DISCLAIMER: All DARK ANGEL characters belong to James Cameron and Charles Eglee (Cameron Eglee Productions) and DARK ANGEL itself belongs to FOX.

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Photo courtesy of Still Frame

O.C. was sitting beside Alec's bed, her dark skinned hand on his forehead. Hearing Max enter, she looked up worriedly. "Our boy's not good," she said. "His fever's way up, and the seizures are increasing."

Which is when Max glanced at the I.V. bag and paled. "Sam didn't change the I.V. before he left," she said, rushing to the rack and confirming that the fluid had run out. "Alec's waking up, and it's way too soon."

"What will happen?" O.C. asked anxiously.

"He'll die," Max said simply, her eyes already filling with tears as she looked down on her brother's sweating trembling form.

"What's going on downstairs?" her friend asked.

Max shook her head. "It doesn't really matter any more," she said quietly as she took Alec's gun from the nightstand drawer.

O.C.'s brown eyes widened. "Max. No. You can't."

"Yes, I can," the X5 said, checking the chamber for bullets, her own hands now shaking. She glanced at Alec. "In fact, I have to -- for him. I promised. I won't let Lydecker have him back, and I won't let him die in agony." She sat down and set the weapon gently in her lap. "This is the only way."

The sound of car engines outside made O.C. dart to the window. "Maybe not, Boo," she said. "Looks to me like the Devil's leaving."

Max's brows drew down. Then she stood and joined the other girl, watching while all of the black sedans pulled out of the mansion's driveway and headed down the road. "This doesn't make sense," she murmured.

"Yes, it does," a new voice said from the doorway.

"Logan!" Max cried out, her heart leaping into her throat from joy at seeing him, but also out of fear. Behind Eyes Only, further out in the hallway, Sam Carr loomed.

"Looks like we got here just in time," the love of her life said gently as he looked beyond her to the dying transgenic lying in the bed. Sam pushed past them both, his medical bag in hand. Max saw the man had a black eye, as well as a split lip.

"Lydecker?" she said.

"Gone," Logan replied. "But not before doing some damage." He nodded at the doctor. "However, I was able to negotiate Sam's release."

"Why did they leave?" Max asked. "Without Alec and me I mean."

"Because apparently Lydecker got something even better -- for now," Logan said grimly.

And suddenly Max understood. "Berrisford offered him a deal, didn't he?"

"Yes," Logan said. "And I'd give my eye teeth to know what it was, because it must have been even more valuable than the two of you." Again, he eyed Alec. "Although, admittedly, the Colonel could always come back for his kids once he's through with Mercidyne's former CEO."

"Lydecker took Berrisford with him?" Max said.

Again, Logan nodded. Then he turned to Sam, the servos of his exoskeleton whirring faintly as he moved. "How is he?"

"The medication ran out and he's coming out of the coma way too soon," the doctor said grimly.

"Just put him back under," Max said, the words almost an order. Then she looked down at the gun she was still holding in her hand.

"I can't," Sam said. "The shock to his system in his current condition would kill him."

"He'll die anyway!" Max yelled.

"Maybe not," Logan said, his hand on her shoulder.

She looked back and up into his eyes, suddenly finding comfort there. "You think Alec might be able to fight this on his own?"

"Give him a chance," Logan replied. "One thing I've learned about your kind over the years, Max, is how incredibly strong and resilient you are. He's had a couple of days to heal, and the drug's out of his system." He shrugged. "If things go south, there are always alternatives." He, too, looked at the gun, and Max remembered that awful evening not so long ago in his apartment when Logan had caught her and Alec kissing.

However, she'd already made up her mind. "All right," she said. "We wait. If Alec wants to live ... we'll give him a chance. But if he's in too much pain, or if Lydecker comes back--"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone in the room, including O.C. knew what would happen.