Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or the characters
Genre: Humor, Romance
Rating: T

La La Lovefest

Max sat at their usual table at Crash with the rest of the gang. She poured herself another glass of beer from the pitcher and took a drink listening to the current conversation. She had no idea how in the world the topic had turned to love and current crushes but she was clearly disinterested. Maybe because Valentine's Day is only three days away she thought lamely, the entire time the litany played over in the back of her mind "love sucks."

She looked over her glass to her friends. Original Cindy her best friend was laughing her short curly brown hair bouncing. She was a free spirit, straightforward and had an uncanny ability to read people. She relied on her advice more than anything else.

Sketchy as goofy looking as ever was drowning his sorrows after being turned down by yet another woman. He was hopeless when it came to the opposite sex. She couldn't help but smile along with her. Poor Sketch he probably deserved it.

She diverted her attention to Alec who sat back smiling along, his cocky grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was also her best friend but on a completely different level. He understood her where others didn't because he shared with her something the others couldn't. Manticore and a really messed up childhood. He usually stood up to her where no one else would and she silently respected him for it. He had to be the most egotistical person she knew but she also envied how comfortable he was in his own skin. He had mastered what she could only wish to accomplish. It had taken a while for her to realize it but he'd won a place in her heart as one of her most trusted friends.

He had that look about him again, like he was really up to no good and his eyes caught hers. "So what about you Maxie? What's your type?" He asked with a cocky grin. "I'm your type aren't I?" He absolutely believed he was god's gift to women. He was happy in his little world so she usually left him there, not today.

"Pu..lease. If I had a type which I don't, you'd be far from it." She retorted. "A woman likes to have a little attention. The way you rant about yourself there wouldn't be much left over for her." She had let herself be steered into the topic of conversation and mentally kicked herself. Alec always knew how to goad her.

"Oh oh I know, it's gotta be a bland, all work no play I'm ready to save the world type?" He said with a lilt of sarcasm in his voice. "Yep, that's definitely your type." He smirked in his glass of beer.

"Well at least it's better than your run of the mill blond bimbo with nothing between her ears." She shot back knowing she'd nailed him in one.

"Well… it's better than your common ice queen. Which shall remain nameless… I'd take anything over that. Now that is definitely NOT my type. Attention or not." He laughed at the dark look she gave him.

Someone tapped Alec on the shoulder and he turned around to the newcomer. "Normal!?" He was slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?" He looked around to the rest of the gang and felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Well hello to you too." He lifted his glasses where they'd fallen on the tip of his nose.

"Ugh sorry didn't expect to see you here that's all." He looked over at Max who was silently laughing. It was an ongoing joke between the staff that Normal was just a little too attached to Alec. He denied it of course.

I'm here to pick up some tickets to the Valentine's Day dance. This is the only place left with tickets. You guys should pick some up before they sell out. Never know what the occasion will bring." He wiggled his eyebrows at the rest of the crew. He gave a last smile at Alec before going to the bar.

Max couldn't help herself. "Oooh Alec you should really get one, you'll always have Normal to keep you company. He doesn't need that much attention." She winked.

"Yeah right that's equivalent to psy ops." He looked around the room and sighed. "I don't usually agree with you Maxie, but love sucks." He said saying out loud what she had been thinking the entire night.

Sketch looked over with a frown on his face at Alec's words but dropped it when he didn't understand. What's psy ops?

For what seemed to her like the hundredth time she had pushed Logan away again under the pretense that her and Alec were together. It had been the only way to get him to stop pursuing her. She loved him, but deep down she realized that she didn't love him for the same reasons he loved her. Besides she couldn't even get within a foot of him without endangering his life. All thanks to a Manticore designed retrovirus designated to target his specific DNA and no other.

O.C. watched the display between Max and Alec impassively; she'd had her share of heartbreaks. Sketch would go along with anything because lets face it he wasn't what you'd call a ladies man. He was like a lost puppy. Poor little white boy.

Max felt the hair rise on the back of her neck and turned around noticing Logan and Asha enter Crash. "This is just great." She said under her breath. "My night is almost complete. All I need now is White to offer to buy me a drink and I'll be a happy camper."

Alec laughed at her words and noticed where her line of sight was directed. "At least now you don't have to worry about hurting him anymore." Under his breath he added "Just wish you didn't have to use me as your scapegoat." The only person who could hear him would have been Max with her genetically enhanced hearing. She shot him a dirty look but never said anything. He was right, she had used him because to Logan it would have been believable he'd always felt threatened by Alec but she would never tell him that. That would be too much ammunition for him.

The two new friends approached the table out of politeness. "Hi Max." Logan said and nodded to the rest of the gang. Lastly his eyes resting on Alec with a slight tightness to his eyes.

Before the uncomfortable silence could stretch out across the table Normal was back. "Hey everyone look who I found all by herself." It was Mia. Immediately Max, Alex and Logan tensed. They all knew who she was and what she could do. "Hey." They all shot back nervously.

O.C. interrupted the happy greeting. "I'm gonna go powder my nose." She got up and left.

"Hi guys!" She said with her usual cheery voice. "Gosh, it's been so long since I've seen you all. This is so neat! I hope you're all doing great." She asked and cocked her head waiting for their replies. As if in turn they all gave her an answer.

Max replied sarcastically. "Yeah my life is just great, everything is great love sucks."

Alec smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah I'm fine considering Maxie here hasn't chewed my head off yet. But the night is still young so I guess we'll see."

Sketchy just sighed dumbly at Mia. "I'll never find a woman."

Logan's demeanor changed and he retorted. "Yeah I second Max. Love sucks other than that I have to admit I'd love to watch her chew Alec's head off." He smiled at Alec who felt the need to stick out his tongue at him but didn't.

Asha simply looked over at Mia at a loss for words. She chanced a glance in Logan's direction. "I could be better."

Normal replied with an "I couldn't be better." Apparently he was the happiest in the bunch.

Mia raised her eyebrows quizzically after receiving their answers one by one. "I see. Trouble in paradise for some of you… Cheer up Valentine's Day is just around the corner. You'll find that special someone. They all gave her different answers with heavy sarcasm. She distinctly heard Max's "Yippee for me." And Alec's "Do I get a cookie too?"

She paused and a thought struck her. "You'll all go to bed tonight and each and every one of you will wake up refreshed and realize that everything isn't as bad as it seems. Okay guys?" They all shrugged at her comment and watched her as if in awe. She had her own pitcher of beer and with it she poured each and everyone one of them a drink. She took her time with each individual facing them one by one. Once she was done they simultaneously took a drink and then the silence that had filled the table lifted. Alec clapped his hands together and called over to Sketch.

"How about a game of pool Sketchy?" He raised himself from the stool and waited for his friend.

"Why not? It's not like I have anything better to do. If I'm going to lose money may as well be to someone I know." He shrugged sounding defeated.

"Come on, cheer up buddy. I'll let you win." He said playfully and grabbed the cue.

Logan and Asha walked away to their own table. O.C. came back and sat with Max in a friendly conversation.

Mia left the room unnoticed and smiled secretly. This would be an interesting development she'd stick around the next couple of days to see how this was going to turn out. What fun is being in love if everything's easy? That was her usual motto but she'd give them a push this time.

­­­­­­­­­

Max didn't usually sleep but that night she felt extremely tired. Must have been the emotional ordeals she'd dealt with recently. She went to bed and slept a few hours. When she woke the next morning she stretched lazily in her bed and suddenly she got up quickly. "Oh my god. I'm late again." Not like she really cared about being late but this morning something nagged at the back of her mind. She rushed into a black tank top, her jeans and grabbed her jacket. She slipped on her running shoes and gloves heading to work.