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For three weeks after that Max avoided him, and Alec felt like a jerk -- not that he blamed her. Afterall, he'd pretty much single-handedly destroyed her relationship with Logan -- the man of her dreams -- not just once (the virus), but now twice. As insane as Logan's behavior had been, Alec had to admit that he'd given the man reason -- and deep down inside he knew that, if the tables had been turned ... if Logan had shagged his girl ... he'd have gone for blood too.

Any way you looked at it, once again 494 was the bad guy.

And now I owe my life to Max -- again. If I keep this up, it'll take three lifetimes to pay her back.

Oddly enough, Max didn't seem to be angry at him, just ... distant. They talked occasionally, about business. He'd gotten Terminal City's request for medical care on the agenda for the next city council meeting, and Max had gone over the paperwork with him. But it made Alec feel awful the way she wouldn't look him in the eye.

Logan was still in his apartment on the edge of TC, presumably doing his Eyes Only thing, although he was rarely seen. Alec asked Max once about him. She shrugged and said she wouldn't know -- that she hadn't talked to Logan since that awful day. From her tone of voice he knew not to pursue the subject.

Alec also now felt as if he had to constantly be on alert. Cale might have given up his vendetta -- or he might just be biding his time. Which is why he finally confided in Joshua, telling him everything that had happened. He badly needed a friend he could count on, someone to watch his back. At first, Joshua had been angry with him, blaming him for Max and Logan's break-up. But then Joshua had a "little talk" with Max. Alec didn't know what she'd said to the dog man, but when the big guy came back from meeting with her he'd enveloped Alec in a huge hug. All was forgiven.

And then early one afternoon, he found Max tying a bedroll on her Ninja. "Goin' somewhere?" he asked, sauntering up to her with hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket.

She glanced at him, and as had become her habit, immediately looked away. "None of your business," she said.

Alec was used to this by now. Taking the hint, he turned to go.

"Alec!" Max suddenly said. "Wait. I need to get out of here for awhile. I need some space and fresh air to clear my head."

"I know the feelin'," Alec said, not unsympathetic.

"I'll be back," Max continued. "But I don't know when."

"You takin' your cell?"

"Yes. But it will be 'off'."

"And if you don't come back?"

Max stepped around the bike to stand directly in front of him, and for the first time in weeks looked him straight in the eye. "You're really the leader here now anyway," she said quietly.

"You sure you trust me with such an important job?" Alec asked sarcastically. "All by my lonesome, that is?"

"Yes," Max said bluntly. "I do."

"I'm flattered." He glanced at the bedroll. "You goin' by yourself?"

"Who else would I take along?"

Alec swallowed hard and stepped off the cliff. "Me?"

He'd expected an immediate rejection, but Max just stared at him, her eyes searching his face. It was obvious she was wrestling with something in her mind, but Alec was afraid to even guess what she was thinking.

"Alec," she finally said, choosing her words carefully. "I don't want another boyfriend right now. And you certainly don't want to be the rebound guy. Also, somewhere deep in my heart, I still love Logan. I can still feel him there, in spite of everything he's done. He's a good man who was just pushed too far, and that's mostly my fault."

Alec winced.

"But it's over between him and me," she quickly added. "He doesn't trust me any more, and he's also no longer the man I thought I knew." Her gaze intensified. "But then you aren't the man I thought I knew either."

"No," Alec admitted. "I'm not. But then you don't really 'know' me, Max. You never wanted to."

Max looked over at her packed motorcycle, then turned back to him. "Maybe it's time I did something about that," she said quietly.

Alec's heart stopped in his chest, then began beating wildly. Surely she couldn't mean--?

"Pack some stuff and get you bike," she said brusquely, doing a complete one-eighty on him, "Let Mole be in charge for awhile. He'll love it." She looked at him for a long moment. "Friends, siblings, enemies, playmates, bonk buddies ..." She shrugged. "I guess maybe it is time you and I figure this bitch of a relationship out."

*****

They headed inland for no particular reason Alec could see, using fake passes when their Seattle ones weren't valid, and blasting through the single checkpoint that questioned their credentials. Max was leading. Alec had no friggin' idea where she was going, and frankly didn't care so long as she let him come too.

However, by nightfall he was beginning to recognize the territory. Of all the destinations Max could have picked, this was the last place he'd think she'd want to return to.

She looked back at him, a big grin on her face, and swerved her cycle off the main road onto a dirt track that led into an isolated field. The hay-filled old barn with its grey weathered boards and peeling shingle roof looked a bit more dilapidated than the last time Alec had seen it, but otherwise they could have been stepping back a year and a half in time. He half expected to see a bunch of X6's come running out to meet them.

"Takin' a trip down memory lane, Max?" he asked as he swung his leg off his bike. Broken machinery littered the weedy drive in front of the barn, but otherwise there wasn't any sign of human habitation other than the fresh hay in the loft. The building was probably used as storage by a local farmer and was rarely visited.

"It's getting dark," she said, looking up at the moon just starting to rise above the tree line in the twilight. "We can stay here for the night."

"Max, we can see in the dark," Alec said. "Why not keep going? Or at least find a motel?"

"Come on," she said, beckoning to him as she headed for the barn. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Someplace where there aren't mosquitoes," Alec grumped, swatting at an annoying insect buzzing around his ear.

Inside, she stopped and just looked around, the memories obviously overpowering. "There's where we patched up Bullet," she said, pointing to a wooden table where they'd tended the young X6's wounded leg.

"I remember," Alec said, still wondering where this was leading.

Max was looking at him, a funny expression on her face.

"What?"

"You were real good at comforting that kid," she said quietly. "When I look back, I think that's the moment I realized you might not be all bad ... that Manticore hadn't destroyed your soul."

"Not that they didn't try," Alec said darkly, speaking more to himself than to her.

"Where did you sleep that night?" Max asked, looking around the interior of the barn. "You disappeared, but were back in the morning."

Alec glanced up. "Loft," he said matter-of-factly. "Hay was nice and soft, and it was private."

Max's scrutinized the rafters overhead, a speculative gleam in her eye. "Might be a decent place for us to spend the night then?"

"I suppose so," Alec said, shrugging. "At least we'd be out of the rain," he added as thunder rolled in the distance.

"Get the bedrolls," Max said. "And those sandwiches and pop we kept from lunch."

"There's that Quickie-Mart just off the main road a ways back," Alec pointed out.

"Not tonight," Max replied. "I don't want anyone knowing we're here."

"You mean two transgenics?"

"Exactly."

Alec couldn't argue with her logic. Besides, he was a bit tired and sore from the hours spent on his bike. A good night's sleep would be welcome.

*****

They spread their bedrolls side-by-side in the loft on a pile of sweet smelling hay. The second story doors were open at the end of the gabled roof, letting in the moonlight as well as a soft breeze. On the distant horizon lightening flickered again, a storm that might, or might not come their way.

Alec felt strange, just lying there, arms behind his head, looking up at the stars with Max beside him. His entire life had been spent in barracks and training grounds until he'd landed in Seattle. He'd never been on a farm, or fishing, or explored a woods just for the fun of it. A country boy he wasn't. Still, there was something deeply satisfying about resting here with the sound of crickets, tree frogs, and whip-or-wills soothing his senses.

Sleep wooed him. His eyes were fluttering closed when he felt Max stirring restlessly. Looking over at his traveling companion, he saw her staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"You're an idiot you know," she said. But there was no animosity in the words.

"So you've told me a time or two before," Alec replied carefully. "Can I ask what, exactly, I'm being an idiot about this time?"

"Why do you think I brought you here?"

"To get hay up my ass?" Alec tried, still not understanding.

Max sighed in exasperation. "I brought you here for this," she said, leaning over and touching her lips lightly to his.

Alec scowled and pulled away. "Is this a trick?" he asked, not finding it a very funny one if it was.

"No tricks," Max said, shaking her head. "I just think you and I need to find out something about our relationship."

Maybe he really was an idiot, Alec thought. Surely she couldn't mean--

"Damn it, pretty boy," she whispered, reaching out and pulling his head to hers. "Kiss me!"