Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel

The crack of pool balls and the stench of alcohol filtered through the crowded bar. Crash was bursting at it planks with people due to the dreary weather outside. Rain had been pouring the entire day leaving a muddy and gray outdoors. Max leaned back in her wooden chair and took another swig of her beer as her eyes roamed the room. Her peeled off jacket lay splayed across the table and her sopping hair soaked into her t shirt.

"I am telling you Boo I think Normal has it out for me. He sent me all the way to sector 8 right before the rain started. You know what rain does to my hair." O.C. snapped self-consciously brushing her slender fingers through her matted curls. Max looked up as the sudden words from her friend dragged her from her thoughts.

"I doubt he has it out for you, it was probably just to save golden boy from a little water…" Max chuckled lightly as she looked up to see Alec roaming closer "…speaking of golden boy."

"Talking behind my back huh Maxie? I hope it was naughty." Alec smirked happily shuffling closer and plopping down in the seat across from Max. She took in his appearance and noticed that he was already partly dry. A loose beer was wrapped in his hand as he through his leather jacket over the back of his chair. His jeans almost left a river of water behind him and clung at his legs, so much from being saved from water.

"Oh, you have no idea" Max spat back with a sarcasm dripping smile. Alec wiggled his brow pleased and too another sip on his beer. Max noticed how she stared at his full lips a little too long after that but pushed the though aside and looked back to O.C. "So have you been cheating innocent bystanders out of their cash?"

"Maxie it isn't cheating. Actually I am helping them, if they are dumb enough to believe they can beat me then who knows what they would do with that money. I'm saving them from themselves." Alec replied seriously. He leered at her through his long lashes as a devilish grin spread across his face. Max couldn't help the smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Max said sweetly, "So, what number beer is that?" Max questioned as she took in the slightly glassy eyes appearance of the transgenic across from her.

"Just one, someone sent it over to me I am hoping for the hot red head in the corner." Alec replied taking a moment to wink in said girl's direction. Max swallowed back the slight nagging jealousy in the pit of her stomach as the girl spread her red lips into a smile.

"My bet is on Normal." O.C. piped up from her perch by the table. Alec cringed inwardly as he took in the possibility. The glassy look came back over his eyes for a moment and he rose with a shake of his head.

"I think I'm going to head out. See you around O.C. Bye Maxie." Alec smirked cockily before swaying out through the crowd and out the front door into the pelting rain. Max noticed the slight stagger he gave before catching himself on the doorframe and doubted that he only had one beer. She gave a disgruntled shake of her hair before seeing his abandoned leather jacket.

'Come on Alec, I'm going to kill you if you get sick.' Max rose up with a last gulp of her beer and snatched up the jacket, "I'll be right back O.C., Alec forgot this."

"Okay Boo I'll grab some more beers." Original Cindy stated before moving around her friend and up to the bar. Max made her way through the crowd and out the door only to see Alec standing in the middle of the drenched pavement of the street.

"Alec what are you doing?" Max called out, as he turned she moved closer and saw his bloodshot green eyes staring back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm always fine." Alec spoke back without even thinking about. The sway at the end however said otherwise.

"Sure you are, that's why I am always saving your butt." Max replied trying to cover up the underlying concern in the sarcastic remark, "What's up with you?"

"Yeah…I think…um…" Alec mumbled with a slight slur before tripping up a bit at his feet, "Somptin s'wrong…"

Max barely had time to stop her friends ungraceful decent to the floor as his knees gave out and his eyes rolled up in his head. His eyes only showed the whites before sealing completely before he hit the floor and his body lay limp in her frantic arms. "Alec! Alec!"

"You weren't supposed to follow him." A bitter voice breathed into her ear. Max snapped around with her fist in the air. She hit solid muscle and sent the familiar to the ground.

"What do you want?" Max bit out angrily with fist clenched and legs squared in front of Alec's limp and vulnerable form. Vulnerable… not a word she had ever used to describe Alec. Cocky yes, annoying yes, complete and total jerk yes, but vulnerable not so much.

"I'm just following orders." The familiar ground out from his too thin lips with a smile that didn't reach his dull gray eyes.

"Oh yeah, and what orders are those?" Max asked with a tilt of her head.

"Distract you." He stated darkly lowering his protective stance. Before Max had time to process the information she felt a prick on her neck and everything turned black.

~SUPERNATURALLOVERJA~

"Max! Max! Boo, come on wake up!" A frantic voice shot through Max's mind as she opened her bleary eyes. The blurry figure above her sharpened in Original Cindy's face. "Are you okay?"

"Alec! Where is Alec?" Max blurted out desperately as she scanned the area around her.

"I thought he left? Max what happened?" O.C. questioned worriedly helping Max to her feet and looking to her for answers.

"I came out here and Alec he… something was in his drink….he…he passed out and then they knocked me out. They must have took him."

"Who Boo? Who took him?"

"I don't know there was this familiar and then everything is black." Max tried to explain anxiously as something white caught her eye. Slowly she removed a white slip of paper from her jacket pocket. Her eyes began to water as she skimmed over the words. O.C. looked over her trembling hands and let her jaw strain as she took in the note.

'My Dear 452,

We have taken 494 or Alec as you insist to call it. If you would like to see him alive again then you will come to us willingly. With all the trouble you have caused however there is something else we need as well. Bring us eyes only. If you do not come along with eyes only then 494 will be terminated. I promise to not be humane about it. Go to the old Warehouse by tomorrow evening, you know the one.

Sincerely,

White.'

"He has Alec! White has Alec!" Max exclaimed fearfully the note almost crumbling in her clenched hands.

"We will figure out Boo…"

"I can't bring them eyes only! How am I supposed to choose?"

"I don't know…" O.C. stuttered softly looking upon her breaking friend.

"I need to call Logan." Max stated finally, taking O.C.'s offered cell phone and pressing in the digits with more force than needed.

"Hello." A groggy voice beckoned over the line.

"Logan, White took him…" The response was quick so she didn't have to think about it in her jumbled brain. Even her super charged and petri dish made genes could not handle this.

"Max what are you talking about? White took who?" Logan wondered, his voice rising with the tension.

"Alec, he took Alec." Max admitted pitifully a lone tear escaping over her bottom lid before she could blink it away.

"Why? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but…" Max paused as she took in her options. What was she supposed to say? I want you to come and die for Alec. Or maybe he is going to die because they want you but I don't want you to come. "Just track this phone and I will call if I need help."

"I don't want you going there alone."

"They took him to get to me!" 'and you' Max mentally edited, "I have to get him back."

"This isn't your fault, we will think of something other than putting yourself at risk."

"Logan we need him! He can't die because of me!"

"After all the times you have saved his life he wouldn't want you to give up like this…"

"This isn't giving up…I need him."

Only silence ensued after the heartfelt confession. Max closed her eyes and swallowed audibly as she heard the words which had spilled out. She couldn't take them back now to spare Logan's feelings; she didn't want to take them back. She needed Alec by her side. She was about to go into the lion's den to save somebody close to her and the one she needed most was who needed saving. Alec was always just a call away when she needed him but now…

"Please just stop arguing and do what I ask." Max pleaded softly across the phone.

"Okay. Just be careful, please."

"I will." Max assured before snapping the cellphone closed. While shoving the phone in her jeans pocket she strode over to her bike.

"Max where are you going?" Original Cindy called after her.

"To save Alec." And with that she revved up her bike and took off into the rain. The tiny droplets pricking across her skin and covering up her leaking eyes.