Summary: Three and a half years after the Jam Pony incident, Max and Alec are mated and dealing with a transgenic serial rapist targeting their own kind. When Max is taken, how will they deal with the fallout...
Rating: NC-17 for coarse language, sexual content and extreme violence pertaining to rape and torture.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that appeared in the TV show Dark Angel. I am ignoring the runes in this story.
Author's Note: Unless otherwise noted, during all of Max's memory cut scenes, her current thoughts/feelings/actions will appear in normal font. The actual memories will be in italics. Wherever possible, I've tried to group dialogue and such from the memory together in easily readable segments. However, most of her thoughts and monologues should be read as happening at the same time overtop of the memory segments (which would be happening in the background).
Please go here if you'd like to see pics of the characters: kat-fic dot livejournal dot com slash 16318 dot html
Chapter 7B
Day 2 - 2025Jan07 - Tuesday - Approximately 8:00 pm
Max was greeted by the happy sounds of laughter and music, and sighed with relief. "Oh thank God." Opening her eyes, she looked around and found herself in the laid-back atmosphere of The Still, one of TC's bars. Owing its name to the distillery that occupied the rear half of the converted warehouse and one of its adjoining buildings, it produced an assortment of beers and liquors which were potent enough to give most transgenics a decent buzz. Used mainly as a hangout for casual conversation and recreation – particularly by the Command crews since it was so close to HQ – several pool tables, dart boards, and foosball tables were interspersed amongst the mishmash of seating areas throughout the bar section of the warehouse.
Between the staff continually monitoring and working the stills, and the transgenics frequenting the off-sales counter and bar itself, the place generally bustled with life, especially at night. And tonight appeared to be no exception as the main floor was liberally littered with people chatting, playing games and getting their drink on. And while she knew realistically that none of them could actually see her, that this was all just a memory, that didn't prevent her from feeling any less exposed or vulnerable in her all-too-brief attire. Especially after what had just happened. Shivering as she pulled her silk robe tighter around herself, she wished desperately that she was wearing something at least a little more substantial, like maybe a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Or perhaps even one of Alec's warmer sweaters, as she was still feeling particularly cold and shaky.
Spying her doppelganger near the front of the line-up for drinks and seeing the other women from the committee slowly settling in at their usual table up in the small and somewhat more secluded loft section back above the washrooms, she picked her way carefully through the masses and climbed up the steps to join them so she could properly place the memory. She was pretty sure it had to be sometime in the past year or so, as that was when she'd really started to become friends with them. Several nights per month now spent hanging out here. At least until recently.
Sinking down into a seat at one of the adjacent tables as she realized how long this memory would be – it hadn't been hard to place once she'd gotten a good look at Sara – Max tried to shunt everything else aside and just relax, carefully rolling her neck and shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension gathering there. But it was difficult, if not impossible, to rid herself of the unwelcome thoughts and emotions inundating her; the spectre of what she now knew to be her new reality weighing heavily upon her, mind, body and soul.
Heaving a dispirited sigh, she struggled to concentrate solely on her surroundings, looking around and studying everyone's body language to try to gather as much information as she possibly could; grateful for the distraction, meager though it was. Swiftly dismissing the only other people in the loft, an X-6 couple completely wrapped up in each other as they made out in the opposite corner, her eyes slowly roved around the table nearest her as she reflected on its occupants.
2024Oct18 – Friday night – Approximately 8:00 pm
Kaley (Kate Hudson, Victim 1) was seated closest to the railing at the far end of the table. Full lips set in a slight pout; she was staring off into space, absentmindedly stirring her drink with her straw and appearing to be brooding again. Something that was becoming more and more commonplace for her. Sensibly-minded for the most part despite her spirited disposition, and imbued with an innate bedside manner that most physicians would kill for, the X5 medic was a great fit as head of their medical clinic. But with her gorgeous blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, not to mention her Amazon-like long legs and shapely figure, she didn't quite look like she should fit the bill. Many of her friends and former patients, a fair share of them men, making a habit of dropping by for even the slightest of injuries just so that they could receive some of her special brand of TLC. Which was all part of her job, but it never sat well with her mate.
A rather brawny combat model with an admittedly short fuse, Rake (Jason Momoa) usually channeled most of his excess energy and frustrations into his work on TC's construction and maintenance crew. Both of them members of Alec's old unit, they'd grown up having each other's backs and had gradually made the transition from partners to lovers. Officially mated since October of '22, the pair had unfortunately been slightly at odds with one another more often than not since then, mainly due to Rake's increasingly jealous nature. A fact which had only been underlined, in Max's opinion, by his refusal to stick by Kaley after her rape.
To Kaley's left sat Sara (Keri Russell, Victim 4), positively glowing in a soft blue maternity dress. Her dainty features extremely deceiving, belying her inner strength and the potency of her sparkling personality. At only 5'3" and blessed with a ready smile, an abundance of laughter and cheerfulness, and a silken swathe of light brown curls, you'd never guess that she could handle a heavy machine gun or grenade launcher with ease. Extremely knowledgeable about weapons and well-versed in their maintenance, she and her mate Kris ran their armory like a well-oiled machine.
Normally quite petite, her frame was now heavily laden with the daughter she was carrying. Mated since May of '23, she and Kris (Robbie Amell) seemed destined to be together, acting like two peas in a pod with how in sync they were, constantly joking around and finishing off each other's sentences. To the point where it was hard to imagine one existing without the other. Kris actually reminding Max of Biggs a fair bit, with how witty and charming he tended to be. And as he was a good head taller than Sara at 6'2", they made a very cute couple, drawing more than their fair share of glances.
Next up was Greta (Drew Barrymore), another member of Alec's old unit. Single by choice, despite a wealth of eager suitors, the sexy blonde was gregarious and open-minded; nothing ever really seeming to bother her much with her fun-loving attitude. A sculptor by trade, she also had an amazing gift of gab and could easily talk a beggar out of his last dollar; something she'd proven time and time again. She was responsible in no small part for the surge in income they'd experienced over the past year, single-handedly managing to persuade their budding artists (some of whom were greedier than others) into working together for the good of their commune-styled society. She also spent a fair bit of her time organizing the showings and sale of their artwork.
Brandy and Jess, their youngest committee members, were sitting together at the end of the table closest to her. With her long golden-blonde tresses, sea-green eyes, and rather sultry good looks, Brandy (Hayden Panettiere) was also extremely popular with her male X6 counterparts, although she didn't let it go to her head, much preferring to just hang out with friends than date. She'd gradually taken on the rather daunting task of sorting out their accommodation issues soon after TC had formed, using her highly inquisitive and helpful nature to ferret out either suitable housing or compatible roommates for the surge of newcomers they'd received, depending on what they required and what was available. And as word of her success had spread, more and more residents had come to her for assistance; to the point where she was almost continually brokering deals and trades on other's behalves to encourage people to move around as necessary.
Jess (Felicia Day, Victim 2) on the other hand, tended to live up to her fiery red mane and emerald-green eyes. Her temperament passionate to say the least – although some would say volatile at her worst – the X6 more than made up for it with how much she genuinely cared about everyone and everything around her. And she never left you guessing either about how she felt on any particular subject. Luckily for all of them, she'd received intensive chef training during her first and only mission prep, and was highly-skilled at planning and creating tasty and nutritious concoctions out of even the most banal of ingredients. And since cooking was something she really enjoyed doing and took great pride in, it left everyone satisfied to have her run their Mess Hall and keep stock of their food supplies.
Kitty-corner from her sat Anna (Donna Feldman, Victim 3). Dark-haired and dark-eyed, the buxom X5 had a slightly exotic look, calling to mind some wild and untamed creature. A fellow night-owl with shark DNA, Max had spent many a long night sitting up and talking with her over the past year and a half, getting to know her quite a bit better than the other women. For while Anna could be somewhat sensitive about some things, and a bit of an introvert in her personal life – usually preferring to listen more than speak – she was also extremely easy to talk to; providing a great deal of unbiased insight as part of the bargain whenever she did decide to open up. She'd even helped Max work through some of her issues about getting seriously involved with Alec, while dealing with her own for Kevin.
When it came to her work though, as head of their night-shift security detail, Anna was as shrewd and assertive as they came. Being a former sniper had definitely been advantageous, for despite how much she'd disliked killing, her highly-trained powers of observation and knowledge of vantage points and such had served her in good stead.
Relatively late bloomers to the mating scene, she and Kevin (Shemar Moore) had only decided to tie the knot, so to speak, in November of '23. He was a pretty decent guy, or at least he'd seemed that way Max thought darkly now, recalling how he'd abandoned Anna in her time of need. Fairly easy going and extremely popular with the other guys, he worked several nights a week as a bartender, spending the rest of his time pitching in on various projects around TC.
Last but not least was Dana (Katie Holmes), or 'Mama Bear' as she was fondly referred to by many. Custodian of TC's daycare and school facility, she was renowned for her compassion and protectiveness, which was probably why everyone felt so safe leaving their kids in her care. With her short brown hair and warm hazel eyes, the willowy X5 was friendly and kind, and dearly loved by all. A born nurturer, she always made time for everyone, no matter how big or how small, or how busy she was.
Luckily, she'd managed to find a man of similar character to hook up with. Mated since February of '23, she and Mark (Jared Padalecki) weren't the longest standing couple in TC, but they were probably one of the happiest and most successful, and were also the proud parents of an adorable little boy named Jacob, born this past April. Tall and wiry, and taking his job as a teacher for the younger series very seriously, Mark had the patience of Job and rarely had a cross word for anyone.
Realizing with a start that her doppelganger had now joined the group, as she saw her settling in at the end of the table beside Dana, Max brought her attention to bear on the conversation she was starting up.
She took a sip of her beer and then smiled as she addressed Dana, "So how's Jake doing? I haven't seen him in over a week now." Her 6-month-old son an absolute cutie, having already stolen most of the female hearts around TC, including Max's own.
Dana groaned and wearily ran a hand back through her hair. "Teething like you wouldn't believe. His first four are all coming in at the same time and he's been grumpier than hell from the pain. We've been doing everything we can think of to try to help him through it, but neither Mark nor I have gotten much rest this week because of it. We finally had to resort to sleeping in shifts a few nights ago, just so one of us could be up to comfort him."
"Aww, the poor little guy. That must suck, for all of you." Max pursed her lips sympathetically and followed Dana's gaze over the railing toward the front of the building to where Mark was starting up a poker game with Alec, Kris, Rake, Kevin, and Bran. Trev and some of the other guys from Command gathering around to watch and bet on them. Catching Alec's eye for a moment as he picked up his cards, she smiled when he grinned and winked at her, and then returned to the conversation, "So who's looking after him for you tonight?"
"Gem's got him over at the daycare for a few hours. Hope was so excited, she just loves playing little mommy with him. And Mark and I really needed the break, so it worked out great for both of us." Dana sighed. "It was a toss-up between coming here or catching up on some sleep, but the opportunity to actually have a few drinks and talk with other grownups for a while won out."
"You know," Max murmured thoughtfully, "Alec and I could probably take him for a whole night if you want; since I don't need that much sleep anyway. That way you two could get some proper alone time together too." She smirked, "Whether you chose to sleep or engage in other much more satisfying activities would be completely up to you."
Dana looked at her uncertainly, not quite sure if she was serious and not wanting to impose either. "Are you positive you want to? Don't get me wrong, we'd love it, but you and Alec only mated a couple months ago. So I'm sure you have better things to do with your evenings. And Jake has been really fussy lately."
Jess damn near snorted her drink out of her nose, her red hair dancing around her shoulders as she shook with mirth, "Are you kidding me? With the way Max dotes on him whenever she sees him?"
"Jake's got her wrapped around his little finger." Sara joined in, giggling shamelessly as one hand crept down to support her heavily swollen abdomen. "And Alec's not far behind. He tries so hard to hide it, but he always gets this big ass grin whenever Jake smiles at the goofy faces he makes at him."
"Yeah, I know." Max smiled a little sheepishly, her face lighting up at her own memories of him doing the same. "Although I will admit I do kind of have an ulterior motive for wanting to take him." She sighed, "I'd really like to start trying for a family of our own now that things are finally settled with the government, but Alec's a bit… hesitant. So I figured it might help persuade him if he could get a taste of what it'd be like. And it'd give me a chance to brush up on some mothering skills too while we're at it."
She was the recipient of a few doubtful looks, but it was Sara who found the nerve to ask, "Are you sure you want to have kids this soon? That you're ready as a couple? I mean, I hate to say it, but Alec might have the right idea here. Kris and I waited over 6 months after we mated before we even started trying. And we've been together since our deep-cover mission in Grozny back in '19."
Max started to open her mouth to defend herself, but Anna beat her to it. "Oh come on, sure, while they may not have actually been mated for that long yet, they've known each other for over 4 years. And she did allow Alec to hold claim to her for the last two and half of that. So I don't think she's jumping the gun all that much in terms of their commitment to each other."
"So what's his drama then?" Kaley asked curiously, idly twirling a strand of her curly blonde hair around a finger as she took another sip of her Long Island.
"I'm not quite sure." Max shrugged, after giving Anna an appreciative smile for her support. "He hasn't come right out and said it, but I get the feeling he's nervous about whether we'd be able to raise a kid properly, what with the oh-so-great upbringing we all had. He's still a bit hung up on the fact that he used to be an assassin." She winced internally, knowing the role she'd unfortunately played in that.
"Well I don't think that matters. It's not like it was his own personal career choice, or anything. And from what I've seen over the years? With how much he genuinely cares about all of us? I think he'll make an excellent father. Not like Rake." Kaley blew her breath out heavily, exasperated by her mate's ongoing obsessive behavior, "He's being a total dick about it every time I bring up the subject. All he can think about is himself. Keeps complaining that he doesn't want to share me with anybody. He just wants it to be the two of us."
"Seriously?" Jess spluttered indignantly, her expression visibly outraged on her behalf, "But you guys have been mated for over two years. What the hell's his problem?!"
"I know! It's utterly ridiculous." Kaley scoffed, looking hurt as she twisted her head to glance over her shoulder at him. "And he's still getting jealous, of any unmated guy that even comes near me or looks at me twice. As if I'd actually cheat on him!" She shook her head angrily and turned back toward the group. "I just don't get it. Doesn't he trust me?"
"Oh, I'm sure it's not that," Dana murmured sympathetically, her nose wrinkling up a bit in thought. "Maybe he just has too much of a possessive streak? This whole claiming and mating thing we've got going on does seem to be messing with some of the guys. I've personally seen or heard of at least six, in our generation alone, that are either having or have had trouble controlling their instincts in that regard. So maybe there's something in their genetic cocktail that's causing issues? Some slightly different blend or concentration of animals perhaps?"
Max sat up a bit straighter as that idea drew her focus. "Could that be the reason why Rake bailed? And maybe Kevin too? Could it really just be something to do with our baser animal instincts?" she murmured uncertainly to herself, her brow furrowing intently. Her thoughts shifting to how increasingly protective and possessive Alec had gotten of her between the time he'd claimed her during their first heat and when they'd finally mated. Which only seemed to give credence to Dana's theory. Although he'd calmed down considerably almost immediately afterward; the simple act of making their joining official seeming to settle something within him.
Kaley grimaced as she thought about it, although she did look a bit intrigued, her enhanced medical and scientific training kicking into gear. "Could be I guess. Because you do tend to see some of that kind of male territorial posturing in the wild. And it is about the only thing that might make any kind of sense, other than him just randomly deciding to turn into an asshole after mating."
"Come to think of it," she continued thoughtfully, "that probably also has a lot to do with why so many of us women immediately start feeling the urge to have kids after we mate. Because of the natural drive to propagate the species that our animal heritage likely brings out…"
There was a companionable silence around the group as everyone contemplated that, and then Anna murmured, "Well, I'm sorta in the same boat, 'cause Kev's been acting in a similar fashion. Not with the whole jealousy thing mind you, but he is pretty self-absorbed, although he's at least willing to discuss the possibility of kids." She sighed as she pushed her thick mane of jet black hair away from her face. "Not that I've gotten very far. He keeps telling me he's just not ready yet and that we should wait some more." She rolled her eyes. "For what I'm not quite sure. We've been mated almost a year now and things are about as settled for us as they're likely to get."
"Well I'm sure they'll come around eventually." Sara tried to encourage the women. "Just try to be patient. Kris wasn't all that sure about starting a family either at first, what with the responsibility we'd undertaken with our jobs, and look at me now." She waved a hand at her belly expressively.
"So how are you doing anyway? You were due a few days ago, weren't you?" Brandy eyed her extremely pregnant form with avid interest.
"Yeah." She huffed out a bit impatiently. "Don't remind me. I am so tired of being pregnant. Carrying around all this extra weight is making my feet and back ache almost constantly now. And these stupid overactive hormones have been doing a real number on me too. But Kate is apparently determined to make me wait a little while longer for her arrival."
She rubbed her stomach tenderly despite her unusually disgruntled tone, then looked around and quickly shook her head negatively when she felt her mate's eyes sweeping her anxiously from across the room. "Kris is a nervous wreck from all the waiting and has been hovering like crazy the last few days. I swear he thought that I should just magically pop the baby out come midnight on the 14th. Like my due date was set in stone or something!"
Almost all the women giggled at that, having caught his worried look and demeanor.
Dana leaned forward in concern though and asked, "But are you sure you're feeling alright? I noticed you rubbing your back and wincing a bit during the meeting earlier."
Sara nodded as she took a sip of her ginger ale. "Oh I'm fine. I've just been sore, and I've had some false labour over the past week too, which is perfectly normal, but it's only made him worse. I swear, the expression 'cat on a hot tin roof' was made for him." She rolled her eyes with a bit of a wry grin, still able to find some humor in the situation, even if it was slightly aggravating. "Every time I so much as frown or grimace, he's damn near on top of me, raring to cart me off to medical. Only reason he's backed off tonight is 'cause you're all up here with me, and he's still got clear line of sight on me, if anything were to happen."
"That's normal too. Especially when you're overdue." Kaley smiled wistfully, a bit envious of her friend's good fortune. "Over-protectiveness is definitely in the male genes. I haven't seen a guy yet that hasn't looked ready to shit bricks at the birth of his child."
"And it is pretty sweet, that's he's so worried about you and the baby." Jess murmured with an appreciative grin, catching a matching expression on several of the others' faces.
"Yeah," Sara smiled softly, her eyes lighting up from within as she glanced back and caught her mate's gaze again. "It is. I love him so much, and I wouldn't trade him for the world." She sighed contentedly as she continued to caress her abdomen.
Max grimaced, her eyes haunted as she watched Sara; thinking about her daughter Kate who would be born the next morning, and how Dana and the other mothers in their community had banded together to help Kris look after her during Sara's disappearance. The two-and-a-half month old infant spending much of those five days wailing inconsolably, not understanding why she couldn't have her mom and not wanting to accept a bottle either in her stead. Her dad far too worried and upset to be able to handle any of it at all well, struggling to hold himself together through sheer force of will while his other half was missing.
The only saving grace that anyone had been able to focus on, was that the maniac had left Kate behind in her carrier in the washroom instead of taking off with her as well. Although Sara had been in a near catatonic state by the time she returned; the evil taunts the rapist had baited her with throughout her captivity, leaving her convinced that her precious little baby girl was dead. But then Kris had come tearing in to medical, and when he'd laid Kate safely in Sara's arms and then gently embraced them both with tears cascading down his face, she'd broken down completely. Their poignant family reunion leaving Max and Retha wiping away tears of their own.
After a minute or two, the conversation picked back up again as Jess turned to Brandy and asked, "So, is that prick Danny behaving himself now? Did he manage to learn his lesson?"
A few eyebrows shot up around the table, not so much in surprise at her disgusted and pissed off tone, but more because it was the first they'd heard of any real issue involving Brandy and a guy. The delightful young woman having made it quite plain to all concerned that she wasn't particularly interested in tackling the dating scene yet. Although they suspected that had more to do with her as-yet unrequited interest in her former CO, if the wistful sidelong glances she gave Connor from time-to-time were any indication.
Dana frowned and asked intently, "What did he do?"
Brandy averted her eyes as she fought back a blush, not really wanting to answer, but when everyone continued to stare at her she finally muttered, "You know how I mentioned a while back that Danny's been sweet-talking and flirting with me almost constantly, trying to get me to go out with him?" When everyone nodded, she continued, "Well, I finally gave in and said yes a couple weeks ago; mainly just to get him to stop pestering me, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give him a shot. And our first few dates actually weren't even all that bad. He seemed nice enough, if a tad conceited maybe, but hey, nobody's perfect, right?"
"Yeah. So..." Dana prodded gently.
"Well, last Saturday he invited me over to his place to watch some movies, and everything was fine at first. But then he suddenly got it into his head to start putting some serious moves on me. Kept trying to get increasingly over-familiar and handsy with me, to the point where he didn't want to stop when I told him to knock it off." She shuddered lightly, a frown creasing her forehead. "He ended up ripping my shirt off and pinning me down on his couch. Told me that I shouldn't be such a prude. And that I was too sexy. Like it was my fault he couldn't control himself."
"That little shit!" Anna hissed indignantly; and she wasn't the only one at the table reacting.
"Are you alright?" Dana asked, almost at the same time, her warm gaze brimming with concern as she leaned in toward her.
Seeing all the troubled looks she was now getting, Brandy was quick to reassure them, "Oh, don't worry, I'm fine. I started struggling and yelling up a storm when he didn't seem to want to let up without a fight. And fortunately, a few guys from my old unit were passing by – Joe lives on the same floor as him – so when they heard me freaking out they busted in to the rescue."
"Connor was seriously pissed when he hauled Danny off of me." A small satisfied smile tilted her lips as she thought about her best friend and former CO, who'd been only too eager to leap to her defense. His dark eyes had blazed with a fiery rage when he'd seen the bruises already starting to darken her skin, and he'd given her his shirt to cover up with before swiftly and efficiently taking care of the ass.
"They beat the absolute snot out of him and then held him down so I could get a few good licks in too. Made sure he knew that that kind of shit wouldn't be tolerated, not by me or any of the other girls. And told him if they ever caught wind of him attempting anything like it again, they'd end him."
"Just to be on the safe side, Connor escorted me home afterward and offered to stay on my couch in case the jerk tried to come back after me. Not that we really thought he would with the shape we'd left him in." She shrugged as casually as she could, trying not to let them see how much the incident had actually bothered her. She'd been so rattled that night, there was no way Connor ever would've left her alone. "But he wanted to make sure I'd be okay. So we ended up staying up all night talking, after I took a shower and got changed that is."
Max's eyes narrowed furiously, "And which one's Danny again?"
Jess answered for her, her lips curling with distaste, "X6-289. Dark hair, dreamy blue eyes, and built like a friggin' truck. Most of the girls are hot for him, but the thing is, he knows it. He likes to hang out at the gym a lot and flex his muscles; like that's the only thing that matters!" She shook her head, "Total waste of space if you ask me. 'Cause I don't think he's got much of anything else going on upstairs besides his big ego. Manticore obviously shorted him in the IQ department."
Max glanced sideways and received an immediate nod in acknowledgement from Anna, even as she was getting up and pulling out her cell, "Already on it. I'll have him watched for a while, just to make sure he keeps his nose clean." Walking a short distance away, she swiftly made a call.
Turning back to Brandy, Max asked coaxingly, "So why didn't you report this when it first happened?"
"Well, as I said, the guys had already helped me take care of the problem..." Looking down at her hands, she murmured, "And truthfully, I was too embarrassed. I already felt stupid enough that I'd let him get me in a situation where he could try something like that in the first place. So the last thing I wanted was for everyone to find out about it. Course, that ship has more than sailed now."
Brandy rolled her eyes, looking extremely frustrated. "It's already made the run of the gossip circuit, at least among the females in my series, thanks to Missy." Her tone of voice as she spoke her name made clear her less than stellar opinion of her. "That girl just can't keep her mouth shut to save her life anymore. She heard me yelling that night and saw me leaving Danny's apartment wearing Connor's t-shirt; escorted by four guys from my own unit all sporting bruised and bloodied knuckles no less. So she had to go and blab about it to anyone who would listen."
She paused to take a sip of her beer, looking pensive. "And Danny has actually tried to apologize a few times. Not in person mind you, since Connor's basically appointed himself as my own personal bodyguard and won't let him come within 50 feet of me anymore." It was a wonderful, if unexpected benefit from this horrible mess and a hint of a smile played over her features as she thought about how much more thoughtful and attentive he'd been acting toward her ever since. Her eyes unconsciously straying, glancing down over the railing to where Connor was playing pool and catching his eye for a moment; completely missing the knowing looks exchanged among the X5 women as they noticed.
Coming back to herself, she continued, "But Danny has left me a few notes and flowers, and a new shirt of all things, saying he's sorry he scared me. That he only meant to try to 'persuade' me a little, and never would've actually forced himself on me. As if that's really any better." She shook her head a bit incredulously at his nerve. "But when all's said and done, I am perfectly fine now, so what's the point in making a huge deal out of it." She sighed, hoping they'd let it drop.
With a bit of a frown, Max recalled the results of Danny's observation. Anna had had him discretely watched by several of her people for over a month, and they hadn't seen any sign of any kind of similar behavior. The beating and warning he'd received had indeed seemed to set him back on the straight and narrow.
Although he had made a resurgence to the top of their watch list when Jess had disappeared. But to her surprise, his alibis had all panned out. And in any event, his heavily muscular build had been deemed much too large to match up to the rapist's description. Something she could now unfortunately vouch for, she thought with a massive shudder. A vision of his leering black-hooded form suddenly flashing through her head.
Slowly approaching her, he walked a complete circuit around her body, undressing her with his eyes as he tried to intimidate her. Slipping behind her again and pulling down the back of her robe, he twisted the long, narrow-bladed knife in under the collar and sliced through it like butter; the dull edge of the icy blade caressing her barcode and gliding down over her shoulders and arms until the delicate fabric fell to the ground. Her chilled flesh crawling as his slimy tongue licked a hot wet stripe up her spine until he reached her barcode and rasped out, "It was very sweet of you, by the way, to pretty yourself up like this for me. I do appreciate the eye candy."
Horrified by the vivid sensations assaulting her, his perverted voice grating anew in her ears, she leapt out of her seat with a hoarse cry and looked around frantically, certain she'd find him lurking right behind her. But there was nothing out of place, only familiar smiling faces and commonplace sounds filling the bar, even if the laughter in the background did sound somewhat menacing now. Gulping down several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, she took another intent look around the almost empty loft before slowly sitting back down again and forcing herself to focus back in on what the women were saying, her hands twisting and clenching unconsciously in her lap.
More than eager to steer the conversation away from herself, Brandy asked, "So Greta, how are things going between you and Bran? You've been seeing quite a bit of him over the past few weeks, haven't you?"
Greta snorted dryly in amusement, but allowed the change in subject. "Well, I don't know if I'd call it seeing him exactly." She paused to take a sip of her drink as Anna rejoined the group. "More like we've been enjoying some 'recreational' downtime together. If you know what I mean."
Smirking at the laughter she received, she winked. "I know. What else would you expect from me, right? It's not like I'm looking for a serious relationship anytime soon, and he doesn't seem to want any strings either right now. So it works for both of us." She shrugged, too much of a free spirit to be overly concerned with what anybody else thought of her admittedly rather loose behavior. "Give me raunchy no-holds-barred sex any day of the week. And the more the better."
Catching Max's slight frown out of the corner of her eye, Greta tried to ease her mind. "Hey, I realize that Bran, and well, Trev too, still aren't exactly your favorite people what with that whole takeover bid they had going on here originally. But they're really not that bad. I think you'd actually like Bran if you took the time to get to know him better."
She paused and glanced over at the men thoughtfully, "What with all the shit that Manticore put him through, I don't imagine Alec likes talking much about our time back there. And of course, it's not like Bran does either anymore. So there's probably a lot you don't know about him or our unit."
"Yeah, that's an understatement. As far as Alec's concerned, it's all ancient history and not worth discussing." Max settled back in her chair a bit more comfortably, and then caught the eye of one of the waitresses to signal for another round of drinks, feeling the weight of the group's stares as they waited for her go-ahead to dish. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she arched a brow and sighed, "Alright fine, I'll bite. What exactly am I missing?"
"Well, back at Manticore, our unit was pretty much always considered to be the best of the best. And that was mainly because of Bran (Thor Knai). He was a great leader; tactically brilliant, cunning, extremely patient, and loyal to a fault." Greta grinned, proud of both him and her unit. "He never failed at anything and was top dog out of all the COs. Mind you, he was really ambitious and worked his ass off for that status, and made sure that each and every one of us pushed ourselves to the limit too."
Anna nodded, only a hint of jealousy tingeing her tone, "Yeah, and you guys were well rewarded for the effort. You always got the plum assignments, mostly the espionage and higher profile missions."
Greta smirked, "We also got a lot of supplemental training; even received extra R&R both in the rec area and out in the field after our missions."
Seeing Max's slightly puzzled look, Kaley explained, "Renfro had this policy see, of treating everyone as a product of his or her unit. That was the basis on which she doled out every reward or punishment. And it worked really well as an incentive because everybody got rewarded for their unit's successful missions whether they were solo or group-based. But if someone screwed up?" She shook her head grimly, "It was regarded as a failure for the entire unit. Everyone got punished, particularly the main offender, but the CO also shared the brunt of it, because they were in charge. They were supposed to police their own unit and keep everyone else in line."
"That's not fair." Max frowned, outraged and yet really not all that surprised considering whom they were talking about.
"Yeah, because fair was Renfro's middle name, right?" Greta rolled her eyes, her tone more than a touch acerbic. "But that's the way it was, and we dealt with it, just like we always have. Thankfully though, our record was damn near impeccable." She couldn't help but brag a little as she shared a conspiratorial grin with Kaley. "It's why our unit was always treated so well, and got so many bonuses. Which is why it was also such a shock when Alec's first deep-cover solo mission went fubar. It was the first time we'd ever had a failure of any kind of magnitude, let alone one that severe."
Max grimaced, "That must have been a pretty rough time for you then, if that's the case. Unfortunately I can only guess how bad, since the few times I've tried asking him about it, Alec gets uptight and clams up. It still bothers him a great deal." She left it at that, unwilling to betray his trust by revealing anything more.
They all paused for a moment as they saw Carla coming up the stairs with their drinks, waiting until they'd been distributed and she headed back downstairs before resuming their conversation.
"I can't say I'm surprised, since yeah, his fall from grace was god-awful. Hell, I still remember the day they retrieved Alec and brought him back to base. Renfro had all of the units marched out into the quad to witness his initial punishment. She was absolutely livid that a member of her best team had failed her." Anna shuddered delicately, her dark eyes looking far off into the distance as she described what had happened.
"It was pouring down rain, except for in the centre where they'd erected a shelter for her and the trainers. And she made us all stand out there at attention while she humiliated Alec and railed for almost an hour on the extent of the 'treachery and disloyalty' that he'd 'willfully committed' against us and Manticore. Kept telling him he was worthless and no better than his twin 493. 'Once a traitor, always a traitor.'" She repeated faithfully, her tone scornful and bitter.
"It was a load of bull, of course." Kaley murmured sadly. "If there's one thing Alec's always been, it's loyal to us. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was the twin of an 09er," she glanced apologetically at Max, to show she didn't mean any offence, "he most likely would've been our 2IC instead of Trev, he was that good and that well respected. So we knew he wouldn't screw up a mission like that, not without one hell of a lot of serious provocation. And certainly not when he knew the wrath it would bring down upon all our heads."
"But it wouldn't have done any good for us to protest. It would've just pissed her off and made her punish him, and us, even more." Greta brushed her tousled locks back behind her ear and leaned further into the group to keep their conversation a bit more private, not that there was much chance of being overheard with all the noise rising up from below. "When she'd finally had enough of her own grandstanding, the sadistic bitch ordered Trev (Ian Somerhalder) out front and center to join Alec. Since Bran was due to be away for a few more days on a mission, he was next in line as our Second." She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head grimly before continuing.
"She had the guards chain them both up and then beat and whip them in front of us. Kept us standing out there in the rain for another two hours, basically watching them get tortured. All because of one failure. It was overkill to what she usually dished out." Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard in an attempt to rein in the emotion threatening to swamp her. "But they both just stood there and took it. Never screamed or cried out. Not even once. No matter how infuriated she got or any of the malicious things she said."
"Of course, they would've received far worse if they had." Sara whispered huskily as a sympathetic tear trailed down her cheek, her hand stroking her rippling abdomen soothingly. "As is, they were barely conscious by the time she called an end to it. They couldn't even stand anymore; they were just hanging there by their wrists in pools of their own blood."
"Oh God." Max muttered thickly as she struggled to hold back tears. Pale as a ghost and looking absolutely sickened, she swept her gaze over toward her mate in sympathy; his words from so long ago echoing again in her mind. 'You think life was rough when we were ten? Take it from me. Later on, it got a whole lot worse.' And obviously it had. It was no wonder he couldn't bear to talk about anything to do with the Berrisford mission; the memories still so intense and painful for him that they tended to bring on excruciating migraines if he tried to delve too deeply into them.
Alec seemed to sense her distress too, glancing up at her almost immediately and frowning. His green eyes flaring as he scanned the room and her, trying to figure out what was upsetting her; his gaze narrowing slightly as he took in all the decidedly solemn-looking faces in the loft.
Shaking her head and forcing a reassuring smile onto her face, Max mouthed 'I'm fine' to him and deliberately relaxed her posture until he reluctantly let it go and turned his attention back to his cards. Needing the mental crutch the alcohol would provide, she took a large swig of her beer, draining it quickly and then grabbing the fresh one, tossing it back as well for a healthy chug.
"It was pretty obvious from the harshness of her reaction that Renfro wanted to make an example of them. To ensure that none of us ever even thought about rebelling against orders and make it clear that no one was exempt from punishment. Not even her best." Anna's voice was quiet and sad as she resumed the tale. "And while we received her message loud and clear, all she ended up doing was turning us further against her. At least those of us that were old enough to go out on missions and fully understand what was going on. Because we knew it could've just as easily been any one of us getting torn apart like that. She had absolutely no respect for us. All we were, were tools to her."
"So what happened then?" Max asked quietly after a short pause, clearly dreading the answer.
Greta sighed heavily, "With how pissed Renfro was, and considering the fact that Alec was one of the twins, we were really worried at first that she was going to consider him irredeemable and have him terminated. Biggs was about ready to break ranks, he was so freaked out." Not quite sure if Max was aware of the extent of their relationship, she clarified in an aside, "He and Alec were very tight; they often paired off for training sessions and exercises. And they almost always hung out together during R&R."
When Max nodded knowingly, Greta carried on, "Luckily, if you can actually call it that," she muttered disgustedly with a roll of her eyes, "Renfro decided to send Alec off to Psy Ops instead, for six months of what they liked to call 'observation and testing', otherwise known as psychological torture and brainwashing by the unlucky recipients. And then he was put through two months of reindoctrination. By the time they were done with him, he barely even remembered his own designation."
She shuddered as she remembered the vacant soulless stare he'd worn when he returned, and paused to take a drink before continuing, "As for the rest of our unit, well, we were all tossed into reindoc for a month, including Trev once he got out of medical. Then came the other milder forms of punishments, like extended late-night drill sessions, and getting all the shit jobs like latrine and KP duty." A hint of a wry grin tugged briefly at her lips at the inadvertent pun.
"And when Bran finally returned from his mission," Anna murmured, "he didn't even know what hit him, or what had happened with Alec. The guards just hauled his ass straight off to the basement for punishment without a word."
"It was so hard to believe too, because he used to be Renfro's go-to guy and right-hand man. He lived and breathed to serve, giving everything 110%. Nothing about his performance was ever anything less than exemplary." Dana shook her head, her expression showing her continuing bewilderment. "So nobody could figure out why she was coming down so hard on him for something that wasn't really his fault. Especially when she'd already punished Trev for it in his stead."
"There'd even been speculation at one point that she was sleeping with him, what with the way she used to look at Bran sometimes. Like he was sex on a stick." Kaley muttered, after looking around surreptitiously to ensure they weren't being eavesdropped upon. "She personally pulled him aside for tons of specialized training that nobody else got. None of us knew what it was all for, but he absolutely loved the extra attention and perks. He even had full run of the base 24/7!"
Greta grimaced a bit, knowing those things probably wouldn't portray him in the best light to Max. "But once he got blamed for Alec's failure, that all changed. Rumor has it Renfro dispensed Bran's punishment personally, although he's refused to ever talk about it. We do know she had him held down in the basement for almost a week though before sending him off to join the rest of us in reindoc. And even though he'd obviously been seen to by medical, he was still pretty banged up, and had to stay there for 6 weeks longer than the rest of us too."
Shaking her head in disgust, she continued, "Trev was promoted to CO for the duration of Bran's absence. But despite how hard he tried to lead us, we just didn't operate as well without Bran at the helm. Especially with all the other crap that was being thrown at us."
"The whole situation frustrated the hell out of him, and boy was he ever pissed at Renfro." Kaley sighed darkly, remembering only too well how confused and aggravated he'd been. "Trev couldn't understand why she'd even bothered punishing him so hard if she was just gonna hit Bran with it as well. And he was insulted at how she and the guards and the trainers had begun treating us. As if our whole unit had suddenly become worthless, just because Alec had screwed up once. Thankfully, he managed to restrain himself and not do anything rash, although we could hear him muttering and ranting about 'that bitch' almost every night after lights out; at least until Bran returned."
"But why would that change anything?" Brandy asked, looking completely enthralled by their tale. She'd only been 14 at the time and hadn't really understood all the drama, not that anyone would have enlightened her back then even if she had dared ask about it.
Kaley smiled as she explained, "Bran and Trev have always been extremely close, despite their polar differences in behavior and attitude. You almost never saw one without the other back then, and Bran has always looked out for him, kind of like a big brother would, I'd imagine."
Grinning a bit as this twigged a memory, Anna mentioned, "Yeah, I remember watching your unit quite a bit when we were growing up. Alec and Biggs were hilarious, the two little shits were always running around trying to one-up each other. But Trev? Man, he used to follow Bran around everywhere, shadowing every little thing he did and trying to emulate him. I'm pretty sure he had at least a small case of hero-worship, although they managed to keep it fairly well hidden from the brass."
Several of the girls nodded in agreement, as Kaley confirmed, "I actually think that's the main reason Trev was so upset back then, because he was so worried about what was happening to Bran. It was the longest they'd ever been separated."
Something about this struck Max as odd all of a sudden, and her face screwed up in thought. If they really were as thick as thieves as everyone claimed, as she herself had seen they were, then why had they suddenly decided to switch to opposite shifts back in September? There'd been no operational need for it. Trev had simply said that he'd needed a change from working in the computer lab all day and had asked Anna if he could join the nightshift security detail instead.
But the big question was, why nights? It wasn't as though there weren't a wide variety of other tasks available to be done during the day. And if all he'd wanted was to try his hand at something different, then he could have easily chosen any one of them. So why had he chosen nights when Bran worked dayshift in the planning department? It made no sense if they were really that inseparable.
Unless they'd had some sort of falling out? But what could've possibly been bad enough to split them apart? And why hadn't one of them chosen to move out if that was the case? Because as far as she knew, Bran and Trev were still sharing a main-floor two-bedroom apartment over on the south end of TC's perimeter. And had been for the last two and a half years now.
So maybe there was a simpler reason. Maybe he was just interested in one of the women working nights and wanted to have a better chance of getting to know her? It was possible, she supposed, even though she hadn't heard of him seeing anyone new. She frowned at her lack of proper answers, a bit disturbed that she hadn't questioned the decision more at the time. But there wasn't much she could do about it now.
Despite herself, Max found herself sympathizing with them, finding it all too easy to picture herself and her siblings reacting the same way. "So once he found out Bran was okay, Trev relaxed and got over it?"
"Yeah. And to all outward appearances, Bran was fine too." Greta murmured, her hazel eyes pensive. "But for those of us who knew him well, there were some subtle changes. He'd grown even more stoic for one. And perfected his game face, not that it wasn't damn good to begin with." She shook her head admiringly. "He never let anything bother him for long."
"Even though the guards and trainers had taken to taunting him and he'd lost all his special privileges, he just kept on trying his best and pushing us to do the same." She smiled in remembrance. "Told us we shouldn't let any of the crap we were being dealt get to us; that the adversity would only make us stronger, and better soldiers. And we respected him even more because of it."
"He never blamed Alec for any of it either. He placed that squarely at Renfro's feet, since there was no need for her to go that over-the-top with her reprisal." Kaley added. "Hell, Alec couldn't even remember what he'd done to get punished so severely in the first place - you could tell just by looking at him - and he spent the first few weeks after he got out just wandering around like a zombie, doing strictly as he was told and speaking only when directed to. They really did a number on him." She muttered, her eyes burning with remembered fury.
"Gradually that started to wear off, although he remained withdrawn and distant. I actually think they tried to brainwash him into becoming a loner." She shook her head angrily, her blonde hair flouncing around her shoulders. "Renfro didn't seem to want him associating too closely with anybody - maybe she was afraid that his failure would become contagious or something - because she isolated him from the rest of us and tossed him into enhanced solo training. Which was really just another form of punishment when you think about it, considering how much of a social animal Alec is."
Greta frowned, not particularly happy with the way he'd been treated either. "It took almost four months, but Alec finally managed to snap out of the worst of the reprogramming and we watched him struggle to come to grips with everything that had happened. Not that we ever got much of a chance to see him properly after that, except for at a distance. He started signing apologies to us though whenever the guards weren't paying close attention, and he was obviously lonely and upset, we could see it in his eyes when he looked at us, but he didn't dare try to do anything about it." She bit her bottom lip, looking thoughtful.
"I don't think he wanted to put any of us at further risk, because there was no telling what Renfro might have done if he'd rebelled. And it's not like he wanted to chance getting hurt like that again either." She shrugged. "So he gave in and reinvented himself; covered up his pain with a thick layer of bravado and donned the façade of the nonchalant assassin that they wanted him to be. Basically just started doing as he was told. Nothing more, nothing less. It was like he couldn't see the point in making a real effort anymore."
Max sighed, having no trouble whatsoever reconciling the picture they were painting of him with how he'd acted when they'd first met. She only wished, and not for the first time either, that she'd paid proper attention to him back then. Had actually opened her eyes and tried to scratch beneath the surface of the overly bright persona he'd portrayed. Maybe then she wouldn't feel near so bad, wouldn't have underestimated him nor treated him quite so horribly that first year.
Laughter suddenly rang out from down below, pulling Max from her focus, and she froze as the pitch and intensity of it slammed through her; every hair on her body standing on end. For while it wasn't an exact match, likely because it wasn't being altered in any way, it was close enough to his that it had to be him. Shoving to her feet and blurring to the railing behind her double, she looked out over the bar, desperate to see who it was coming from but unfortunately she was too late. The laughter had stopped already.
"No!" Unwilling to give up, she forced herself to think it through carefully. Making a mental map of where she'd been relative to the rest of the bar at the time, she determined that the laughter had to have come from somewhere over in the far corner where the guys were playing poker. Scanning that area closely, she groaned in horror and dismay as she counted 22 men aside from Alec; the crowd of spectators having grown considerably over the past hour and a half.
Quickly cataloging each one and discounting the list down to 19 since she refused to believe that Rake, Kevin or Kris had raped and tortured their own mate, she tried to match the rest of them up with the information they'd gathered over the past month. She was devastated though, when she realized that every single man there had alibis for at least a good chunk of the disappearances.
"Shit! That's impossible. It's got to be one of them." Expanding her radius to include another 5 feet and 13 more guys, just in case she'd been mistaken in how far the sound had travelled, she was frustrated and extremely pissed off when she got the same results. And then chaos reigned as the noise she'd been anticipating earlier sounded out. The men below scattering wildly as Kris dropped his cards and blurred for the stairs, shoving everyone and everything in his path out of the way, including the card table; effectively ending the game as cards, poker chips and drinks went flying.
"Oh!"
Everybody turned as one to look at Sara, concerned by the shocked cry she'd given. Kaley taking the lead and asking knowingly, "The baby?"
"Yeah. I… I think it's the real deal this time." A pink flush of embarrassment and excitement rising to stain her cheeks, Sara started struggling to her feet. "I'm pretty sure my water just broke." Everyone else stood up immediately, almost falling over themselves in their eagerness to assist her.
She hadn't even finished speaking though before Kris was pushing through to her side, looking frantic. "Are you alright?" His eyes wide and concerned as he lifted her the rest of the way up easily, one hand shaking uncontrollably as it came to rest over their baby.
"She's fine, Kris." Eyeing the small trail of moisture dampening the back of Sara's dress and taking a discrete whiff, Kaley smiled at her and nodded. "That's definitely amniotic fluid. Kate must have decided she's finally ready to meet you two." Quickly checking her watch for the time, she asked, "Have you experienced any contractions or pain in the last few hours?"
Sara looked uncertain. "I haven't had any contractions, but my back has been hurting off and on all day. And it has been getting progressively worse tonight. I just thought I was getting sore from sitting in these chairs, since they're not the most comfortable..."
Her voice sounded a bit thready, but Kaley noted she was fairly calm nonetheless, which was a relief seeing as how her mate was a nervous wreck. "It can be hard to tell sometimes, especially with your first baby, but it sounds like you've probably been experiencing back labour." Turning slightly to address Kris who was on the verge of hyperventilating, Kaley grabbed both his arms and shook him once firmly, barking out his name to get his undivided attention. "Kris! Look at me and listen carefully. I want you to take a couple of nice deep steady breaths for me, okay?"
When he complied, albeit anxiously, she smiled reassuringly at him and continued in a more serene and soothing tone. "There is absolutely nothing to worry about Kris. Women have been having babies for thousands of years and it's the most natural thing in the world." Maintaining eye contact, she emphasized, "The most important thing you can possibly do for Sara tonight, is relax and remain calm, okay? Don't give her anything else to worry about 'cause she's gonna need all her strength and concentration, and yours as well, to see her through Kate's birth. It's likely the most demanding task she will ever have to face. So you need to pull yourself together and focus on being there for her. Can you do that?"
Breathing carefully, Kris seemed to get a hold of himself and nodded, squaring his shoulders determinedly like the soldier he'd been for most his life. "Of course I can."
"Great." Addressing them both now, she smiled and waved her hand invitingly toward the stairs. "So why don't we make our way over to Medical then and get Sara set up in a nice comfortable bed. That way you can both relax for a while before the main event. Sound good?"
"Yeah." He nodded again, more decisively this time and turned to his mate, tenderly offering her a hand to hold and putting his other arm around her waist as he started helping her over to the stairs.
Nudging Rake, who'd just made his way up with Alec, Mark, Kevin and Bran after clearing away the mess Kris had left below, Kaley murmured quietly in an aside, "Do you wanna come with? Kris probably wouldn't mind having some extra support nearby. And I wouldn't mind having you there either, cause it's bound to be a long night with Kate being their first..."
"Sure thing babe." Fairly good in a crisis, no matter what other faults he might have, he nodded immediately and moved with her to shadow Kris and Sara.
"Good luck guys!" Max called out to their retreating backs, the others adding their best wishes as well. Leaning back against the railing behind her, she snuggled closer into Alec's side when he joined her and threw an arm around her.
Max sighed and closed her eyes in welcome relief when she felt the heat and tightly muscled strength of her mate's body aligning itself with hers. She hadn't even tried to get out of the way when she'd seen her doppelganger move toward her, more desperate now than she'd ever been in her life to have Alec hold her. Inhaling deeply, she took in his scent, his slightly musky all-natural aroma filling her up and wrapping around her like a blanket. The overwhelming familiarity and security of his presence soothing beyond belief, lulling her into a state of peace, the closest she'd felt anyway since waking up on that beach.
Everyone else stood there, staring quietly after the quartet until they finally made it out the door at the far end of the building. Then Anna shook herself from her stupor, taking a quick glance at her watch and sighing. "Well, I hate to abandon ship, but I've got to be on shift in about 15 minutes, so I might as well head out." Bumping her hip against Kevin's and sliding an arm around his waist, she asked, "Wanna walk me over to Command, stud?"
"It would be my pleasure, milady." He teased with a wink, a grin playing across his lips as he started walking with her toward the exit and called out, "Laters."
Hastily stifling a huge yawn as he swayed slightly on his feet, Mark blinked several times in rapid succession, flagging noticeably in the wake of the adrenaline surge Kris's abrupt departure had triggered.
"And that's our cue." Dana said with a loving but firm smile when she noticed. Taking his hand in hers, she started dragging him along behind her, not that he offered any resistance. "Come on sleepyhead. Let's pick up Jake and go home. Get you into bed."
Brandy and Jess didn't linger long after that either, murmuring their excuses as they went to join their friends down below, and then Bran leaned in close to whisper something in Greta's ear, obviously of a highly provocative nature if the wicked grin that curved her lips was any indication.
Before they knew it, Alec and Max were alone in the loft and she slid around him to stand between his legs. Tucking her head in over his heart and winding her arms around his waist, she was content to just stand there and listen to his heartbeat thrumming steadily and reassuringly in her ear.
When she felt his arms wrap more securely around her she snuggled in even closer, her fingers slowly snaking their way up under his shirt and caressing the warm skin of his lower back; her overactive imagination supplying her senses with slight grooves and ridges where the whips must have bit into him, though she'd never seen so much as a hint of a scar there. The doctors' at Manticore having done their jobs all too well, and she couldn't help but shiver at the thought of all the horrific things he'd endured and all the other invisible scars he likely carried unspoken.
Alec sighed as he felt it, not having forgotten how distressed she'd appeared earlier, and asked intently, "So, are you gonna tell me what's got you so rattled?"
"I'd really rather not. Can we please just drop it Alec?" She mumbled the words into his chest, reluctant to relinquish her favored position and knowing he was bound to get upset if he found out what they'd been discussing. She couldn't lie to him, they'd promised each other they never would, but she couldn't help but hope that he might forget about it and let her postpone telling him indefinitely.
"Why? Whatever this is, it obviously upset you earlier." He pushed her back from him slightly and tilted her chin up toward his, startled when he saw fresh tears shimmering in her dark eyes and he swore softly under his breath. "What is it sweetheart? Just tell me. Did I do something? Or is this baby thing bothering you that much?" It was the only thing he could think of to garner this kind of reaction; their recent 'discussions' on the matter leaving both of them feeling rather unsatisfied and frustrated, as he couldn't quite bring himself to clarify his own reservations for fear of potentially hurting her feelings.
Max shook her head immediately, not wanting him to think even for an instant that she was upset with him. "No. It's not that, and it's nothing you've done, I swear. It's just..." She sighed unhappily as she gave in to the worry in his gaze. "Greta and the girls were trying to give me a better insight into Bran and your guys' unit. You know how she gets whenever she thinks I'm treating him unfairly. The man can do no wrong in her eyes." She muttered. "Anyway, I didn't intend for them to go there, but… well… one thing led to another... and before I knew it they were telling me all about the punishments Renfro inflicted on you, and the rest of your unit... after Berrisford."
He flinched at the mere mention of the name, his lips thinning as he started to withdraw automatically, his chest tightening as the ache stirred afresh, even after all this time. All the memory modifications and repressions that Manticore had forced upon him causing pain to spike through his brain every time he tried to recall that dark time.
"Please don't. Don't go there." She reached up and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck to keep him from retreating any further, the other coming up to gently stroke and cup his cheek as her eyes looked up at him beseechingly, trying to regain his full attention. "I never meant to pry, and now that I know what happened, I swear I'll never mention it again." Her eyes and cheeks damp with misery, she whispered, "I'm so sorry Alec. I wish I could make it all go away. It's not fair what you've had to go through."
Stretching up on her tiptoes, she pressed a trail of tender kisses along his face and lips until he heaved a shuddering sigh and wrapped her back up in his arms, dropping his forehead down to rest against hers as the tension slowly eased from his body.
They stood there unmoving for a long time, just sharing the same breath and drawing comfort from the warmth of their embrace. Until finally he murmured against her lips, "You ready to get out of here?"
Relieved that he seemed to be okay, Max smiled softly at him and pressed a kiss against his lips before replying, "Yeah. Let's go home baby."
"No." Max moaned when the feel of his arms started to fade from around her, her own reaching out instinctively and wafting through empty air. Opening her eyes, she glared at the mist rising up to fill her shimmering vision, trying to will it away. But it did no good to resist or complain.
Before she knew it, Alec was gone.
And she was left standing alone. Again.