Author: Michelle Drake gypsychic04@hotmail.com

Author's Note: I *FINALLY* wrote my sequel to "Forever Changed". It isn't mandatory that you read "Forever Changed" because the first part of the chapter kind of explains what happened, but it will ruin the ending of "Forever Changed", so it's your choice (but if I were you I'd read it) :) This fanfic is much more M/A shippery than the first one. It starts out only midly shippy, but never fear- it will be shippery- just you wait :) Also, this is my little angst-filled, twisted, alternate-universe . . . even more so then most of my previous work. The first part of this chapter is just for the sake of refreshing everyone's memories as to what happened in the first fic "Forever Changed" and explaining how Max and Alec have dealt with everything. I tried to summarize as best as I could without completely saying what happened because I will go into all of that much more in the other chapters. That first section isn't very well written, but once you get father into the fic it gets much better :) I promise!

Author's Note 2: Have you joined yet? The Writers Connection, http://thewritersconnection.cjb.net Share your work, chat with other writers, and get advanced sections of CMIIF :)

Dedication: Dedicated to all those at The Writers Connection, especially Blaze and Drea Jackman. You guys really helped me with this fanfic, and your words of praise certainly helped me get this thing finished (despite that virtual motivation stick . . . please stop poking me . . . cuz' look, I'm done!). You two really made my day many, many times! Also dedicated to Teri Xenite for also being a great sounding board :)

Spoilers: My fanfic "Forever Changed"

Summary: When your greatest enemy is yourself and there seems like there is no one to turn to, who will catch you when you fall? M/A

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please review . . . it's seriously what keeps me going . . . so if you want more tell me :) You hated it? Tell me! You're not sure about it yet? Say so! You loved it? Then for the love of the blue lady tell me :) so go . . . read and review :)

Disclaimer: Fox don't want em' so now they are MINE!

. . .

. . .C a t c h M e I f I F a l l. . .

by Michelle Drake

. . .

P r o l o g u e

That one disastrous moment happened almost one year ago. With that one single gunshot, things were changed forever. After the initial shock, things seemed to begin to painstakingly go back to normal, or as normal as things were before everything fell apart. One thing was for certain though, Max and Alec were not he same people that they were before everything had happened. On the outside things seemed to remain unchanged, but for each of them, life was never the same again, and each of them would never be the same again.

That small little spark of Max's, that only those who really knew her could see, was now little more than a flicker. She was different now in so many ways, but she hid it form the world easily. She hid the hurt, the pain, the sadness that was buried deep in her heart. She pretended to be happy, faking her smiles. She was too afraid to let it all out and admit how much she hurt- even to herself. No one could see the change in her, except for Alec. He noticed the small little glimpses of pain in her eyes that she would momentarily forget to hide, and he saw the way she would tense up whenever someone would mention Logan or the mysterious disappearance of the underground, cyber-journalist, Eyes Only.

For Alec it was a completely different story. He couldn't hide from everything as easily as Max could. After everything has happened he had to look after Max- not just for her sake, but for the sake of his own sanity. The responsibility that he felt for everything tore at his heart and soul. He couldn't pretend not to care like he used to, no matter how much he wanted to hide it. Hiding it would be the easy way to live, escaping from everything, like nothing had happened. He didn't feel like he deserved the easy way out. He needed to suffer, needed to pay, needed to give up everything for what he did. He knew that he hadn't been the one who had pulled the trigger, but he could've stopped it, and he failed.

The changes that had happened between Max and Alec ran even deeper than even they could explain. They both seemed to have this unbreakable connection that hadn't been there before everything had fallen apart. It was a strange sort of unspeakable pact that bonded them together. Neither of them acknowledged it, but at the same time they weren't just ignoring it either. It didn't need to be said, they both knew it was there . . .

. . .

Author's Note: I know it was short, but please review, it keeps me going. What did you think? Want more? Because there is more . . . so much more :) Chapter one will be posted this weekend or early next week :)

catch.me.if.i.fall.by.Michelle.Drake©

gypsychic04@hotmail.com

http://thewritersconnection.cjb.net