ARCHIVE: No

This is a stand-alone story following the events of Max Allan Collins' DARK ANGEL novels SKIN GAME and AFTER THE DARK, and incorporating information revealed in D.A. Stern's THE EYES ONLY DOSSIER. -- author's note

Photo courtesy of Jensen Ackles Museum

"Okay," Max said, taking a deep calming breath. "We'll figure out another way." Once more, she glanced up at the camera. Since he was turning her down, their time together was running out. A wane smile. "How about just one kiss then, pretty boy. To say goodbye?"

"Now that," Alec said with a small smile of his own, "I can manage." Holding Max in his arms more tightly, he closed his eyes and took her mouth with his.

Their kiss was deep and passionate ... lingering. Max's hand tenderly stroked his dark blond hair ... the back of his neck ... his bar code ... gripped him tightly ... possessively ... The tip of his tongue touched hers and he drank in her honey taste. This truly is heaven, Alec thought. What I've fantasized about so many times ... Maybe I should reconsider. Maybe Max and I could--

The pain of his spinal cord severing in Max's lethal grip was so quick and sharp the neurons in Alec's brain didn't really have time to register it before the blackness took him. It was a kind death ... a humane one ... a gift from someone who truly did love him ...

*****

Max caught Alec's weight as he slumped in her arms, lowering his limp body to the floor. The crunch of the young X5's neck breaking and his tiny gasp of surprise as he was overtaken by such unexpected death were sounds that would haunt her for the rest of her long, tortured, incredibly lonely life.

"You're safe now, baby," Max cooed as she knelt and gently ran fingers through Alec's soft hair, cradling his head in her lap and watching with morbid fascination as the pupils of his staring sightless eyes irised slowly open, black obliterating the golden green forever, his nervous system destroyed with the severing of his brain stem.

Guards' running feet echoed in the corridor. "You're free and I love you, Alec." she said, touching her lips to the faint stubble of his beard, feeling ... tasting ... smelling him as his skin began to cool, kissing her transgenic brother one last time, knowing she'd never experience these sensations again. With trembling fingers she tenderly closed his eyes, letting him sleep, as her tears began to fall.

The cell door was thrown open. Hands gripped the insane X5 and pulled her to her feet.

"Alec! I'm sorry!" Max sobbed as they dragged her away. "I'm sorry!"

THE END