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Photo courtesy of Jensen Ackles World

Max was beyond stunned. Falling into one of the mildewed armchairs she dropped her face into her hands. When she finally spoke, the words came out very, very slowly. "Why, in God's name, didn't you tell me this before, Alec?"

"Need to know basis?" Alec quipped, attempting to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"This isn't funny. You've suspected for over three years that I've got a Manticore tracking device buried somewhere in my body and you never told me."

"Oh, come on, Max. For a long time I never even thought about it, and when I finally did I figured the thing, if it really was in you, had probably died. It's not as if White ever located you with it. He'd have found you in a heartbeat if he'd had access to that kind of info on you. On the Red implant too for that matter."

"White knew about my special DNA," Max shot back. "He knew we'd been assigned as breeding partners. He obviously had Renfro's data. It's just a lucky break the fact I was wearing a bug never made it into my file." She looked at him hard. "I gather it was put into me while I was unconscious, after they tortured me trying to get Logan's location." She pursed her lips. "I should have guessed that myself. How else could you have found me at Logan's apartment? There was no way you followed me, not as fast as I was moving. You had time to go back to the barracks, change your clothes, get your orders ... Renfro gave you the location based on the signal from the tracker." She eyed Alec speculatively. "You know, you never did tell me exactly what was going on during that time, what your part of that whole 'let's infect Eyes Only with a lethal virus' deal was."

Alec smiled and shook his head tiredly, an old familiar look clouding his hazel-green eyes. "It was always just easier letting it alone," he said. "If I'd tried to explain, you would have gone ballistic and my person would undoubtedly have suffered considerable harm. And then later I didn't wanna remind you about things you'd rather forget ... things I'd rather forget too."

Max was looking a bit pale. "What aren't you telling me?" she said again. "Are you saying it's worse than I ever thought? Your part in infecting me I mean?"

Alec wriggled on the hardback chair he'd pulled up beside her. "Depends on your definition of worse."

"Spit it out!" Her eyes were lethal now.

Alec licked his dry lips. This wasn't easy for him, talking to his lover about how he'd once betrayed her.

"Let me get things started," Max said levelly. "After I was tortured and woke up back in my cell you'd already received orders to help me escape so I'd infect Logan with the virus and force him to be brought to Manticore. I was your job, your assignment, beyond the breeding partner bit I mean. All that solicitous worry you expressed for my well being was just part of your cover, including you saving my ass at roll call, you and your twice."

"Not exactly," Alec replied. "And hey, just let me point out for the record it could have been twice if you'd wanted. You know what I'm capable of." He wasn't fidgeting any more. He was looking right at her, not backing down. This had to be said. She deserved to know. Plus, he didn't want to live with a lie. "Max, you're right. I was workin' for Renfro from the very beginning. You were my job from the start, from the first moment I walked into your cell. Oh, the breeding partner stuff was for real too. I mean, if I got you pregnant all the better. But it was after Renfro realized exactly who in the X5 database was your best genetic match that she got an idea how to make you crack. She knew me ... knew my abilities ... my way with women."

Max snorted.

"Hey!" Alec said sharply. "I recognize my strengths, Max. I was designed to be a deep cover operative and they gave me the personality as well as the physical attributes to carry out my missions. I'd be a fool to deny that. So would you."

"You use your charm and charisma as a weapon," Max said quietly. "I guess I never thought about how deliberate it was, that's all ... never thought about how you might have used it on me."

"Of course I used it on you," Alec said, honestly surprised she'd never realized that before. "Renfro at first just ordered me to keep an eye on you, get you to trust me if I could."

"Which is why you never forced the copulation issue," Max said, nodding, understanding fully at last. "You wanted to befriend me and rape wouldn't exactly help things along."

"I'd never have raped you," Alec said quietly, deeply hurt that Max thought him capable of that, even if it was for a so-called job.

She studied his eyes. "I believe you. And, by the way, you do have sincere eyes." But the compliment was ruined when she added, "Part of the Manticore personality package I suppose, that and the attractive ass."

He ignored her. "I also really didn't report that you were trying to dig your way out of the cell. Although I should have. The last thing I needed was to botch another assignment and end up back in re-indoctrination or psy-ops."

"But you didn't turn me in," Max said. Then a thought occurred. "Renfro must have known I was about to escape though. Why else infect me with the virus?"

"She did know," Alec said. "But like I said, not from me. It was probably one of the freaks in the basement who saw you workin' on the bars. Renfro's the one who told me you were tunneling out -- I had to act surprised -- and she ordered me to help you, make sure you succeeded."

"So, she clued you in on the virus then," Max said, understanding. "You helped me escape, putting on a double show, one for me and one for the watching guards, making it look like you were trying to apprehend me and Joshua but all the time taking out the X7's and clearing the way -- not really for my sake though, but because of Renfro's orders. Then you went back to the barracks, changed your clothes, and Renfro gave you my location."

"That's how I arrived so soon after you did at Logan's. I was never far behind. We have to assume you have a tracker in you, and Lydecker's got access to the frequency."

"You know," Max said. "I saw the tapes from Logan's apartment, how you were holding a gun to his head after he passed out from the virus. Then Asha came in, you disarmed her, and you left." Her eyes searched his again. "I never really understood that. Why didn't you just kill them both. Logan was your assignment and Asha would have just been collateral damage. You would have been back in Manticore's good graces, redeemed from the Berrisford mess, an elite respected assassin again."

Alec thought back, remembering that fateful day in Eyes Only's apartment. He shrugged. "I knew I should have pulled the trigger. Renfro wanted Eyes Only dead. But technically he was already dying and I just ..." He couldn't find the words.

"You didn't want to kill someone in cold blood," Max said softly.

Alec nodded once. "And Asha wasn't the mission."

"But she was a witness," Max said. "If you'd followed your training you were required to kill her too."

"I know," Alec said. "But I figured I could probably get away with it, go back and tell Renfro Logan was infected. Never mention Asha. Cover it up. Mission accomplished. Although technically, I failed -- again. I mean you did push the button that ultimately brought down Manticore which is what Renfro wanted to prevent in the first place."

"And what about me?" Max said.

Alec actually grinned. "Max, you were already dashin' hell bent back to Manticore. I didn't have to bring you in. You did it for me. As I said, mission accomplished, at least as far as 494 was concerned."

"Well," Max conceded. "I never thought I'd say this, but for once I'm glad you were half-assed about something. As usual, you only did the bare minimum for your assignment, and as a consequence Logan and Asha survived to live another day."

"Or, in Logan's case, die another day," Alec said darkly, talking to his hands. "Sometimes, lookin' back, I think I should have pulled that trigger after all." He glanced up. "Forgive me?"

"You seem to ask me that a lot," Max commented. "But yeah, you really were just doing your job back then and I suppose I ought to be thankful you weren't some committed die-hard jerk of a soldier who would have not only raped me but put a bullet in the head of the man I loved as well."

"Exactly," Alec said.

But Max was still looking at him funny.

"What?"

"You know though, you really are amazing. The way you can ingratiate yourself with someone, make them like you ... trust you. That's a real talent, Alec. No wonder Manticore gave you a second chance. X5's like you were rare."

"You mean ones with lethal personalities?" Alec said. He stood up and moved to the window. It was raining again outside, but the air was quite warm for that time of year.

"Ones with souls," Max corrected, coming up behind him and wrapping arms around his waist in a hug. She glanced over at the mattress that still lay on the floor in front of the cold fireplace. "While we're playing twenty questions you wouldn't happen to have any more fantasies you wanted to confess would you?"

He was staring at something out the window -- the Space Needle. He turned to her, an Alec-smile on his face. "Maybe one," he said, his voice husky and teasing.

"You've got to be kidding," Max said, looking up at the Needle. "There? Why?"

"Oh I dunno. Just that the thought of you and me naked up on top, doin' it with all of Seattle watchin' kinda turns me on."

"Watching?" Max said, incredulous. "You mean you're an exhibitionist at heart and I never knew it?" She hugged him more tightly. "Although, I should have guessed. You love an audience when you fight, why not when you fuck."

"I don't mean a real audience, Max," Alec said, backtracking a bit. "Just ... there's something about doin' it in a public place that's really hot."

Max looked at her watch.

Alec was there ahead of her. "We've got all night before we have to be at the rendezvous point for Lydecker," he breathed in her ear, hoping she was thinking the same thing he was. He glanced out the window again. "And the rain's lettin' up."

"Oh, all right," Max said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door. "But I better not freeze my ass off up there."

"Don't worry," Alec said, his eyes dead serious. "I'll keep your ass plenty warm. Guaranteed."

*****

Naked on top of the Space Needle. Max had to admit to herself that she'd also occasionally indulged in this fantasy. But watching Alec live the dream to its fullest was something else altogether.

The cool drizzle would have been too chilly for a human. However, their revved up bodies merely steamed in the mist, the water running in tiny rivulets over their bare skin.

Alec had stripped as soon as his feet touched the metal rooftop to stand buck naked on the edge of the tower, arms raised triumphantly, toes curled over the rim, only his transgenic sense of balance keeping him from plunging to his death. He didn't give a shit who might see.

Max found that incredibly arousing. "Show off," she laughed as her own clothes joined his in a pile that would serve as their bed.

The clouds were clearing, the rain stopping again. Max lay on her back with Alec between her legs, and watched as the stars came out one-by-one, each of his deep stimulating thrusts seemingly bringing forth another tiny perfect point of light.

"I love you," he murmured as his rhythm brought her closer and closer to her own edge, his strong hips and buttocks so slick and hot in her hands. "I will love you forever."

But Max was determined to punish Alec tonight. She wasn't going to make things easy. Instead she tormented him, clenching, arching her back, her breasts unbearably taunting. She loved it when he worked so hard to please her. But she loved it even more when he lost control.

Helpless ... her slave ... he came with the moon, its silver light spilling down on them the same moment his seed spilled inside her body, the scalding heat of his fluid pushing Max, too, over that edge at last.

And all of Seattle heard her cry out his name.