Cordially Invited
By ~Jillybean~
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R.S.V.P.
"Max, hey." Logan pushed back in his chair to see Max as she came in. Max smiled at him. "Logan, how are you?" She asked. Her smile tightened as Asha came through from the kitchen. "And Asha." She sighed and turned to Logan. "You paged?" "Yeah . . . I have a problem." He handed Max an envelope which she tentatively took and looked inside.
Dear Logan,
You are cordially invited to Isobell and Gene Cale's first anniversary. There will be no need to BYOB! The hotel Florinna has been booked for you and up to three other guests.
Please R.S.V.P.
P.S. Logan I would greatly appreciate it if you and Asha showed up, life with the Cale's is boring without you and even if you're not part of the family fortune, we'll make sure you're treated like royalty. Is that Max still your girlfriend? Bring her along too, and Asha's date if she has one. I can't wait to see you again Logan Gene and Izzy
"I couldn't . . . " Max began. "I mean this virus might get your family."
"No - I got a contact to run it on some of my family's DNA, Manticore do their work well." Logan smiled sadly down at her. "Come on Max, this is the perfect opportunity to forget our problems for a few nights."
"Exactly what we can't afford." Max retorted, stepping back from him.
"Awww c'mon Maxie, it'd be fun." Alec goaded. Max spun to see him standing behind Asha.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, stung into action. Eyes sparkling, Alec held up his hands in an expression of innocence. Logan sighed and he and Asha retreated slightly from the battle field.
"Asha needed a date, and I thought you'd need a little convincing."
"Hmm . . . Asha needed a date and those priceless pieces in the hotel are just something you're going to have to live with?" Max asked sweetly. Alec smiled honestly at her, his eyes not meeting Logan's.
"Max, please. I only steal from those who don't need it."
"Yuh huh?" Max asked disbelievingly. She turned to Logan. "You're so not letting him come. Are you?"
"Well . . ." Logan began.
"Don't trust me Max? I learned from the best you know." Alec told her.
"Fine I'm going." Max said firmly, only she noticed the glimmer of annoyance that flickered through Alec's mask. "If only to keep an eye on Alec."
"Great." Logan shot a look at Asha to get her to say nothing. He smiled at Alec and Max. "Be ready for tomorrow morning. And no arguing."
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Are We There Yet?
Max slung her bag over her shoulder and stood on one hip as she waited for Logan to bring the car round. Asha had a small suit case and Alec a duffel bag with his stuff in. Max wondered if they all looked like they were going for a luxury four nights and four days in one of the worlds top hotels. Probably not, considering she and Alec were glaring at each other and Asha looked like she wanted to be somewhere else.
Max had packed leisure clothes as she was told to, three evening outfits and OC had insisted she take a night dress to sleep in.
"But why?" Max had asked. "It's not as if Logan and I are going to be sleeping together."
"Yeah but you gotta look nice." OC had replied.
Max hadn't argued.
"There's the car." Asha sounded very relieved as Logan drew up. Max and Alec dumped their bags in the boot, helping Asha with her suitcase.
"What's she got in here?" Alec muttered sotto voce and Max had to keep from laughing. Oblivious, Asha went in to the front of the car.
"Logan." She hissed urgently while Alec and Max argued over the best way to arrange the luggage.
"What?" Logan asked. Asha glanced furtively back at the two transgenics.
"Well - you and Max can't sit together in the car on the way, it's too risky."
"Oh." Logan sighed, he hadn't thought of that.
"Your options are having Max and Alec sitting together or having Alec sitting with you." Asha said, watching as Max and Alec finally decided on something, or Alec pulled Max's hair, she wasn't sure which.
"Alec and I will kill each other, I mean we can manage a few hours, but this is a thirteen hour trip, not counting breaks. And I'd like to see you and Max sitting together." Logan hissed. Asha glanced backwards worriedly.
"Something up?" Alec asked, he got in the back, Max following. Asha raised an eyebrow at Logan, the issue decided for them.
Max sighed, she was sitting behind Asha and Alec was drumming softly on the contours of the door. No one else seemed to bother and they were just coming to the first sector.
"Grade A passes, hope they work." Alec muttered as Logan's car slowed. Max shot him a look and smiled prettily at the guards. Alec kept his eyes off their faces, Manticore training advised it best not to make predatory body language when you're worried. The passes worked and they headed onwards.
"Mind if I put on some music?" Logan asked. Asha shook her head. Alec and Max were staring out their windows, not replying. With a little shrug Logan slipped in a CD.
"Like the wall paint sticks to the wall
Like the sea shark clings to the sea
Like you'll never get rid of your shadow.
You'll never get rid of me." The song began. Logan felt his fingers drumming on the steering wheel, suddenly Alec chuckled.
"Hey Max, did you have General Dayne for Military Tactics?" He asked, laughing at some unknown joke. Suddenly Max giggled.
"Oh yeah, that guy was so funny. Never realized it until we got out though."
"Yeah, when we were older we used to call him General Paranoid."
"Pretty good for some soldiers." Max grinned at him. Alec looked over to Logan.
"We were hilarious, shoulda stuck around."
"I liked it out here better."
"Don't blame you." Alec told her. He grinned and listened for a while. He started humming, it was a moment before Logan realized that he was humming a counter melody to Max.
"[Me] Closer than pages that [and] stick in a book. [my]
We're closer than wrinkles that fall in the face [shadow]
Wherever you find you'll find him too. [Strolling down the avenue]
Closer than a miser all the bloodhounds to Elisa. Me and My shadow."
"You two are good." Asha felt obliged to say.
"We're mathematically minded." Alec told her, an eyebrow raised in Max's direction, she chuckled.
"Guess you had Mr Math too." She grinned. "Manticore did have some funny parts."
"What was it like there?" Asha asked, Logan tried to warn her with a look but it didn't quite work. Alec and Max went quiet for a minute.
"It was . . . blue." Max said. "Everything was cold and blue, bright colours stick in my memory so much because everything there was blue."
"It was cold. The tank was cold." Alec added. "The tank was very cold." He chuckled dryly.
"I'm sorry, the tank?" Asha asked. Max shivered and brought her knees up to her chest. Alec cleared his throat and continued.
"The tank was a big clear swimming pool, with chains at the bottom. They used to hold us down, to see how long we could hold our breath. Some of us died."
"Four minutes fifty two seconds." Max said.
"Four fifty three." Alec replied, "best record in all of Manticore, but I was eighteen, beat your record only just." He said. Max nodded.
"Right - food stop." Logan said as they pulled into a gas station. Max and Alec jumped out, Logan and Asha had a little more difficulty, they were stiff and sore.
"What do you guys want?" Alec asked, indicating the shop.
"Uh, a sandwich, something salad like." Asha said. Logan nodded.
"I'd like something with meat, and a drink."
"Oh me too." Asha added slightly excitedly. "And potato chips. And something for the journey. I need to go pee." Asha headed off.
Max stretched and watched Logan as he began to fill the tank with petrol.
"Enjoying the journey so far?" Logan asked, smiling at her. Max grinned.
"Yeah, Alec and I haven't killed each other, I haven't killed Asha, yet, and you haven't keeled over. Pretty good for us." She said, Logan grinned.
"I'm impressed with you and Alec, reminiscing about your High School days?"
"Huh, more like making conversation. But it's a start." Max rolled her shoulders. "This is gonna be really painful at the end of this journey."
"Yeah - spare a thought for us mortals then? If it'll hurt you then it'll hurt us a whole lot more, so go easy on Asha okay?"
"All right, all right." Max rolled her eyes in mock exaggeration.
"Okay - egg mayonnaise, no salad I'm afraid, Logan you got a Ploughman's, whatever that is." Alec greeted the three when he came back laden with food. Asha caught her and Logan's sandwiches.
"Woo!" Max leapt forward, grabbing the can that slipped from his arms. Alec grimaced, trying to put all the food down.
"Sort it out on the road." Logan said, sitting back down in the drivers seat.
"Okay, Max the BLT's are ours, Pepsi for Asha, Coke for Logan. Max, they had Irn-Bru."
"Did they? Excellent!" Max exclaimed. She and Alec were sitting in the back, in the middle seat they had all the food scattered around. Max picked up two orange and blue cans.
"Irn-Bru?" Asha asked.
"A Scottish soft drink, took over America in 2007, after the pulse it became as rare as a pre-pulse wine. Just started production again recently." Alec explained, opening his BLT
"It's amazing." Max assured. "Kind of like a drug, very addictive and tasty." She said. She took a big bite out of her sandwich and for the next hour or so they were all pre-occupied.
The roads got darker after a while, despite Max and Alec's offers Logan insisted on driving. Asha was curled up, Logan's jacket over her as a blanket. Max felt her head getting heavier.
"Max," Logan hissed. "Are you awake?"
"Mm hmm." Max said, knowing that she could be if she wanted to. Alec glanced over to her.
"You want us to drive?" He asked, looking to Logan.
"No, but we're nearly there." Logan glanced backwards for a minute. "You two will need to remember to act civil."
"We will." Max assured him, shifting herself so she could lean on Alec's shoulder. Alec let his head drop so that his cheek was resting on her hair.
When approaching a battle situation, General Dayne used to say, get all the rest you can.
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King Sized Beds and a Date Mix
"I've just thought of something." Asha whispered as they drew up in the car park. The hotel was big gothic building with gargoyles and spires, the dark car park was lit by soft fluorescent uplighters on the grass. It all made for a very romantic but eerie effect.
"What?" Logan asked, reversing into a space.
"How are you gonna explain that you and Max can't touch?" Asha asked. "I mean, you're supposed to be dating."
"Easy - Max became a catholic." Alec breezed, Max hit him on the arm.
"Be sensible Alec." She snapped. Alec stuck his tongue out at her.
"Asha has a point though." Logan turned to face Max, his face full of regret. Max sobered.
"We'll get through Logan, we always do." She assured him. Alec got out of the car, ruining the moment.
"We'll get the bags, you two go register." Alec called as Max joined him. They started to lift the bags out of the back.
"Logan!" A male voice cried when Asha and Logan walked in. Logan managed not to be toppled over by a rather over enthusiastic relative.
"Gene! How are you?" He exclaimed, hugging him roughly.
"Oh fine, Logan, just fine. And you? And Asha." He turned the blonde. crushing her in a big bear hug. "I was wondering when you two would finally get together. But where's Max? I hope you two are still friends?" He asked, a continuous stream of talking he quickly got their keys off of the receptionist.
The reception was extremely lavish. Large red velvet chairs with gold trimmings were surrounding various roaring hearths. There were large maroon drapes cloaking the windows and the house staff wore dark red uniforms. A porter smiled at them.
"Where are your bags sir?" He asked.
"Uh-"
"C'mon wuss." Max's voice called on Alec as she walked through the door.
"Hey you don't have Asha's suitcase." Alec replied, shutting up when he saw their company. "Hi - I'm Alec. I'd shake you hand but I'd drop something." He greeted Gene. Instantly the porter grabbed all their bags and scurried away. Alec and Max looked a little surprised.
"Max," Gene said warmly. "I'm so glad you could come, you and Logan are good friends I see, I'm glad." Gene hugged Max. Max stared at Logan over Gene's shoulder and made question face. Logan quickly gestured to Alec and made a heart shape with his fingers.
"You love Alec!?" Max mouthed. Logan shook his head vigorously and grabbed Asha's shoulders, hugging her. Alec suddenly clicked his fingers, getting it.
"And Alec." Gene let go of Max and proceeded to hug Alec. Alec looked more than a little alarmed. Max was shaking with suppressed laughter. Alec lifted his hands, pointing to Max and then, in true Manticore sign language, made to slit his neck with his finger. Gene let Alec go and Alec assumed a happy face.
"Yes well, I have to stay here, wait and meet some more late arrivals. The porter will show you to your rooms." Gene said, a big smile on his face.
"Logan, are all your relatives like that?" Alec asked as they headed to the elevator.
"The rest wouldn't touch you with a barge pole." Logan assured him.
"Thank God." Alec said, exaggerating relief. Logan glared at him.
"Speaking of barge poles, Gene and everyone here believe Asha and I are together, and that you two are together."
Chaos as soon as the lift doors closed.
"No way!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Exactly!"
"Nobody'd ever fall for that!"
"I have much better taste!"
"Exactly - hey!" Max turned on Alec after the last comment.
"Listen - it's perfectly believable." Asha interrupted. "Just try not to kill each other." The door opened and the porter followed them out after a strange look. He handed one pair of keys to Alec and the second to Logan.
Alec unlocked the door to his and Max's room. Their bags were on the king sized bed. The one king sized bed.
"Oh great." He sighed. Max came in and gasped.
"Woah - this place is amazing."
It was nice, Alec had to admit. The walls were a light peach fabric wall paper. The most expensive sort. There was a small sort of living area with a real hearth. The were as a sofa and a large leather arm chair. It was all nice and antique. Alec ran an appreciative finger over the worn leather. The coffee table was real mahogany, it would fetch a pretty price. There was a mahogany drinks cabinet at the side of the room, it had a CD player sitting on it though the CD's were all old swing. They had spared no expense on the drinks. Alec raised an eyebrow at Max as he held up a tequila.
"How 'bout a competition later?" He asked mischievously.
"You're on." Max told him. She entered the bathroom and gasped again. It was all a cream colour, gold finishes. The bath was a large square with bubble jets everywhere.
"Got some ideas for that." Alec commented over her shoulder. Max rolled her eyes and checked out the fragrances they'd left. Only the very best, Monsoon, Clinique and Arden. Alec grinned slightly and looked down at Max.
"I have dibs on the towels."
"All right." Max sighed exhasperatedly. "But I get the Monsoon."
The bed was a large wrought iron four poster. It had a large maroon duvet and cream pillows. Alec liked the colour scheme, but he was beginning to feel it was getting a bit over the top. He sighed and looked around at the sofa, all this gothic-ness was making him feel very chivalrous.
"If you give me the duvet I'll take the sofa." He said to Max. She looked surprised.
"Uh okay. We'd better start unpacking." She delved into her bag.
"So - what dresses did you bring?" Alec asked. Max gave him a look half way between a glare and a smile.
"A short black one, a longer black one and a short red one." Max told him. Alec nodded and took the dresses off her when she began to just shove them into the wardrobe.
"You are so unlady-like." He told her, putting them on hangers and then he began on the rest of her luggage.
"Hey!" Max grabbed the bag off him.
"Max, it's nothing I haven't seen before." He told her. He went over to the drinks cabinet and found various types of coffee could also be made, mocha's, latte's, cappuccinos . . .
"Shall we go see how Logan and Asha are doing?" Max asked. Alec stood up and nearly knocked over a big bowl of perfectly arranged flowers.
"Considering we have the second best room, what do you think their's will be like?" He asked.
Max smiled prettily at all of Logan's relatives. Some of them knew her, some of them [mostly the females] were just trying to talk to Alec.
"Max, Alec, have you met Yvonne?" Isobel asked, a big smile on her face. She fluttered her eyelashes at Alec. "If I weren't married you know, Max would have competition."
"Max'd fight you." Alec said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulder. Max smiled warmly and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"Oh Alec, he's such a tease. But he's so honest, do you know I was his first?" She asked with an innocent face. Alec's grip tightened on her shoulders.
"Max likes to talk, don't you, baby?" He asked, gritting his teeth slightly. Max beamed up at him.
"No more than you, sweetheart."
"Very good." Isobell smiled and pulled Yvonne over. This was a little get together before the evening meal. Although it was late, everyone had only just got there and Logan's family was a stickler for tradition.
"Oh, he's nice." Yvonne cooed. Alec turned full charm on the attractive blonde. Max gripped his waist harder.
"He's taken." She said, feeling her smile become fixed.
"Jealous are we?" Alec leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
"Worried you'll pollute the family gene pool." Max returned acidly. Alec chuckled and disattached himself from Max. He offered Yvonne a smile. She simpered and Alec took her over to meet some more lovely ladies. Max glared.
"Dinner's ready." Gene came through from the dining room to say. Max met up with Alec, Asha and Logan as she filed through the glass doors to the dining room.
"Woah." The four stopped in awe. The room was massive, and in the middle was a huge champagne fountain. There were many round tables, each sitting six people. Alec scanned the left side while Max scanned the right.
"Logan - you and Asha's names are on that right hand table, three from the end." Alec said, indicating. "There are little cards with gold writing, your names are there. You two are sitting beside a door and someone named Dave."
"Alec and I are over here." Max said regretfully, she and Alec seperated and began weaving their way to their table.
"Hi, I'm Katherine." A brunette greeted them, she sat down with two older people. "These are my parents, Bill and Grace."
"My name's Harold." A fat elderly man plonked himself down beside Max. Alec smiled at Bill, a tall, thin old man who looked down his hawk nose at Alec's scruffy hair. Grace smiled, somewhat painedly at Max's three quarted length top and jeans.
"I didn't have time to change." Max defended herself somewhat nervously as she noticed Grace's gaze.
"Neither did I." Katherine said haughtily. Grace nodded serenely. Alec met Max's eye surreptiously. Harold clapped a hand on Max's knee jovially.
"Don't worry, I'm sure my neice Katherine would be more than happy to lend you a nice dress for the gala tomorrow night." He said, shaking Max's knee.
"I'm . . . thank you." Max sounded as if she was trying to swallow an egg. Someone started to play the grand piano in the hall and the waitresses started rolling the food out. Alec leaned closer to Max and she bent her head so he could whisper in her ear.
"Let's have some fun shall we? Manticore training 101?"
"I'm all for it." Max replied. They straightened and smiled identically at their companions.
"So, I take it you must be from the Cale side?" Alec asked, even though he was perfectly sure they were Isobell's relations.
"Oh no, we're Regol's." Katherine told him. Alec shook his head at himself.
"I'm such a fool, you have looks of course you can't be a Cale." He said, shaking his head sadly. Katherine seemed unsure what to say to this.
"Of course, you must have a partner, is he here? Or is he ill?" Max asked, looking properly concerned. She paused while eating her melon salad.
"Oh, I don't have a p-partner." Katherine glanced to her parents for guidance.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean . . . I just assumed, young, rich, pretty, must have a partner." Max shrugged, looking like a very beautiful ditz. She turned an adoring smile to Alec. "Guess not everyone's as lucky as I."
"We are very lucky." Alec agreed, looking into her eyes and fighting to keep a very straight face. "We forget so often." He said to Katherine. Suddenly he had a wicked idea and turned to Grace and Bill.
"I'm sure you two must know how we feel."
"Yes, quite." Grace said shortly. Max smiled fully at her.
"You know, Alec and I have been together for over a year now, we've not argued once." She put her fork and knife on her empty plate perfectly and sat very straight.
"But then again, Max and I were both raised with very strict families, we're just perfect for each other." He said, slight emphasis on the 'perfect'.
By the end of dinner Katherine, Harold, Bill and Grace were desperate to leave. Neither Max nor Alec lost their posture once. With strict Manticore training they never slipped up once.
"That was possibly the most fun I've ever had not in bed." Alec said to Max as they reached their room. Max grinned and opened the door.
"Definately. Well, I'm having a bath where the running water actually works. What are you going to do?" She asked. Alec smiled at her innocently.
"I'm just gonna take a little walk."
"No." Max said firmly.
"Aw Max come on!" Alec exclaimed.
"Wait till I've had my bath, I'll scout with ya." She said with a mischievious smile. "I don't want you stealing from people who don't need to be stole from."
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Shadow Cats
Alec rifled though the CD's left to them. He could hear the sounds of Max splashing around in her bath. Eventually he selected one at random and put into the player.
"A buzzer took a monkey for a ride in the air
The monkey thought that everything was on the square-" The swing began. Max laughed from the bathroom.
"What is that?" She exclaimed. Alec grinned at the CD player and went to make drinks. " 'Straighten Up and Fly Right' apparently." He went to get his black jeans and dark polo neck. He wanted a shower before he changed though.
"That is such a cool song." Max called through. She walked into the room, a towel wrapped around her. She was towelling her hair vigorously.
"Drink?" Alec asked, handing her a cocktail.
"Mmm. Thank you." Max smiled and accepted the alchohol. Alec edged past her, very careful not to touch her, and headed for his shower.
"Max! What were you doing in here?" Alec cried as he entered. The floor was soaked and there were bubbles everywhere. He grumbled to himself and switched the shower on. He stripped and got in.
"Alec - where did you put my jacket?" Max called.
"Uh - In the wardrobe I think." Alec called, scrubbing his face. He grabbed his towel and stepped out of the shower. The next song started and Alec cheered. "I love this song!" He called as he walked into the main room. Max was dressed in black, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"You are strange, where did you learn swing anyway?" She asked. Alec grinned at her, grabbing his clothes and heading back into the bathroom. He started singing along, ignroing Max's chuckle.
"'Have you met Miss Jones?'
Someone said as we shook hands.
She was just Miss Jones to me." He came out of the bathroom and grabbed Max's hand, wrapping an arm around her waist and swinging her around the room, still singing ridiculously serious. Max was reduced to giggle.
"And then I said 'Miss Jones, you're a girl who understands, I'm a man who must be free.'
And all at once I lost my breath
And all at once was scared to death
And all at once I owned the earth and sky." He broke away from Max and fell to his knees, arm outstretched , finding it hard to keep a smile from his face. Max put a hand to her mouth, laughing hard.
"And now I've met Miss Jones and we'll keep on meeting till we die!
Miss Jones and I!"
"Come on you. Or do you want to get anything tonight?" Max asked. Alec raised an eyebrow at her from his position on his knees. Max hit him over the head playfully. "C'mon, let's scout this hotel out."
Max smiled at the receptionist as she and Alec walked briskly out onto the lawn. They meandered round to the back of the house.
"I see a secuirty camera over there, another at two o'clock." Alec said, using their casualness as an excuse to put an arm around Max's waist. Max tried not to glare.
"I think there's a blind spot about half way up the second floor, then we could take the guttering up to the roof." Max said. Alec nodded. He turned to Max and grinned rogueishly.
"Bet I can jump higher than you can."
Max caught the windowledge with her hands, feeling herself slipping a little. Her foot caught the edge of a gargoyle and she oushed herself up onto the guttering, quickly she scaled it. Alec reached down from the roof to help her up, she ignored it pointedly.
"All right. Mobility is no problem." Max began. "What we need to do is figure out what we want to steal." She turned to Alec who nodded. He came to stand by her shoulder.
"Okay, ready to memerise it?" He asked. Max nodded.
"I'll take the left side okay?"
"Fine by." Alec said. The split to different sides of the roof, jumping off the slates and skidding down the shale. When they reached the opposite ends they started walking to the other, concentrating on the paces they took, the lines they saw in the roofwork and what they knew already of the hotel. Max reached the end, pretty sure she could find her way around the right hand side of the building.
"You done Max?" Alec called. Max nodded. "All right, let's get some sleep." He called, crouching to open a skylite. Max rolled her eyes. Sometimes Alec could be just too Manticorey.
Alec dropped silently to the floor, he looked around quickly but saw no one. Max dropped down beside him. She straightened and dusted herself off.
"Remember what you said- I get the bed." She smiled at his grimace and led the way back down.
"Hey! A bar!" Alec noted as they walked past it. Max hesitated. It was going to be a long weekend. Maybe she deserved a little drink.
"C'mon." Alec grabbed her elbow and dragged her over. "Drinky time!"
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A Different Perspective
Logan popped the cork on the bottle of complimentary champagne and poured two glasses. Asha came through from the delux bathroom looking very pink.
"The water is lovely." She said, collapsing on to the elegant sofa and accepting the champagne flute. Logan smiled and sat down beside her.
"Thanks for coming along by the way. Even if you did invite Alec." He said. Asha smiled.
"I didn't think it would turn out this way." She glanced backwards at the bed. "Um . . . there is the small matter of who gets the bed."
"Asha." Logan smiled, he was feeling quite indulgent. "We are both responsible adults, I think we can share a bed."
Asha giggled.
Logan rapped on the door of Max and Alec's room the next morning. Asha stood behind him, she looked at her watch nervously.
"Logan we don't have any time. It's breakfast already."
"I'd have thought Max and Alec would be awake." He sighed and tried the handle. To his surprise the metal clicked and they entered.
The room was a bombsite. The CD played was whirring softly, they'd put the music on pause. Asha slowly ventured into the bathroom and squacked.
"How on earth . . . ?" She trailed off. Alec lay in the bath tub, his head lolled out of it and he had one arm dangling over the side clutching an empty bottle of whiskey. The other arm was wrapped around Max who was sleeping on top of him. Logan came up behind her and made a strange half roar- half scream noise low in his throat. Alec jerked awake. He stared at them for a minute. Asha felt the urge to laugh. Her face twitched as recognition spread over Alec's features.
"Oh . . . shit." Alec sat up, Max tumbled from her bed. She stared at Alec in horror.
"Get a little drunk last night?" Logan asked, his face quivering with supressed emotion. Alec met Max's eyes from the opposite side of the bath tub.
"Uh . . . I honestly don't remember." He said. Max clapped a hand to her head then winced.
"Ow! Ooh . . . what time is it?" She made her way out of the bath tub shakily. Alec sunk lower.
"Breakfast time. We'll meet you downstairs." Logan turned away briskly. Asha following, a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"That's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time." Logan hissed as they came out. Asha cracked up, remembering the perfect expression of terror on Alec's face.
"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." Max moaned as she hurriedly gathered her clothes. "Oh God. Oh God."
"Max! I think he heard you!" Alec snapped at her, running a hand through his wet hair as he came out the shower. "Shut up now."
"How can you! Logan probably thinks that . . ."
"What? Max - I think we've both made it clear we wouldn't touch either with a bargepole. Now go shower. You stink."
Max had no answer to this so she went for a shower. Alec took a deep breath and started cleaning up. Just because he didn't remember what happened - didn't mean something did. He chuckled as a thought came across him.
"What are you laughing at?" Max snapped as she came out. Alec grinned at her.
"We must have cleared the hotel out if we drank enough to get us drunk."
Max opened her mouth and closed it. Then she burst out laughing.
"C'mon - it's breakfast time." Alec said, clapping a hand on her on the shoulder unconsciously as they walked out.
Breakfast passed uneventfully. Afterwards Gene stood up to say a few things.
"There will be pre-arranged activities during the day. I understand there's also a pool and a spa here and a gymnastics training room." He said. Max glanced at Alec, there might be a few things in there to help with their heists.
"I hear there's trail riding." Logan leaned over to say to Max. Alec raised an eyebrow.
"I always liked horses."
"Me too." Logan said. Max and Asha looked between the two as some unspoken masculine ritual seemed to happen.
"I bet you did." Alec said with a dangerous smile, Logan's matched his. "Max - guess which activity we're going on." He said.
"Men." Asha snorted.
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. jillybean@yahoo.com