Onion, you are the inspiration behind this fic. I didn't want to crash on your story, but if you didn't write it so damn well, then maybe I wouldn't be using it.!!! Got a chance, go and read 'Another Night' by Onion.

For those who read I'll Be Here ages ago, a quick recap. Logan just visited Dean in prison in Dallas City, Illinois. He walked out of his prison visit to find Max waiting for him. This story carries on from there. After what could easily be a page of my rambling, here is chapter one. Enjoy!

Prologue: Reflections

Four peoples' lives changed forever. One night, they all made decisions that altered their life courses. One gave up her lover because his heart didn't belong to her. Another sacrificed himself for love and landed in prison. A soldier learnt compassion, but in that, made a weak mistake. A dark angel momentarily succumbed to her pain, loneliness, and heartache.

~ Asha~

I'm lying here on the sofa. Yes, that's right, on the damn sofa 'cause I have no energy to move any further. It's a wonder I made it home at all. Home, funny I call it that because I could have sworn that the only home that felt so perfect and complete was safe in his arms.

It didn't matter that he was totally absorbed in his work almost 'twenty-four-seven'. I could be labelled a workaholic too. His morning breath and prickly stubble never bothered me in the slightest. Hell, I probably looked ten times worse of a morning. One night, I recall we got in so late after a mission that we both tumbled into bed fully clothed and still mucky from crawling through dirt. During the night, I had unconsciously cuddled up to him, and when I awoke our lips where inches apart, legs intertwined, and one of his hands was lazily resting on my butt. I had remained utterly still, mindful not to wake him. Wanting this moment to just drag on forever. Wishing morning would never come, and I could lie in his embrace just like this for eternity. While he slept, I traced a finger down his nose, across his morning shadow, and paused at his lips. A soft moan escaped his beautiful mouth. I had leaned in close to touch his lips with mine.

In his unconsciousness, he uttered one word. If I hadn't been awake, I would have never heard it. If I weren't less than a breath away from his mouth, I probably would have missed it. But I had, and that one word brought instant tears to my eyes and shattered everything inside me.

I pulled away from him. The moment totally destroyed, forgotten. Easing out of his embrace, I slid off the bed. I couldn't stay in that bed. Not when he was dreaming of her, whist holding me.

"Max," he said, his voice fully of longing. It tore at my heart, long sharp claws ripping in deep, making it bleed. I thought we'd finally gotten past all that. It had taken months, but I had thought he'd finally started to let go. I never gave him any indication that I was jealous. Never said a word when her name was mentioned. I pretended I didn't notice if he'd call Original Cindy, just to check if she'd heard from Max.

But today really did it for me. We were just walking, to nowhere in particular, but I watched his expression when he heard that broadcast about the NSA agent. He hadn't been really listening to a word I had said. And after, when I questioned him about it, he just brushed me off. It really wouldn't have made any difference if I had been standing beside him or not. He wouldn't have noticed. He was a billion miles away.

All afternoon I'd known that something was bothering him, and before when I awoke to find that he was still up, I knew he was thinking about Max. It was right there in his eyes, and again he tried to cover it up, brush me away. No. I couldn't do it anymore.

Call me weak or whatever you want, but I'm no doormat. And I won't be the substitute body. I love him. God knows I love him. But I just can't do this. I thought I could; maybe I thought he could. No, that was just plain madness. Tell me it's possible. How can we go back to being just friends after this?

I'm trying really hard, but I just can't stop crying. I'm sobbing like a big baby. How sad is that? "I'm sorry," he said, and for one moment while he held me, I foolishly thought he was going to admit that he was being stupid. That he needed me, that he loved me. I know, I know, I'm a fool. I just can't figure out why he's holding onto the past, holding on to her, when it's obvious that she'd abandoned him. But no, he'll never say that, and he didn't. And when he let me go and stepped out of our embrace, I died a little more inside. Feeling used, alone and empty.

Why did I let it happen?

I close my eyes and trap any further tears. My head aches, and now that I'm up, my stomach grumbles in protest. I look at my watch, 4.08 a.m. Pulling my drained body off the sofa, I head for the kitchen. I might as well drown my sorrows in food; it always helped before. My mother joked that it was the worst way to deal with my emotions; she wondered why in the world I wasn't a ten-foot barge. I guess my father's metabolism is a bonus. Otherwise I would be one of those chubby girls everyone loves to tease.

Opening the freezer, I pull out a tub of ice cream. 'Nuts About Chocolate'. Yep I'm nuts all right. Nuts to have even considered Logan as more than a friend, crazy to believe that he could ever get over her. Walking to the bedroom, I finally make the effort to crawl into bed. Switching on the bedside lamp, it illuminates the room with a soft glow. In the light I see it, the one reminder I need right now, Logan's jacket hanging off the bedpost. The tears start again, and I almost choke on the spoon in my mouth. Pulling it out, I dump it back in the tub and set it on the floor. Food forgotten, I tumble into the covers.

Why did I have to fall in love with you?

~Dean~

Logan Cale. He didn't even have to say his name. I already knew what he had come for. He had that same anguished look in his eyes, the same drawn face; the expression that was mirrored in my own, the face I woke up to see every morning. I remember telling him what he needed to hear, probably more for my own benefit than his. As the guards led me down the hall back to my cell block I remember catching a glimpse of fiery red hair. It made me take a second glance. Her back was facing me, but even clad in a generic black suit, her strikingly perfect figure couldn't be disguised. The guard roughly tugged on my arm, dragging me along. It diverted my attention for a second. When I turned to look over my shoulder, she was gone.

An hour later, I was passed a small envelope. A letter. At first I didn't want to open it. Most likely a long-winded letter from mom, and anything she would say at this moment would just depress me further. My younger sister just recently married, about two weeks after the sentence was handed down. She had wanted to postpone the wedding when news of the trial came out, in complete faith that I'd be cleared and would be able to walk her done the aisle. Dad died when she was six, in a high-speed accident. You could say I've been her brother and father figure for most of her life. My little sister. Well I told her to go ahead with or without me. When the final verdict came, I told her I was so sorry. I can still see the utter confusion and hurt in her eyes. I would have given everything in the world to make that sadness disappear, make her laugh or smile, but I couldn't. Everyone had come to accept my guilt, even me. But Melissa wouldn't hear of it. She was adamant that I did nothing wrong. It wouldn't surprise me if she'd written me a letter from her honeymoon cruise.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I ripped open the letter. It was such a comfort to have someone who had such trust in you. A smile still played on my lips as I read the note inside.

"Tash." I whisper her name. I don't even realize that I say her name aloud. I'm still half asleep. It's been weeks now since I first received that letter. I only wear the angel at night; during the day I wouldn't dare. If the guards didn't see it and confiscate it, one of the other inmates would probably stab me or club me just to steal it.

In prison, you learn real quick. It's survival of the fittest. Not just in strength but in brains too. You know to get out alive, you've gotta bulk up. You're almost expected to fight on a daily basis. Everyone wants a piece of you. It's common knowledge that I wasn't one of them. I was one of those ex government cronies. If you're smart, you know who to befriend and who to just avoid like the plague.

Days, weeks, maybe months go by. Time has no meaning for me anymore. Only the nights when I lay in silence and dream of her beautiful face. Holding her in my arms and breathing her in. She's right beside me.

~As my tears keep overflowing one after another.
I can't see your last smile thought their blur.
Please don't go, please don't go. Stay here.
Light burst through the sky.
Even this insignificant me
Loved you more than anyone, with all my soul

Thank you for all of the precious feelings
You've given to me.
When you took off, I was
watching for a long time as the vapour trail
disappeared.

Please don't forget
You're not alone
Even if we're apart
We can still carry on hand-in-hand
With my fist love, I first realised
That there could be such sorrow
Even if something lapses away

Something will live once again
When you gave me a smile as we parted
It was your message for me
To truly live with all my heart.

Surely we will meet again
And from a distance will recognise
Each other in a glance
In all our hopes and dreams.
Let's promise each other
That we'll hold onto the intensity
We felt that day
And live the future that blooms
In tomorrow.
~ Maaya Sakamoto - Yubiwa (translated)

I roll over, holding the angel over my heart. Dreaming of Tash, asking why life dealt me this hand. Why couldn't I fall for a normal girl? What am I saying? I wouldn't love an average girl the way I love Tash. She's everything; vibrant, sexy, smart, and it's because she's different that she first intrigued me. Just because she's an X5, she's supposed to be dangerous. Everything leads back to one man. Ames White. There's so much more to this investigation than what he told us. Something just really nags at me, something's not quite right. My intelligence tells me that it's useless to even concern myself now when there's nothing I can do. But my gut and dead on instinct tells me that I should be doing something.

But what?

~Alec~

There's a light in the distance
It's faint but the glow reaches out
Piercing the darkness
Seeping into my blackened soul
Bringing warmth to my cold isolation
The burden of loneliness I bear.
Why do I walk this path alone?
I look at my hands in despair
These are my torment
Actions that can't be undone.
I hurt those that love me
Pain is all that I give.
If you could read my mind
The thoughts you'd see
All the hate I feel for myself
You'd feel toward me too
It can't be undone
Everything that I've done.
It's not blood that taints these hands
Blood would be easy to clean
Poison coats my skin
Runs through my veins
I can't escape it
Being born into this existence.
Drilled, indoctrinated, and poisoned
The pattern cannot be broken
I was born a soldier
I'll die the ultimate specimen
Fulfilling my duties
Completing the objective
Final salute, mission a success

Her eyes, those deep, sad brown eyes. I can read her soul through them. Does she know that? A soldier should never expose herself like that. Making herself vulnerable, yet she does. Why? She trusts me. I'm such a dick. I want to beat the crap out of something, squeeze the life out of it. Then maybe this aching feeling will leave my body. That night haunts my every waking moment, and when I close my eyes at night, I see her all over again. Those eyes full of tears, her quivering bottom lip, and that slender body a wreck with sobs. I did that to her.

"Logan- Logan. He." She's struggling to get the words out. I tell her to slow down. Guiding her to a chair, I push her down into it gently. Count backwards from ten, I instruct her. By the time she gets to one, she's settled somewhat. Then she tells me everything. Why she left Dallas City, about where she left Logan. I stand there watching her, knowing that my face is an understanding mask. Why she came to me, I still can't figure. Why not go to Tash? Girls are more sympathetic or so I've heard. She falls asleep crying softly. She's in my arms, asleep in my comforting embrace. She clings to me like a lifeline.

The guilt hits me like a sledgehammer. I've experienced the emotion before, only once before with Rachel. But holding Max in my arms, whispering reassuring words and stroking her hair and back, the feeling is so intense I know my stomach is churning inside out. Tell her, tell her, tell her, she'll understand. No way, are you kidding? She'll hate you, slap you, maybe even kill you. Do you have a death wish? These thoughts are all ragging through my head simultaneously, and the longer I sit holding her in my arms, the worst the thoughts get.

I know what I have to do.

For now, I will just be here for her, let her work through things. Please just don't let him die. I just can't tell her yet, but please let Logan live. I don't think she'll ever even look at me again if she knew the truth, and it would be so much worse if he dies.

He just can't die.

~Max ~

I've cried so much over the past few months that I think I've drain myself dry. It doesn't hurt so bad anymore; like the saying goes 'time heals all wounds', right? I don't know, maybe I just say that to make myself think it's all okay. At least I know that Logan's doing better. I made an inquiry through a contact, to trace the hospital records on a Logan Cale. He didn't give the info cheap, but it was worth it to me. Logan was discharged from Seattle hospital over a month ago. It was such relief to hear I didn't kill him. He probably hates me. I just left him there. He has a right to, I guess. From the report, it looks as though I could've damn well killed him. Close enough to it anyway. I can't help but wonder if he still thinks about us the way I do when my mind is free to think. I usually try to keep myself so busy that I don't have time to reminisce.

Today started off as the usual. Riding to town and loading wood onto trucks. I still can't get over the looks I get while I work. Come on, you'd think that by now men would just get over themselves. They call it hard labor, most of the time I see the slack asses just lazing around, drinking cheap coffee. Sometime I miss Jam Pony, the regular same old routine and the slacking off when the boss wasn't paying attention. Urgh, you're gonna puck, but I'm kinda missing Normal's uptight all American attitude too. "You're late again, missy." It makes me smile, just thinking of all the guys. Then I frown 'cause I haven't even had the guts to call.

"Hey, Max," Tommy calls. He's a great kid, hard worker, and sympathetic guy. Sympathetic for the wrong reasons though. I can tell he's trying to get friendly with me. He's just too obvious.

"What's up?" I reply. He walks toward me, holding a newspaper and a thick envelope. He throws the envelope toward me, and I catch it one handed. Tearing it open, I scan the contents of the papers inside.

I don't blame you for what happened. How could you have known? Don't throw this away, Max, just keep reading, okay? Last night, I couldn't sleep. Something was just nagging me to do this search. I had no idea what for, I just knew I had to. So I logged onto my system and did the search. Do you know what it was for? I was looking for you. I had to know that you were okay, that you were safe and maybe I had to let you hear this too. Yeah, laugh if you want. It's one of those infamous Logan Cale, lyrical pen scratchings. One dedicated to one special woman.

The angel is disappearing
She was right here in my arms
Now she's gone
One so full of light and fire
Burnt out to less than a glimmer

Of all the nights together
One stands for all time
That night I held her
Close to my heart
She's more than lover

Angel, she's strong
Her eyes hold the world
My world and everything in it
The pain I felt in sickness
Is nothing to the pain I bear
Now that she's gone

Passion and trust
Love and awe
Is all what I feel for her
She is my soul
Angel don't be alone
She is my heart and my all.

I love you, Max. Nothing's changed. I found out where you were through trade records. Rachel Glasser was a dead given. I remember her well. Although I doubt Biotech Frontier's has an office in Orr Town. And she seems to have gone through a massive career change too. Interesting choice I must say; I always though journalism and newsprint was the best job in the business. Anyway, I'm still right here as always, and you can drop by anytime.
I miss you.
Logan.

I felt the tears welling up again. Damn, I thought I was over that. Damn it, not here and not now. "Max, what's wrong? Max?" Tommy tries to touch my arm, but I brush him off. Hurriedly, I make for my bike. "I'm not feeling too good, Tommy. Tell Mack I'll be in early tomorrow. Gotta blaze, 'kay?" I yell over my shoulder. Already pushing off and peddling like crazy, I don't even look back to see if he got my message.

I manage to get through the front door before breaking down in a sobbing mess. Gees, I'm such a moron. I hear footsteps getting closer. I don't want to look up. He's seen me like this once too often. "Max?" he says quietly. Alec leant down and lifted my chin. "It'll be okay you know."

"How can you say that? You don't even know what's going on." I wanna bite my tongue off when I see the hurt look in his eyes. It's quickly masked, but it was there long enough for me to see it. And I immediately hate those words, but I can't take them back. Tears are still trailing down my face. Alec just pulls me into a hug, and I lean into him. He's softly brushing my hair and just holding me.

I don't really know what happened first. If I kissed him, or if he kissed me. I just remember feeling so safe, so loved and secure. For a moment, my whole world just stopped spinning outta control. For one moment, I felt I was standing on my own two feet, and I was on stable, solid ground. Those green eyes locked with mine, full of understanding and just plain acceptance. He cared and accepted me, the messed up-half human freak I am. Then again, we're in the same boat. Just admit it, you idiot, you need him.

I hear him breathing steadily behind me now. I can't tell if he's asleep yet or not, and I'll die before rolling over and finding out. What the hell did I do? What did we do? How did I let this happen? I'm trying to stop my rapidly increasing heart rate. That will be sure to wake him.

How could I have slept with him? I'm not in heat; this was all me. What was I thinking? I bite my lip to keep it from twitching. I know it's starting again. I gotta get a handle on these damn emotions; they just make me sick and icky. Of all the times to go weak, I do it with Alec for goodness' sake.

Dear God, help me, please just let him be asleep. And when he wakes in the morning, please let him understand. That's all I ask.

Chapter One - When The Ice Breaks

"Hey. Max, come on, don't do this." Alec attempted to wipe the moisture off that smooth cheek. But his hand was abruptly brushed aside. The last thing he wanted was for her to start regretting what they just shared. Sure, he certainly didn't expect her to profess her undying love for him. That would never happen. Yet he wanted to think that she at least felt that it was more than just sex. He needed to hear that he was at least a good friend to her. That she didn't blame him for not being Logan.

I can't look at him. I just can't. How did I do this? What was going through my f***ing mind? It wouldn't matter how many times she asked that question, it wouldn't change the reality of the situation. She had slept with Alec, and now she had to deal with the aftermath. Crawling out of the bed and dragging the sheet with her, she made for the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she crumpled to floor, letting all her pent-up frustration pour out in sobs. There was no way in hell she was going to let Alec see her like this.

Alec might not be able to see her, but he could hear her. Max's choking breaths and tears were so loud in his ears it was almost as if she was still right next to him. Again he questioned himself, how could he have done this to her? That's right, this was his fault. There was no way he could shift the blame for this onto anyone else. Their having sex was all her decision, but the virus was entirely his responsibility.

The virus that would keep Logan and Max apart indefinitely, was all his doing. Launching himself off the bed, he dressed quickly. He couldn't stay here. Not with Max crying in the bathroom. Crying over something he did to her. He had no idea about her relationship with Logan when he first met her. Then again, if he did, would it have made him change his mind about the mission? Probably not. He'd always been a soldier, first and foremost.

The softer feelings had only come recently, and he owed that all to Max. She had shown him there was more to life than the Manticore objective. Now, as he left the apartment, he felt the bitterness build up in his soul. After all she'd done for him, how could he possibly admit it was all his fault that she was feeling this frustration? He only hoped that he'd be able to find her a cure before she discovered his betrayal.

~*~*~*~

As he plunged the needle full of sedatives into her back, he waited a full five seconds before she tumbled off her chair and into his arms. He knew she wouldn't come willingly, and he wasn't about to try to beat her into submission. That would take far to much effort on his part. What neither of them anticipated was the effect of the additives in the syringe. A designer virus intended for one man alone, Eyes Only. Renfro had insisted that as soon as Alec found Max, he inject her with the virus. Renfro had been furious at Max's escape. Not only had she escaped from Manticore for a second time, but she had disappeared before being administered the virus.

Alec had remedied that little hiccup, but everything in his world changed in a few short hours.

Instead of returning home to report on his mission, he had returned to a blazing inferno. From where he stood, he could smell fresh blood, burning flesh, and chemicals. The scene he surveyed looked worse than any mission he'd ever witnessed. It was a war zone. The place he called home and people he thought of as family had been obliterated before his eyes. He'd wondered back to Seattle, lost and alone. His mission forgotten, he made his way unconsciously to the highest point in the city. He had stayed there for hours, immersed in his reverie. That was until Max showed up and pulled him back to the present.

In a short time, Max and her friends had manage to haul him together. The day after Manticore was destroyed, he wasn't the same person. He no longer held his Manticore designation. He was Alec. Somehow all the thoughts relating to his mission seemed to slip from his memory. One important fact had vanished from his mind. Probably because everyone was so caught up in staying alive and keeping out of White's hands. They were meant to be superior, weren't they? How he could have neglected that vital piece of information, he still couldn't fathom.

~*~*~*~

"Logan. Watch out." Max tried reaching for the steering wheel in an attempt to keep the car on the road. Logan seemed to have lost control of the car, and they were headed directly for the trees.

As much as he wanted to, Logan couldn't hold the wheel or direct it. All the strength in his body seemed to be seeping away. The road and everything else in sight started to go hazy, and his clothes felt incredibly tight. Taking a deep breath, he blinked. After that, blackness washed over him.

Max had kept her panic in check when Logan had passed out. She'd managed to bring the car to a screeching halt and jumped out of her side to rush and open his door. Unfastening his seatbelt, she leaned her head close to listen for his heart beat. It was beating steadily, but from the colour of his skin and shallow gasps for breath, she knew he was far from okay. Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, she dialed 911.

The ambulance had arrived and taken Logan to the nearest hospital in less than 15 minutes. With each passing second, she could see the life slipping from him. By the time a doctor attended to him, Logan's skin had turned an ashy red. His body was bathed in sweat, and his eyelids flickered with the tremors that were attacking his body.

"How long has he been showing these symptoms?" Dr. Josie Lu looked at the edgy young woman standing by the window.

"He passed out about 20 minutes ago. He's breathing was shallow, but his heart rate was steady. But he's rapidly regressing," Max responded automatically. She wished that everyone would just act a little quicker. Logan was dying here.

The doctor listened to his heartbeat and checked his pupils. As she lifted Logan's shirt a little higher, she noticed a purplish rash beginning form low on his right side. To confirm her suspicions, she would have to take a blood and spinal fluid sample, but she was fairly sure of what it could be. She'd have to strike back quickly and with something strong. "Is he allergic to anything?"

Max shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Before I can administer any drugs, there are a couple of quick tests I need to do. It's hard to tell how he's been affected or what could have caused the attack. It would be helpful to know just how he contracted the virus. He could have picked it up in the past couple of hours." Scribbling some notes on her clipboard, Josie turned to leave. &quotThere is a chance you could have contracted the virus too. Would you object to having a blood test?" She knew that she was flying on an instinct here, but something told her that she would rather be safe and give this woman antibiotics. There was a chance she could have contracted the meningitis. When the woman responded with a slight nod, Josie gave her a warm smile and walked from the room.

After getting the required samples, Josie went to the lab. Working with Dr. Adam Erikson, they got the surprise of their lives. The infection present in the Logan Cale's spinal fluid was an evolved form of streptococcus pneumoniae. The bacteria were rapidly multiplying and would be creating immense pressure on his spine. Josie took a step back. What should she do? She could combat it in the same way as the regular form of meningitis and see if the treatment worked. But what if it didn't? This man would die.

"Josie, I think you should take a look at this." Adam moved away to let Josie see the sample he was studying. When she looked up with the shocked look on her face, he nodded in agreement. "Weird, huh? I've never ever seen anything like this. This person has free-floating stem cells and O- blood type. Even crazier than that, they have the some interesting looking virus present in their blood and the same bacteria as the other sample yet you're saying they aren't showing any symptoms. It's almost like they're dormant in this sample."

"Mr. Cale is showing all the symptoms of streptococcus; high fever, unconscious, convulsions, and the purplish rash has began to spread." Josie started collecting the samples and putting them into an express mail satchel. "I'm going to send these to the lab in Chicago to have them tested. I want to know just how the heck this thing got concocted and what's with this weird blood sample."

"Did you get the name of the woman?" Adam asked. When Josie shook her head, they both seemed to rush for the door at the same time. As they hurried down the long corridor from the small laboratory to the intensive care unit, Josie filled Adam in on the details.

"She could have given him the virus. Weakening his immune system and he picked up the menigitis on his own... or they gave it to each other. Who knows, probably by coughing over him or kissing him? It doesn't spread with less intimate contact or in the air-"

Josie swung the door wide. The room's only occupant was the sick man on the bed, the window was wide open and the curtains billowed with the wind. Walking over, she pulled the window shut. "My guess is she's gone." Going to the bed she rested her hand on Logan's forehead. "He's burning up, I'm going to give him 100mg of doxycycline to kill the bacteria and 500mg of amoxycillin to stop any re-growth."

"Sounds like a good start."

Dr. Josie Lu didn't even know who the mysterious woman was. Why she had such a strange blood composition, and why she was a carrier of an advanced deadly virus? After obtaining the required antibiotics and administrating the first dose, Josie walked out of the patient's room and went to the nurses' station. "I want you to page me the minute there's any response from Mr. Cale. And make sure his dosage up to the second. He needs another course in four hours. Thanks, Tanya." The antibiotics would take effect immediately, but it would be several hours yet before she could tell if he was out of danger. The man was so weak with fever that he still lay unconscious in the hospital bed.

~*~*~*~

That had been over three months ago. Max had blamed herself entirely, saying that if she hadn't gotten caught and brought back to Manticore, she wouldn't have gotten the virus. Not knowing that it was Alec who had injected her with it after she'd escaped. To him it was still a mystery as to why the virus kicked in so late. Maybe it needed time to build up strength.

Alec sat on the park bench. The cold metal was steadily freezing his ass, but still, he didn't budge. The wind picked up and started to sting his already pink nose. Maybe being outside right now wasn't such a great idea. At least not dressed in jeans and a sweater. Air brushed over the frozen lake and picked up bits of snow and ice, causing a mist to form. The breeze blew in his direction bringing the white fog with it. Soon the cloudy blanket surrounded him, and the naked trees and snow covered ground was lost to a fairylike white wonderland. Mesmerised by the beauty and tranquilly of the place around him, he got up and began to walk onto the ice. A voice broke the silence. Calling to him.

"Alec! Alec, are you out here?"

It was Max. She sounded distant; the wind was carrying her voice away from him. Alec turned to where he knew the sound had originated. He only paused for a second, but the extra pressure was enough. The surface disappeared from beneath his feet, and he plunged into the icy water. The shock shot through his body, chilling the blood in his veins, and sending thousands of needle pricks of pain into his muscles. Reaching for the edge of the broken ice, he tried pulling himself out. The surface that had once seemed solid continued to crumble beneath his grasp. In freezing water, his body continued to weaken. His teeth began to chatter, and the blood had slowly drained from his face. Suddenly, a rope dropped with a thud in front of him. The knotted end dangled just beneath the water's surface. He wrapped his fingers around it and held on as tightly as he could. His skin burned. He was pulled out of the icy hell with strong tugs, and soon he lay on a rock hard surface. The wind stinging his wet skin and burning his half numb face. Before he could protest, he was roughly hoisted up and carried 'search and rescue' style.

Tears burned down her face, sending icy chills through her skin. Max struggled to close to door behind them. Dropping Alec on the floor in front of the fireplace, she proceeded to rip his wet clothing off. All the while, she was muttering obscenities and struggling to keep her angry tears in check. He's an idiot. A bloody idiot. Not only is he the biggest smart-ass I know, but he's got a dick for a brain. Wiping her face agitatedly, she kicked the wet bundle to one side. Alec was shivering uncontrollably. At least she'd got to him before he'd frozen and drowned. Running to the bedroom, she pulled off all the linen and hauled it all back to where Alec lay. Bundling him up like a baby, she turned to the fireplace and started throwing in logs. Soon, she had a roaring blaze going. Hurriedly, with nimble fingers, she took off her damp clothing and joined him under the blankets. Wrapping her arms around his cold body, she pressed her skin against his, hoping to pass her warmth into his blood. Come on, Alec, you're gonna be fine. Just stay with me, okay? I can't lose you too. "That's right, smart-alec, I can't lose you. So don't even think about dying on me."

Alec couldn't feel his limbs; he couldn't even feel the glorious body that was close to him. His whole being felt numb. Somewhere in the white fog clouding his brain, he was sure he heard Max's voice."I can't lose you." Her voice seemed to trail off, and he felt like he was drifting, slowly floating away.

"Tash do you copy?"

Tash whispered, "Hear you Alec. I'm coming up to the hidden entrance now. You'll have to hack the surveillance, I need total cover for the next five minutes."

Alec watched from the van as Tash moved across the field. She had already climbed the fence. Dressed in a black spandex cat suit, she blended into the blanket of darkness; if you noticed anything at all it was just a flicker of a shadow. She wore thick leather gloves with rubber insulation and her heavy black lace up boots had chunky rubber soles. She had the grace of a ballet dancer, the agility and precision of a humming bird. When she disappeared from sight under the cover of bush, Alec waited for her to reappear. He'd hacked into a Russian satellite, using it as aerial surveillance. In a flash she was there, coming up to the tunnel. Alec's fingers flew over the keyboard. After Tash accessed the exterior power panel and installed the override transmitter, Alec hacked the prison video feed and ran the loop. "Done Tash, five minutes."

Not waiting a second longer she pulled out her portable de-scrambler, cutting open the access terminal she exposed the wiring and attached her cables. Ten seconds, she'd have access in ten. The terminal glowed green and beeped. She memorised the access code and threw open the hidden entrance door. It was like a entering a dark dungeon, lots of stairs disappearing into blackness. Her vision adjusted accordingly and she made out the spiralling staircase that led to the underground passage. "I'm in," she relayed to Alec, "I need directions Alec. This place looks like a sewer labyrinth."

Typing more commands, Alec drew up the prison's floor plan. Making calculations and pinpointing her location, Alec read out directions. "At the bottom of the staircase, take the tunnel to your far right. As you go through the tunnel you'll pass three walkways, at the fourth turn left and then turn right. The passage will bring you directly to the first gate leading to F block. You know the rest."

Moving as fast as her supped-up legs would carry her, she followed Alec's instructions. Arriving at the gate with no interference she leaned down. Slowing her heart rate with regular deep breaths, she punched in the code. The gate groaned and started cranking open. Damn, does the friken thing have to make such a racket?  "I'm in." Before she could even put one step through the gate the alarm sounded. Shit. "Alec?"

Alec's fingers only wavered for a second, when he'd heard the first siren. "Get out Tash. Forget it, you'll never get to him in time. Get out now." If that gate closed on her, she'd be a sitting duck. Come one brainiac think of something. The explosives!

Thinking his exact thoughts, Tash kept moving. "I know. I'm going in. I'll blast the second gate. Two minutes Alec, be ready for us." Her comm-link went quiet; all that could be heard was steady breathing and the annoying reminder of their time limit. A split second later he head a defining blast. He glanced at the monitor; the cameras were still playing the looped feed. Come on Tash, move it.

 

Dean shot upright in his bed the second he heard the distinct grinding of the gate. That's weird, it's only about one in the morning. A defining blast made his head scream, he's ears began pounding with the shock. Then the sight of a familiar figure on the other side of the cell bars made is heart jump right out of his chest. "Jenny, I mean Tash. Are you insane?" The alarm was sounding like a loud barge horn and the red warning lights where flashing like blood. Their blood if she didn't get out of here. She was ignoring him, as she stuffed plastic explosives in the lock, squishing in the fuse she tripped the wire. "Get back," she barked.

The blast threw the door open, almost blowing it right of its hinges. She didn't wait for him to collect himself off the wall, she grabbed him arm and peeled him off herself. "Come on." As they ran through both gates, she didn't seem to notice him stumbling behind her. Other prisoners called out to them and reached for them through the bars. One actually caught hold of Tash and pulled her against the cell. She punched the guy square in the face, knocking him to the concrete floor. Turning she grabbed Dean's hand and continued running. Her hearing allowed her to pick up the sound of footsteps approaching. Over the sound of the sirens blaring, Tash doubted if Dean could hear her at all. Going back the way she came, she was about to turn down the passage when she caught sight of the guards. She froze. "Alec another way out, quick."

Before he could blink, he lost control over the video feed and it showed Tash and Dean in the tunnel, the guards fast approaching. "Go right, then first left. It's a loop. You'll come out behind them. Pass that tunnel and take the next one. Keep running till the end. There should be an exit at the end."

Taking the archways, Dean struggled to keep up the pace. Boy, she was unbelievably fast. One second he was upright and watching Tash's back, the next he was kissing concrete. Groaning, he tried getting up. Pain shot through his right knee, he was a little winded too. Stars danced in his eyes, vaguely he noticed someone lean down and pick him up.

Tash swung him over her shoulders as if he weighed nothing more than a child. Her pace had slowed considerably but they were still moving faster than if she'd let him continue on his own. "Alec, I'm here. Where now?" Supporting both their weight she climbed each rung and pushed against the grate at the top of the ladder. It creaked and then eased open. Crawling through, she lay there letting Dean roll off her shoulders as she stood. Looking up she realised that they had come out near the wall. To the left was the stairwell she'd descended earlier. Offering Dean a hand, she pulled him up. "How is it?" Dean stretched his leg out, it was still painful but he'd live. His face colored with embarrassment. He weighed a good 180 pounds and a woman who weighed less than half that had carried him.

As the siren continued to blare, Alec got increasingly agitated with each passing second. "Come on, move it," he barked. Tash swung into action, ducking under his arm, she supported part of his weight across her shoulders. Taking the stairs two at a time, they soon made it to the open field. Throwing the heavy door shut, she locked it.

"The Jeep's only a couple hundred metres that direction," Tash yelled over her shoulder. Dean started running as fast as his limp would allow. Alec saw them the second they come out the entrance. Shut down the computer and climbed into the front of the Jeep. Gunning the engine, he pulled into reverse and peeled out of their cover. He watched as the two figures approached. One was limping, couldn't be Tash the build was too bulky. Had to be Dean. The fence being the last obstacle Tash opted for the easy exit, since she doubted Dean would make it over. If he didn't get fried first, he would most certainly get stuck on the wire. As Dean caught his breath, Tash put the last explosive on the fence and triggered it. Pulling Dean away and covering them both, they waited out the blast. Before the dust could settle, she picked him up and threw him through the hole and climbed after him. The blast shorted out the fence, causing the prison to black out. Looking back she sighed, They're not going to be happy campers. As she stood looking back, someone must have got the back up generator going because the lights came on and the fence charged again. Flood beams lit up the field and the siren resounded. Turning she collected Dean, who still lay face first in the dirt. "Sorry," she muttered in apology as she dragged him to the waiting Jeep.

 

Alec tried to keep the scowl off his face as they piled in. He revved the engine before throwing it into gear and leaving the prison in a cloud of dust. "You know that they'll have the city in lockdown in a matter of minutes. First daylight, his face is gonna be plastered all over the news and the border will have his photo."

Tash threw him a dirt look. "I have a plan, Alec. Just keep driving okay." They'd been travelling on the main highway for less than five minutes before the first patrol car lights came into view. Dean who'd been relatively quiet up till now, started yelling for Alec to go faster. The lights were gaining and that made him all the more nervous.

"Look Tash, not that I'm not grateful but what the hell were you thinking?" Dean asked him voice filled with confusion. "I mean, when they catch up and they will, they'll throw all of us in jail. No scratch that, they'll throw me in jail and kill you two. This is insane."

Alec didn't need reminding, he knew just what this was from the very beginning but there had been no deterring Tash. Oh no, she had her heart set on this suicide mission.

"Ditch these guys Alec and get me to the Yellster Airfield." They all fastened their seatbelts as Alec took the Jeep off road and threw it into four-wheel drive. There was no way she was going to get caught after all this effort, not because she got bumped out of her seat anyway. Looking over to the backseat, she noticed Dean gripping the side roll bar, clinging to it for dear life. She suppressed a giggle, he looked so comical and she knew it wasn't a funny situation but she couldn't help it. Focusing her attention back on the dirt road, she pleaded silently that her brother would listen and help. Everything was banking on his co-operation. If he turned her down they would be trapped in the States.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Josie took the exit to Chicago Midway Airport. Her palms slipped slightly on the steering wheel as she turned, her skin was sweaty. She leaned over, switching on the air conditioning in an effort to settle her nerves and cool down. Accidentally she bumped the knob for the radio. It was a news update. "…Early this morning police pulled a body from Myra Lake, in Dallas City. A woman had been jogging by the lake when she noticed the body…" Shuddering Josie switched off the report. She may be a doctor but it didn't make death any less horrid. Murder or suicide still had the power to truly scare her. How people could bring themselves to kill was just beyond her. Whether it was killing others or themselves it made no difference in her mind. She couldn't watch war movies; they made her sick to the stomach. These days they were becoming more graphic and lifelike. Her siblings always teased her about it. They wondered how she could possibly be a doctor, if blood and guts made her nauseous. They didn't understand that it wasn't the gore but the graphic violence that made her sick.

Parking her car, she grabbed her bag off the passenger seat and buttoned her coat. Locking the car, she walked quickly to the terminal.

"Good morning, ma'am." The attendant gave her a warm smile.

Josie smiled back, it was strained but genuine. She pulled out her purse. "I'd like a ticket to Seattle please."

"One way or return?"

She thought for a moment. In the glass she noticed a photo being shown on the television screen behind. Turning around, she looked up at the TV. "Return and could you turn that up?" She asked anxiously. The woman obliged and Josie stared in shock as the report read the news.

"Early today the police found a body, in Myra Lake, Dallas City. The body has been identified by forensics as the body of Dr Adam Erikson. Family of Dr Erikson are devastated, the hospital are holding a memorial service for the doctor on Thursday. Police have launched an investigation to his death…"

 "Ma'am, are you okay?" The attendant asked in concern, sympathy showing in her eyes as she passed over the ticket.

Josie blindly collected her ticket and went to wait in the lounge. She couldn't find her voice; everything was blocked in her throat. Falling into the nearest seat she let the tears fall, she couldn't stop them. Why? Why Adam? It was no accident, Adam was a fantastic swimmer and he definitely wasn't someone to commit suicide. He called people who committed suicide, quitters. "Nothing but quitters or non-hopers, life's to good to give up on." She couldn't shake the sick feeling that this all boiled down to the woman's blood. Everything was connected to those tests she had requested. Suddenly it dawned on her, she may have requested the tests but Adam had signed them off. She'd gotten him killed. That knowledge hit her hard; she made it to the toilets a split second before she threw up.

An hour later she was on her way to Seattle. Her stomach was totally empty and her face pale and clammy. She'd spend most of the time waiting for the flight to be called, over the toilet bowl. Settling in her seat, she wiped her cheeks for what could easily be the hundredth time. There where no more tears, she felt drained dry. Her eyes were blood shot, puffy and she blew her nose. Letting out a choky breath, she pulled out Miranda's notes. The answers were all written there. She just had to figure out what it all meant. She didn't have a lot of time, it was find the answers or let Logan die.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After at least half an hour of circling Tash finally found a place suitable for landing. There were just so many trees and the compound didn't exactly have a landing strip. Some military government base but then again, it was supposed to be a hospital. Tash wanted to laugh at the irony of everything; her childhood, her whacked memories, where she was right now… If the greater populace only knew the kind of projects their tax money was being used for, governments would probably have real mutiny on their hands, not just pissed off transgenics.

"Nice landing." Bumpy and rough would be the honest assessment but considering the circumstances Alec thought it was best to leave it at nice. He moved to stand next to her chair and pushed the release button on her safety belt. Hoisting his backpack over one shoulder, Alec looked out the window of the cockpit. It was dark outside, the sky overcast blocking most of the moon's light and no stars dotted the sky. To the right the VA hospital building looked like it belonged in a ghost town with its charred walls, broken windows and debris strewn everywhere.  The eerie silence lingered and whispers of the winds echoing through the vacant halls sounded haunted to his ears.

Tash got out of her seat and straightened her vest, she smoothed her hair back and tightened her ponytail. "Let's get moving, I don't want to hang around this place any longer then necessary."

After securing the plane, they quickly made tracks for the hospital. Alec didn't know exactly where he would find what he was looking for but he had an idea of a few places they could start with. They were about three hundred metres away from the building when Alec first heard the sound. It was the sound of swift steps. The untrained ear wouldn't even have noticed it but he had. Looking over to Tash, he realised she'd heard it too. Quickly ducking for cover they both hid waiting for their stalker to show.

Alec looked to where Tash was hidden, she'd chosen the higher ground and there was a large cluster of bushes where she was lying low. Looking to the left he saw nothing and he was about to turn in the other direction when a hand closed around his neck from behind and lifted him clean off the ground.

From where she lay on the ground she saw a shadow move behind Alec, silent and slow. She wanted to scream out and warn him but at the last second she hadn't. Instead she'd pulled her knife from her pocket and without hesitation, threw it toward the attacker's head. She was a good twenty feet away, she hoped that her precision wasn't out.

The slight hum of a whistling cut the air and Alec's assailant shifted him directly in the path of the oncoming projectile. He'd been in such damn awkward positions before in his life but this was a new twist, with less then a millisecond to think he relaxed his body and second the knife reached him, he stopped it dead between his palms. The blade nicked his left thumb and he dropped the knife. At the same instance his attacker dropped him life a sack of potatoes. Alec rolled onto his back, spluttering and chocking, working to move the air through his windpipe again.

"You one of them." The man said.

He was still in the shadows so Alec couldn't make out his face, only that he was very tall and had a deep voice. His voice, it was almost as if he had an accent, he couldn't speak English all that well.

"One of who?" Alec questioned, finally sitting up. Tash had come out of hiding, her gun trained on the man still hovering near the tree.

"X5, I smell cat. You and her." He pointed to Tash. "Like Max."

Alec was on his feet in a flash, "You know her? You know Max?"

Tash still very wary had collected her knife, just in case this guy decided he'd pull a fast one. She stood back looking between Alec and this stranger. How did he know Max and what was he doing at Manticore?

"I helped her escape. I'm Joshua. This my home, you go now." He took an aggressive stance and a low growl escaped his throat.

Tash did quick thinking, if this guy helped Max, maybe he'd help them. Putting her gun back she approached him slowly. "We won't stay, I promise but we need to find something for Max. Something inside the building." She could see he was listening, maybe even considering backing down.

"I'm going inside alone." Alec said. When Tash looked like she was about to protest he quieted her. "I need a lookout, this place is still being watched Tash, we both know it. This guy," Joshua huffed, "Joshua," Alec corrected, "he knows Manticore, he can help me."

He didn't have to say it, she already knew. She would be more use to them watching the plane and keeping watch. She didn't know the layout of the hospital, she had never been held there. Reluctant and as ditched as she felt, she knew Alec was right. "Fine, I'll wait. You've got thirty minutes, any longer and I'm calling the cavalry."

Alec grinned at her, "What? You and who?"

Tash winked, "You don't wanna know my boy. Max'll hate to have to save your ass yet again."

Alec started running before he could hear any more of her bright ideas or taunts. He didn't need any reminding of what a screw up he was. This was his attempt at setting things right and he'd make sure Logan lived, even if it took his last breath.

They'd only been gone less then ten minutes when Tash heard vehicles approaching. There were two she could hear. Heavy vehicles, maybe military issue. Her first instinct was to hide… dah pretty hard to disguise a plane, idiot. She pulled her compact mirror from her bag, she hoped that the pale light from the moon was enough to flicker a signal. Aiming directly at the building she flashed, ‘intruders', repeatedly before the trucks sounded too close for comfort. Ducking for cover, she hid amongst the trees fifty metres from the plane. It gave her a clear but sheltered view of where the trucks had pulled up.

White got out of the van before it had even come to a complete stop, "You four stay. The rest of you search inside." He barked orders and divided the group. He had a feeling that ‘Jenny Woresly' was close. Nice touch calling her brother, it gave them the lead they'd been waiting for. Not to mention the huge trail 452 had left him. Renfro hadn't been such a blundering mad woman after all. Well no doubt mad and self-serving but at least she'd made his job a little easier. Knowing his girl, she'd be here saving her kind once again. He had to admire her sense of duty though; she was a committed one, reckless and predictable but dedicated nonetheless. "Hey Jenny, dear Jenny I know you're out there. You'd never believe who I just bumped into." He turned as he spoke, waiting for anything; a sound, a give away but nothing came. "Dean Baxter. My good friend turned up in Seattle, would you believe that? He's supposed to be in prison but he escaped. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" He sent a few of the officers standing around to scoured the trees, moments later there was loud scuffling, zaps of electricity and moaning then silence again. Heavy footsteps started in his direction and a wide grin broke across his face. He'd just hit the jackpot.

Tash wanted to swear so bad that she'd probably bite her tongue off in an effort to keep quiet. She'd unwittingly stepped backward into a tripwire. The trap launched an arrow straight into her calf. It hurt a lot and moisture automatically sprung to her eyes. She didn't even scream but the whizzing noise was enough to draw attention. The two officers standing close by turned and spotted her. She tried to run but they caught up with her, fighting while already injured didn't prove to be her best. They winded and tied her before dragging her up the short embankment to White.

When she got close he reached out hand grabbed her by the hair, pulling her close so she was inches from his face. White searched her eyes before a smirk played on his lips, "not your lucky day is it tramp?" He threw her backward, if the men hadn't have been holding her tightly she would have fallen. "Get her cleaned up. I don't want her messing up the upholstery." He didn't spare her another glance; just as she was being dragged away he wrenched the arrow from her leg.

An anguished scream pieced the chilly night air. In the bushy mountain terrain the sound carried on the wind. Inside the building Alec momentarily stop ransacking what was left of the Genetics Lab. A couple doors down Joshua stopped tearing cabinets open and several miles away on a bridge a motorcycle slowed.

"What was that?" Dean whispered. It sounded a lot like a woman's cry and it sent shivers down his spine. He hope with all his being that it wasn't Tash.

"Nothing." Max replied absently. She fringed ignorance, there was no reason to let him worry, it wouldn't get them there any faster and it certainly wouldn't make her feel any better. She felt sick to her stomach already. If White was there, it could very well have been Tash's scream. And if that was Tash screaming then she aught to prepare for the worst. Max revved for a second before dropping the clutch and peeling up the road.

Alec didn't like that sound, it wasn't right. Tash was in trouble. Why hadn't she signalled? Then again he was so busy searching he might not have noticed it. He swore and kicked the table in front of him causing it to tip over. He was about to leave when he noticed a wad of black tape stuck to the underside of the desk. After trashing what was left of the lab he'd gone for Renfro's office. Pulling at the sticky wad he yanked if off, inside was a key and an ID card. The ID card said, ‘Elizabeth Renfro, Demolitions and Disposals'. What did that have to do with Manticore? Did it make her an expert is some operation that involved extermination? Where the desk had once been there were markings on the floor, to the naked eye they just looked like fade marks. Kneeling down he traced his fingers along them. There was a tiny grove. Moving quickly he followed the indentation till he'd marked out a perfect square. Was it some secret compartment, a safe, a passage, what? He cursed the witch again, there was no key hole, no combination lock. How was this thing supposed to open? The longer he hung around thinking the more frantic he got. Tash was out there alone and he didn't get the inkling she was just counting daisies. She was in trouble.

"Joshua." He hollered. When Joshua bounded round the corner Alec got to his feet and dusted his pants. "Get that thing open and take all the small bottles you find. Be careful Joshua, Max needs them badly." Joshua nodded in comprehension; Alec slapped him on the back before running for the exit. "Thanks big fella, meet you back on the hill."

Max hid her motorcycle in the trees and she and Dean approached the entourage stealthily. There couldn't be more then eight officers and White. But there could be more in the facility at present she couldn't tell. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Alec quickly making tracks toward them. Was he insane, he was out in the open? All White had to do was turn around and shoot him.

It all happened to quickly. Dean slipped by her, making a mad dive for White. He knocked the man to the ground, his gun slipping from his grasp and skittering away.  Before White had a chance to recover, Dean stood up and put his boot down on the man's throat.

Max flew into action taking out the three nearest officers in quick succession, making her way toward Tash. Alec saw the commotion on the hill and hurried towards them. He never thought that there would be more behind him or anywhere else. He knew better, it was what he was trained to do, he should have looked.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alec went down hard, he heard the shot but assessed the target too late. It ripped through his left shoulder and he staggered a step. The second bullet pierced his back, tearing clean through his body, exiting low on the right side of his abdomen. The commotion on the top of the hill became a lot quieter to him, everything seemed to have a distant echo to it. His surroundings seemed to change as he fell forward and hit the dirt, it was all hazy around the edges. Mud and dirt met his face, little stones scratched his cheeks and nose. He blinked and blinked again, why couldn't he move?

"Alec." Tash screamed. She struggled with her bonds, trying desperately to cut herself free. It was no use, the plastic ties cut deep into her skin, tightening and she could feel blood blisters beginning to well. One of the officers had bandaged her leg but her wound wasn't dressed properly and the blood was already seeping through the messy wrap. Max was at her side in an instant, having quickly dispatched the officer she was up against. The others froze where they were, Dean had collected White's gun and looked prepared to use it if the others decided to move. Quickly freeing Tash from the restraints, Max helped her out of the truck. Together they ran down the hill to where Alec lay.

"Alec can you hear me?" Max gently rolled him onto his back, she could see the wound on his shoulder clearly. The there was a clean entry and exit through his shoulder. The blood seeping though his vest around his middle was a lot more concerning, it was very dark and thick, she sent a worried look over at Tash who was cradling his head. "Have you got a cell?" Tash nodded and passed her the cell phone. Max stood up and dialled before walking a short distance away to sharpen reception.

Dean looked over at them for a moment, taking his eyes off White, a mistake he couldn't afford to make. White yanked out his handgun and pulled the trigger, Dean looked back in time to see his actions but not fast enough to dodge a bullet. It nicked his upper arm and he groaned as White stood, gun still firmly aimed in his direction. This time it's target was his chest.

"I don't miss twice." White hissed, "You of all people should know that." Without turning White knew that his men had their weapons on the transgenics. This would all be over in a blink and he'd finally be done with this freak job of an assignment. "What are you waiting for?" He roared.

"Their orders." Dean said calmly.

White felt a cold chill creep up his spine, it wasn't a good feeling and he didn't like it. Footsteps slowly moved in his direction.

"Ever since Dean was arrested on assault and attempted murder charges, internal affairs has been reviewing the case. I wasn't there when you did the bag job on him and I wasn't there to see who pulled the gun on whom. But I've been on your ass since White, and it hasn't been pretty." Otto took the gun from White and pulled him toward the truck. "I think the board would like a few words before they turn everything over to the Feds."

When he turned around, White realised that men didn't have their guns trained on Max and Tash as he thought. They had their guns aimed at him. "What the hell is this?"

"I told you already White. I had a lot of time on my hands, I've made a couple friends who were avid listeners. It seems that Project Manticore has been officially dissolved and the NSA is no longer spending resources on the ‘Janitor' Assignment.

"As of half an hour ago we've all been reassigned. Briefing happens at 0900 hours. Not for you of course my friend. You'll be tied up elsewhere." Otto slammed the truck door shut after shoving White in. He turned to Dean and held out his hand, "Sorry it took me so long to get things straightened out. I had to prove the case before I could swing any action."

"No problem, but I think we're still going to need your help." Dean nodded down the hill to where the girls were with Alec. "I need a chopper asap. Our guy's going to need an airlift."

Dean jogged toward Max holding his arm but not letting it slow him down in the slightest. "A chopper's on the way, we can get him airlifted to Seattle. Do you have a contact?" He wasn't going to bank on having any doctor being prepared to work on saving a transgenic. The public was generally blissfully unaware of the genetically engineered population and despite the current ruling in their favour he wasn't willing to push their luck.

Max nodded, she was still on the phone with Bling. So far there was no news on the cure front but she needed Sam to save Alec now. "Tell Dr Carr that I need him to met a friend at the helicopter pad at Seattle Mercy. I have a trauma victim with a gunshot wound through the shoulder and abdomen. Tell him that the chopper will be there in less then fifteen minutes." After snapping the phone shut, she knelt back down and lifted Alec's hand in hers. He'd been holding it over his stomach but now it was just laying there, no longer having the strength to press the wound.

"He's not talking anymore. He was talking to me before. Max, he's stopped talking." Tash let the tears fall freely down her face, the pain in her leg was nothing more then a dull ache now, nothing compared to sharp stab she felt in her heart. Looking around the group, they all looked like they just stepped off the set of a war movie. But this was no film set, this was reality, a very twisted harsh reality. Dean's arm had a nasty gash where the bullet grazed him, Max had blood on the front of her pants and hands from holding Alec. As for herself; her own pants, they'd definitely seen better days. Her top and most of her clothes were covered in Alec's blood, there was so much of it, just everywhere. Quickly shrugging off her pack, Tash scrimmaged around in it for supplies. She never had to really think as she worked on autopilot, it was as if she was remembering something she'd been drilled to do a long time ago. Gently resting him down she tore open his vest and shirt. Cleaning the blood away and locating the hole she checked the entry and exit. "I can cauterise this, lessen the blood lost. Max, I need you to hold him." Max dropped to her knees and quickly assumed Tash's previous position to help lift Alec's upper body. Tash heated her knife till it was red hot and then held it against the wound. After she bandaged him securely, she looked up at Dean. "Grab a blanket from the plane, it's in the right overhead compartment." He nodded and ran back up the hill.

Both girls heard him approach before he actually reached them. He carried a large chest under one arm and a duffle bag in the other.

"Joshua."

"Max." He dropped his things on the ground and collected her in a big hug. "You came back for Joshua." It was at the same moment that he saw who lay on the ground. "Little fella? What happened?"

"Bad guys. They shot him. He's going to be okay Joshua…" Even though she knew Alec couldn't die, she didn't miss the trace of uncertainly in her voice.

"Max." His voice was weak and he'd passed out after talking with Tash, he didn't even realize that he had. He knew he must have though because someone had burned his shoulder, it still felt like it was on fire. His hand trembled as he reached out, it took all his effort to just lift his arm.

She dropped to the ground and leaned over him so he wouldn't have to turn his head. "I'm right here Alec. The chopper's on the way, you'll be fine."

"I'm sorry Max." He noticed Joshua and his eyes lit up when he saw the box he held. "You found…" He words died on his lips as his body went into shock.

"Oh my god." Tash struggled to hold him steady. She desperately didn't want him to tear the wound open, it was bad enough that he was still bleeding heavily from his abdomen. "Hurry up and get your ass back down here." She hollered up to Dean, who was making his way down the hill, shouldering the thick blankets on his uninjured side.

Just as the sound of a helicopter approaching filled the air, Tash's cell phone rang. Max answered, "hey." Her face grew pale and Tash knew it could only be bad news. Closing the phone, tears were already streaming down her face. "Logan stopped breathing a couple of minutes ago. They did CPR to revive him, I have to get back there. I won't get a second chance and I'm not letting him go without telling him… I won't." She said defiantly.

The helicopter landed and government medics were fast approaching. Tash got up and grabbed the box Joshua had been holding. "This will save Logan. Don't ask me how, just go. I'll watch over Alec, now go." When Max still lingered with a torn look on her face Tash pushed her. "That's an order soldier." She barked. Max took the case and seemingly blindly stumbled in the direction of her bike. Tash only hoped that she'd pull herself together and make it back to Seattle in time.

When the medics hoisted Alec onto a stretcher they sent strange looks to each other when they saw Joshua.

"What?" Tash questioned, more then slightly annoyed, "neither of you ever seen a child with birth defects before?" She turned around and picked up her gear. Joshua picked up his and stood there looking lost for a moment. "Come on Josh, you're coming with me, Alec's going to need us." Joshua might not know exactly what for yet but he'd soon find out.

Max burst through the door, cradling the precious cargo in her arms. "How is he?" she demanded of Original Cindy, who stood to one side with one arm around Asha.

"Not good, boo. He's very unstable. I'm so glad you're back."

Max smiled weakly through her tear-swollen eyes. "Tell me this is going to help." She sat by Bling and opened the box. There was a whole assortment of vials and bottles. Together, they pulled a few out and read the inscriptions.

"I have to tell you, Max, I really don't know." He didn't want give her horrible news, but he honestly didn't have a clue as to what would be helpful and what could be dangerous. He was only a physiotherapist. He had limited exposure to drugs and medications, but this was way out of his area of expertise. "Josie'll be here in a minute. When you called Sam, he called her and told her that we were desperate. She hasn't come up with a cure, but she's got an idea of how to get him to hold out a little longer. Maybe she might know which of these could help Logan."

When Josie arrived, she immediately looked over the entire contents of the box. Comparing the inscriptions with her notes, she found two bottles that matched Miranda's solution. One of the two had an alternate base solution to the other. From the formula, she surmised that it was for the treatment of the carrier and not the recipient. "Can we trust the source?" She finally asked. Max nodded hesitantly and moved aside as Josie collected a few items from her satchel and went to sit by Logan on the bed.

Everyone watch silently as Josie filled the syringe and tapped out the air bubbles.

Gently lifting Logan's arm, she injected the yellowish liquid into his vein. "He needs a new intravenous drip, and what I thought he could use was a transfusion to help with his blood pressure." She held a cotton wad to the injection site and taped it securely. "He should show some response to the treatment in about 30 minutes. In the test lab, the reaction was almost instantaneous in a small sample. Being so far advanced and on a larger scale, it's going to take longer." She watched as the group seemed to sag with pent up exhaustion. They'd all been tightly strung the last couple hours, and the close call hadn't helped ease the already high tension. "He'll just be resting now, there's nothing more to do but wait."

Bling led the girls away to the living room, thinking to leave Max alone with Josie. Before he left the room, he stopped in the doorway and looked back at Max. "It'll be okay, Max. Logan's always been a fighter. He'll be okay."

When Bling disappeared around the corner, Max turned back to look at Josie. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her expectantly.

"I'm thinking this is for you?" Josie showed Max the small bottle, filled with purplish liquid. When gently turned, it was evident the two substances were suspended separately. She shook it in a circular motion, making a small hurricane inside the bottle. Something so small, yet so vital. It was strange to think everything could change with the contents of the bottle.

Max swallowed back tears and smiled weakly. Bling left the room, and there was no avoiding answering Josie now.

~Spend all your time waiting

For that second chance

For a break that would make it okay

Always some reason

To feel not good enough~

"Maybe I should just go. He's going to be okay now. I should go before he wakes up." Max stood and walked away from the bed.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do, is that he would want?" Josie whispered.

She didn't know what he would want, or how he would react to her even being here. In her mind, it was enough to know that he was going to be okay. So why stay? Logan was safe now. He'd be alright. Besides the Josie was going to be watching him, and Asha was more than capable of caring for his needs. Why was she still here? Walking to the window, she looked at the sky. It was dark and starless, like her future, seeing no hope and no light. Thick angry clouds blocked out the moon, and the streets below looked full of waste, trash, mud, wasting human lives, no direction. It was beginning to rain, slowly at first and steadily pouring harder.

"If I don't take the antidote, it'll keep me away. Then he can move on with his life. Crisis over, problem solved." She whispered, reaching out and touching the cold glass. Feeling its coolness wash over her skin and seep into her blood.

Josie stood and walked toward Max till she was less than a foot from her. She resisted the nagging urge to hug the other woman, instead just rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Leaving won't solve anything. It won't give you peace, and it definitely won't give you the answers I know you want to hear."

~I need some distraction

Oh beautiful release

Memories seep through my veins

They maybe empty

Oh and weightless and maybe

I'll find some peace tonight~

Max didn't respond. She just continued to stare out the window. It hurt to swallow. It hurt everywhere; inside her chest, in her throat, inside her head. More than anything, she wanted to believe that he'd need her to stay, but without hearing his voice speaking those sentiments, she knew she couldn't, she wouldn't.

"Sit," Josie ordered. Her patient complied somewhat reluctantly, but did as she was asked nonetheless. She rolled up Max's shirt and swabbed her inner arm thoroughly. Filling another syringe with the entire contents of the bottle, she tapped it gently before swiftly jabbing it into Max's arm. Expressing the liquid from the barrel into her vein, she watched as a ripple started to crawl down Max's arm. Taking the needle out, she put a cotton wad over the injection site and bound it securely in place. "In a bit, I'll take a blood sample of yours and Logan's to the lab and test it. Then we'll see if we're clear." Josie got to her feet, collected her things and quietly left the room.

Trying to ignore the rapid tingling travelling up her arm and moving slowly down her back, Max turned to look out the window.

"Max?"

A voice behind her whispered her name. At first, she brushed it off as part of her mind playing tricks on her. When it was whispered again, accompanied by the gentlest brush across her arm, her heart leaped out of her chest.

"Logan! Oh dear god, no." A tear spilled from her eye and trickled down her cheek. They had no idea if she was cured or not, whether she could re-infect him. There had only been one dose in the box. If she'd given him the virus again, there was no saving him. Why hadn't she left? If she'd gone when she thought to, she'd be away from him, far away from Seattle, and Logan would have been fine.

"It's okay, Max. It doesn't matter anymore, you're back. You came back." Logan reached out, touching her cheek and brushing away her tears.

"It's not…"

He hushed her with a fingertip across her lips. "No more. Don't say it." He shifted slightly, so he faced her. He let his arm drop and closed his eyes for a moment.

Logan was silent for a while, and Max thought he'd relapsed. The whole time she never realized that she'd been holding her breath. She let it out all at once the moment his eyes sought hers again.

~In the arms of the angel

Far away from here

From this stark cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you feel~

"I sent you a letter, remember?" She nodded slowly in response, another tear slipping down her cheek, and she turned her head away. "Max? I don't care about the past, I won't ask you to tell me if you can't. I meant what I said. Things I could never tell you, I wrote in that poem. You're my world and everything in it. My heart, my soul…" Using what strength he had, he reached out to turn her eyes back to him.

Logan's careful fingers gently held her chin, and she followed his movement. Turning back to face him, her eyes not wanting to witness the feelings she knew were written in his.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Logan. I'm so sorry." Max moved closer to the bed and dropped her head on his chest. Through the sheet, she could hear the steady beat of his heart, his warmth passing through the soft material and chasing away the cold that was strangling her heart.

Logan reached up and pulled her closer, letting her tears fall, all the while gently brushing her beautiful dark curls and whispering his love in her hair.

There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much that she wanted to change. Things she wished she could undo. He wasn't making it any easier by accepting her so readily, telling her things she wasn't sure she was ready to hear. All these feelings pouring through her were frightening. So intense and so uncontrollable. It made her feel so vulnerable, so broken. She needed to tell him about Alec, what had happened between them, where he was now. But it almost seemed impossible, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to tell Logan. Not if it meant that he would push her away. If it would change all the things he'd just said to her, what she was to him.

~You are born from the wreckage

Of your silent revelry

In the arms of the angel

May you find, some comfort here~

Dr. Sam Carr rounded the corner and saw the small company seated in the waiting area. Such long faces and warn expressions. It was times like this that he wondered if he could be the doctor he'd always wanted to be. One that saved people everyday, only had good news to tell, and could wear a genuine smile when he punched out for the day.

"How is he?" Tash asked apprehensively. She stood as soon as she saw Sam approach. Nervously, she drew her hands in fists and planted them at her sides. She wouldn't get twitchy now, not now. Alec needed her to be strong; she had to pull it together.

"Dr. Shankar and I worked on him for the past two hours. In about 30 minutes, he'll be moved from Recovery to a private room. He's gonna make it. He's lost a lot of blood, and the damage was extensive. Bullets cut clean through. His shoulder was minor; it was his stomach wound that had us really worried. There was a lot of internal bleeding. He's patched up well, and it's a good thing we have you two here. He'll need more than we can release from the bank. We're on restrictions due to the low blood supplies."

~So tired of the straight line

And everywhere you turn

There's vultures and thieves at your back

Storm keeps on twistin'

Keep on building the lies

That you make up for all that you lack~

"No problem, Sam. Give me what I need, and we'll take it from here." Tash nodded over to Joshua, who looked up at her expectantly. "We're going to help Alec, Joshua."

"Helping, Alec." Joshua tossed down the magazine he'd been reading and stood up.

"I'll get the supplies you need, and I'll take you to him when I get back. Is it only the two of you who are going to transfuse him?" Sam queried.

Dean paled slightly and cleared his throat, "Ah, doc, I'd love to help out, but I'm B- and I'm not sure I can donate to him…"

Tash put a hand on his good shoulder, he'd been patched up when they'd arrived at the hospital, but being a norm, she was sure he'd lost enough blood for one night. "Alec is O- and so am I. We could test Joshua just to make sure he's compatible."

"We'll get him screened, and I'll be back in a few." Sam indicated for Joshua to follow him, and they left Tash and Dean in the waiting area.

~It don't make no difference

Escape one more time

It's easier to believe

In this sweet madness

Oh this glorious sadness

That brings me to my knees~

About half an hour later, Sam returned with Joshua, and they all made their way up to Alec's room. He was on the third floor, still in ICU, but they'd given him a private room.

Sam gave Tash the catheters and tubing and checked over Alec once more. "He seems to be stable. I'll check back in an hour. If you need me, or if there are any changes in his condition, page me ASAP."

"I will and thanks, Sam."

"No problem." He replied and quietly left the room.

Tash inserted the needles and rested the tubes gently on the bed. Reaching over with her free arm, she helped Joshua connected his. They were both discreetly transfusing Alec in separate arms. Dean just went to get coffee, and Alec is still unconscious. Sam had said it could be awhile before he regain consciousness. Tash knew their blood would help Alec's recovery. The stem cells in their blood would rebuild the damaged muscle and tissue in a couple hours. Boosting his blood pressure and adding to his red cell count would put the colour back in his pallor. He'd be fine. She made sure she kept reassuring herself of that fact. Alec would be okay. He had to make it.

Dean walked slowly back down the corridor. Carefully balancing two steaming cups of black coffee, he came to the room and paused at the window. Through the blinds, he could see her profile. Behind her was a small light, setting a warm glow through the whole room. Coffee forgotten, he just stared at her. She looked like an avenging angel, her cheeks wet with tears, long fiery curls framing her face and falling about her shoulders. At that moment, she turned and met his eyes. He saw determination in her blue eyes, stubborn denial. He knew that Alec had better not die, or he'd have to bodily restrain her. Not only would she personally hunt down White and take him apart piece by piece, but she'd probably maim the guys who shot Alec too.

She smiled at him before turning back to look at Alec. Dean remembered the coffee and kicked himself mentally. Way to go idiot. Caffeine would be really good for Alec now. He walked to the trash bin and dumped the cups in. Water and something to eat would help Tash and Joshua now. Coffee would just dehydrate them and make Alec agitated once he woke up.

He decided he'd race down to the nearest take out joint or convenience store and jet back. He debated over whether he needed to tell Tash. Nah, it wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes.

~In the arms of the angel

Far away from here

From this stark cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you feel~

Tash felt the blood flowing from her vein, and the slight tingling starting in her arm reminded her that she wouldn't be able to give much more. After having something to eat and resting for an hour or so, she'd be able to start again. The tubes between them ran crimson, and as her skin grew pale, she could see a healthy pallor returning to his face. She smiled, knowing that in a few hours, he'd be awake, and everything would be okay.

When Dean got back, all three of them were asleep. Joshua, with his head back, a little spot of drool collecting in his right shoulder, and he was snoring quietly. Tash was asleep on the edge of the bed near Alec's right arm, her hair pooled over her arms and his. Her eyes were closed, and her long lashes just brushed her cheeks. Three small words broke the silence and caused a rush of blood to pound in his ears.

"I love you…"

Dean looked from the wounded man to the sleeping woman. All of a sudden he felt disconnected from them, like he didn't even recognize them. They seemed alien to him, like strangers. He's throat tightened, and he forced himself to swallow, but it didn't stop the silent tears from spilling down his cheeks. He'd been stupid to believe that she could have loved him. Crazy to think that she could have waited for him. It had been too long. His ex girlfriend couldn't even be without him for a week. He'd gone on assignment to Japan once, and when he'd gotten back, he'd found her in bed with the systems analyst. Stupid to boil it down to his absence. It'd probably been going on for awhile, but he hadn't wanted to delve into it. Tash was a beautiful woman; she was stubborn, aggressive but fiercely loyal. She was special, unique. She'd made a huge difference to him. He'd fallen in love with her. Almost from the first moment he'd seen her. Maybe even before that, the first time he'd heard her voice, heard her sing that song at Crash. He'd been so blind. She couldn't be with him any more than she could change her genetics. They were different people, headed in very different directions. It was better for them both this way. Alec understood her past, he had the same training, the same outlook on life, and the same fears…

~You are born from the wreckage

Of your silent revelry

In the arms of the angel

May you find, some comfort here~

Tash half opened her eyes; everything was foggy, like in a dream. She turned to the door to see Dean standing there, with a look of shock written plainly on his face. She tried to say something, to ask what was the matter. But sitting up and moving in his direction, she realises she's still connected to Alec.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver chain, a crystal figurine hung between his fingers, and he gently lifted it over his head. Walking towards her, he lay it across her hands. "It's better this way, I can't give you what you need."

Pleading with him with her eyes, wanting his understanding but only seeing hurt, she let him leave. She couldn't force out any words. She couldn't even think of anything. Her brain was in a muddy mess. What happened? Did she say something? Did he ask her something? Then she vaguely remembered hearing Alec's voice. She thought she'd been dreaming. Alec said I love you. She looked at his face; he was still unconscious. He must have thought she was Max… She couldn't believe that Dean would have thought… that he just assumed… he'd walked out on her. He hadn't even given her the opportunity to explain at all. In the space of less then a heartbeat, he was gone. She knew he couldn't possibly leave the hospital altogether, but his reaction had cut her deeply. Looking back at Alec, she wondered just how things had become so messed up.

~Spend all your time waiting

For that second chance

For a break that would make it okay

Always some reason

To feel not good enough

And it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction

Oh beautiful release

Memories seep through my veins

They maybe empty

Oh and weightless and maybe

I'll find some peace tonight~

High in Fogle Towers, looking out the window as the rain poured down, Max sent out a silent prayer for Alec. She didn't even know if he was alive, nobody had said anything. When she'd arrived at the penthouse, Sam had already left. A gentle squeeze pulled her attention from outside and back to the man sitting up on the bed. Logan would be okay. He was looking better with every passing moment. But she couldn't shake the image of Alec lying in the mud, blood pooling underneath his wounded body. He'd been trying to say something to her, an apology? For what? She'd dismissed it, trying to reassure him that help was on the way, that he'd make it. But she hadn't been there. She had left. Despite the fact that Tash had ordered her to go, she still felt like she'd chosen to leave him.

"So long as you're part of my future, Max, nothing else matters." She turned back to him and smiled through her tears. Tears of relief, apprehension of what it meant for her future, and a small part of them were for Alec.

Logan watched as Max looked back out the window at the rain. She looked so drawn, lost. He wondered if it was over him or something else. Where were Tash and Alec? Then, for the first time, he noticed that her clothes were caked with mud, and there were dark patches around the cuffs of her sleeves and waist of her shirt. He promised the past didn't bother him and that he wouldn't press her to tell him anything, but seeing her after so long… he wasn't sure he could wait.

Could they really start over like nothing had happened in their time apart? That perfect fairytale was beginning to look very disbelieving. The longer she sat staring out the window, the more it gave him the uneasy feeling that things weren't heading for an easy road. If anything, it'd be the usual. Max doing the running and he the chasing. He wasn't sure he was ready for it. He wasn't sure he was even up for it.

Maybe he should let her go. If it's what she wanted. You love someone enough, you should set them free. If they don't come back to you, they were never yours to begin with. As he studied the woman before him, he knew what he had to do, and it was to be the fourth most painful moment of his life. He must be making a habit of them; they mostly seemed to involve Max too. First when his parents died, second when he thought he'd lost her for life, and now, to let her go again. She'd disappear from his life for a third time… he was sure, he could even see it happening. Third strike and you're out. Looking at her profile, the lighting from outside flickering across her face, he said his farewell.

...h.o.m.e...