttering some obscenities about Gamble himself.

"Yeah whatever that is…" Alec muttered, no one truly knowing what White's cult was planning, not even Gamble right now.

"Great so White's in bed with the General, Lane's group is in bed with him…anyone else?" Cece asked, "General Ross knows who White is, but believes none of what we told him, as for Lane…" I started, "He's a cracker barrel of tricks to figure out." Alec surmised, shaking his head.

"Let me talk to him." Zack asked, tone lowered as if he was truly serious. I glanced at Alec, then back to Zack again, "I'm not sure if putting you two in the same room would be a good idea." Alec muttered, taking the heat from me.

"Why not? I'm offering a solution!" Zack shot back, demandingly. It was Gem's hand that once again pacified him. I'd have to talk to her about their relationship, see if he was becoming more of a figure for a child to look up to rather than man of war, a soldier and nothing but.

"It could be that Lane will reject your very existence." She reasoned.

"She's right." I confirmed, Zack didn't like it, he shot angry eyes to me, "Face it Zack, everyone was trained to hate us…" Alec tried to stop me but I continued, "Now we've earned the respect back from, little by little, many others around here. However Lane and his crew are different." Attention on me yet again by Zack, in full soldier mode. "They have less compassion, less heart, just a need to be the best at any and all costs." I finish off.

"Seeing his own twin, the one who lead the niner escape, it might push him over the edge. We can't afford that." Alec told him. "That's even if we locate him, he's joined the General remember?" Mole reminded.

"Maybe we tell him of General Ross's plan. Tell him Ross finds him and his crew expendable." Cece offered, "Question is, is the man willing to be the best even if it costs him and his crew their lives?" Daniel asked.

"Well Zack can't go…Lane's reaction is too unstable for a confrontation…" Alec started.

As everyone suggested someone else I volunteered, "I'll go." The chatter stopped. "No. Not without back-up." Alec protested. Zack scowled at him, "While I do understand the need for back-up, this is what we're trained for, infiltration. Or do you feel so little of her abilities that you don't want her to go out without someone holding her hand?" the room went silent. Alec raged internally for a moment to gather his words.

"Max is the most capable person I've ever met, in my life, but this is not only uncharted territory, this is Lane we're talking about. He won't care that she's another transgenic, he sees only what he can get for himself and his crew. Handling herself isn't the problem, its handling Lane that I worry about. You didn't deal with him at Manticore, but I did. He can be a ruthless son of a bitch. So forgive me for wanting the mother of my children, to have some type of back-up while in the field around him!" he ranted.

Zack nodded, understanding. It wasn't my abilities that Alec worried over, it was what Lane was capable of. "So I'll have Daniel and Zack as back-up, you, Cece and Mole can guide us to and from the new location for the Phoenix Project. Give us clean entrances and exits, Joshua, you and Gem can work with Dix and Luke on finding General Ross's digs and figure out the guards' rotations." I declared as I gave everyone jobs.

Everyone but Alec, Krit and Syl started to file out, "Krit can you and Cece do me and Alec a favor?" both were eager, "Anything." Syl stated, "Pick up the twins from the nursery and watch them in here for a little while." Krit's face completely fell as realization dawned on Syl. A favor from one sibling to another. As important as General Ross was, the safety of her kids remained at the top of the list.

"Max we want to help, we do, but - " a smack to the head stopped his words, "We've got you, go sis, and kick some ass – oh and take some names!" I smiled, hugged then left. Once Alec and I were gone, I iterated to him, "Check on the security then once we get a location also make sure no one tries to step on us while we're stepping. Got it?" I asked.

He smiled before kissing me, "I've always got your back Max. Now just to work out our system so that I can start going on these missions with you. Cause staying on the sidelines is so NOT my thing."

I couldn't dispute that. I know Alec…but till we find an alternate system that allows you to be out on the big missions like this we need it to be this way…