Alphabetically in Love

Alphabetically in Love

Disclaimer: If Dark Angel belonged to me I never would have let any of you see Alec, too much damn competition now.

AN: Sorry this took so long to get out; my muse has been running amuck since the Supernatural season 3 finale. And by "running amuck" I mean breaking into liquor stores, stealing all the booze she can carry, then getting incredibly drunk and throwing the empties at me.

AN2 "Hero" is the first time I've written smut, so be gentle.

AN3 "Hero" is also fluff, pure and simple. I mean it's really fluff, its super fluff. It's fluffier then a fluffy bunny freshly back from the fluff n' fold.

"Hero" is dedicated to Seamagik, you asked for smut and I delivered…God help us….

Girl: K+; Hero: M

Girl

"Max, baby-girl, you have to choose," OC approached her dark haired, volatile best friend cautiously. OC had seen Max chuck a floor lamp at Alec not five minutes earlier, and was not anxious to experience Max's flavor of "shut up and leave me the hell alone!" for herself. She carefully checked to make sure all the easily tossed furniture in the bedroom was out of Max's reach before continuing. "Sugah, I know you love them both, but this has to end."

"This is all Alec's fault anyway," Max started in again. "He couldn't just be happy with the way things were, he always has to push." OC knew appealing to her Boo's common sense was a lost cause, but couldn't quite stop herself from trying.

"You had to know this day would come Max, or did you really think you could keep switching back and forth between them foreveh?" Max opened her mouth to respond but shut it again at the sight of OC's quirked eyebrow.

"I just thought I'd have more time, there's more at stake then just my happiness," Max begged OC to understand her predicament. "What if I pick the wrong one? What then Cin? How can you ask me to choose when I love them both?"

OC threw her hands up in exasperation and walked over to the bed where Joshua was sitting watching the two of them talk, like a spectator at a tennis match. Cindy lightly slapped Josh on the shoulder before plopping down next to him on the bed. "Tag Boo, you're it. I can't take anymore of this."

"Original Cindy want to play tag?" Joshua questioned, his head tilted slightly to the left and a befuddled look to his canine features. "Joshua thought we were talking sense to Little Fella. Intervention time."

"We are doggy-dog, it's just a phrase meaning that if Original Cindy don't take a break from all this drama she's gonna start beatin' heads together."

Alec chose that moment to re-enter the bedroom, he'd been banished to the kitchen after the lamp incident but OC knew his sorry ass was too stubborn to stay gone for long.

Max spotted him immediately and paled, whether from his presence or the gash just above his left eye which had finally stopped bleeding and wouldn't be needing stitches after all, nobody was really sure.

OC looked from one fool to the other before addressing Joshua. "See this right here is a perfect example of why Original Cindy is stayin' with the sisters," she scoffed not bothering to whisper, they'd have heard her anyway. "Hetero's, buckets of crazy the lot of 'em." This revelation did not however prompt OC to leave the comfort of the bed. She'd introduced Josh to pre-pulse soap operas recently, and both knew the scene before them was better then any melodrama on the tube.

"Hi ya Maxie," Alec began nervously, pretending not to have heard the comments from the peanut gallery. OC stifled a snort and wished for some popcorn, if it had been her to take a lamp to the noggin she'd definitely be thinking twice about cornerin' Max on this subject again…once she had regained consciousness of course.

"Alec," Max started towards him but didn't get more then a few steps before she forced herself to stop. "I can't talk to you about this."

"Come on Max, you can talk to me about anything," Alec closed the rest of the distance between them in a few confident strides. "Besides, who better to chat this out with? This decision affects me just as much as it does you."

"Alec I know what you want, I just don't think I'm ready to make that call," Max began to turn away but was stopped by Alec's strong arms surrounding her.

"Will you ever feel ready Maxie?" Alec kept a hold of her with his left arm, bringing his right hand up to cup her face. "It's been three weeks Max; the only thing stopping you from making up your mind is fear." He took both her hands in one of his own and led her to their daughter's crib. "What's it gonna be Max?"

"This is easy for you Alec, if we'd had a son you'd be freaking out just as bad!" Alec conceded this point with a small nod of his head. It's true that had their child been a boy instead of a girl he'd probably be wracked with indecision too.

This was the flaw in their perfect plan that neither one had anticipated. When they'd whittled down the list of names until they had two for a boy and two for a girl the happy couple had found themselves at an impasse. They simply couldn't pick between the four, so they did what seemed like good reasoning at the time. If their child was a girl, Max would get to choose and if they had a boy, Alec would. Cutting the decision in half and lessening the stress.

Simple.

Simple and disastrous.

Wanting to be surprised they hadn't known if they were bringing and XX or an XY into the world until she was born. It had been three weeks and still Max couldn't decide between the two names. She'd been switching between them at least half-a-dozen times a day, and was making life hell for anyone who tried to rush her.

Cindy and Joshua got up from the bed and came over to stand next to the crib. All four looked down at the beautiful baby girl in awe. She blinked huge green eyes back at them, completely unaware of the turmoil her nameless state had put them all into.

Max looked down on their girl and said the first name, the tone of her voice making it a question to the person who this decision would truly affect the most. Her only response was to yawn and stick her left foot in her mouth.

"Next one?" Alec suggested as he slung his arm over his Mate's shoulder.

Joshua and Cindy nodded in agreement, and all three looked to Max who smiled before trying name number two.

Both parents and godparents were disappointed when the youngest person in this meeting began gumming at her foot and drooling excessively.

Alec looked at the faces of his friends and wife before returning his stare to the little girl happily sucking now on her right foot.

"So, was that a yes?"

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Hero

Alec's feet felt heavier then he knew they were as he climbed the steps to the top of the Space Needle. It's been seven hours since he'd asked Max a question that had sent her bolting for her High Place. Seven hours of waiting, pacing, and biting the head off of whoever crossed his path. The last thing Alec wanted to do was crowd her, other men had made that mistake and he knew better. The war was over, but with White and his merry band of Familiars on the run and looking for revenge it wasn't safe for the savior of mankind to be out on her own.

Alec knew she would be here, knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped protectively around her legs, a small frown marring her perfect features, the wind whipping her hair about causing it to float around her like a halo. Alec looked out the observation window, and there she was, just like he'd pictured. He stepped out onto the circular roof his boots making almost no noise against the metal surface. Alec made his way toward Max slowly, giving her plenty of time to hear him, send him away. A slight tensing in her shoulders let him know that she was aware of his presence; the way they relaxed again told him it was alright to sit down. Alec took his seat next to her; it was where he belonged forever and always, by her side. Max clearly wasn't done thinking yet and the last thing Alec wanted to do was rush her, so he let his mind drift, wandering back to day everything changed between them.

5 Months Earlier

Alec was exhausted. He'd just got in from a five day op that was supposed to take one. All he wanted to do was crawl into a shower, try not to drown, and then curl up on his bed and sleep for a week. He managed the shower, but sleep was being an elusive bastard and wouldn't come. Alec's brain refused to shut off, he needed to speak with Max about what had happened on the supply run. If Manticore's suppression drugs were warring off then Terrace was only the beginning.

Terrace was an X5 female, she had long honey blond hair almost down to her waist and eyes so blue they were practically cobalt. She was originally intended for covert ops, they had trained together, both of them specializing in assassinations. The way Terry looked it wasn't too surprising, any target she was ordered to neutralize would be dead before they were done picking their jaws up off the floor.

Max had asked him to put together a special team for emergency runs, things they needed that couldn't be put off till they had a foolproof plan in place. Alec put together a five man team including himself, which he would lead. Terrace and another female X5 Lilac were on it, as were Asphalt and Briar, two X5 males. They were all in covert forces training together, so he knew they could handle the pressure. The five of them had been designed to do just this sort of work, only instead of stealing corporate secrets or assassinating the Albanian ambassador they were sneaking out to get medical supplies and food.

Terrace had gone into Heat four days ago and Alec had been fighting hormones and X5s ever since. They'd been on the run when it hit and he'd made the decision to stay away from TC till the worse had passed. Of course the reason for their little group meant that it was imperative the supplies get back home ASAP.

Alec had beaten the shit out of Asphalt and Briar when they'd tried to jump her, of course Terry hadn't minded too much, that is until Lilac hit her with a brick and sat on her. With Terrace unconscious the hormones had lessened and the X5 men were able to think a little more clearly. Alec sent the guys back to TC with the supplies they'd stolen; he and Lilac would hole up with Terry until this bitch was done.

Alec had always been resistant to the pheromones female X5s secreted during their Heat cycles; it was a part of being Alpha. All the other kitties were content with whatever was around, the Alphas got first pick and therefore had to be able to say 'no' when there was a more desirable mate that they wanted. Conversely the more Alpha a female the less resistance she had to her own Heat, if the men could say 'no' the stronger women had to be able to convince them to change their minds.

They were lucky Terry wasn't all that dominant; he and Lilac had been able to keep her in check with cold showers and a couple pairs of handcuffs Lilac was carrying. Alec had given her one of his raised eyebrows and then ordered her never to tell him before cuffing Terrace to the bed of some seedy motel they'd sought refuge in.

One day to steal the supplies followed by three days in a cockroach infested hellhole and then another one spent getting back to TC, all Alec wanted to do was sleep damn it.

He got up and slid into a pair of jeans not bothering with underwear, he was just going to speak with Max, then come back to his apartment and catch some Zs. Alec threw on a tight fitting white t-shirt and stopped long enough to shove his feet into his boots before stomping out to find Max.

He headed straight to HQ, looking up from the street he could see into her office, the soft glow from a table lamp illuminating the room to his transgenic eyes. Max was sitting at her desk bent over some papers, her brow furrowed. Alec entered the building climbed the stairs to the second floor where his and Max's offices were located. One sharp rap on the door and he entered without waiting for an answer, they never did when barging into one another's lives.

Max looked up at him a small smile forming before she schooled her expression into one of exasperation and slight annoyance.

"Alec what are you doing here? I thought I told you to get some sleep, you've been awake for the past five days, and you're no good to us half dead."

"I know Maxie," he began awkwardly. "But I needed to talk to you, it can't wait."

She sat back in her chair one eyebrow raised expectantly, and waited for him to speak. Of all the things that had changed in their relationship since the siege began this one still spooked him sometimes. Max was never patient with him, she kicked his ass and demanded answers, but since becoming her fake boyfriend, roommate, and SIC things had been better between them. Oh they still fought like a cat and…well another cat actually, hissing and spitting, circling each other while letting out ungodly shrieks that turn out to be some sort of mating call, but which scare the shit out of everyone. Mole would still take bets on who'd come out on top, and Logan would frown at their behavior. The difference now was that whoever won would treat the other to dinner, mistakes were still made, on both sides, but they admitted them and were forgiven.

"Manticore's Heat suppression drugs are wearing off," he stated looking her in the eye.

"Alec I know this already, remember? We had a debriefing when you guys got back," Max reminded him, wondering where this was going.

"Hold your horses Maxie, I'm working up to something here," Alec smirked at her briefly before retuning to his serious face. "Terrace was only the beginning; others in the X series who weren't chosen for breeding will be going into Heat too, but we've got some time before they start to lose it. What isn't widely known is that Terry was on a mission, but when she got back they put her into the breeding program. That was two weeks before you were deemed ready to return to duty. They stopped her suppression therapy at that time; they stopped yours when you were put back in rotation."

Max's eyes began to widen as she realized what he was trying to get at. Two weeks, give or take a couple days, and she was going into Heat.

"What are we gonna do?" Max asked sounding lost, she briefly wondered why she'd said 'we' instead of 'I' but she somehow knew without a doubt that Alec would be with her every step of the way.

"Max, I think we both know that, when your Heat comes it'll be me who claims you," Alec shook as he fought to get the words out past his constricting throat. "But I don't want that to happen."

Max sprang from her chair as though burned and began pacing on the far side of her desk, trying to get as far away from Alec as possible while they were in the same room. Alec paled as he processed the words as she must have heard them.

"No Maxie!" He tried to grab her arm, but backed off at the feral growl she released at him. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Alec tried to explain.

"Then what did you mean?" She stopped her pacing to stare at him. The sudden stillness was almost worse then the frantic movement.

Please don't let me fuck this up; he begged whoever might be listening before trying again.

"I don't want to mate with you," he rushed through the rest of his words as quickly as possible when he heard her give another snarl. "I want to make love to you."

"What?"

"I don't want a wild coupling that we'll both regret because it can't be everything we want it to be. I want to lay you down, and take you slow." Alec took a step towards Max, gently taking her hand in his. "I want to map every inch of your body till I know it better then my own. I want you, not one pheromone induced night of passion," he cupped her face with his free hand. "I want to make love to you."

Max's mouth was hanging open slightly and it had gone bone dry at the image of the two of them together, exploring each other for hours. She stepped away from his touch, trying to gather her thoughts into a slightly less pornographic area.

Alec approached her slowly, draping his right arm around her shoulders, reaching up with the other to tap her jaw. Max snapped her mouth shut with an audible click, Alec winced slightly at the noise.

"So, what do you think Maxie?"

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Her response had been everything he'd hoped for. As the cold November wind whipped around them, Alec allowed his mind to drift back to that night.

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How he'd managed to keep it together until they got back to their apartment Alec would never know. Max and he had been making out in earnest back in her office before he remembered that a transgenic could see everything they were doing from the street as he had before he'd entered HQ. That and the lack of anything other then her desk and a threadbare couch which made for less then romantic surroundings had Alec guiding Max back to their place.

Max had his belt off before the door had finished closing; Alec growled deep in the back of his throat as her petite hand made its way past the denim of his jeans. Max tore her mouth away from his in surprise when she didn't meet the resistance of cotton boxers. Her eyes locked with his for a brief moment and at the unapologetic quirk of his lips Max pulled his head back down to hers. They made their way through the room without turning on any lights, transgenic eyesight and eidetic memory kicking in even when they were both so far gone with want and need and yes please right now!

The two of them reached the bedroom, somehow managing to lose several shoes and Max's top along the way. Alec picked Max up and laid her down on his bed, breath catching in his throat at the site of Max spread out on the blankets waiting for him. She was perfect in every way, from her kiss swollen lips to the lone biker boot hanging precariously off her foot. Max kicked the boot off with a flourish, sending it flying into Alec's dresser, and Alec turned his attention to Max's pants. Not that his attention didn't wander there of it's own accord from time to time, but right now he needed to focus on how to get the damn things off.

"Maxie, not to be unromantic or anything, but how the hell am I supposed to get these off you? They're worse then a chastity belt." Max threw her head back and laughed, in hindsight a mistake as it forced Alec's concentration off getting her naked and onto the delicious curve of her neck.

Max was having trouble remembering the trick to getting this particular pair of jeans off seeing as how Alec was tasting every inch of her throat, licking and nibbling his way down, down, down-

"Holy Hot Damn!" She cried out as Alec used his teeth to slowly drag the cup of her bra away from her right breast. Pearly whites scraping against sensitive flesh as he went.

At her cry Alec lost patience with the subtle approach and simply ripped the clasp of her jeans open. Max's whole body jerked with the force of it and something deep within her clenched, begging for release. Alec began to slide the jeans off her body, taking his time to taste each inch of revealed skin as he went. Finally, finally she was free and only her panties and about half a bra stood between him and her. Of course Alec still had his pants, unbuttoned but on, and his shirt, Max felt a brief flash of annoyance at the unfairness of the clothing distribution before Alec gave her a look so full of love it made her heart stand still.

Alec kissed her with everything he had, trying to imprint his mouth, his mark, his claim on her, and begging her to claim him in return. When he pulled back and allowed her to breathe once more Alec began to work south again. Paying only cursory notice to her breasts he headed straight to her panties already soaked through. His eyes came back to hers asking permission, Max gulped but nodded her head, whatever he had planned she wanted it more than she'd wanted anything before.

He moved so fast that if she hadn't been transgenic she never would have noticed the underwear leaving her body and his face positioning itself between her thighs. Max gasped as that wicked mouth of his, so skillful at fast talking and sarcasm, revealed a heretofore unknown talent. The soft swipes of his tongue and gentle use of teeth was driving her mad. She was so close to the edge she wanted to weep, but each time she almost went over Alec would pull back, stringing out the pleasure until she wanted to scream. Then those full lips settled around her clit and she did scream.

If Max hadn't already known Alec had feline DNA in him, this would have confirmed it. The way he lapped her clean had the line 'kitties and cream' flying around in her groggy brain. And the look of pure male satisfaction with himself would have made her smack him at any other moment; but damn, the boy had earned a right to be smug.

Max's mind cleared the post orgasmic fog much faster then an ordinary's, and she quickly flipped Alec, taking the offensive.

She removed his t-shirt, careful not to rip it even though she was in a hurry. It was one her favorites of his, and Max simply couldn't get enough of the way his muscles would ripple beneath it. Not even the promise of sex after one of the worst dry spells in history could get her to damage that shirt.

Max straddled his jeans clad waist and gazed down at Alec, drinking him in. His blond-brown hair was tousled and those green eyes of his with the ability to hypnotize her had darkened with need. Golden-tanned muscles and smooth chest greeted her wandering hands as they traveled every inch of his body she could reach. But what caught her attention the most were his freckles. Badass, tough as nails, assassins just should not have freckles, yet there they were. Max couldn't resist the urge to lay light butterfly kisses across them before finding her way back to his lips.

Max broke the kiss then went to work on his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the back of his head before sensuously stroking along his barcode. Alec's heart began to beat faster and Max moved onto his pulse point, loving the way it jumped against her tongue right before her teeth latched on marking him as hers. Not a Mate claim, but she wanted everyone to see the evidence of what happened tonight. A feeling of possession curled up through her chest, coming out as a snarl against Alec's throat.

"Mine," she said licking the sore spot. If the way that Alec's cock jumped at the sound was any indication, he didn't mind belonging to Max.

Alec never would have dreamed of marking Max in any way tonight, he didn't think she would be ready for that kind of commitment. Even though this wasn't a Mate mark, it did temporarily claim Alec as hers, and every transgenic and transhuman in TC would know it.

Alec flipped them over again and attacked her breasts with a vengeance. Nimble fingers undid the hooks holding the scrap of fabric together; he threw the bra across the room without a second glance as he sank into Max's soft mounds. He licked and nipped at her right breast while his hand took care of the other.

Max was having trouble thinking straight as Alec switched to mouthing her other nipple. Her soft moan snapped him out of whatever trance he'd fallen into and Alec looked to her once more asking permission.

"Yours," she said cupping his face in her hand, a soft smile gracing her lips. Awe entered Alec's eyes briefly before being replaced by animal instinct.

"Mine," he agreed and sank his teeth into soft flesh. Once the mark was there Alec nuzzled against it causing Max to cry out, he then returned once more to lavishing attention on her breasts.

Max was so distracted by Alec's tongue she hadn't even noticed where those fingers of his were heading till one slipped inside her, forcing a gasp past her lips. Eventually a second and then a third finger joined their companion, loosening Max and filling her with sensations she didn't even know she'd been missing.

Unable to take anymore of the slow torture Alec was currently inflicting on her Max grabbed hold of his pants, finished unzipping them and using her legs, slid them off him. Taking his cue Alec removed his fingers and moved back up her body, trailing kisses everywhere until he was poised at her entrance.

"Are you sure Maxie?" In that moment Max new she loved him. Everything he did, in bed and out, was for her. Max smiled at him again, gently lifting her hand up and stroking along his face, circling around back to his barcode. Alec's eyes closed in contentment at the caress, before opening and focusing on hers.

"I'm sure Alec; I want you to make love to me."

Slowly he pushed into her, until finally she was full. Alec began to move inside her and Max purred at the feeling of completeness, their two halves making each other whole. His pace began to quicken and soon all thoughts flew out of both their minds, all that was left was bliss.

Max was nearing the edge and as she gasped and moaned beneath him, her cries of 'Alec' became like a prayer. With one final thrust she came, his name on her lips, her orgasm setting off his. They rode out the waves of ecstasy holding tight to each other, when they could breathe again brown eyes locked with green, and both were warmed by the love they found there.

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Alec smiled softly as he reflected on how easy things had seemed that night. However life, unfortunately, had a way of throwing curve balls right in the middle of the game. They'd had two great…no, make that fantastic, months together. With them in an established relationship her Heat had posed no problem, they were making headway with the peace negotiations, and the snake cult had been in hibernation over the summer. Logan was still buzzing around feeling like the kid that was picked last for soccer, but nothing's perfect.

Then it happened, the cult's gigantic plan of doom. Nothing much came of it, part of the peace negotiations had been for TC to hand over samples of Max's blood, with help from Manticore doctors who had seen the error of their ways, and the safety from transgenic reprisals in government service, they'd been able to find a cure for the cult's plague before it even hit. That didn't stop the Familiars from trying to unleash Armageddon, but it did mean that it was a pretty pathetic attempt. The Great War to end all wars lasted two months. That's how long it took for transgenics and ordinaries to wipe out the majority of the Familiar threat.

With the key to their survival being Max most of the populace did a 180 on transgenics. There were some hold outs of course, and there always would be, but transgenics and transhumans were free.

The night Congress passed the law stating that their people were citizens of the United States there'd been one hell of a party in Terminal City. OC, Sketchy, and Normal all came, so did Logan.

He'd had the Manticore scientists working on the cure to his and Max's problem, since it didn't take long for them to work out the Familiar's plague; Logan figured they could do this while they were at it. They'd pulled it off too, one little injection and he was fine. Logan had decided on the night of the party as the perfect time to tell her. He had walked into TC's bar slash community center, all big smiles, gone straight up to Max and laid one on her…right in front of Alec. Max had freaked, she'd thought it was his melodramatic way of committing suicide or something; she'd pushed him away and called for an emergency medical team.

In hindsight it was pretty damn funny, Max screaming at Logan for killing himself and Logan's eyes all wide as he tried to stutter out that he wasn't trying to end his life. Although Alec had trouble finding the humor when it happened. Unlike Max he'd noticed that Logan wasn't falling down and breaking out in splotchy hives of death, he also noticed the triumphant look on Logan's face that Max was so worried about him. It had taken a few minutes but between them he and Logan managed to make Max understand that the ordinary wasn't about to drop dead, and that he was in fact cured of his deadly Max allergy.

What happened next was something Alec likes to replay in his mind over and over. Maybe it's petty of him, but the look on Logan's face when Max told him off for scaring her, and asked just what the hell he was thinking kissing her when they're not even like that, especially in front of her boyfriend who she very much is like that with; was better then Christmas.

Max had promptly told OC and the two of them spent the rest of the night casting Logan dirty looks whenever he got within glaring distance. It seemed that now Max was no longer in danger of killing him with a touch, she might decide to end him with a punch.

At around midnight Alec left the party to tell Dalton and Mole they could set off the fireworks, how those two had managed to get that duty Alec would never know. He was just glad Dalton's hair was growing back and Mole hadn't been permanently scarred…they were really looking forward to New Years Eve so they could try and work out the kinks in their fireworks plan. Alec would just have to make sure the med team had more fire extinguishers this time.

Logan had cornered him on his way back to the party so they could have chat, man to man.

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"What to what?" Alec asked doing a terrible job of concealing the humor he felt at the situation.

"Man to man," Logan tried again, frowning when Alec started laughing at the phrase.

"Sorry," Alec giggled manfully, wiping fake tears from his eyes. "Please continue, I look forward to our manly discussion." Logan rolled his eyes and decided to jump right in.

"You don't deserve her," Logan stated, daring Alec to deny it.

"I know," Alec replied seriously, all traces of laughter gone. "But then, neither do you."

"Everything I've done ever since I met Max has been for her," Alec scoffed at his ascertain. "You don't believe me?"

"I believe that you believe it," Alec looked Logan in the eye. "I believe that you love her, but I also believe that you're not the person who can make her happy."

"And you are?" Logan questioned incredulously. "You're a killer! The happy-go-lucky sociopath!"

"And you're a self-righteous, narcissistic, rich boy, with delusions of grandeur. We've all got issues."

"What are Max's?"

"A tendency towards a savior complex and extreme martyrdom," Alec smiled. "Plus she can be kinda bitchy and has a mean right hook," the smile vanished. "She also has the biggest heart of any person I've ever met, and it can get her into trouble. It can lead to people taking advantage of her, like you used to. All those Eyes Only missions, putting her life at risk so you can feel better about being born with a silver spoon in your mouth."

"You think you're saving her don't you?" Logan shook his head sadly. "Saving her from herself, being her hero? Max deserves every chance to be happy; she deserves someone who wants to make the world a better place."

"Someone like you," Alec smirked.

"Yes, like me. One day she'll realize that, one day she'll wake up and want satin sheets instead of cotton, a beautiful home instead of a broken city. Will you let her go when that day comes? Or are you gonna trap her in a world she's too good for? Tie her down to you, this place, and this life; stop her from spreading her wings."

"I'm going to let her make up her own damn mind and not assume I know what's best for her Logan. That's what a real friend would do, that's what someone who loves her would do. And by the way, I don't give a fuck about being a hero, that's your trip," Alec began to walk away then stopped, turning back to say one last thing before returning to the party, and the woman he loved. "A word to the not so wise old buddy, Maxie doesn't need a hero, she already is one."

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Alec was so lost in memories he didn't notice Max was ready to talk to him until the beautiful brunette was jabbing him repeatedly with her elbow.

"Ow! Jesus Maxie, anyone ever tell you you've got a boney elbow."

"Nope, you're the only one who sweet talks me like that Alec," she smiled at him. "Alec," she said suddenly hesitant. "Do you remember the day all we became citizens?"

"You mean the day our lives changed forever and we were finally acknowledged as having as much right to live as anybody else?" Alec laughed. "No clue Maxie, you might have to refresh my memory."

"OK," Max pretended to ponder. "Oh! It was also the day that Logan kissed me in front of just about everyone in TC," she teased him.

"Ah yes, it's all coming back to me now," Alec growled.

"Thought that might jog your memory," she laughed. "Anyway, that night, at the party, when you left to get the fireworks started…but before the fire and screaming began…" Max trailed off unsure of how to continue.

"Maxie?" Alec questioned worried. He'd never known her to beat around the bush about anything. "Wait…you didn't….Were you by any chance eavesdropping on a certain conversation I may have had with a certain robo-journalist?" Alec raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Possibly," Max replied feeling a bit guilty.

"Is this what you've been thinking about for the past," Alec checked his watch. "Nine hours?"

"No," Max declared defiantly. "Maybe," she sighed.

"Max, what-" she cut him off.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Which part?" Alec hedged nervously. He'd said a lot of things in that conversation that Max might not like. He meant all of it, but he wasn't so sure telling her that 'yes sweetie you can be quite the roaring bitch sometimes' was the best way to go.

"When...when you called me a hero," she said quietly.

Alec laughed, then stopped immediately at her hurt expression.

"Maxie," he began, stroking her face lovingly. "You literally saved the world, of course you're a hero," she looked away from him. Sure she'd saved the world, but that was just coincidence. Sandaman had saved the world, he was the one who designed her to be his little science project messiah. All she had to do was sit there and let someone draw some of her blood, big hero work. But Alec wasn't done yet.

"So that's why you're everyone else's hero, Max. But that's not why I called you one," Max turned back to him surprised. "Max, you liberated all of us from Manticore, you fought for your freedom when you were nine years old, despite all odds you survived on the outside in a world gone mad, you lost your family but you still stayed strong. I've known you for over two years and I've never seen you give up, not on yourself and not on anyone else, even when they didn't deserve your faith…when I didn't," Alec stopped her protest with a kiss.

"You named me, you saved me, and when I let you down you took me back into your life. Maybe you didn't want to, maybe you didn't even know that's what you were doing, but you did. I've stayed by your side all this time because of all the things I've seen, all the people I've met, none came close to having your fire, or your kindness," he wiped a tear from Max's cheek.

"You have the purest soul I've ever seen, and you're the best person I've ever known," Alec smiled and gave a small chuckle. "You're not just a hero Maxie, you're my hero."

Max leaned in and kissed him with all the love he'd shown for her.

"Yes," she said simply.

"What?" Alec asked still brain-dead from Max lips.

"Nine hours ago you asked me a question, and now I'm saying yes," Max kissed him again, then pulled back and smiled bright enough to light the darkness around them. "Yes Alec McDowell, I will marry you."