Fiction In Too Deep

Title: In Too Deep

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. It belongs respectively to Cameron/ Eglee and to Fox Television. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dark Angel Stand Alone

Type: romantic

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: Sometimes his mouth gets the better of him and he had better act fast before it really hits the fan!

Spoilers/ Time line: Post series.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This fiction makes certain assumptions that events took place during the siege of Terminal City, though I never actually come out and say it in the fiction itself. But they become obvious what they are over the course of the fiction. Just had this in my mind and got it written before it fell by the wayside.

In Too Deep

“You insufferable, sexist pig!” Max screamed as she launched yet another item straight at Alec's head.

That had started the moment he had rushed through the door and with a long suffering sigh, Alec had simply ducked and started the process of inching closer to her. The only way to get her to stop these days was physically. His words, his gift of gab, or turning her ire to amusement, seem to have vanished in the breeze and now, it was just a matter of getting to her and stilling her object questing hands before she got a lucky hit in.

“It wasn't like that Max,” he muttered, even though he knew it was futile. Maybe one of these days, she'd actually hear him again, though it seemed she had become deaf to his verbal defense of himself. He was surprised when somehow, magically, she did seem to hear him, though that wasn't exactly in his favor, since her eyes darkened even more and with a whip like accurate strike, her hand had reared back, grabbed the nearest object, without her looking, mind you, and let it fly at his face. Alec had enough time to duck the salt shaker, though a few particles were escaping those little holes at the top.

He squinted to avoid a rain of salt in the eyes, which he knew from previous experience would sting like hell.

“Then explain it to me, you cretinous moron!” she hissed as her arm moved, seemingly of it's own volition to search out more potential projectiles.

One thing he did have to give her, when she decided to give up the ass commentary, her range of insults became varied and oft times, entertaining. His enjoyment of their verbal sparring had risen, but then dropped off drastically at this new turn of flying paraphernalia.

“It wasn't meant as an insult,” Alec tried to soothe her as he inched about half a foot closer. Instantly he knew that he had said the wrong thing, when her arm dropped and tears gathered in her eyes. He felt like a dick, a heel, and yes, a little bit cretinous. Not a moron though, since he knew better than to voice certain opinions around her. Of course, today just happened to be one of those days ruled by bad luck, his, not hers. He absolutely despised the days when she cried, few that they actually were, because there never seemed to be anything he could do to make it better.

“Then how did you mean it?” she demanded softly, her voice quavering. “Explain it to me, because it certainly sounded very Neanderthal.”

“I'm sure it did,” Alec agreed lowly and at one time, he would have agreed with her. But these days... “But I don't know if I rightly can explain Max.”

“Try.” Her voice had gone from tremulous to cold in an instant and Alec swooped in fast to grab her hands before they could reach the cast iron skillet waiting on the stove for the next meal to be haphazardly prepared in it.

“Well,” Alec grimaced, his mind racing, trying to buy time. How did a male, who was very different, physically, biologically, mentally and emotionally, explain deeply buried instincts to an even more emotional female? He chewed at his lower lip for just a moment before he realized that if he didn't at least try to come up with a defense, things could get much, much worse than they were now. “Can I ask you a question first?”

“What?” she asked warily, tugging at her hands, even though she knew it had to be a useless gesture. Now that he had stilled her physical tirade, he wasn't going to let her start again. He had learned that lesson with a trip to the TC med center that had resulted in three stitches over his left eyebrow.

“First off Max,” Alec fought to keep the grin off his face, “look down.” Her face tightened and became pinched but then she did so. He expected what came next, with the blush and the frown and the grin escaped then. “No, no, further.”

The blush deepened and then Max stamped one foot angrily, petulantly. “That doesn't prove anything Alec. I just-!” she broke off wildly, averting her face even further from his.

“I know,” he soothed. “I just wondered, did you ever do that at Logan's?” He knew bringing up the cyber journalist was like throwing a ticking time bomb into the room. But he figured, as long as he didn't add certain words, okay, words that strung together sounded a little like insults, then she should remain fairly calm, although that was measured on a different scale these days.

“Um,” his question seemed to have caught her off guard and she turned to face him, her face still screwed up, but thoughtful now, not so much angry. “No. Oh! Except for one time.”

“One time?” Alec asked, curious and also, well a little disbelieving. “In two years, just once?”

“Well,” Max grimaced, “we were on a job and I ended up in a mud puddle and oh my God, I was so pissed at him.”

“Really?” Alec grinned despite himself. That was something he certainly didn't mind hearing. But by the warning in her eyes, he knew he better move on to providing her with the explanation she had demanded or she would be moving on to her newest obsession, that was, the evolution of 'unable to throw things at Alec? Let's kick him in the shins instead'. “But back when you were living with Cindy, you did it all the time,” he pointed out to her and she thought for a moment before shrugging.

“Well, of course I did,” she agreed, her tone suggesting that he was missing something in his mental processing capabilities. But Alec knew he wasn't. Max just hadn't made the connection yet.

“Because you were at home, right?” he pushed, just a little gleefully.

“Because otherwise I overheat,” Max countered with a little growl. He took in a sharp breath, refusing to be diverted now that he was getting somewhere with her. Damn, those little noises she made were sexy!

“You were overheated at Josh's the other day,” he reminded her. “And all you did then was take off your sweater.”

“Have you seen his place?” she asked with a faint hint of incredulity. “Paint everywhere and junk on the floor?”

“Mmhmm,” Alec nodded. “And a few days before that, you overheated at Gem's and again, same thing. You took off your sweater, but left your t-shirt on. And you can't use the same excuse there, because I know for a fact that Gem keeps her floors immaculate. She can't afford Evie finding crap since she started crawling around.”

“True,” Max agreed, with that point at least. “But, I was taught it was rude, so I don't.”

“Okay, I'll give you that,” Alec allowed. “And that's the reason I don't get offended when you refer to it as the apartment or Alec's place.”

“But it is,” Max frowned. “It is your place.”

“Only because you gave up your place to Darren and Jeannie and the twins,” Alec countered. “And it's been your apartment too, for the last four months if memory serves me correctly and I know it does. Like I said, I don't get offended, because the moment you walk through the door, the shoes and socks come off. That's how I know you feel at home here.”

“Oh,” her voice softened, more than marginally, but Alec could see that there was still tension, still wariness, lingering in her eyes. “But that doesn't explain the second half of your comment.” Her lower lip trembled and Alec knew that he was going to have to try to put the rest into some form of sentient thought that he himself hadn't examined too deeply.

“Well, given the givens,” he muttered, glancing down once more, the protrusion of her stomach brushing against him, making him smile. He always smiled when her full, round, becoming minutely larger as the days went by, stomach was in his view.

“It's completely sexist!” the indignation was back.

Alec sighed again. “Yes,” he agreed tiredly. “It is completely sexist, because I am a male.”

“Mm hmm,” Max harrumphed, as if he were finally giving in to her superiority and maybe in a way he was. If only he could make her understand why he felt like this, like all the males in TC did.

“And as such, I will never fully know how amazing it is, what women do when they bear children,” Alec went on, but again, it wasn't the right thing to say, as her lips thinned and her eyes glinted.

“So you're jealous that you can't give birth, so you have to demean and degrade me?” she snapped out.

“Insanely jealous and I wasn't trying to demean you,” Alec snapped right back and then groaned. He knew better than to get that defensive with her hormones setting the pace of their interactions.

“Then what were you doing?” she sniffled and for once, Alec was almost relieved that the tears were back. He let loose cautiously of one hand and urged her closer so that he could slip said hand around her waist, to rest on her lower back, while his fingers nimbly rubbed at the knot of tension at the base of her spine that was nearly constantly present.

“Max, I'm useless,” he pointed out with equanimity. He could see her on the verge of saying something, but he rushed on. “Yes, I proved necessary for the initial conception, but after that, what am I good for?”

“Alec,” she whispered, her eyes holding a strange look. It was very seldom seen, by any, when it came to being focused upon Alec. Defeat, uncertainty and defensiveness.

“I'm doing the only thing I can here Max,” he offered softly. “If I could hold your hair when you were puking your guts out, then I did. When you had weird cravings, I snuck out and got you what I could. When you felt the baby move for the first time, I...” he trailed off when he thought of that moment, when the jealousy had surged through him, more definitive than it had ever been before, and he had simply pushed it back down, so that Max would never know, so that he wouldn't ruin her special moment.

“You what?” she encourage. “Were you jealous?” she asked, suddenly more astute than he gave her credit for.

“I was,” he admitted in embarrassed tones. “I mean, I was thrilled, don't get me wrong. Of course I was. And I knew I would feel it too, eventually, but I just, I don't know...”

“Didn't feel connected yet?” she continued with her surprisingly accurate summation.

“I didn't,” he confirmed. “But I didn't want to ruin it.”

“So instead you grinned and we cuddled and you listened to me go on and on about it all night and the next day,” Max grimaced at the sudden realization of how her actions were extremely self centered in a way. “Telling everyone about it.”

“Yeah, I was jealous Max,” he sighed. “But at the same time, I was over the moon about it. I was,” he paused and searched for the right word. “Elated. Here was proof that I was finally doing something right.”

“What do you mean?” she asked of him, slightly suspicious. “You haven't been a screw up in my eyes for a very long time.”

“I know that,” Alec smiled as he noted that his fingers were still rubbing and she was unconsciously swaying into him, the fingers of her free hand smoothing over his shirt, his chest. Trying, unconsciously, to soothe him now. “I guess what I mean is that, well, we've all seen the pregnant females around here. The ones without mates.”

“Mm hmm.”

“And compared to them, you looked, well, healthy and glowing and happy,” Alec shrugged one shoulder. He had the feeling that she still wasn't understanding his point. “All the things a pregnant woman should look like. I was doing my job.”

“So I'm your job?” The fingers stopped their movements back and forth. “I'm not your job Alec! I can take care of myself you know!”

“That's it exactly!” Alec crowed, taking her off guard with that happy statement. “You can take care of yourself. You can work and get food and run Terminal City and all that crap without me.” Her eyes widened in confusion. “But then,” he pointed out, his lips quirking, “you would probably end up looking like all the rest of the females without mates to help them. And instead, you look, healthy and gorgeous and amazingly lush.”

And the tears were back! But this time, Alec wasn't so worried.

“You think I look gorgeous?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“I always do,” he whispered, leaning his face forward to nuzzle at her temple, breathing in the fuller scent that her body was now producing. “But back when we first met, yes, you were gorgeous, but compared to now, it was like you were... How do I put this without offending you?”

“Just say it.”

“You looked like you were a pale shadow compared to now,” he inwardly winced, hoping...

“Just now?” she asked.

“Well, you've, I don't know, how do they put it in that book you keep reading? You've bloomed, like a flower.” He saw that she was smiling faintly at the analogy, so he ran with it. “You know, a single rosebud is beautiful, but when it blooms and spreads and you get to see everything that it kept tightly locked away and it just-!”

“I bloomed?”

“You did,” he confirmed again for her. “You like, took all this potential that you had and just, and I... To think that I get to be part of that, in some small way, it just, it takes my breath away. It fills up these spaces in me where I didn't even know something was missing. And it makes me... feel, I don't know, powerful maybe? That I can take care of you and provide for you, so that you can make the choice of when you work, that you don't have to worry about where your next meal will come from, to be able to give you all that so you don't have to worry, I-”

“So basically,” Max interjected, a full out smile plastered on her face now and Alec waited in trepidation before allowing himself to exhale in relief, because hormones, always got to remember the hormones, “you saying that there's nothing you love more than my being barefoot and pregnant...”

He swallowed the wince. He had said it, he had to own it and face the consequences.

“Is because those two things fill up an ache inside you that you never knew you had, and show an acceptance that you never knew you needed and a power that you never dreamed of owning?” Max decided.

Overcome by her understanding, he simply nodded.

“So I guess it wasn't really an insult then, was it?” Max chuckled and he let out a gusty sigh of relief and nodded again. “That's actually, kind of beautiful, you know.”

“Not as beautiful as you are sweetheart,” he nuzzled her forehead again and then quickly moved lower, in favor of pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth. He was prevented from deepening it as she giggled.

“Okay, now I just think you're trying to move on to the naked and horny portion of my book,” Max teased and Alec's head came up sharply.

“There's a naked and horny section?”

“Oh yeah, well known fact of second trimester,” Max grinned as her fingers nimbly stole up to his collar and started the process of freeing the buttons of his shirt. “The morning sickness is gone, Momma's feeling good, hormones are flowing right, got all this excess energy...” she trailed off suggestively.

“And you want... right now?”

“Always Alec,” Max moaned slightly as his hand dropped from her lower back to cup her behind and nestle her in closer yet. “Just think, it's just another service you, as baby daddy gets to provide, to prove your manly vigor and success at being my mate and a father and,” then, despite what they were engaging in, she laughed once more. “Maybe the louder you make me scream, the more people will believe it.”

“Maxie,” Alec grinned as he let loose of her other hand so that he could gently pick her up, one hand under her knees, the other around her back once more, “there is not a single male in TC that doesn't get exactly how I feel right now. Especially the happily mated males who want nothing more than to keep their women as lush and ripe and amazing as you are to me right now.”

“God Alec, you say the damnedest things,” she chuckled, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder as he made his way to their bedroom.

“Is that good or bad?” he teased, shouldering open the slightly ajar door. He settled her down to a seated position, automatically reaching for an extra pillow for her to support her back with. He was startled when she stared at the item in his hands as she leaned forward, silent as he put it in it's place. He was startled at the tears this time. But she reached for his hand and pulled him down beside her.

“I don't think it matters any more,” she decided, hastily wiping one tear away as he did the same for her other eye. “Because no matter what we say, we are in this together and nothing is going to take that away from us. You are much more than just a sperm donor to me. I didn't make a baby with you just to prove something or become something. I wanted your child, because with you, that ache you were talking about, it goes away and when you aren't with me for whatever reason, having your child inside me, fills me with an indescribable joy, Alec.” she sniffled once more and then smiled beatifically up at him. “So don't ever think for one second that just because I'm the one who is pregnant, that you aren't just as important. More important sometimes, because I would never know this, feel this, be this, if it wasn't for you.”

The emotion that clogged his throat, that had transmuted itself from her to him, amazed Alec in it's intensity. “So, I guess I explained it all right then?”

“You certainly did,” Max agreed at once, reaching for him. “And now you get to show me too.”

And there was no reason on earth that he could find to complain about that.