Chapter Ten

A/N: Hey all! Sorry for such a long break but its been a LONG month and here’s hoping June is A LOT better! Hope you like this new installment!

Dis: I own nothing

Chapter Rating: PG-16

Paring: MA

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Him and Mole were surrounded, two of his comrades were on the ground with their necks snapped and all he could think of was how fucked they were. Fire surrounded him and smoke threatened to choke him as it filled his lungs. Then he was fighting, three at a time and he was tired, so tired that he feared he wasn’t going to make it. Then shots fired and two of the three he’d been fighting dropped dead. He turned in the direction of the shots but that tingle at the back of his neck let him know that it was Max and her squad to the rescue.

Familiars were racing toward the shots and Alec had to do his best to protect his mate so he took others down on their way to the hill and soon he was facing a female with a bullet wound to the shoulder and though he knew how bad it felt he had no sympathy for her as he easily took her down. He looked up to see Max fighting White and he made his way to her, more than a little proud when she got White on his ass.

Then he heard it. Her cry of pain and it was enough to have him on White. Fists on flesh the already injured Familiar had no chance when Alec had him by the throat. The neck snapped and that animalistic rage that he had inside him was suddenly calm. She was then in his arms and she was safe and it was all that mattered as they headed out.

Another shot.

He was on the ground, Max above him. He was confused as to why as he started to feel colder and colder. She looked worried, and her hands were on him, pressing against his wound and FUCK did it hurt. She was begging him not to leave, he didn’t want to, he fought to keep his eyes open but her image was starting to fade.

“Max…” He couldn’t see her anymore, God he wanted to see her, touch her one more time before he left. “I love…”

Alec snapped awake as the sound of a scream, HER SCREAM, reverberated in his ears. He looked to his right to see her sleeping safe and sound and knew that the scream had been from his dream.

“Jesus…”

Quietly he left the bed, running a hand through his hair while the dream played over and over again in his head. Was it really a dream? Or was this a sign? Maybe even something that happened in HER past. She said he died, was he living what happened to the future Alec that she loved?

Needing a drink he went to the kitchen and debated a moment before deciding he really didn’t need a glass. He drank from the bottle, a long gulp that had him wincing only a moment before he took another. When that first jolt of alcohol calmed him he finally took a glass and poured a generous amount into it before he walked to his open window and sat on the sill.

He could still feel the heat of the fire on his skin; taste the dirt and grime that’d been in his mouth, and smell the scent of burnt hair and flesh. Close to shaking he took another long drink before resting his back against the paint-chipped sill, one leg dangling outside while the other stayed planted on the floor. He looked to his left, his figure shadowed against the moonlight at his back, to see Max still sleeping: her arm around his now abandoned pillow.

He wanted to ask her, but he didn’t want her to relive that day more than she had to. He knew she’d been put through the ringer and he knew he had a lot to do to ease her discomfort and fear of losing him again.

He was falling for her.

Hard.

Now he had to make sure he was the man she could stay in love with and not the screw up that she had always accused him of being. Starting with making things at T.C. better, finding out more about the cult that White had been a part of, and making sure that what happened to Max and him in the future: didn’t happen at all.

“Alec?”

“Hm?” He set his drink down on the sill after vacating it and quickly climbed back into bed. “Yeah?”

“You ok?” she asked sleepily and he smiled while running his fingers through her hair.

“Never better.”

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Grant Black, known to his followers as Denny Sandeman, looked out his complex that sat near the top of Mt. Rainier which was just south of Seattle, WA where his nephew had just been murdered by the filthy animals his brother made to try and thwart his plans. The one eye that wasn’t covered by the silky black patch narrowed, the snow that sat on the caps of the mountain reflected in his blue depths.

IT was out there, the one that would change what’s been in the making for thousands of years. His nephew said that he might’ve found the one, but he’d been stubborn and kept her identity to himself, as if to prove to Grant that he could handle it. Of course, he’d come to realize that his nephew was a fool.

Moving away from the expansive glass windows he slowly walked to his large oak desk and sat in a high back leather chair. The cigars he kept in his right drawer were selected from and soon he was puffing the expensive tobacco, contemplating his next move.

Perhaps it was time to go to Seattle, and take over where his nephew had left off.

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Dix perked up as his computer blipped and soon an image appeared and he looked it over for a moment before nodding. The image on the screen matched what Max had sketched to a ‘t’.

Typing some more to gain more information his eyes widened as more and more hits appeared and soon his look of concentration turned to that of worry.

“Well… THAT isn’t good…”

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Alec was still thinking of that dream while he held Max in his arms. She was back asleep again and he bent slightly so that his nose could brush against her hair: taking in her scent again. He found that he couldn’t stop touching her, kissing her, or thinking about her. She accepted all of his gestures of affection and never did she once ask if he indeed had stopped seeing other women and stopped his evil ways with side jobs and deals.

He had, ever since she started asking him to PRETEND to be her boyfriend. He knew she hadn’t cared then but now, now he knew she trusted him enough to not even ask. Then again, she had that trust for his future self and…

“Gotta stop this,” he said to himself. He was driving himself crazy with comparing his future to his now. He was the same person, damn it, and that was all that mattered. So maybe he could start his transformation a little earlier. He’d stay with her while they figured out what White’s big picture was.

He wasn’t stupid; Alec knew that whoever White had been following would more than likely show up now that White was gone. It always seemed like once they got rid of one hurdle; another bigger and tougher one would show up. Max had said earlier that she left a sketch with Dix and was awaiting his findings. That the man she had drew was the lead guy and maybe, just maybe if they took him down the large snake-like tower would crumble.

Thinking of that, and dreading the dream that could be around the corner, is what kept Alec up all night. Just as the sun was rising Max began to stir and he waited for her to lift her head before speaking.

“Hey.”

“Alec… Didn’t you sleep?”

“Yeah,” he lied, not wanting her to worry. “Just woke up a while ago.”

“Oh.” She leaned up, her warm body now over his, legs moving to straddle his narrow waist. She pulled her tousled hair over her shoulder and his eyes zeroed in on his mark before slowly moving to her face: which had a playful grin on it. “It’s still pretty early.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, hands moving up her bare legs, stopping as the bottom of her borrowed shirt brushed against the tops of his hands. “It is.”

“I think,” she said as she leaned down even further. “I’d like…”

She paused, rolling her hips so that her uncovered center brushed over his boxer-brief covered shaft that was hardening by the second.

“Yeah?” he asked huskily when she didn’t continue, eyes becoming hooded as her body pressed against his.

“A shower.” She quickly rolled off of him and her laughter trailed behind her as she slammed the bathroom door closed.

“Son of a…” He looked at the door in shock. “Are you KIDDING me?”

The door opened a crack.

“You coming?” she asked, opening the door wider, her nude body leaning lazily against the doorway.

He took off in a blur.

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Some didn’t pay them any mind at all, not knowing that they had been lying about going out in the first place. Others, like Mole and Joshua, looked at the couple in slight surprise as they came into Command holding hands. Others, who knew they’d been going out, were a little surprised since open public displays never really used to be their thing.

Dix, one of those that weren’t affected by the open display, motioned them over and the couple slinked around other transgenics and large boxes piled up with junk that would turn into future security and entertainment devices to get to him.

“I got a hit on your guy,” said Dix.

“So soon?” asked Max as she stood near one of their larger screens that currently had the bouncing screensaver of flashing lights. “Who is he?”

Dix moved the mouse and Max leaned forward on Dix’s left and Alec on Dix’s right. At the same time their eyes widened and they straightened: not really swallowing the new found information well.

Who were they kidding? They were choking on it!

“Great,” said Alec. “Another high-powered nut job with resources up the wazoo.”

“Who just happens to be the Senator of the state of Washington,” said Max with a scowl, knowing that taking him down would be beyond easy.

“Well it isn’t like we didn’t see it coming,” said Alec with an easy smile. “He IS Republican.”

“ALEC!”

“What?” he asked with a grin. “It’s true.”

Nothing else was said about that. Instead they printed off as much information on the guy as possible but they knew it was all probably false. Much like “Ames White” they were certain that “Grant Black” was a cover name as well. Of course the larger question was…

How in the hell were they supposed to take out a State Senator without making THEM look bad? And how could they defeat a guy with the multitude of resources that he had when it came to money, artillery, and other powerful people such as the President of the United States.

“Someone get me Logan,” said Max. “We need to speak with C.J. Maybe he’ll know more. He said something about a mountain… It’s time he started sharing some more information.”

“On it,” said a female X-5 named Trix who had a headset on. As she contacted Logan Max took the large stack of papers Dix handed to her and with Alec at her back they walked to an empty room that had two chairs and a rickety looking desk. Max put the papers on there, dust shifting around the thin white sheets and she brought her hands up to her head, a headache forming.

“It’s ok,” said Alec, coming behind her, encircling her waist with his arms. “We’ll kick his ass, Max. Like we do all the others.”

“Yeah,” said Max, not liking the feeling of dread and panic that was welling deep in her gut. This wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, in fact she was more than certain it was going to be one of the harder battles she’s fought: letting her know that now again, the people that she cared about weren’t safe.
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TBC…

As always, reviews are appreciated! :0)