Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.
Timeline: Six weeks after FN.
Pairing M/A
Summary: An unexpected accident causes Max to think about the future in a new way.
Chapter Two
What I’d Give For Love
Alec sighed as he rode along at a leisurely pace behind his friend and strangely enough, the only confidante he’d ever had in his life. He sure as hell didn’t count Sketchy, Biggs, Joshua or any of the males he had in his life as that. Yeah, he shared jokes, memories and general things about himself with the male friends he had. But when it got down to the nitty gritty, she was the one that knew the core of him. And the fact that finding these things out hadn’t sent her running for the hills scared the crap out of him. It started a strange catalyst in him, noticing her. Max was gorgeous. He’d never deny that. But it was more than her external beauty. She had a passion about her that burned from within. It lit her up in everything she did. Even when he’d seen her at her most defeated, when she’d told him about Ben, that little spark that carried her through the rough times in life was still there.
And when he’d finally broke down and shared about Rachel, it was her spirit, her belief that he was better off having known that love, that helped him to make it through the night. He’d pushed her away, tried to goad her into hating him, but she hadn’t given up on him. He wondered sometimes why he stuck around with the way she treated him initially. He had an inkling right from the start, from her very first reaction to him back at Manticore, calling him Ben, that there was a secret buried deep about his twin. He’d tried to make allowances for that. She called him a screw-up and sometimes he could be. He was honest enough with himself to admit that. It was through her that he saw his chance at a life he wanted.
In the year he’d been out from Manticore, he’d gone from hedonistic, narcissistic Smart Alec to the person he’d eventually envisioned himself to be. Sure, it had been fun to shake off the chains of Manticore. To get away from the regimented, brutalistic lifestyle that place engendered. But he’d realized after a while that he’d simply substituted himself as the core of his concern. All his life, Manticore had been his prime concern. When Max had freed them, hell, even before that, when he’d found Rachel, Manticore slowly became less of his concern. And with their treatment of him after the Berrisford disaster, Alec began the painful process of turning his back on them. He’d had to keep up pretenses of course, but it had begun.
But eventually too, the long nights of drinking, womanizing and empty beds come morning had begun to pall. He’d watched his friends, trying to discern why they seemed much happier in their lives than he was. And it all boiled down to one simple thing. They weren’t any happier. They were all searching for something to complete them. It had been an interesting revelation for him. That the normals had considered him the most happily adjusted person they knew. He’d adjusted all right. But that was only through quick wit, charisma and the ability to roll with the punches. So then he’d begun to watch Max. At the time, she’d been his only example of a transgenic living the normal life. But then he’d begun to realize that she’d never be normal. And she’d never be only soldiers either. They were turning into some median of in-between. But watching her day after day, bemoaning her fate, which she continually linked to Logan despite all the curveballs life threw them had really nauseated him.
He couldn’t believe that Max used the fire inside herself to continue on, determined that she and Logan would one day be together. And then, after his outburst about the transgenics being a danger to the ordinaries, he wondered. Would he have given up Rachel if fate had quirked it’s way into the occasion like it had with the virus. His answer had stunned him. No, he wouldn’t have. He candidly admitted that when he saw something that he wanted, he went after it. He would have given anything to have Rachel back in his life, hell even in this world. Just to know that she was safe, innocent, the sweet little thing that had opened him up to the vivid world of emotion and the pain it could cause. Because no matter how bitter the pill, the euphoria of love more than made up for it.
But lately, in his sneaky watching of Max, he’d noticed her turning less and less to Logan. Now, her first choice was to be with or talk to the people like her. He and Max had aired things out between them regarding her lie of omission to Logan about the ‘truth’ of their relationship. The truth being that they didn’t have much more than a somewhat friendly one. And then, after the huge events at Jam Pony and the hostage situation, Alec had overheard her telling Joshua that she’d turned to Logan for comfort. Just naturally because she’d always felt that she could lean on him. Joshua had understood, as that was what Max had been for him. Max had teasingly complained that she felt like a ratty old security blanket. Joshua had teased back that he’d outgrown that stage. And then told her that maybe she needed to do the same.
Alec had been thrilled when he heard her murmur an agreement. She was finally coming around to his point of view. And everyone knew just how hard that was to do with Max. She was the original, the escapee, and the one that got away. No matter what Manticore did to her, she always seemed to come out on top. Alec knew better of course. But he was privy to a little more detail of her life than the other transgenics and transhumans. All the rest saw her as fairly unyielding. Yeah, she’d listen to what they had to say, after all, their new enforced way of life at Terminal City affected them all. But Max felt that she was the only one who could truly bridge the chasm between the two worlds. Alec shook his head. Some days it was all he could do to calm down someone that Maxie had pissed off one way or another. And the majority of the time, it was Mole. He and Max were like oil and water.
So that was why Alec was following Max now. He’d gotten used to watching her back, as she’d gotten used to watching his. The bond they’d made earlier, sharing about Rachel and Ben had grown. It was cemented now that they were living and working together for the benefit of their freak nation. ‘Well, not living together,’ Alec chuckled to himself. But it was close enough. Neighboring apartments a short distance away from headquarters. Close enough that they usually popped into each other’s personal space several times a day for various things. Of course, Alec, being the smart-ass that he was, had cheekily teased her about the one time he’d managed to walk in on her, fresh from a quick, cold shower and nary a towel in sight.
When he’d first walked in, the breath was literally stolen right from his lungs. Then she’d screeched at him and his eyes had snapped up to her face guiltily. His scrambling mind kept reiterating a single thought. Don’t blush. He’d been successful and the suave, slightly inane comments dripped like poison from his lips. He’d ducked the missile like couch cushion, and while he’d been distracted, Max had escaped. That had been his turning point. From that day forward, whenever he’d thought of Max, it had been that image in his head. And finally, the friendship and the lust began to merge together. And every day just got more encouraging.
Alec glanced up once more, though he was certain he didn’t need to. Mole had told him that Max was on her way to Logan’s. And since she was heading towards Joshua’s old place, Alec didn’t really need to be stealthy guy in following her. He knew the way well enough, having visited plenty of times before. But then he saw her slowing down. He grinned, wondering if she was going to turn back. In fact, he would have encouraged her to. Going to Logan’s was a rough deal for her. Alec could see that she was trying to be gracious with the older man. But it was evident to everyone around her that the spark, if there’d ever been any, that the spark between the two was long gone. He slowed down as well, wondering what kind of ass kicking he’d be risking to approach her now. She’d no doubt give him hell for following her. Even if he were right in the assumption that she’d need a shoulder to cry on when she was through. So he stopped a distance back, watching as she finally stopped and contemplated something.
It didn’t take her long before she was pedaling again. ‘Oh come on Maxie,’ Alec thought sourly. ‘Just give it up. Don’t torture yourself over Logan. Just stop where you are, turn around and go home.’ To his stupefication, she did precisely that. Well, the stopping part at least. ‘Oh crap!’ he thought quickly, coming to a dead halt again. ‘Don’t tell me she got psychic hotline chic in her DNA?’ He contemplated hiding before she could turn back and see him. But to his relief, she hurried off again. He grinned; wondering what she was thinking about that was so important that she couldn’t do her thinking and bicycling at the same time. But the desire for the answer was yanked from him when he saw the lumbering car on his left, swing around a corner and into her lane at high speed.
"Max!" he yelled, knowing that it was too late to get her attention.
He’d dropped the bike and had already begun to blur to her side as the car shuddered to a halt. Alec knelt on the pavement beside her crumpled form, terrified to touch her. The car door opening caught his attention and a kid, couldn’t have been more than fourteen jumped out, looking like he was going to wet his pants. They stared at each other, the one second stretching into long moments before Alec turned back to his friend, fear etched into his face. His trembling hand felt at her neck for a pulse and he sighed with relief as he felt the slightly irregular thump. But even so, he moved his hand to her face, not touching, just letting the feel of her shallow breath play over him.
"I-is she dead?" the kid asked, inching forward. Alec’s head whipped around to glare at the teen, who had stopped in his tracks at the feral look on the man before him.
"No, but you could have killed her," Alec growled. "What the hell were you thinking?" he shouted. Despite the tears that were forming in the boy’s eyes, Alec wasn’t moved to pity. If anything, it made him angrier. "You better get the fuck out of here before I take you apart with my bare hands," Alec warned in a tight voice. It had taken him moments only to realize that reporting the incident would open up a whole butt load of more exposure that they didn’t need.
"I’m sorry," the boy whimpered. And then he was running back to the car. One glance and Alec had the plate memorized. He could always hunt the kid down later and pummel him to the ground if Max was worse than he thought. But right now he needed to take care of her. The squeal of tires helped him to focus. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and he dialed the familiar number to Logan. It took a few rings for the older man to answer.
<Hello? >
"Logan, it’s Alec," he began. He heard the disgruntled noise the other man made, but continued on. Max was more important right now than any disgust the males felt towards each other. "Logan listen! Max was hit by a car. She’s alive, but she hit her head when she went down and may have some broken bones. I don’t want to move her, but I can’t call an ambulance."
<Of course. What do you need me to do? >
Alec had to admit one thing. Where Max was concerned, Logan was all over it. No questions, no whining, just how could he help. "I need you to go to the basement and find something flat and straight that we can place her on. A board or something. We need to keep her immobile until we can find out how badly she’s hurt. Whatever is wrong, we don’t want to make it worse."
<Right. I think I have something. >
"And I need you to call that doctor friend of yours," Alec continued. "He’ll need to check her out. And hurry Logan. I don’t want her out here… for a lot of reasons.
<I understand. Where are you at? >
"We’re just down the block from your place, heading south."
<I’ll be right there. >
Chapter Three
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