Disclaimer: Don't own any of it. Don't sue; all I have is about 10 bucks and a lot of beanie babies.
Summary: Set after Two. There's an unexpected visit from someone from Manticore, bringing a baby with them. They tell Max and Alec that the baby is theirs, created from both of their DNA so Max and Alec have to take care of the baby, and maybe it'll bring them together in the process. After all, who can resist an adorable baby with a mission of its own: to bring his parents together. MA
A/N: Zack died in AJBAC, he's not coming back. This fic isn't going to be incredulously long; it's just sort of a side thing from my other fics. Well, at least I'm saying it isn't going to be incredibly long, but knowing me, it's probably going to end up longer than I intended. (Stupid me for writing too many fics and getting in over my head.) Anyways, if you love MA, I have a few other fics you might like. Check out my profile and R&R.
Max shuffled around in her fridge looking for something to eat when she heard a click so she straightened up and tensed. Original Cindy was staying over at her lickety-boo's so it couldn't be her coming in. The door swung open and she dropped into a fighting stance, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Alec walk through the door.
"Could you not do that?" Max asked irritatedly. "There's something called knocking, you know."
"Ruins the element of surprise," Alec said, shutting the door behind him.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, with one hand on her hip. "Don't you have someone else to 'grace' with your presence?"
"No one appreciates me more than you do, so I figured I'd come over here," he said sarcastically. He became a little more serious. "How's Joshua? You know, with the whole thing that happened to Isaac."
"He's down, but he's been coming out of his shell a little more the past few days," Max said.
Alec nodded. "Wonder how many psycho transgenics are on the loose."
"I don't know, but let's hope they keep a low profile," Max answered. She sighed. "Since you're obviously not going to leave anytime soon, coffee?"
Alec grinned. "I never knew you'd give in so easily. Sure."
She turned around and started putting the coffee into the coffee maker and then poured water in it, turning on the coffee maker before facing Alec again.
"Logan sending you on any of his save-the-world missions anytime soon?" he asked her.
Max cocked an eyebrow. "You want to come?"
He shrugged. "I'm bored."
Max rolled her eyes. "You're always bored."
"The one good thing about Manticore is that they at least gave us something to do. I crave action," he said. "Hey, I can be James Bond and you can be my lady friend." He winked at her. "How 'bout it?"
She wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm not going to sleep with you!"
Alec grinned. "I never said anything about that. Kind of interesting that you'd think about that first though. Well, I think I can work that into my schedule."
She swatted his arm and he moved away laughing.
"Just an idea Maxie, don't get all excited," he said.
"Can you ever stay quiet for more than 10 seconds?" she asked him.
Alec smirked. "Depends on what activity I'm doing." That earned him another smack.
"Grow up," Max said.
"Why would I want to when I could be young forever?" Alec asked, and Max stuck her tongue out at him.
"And you're the one who's telling me to grow up," he said sardonically.
Whatever her reply may have been was cut off when there was a knock at the door.
They looked at each other, wondering who would come over so late at night.
"Can't be Logan. He'd just page and besides, he knows better than to come for some late night loving when it would kill him," Alec said. She hit him for a third time before she went to answer the door.
"Who is it?" Max called out.
"Open the door," a voice said, and Max's and Alec's blood ran cold. They'd recognize that voice anywhere.
Max swung the door open and hissed, "How the hell did you find out where I live?" before her gaze fell on a small bundle in his arms.
"Babysitting for a friend?" she asked him as he walked in.
"Never knew you were such a kid-loving person Deck," Alec said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Could've fooled me."
"Look, I need to talk to you," Lydecker said, moving towards the couch.
"Who said we wanted to talk to you?" Max asked. "And if it's asking us to relieve you of your nanny duties, the answer's no."
"Look, I need both of you to sit down and listen to me very carefully," Lydecker said. His voice left no room for argument, and even after all these years they found that they did as they were told.
Max and Alec sat down in a couch across from where he was sitting in an armchair. Alec tried to scooch closer to Max but she sat at the opposite end.
"I need you to take him, I can't protect him anymore," Lydecker said. "White nearly ran me off the road a month ago but thankfully I got out before my car swam with the fish."
"Pity," Max said. "I knew I shouldn't've got my hopes up."
He ignored her comment. "I've taken care of him for as long as I could, but now I can't do that anymore. It's not safe to keep him with me."
"Wait, are you suggesting that we take him?" Alec asked incredulously. "You want us to take care of someone's random baby that they abandoned?"
"The baby wasn't abandoned, the parents never knew about it," Lydecker said.
"How can that be? I mean, last time I checked, you kinda had to jump in the sack to have a baby," Max said.
Lydecker shook his head. "It's not an ordinary. Don't you get it? It's a transgenic baby. Your transgenic baby. Your DNA was mixed together and created this baby. You two were a perfect match for each other. That's why when you guys didn't listen to instructions and participate in the breeding program, Renfro created a baby in a less natural way."
Alec's mouth dropped open in shock and Max's eyes basically popped out of her head.
"You're shitting us," Alec finally said. "There's no fricking way that could be our kid."
Lydecker pulled down the blanket a little and both Max and Alec could clearly see the dark hair that was Max's and the hazel eyes that were unmistakably Alec's.
"Is this some kind of tactic to drive us insane?" Max asked. "Because, let me tell you, it's working."
Lydecker sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to trick you. This is your baby. It even has a barcode on the back of its neck." He turned the baby boy around and they saw a barcode. "He's a second generation X5. Designation 946."
"452 and 494 together," Max said. She shook her head. "Wait, first of all, how did you find out where I live?"
"Tracked you by the Red implant in your head," Lydecker said and she groaned.
"Great. Before I just thought this bitch was bad because it was a metal insect stuck in the back of my head that made my seizures worse, but now you can always find me with it," she said.
"Why were you taking care of our, uh, our… of the baby?" Alec asked, finding it hard to call it their child. "And why was Renfro so bent on having us produce a baby?"
"As to Renfro's reasons, I have no idea. She seemed to know something I didn't. For example, she died to save Max right?" Lydecker said.
"Yeah," Max said. "She told me to find Sandeman. Whoever that is. Someone told us he was the creator of Manticore."
"I don't know who created Manticore. There must have been something else going on that I didn't know about because I found an I.D. that belonged to Renfro. It was for a company that didn't exist," Lydecker said.
"Well that's weird," Alec said.
"Anyways, I found out about 946 when I was going through the database," Lydecker explained. He was being held at another facility so I got him from there. It hasn't been easy, you know, taking care of him."
"Why do you care so much anyways?" Max asked, looking at the baby who was wide awake and watching her.
Lydecker bent his head forward. "I told you that you were inspired by my wife. This baby is yours and in some way, is like her too. I couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands."
"Max was inspired by your wife?" Alec asked, looking at her. "Okaay. Creepy much?"
"You have to take of it now, I've done all that I can," Lydecker said, putting the baby in Alec's arms, taking him by surprise. He stood up to leave but Max caught his arm.
"Hey! You can't just drop in and leave a baby with us! What are we supposed to do with it?"
Lydecker looked at her like she had grown two heads. "You're the parents. How am I supposed to know?"
Before she could utter another word he had left, and Max and Alec looked at each other hopelessly.
"Uh, so. Hey kid. Do you like to eat pizza and beer?" Alec asked it and Max groaned.
A/N: Hey guys! I hope you liked that! It was just an idea that popped into my head and I had to get it out and see if you guys liked it. Please review and give me some feedback. Should I continue?
Also, if you like MA, check out my other fics. Plz R&R and tell me if this is any good. Luv ya'll, aod78