Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dark Angel, or have any rights to songs or bands mentioned in this story. (But if I DID own Dark Angel, it wouldn't have been taken off the air!)

Max stared across the bar room of Crash, mouth hanging open in disbelief. OC's words drifted uselessly past her, skimming over her brain as the tension grew within her, building and coiling with each passing second, each moment ticking that much closer to full temper eruption.

Alec was standing at the bar, his face reflecting the laughter that OC's singing was drowning out as he waited for his drink. Max was getting ready to kill. She knew he wasn't laughing at OC's karaoke attempt, hell he'd been the one who told her she had a voice that could win. No, that's not what had Max furious. A plan was already forming in her mind of how easy it would be. All she had to do was sneak away from her table, slip down the three steps that separated her from the bar area, creep up behind and…

"Hey, Max!"

Damn it! Snapped Max mentally as Logan announced his return to the table. Max's plan of attack, instead of being shut down, switched targets. She wasn't having a very good day. It wasn't as though she would really kill, but planning it out helped calm her down slightly. Funny how that sort of thing worked.

"I'm up next!" announced Logan, grinning like a lunatic.

Max had truly begun to see Logan in a new light since their break up. She had come clean about her and Alec just being a ploy to keep him safe from the virus but finally admitted that things just weren't ever going to work out between them. Logan, at the time, had seemed to accept her decision. However, within a matter of a couple days, he had been sniffing around again and doing everything he could to win her back.

Max had finally come to realise why Alec had been so cautious about Logan. All of Terminal City regarded the man with the same suspicion. Max knew that they respected Logan, for all he had done to help them, but it was becoming more and more obvious that he was only attempting to form friendships with the Transgenics he could use for missions, Eyes Only missions. The only Transgenic Logan wasn't trying to get closer to was Alec. Although, everyone, including Alec, knew why that was. Even a blind deaf mute could pick up on the jealousy Logan emitted every time Alec walked in to a room.

Max, despite trying desperately not to, had started to see Logan as her fellow Manticorians did. Although Logan was a lot nicer about it, and actually did accept "No" as an answer, even if he did huff about it and whine to Max, Logan was a rather threatening reminder of their days back in Manticore. His seemingly constant need to be recognised by them as important, his never ending mission requests and, what annoyed them the most, his automatic assumption that he had a say in how Terminal City was to operate.

Another thing that annoyed her people about him, was his love of reminding them, especially Alec, of just how much he had helped them or what he had done to help them. Max had to, more than once, step in rather quickly to stop one of her people from, literally, ripping the cyber-journalist apart. Mole had already told her that if he heard about how Logan saved the day at the Jam Pony siege one more time…

Max shut off that line of thought before it got any more detailed. She was pissed off enough as it was, she didn't need Mole's disembowelling idea running through her head as well.

"Hey Maxie!"

Alec's voice was like a welcome breeze. Those two simple words of greeting gave her something to balance on, react to.

"Don't call me Maxie!" she said, not quite as sharply as she normally would have.

Max fought back the smirk when she saw Logan stiffen in his seat. Yip, she knew what that meant. Logan had been planning to ask her to do a mission for him. Of course, Alec had already told him that Max was too busy for his petty requests. Max had shouted at him at the time, but now? She had never been more grateful for the time off.

Sure, the siege may have ended and the X-series were being allowed to work in Seattle again, but that didn't mean the pressure had lessened for her. If anything, Max's work load had doubled. Now she had a city to run and only three employers in Seattle were willing to give her people any work to help fund it. Those employers being Jam Pony, Crash and Bulldog Security Ltd. Not that their funding only came from legal methods but the government didn't need to know about that.

It had been Alec that had put the order out. No more missions for Eyes Only until TC was fully operational. It had been Alec who marched in to Max's office that afternoon and stolen her paperwork. That was how Max had come to find herself in Crash in the first place. Alec hadn't taken no for an answer either. Not that Max was planning on saying no.

The reason for Max's agreement made her way on stage and thanked OC for her song, struggling to be heard over the applause. Gem. It was her first night working at Crash. Logan tried to claim credit but everyone knew that it was Alec's close friendship with the owner, Hunter, that had secured Crash as a Transgenic friendly employer.

Gem swallowed nervously before speaking into the microphone. "Thank you, OC, wonderful as always. Now…" she quickly checked the clip board in her hand. "…we have Logan. Come on up Logan."

"This is for you, Max." Logan whispered to Max as he made his way toward the stage. Max rolled her eyes in exasperation and had to stifle a chuckle when she caught Alec doing the same thing.

OC made her way back to the table and grabbed the beer Alec held out to her. She leaned in close and whispered something in to his ear, causing Alec to almost spit out his mouthful of scotch before laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Max.

OC turned to Max, leaned close and repeated her previous comment. "And I thought the Backstreet boys killed this song the first time round."

Max couldn't have stopped the laugh that erupted even if she had tried. It was true. Logan was murdering 'If I don't have you', a song that the Backstreet boys and successfully killed when it was first released.

"Oh my God!" stated an annoying high pitched voice. Max's urge to kill returned with force. There she was again. That irritating blonde that had been hanging off Alec's arm every time they came to Crash from the last three months. "He's crap!"

"He's a friend of ours!" snapped Alec, shocking both Max and OC with his statement.

"Oh!" gasped the girl, trying to hug Alec's arm tighter. "Sorry Baby!"

"SO!" beamed Logan as he came back to the table. "What did you guys think?" it was an open enough sounding question, but it didn't take an idiot to realise that he was only looking for one answer.

Max was suddenly grateful that Alec had signed her up to sing. Gem called for her just as Logan's eyes fixed on her, silently demanding her answer. She grinned. "Sorry Logan, my turn!"

Max ignored Logan's look of disappointment as she stepped up on to the stage and walked over to Gem. She smiled back at OC's beaming grin and pride shining eyes and had to fight back the chuckle when she spotted Alec trying to reclaim his arm from his blonde groupie. She knew that Alec had never gone home with that girl, that he didn't actually enjoy having her almost surgically attached to him. Max grinned as she told Gem what song. She couldn't wait to see the reaction.

Max had chosen an Avril Lavigne song 'Girlfriend'.

As soon as the music started, so did Max, her voice perfectly matching how the singer herself had performed it.

Hey, hey, you, you,

I don't like your girlfriend

I think you need a new one

I could be your girlfriend

Alec's eyes nearly popped right out of their sockets as Max's song choice hit him. He glanced at Logan only to see Max shake her head and Logan's face turn sour.

Hey, hey, you, you

I know that you like me

You know it's not a secret

I want to be your girlfriend

Logan shot to his feet and stormed over to the bar, slamming his fist down on the counter top and trying to shout over the dim to be heard.

You're so fine, I want you mine, you're so delicious

I think about you all the time, you're so addictive

Don't you know what I can do to make you feel alright?

Max sent a knowing smirk directly at Alec. Alec, in turn, grinned back, a devilish glint in his eyes as he, literally, tore his arm free from its blonde induced captivity.

Don't pretend, I think you know I'm damn precious

And hell yeah, I'm the mother-fucking princess

I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right

The blonde tried to recapture Alec's arm but suddenly found OC blocking her way. Alec's eyes were fixed on every miniscule move Max was making, his eyes growing slightly darker with each verse.

She's like, so what ever

And you could do so much better

I think we should get together now

And that's what everyone's talking about

All of Crash was on their feet. The women were dancing and singing along, while the men ogled, tried not to drool and wisely avoided Alec, who was growling and glaring at any man who dared to get too close.

Hey, hey, you, you

I don't like your girlfriend

I think you need a new one

I could be your girlfriend

Hey, hey, you, you

I know that you like me

You know it's not a secret

I want to be your girlfriend

Max smirked directly at Alec, locking eyes with him just long enough to throw a naughty little wink. Alec was so shocked. He ended up spraying a mouthful of scotch all over the blonde, and returning Logan. OC, having seen it coming and ducked out of the way in time, burst out laughing as Logan and the blonde squealed.

I can see the way, I see the way you look at me

And even when you look away I know you think of me

I know you talk about me all the time again and again

So come over here and tell me what I wanna hear

Better yet, make your girlfriend disappear

I don't wanna hear you say her name ever again

The blonde, realising she wasn't getting anywhere but soaked in scotch, grabbed her jacket from the stool and stormed out. OC waved goodbye to her but Alec hadn't moved since that suggestive little wink from Max made him lose his mouthful.

She's like, so what ever

And you could do so much better

I think we should get together now

And that's what everyone's talking about

Hey, hey, you, you

I don't like your girlfriend

I think you need a new one

I could be your girlfriend

Hey, hey, you, you

I know that you like me

You know it's not a secret

I want to be your girlfriend

Max was truly owning the stage, with the audience not that far behind it. A blonde haired man tried to climb up on to the stage, ready to join Max. OC gasped in fright, having not even noticed Alec had moved, as the man suddenly flew backwards, landing in a heap on the ground. "NO!" came the deep threatening growl from Alec, leaving the other men educated enough to not even try.

Oh, in a second you'll be wrapped around my finger

Cause I can, cause I can do it better

There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in?

She's so stupid, what the hell where you thinking?

In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger

Cause I can, cause I can do it better

There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in?

She's so stupid, what the hell where you thinking?

Hey, hey, you, you

I don't like your girlfriend

I think you need a new one

I could be your girlfriend

Hey, hey, you, you

I know that you like me

You know it's not a secret

I want to be your girlfriend.

As the music faded out, Max took a bow. The entire bar erupted with cheers, clapping and whistles. A man who tried to pat Max on the shoulder almost had his arm ripped out the socket when Alec experienced a slight touch of jealousy.

However, when Alec moved closer and was about to claim Max, as her song had requested, she pointed toward Gem and announced. "Answer me, that way!"

OC chuckled, expecting Alec to back down, as Max was whispering that he would. Alec always claimed that he didn't sing and it was a well known fact that his past 'performances' were usually of the deadly variety. Both women were left shocked and gasping when Alec grinned at them and bounded on to the stage.

He grabbed the microphone after whispering to Gem what he would sing and waited for the crowd to hush before he spoke.

"I've always said I don't sing." he grinned to Max and OC. "I never said that I couldn't sing."

The music started. Max and OC gasped again as they instantly recognised one of their favourite songs. Stand by your side by Shayne Ward.

This, one, is for you

This, one, is for you

Alec pointed directly at Max as his perfect voice began to sing.

Girl when I, close my eyes, I realise

I don't know what I'd do without your lovin

And I, can't hold it any longer

Now I see, you and me, all the way

And to prove it I will make a promise

That I, will never leave you lonely

Max felt her sing tingle as Alec words washed over her. She grinned as images filled her mind of what she would do to him after he got off that stage. Then sent naughty shivers down her spine as she imaged not waiting.

And if you fall

I will stand, by your side

When you got nowhere to run

Baby, I'm a place to hide

One for my lover, One for my sister

One for my brother

Soon you'll discover it's true

This one's for you

Because it's time, in your life

When you must, take a long hard look in to the mirror

You see it so much clearer

Max had to look away at that point. The song was too close to too many things her people had been trying to tell her for the last year. She couldn't look away for long though, Alec's voice was doing something to her. The shivers it was sending through her were overwhelming her mind, frying her nerves. His voice was coming across like a mating call and Max was powerless to resist.

And if you fall

I will stand, by your side

When you got nowhere to run

Baby, I'm a place to hide

One for my lover, One for my sister

One for my brother

Soon you'll discover it's true

This one's for you

I ain't gonna give you up

Gonna give you all my love

Even if it all falls down

Baby I'm still around

I'm still around

Max finally realised just why Alec had taken all that abuse from her and still not left. She had never had to tell him about her fear of being abandoned, never had to explain how that felt like she with Logan. Alec had understood from the beginning.

And if you fall

I will stand, by your side

When you got nowhere to run

Baby, I'm a place to hide

When you got nowhere to run

I will stand, by your side

When you got nowhere to run

Baby, I'm a place to hide

One for my lover, One for my sister

One for my brother

Soon you'll discover it's true

This one's for you.

Alec still had the microphone in his hand when a red haired woman dove on him, kissing him for all she was worth. His eyes widened in shock and disgust as he tried to push her off. A loud and deadly growl erupted from Max as she leapt into the air and pounced on the woman.

"MINE!"

She tossed the woman aside like a raggy doll before turning to Alec with a triumphant smile. A smile that soon changed to a nervous one when she saw how Alec's eyes had darkened and the way he was now stalking towards her.

***

The drive back to Terminal City was filled with the screeching of brakes and screaming car horns. Alec was barely managing to keep the bike balanced at some points but Max rubbing herself further into his lap made him care little for the traffic, or the danger, and speed up even more.

When the bike was finally parked, they couldn't get off fast enough. Max instantly leapt back on to him as soon as Alec was clear of the frame work, causing him to stumble back into a support strut of the old building TC used for its motor pool.

Neither had noticed Gem on her cell phone as they had stumbled, lip locked, from Crash and, had it not been for Dalton's gasp of shock and Mole's loud announcement of "Damn! Gem wasn't joking!" they wouldn't have noticed their waiting audience either.

Of course, Alec's deadly growl soon cleared a path for them. Not one of them was dumb enough to stay in the couples way. After all, Alec wasn't an Alpha from Manticore, he was the Alpha! A fact that Max was about to reap the benefits of.

***

The door had barely closed and he already had her pinned against the wall, tearing off each others clothes as if they were aflame. Lips, teeth, tongue clashed and nipped every inch of skin they could reach while their hands traced each others bodies, memorising every last millimetre of flesh.

Their teeth tore in to each others left shoulder at the same time, each growling a mumbled "MINE!" as they marked the others flesh. Max released Alec's shoulder first. She didn't have much choice with the powerful way his shaft surged inside her, purging her of all who had dared go there before him.

***

When Max awoke the following morning, she had a smile on her face. It was the first time in her entire life that she had woken up happy. She blushed slightly as the images from last night played over in her mind, arousing her all over again.

There was not a single spot in Alec's apartment that they had not claimed each other.

Max felt the ache all over her body. She had always heard the rumours about Alec's 'abilities' in bed but had never put much faith in the common grapevine. She grinned, pleased at being proven wrong about something. Of course, if any other female tried to bed him… Was defending your claim considered murder?

"Mornin'"

Max glanced down as Alec stirred from his slumber and greeted her with a passionate kiss. He grinned as he pulled away after and took a deep breath in through his nose, inhaling the scent of the room. Max blushed, knowing that he would pick up on her currently aroused state.

"Damn, Max!" he smirked as he pulled her closer, letting her know she wasn't the only ready for…

Was it round twenty or twenty-one? Max thought absently as she curled closer, opening herself for him once more.

Alec grinned again as he slipped inside her once more. "If I'd known this was going to happen…" he paused for a brief kiss and started to move within her, making Max moan happily. "…I'd have taken you to a karaoke night years ago!"

Max's reply was cut off in her throat as Alec thrust again, beginning to set a rhythm.

Just before Max's mind shattered into oblivion once more, a single happy thought passed through it. "God bless Karaoke!"

The End