Alright, so here's my plan. I've been feeling very inspired by Dark Angel lately, and have come up with a lot of missing scenes and short story ideas. Rather than making a bunch of new threads for those stories, I've decided to compile them here. They're anything that I feel like writing at the time, whether it be interactions with the characters, stuff that I'd like to have seen, or just something I wrote in my spare time. There isn't really a timeline, since one might jump to after Freak Nation, while another one might return to The Berrisford Agenda. Each new update will be a new short story, so everything will be resolved in one post unless it's an open-ended story. The main couple will be MA.

Enjoy, and helpful advice is always welcome!

Title: First Time

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em

Summary: Something unexpected between Max and Alec.

The first time it was easy to ignore.

It didn't mean anything, really. Max was innocently perched at the edge of her chair, flicking through WebPages for some source of revenue that would allow her to buy much-needed supplies for Terminal City. Her awareness rested fully on the flashing screen before her, her brow furrowed in concentration as she nibbled on her plump bottom lip and felt the pressure stack heavily on top of her. She needed to find a way to score some cash, and fast.

"Searching porn sites again?"

Her focus was torn from her task as she jumped in fright at the sudden, unexpected voice. Whipping around quickly, she cast a look at her surroundings and realized to whom the voice belonged. She took a moment to regain herself, mentally calming her body down after the sharp burst of adrenaline. She was shocked he had been able to frighten her; she usually sensed her surroundings so well.

Alec apparently noticed this and cocked an eyebrow. "Feeling a little jumpy?"

She turned back to the machine, a scowl on her face. "No. Just trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to keep this city from starving to death."

His mouth opened in slight surprise at her forceful comeback, but he regained his bearings quickly and strode forward. "I know. That's why I decided to hunt you down, rather than indulge in a fiery sparring match of which I could most certainly win." He studied her face for a moment, as if judging something he found there. After a few seconds he switched his focus to the computer screen just behind her. "Now, let's see what you've got. You never were very good at planning heists."

She opened her mouth in protest, her eyebrows shooting up in indignation. "Since when?"

He let out a full, resonating laugh. She felt a smile pull at the corners of her mouth, but instantly fought the urge and forced her face into a disapproving frown. "Since we sat in a closet for an hour waiting patiently for two guards to wake up from their naps."

Max closed her mouth and felt a slight blush tint her cheeks. Without another word, she returned her eyes to the screen and asked, her voice laden with sarcasm, "And what do you think we should do, hotshot?"

That's when it happened. He leaned over her, no doubt to get a better view of the small font in front of him. Absentmindedly, he rested a light hand on her shoulder, which was bared due to the simple white sleeveless shirt she wore. The instant skin connected to skin, a jittery feeling spread throughout her body, making her stomach flutter, her mouth open slightly, and her lids involuntarily close a fraction. She was aware of everything, from the soft tips of his fingers making contact with the edge of her collarbone to the rough calluses on his palms rubbing against her silky, sensitive shoulder.

"What about this?" He asked, still apparently absorbed in the assignment in front of them. His hand moved away from her to point at one of the links available, and in that instant Max was filled with guilt. Guilt over the fact that she was supposed to be concentrating on the task at hand and guilt that she was still very much in love with Logan, whom she should be pining for at this very moment.

"Max?" His voice came out in a slightly softer tone, a classic Alec sign of concern. He never actually sounded distressed, only took the cynical edge out of his voice.

She glanced at him and then back at the lighted screen, ordering herself to keep things normal. It was nothing. Harmless. She had to admit that he was striking, and the cocky grin that always seemed to be resting on his lips worked well with the image. So it wasn't horrible to find him attractive. It didn't mean anything.

"Yeah," She said finally. "Yeah that'll work."

The first time it was easy to ignore.

End