Alec wandered into the bar, still wearing his tux. He'd gone for a walk in the grounds after Logan had punched him, now about two hours later he was back, with no memory of what he'd done for the past two hours.
Surprisingly, Max was the only occupant of the bar. She was sitting, slumped over the bar surface cradling a whiskey. Alec felt slightly annoyed that the beautiful dress was getting crumpled.
"So, you sort things out with Logan?" He asked guardedly, sitting down beside her. He raised a hand at the bar tender and the tender dumped a second glass down and filled it with whiskey. Alec picked it up, sniffed it and put it down again. Good whiskey.
"Nope." Max said shortly, downing her drink and ordering another.
"How long have you been here?" Alec asked. Max glanced at the clock.
"About two hours." She smiled self depreciatingly and swilled the whiskey in it's glass. She turned to him. "Why did you do it? Why did you say it was all my fault? Logan didn't believe you of course, he believes you forced yourself on me." Suddenly she burst out into depressed laughter. "I couldn't take it, I'm such a bitch." She raised a hand to her eye and rubbed it absently.
"I said that because I knew Logan wouldn't believe me. I - Max, go up and talk to Logan." He said, turning to her. "Go up and talk to him. Tell him, tell him it was me, okay?" Alec swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I said those things to Logan to get you off the hook. Don't waste my efforts." He deliberately turned his voice harsh. "Come on, I thought he was 'the love of your life'."
"Alec-" Max began.
"Remember Max, all we were was tension. Tell him you were in Heat, he'll forgive you." Max stared at him for a minute and slowly got up and walked away. Alec shut his eyes and downed his whiskey.
"Want another?" The barman asked. Alec considered the whiskey glass then he shook his head.
"No, thanks." He turned and left.
As he opened the door to his and Max's room he could smell the faintest traces of her. The maids had done all they could to clean out everything. Humans were like that. They had no idea what the smell of a powerful cleaning agent was like to him and Max. He changed into jeans, a black t-shirt and his leather jacket. Then he left. Down in the garages he rented out a bike, assured the man he hadn't been drinking and drove off.
Max knocked on Logan's door. He opened it, his face livid. "Did he hurt you?" Logan asked angrily. "Did he hurt you? Because if he did I'm gonna kill him, I'll phone the police-"
"Logan," Max interrupted tiredly. It would be so easy. Yes, Alec forced himself on me, Logan I was scared and confused, I think I was in Heat, please love me again.
"Alec-" Max began again, willing to say the words but her voice didn't seem to work anymore. No, I jumped Alec, I was in my right mind, but when I was with him he made all the badness go away.
"Max, I love you. Do you love me?" Logan asked, staring into her eyes.
"Do you? Love me?" Max asked. "Logan, I do love you, but . . ." Max shut her eyes and turned away.
"Don't leave me!" Logan shouted. Max flinched.
"I don't know Logan! Yes! I mean, of course I love you, you're the best friend I ever had!" She choked off the rest and stormed back down to the bar.
"Well, hello dear." A gentle old voice alerted Max that Flora had come into the bar.
"Hey." Max said, swilling the whiskey and downing it. This time the barman just gave her the
bottle.
"Your friend Asha told me everything." Flora said. Max snorted. She doubted it. "Max, dear, do you love Logan."
"Of course I love Logan." She snapped, pouring a large whiskey and downing it.
"So, why were you with Alec?" Flora asked.
"Because it was physically pleasurable." Max stated. "I'm nothing but a whore."
"That's a little rough on yourself." Flora said amiably, waving the bar tender over and getting a half pint of draught.
"It's true." Max said shortly, pouring herself another glass. "I'm trying very hard right now to get drunk."
"I noticed." Flora said wryly. "Max, what would Alec do if you died this very instant?"
"What?" Max asked.
"What would Alec do?" Flora repeated. "Seriously Max, no wide comments." Max swallowed, she remembered Alec touching her, she remembered the expression in his eyes every time she responded.
"I don't know." She whispered, surprised.
"I do. The boy wouldn't know what to do with himself." Flora said bluntly. "Logan, he'd continue, I know Max, I know what Alec would do." Flora repeated.
"But- this isn't love I know love-" Max tried to argue.
"Do you think Henry and I love each other?" Flora asked snappily.
"Of course." Max replied.
"The feeling I get with my dear Henry is the feeling that I'm safe. I'm warm, loved and safe. Henry makes all my worries disappear, even if only for a short instant. And, my worries, they're his. He makes them his. That's love Max. Love doesn't have to be tough, it will be, by God there will be days where you regret ever loving, but true love is when you'll sacrifice him for others, because you know that's what he wanted. That's true love Max." Flora stifled a cough and drank from her beer.
"I don't, I don't understand." Max whispered.
"Max, if you only had an hour to live, what would you do?" Flora asked. Max looked at her straight in the eye.
"I'd go to Alec, because he makes me feel good."
"That's love Max." Flora told her. Max's jaw dropped.
"Oh Flora, I've got to-"
"Go you silly girl! Go!" Flora shouted at her. Max nodded and turned to flee.
Alec wasn't in their room. Max got changed, she had a pretty good idea where he'd gone. In her bike leathers she headed for the garage and rented out a bike. Hoping she'd go in the same direction Alec went in. Alec looked in his wing mirror, the bike that followed him was from the hotel, and he had a pretty good idea who was on it. He accelerated away, watching as Max met him move for move.
He skidded the bike around, heading in the opposite direction, Max followed. Alec took a side road through some dense forestry, Max followed him. Finally he veered to a stop on a bridge. Max stopped too.
"Alec! We need to talk!" Max cried, getting off her bike. Alec considered accelerating away but instead he got off his bike too.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Alec. I love you." She stopped just in front of him. Alec cocked his head.
"What?"
"I love you." Max repeated. Alec swallowed, his eyes misting over.
"I love you." Alec said.
"Yes I do." Max, said, mistaking it for a question. Alec smiled.
"No, I mean, I love you." He said. Max breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"I love you too." She replied.
"You can stop saying that now." He chuckled. A half laugh/ half sob escaped Max. She was embarrassed to find she was crying. Alec leaned down and kissed her. Max tried to stop from laughing and wailing at the same time.
"Are you okay?" Alec pulled away, he was laughing at her. She hit him. Alec looked at the two bikes. The distance between them on the way back to the hotel would be too much.
"I'll be better when we get back. I need to thank Flora." Max wiped her tears away, noticing as Alec sobered. "What is it?"
"Flora's dying." Alec told her. "It's cancer."
* * *
"Where were you?" Henry asked his wife as she came back up to their rooms. Flora bit her lip.
"Giving some friendly advice to Max, why?"
"I was worried." Henry said. "You weren't drinking, were you?"
"No Henry." Flora smiled at him. "Of course not." She let Henry hug her and her heart felt colder as she wondered what he was going to do without her.
The next morning at breakfast Henry noticed Max and Alec came down together, they selected their food at the buffet and headed towards Henry and Flora with excited smiles on their faces.
"Hi!" Alec said, sitting down. He reminded Henry of a child who has come up with a marvelous, yet impossible, idea.
"So, you two are together?" Flora asked. Max nodded.
"Spent most of last night talking it over with Logan and then Alec and I had an idea."
"What was it?" Flora asked. Max and Alec glanced at each other.
"Um, we'll tell you later. First we have a few things to sort out." Max grinned at Alec and he
grinned back. Henry rolled his eyes at his wife.
"It's probably some sort of insane plot."
"That it is." Alec agreed, Max giggled. "That it is."