Title: From A To Z Round 2
Chapter Title: Yet
Author: Restive Nature
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.
Rating: PG-15 (for mention of Alec's “boys”)
Genre: Dark Angel
Type: friendship
Pairing: Max/ Alec
Summary: Thus far, they were not what you would call friends.
Spoilers/ Time line: This takes place after the episode “Fughedabouttit” but references events from “Harbor Lights” as well.
Feedback: Always welcome!
Distribution: Ask first please.
A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.
A/N2: This was actually a humorous little fiction that I had in my head for a long time now. I thought it would fit in well here. It actually stemmed from watching the commentary of an episode on Season three of the show “Alias” when someone commented on one of the actors jumping out of his chair with ease after he had just been shot. It kind of stuck with me when I was re-watching the fight scene in Dark Angel.
Y is for Yet
Alec sat on his couch, well, collapsed was more like it. He couldn't believe that the events of the evening had ended like this. It had all started out so innocuously, he decided as he nursed at the last few dribbles of Scotch that Normal had managed to urge from the bottom of the bottle, declaring that his “Champ” deserved it.
If it hadn't been for Mia, blast her to hell or something like that, roping him into her freakin' scheme to help her boyfriend. Man, Alec wondered 'what the hell is it with transgenic females and their ordinary boyfriends?' Because it was also the other transgenic female and her 'not like that' boy toy that had thrown the other monkey wrench in the plans.
Namely let Alec make a fuck ton of money, relive the glory days for just one night and then walk away from it all, as he had intended the first time around. But now, he was sitting on his dilapidated couch and there went the dreams of being able to scrounge up a better one, or hell, the car that he'd had his eye on. Keeping to jellybeans and rice instead of a nice meal here or there. Wondering if he'd ever walk normally again.
Alec smirked as he upended the glass for the umpteenth time, only to be disappointed. Maybe he could get some pointers from Logan about that last thought. At least there was one relief right then, aside from the Scotch. He'd been able to convince Normal that he would be fine now that he was home and the man had left half an hour ago after swearing to wreak workly vengeance on the she-devil that had done this to Alec.
Not like it would matter to Max. She'd gotten what she had wanted, regardless of who else was hurt in the process. Namely Alec. And Normal threatened her so often with firing that it was like water off of a duck's back. And the far sectors? Max knew them better than she knew the back of her hand. It didn't matter to her. She had her sugar daddy to run to when it all got to be too much.
Alec wasn't so far gone though, as to not notice the footsteps outside his door. There was a knock and Alec groaned silently. He had told Normal that he'd be fine. Though he could understand why the guy was so concerned. He'd been pretty dazed by that blow Max had delivered. But some fresh air and his equilibrium had been fairly restored.
“I'm fine Normal!” he called out. “I told you, I'll be in tomorrow.”
There was no answer, but neither did the footsteps move away and Alec tensed. Who else would be swinging by this late at night? And even as he wondered that, he noted that the doorknob, that he was sure he had locked, slowly began to turn. He swore silently to himself. He'd had enough fighting this evening and if he had to, he'd beat down whatever problem was coming through that door. He just didn't want to have to.
But luck, if it could be called such, was with him when the door swung open and there stood his arch nemesis of the average kind. Just looking at her smirking face as she returned her lock picks to her hip pocket made him groan.
“Well as much fun as it is, you breaking into my home, yet again,” Alec snarked before she could say anything, “my boys are nowhere near ready for you to be anywhere within a five mile radius. So thanks for dropping in uninvited. Please, feel free to leave.” His tone was perky, but forced and Max ignored him as usual, sauntering in and slamming the door behind her. Standing in the entryway, she held up two bags.
“I brought a peace offering,” she told him and Alec grimaced at her. Peace offering? That meant she felt bad. And as well she should. Girls would never ever understand the absolute... gah, she was getting closer now!
“So throw it on the couch and get out,” he growled. He could almost feel the boys wincing and receding further as her unique scent reached his body. How the hell did she smell so fresh and... and vibrant? After what she had done?
“That's real nice Alec,” Max scoffed as she took a seat on the couch, with the two bags between them. Out of one she pulled a bottle of his preferred Scotch and Alec was reaching his hand out, glass empty, waiting to be filled before he had even registered it. Max shook her head, resigned, but grinning still as she opened the bottle and poured him a generous measure before recapping the bottle and settling it on the floor between them. Alec realized as he inhaled that first sip, that she was being smart. She gave him Scotch, he was not sharing. Not with the likes of her. He watched her warily as she reached back into that bag and then relaxed as she removed a six pack of beer. With his free hand, he retrieved one, finding it blessedly chilled and settled it between his legs. He hissed at the contact against the bruising on the very inside of his thigh and then again as the cold transferred itself through his sweats.
“Yeah, I brought those to be drunk, not...” she waved her hand at him and Alec spared her a withering glance.
“I don't have any ice,” he told her flatly and she nodded.
“I have the answer for that,” she announced and opened the other paper bag. She withdrew a half gallon of... and Alec's eyes widened. Was that ice cream? Chocolate? Excellent.
“Excellent,” he announced taking it from her and switching out the two. The packaging of the ice cream was a little more awkward, but it was also frozen, not just chilled. And more than anything, right now, Alec wanted to be numb.
“You know,” Max was frowning and Alec tried to drown out her voice, humming inside his mind, but it wasn't working. “I was planning on eating some of that.”
“Jeez Max,” he grunted, “it's not like I've got crotch cooties.”
“Are you five?” she retorted instantly and Alec rolled his eyes, setting the Scotch down to open the bottle of beer and taking a swig of that as well. He eyed the rest of the six pack. If she'd been planning on spitting things then he was going to need to down his half fast to get anywhere near a buzz and maybe get her to leave. He held the bottle up in a mock salute.
“Never fear Max,” he smiled as fakely as was possible, “after that lovely power kick you delivered, my boys have receded so far up, their becoming besties with my liver right now and considering taking up permanent resident as long as you're in the vicinity. So no fears of contamination, huh?”
And even though he'd meant it to be an obvious reminder of her outrageous behavior, Max took it another way and laughed. She busied herself pulling out yet another something else from her little bag of goodies, spoons, the long handled plastic kind, this time. Alec, realizing that she was serious, yanked the one she held out to him from her and pulled the top off of the container. He eyed her and not wanting for her to get near him with anything, not even a blunt plastic eating utensil, scraped up a good portion and dumped it on the lid before handing it to her. She smiled and dug into the portion he had allotted her even as he did the same.
“Did I really kick you that hard?” she asked after a moment and Alec stared at her incredulously.
“Uh yeah,” he finally managed to get out, lacing his tone with as much sarcasm as he could inflect. “Where the hell were you?” He shook his head, seeing that she didn't look one ounce of remorseful at all. “Should have seen it coming though,” he muttered to himself, glancing away from her unrepentant self.
“Well yeah,” she agreed, licking some chocolate from the bottom of the spoon before returning it to the lid. “I gave you plenty of time to block it.”
“Maybe,” Alec had to agree after a moment. To anyone else, it had happened pretty quickly and he cursed himself again for being unable to resist her taunt and oh so obvious trap. That ring girl had looked fairly clean, definitely interested and at that point, Alec had had very different plans in mind for the portion of evening after the fights. But really, Max had backed off, taunted him and when he'd turned back to her, he'd seen it in her eyes. He at least, could be honest with himself. “I just didn't think you'd resort to such a frickin' dirty trick.”
At least he seemed to have surprised her, spoon aloft as her eyes widened. “Why the hell not?” she finally managed before popping the spoon in her mouth.
“Figured it was really cheap of you to do that to a guy,” Alec offered. And that was true. Somehow, Max had gotten a very persnickety road map of ethics and morals from dealing with Cale. It was all very convoluted and headache inducing on the best of days. “ Any guy,” he continued, “even one you hate.”
“I don't hate you Alec,” Max replied immediately and Alec wanted to scoff. “Yeah, I was seeing red there for a while, but who wouldn't? But hate you? No.”
Alec sighed. Her actions certainly spoke differently than her words. But he was too tired and sore to argue. “Sure Max. Whatever.”
And she chuckled. Damn her, she found this way too amusing. “Did I really kick you that hard?” The glare he threw at her should have scorched and blown her to ash where she sat. She didn't quail under it, but “I'm sorry I kicked you that hard. I was more aiming for your groin area, not specifically... you know? But you flinched and well.” She bit at her lip and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “I wasn't trying to really hurt you Alec. I was just trying to end the fight.” Alec rolled his eyes and then was surprised to hear her admit, “mostly that, anyway.”
And now she was finally being honest. So now that the pain of earlier had finally started to recede, thanks in large part to the ice cream and alcohol that she had brought, Alec found that he was tired of being angry about it. It happened, he'd survive and tomorrow, they'd be back to their usual tease and snark, reluctant looking after of each other so they could survive and thrive. And that was why he was able to be, as he always seemed to be, the bigger man.
“Yeah I'm sorry too,” he offered. They continued to eat the cold confection and Max reached for one of the beers. She cracked the top and then turned to regard him.
“So why are you sorry?” she asked, sounding puzzled.
“For callin you a bitch,” Alec told her, wondering what about this was rocket science.
He was treated to a sight that he rarely saw. Max sat there, ice cream and beer apparently forgotten, her mouth hanging open as she gaped at him.
“What?” he demanded, feeling decidedly more uncomfortable, the longer she kept that stupid look on her face.
“That's what you're apologizing for?” she demanded icily, the dumb look melting into a heated glare. That was more usual and Alec straightened a little.
“Well yeah?” he agreed, feeling a little dumb himself now. Why couldn't Manticore have offered a 'figuring out women 101' course? Oh right, 'cause even though women made up over a quarter of their operations, not counting the soldiers, they still had no clue what made women tick. “Is that wrong?” he sneered. Max scoffed and dropped her spoon onto the makeshift platter.
“You know I have no problem with anyone calling it like it is,” she snorted. “Even you Alec. And I am a bitch.”
Alec squinted at her, wondering suddenly if she'd spiked the Scotch and perhaps that was why she hadn't touched any. She was making the kind of sense that rarely did. But like a sore tooth, he just couldn't leave it alone.
“So what the hell is your problem now, then?” he demanded irritably. “Are you pissed 'cause I didn't roll over and play dead for dear ol' Logie boy? Or maybe because I wasn't super powered enough not to be bamboozled by our visiting psy-mare Mia while she was running around manipulating everyone,” he stressed, because he knew perfectly well that Max had to have gotten the whammy too, at some point. “What did I do that wasn't enough for you Max?”
His little rant over, Alec realized that rather than looking pissed, she looked... hurt?
“Where you paying any attention to our fight tonight?” she demanded on a hiss. Alec frowned at her, completely lost, but it seemed monumental to her, so he took a moment to recall what had happened after he was just about declared the winner. Max took up the challenge, they argued, she jumped the bell, threw some punches that he took and then seeing that she wasn't backing down, fought back. He'd blocked her kick, retaliated and called her a bitch. Then she'd pulled her little stunt and... he winced as the remembered pain came rushing back to his mind and all the good the alcohol and ice cream had done was nearly negated. He frowned, wondering what the hell else there could be that she figured deserved an apology.
“You know what? Forget it,” Max snarled softly, setting her beer on the floor and throwing her share of the food to the side and moving to stand. Realizing that she was pissed for reasons unknown and knowing that it was better to get it out of the way now, rather than having this hanging over his head in the coming weeks, if not months, Alec darted his upper body forward, catching her wrist and jerking her back.
She cried out, in pain and Alec's eyes widened as she crashed back down to the couch, checking his grip on her wrist. He hadn't pulled that hard, he told himself, but let go of her just in case, completely baffled as she doubled over. Her free arm, the one he hadn't grabbed was clutching at her abdomen and he wondered just a split second what had happened, aside from...
Oh right, he'd kicked her in the abdomen during the fight. He shook his head quickly. It hadn't been that hard, he reassured himself. She was an X-5, they were built to handle this stuff.
“Max?” he questioned, his voice more laced with concern than he knew he should show, given how she reacted to it in past months. Finally, with a grunt and a muttered curse word that had Alec raising his eyebrows, as he'd never heard that one slip from her pristine lips, she cautiously righted herself. He was about to ask what the hell was going on when she used her other hand to straighten out her shirt.
It was wet.
But, even as he wondered if she'd dripped chocolate ice cream on herself, he realized that the color of the stain wasn't right. And she hadn't been drinking and he could have sworn that her shirt had been completely dry. Slightly worried and just a little scared now, he shoved his own food stuff away, not caring where it landed as he twisted in his seat and reached for the soft fabric. She hissed and tried to bat his hands away, but Alec was adamant and knew that she wouldn't just tell him. He had to see for himself. All he needed was two inches. And then he had his answer.
He stared down at the bandage, peeking out of the top of her jeans. It was weeping with moisture and he slowly let go of her t-shirt and raised his eyes to her stony face.
“What the hell happened to you?” he demanded softly and then more angrily, “and what the hell were you thinking of? Gettin' in the ring with me when you're injured?”
“I was shot. Remember?” she demanded, straightening her shirt once more. “In the stomach, just a little over a week ago. And you wouldn't quit, so I had to stop you the only way I had available.”
“You should've healed by now,” Alec grunted. “Max, that's not healed,” he pointed out the obvious.
“Yeah well, avoiding White at the hospital caused a few popped stitches, plus a minor infection from all that crud I was crawling through, and then popping them again from moving wrong and then tonight,” she explained gruffly, avoiding his gaze. “Plus Dr. Carr thinks that the virus might be interfering with how quickly I'm healing because my body is constantly dealing with it.”
“Damn,” Alec breathed out. How had he not noticed all of this? Well, of course, it wasn't like Max confided in him, unless she had too. Like now. But still. No wonder she'd been pissed tonight. Regardless of the not sharing, he knew that she'd been shot and even though it should have scabbed over and started the healing process long since, still it was a real...
“It'll heal,” Max pointed out dryly. “It's just taking a little longer than normal.”
“Yeah, you should have named me Dick,” he decided, for when in doubt, make 'em laugh, “cause that's exactly how I feel right now.”
“I reconsider your name on a daily basis,” Max chuckled and Alec didn't feel any relief in the sound. So he did something that was reserved for the huge tings. Like costing her five grand so that his head wouldn't be blown to smithereens.
“I'm sorry Max,” he apologized with all sincerity, not a stretch, since he really felt it. “For not remembering you were hurt,” he clarified, “or checking in to see how you were dealin'. And for not being more appreciative, I mean, you know, for the booze and ice cream...” he trailed off, pleased that Max's face had softened.
“Yeah,” she nodded, relaxing slightly back into the deep cushions, “I would have been here sooner, but I swung by Carr's first to get patched up again.”
“Ahhh,” Alec groaned, throwing his head back and staring up at the ceiling, “well now you can call me Heel on top of Dick. Certainly fits right now.”
“No prob,” she offered with a shrug. “It doesn't matter,” she dismissed, making Alec's misery just slightly worse. It was no wonder Max never seemed to have any faith in him and in that moment, he couldn't really blame her. “It's not like you were there when I was shot, or with the rest, you know, after.”
Alec sat up again, and turned in his seat, “you know that if I'd heard or been told, I would have been there in a heartbeat, to help,” he told her in all seriousness and when her cheek twitched, as if she were suppressing a smile, continued. “Or annoy, whatever would help.”
“Yeah,” she murmured after a long moment of consideration. “I know you would have.”
“Sooo,” Alec drawled, clicking his tongue behind his teeth as he surveyed his living room, looking and feeling just a little uncomfortable. “Friends?”
“Thus far no,” Max quipped instantly. “But who knows? The future's looking brighter.”
“I'll break out my shades then,” Alec smiled and then gestured at her stomach. “So what did Carr have to say this time?”
Max slowly turned her head and then in a surprising moment, grinned entirely too cheekily at him and said, “ice cream. And lots of it.”
“All righty then,” Alec decided that he could work with that. He reached out to grab up her spoon and then the ice cream bucket that had luckily landed only slightly skewed. He retrieved it and this time instead placed it on his lap before retrieving the remote control for the television. “Have at it,” he invited and was pleased when she disregarded the lid and scooted a little closer to dig into the rest. He turned the television on and started flipping through the channels he'd managed to pick up. “Tell me if you see something you like.”
She kept her eyes on the screen and Alec was able to watch her, stopping his channel hopping when her eyes lit up in recognition. He settled the remote on the arm of the couch next to him, looked at the ice cream and filled his spoon. Then he turned his apparent attention back to the screen to see if he could decipher what they were watching. It wasn't anything he had seen before. But that didn't matter, because his mind was full of what Max had just said.
Up to this point, they weren't really friends. But she wasn't adverse seeming to getting that way. He liked the idea of that. Wouldn't mind it at all. He knew what a good friend she made. And he needed all of those that he could get, if he were honest with himself.
So they weren't friends yet, but someday they could be.
They would be, he told himself.
Popping the sweet, creamy spoonful of chocolaty goodness into his mouth, Alec decided that he'd definitely hang on for that, when yet became reality and they were something more than what they were then and there.
Not yet, but soon, he promised himself.
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