“Since I was young, I’ve tasted sorrow on my tongue...

Too late, I’m coming undone.”

- Korn, Coming Undone

“Max? You like your beer all warm and watered down?”

Max glanced up from the rim of her glass, around which her fingers had been absently tracing. O.C met her confused stare with a look of open amusement.

“What?” Max asked.

“Your beer ain’t gonna be good if you don’t start drinkin’ it now.”

“Right,” Max said, automatically taking a sip of the bitter liquid. It usually wasn’t that good anyway, so she didn’t see O.C’s concern. Of course, if she was actually able to experience the effects that alcohol usually produced, she might appreciate it more.

“Where’s yo’ head tonight?”

Max grimaced and took another swig of beer to hide her pause. Her thoughts were firmly on Alec, which only made her angry and annoyed. She didn’t want to think about Alec; she didn’t want to care.

“Just… Logan.” Max said finally, liking the lie better than the truth. Logan wasn’t a fun topic either, but him lingering on her mind was much more acceptable.

As Max expected, O.C believed it. “What’s wrong between you and yo’ boy?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Max said, and then barked a bitter laugh. “Well, besides the usual—y’know, that a virus will kill him if we touch. I just don’t know….”

“Don’t know what?” O.C prompted when Max didn’t answer. Max frowned, because it turned out she really didn’t feel like talking about this either.

“I just don’t know,” Max finished simply, honest confusion coloring her voice. O.C seemed to accept this, but then she was accustomed to Max’s ineloquence.

“It’s gon’ be okay, boo. You know that, don’t you?” O.C spoke earnestly but not truthfully, and they both knew it. Cindy couldn’t know that, anymore than Max could know what was going on with Alec.

Max wished for a moment that O.C would stop trying to comfort her and just be honest, but she knew O.C was only trying to be a good friend. A lot of Ordinaries delighted in keeping themselves ignorant; they hid away the worst possible scenario so that they didn’t have to think about it. Although Max had acted that way in the past, she was growing tired of it. The worst always seemed to happen to her, and therefore she needed to make herself aware of it.

She was saved from thinking anymore on the subject because she caught sight of someone who, though not on her mind at the present moment, had been lingering there most of the night. Alec had entered the bar while she’d been talking to O.C, and he was now standing at the edge of the pool table.

She would have been relieved, but she could tell that he still wasn’t himself. His shoulders were tense and rigid, and the expression on his face was both broody and foreboding. Her enhanced vision took in the tight lines around his eyes and mouth, and the steely cold look in his usually happy green eyes.

Whatever he was doing here, it couldn’t be good.

“Max? Max.” O.C called her name a few more times, and Max turned to look at her.

“What?” She asked again, eyes flitting between O.C and Alec.

“What’s goin’ on with you tonight?” O.C asked, although Max suspected it was a rhetorical question. “I asked you if somethin’ was wrong with yo’ boy.”

“What? Logan’s fine,” Max said distractedly. Alec had started talking to a big group of guys, and he seemed to be challenging one of them to a game of pool. Hustling someone who had five or six friends to back him up was a terrible idea, and Alec knew that. 

“Not Logan,” O.C said with a small, rather knowing smile. “Alec. He’s lookin’ upset.”

Max looked at O.C in surprise, and the other woman raised her eyebrows. After a moment, Max shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. Something is going on with him, though.”

“Duh,” O.C said, her gaze flicking back and forth between Max and the transgenic in question. “You say somethin’ to him, boo?”

Max looked back at her, startled. “What? No. And even if I had, nothing I could say would upset Alec. He doesn’t care.”

O.C raised her eyebrows again, the look on her face distinctly perceptive. “You sure about that?”

“Of course,” Max answered absently, watching Alec’s game progress. He had missed the first few balls, but each bad shot had clearly been purposeful. He wasn’t just scamming his competitor; Alec was playing with him.

“This don’t look good, boo,” O.C said, her voice a few pitches lower. “He don’t usually flaunt like this.”

Alec flaunted all the time, but it was always in a harmless, carefree way. Max wasn’t so sure about this, especially when she saw the way Alec began to make superb shots. There was no finesse to his hustling, no care to hide his aptitude.

“I think I’m going to go check it out,” Max said decidedly, taking one more swig of her drink before hopping off of her stool. O.C tipped her head in approval, and Max walked over to the pool table. She heard the argument as soon as she was within earshot.

“You’re playing us, man!”

Max looked quickly at Alec, expecting a response to diffuse the situation. Instead, the transgenics eyes narrowed and his lips quirked into a mean smile. “Well, you’re not as dumb as you look.”

“Alec!” Max said sharply, alerting all of the testosterone-driven men to her presence. She ignored the leers as Alec swung around to look at her.

“Who’s the pretty lady?” Loser Number One said, taking a step toward her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust but didn’t back away. If she had to, she could take him down easily. Loser noticed her lack of reaction and took it as a sign of interest.

“She yours?” He asked Alec, eyebrows raised. “If she is, she won’t be much longer. Bitch is taking a liking to me, I can tell.”

Max let the revulsion blanket her face. It was so tempting; just a flick of her wrist and he’d be on the floor, begging for mercy and too afraid to ever talk to another woman. She would be doing the world a favor, really—but she couldn’t. The risk of exposure was too great.

“Alec, what are you doing?” She asked, turning away from the loser and focusing on the transgenic. Up close he looked even more haggard, with dark circles under his eyes and a tense, hard set to his jaw.

The tension in his mouth was even more noticeable when he tried to smile. It was a dim, ghostly comparison to his usual grin. “Just a friendly game of pool, Max.”

“Yeah, real friendly,” Max said tightly, glancing pointedly at the six guys standing around them. It began to occur to Max that Alec wasn’t just trying to win some cash; he seemed to be deliberately picking a fight. The insults, the blatant display of his abilities, all of it pointed in that direction, but Max couldn’t figure out why.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Loser said, and suddenly his meaty hands were clamped around her wrists. “Give us some time with your girl, and we’ll forget all about this little game of pool.”

Max could have effortlessly freed herself, but Alec jerked the guy away and slammed him into the pool table before she had the chance.

“Alec, stop it!” Max hissed as people began to look their way. A fight in Crash would expose them completely. She and Alec could take these men down, but not without looking like a couple of revved-up freaks. “You don’t need to defend me!”

At this Alec grinned again, but there was malice laced inside the smile. “Believe me, I’m not.”

And then he pounced on Loser, which caused Loser’s friends to pounce on Alec. Max watched helplessly for a moment as the fight broke out, and then she joined the fray. She took down two guys before she was freed enough to reach Alec, and once she did she grabbed his arm and yanked him away from Loser, whose face he had been relentlessly pounding.

“Let go of me!” He snarled, teeth bared.

“No!” She growled, moving very close to his furious, heated face. “If you don’t come with me right now, I swear to God I’ll hand you to White, myself. We’re leaving!”

They had the attention of most of the bar now, and the bartender was gesturing to the bouncers. Max grabbed Alec by the scruff the neck; he violently shrugged her off, but moved towards the exit anyway. She gestured to security that they were leaving, and then jerked her thumb in the direction of the other guys. If they were stupid enough to follow, Max knew that she and Alec would have to take them down outside. Luckily, they looked like they were too surprised to consider the option. Max followed Alec out of the bar, making sure he didn’t try to double back.

He didn’t, but he did try to leave.

“Where are you going?” She asked fiercely. He glanced back at her, looking almost surprised that she’d asked.

“What’s it to you?” He asked, voice still set to that hard, cruel drawl he’d used with the men in the bar.

“If you think you’re doing this again, you’re wrong,” Max answered, shaking her head. She latched onto his arm, and didn’t let go when he tried to pull free. “Come with me, or I will drag you.”

His head shot up; her threat had clearly surprised him. His eyes narrowed on her face, and gradually he shook his head and laughed. “You couldn’t.”

“Look at me,” she demanded, and his eyes flickered to her enraged expression. “I’m so mad at you right now, I think I could. And if not, I could still put up one hell of a fight.”

He looked ready to take her on for a moment, posture tense and hands raised. She even thought he might accept, since he had deliberately gone looking for a fight in Crash. Then the weariness seemed to drip down his body like rain, and his shadowed face loosened. “Where are we going?”

She started walking. “Your apartment.”

Title: Burn
Summary: Alec runs into someone he used to
 Previous Chapters: Chapter 1
 

Chapter 2

“He just left!” Max shouted angrily as she paced back and forth in Logan’s apartment. “And did he give me a reason? Hell no! He told me to ‘save the world’ myself, and then took off into the night as if none of it even mattered!”

In her anger, she slammed her hand down onto a nearby table and flipped the entire thing over. A lamp crashed to the floor and shattered, and several papers skittered through the air. Max bit the inside of her cheek and counted to ten, willing herself to calm down. Then she picked up the fallen debris, her hands shaking slightly.

“Sorry,” She said shortly, turning to Logan with a regretful expression on her face. The apology was significant, meant to excuse both the broken lamp and the fact that Alec had ruined all of Logan’s well-laid plans.

“Don’t be,” He replied, his eyes also relating a deeper message. Logan was a keen observer that way. He knew exactly what upset her most, and was able to say something that could ease the guilt a little. She smiled, though it was gone faster than it had appeared. She still couldn’t get over her fury.

“I can’t believe he ruined everything. He should have at least known how to do this,” Max slumped into a chair and breathed through her nose as her limbs itched for something to pound. “He knew what he was doing. He had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. So why did he decide to just give up?”

Logan stared into space for a moment, apparently thinking, and said, “I really couldn’t tell you—don’t know enough about the guy.” He paused again, and then added, “But I do know that we’ll have to start over, which means we’ll need a new plan. Preferably one that doesn’t include Alec.”

“I should never have trusted him to come through,” Max said, shaking her head. “What was I thinking? I gave him a chance, and he does what he always does. He screws everything up.”

“It was my fault for bringing him into this,” Logan reminded her. “I could have said no when you offered the idea. Although, I assumed he could handle it. Didn’t he say he went on solo missions?”

Max shrugged and continued to pace angrily. “Apparently. I wonder how the hell he managed to keep Manticore from eliminating his ass, the way he messes up.”

“Had to be good at it at some point,” Logan replied, and there was a dark thread in his tone. Both Max and Logan understood that undercover jobs often required one to eliminate the subject being observed. As usual, however, they both avoided the topic of Manticore and the things the institution made its soldiers do.

Max sighed and sat as close to him as she dared. “What now?”

Logan had already pulled out his cell phone. “Now we need to think of another way to get the bad guy. Oh, and Max?” Logan added as he dialed, and she looked at him questioningly. “That tux was a rental.”

 -----------------------------------
 

Max unceremoniously banged on Alec’s door, just barely restraining herself from adding a bit more force and throwing her first through the thin wood.

After a few more noisy knocks and no reply, Max took to shouting. “Alec, get your lazy ass out here and open the door. Now!” She paused and waited for a response. She heard a slight shuffling sound, followed by a sharp intake of breath and muffled footsteps. “I can hear you in there! Open. The. Door!”

Finally, the lock tumbled and the door swung inward. A scathing reply rested on the edge of Max’s tongue, but she stopped short in surprise when she took in his appearance. His usually laughing green eyes were dark and foreboding, his cheekbone stood out hollowly against pale skin and his hair was severely rumpled, as if he had repeatedly run his hands through it. He looked about as hellish as someone with genetically perfected genes could look.

“What the hell happened to you?” She blurted, her expression morphing into a frown.

His eyes narrowed slightly, the only reaction to her question. He offered no explanation or reply, and she placed her hands on her hips and glared. 

“You don’t want to talk? Fine. I don’t want to be here, anyway.” He raised a mocking brow, wordlessly asking her why she was at his apartment if she didn’t want to be. “I need the tuxedo you wore yesterday. You know, when you flaked and screwed up the whole job? Logan needs to return it.”

“Fine,” He said curtly, his voice echoing from deep in his throat. He turned, leaving the door ajar, and disappeared into the back room. She glanced around at his apartment, remembering how it had looked when Brain had lived in it.

Things were drastically different now. Clothes littered the floor, along with garbage and empty glasses of scotch. She grimaced in disgust, wondering how he could live in such a mess. He returned a moment later with the tux, which was wrinkled and dirty.

“Nice, you didn’t even bother to keep it clean. Same goes for your apartment. Do you ever pick up after yourself?”

His eyes flashed dangerously and he slammed his fist into the wall two feet from her head. “Why don’t you lay off, huh?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her surprise at his sudden burst of anger. “Fine. But I’m not the one who proved to be completely unreliable and selfish.”

His eyes flashed again, and she thought she saw a shadow of an emotion buried beneath all the anger. “Just get out, alright? You got what you came for, so go.”

“My pleasure,” Max said, waving in a falsely cheery way and then walking out the door. He slammed it behind her and she made her way out of the apartment complex.

 -------------------------------------

Alec took another swallow of scotch, his eyes focused blankly on the wall in front of him as the liquid lit a burning path down his throat.

Berrisford.

His muscles tensed as the name whispered through his mind like a curse. His hands contracted tightly, and he jerked in surprise when his glass shattered under the pressure and sent jagged shards through this palm. Rather than moving, he clenched his hand into a fist and absorbed the pain. He deserved it.

Rachel.

This time it was more like a sigh dancing through his mind, and it was accompanied by an echo of long-forgotten laughter. Her laughter.

He’d let them kill her. And then he’d let them take his memory of her away.

He slowly uncurled his fist and reached into his pocket, extracting a small locket with intricate designs and a thin gold chain. Alec had never understood where it had come from. He had found it one day, buried underneath his mattress at Manticore. His first instinct had been to trade it with the guards for something more enjoyable, but he had never been able to hock the thing.

Now he remembered. All it had taken was a brief glance at her father, and Alec’s memories had forcefully returned to him. He had taken the locket from her, and he had hidden it away from Manticore the night before they had thrown him into Phy Ops for Reindoctrination.

He stood up and began to pace, ignoring the small droplets of blood that fell from his hand. The guilt overrode him completely, squeezing his throat like a fist. He gasped and halted dead, closing his eyes to force the emotion away. It was usually easy to do; he had never had a problem burying the regret and anger and sadness before. Manticore had taught him well.

The blissful numbness only lasted for a brief second though, and then her face flashed through his mind again. The guilt came crashing back in, bringing along with it the agony of bone-deep regret. He felt as if every cell in his body was screaming for some kind of resolution, but he had no way to provide it.

He had never felt like this before—never even been close. The only time he’d experienced anything remotely like this had been when he’d almost killed Max. But he hadn’t hurt her, and now all that rested on his shoulders from that instance was the loss of the Cure. This was different. Rachel was dead because of him.

“Fuck,” He cursed, the word barely more than a cracked whisper. Her buried his head in his hands, and then flinched when the glass from his palm bit into his face. His head shot up and he was striding before the door before he’d even realized he’d made a decision.

He just knew he had to get out of here. Now.

Title: Burn        

Summary: Max and Alec go on an undercover mission for Logan. Things go horribly wrong, however, when Alec sees someone he used to know….

Timeline: Everything up to The Berrisford Agenda.

Pairing: MA.

A/N: This story is an alternative take on the Berrisford Agenda. Some things will be similar, but there are lots of twists and turns along the way. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Dark Angel.

Chapter 1

“You see that I can play a pretty convincing role,
So I don't need you, I don't think I need you.”

      -  Jars of Clay, Sinking                    

“I can’t believe I let him talk me into this.” Max hissed angrily under her breath. She released a long line of expletives as she pulled on her black heels and attempted to straighten the straps on her skimpy black dress. She stamped her foot in annoyance when one strap remained stubbornly twisted behind her back, and her companion chuckled deeply.

“Here,” Alec said, sounding amused as he unwound the thin scrap of material. His hand lightly and purposely stroked her skin as he did so, fingers lingering just where her shoulder blade met her back. She grabbed the lapels of his expensive tuxedo and she slammed him up against Logan’s car, moving very close to his face.

“Let’s get one thing straight, here. You are pretending to be my date. You will only touch me when necessary, and there will be absolutely no caressing, kissing or licking.” She released him and growled in annoyance when she realized he still looked amused.

This was the last time she ever let Logan talk her into doing something like this. The plan had originally been for Logan and Max to attend an upper-class party, and for Max to sneak away at some point and snag the documents Logan needed for his latest Eyes Only project. However, it had turned out that the security system was immensely complex, and required a team. Two very skilled, very well-trained cat burglars. Unfortunately, that had led to only one conclusion, and neither Logan nor Max was very happy about the new plan.

Alec, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. “Licking? Get your mind out of the gutter, Maxie. I have no intention of licking you tonight.” He put a delicate stress on the last word, as if to indicate that he would at some point want to lick her—just not on this occasion.

She didn’t deign to respond as she began walking up the winding path to the mansion. Any house that needed its own parking garage for guests was really too big. Alec followed along, his pace slow and easy compared to her stiff, angry stride.

She had to admit that he looked wonderful. His tux fit him perfectly, and he didn’t look awkward in it as many men did. His hair was combed neatly, curling at the edge of his collar; she grimaced when she caught site of the small lines marring his neck. No matter how many times she told him, he was always caviler about covering his barcode. His green eyes sparkled with mirth and a smile lit his full lips as he caught her stare.

“Surprised I clean up well?” He asked in response to her ongoing scrutiny. He studied her in the delicate black dress, his eyes lingering over the low-cut neckline and the thin straps that revealed her smooth, tan shoulders. Then his gaze glided up to her face, and she could tell he was inspecting her attractive hairstyle and makeup-slathered face. “You don’t do too bad yourself. Who knew that was hidden under all the attitude and bulky clothing?”

She punched his arm with enough force to make him wince. “Just this once, could you please restrain from talking?”

“But then I wouldn’t get to hear the sound of my own voice.”

She snorted, realizing he had beaten her to the punch. Her next comment would have definitely involved his fondness for listening to himself talk. “Just shut up and put your arm around me.”

He grinned, and his eyes lit up. “Now we’re talking.”

She resisted the urge to smack him, and instead allowed him to wrap an arm around her waist. “No, we’re here. Let’s make this realistic.”  

They stepped up to the door and handed their invitation to the butler. That small piece of paper had taken Logan almost a week to obtain, though he claimed it was well worth the effort.

 “Right this way,” The man said politely, ushering them into the house.

 It was huge, with a spiraling staircase dominating the room and numerous expensive paintings lining the walls. The entire place had a supremely wealthy air, and seemed to be decorated solely for the purpose of showing off the amount of money its owners had tucked in their pockets. Guests lingered throughout the place, drinking champagne in large groups and others inspecting the expensive decorum. 

Alec quietly cased the room, looking for the most valuable artifacts in case he decided to pay a return visit. Max did the same, although she studied her surroundings to make sure Logan’s plans went off without a hitch. The two gracefully immersed themselves into the crowd of people at the base of the staircase.

More than a few eyes turned when they passed; Max and Alec were easily one of the most striking couples at the party. Almost immediately people walked up to them and introduced themselves. Max ignored the heated male stares, while Alec relished in the attention from the women.

Max felt a growing sense of annoyance as Alec continued his charming behavior. He was funny, alluring and magnetic, and he fit perfectly into the role of gorgeous poster child for Pre-Pulse wealth. After a particularly obvious wink at a beautiful girl dressed head to toe in designer gear, Max decorously leaned up and placed her lips close to his ear.

She smiled happily to maintain their cover, all the while managing to grind out, “Stop flirting with everyone in sight. You’re making yourself too memorable.”

“We’re already memorable, Maxie.” He replied, leaning down and brushing his lips over her temple as he whispered in her ear. “It’s better to pull the suspicion off ourselves by making everyone think we’re just a normal rich couple.”

She tensed at his closeness. He rested one placating hand on her bare shoulder and another on her lower back, so that she was loosely encased in his arms. “Relax. I know what I’m doing.”

She nearly growled, infuriated that he was using their cover as an excuse to tease her. Not that his touch felt awkward or appalling–actually, it felt warm and strong and confident–but he knew better than to touch her like this. She’d told him not to, dammit.

“Alec, darling?” She purred, and he raised an eyebrow in question. “If you don’t get every part of your anatomy off of me right this second, I’m going to throw you through the front window.”

For a moment he seemed to consider the challenge, a spark igniting in his eyes. Then he shrugged and pulled away. His only contact was a gentle arm wrapped around her waist, and Max told herself it was necessary.

“And who might you be, my darlings?”

Max and Alec turned to find a middle-aged couple staring at them with great interest. They were obviously very old money, both garbed in expensive attire and luxurious jewelry. Max quickly offered her hand and spoke before Alec had a chance. “Sara Krane, of the Greenwich Kranes. And this is my—”

“Fiancé, Alexander Holt.” Alec interrupted, smiling brilliantly. His gaze lingered on the woman until she blushed.

“I’m Elizabeth Dawson, and this is my husband, Thomas,” Betsy replied, patting her slightly drunk husband’s chest. Her eyes still rested heavily on Alec.

“Lovely to meet you,” Max said politely, feeling a bit annoyed at the woman’s ridiculous behavior. It nauseated her that Alec had such an effect on people. He could persuade anyone to do just about anything with a quick smile and a nod of that pretty little head.

Thomas leered at Max through his glass of champagne, and Max did her best to smile back. There was a slight lull in conversation, and Max struggled to think of what to say.

“Do you own your own company, sir?” Alec asked smoothly, nodding courteously to Thomas. The man nodded enthusiastically and waved his hands, a bit of champagne sloshing over the rim of his glass.

“I’m head of the company that creates all the gadgets for the Sector Police,” He replied, his words slightly slurred. “Although that’s just my own little business. My family has been inventing new technologies for years.”

“How interesting,” Alec replied, somehow managing to sound sincere. “Perhaps you could tell me—”

“Elizabeth!” A woman suddenly entered the conversation, walking up to their small gaggle and butting in between Elizabeth and Thomas. She glanced at Alec and Max, looking slightly surprised, and then said, “I apologize for interrupting. Would you mind if I borrowed Mrs. Dawson for a moment?”

Max felt interest bubble at the pit of her stomach, but held her tongue and instead said, “Of course.”  

The two women walked hurriedly away, and Thomas wandered off to find more champagne. Max looked at Alec again, but his gaze was focused over her shoulder. She turned too, and saw that Elizabeth and her friend were now speaking to an older, obviously wealthy man. 

 Max was about to turn to Alec again when she realized that his grip on her back had become tight and painful. She glanced at him, irritated, but he didn’t pay any attention to her glare. In fact, he didn’t pay attention to much of anything, and it took her a moment to recognize the expression on his face. With his clenched jaw, pale face and dilated eyes, he looked bewildered and maybe even frightened.

“Alec?” She hissed, forcefully removing his arm from her waist. She noted that his hands were clenched into tight fists. “We need to—”

“I’m leaving,” Alec said low in his throat, interrupting her mid-speech. Anger clouded Max’s features; he didn’t even seem to be playing the part anymore. She looked at the other guests warily, noticing that his angry growl had attracted attention. Alec turned in a flurry of motion and stalked away, causing even more eyes to flicker their way.

Max felt anger boiling in her stomach, but she followed him quietly to maintain some semblance of cover. He had made it halfway to the door when she yanked him into an empty hallway and slammed him against the wall.

“What the hell are you doing?” She demanded, her voice losing all of its charm as she stared at him, utterly incensed. “You’re going to blow everything—”

“I have to go,” He broke in, shoving her away with such force that she fell backward into the opposite wall.

“We can’t go!” She replied, confused and furious. “What are you thinking, Alec?! We came here for a reason, and Logan needs the—”

“I don’t care!” Alec replied viciously, “Save the whole damn world on your own—I’m getting out of here. Now!”

She had never seen such cold fury on his face before. Amusement and arrogance were common expressions, but never anger and never anything this uncontrolled. In that moment, staring into his stormy green eyes, she felt a little afraid of him.

The fear was probably why she didn’t stop him when he turned and marched away. Instead she trailed along after him; she couldn’t stop him from leaving and she couldn’t pull this job on her own. There was no reason to stay.

 Once outside, he bypassed the garage and turned toward the eight foot fence bordering the property. Without a glance in her direction, he bounded over it and landed neatly on the other side.  

“Where are you going? We came together!” She shouted at his retreating figure, but he continued running as if he hadn’t heard.

Title: Favors
Author: Kelsey
Fandom: Dark Angel.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Slight MA.
Disclaimer: Dark Angel does not belong to me.
Summary: Max and Alec realize that not all transgenics are trustworthy. Of course, this realization only comes after they've been cornered in a trash dump by said untrustworthy transgenic. MA.