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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She held him while he threw up 14 times in a row.

She wiped away the tears of agony that were streaming down his cheeks, even when he gripped her wrist with his hand, called her a bitch, and screamed at her to stop ... to get Lydecker ... to get him a shot of Manticore's dope so the pain and vomiting and seizures would stop.

She held him tightly as he struggled against the belts they looped around his hands and feet so he couldn't get away or attack them.

She held him while he sobbed.

And finally ... she held him in her arms while he slept, exhausted, nearly unconscious, his great strength at last depleted to the point he could barely move ... barely breathe ...

And the whole time Logan stood on the other side of the room and watched ... and waited.

"Is it over?" Max whispered as Alec's ragged breathing at last slowed to a more relaxed cadence, his eyelids twitching slightly when he entered a normal REM sleep cycle for the first time in days.

Dr. Carr glanced at the monitors. "I think he's past the worst," he said, his voice equally quiet. "But there could still be internal damage or lasting side effects. We won't know until he wakes up naturally, and with luck he'll sleep for at least a day ... maybe longer."

Max gently caressed Alec's beard stubbled cheek as his head lay on the pillow, then she pulled the sheet up to cover his shoulders. It wasn't really cold in the room, but she could see fine goose bumps on the X5's bare forearms. "His fever's down," she said, her voice emotionless. "But he hasn't eaten anything in days."

"X5s can go for a week without food or water," Logan commented from where he was perched in a window seat watching the grounds below.

"I know," Max agreed. "He'll probably be all right now."

"He will be, Boo," O.C. said, putting a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Alec's one tough tom cat, and he's had you right by his side to help him through this. But now you need to get some food into yourself, sugar, and some rest too or Alec won't be the only X5 around here flat on his back."

Max had to agree.

"Come on," O.C. said, taking hold of her arm. "Let's go raid Mr. Robert Berrisford's fancy kitchen, then find you some place to crash. I'm sure with all the rooms in this palace there's bound to be at least one other bed made-up somewhere."

With one last lingering look at her sleeping brother, Max rubbed her face tiredly and let herself be led out of the room.

*****

Logan heard the two girls descend the stairs. Then he waited another full two minutes. Sam Carr had just left as well, needing to attend to his own practice, although he promised to be back in the morning.

Alone with Alec, Eyes Only slowly stood up, crossed the room, and stood looking down at the X5's peaceful sleeping face.

It would be so easy, he thought. All he had to do was take one of the pillows and hold it down for a minute or so. The boy would simply stop breathing, and Max would never be the wiser. Even if Alec woke up and tried to struggle, his wrists and feet were still tethered to the bed, and it was doubtful he was strong enough to break the restraints. Then Max would be his, and only his. They could have a happy long life together without the shadow of her love for another man haunting their relationship.

It might be his only chance to ever eliminate the competition ... eliminate Alec ...

But of course, it would also be murder ... killing an innocent young man while he slept ... not even the excuse of it being self defense as he'd so often pictured his final face-off with this rival for Max's heart -- him and Alec in a fight to the death over the woman they both loved.

This would be the act of a desperate coward -- and if Max ever found out ... even suspected ... she'd kill him. Look at how badly she'd reacted when she'd discovered his involvement in Seth's death. With Alec it would be a thousand times worse because, while Seth had been her brother, Alec was that and far, far more.

Logan glanced over at his shoulder at the partially open bedroom door. He could faintly hear Max and O.C. talking in the kitchen below.

But Max will never know ...

Picking up one of the extra pillows from where it had been tossed carelessly on a chair, he closed his eyes, steeling himself for what his head was telling him to do even while his heart was screaming "No!"

Kill Alec and all your problems will be gone ... kill Alec and she'll love only you ... kill Alec and she'll never leave you ...

"What are you waitin' for?"

Logan's eyes flew open as his breath left him in a little gasp.

Watching him with surprising keenness considering he'd been in a coma just the day before, X5-494 quietly said, "Do it, Logan. It's not like I don't deserve to die, and better at your hand than Lydecker's."

And just like that -- as hazel-green eyes held him prisoner in an unflinching gaze -- Logan Cale knew he could never do this ... not to Alec ... not to Max ... and not to himself.

He put the pillow down and instead eased himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. "I was just tidying up the room," he lied.

"Yeah, right," Alec drawled, his voice husky-hoarse from thirst but still imbued with the snark that had earned the X5 his name.

Watching his rival warily -- oddly afraid even though the X5 was shackled and as weak as the proverbial kitten -- Logan took a deep breath, with effort tore his eyes from Alec's and glanced toward the bedroom door. Then -- satisfied they wouldn't be interrupted -- he turned back and said, "We need to talk."