"Max!?" Alec called busting through the screen door, scanning the living room for her. She wasn't there, nor was she in the kitchen or bathroom. The only place left was the bedroom. He took a deep breath before he opened the door and walked through the wood frame.

She flooded his senses as soon as he entered the room. She looked so small curled up in the large bed. All his anger began to leave him when he looked down at her. 'No', he told himself. He wasn't going to let himself be weakened by her. She was going to listen to everything he had to say, it didn't matter that she was going through a rough time, so was he, he told himself.

"Max!?" Alec prodded, kneeling at the side of the bed to look into her eyes, trying to figure out if she was awake or not. He felt the anger dissipating once again, and realised it was not a battle he would win with himself. Max had power over him, more so than anyone he had ever met. Alec knew without a doubt he would give up his life for her. Seeing her hurting was not fair, he decided. There was no way he could win an argument when all he wanted to do was reach over and rock her in his arms.

Max felt his hot breath against her neck and knew that he was mad. He'd been gone so long. For a while she thought he may have abandoned her. Left her, helpless so that anyone could come in and she would be defenceless, but another part of her knew he would never do that to her.

"I'm scared," she told him quietly, almost inaudible.

Alec's heart broke when he saw the tears spring to her eyes. She held out her hand in the air, unsure where he was exactly. Alec could never deny her. He took her small hand in his and eased his way onto the bed. Wrapping her in his arms, he pulled her close against his chest.

"I promise everything will be alright."

"You don't know that Alec," Max told him quietly, wiping at the salty tears on her face.

"I would never let anything happen to you. Don't you know that?" Alec confessed taking her hand from her face and thumbing her tears away. He let his fingers linger on the soft skin of her face.

Max turned in his arms so she faced him. A small smile traced her lips. "I know."

Before she could stop herself, before images of Logan made her stop, Max ran her fingers up over Alec's chest, past his shoulders and onto his face. She traced the fine line of his sculpted jaw, and cheek bones. Alec closed his eyes at her soft caresses. He was silent and just held her close. Her fingers ran over his lids and touched his dark, unnaturally long eyelashes, his nose, then his lips. They were soft, almost surprisingly so. She couldn't help herself from touching him, now that she couldn't see him, she was finally letting herself know who Alec was. Judging him all the time left her feeling guilty, but as she touched him, really touched him, she felt how wrong she had been. She felt his lips curl into a smile, still she touched.

"Max...I.."

"What Alec, what is it? Do you want me to stop?" She asked, dropping her hands from his face.

"No," he told her, taking her sleek fingers and placed them back over his lips. He gently kissed her fingertips and palm. "I just want you to know, I'll always be there for you, no matter what, you can count on me."

"I know Alec. You always seem to be there when I need you."

Alec closed his eyes again at the feel of Max's roaming hands. Down his throat, past his collarbone and onto his chest, her hands searched the confines of his sculpted body. "You're perfect!" She whispered, positioning her body closer to his.

"I was made that way." He told her sadly, his eyes flickering open but remaining downcast as if he were embarrassed by her comment.

"They might have made you that way, but they didn't make you so you were gentle, and caring and sincere, that was all you."

"I'm none of those things Max."

"You are," she said, breathily. "You just never let anyone see it. Except me. What is that, Alec?"

Alec stammered for an answer, he knew this was not the time to profess a deep seated confession that he didn't even understand yet. "You're the only one I trust," he said, instead.

"I trust you too." Max placed her hand over his heart, felt the very real beats, the unsteadiness and never knew Alec to be so open. Whether he knew it or not, he was showing Max just how deeply she affected him, it thrilled and scared her at the same time. Always in the back of her mind was the thought of Logan.

The virus was gone, she remembered him, but how did she feel? She couldn't say, not for certain. Maybe once she saw him, she would get a better hold of her emotions.

Then there was the threat of Ames White, what would he do to them if he ever found them? They couldn't hide or outrun him their entire lives.



---

Meanwhile, Logan sat at his computer, his hair unkempt, and his face unshaven. He sprang from his seat, unsteady from the long hours in one place.

"Shit!" he whispered to himself. What he had discovered was that White had found Ray and was on his way to get him.

He wasn't after Ray just because he was his son, but there were other reasons, darker reasons. Ray was to be the greatest of his group, specifically designed to help destroy 452, but only with the right training, the proper diet and monitoring. That's why White needed him. 494 and 452 would have to wait, getting back his son was the most important thing right now. Without Ray, they would be destroyed, with him they could conquer the world.

Logan scanned the information on his computer one more time before printing it out and exiting his apartment. He had to get Alec and Max, they would need to know about this.

---

Joshua entered the apartment just minutes after Logan had left, missing each other by mere seconds. Joshua called for Logan but found no response. The sight of White's picture on the computer screen caught Joshua's attention and he felt the rage burn through him. He hated White, more than anything he wanted to see him suffer a long painful death and he wanted to be the one to do it.

He howled like a rabid dog and stormed out of the apartment. He would make White pay. He would go to the boy, wait and then pounce, showing no mercy.

TBC