Fiction TWH- Chapter Thirteen

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don’t often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he’s not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Thirteen

Crosswork

“Hey Alec!”

Alec, just exiting the apartment complex, frowning because for the first time in a while, Max was up and gone before he was, glanced up to see who was calling for his attention. It was Gem, on her own, jogging slightly to catch up with him. “Hey Gem,” he greeted as he slowed slightly. He didn't want to just blow her off, especially as nice as she'd been the evening before. But he was wondering where on earth Max had gotten to.

“How were the dinners?” she asked with a grin as she fell in by his side.

“Excellent,” he answered honestly. “Though really, you didn't have to go to that trouble. You know you should be keeping those MRE's for yourself,” he admonished, though he kept the smile on his face to gentle the harshness. Gem just shook her head.

“Not to worry,” she shrugged. “Doc got his hands a bottle of vitamin supplements that were still good. Portioned them out to us moms.”

“Huh,” Alec grunted. “Must have missed that.”

“Ah, it's all good,” Gem grinned. “Just the one bottle though, so I will be guarding the rest of those packets with my life.”

“All right,” Alec nodded, noticing that Gem was taking long strides and was able to match his pace to hers. Not as fast as he preferred but still not the ambling walk of friends taking a stroll.

“And how were the tartlets?” she pressed.

“Really good actually,” Alec chuckled. “We threw in Max's candies with them. Was really sweet.”

“Yeah, that's what Max said,” Gem nodded. Alec watched her for a moment and when she returned the look, she must have seen the question in his face. “I just saw her, at Joshua's.”

“Oh, okay,” Alec nodded, relieved in a minor way to know where she was at.

“I have to head over to command to check next week's schedule,” she explained easily. “So I dropped Angie off a little early. Max asked me to let everyone know she'd be a few minutes. Said she had to talk to Josh about something.”

“So Joshua's babysitting? Not going to make the meeting?” Alec frowned. But Gem was shaking her head.

“No, Zen and Shrink have her this morning,” Gem supplied. “Max actually suggested we get some of the babies together for play dates.”

“Uh,” Alec grinned. “Isn't Angie a little young to be dating?” The teasing came quickly and naturally and Gem returned his smile, giving his side a small shove.

“You know what I mean,” she chided. “And please, if I was going to arrange a date for my daughter, it wouldn't be with the son of a flirt as big as Shrink.”

“Why?” Alec tried to sound affronted but was failing at it. “Does the apple not fall far from the tree?”

“Uh, have you seen their kid?” Gem grunted and Alec had to shake his head. He hadn't really been into meeting and greeting, shaking hands and kissing babies, which, from what Max had said the evening before, had been a good thing. “He's all big eyes and super long eyelashes and this adorable little pout... oh crap!”

“Huh?” Alec missed her sudden turn as she slapped one hand gently to her forehead. “What?”

“Just like you,” she elucidated teasingly. “God, do us a favor Alec. See if you can get Doc to arrange, if heaven forbid you ever bamboozle a female into procreating with you, to only have daughters!”

“Hey, sort not in my control, and I doubt we got the equipment in medical that's advanced enough,” he grunted. Kids? Not anywhere on his radar and probably wouldn't be for years, if ever.

“I know,” Gem laughed, “but seriously you and a kid tag teaming the feminine population. There'd be devastated hearts everywhere.”

“Well, as fun a plan as that sounds,” Alec sighed heavily, as if it truly were a burden, he gestured to the door of command, “I've got meetings to go to first.”

“All right,” Gem nodded as he pulled the door open for them. They parted ways almost immediately inside. “Catch you later.”

“Later,” he replied. He watched for a moment as Gem headed to the postings in the main hall while he would head straight to command. Of course, it was just his luck that her not so much co-conspirator of the evening before was coming from that way and after the pair exchanged disgusted grunts at one another, Grift caught sight of Alec.

“Hey man,” he lit up and Alec, deliberating over saying hi or just throwing the guy a wave and moving on, took too long and Grift had caught up with him. “How was the date?”

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes. “Again man, not a date. And our discussion, about work, went well, thanks.”

“Sure, sure,” Grift grinned. “I have to get over to the con site. But hey, I'm on mess again next week. So anything special you want to request. You know, if you and Max have to have a 'working dinner' again?”

“Screw off,” Alec groaned, shoving at the other man's shoulder.

Grift continued to chuckle the whole way out and Alec, shaking his head, wondering how much teasing he would be enduring until he and Max could come up with enough to get started on her latest pet project and let the truth be known.

As it was, a lot .Since it seemed that everyone in command knew they'd been dining together, getting suspicions and innuendo from those that had eaten at mess, thank you very much loud mouths Grift and Gem, he was so renaming them Tweedledum and Tweedle Dumber at the first chance. And of course, for those that had foregone mess, well, their buddies around the office were oh so happy to fill them in on the details they did have and their gossip about what they didn't.

Alec, his mood from the evening before, completely soured, pounded up the steps to get to the meeting. But, from everyone's expectant faces when he walked in, he knew that it had yet to hit the fan. Pausing in the doorway, to take a deep breath, steeling himself, wondering if it were better to get this all out of the way before Max showed up and got pissy. Or maybe she wouldn't, he wasn't sure with how this would figure into her new take on life.

“All right,” he grumbled, pushing himself into the room. “Before you even get started, it was dinner, not a 'date', we were talking business.”

“Uh huh,” came Mole's knowing drawl. “We're all pretty familiar with your brand of business pretty boy.”

“Even if we don't get the chance to play as often as I hear Alec does,” Callie giggled and Alec threw her a hard glare. What the hell rumors was she listening to?

“Yeah, well, he's this grumpy,” Doc grinned, leaning back in his seat, “then he was... denied!”

“Yeah well, this is Miss tightly wound we're talking about,” Mole guffawed, mimicking Doc's pose, pushing his chair up on it's back legs.

“God damn it!” Alec hissed. “Shut up! For the last time. It was not a date!”

“What wasn't a date?” came Max's voice from right behind him and Alec wanted very suddenly, for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He felt her hand at the small of his back, nudging at him. He settled a quick glare at the room at large and then slowly stepped aside and Max slipped in, brushing against his side. He felt Joshua behind him as well and stepped fully out of the way, knowing the larger male couldn't squeeze through the room he afforded.

Max looked happy, a grin on her face, notebook and pen in one hand, coffee mug in the other. Alec wondered if maybe that had something to do with things. She'd gotten a caffeine fix this morning and he hadn't. As she took her seat at the head of the table, she glanced up at Alec. “Were they possibly referring to last night?”

Alec was startled when he wasn't the only one that froze.

“Cause that so wasn't a date,” Max chuckled. “That was an appointment. There is a difference. Besides, if I ever did consent to allow Alec the honor of taking me on a date, you all would so know it,” she grinned at the rest of them, while Alec gaped at her. Did she... had she just seriously entertained the thought of Alec taking her out? Suddenly, he stumbled out of his frozen state, moving to take a seat, because he certainly wanted to discuss this further. The audience wasn't exactly appreciated, but his traitorous mind and body could care less at the moment.

“And how precisely would we know?” Callie asked, humor lining her face.

“It'd be kind of hard to hide me trailing after him everywhere,” Max began, a glint in her eyes and Alec felt his body tightening slightly when she threw a wink at him, “haranguing him about making sure the date wasn't someplace cheesy, or foisting me off with a night at Crash. Making sure he had date appropriate clothing and that he wasn't doing it on a dare, 'cause he so would!”

“You got that right,” Mole guffawed again.

“Hey,” Alec mumbled protestingly. “Dates at Crash are fun. Booze, music, pool, conversation. S'not cheesy!”

“So is that what we were doing all those months?” Max asked gleefully, though she was trying to look thoughtful. She looked way too amused to pull that off.

“No,” Alec protested. “We were with friends.”

“Group hang time,” Max nodded. And then she glanced around. “Uh oh,” she muttered and every eye in the room turned back to her. She looked a little sheepish. “I think I besmirched your rep, lover boy,” she addressed herself to Alec. “Sorry,” she added perkily. “But hey, the next lucky girl you ask out will really be treated to a nice evening, huh? Just to prove to these yahoos that you got the stuff, right?”

“Uh yeah,” Alec grunted. He was still sort of stuck on the date... with Max, idea. And while he enjoyed an evening at Crash with a girl, or many girls, he knew too that he could do much better than that. Damn Max had thrown out a challenge and the problem was, he knew he didn't have anything to prove. But he wanted to. Not for the rest of them, but to her. His mind wandered slightly as Max called the meeting to order and the others settled in easily while she passed the notepad around. Alec did note that it was essentially blank this day, with just a few words, meeting at the top, underlined and updates? Underneath it. As he passed it along to Josh, he wondered, what exactly would Max like to do on a date? Probably a nice dinner. Maybe some dancing. Not the kind like at Crash, techno and thrumming, but something softer, that a couple could sway to, holding each other close. But it couldn't end there. No, there'd have to be a capper and, then Alec smirked. Make out point, he realized. Somewhere quiet and private, but not home, to ostensibly watch some pretty scenery, the mood romantic. Yeah, knowing Max, she'd drag a guy off to the Space Needle and instead of getting some, she'd start nattering at him about philosophy.

“Alec?” Joshua was nudging him and Alec came out of his little daydream to see that everyone was staring at him.

“Uh,” he hesitated and then heard the ringing.

“You gonna get that?” Doc asked, gesturing at him. Alec glanced down and realized then that it was his cell phone ringing.

“Sorry, yeah,” he mumbled, ducking his head down as he reached for it. Avoiding everyone's gaze as he fought a blush, he answered. “Hello?”

“Hey man, took you long enough,” Sketch's familiar voice came over the line. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Yeah, you did,” Alec grinned, “but it's not a problem. What'd you need?”

“Ah, I was calling to talk to Max,” Sketchy explained and Alec's brow furrowed, wondering what Sketch was wanting and why he would call... “I wasn't sure what line to call, but I figured you would probably have an idea where she was.” Well that explained hat.

“Actually she's right here,” Alec informed him, glancing up at the woman in question and Max gave him a small smile. He dropped the phone a little and told her, “it's Sketch, calling for you.”

“Oh, excellent,” she enthused and scooted her chair back. She stood and moved around to take the phone. “Could you take over for me?” she asked sweetly as he handed the phone off to her. “I shouldn't be too long.”

“That's fine,” he smiled tightly up at her even as Joshua was sliding the pad of paper back to him. They all watched as Max greeted her old friend, heading out the door and presumably to her office for some privacy. “Okay,” Alec straightened the paper before him and noted that it was still empty of anything aside from what she'd written. “So, updates people?”

*****

The meeting had gone swiftly, Alec jotting down the comments from each section of the committee so that Max could glance over it later. As he dismissed the others, Mole stood and paused, reminding him that he and Max and Alec still needed to get together about discussing the recon missions. Alec had nodded and said that he would remind Max. That had apparently been good enough for Mole and he had made his exit as well. Flipping through the notebook, Alec noted that Max seemed to have been taking notes on everything and he wondered again, what was going on with her, besides the few things that she had shared with him. It all always seemed to be coming back to this dream of hers. Which wasn't a bad thing, really, but he just wished that he was more in the know. He might have survived Manticore by playing along and playing dumb for the most part, but that wasn't who he really was. And by Max's declaration, he shouldn't ever have to live like that.

Scooping up the notepad, Alec wondered what was taking her so long. Granted, the meeting was fast, but what on earth did she and Sketchy have to talk about other than his visit, which Alec was still iffy on? He moved down to Max's office, finding the door shut. The murmur of her voice alone and the pause and flow, let him know that she was still on the phone. So he rapped a couple times on the door with his knuckles and waited. She called for him to come in and Alec opened the door to lean in just a little.

Max was leaning back in her chair, her feet propped up on her desk and Alec shook his head a little. That wasn't how she usually sat. But since she was laughing at something Sketchy was saying, if it was still him, it seemed to fit. Of course, she could have taken advantage of having Alec's phone and made a few calls or something. He waited, but Max waved him in and he responded by moving all the way into the room and pushing the door shut behind him, gently.

“Yeah, I know,” Max was saying into the phone. She glanced up at Alec and pointed at the notepad in his hands. She gestured for him to come forward and he did so, handing the pad over the desk to her. But instead of multitasking as she normally would have, she simply dropped it to the desk top. “Well you guys routed Normal easily enough and dealt with that Sivapathasunderam dealio all on your own.”

Alec frowned. Siva patha what?

“And that was pretty on the fly, right?” Max kept on as Alec perched himself at the edge of her desk. The excuse that he was waiting for his phone back and to go over the notes, ready at his lips. “Well just imagine what you could do, with days if not weeks to prep.”

She paused in her conversation again and listened to what the other person was saying. He suspected it was still Sketchy, or perhaps Cindy, what with her mention of Normal. And from the lower treble voice he could hear from where he was at, had to guess it was still Sketch.

“Hey, don't worry about it too much,' Max sighed. “You know we'll help as much as we can. But you've got good people too, you know.” Then she chuckled again. “Yeah, well remember when Herbal went postal on Wins tons ass?” Alec smirked a little as a giggle escaped her lips. “I'm just saying that you guys are pretty inventive with the plans, but when it gets down to it, the simplest things are usually the best. If you're not sure then call us again and we'll walk it through, 'kay?”

It sounded like it was about the end of the conversation and Alec started to fidget a little. Max glanced up at him and smiled tightly and held one finger up to her lips. Alec frowned at her and she rolled her eyes. He hid his smile at that familiar predictability.

“Yeah, that's the one,” Max agreed. “I'm pretty sure she'll have no problem talking to you. In fact, can I make a suggestion?”

Alec tilted his head a little to the side, pondering Max's behavior. Never before had he seen her this... gentle with Sketch. She usually was riding his ass about something, smacking him down verbally, or ignoring his childish antics. He wondered what had changed. Maybe he'd have to ask, because he sure as hell wasn't having much luck figuring it out. She must have gotten the go ahead, because she nodded once to herself.

“Okay,” she inhaled deeply. “I think a good way to come at this is real slow. We've got a little time, so we can make it all count. Establishing a connection with her just to start things off. Then maybe come back to a point you want to clarify, or something like that, for a second round. Little tidbits here and there. And don't just focus on the one thing. Find out what makes her tick. Create a rapport before you go for it. Just my suggestion, okay?” Alec smiled at how serious and, well, how earnest she looked, trying not to bring any offense in her conversation. But then her eyes lit up and she started laughing merrily and Alec felt the smile tugging at his lips as her mirth transmuted around the room.

“Yeah,” she shook her head and sighed. “I guess that would be pretty good dating advice. But Sketch, I think Rita's a little out of your range. And by that I mean, age? Plus, I don't know,” she dropped the phone and glanced up at Alec. “Do you know if Rita was married?”

Alec rolled his eyes upward and kept them there, thinking of the only Rita he knew, which was the gallery owner and dealer that showcased Joshua's work. “Uh, I don't remember any rings,” he supplied. “But that doesn't really mean anything.” Max nodded and turned back to her call.

“Alec doesn't know if she was,” Max offered and then sat up straighter, pulling her feet from her desk to drop down. “Yeah okay. Yep, you too. Bye.”

She hung up the call, snapped the phone shut and held it back out to Alec. He took it from her warm hand and slipped it back into his coat. She smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Sketch offered to give me his old pager,” she told him. “Number's still good on it.”

“And what would you need that for?” Alec wondered. Max shrugged.

“I guess he felt bad about tying up your phone with our business,” she supplied. “I pointed out that's it's all our business, but I did give him some of the safer lines to call in on.”

“I have no problem with Sketch callin' me,” Alec demurred. “Just as long as he realizes I'm not always available to chat.”

“Yeah, I think that'd be fine,” Max grinned and took a moment to stretch. “He misses you, you know. Says it's just not the same without his wing man.” There was a gently teasing and Alec ducked his head.

“Hey, Sketch crashed and burned well enough on his own before I ever arrived,” he joked.

“Uh huh,” Max laughed along with him and when the laughter settled, she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk. “Well, a little chat for a few minutes here and there with the few allies we have is not gonna hurt anything. Probably do us some good in the long run. Did you know that Gem is thinking of asking Normal if he'll be Angie's honorary godfather?”

“What?” Alec was so taken by surprise by that little nuggets of information that he just didn't know what to think. “Where the hell did she get an idea like that?”

Max poked one hand in the air. “Guilty,” she sang out and chuckled. “We were talking about Normal's experience with helping her through labor and I remembered him talking about his nieces and nephews a few times.”

“Normal's got family?” Alec asked skeptically. “And here I thought he was just hatched, full grown with whistle, bullhorn, headset and clipboard in hand.” The image was enough that they both snickered.

“Yeah,” Max nodded. “He used to keep pictures of them at his desk, but when Ty started posting some nasty pictures on his locker, they went bye bye.”

“Uh, not seeing the connection,” Alec grunted.

“It was borderline porn and you know how Normal is about that,” Max explained. Alec nodded quickly. “Ty claimed they were artistic shots of his girlfriend and if Normal could have family pictures, so could he.”

“So that's why there was that rule about no personifying of office space or equipment?” Alec realized. Max nodded and pulled the notebook to her. She glanced over his notes and then nodded. Alec waited for any questions she might have, since his penmanship had gotten slightly more sloppy over the last year or so. He knew, didn't particularly care about it and neither it seemed, did she.

“Do you know what Mole is up to the rest of the morning?” she asked and Alec shrugged.

“Probably the usual,” he decided. “Playing with what munitions we've got.”

“Or working on the roster,” Max agreed. “Well, I'm free for the next hour or so. Why don't we take a walk, get some more coffee and chat.”

“Uh, okay,” Alec slowly rose from his half lean, half seat on her desk. Max stood as well and scooted the chair back so that she could move around the desk. She snagged another of her coffee cups that seemed to litter her work and personal spaces and led the way out of her office and down the steps with Alec hot on her heels.

Looking eminently casual, she scanned the main floor until she caught sight of Mole, crouched down over a box with what looked like some electrical junk. She moved towards him, greeting people as she went. Alec nodded occasionally, but was more intrigued to see what it was she was trying to accomplish now. She stopped just before the lizard man, who glanced up immediately.

“Hey Mole,” she greeted and then waved her coffee cup slightly. “We're gonna head to mess and get some coffee. Wanna join us?”

Mole eyed them suspiciously for a moment and then grinned lazily. “Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “Just gimme a minute to deal with this.”

“A'ight,” Max agreed and shifted her stance to wait. Mole continued to dig through the box, pulling loose a few items, before standing and moving them to his desk. He then hefted the box up and closed it back up, before tilting it slightly, grabbing a marker and writing some numbers on the side. He turned to Julio. “Hey, have one of the boys from maintenance pick this up today!”

“You got it,” Julio called back and then turned to work on whatever had his attention. Mole dropped the recapped marker back down to the desk and then opened one of the deeper drawers. He withdrew a slightly chipped coffee mug and then gestured for Max to go ahead. With a smile, she straightened, turned on her heel and led the way out of command.

Once they were outside of command, she turned to Mole, on her left and spoke. “So you guys have got the recon teams together?”

“We do,” Mole agreed, glancing over her head at Alec. Alec ,not sure what his nonverbal question was, simply shrugged. “Did you want the list?”

“I'm pretty sure you guys have a good crew picked out for what we need,” Max assured him as they walked an easy, measured pace that was neither too hurried nor too slow. “But I'm sure you guys are wondering why I was protesting the 6's being included.”

“Yeah, that was obvious huh,” Mole grinned, digging slightly in his pockets, but coming away with nothing. “You know, Manticore wasn't home sweet, but they did prepare us for this crap, thoroughly. And the 6's were no exception.”

“I do know that,” Max replied quietly, almost introspectively.

“And as much as you might want to, we can't mollycoddle them,” Mole went on, though any accusatory tone seemed lost all of a sudden and Alec felt like he was watching a sudden plot twist in a movie that hadn't made itself totally apparent. It was an interesting sensation, to see another side of Mole and he was wondering if his attitude shift had been in response to Max's.

“Mmm,” Max murmured. “It's not about mollycoddling, you're right,” she agreed. “As much as I wish we could take us all back and start over, have a normal life, that ain't ever gonna happen. The responsible thing to do here is to make sure that each and every one of us learns the art of survival.”

“Like I said,” Mole grunted, “Manticore had that down.”

“I think Max was referring to beyond that,” Alec chuckled and Mole threw him a questioning look, while Max gave him a slightly warning one. “Manticore taught us the basics, from a military stand point. They expanded on that, but not a lot went into the other areas of life, did they?”

“Oh hell no they didn't,” Mole agreed quickly enough with a laugh. Max seemed to relax, her shoulders releasing the sudden tension they carried.

“The thing that worries me,” she began after Mole's chuckles died down, “is that no matter how well trained any of us are, some more than others, obviously, there are still things that can go sideways.”

Both males were silent at that, since there wasn't really an argument for that.

“Even when we do our homework,” Max went on, her voice trembling just slightly, “we can't be prepared for everything that's out there.”

“Well,” Alec in erupted slowly. “We're all pretty good at improvising and thinking outside the box.”

“Up to a point, yes,” Max agreed. They were quiet for a moment as they passed a group of the assigned construction workers. Alec caught sight of Grift, hauling some debris out and when the man saw them, he opened his mouth to call out, but Alec shook his head and his mouth snapped shut with a puzzled look. But then Grift shrugged and went back to his assigned task for the day.

Once they were clear of the others, Max picked up the thread again. “I know we have the sector cops, the military and police force responses down. Those are pretty much a given. But we aren't anything like they've dealt with before.”

“So you're thinking they might try something they haven't done before,” Mole clarified, nodding. It was obvious that the thought had occurred to him as well, which was why he was well suited to his job here in Terminal City. “You know it'll most likely just be a variation on something similar to what they've done before?”

“Statistics say so, but they aren't end of discussion on how it will go down,” Max argued softly. Mole made no protest at that. “And on top of that, we've got the Familiars to figure out. The regular ones and what we've seen of their so called elite fighting force. To be honest, they're a little beyond our every day scope.”

“Hey now,” Alec grumbled. “I think we dealt with them easily enough.” But both Mole and Max were shaking their heads.

“They're still such an unknown quantity,” Max murmured.

“We've only fought a fraction of their different forces, if what intel tells us is correct,” Mole agreed. “We don't know nearly enough about them to start predicting their moves, how they'll hit us, when.”

“We need to start thinking, not about how we see them,” Max grumbled, “but how they see us and the different offenses they can make to eradicate us.”

Something seemed to dawn on Mole and he smirked. “This is what all these little plans of yours are about, huh?”

“Ya got me,” Max deadpanned, holding her hands up, submissions style. “I'm trying to cover all my bases here, you know.”

Mole was nodding, they were getting nearer to mess now and unconsciously slowing their steps, which Alec had no problem with, but...

“So how does this tie in with not wanting the 6's on missions?” he wondered. Max stopped at the next corner they were on.

“It's not that I don't want them going out, sort of,” Max winced a little. “Honestly, I wish none of this had to happen, but I'm past that. What concerns me is the fact that the X-6's have so little real world mission time.”

“Some of them do,” Mole told her flatly and she nodded tiredly.

“But you guys are talking about how simple these recon missions are,” she pointed out. “Things that these kids can handle. But, I seriously think that instead of pooh poohing how easy these will be, we need to approach every mission, even just recon, as if every single danger is going to be present.”

“Max,” Alec began to protest, knowing the power of mob mentality and paranoia.

“No Alec,” she shook her head. “This isn't some freak out. We don't know when and where the Familiars will hit. We don't know what informants the cops have and what information might get leaked where, even if we don't intend it to.”

“We're occupying hostile territory 494,” Mole's voice was slightly edgy and Alec frowned at the use of his designation. “You know the drill on that. Max is right.”

He gaped only slightly as the pair of them stood, united against him and then he smiled. He pretended to sniffle and wipe away a fake tear. “ah, look at my widdle wones, all grown up and playin' so well together.”

It was enough to break the tension and Max laughed, before shoving him playfully. “You jerk. You just don't like it that I'm right and you're wrong.”

Alec took the shove, as gentle as it was and held his hands up. “I'm just sayin',” was all he offered. Mole watched them indulgently for a moment and then whirled away.

“I'm getting' my coffee,” he announced and walked on. Max chuckled and caught up with him in seconds. Alec made to follow, but his cell phone rang again and sighing, knowing some of the wiring in the old building played havoc with static, answered before going in.

“Yeah?”

“Hey Alec?” it was Dix. “Are you guys down at the commissary?”

“Just got here,” he confirmed. “What's up?”

“We've got another batch coming in from the cold,” Dix announced. “Max asked me to let her know. They're gonna be at LZ eight.”

“All right,” Alec nodded. “Gotcha. I'll tell her.”

“'Kay, thanks.”

Alec hung up the phone and ambled inside. He had brought no mug of his own, but was sure that he could snag a mug from mess and return it later. It happened all the time. When he entered, he didn't see Max and Mole by the old coffee urn that was set up for general consumption. A quick scan of the room, put them at the small rickety table out of the way. Both had steaming mugs of what passed for coffee around here before them and Max was looking over a piece of paper.

Alec quickly retrieved a mug of java and made his way to them. There were only two seats at the tale and as he moved around so he could steal a glance over her shoulder if she'd let him, Max shifted in her seat. She glanced up at him and then scooted to the very far edge of the chair and gestured for him to sit down.

“Thanks Max,” he smiled appreciatively, though he didn't actually need to sit. But her warmth was soothing, her presence familiar and comforting. There was some part of him, in his mind that was clamoring to protect her and being as close as he could just made that all the easier. He perched carefully on the edge alloted to him and set his coffee cup within easy reach. “What's this?” he asked, gesturing to the paper that was a list of X6's.

“We're compromising,” Mole informed him before taking a sip of his drink. “I don't have enough 5's to rotate through as many jobs as we're going to have to pull in the next few weeks. Not if they're going to retain any anonymity. So Max and I decided to allow the six's that already have mission time under their belt to participate.”

“Okay,” Alec mused a moment and then nodded. “Works for me.”

Max nodded as well, looking resigned as she folded the list back up and handed it back to Mole. “And you'll keep the teams well mixed?” she prompted.

“Buddy up all the way,” he promised. And it was no idle promise to get Max off his back, Alec saw. Mole was just as interested in keeping their people safe as Max was. It boded well, he felt, for future dealings.

“So hey,” he began, turning his head to Max. “Dix just called. We got some more recruits heading in. Said you asked him to let you know?”

“I did,” she agreed and glanced at her coffee. “Okay, give me a minute and then I'll head over. Where are they gonna be?”

“LZ eight,” he provided. She nodded and stood from the seat and Alec immediately missed the warmth that had been radiating off of her. She headed towards the back, the kitchen and probably just beyond that, the bathroom. He was about to ask Mole what he was going to be up to, but found that the lizard man was watching Max walk away. There was something in his eyes and Alec tensed, trying to read it.

When Max finally walked through the doorway to the other room, Mole turned back and Alec was startled and just slightly dismayed to see the light of admiration in Mole's eyes.

“She's doin' good,” Mole announced and Alec frowned. What the hell did that mean? The older man leaned back in his chair and seemed to be contemplating Alec. “I had my doubts about her, comin' in all high and mighty.”

“We noticed,” Alec countered dryly, still trying to figure what Mole's little sally was about.

“I guess all she needed was a little time,” Mole decided. They were quiet, until Alec could deny his curiosity no longer.

“Time for what?” he asked softly.

“To figure things out,” Mole shrugged one shoulder. “To get a handle on how to do this. She first got here? It was all orders, commands and directives. We responded, of course we did. But now?”

“How is now different?” Alec was interested, because he certainly remembered Max's idea of running a show and Mole was right, things had been changing.

“Two weeks ago, she woulda hauled me up to her office, reamed me for even suggesting something she didn't like and then handing down orders with no regards to what was in everyone's best interest.”

Alec couldn't deny that, because she had done exactly that on several occasions. And not just to Mole. “And now?” he smiled, just a little.

“Now, she's treatin' me like an equal,” Mole grunted, but Alec could see the hint, just a tiny glint of pride in the transhumans eyes. “Instead of a subordinate. Listenin' to what I have to say. She still gets her point across, but we ain't gonna be having anymore blowouts if she keeps this up.”

Alec ducked his head a little and grinned. Somehow Maxie had accomplished what Alec had considered near impossible.

“But don't go getting your hopes up,” Mole growled suddenly. “I still don't like her.”

The mirth on his face belied those words, but Alec wisely held his peace about that. “No one said you had to man. Just as long as you can work with her.”

“That, I can do,” Mole nodded and then pushed his chair back, just as Max was returning.

“All right,” she grinned slightly. “I'm heading over to check out the new recruits. You guys coming with?” Mole shook his scaly head immediately.

“I'm going to head back to command and start working up the specific rosters,” he told them “See if I can pair up some six's with five counterparts and get all our bases covered.”

“Sounds good,” Max agreed, but then as she leaned over to snag her cup, cried out, “oh, Mole!”

“Yeah?”

“Remind me, when we both have a little time,” she began, straightening up with cup in hand, “I'd like to talk to you about some of your missions. Pick your brains about something.”

He regarded her for the briefest of seconds. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed with a shrug. “See ya later,” he threw over his shoulder and Alec wondered why the man automatically assumed that Alec wouldn't be returning to command with him.

“Shall we?” Max caught his attention and as she smiled up at him and then turned to head out the door, Alec realized that Mole must have also picked up on whatever instinct Alec was running off of in regards to Max. As he smiled easily and followed her lead, he could only hope that the scarily canny lizard man didn't read too much into it. But remembering the teasing from that morning? Alec knew it was a futile wish at best.




Chapter Fourteen