Background facts: No Ben in this story for the simple fact Max can't know his face, loved Ben's crazy ass to death though. And it follows most of the show just not the Alec parts, yes Max and Logan all that crap is true, virus and all, she was recaptured and Manticore is gone. As you read how Alec and what happened, pretty much my AU version of things gets explained.

Summary: Alec comes to town in search of the mother of his child, he finds a lot more then he bargained for when everyone's lives are put in danger. Max thought life couldn't get worse, she was wrong. When an annoying stranger enters her life she soon learns it wasn't by accident.

Chapter 1

Max felt herself dragging that morning after helping Logan out the night before with a job to retrieve information on a case. Logan, her mind thought, she was confused about them lately. They had been friends since oddly enough she broke into his apartment and he uncovered her secret but lately it was more then friendship, it started more that night she was recaptured and taken back to hell.

Because of a virus targeted only to his DNA, they couldn't touch let alone be a couple but it was a subject neither talked much of. They were both too chicken to bring up the subject and figure out where they stood, Max knew it wasn't something she wanted to do.

"Hey girl." She greeted her best friend/roommate as she sat down on one of the benches between the rows of lockers.

"Hey boo, I didn't hear you come in last night. How'd it go?" Original Cindy asked as she shut her locker.

"Long, we were stuck waiting for hours but Logan got what he needed." Max explained, Cindy was the only person that knew everything about her life, the transgenic Manticore secrets, and her confusion about Logan. "What's going on over there?" she asked nudging her head toward the reception stand where a group of employees stood.

"Welcoming the new guy, Normal hired him this morning after he drooled over himself. Apparently he's a fan of his work." OC laughed.

"His work?"

"Some cage fighter." She turned around. "Look at Normal, the boy is in love."

Snapping out of his daze, Normal the manger of Jam Pony began handing out packages and demanding everyone get to work. "Late again, don't think I didn't notice when you came in missy." He said to Max.

She sighed. "A few minutes, traffic was a bitch; sue me." She held out her hand for the package and caught the new guy looking at her but she began to stare at him as well. Something about him struck her as knowing; familiar. She stuffed the packages in her bag and walked away.

"You ok?" Original Cindy asked when they caught up outside.

"Yeah it's just…I don't know." Max shook her head and wrote it off as just one of those unexplainable moments in life. She had too much on her plate to worry about something that most likely meant nothing in the long run, or so she wanted to believe.

~*~

It was her, he knew it was her by her eyes, they were his daughter's eyes. All the months of looking and research finally paid off. Finally after so many disappointments, the point he was ready to give up, there she was.

As he rode the streets to his first delivery she clouded his mind. She looked nothing like her thought, she was more beautiful then he could've imagined but he had been sure of her eyes, there was no mistaking that.

"What do I do now?" he asked himself with a sigh. He risked everything to get to this moment and now that it was finally a reality he didn't know how he should proceed.

He knew one thing for sure, he had to keep Ava safe from the dangers that would always try and find them but also any new ones that rose even if that meant her own mother. He had to learn about her first and find out the type of woman she was.

He knocked on the door. "Jam Pony messenger."

~*~

"Thanks." Max said as she left another house. She agreed to meet Cindy back at Jam Pony to have lunch together, she arrived first. "Hey Sketchy."

"Hey Max, I have a question for you being on the female species. There's this girl and she's taking 'playing hard to get' to a whole new level. But I think she likes me and I know there's not another guy." He explained.

"How do you know?" Max questioned as she crossed her arms.

Sketchy shifted his feet. "Well I might've followed her."

"Stalking is not a way to a girl's heart."

Sketchy turned around at the sound of his voice. "Alec my man hey." He greeted with a nervous chuckle. "Oh this is Max, Max, Alec."

"Hey. We're sort of in a private conversation." Max tightly said, unsure where the emotion came from.

"No," Sketchy jumped in. "I could use the help, what do you think man?"

"Talk to her, tell her you don't like games and see where you stand. Girls like honesty and if she's not interested then cut your losses and move on without wasting time on a maybe girl."

Sketchy nodded. "Thanks man. Hey we're heading out to lunch, wanna join us?" he asked placing an encouraging hand on Alec's shoulder. Oblivious to Max's displease.

"Not this time man, I have a date."

"Ah you lucky dog you."

Alec smiled walking away. "You have no idea."

-

Isabelle A.