What's Next? -- Chapter 17

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Alec, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters (Becky/X6-405, etc.).

"I better hear back from them soon," Becky said one night almost two months later as she and some of the others sat at a table at Crash, watching Alec and Jeff play pool.

"Why haven't you heard anything yet?" Max asked.  She took a sip of her water.  "How many interviews have you been on for that position, anyway?"

"Three," Becky said.  "It's the whole trimming down the list of applicants deal.  I think that the third round of interviews was going to be the last, but I'm not sure."  She shrugged.  "At any rate, I should hear from them one way or another pretty soon.  That position is supposed to start for the spring semester and that starts in the middle of January and it's already the end of October."  She groaned.  "That reminds me.  My parents want to throw a party for me to celebrate my nineteenth birthday."

Original Cindy looked a little bit confused.  "What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing, I guess," Becky said.  "I've just never had a party thrown for me before.  Last year I just went to the Halloween party here.  That wasn't thrown just for me or even Max for that matter."

"Just let them have throw the party," Max said.  "It might be fun."

"I guess," Becky said.  "I think Caroline really wants to, especially since Zack somehow convinced them not to throw something for his twenty-sixth birthday last month."  She laughed and grinned wickedly.  "Twenty-six years old.  Your man's getting up there in years, Max."

"That was pointless.  He was over at the bar getting a new pitcher for those of us who are drinking," Sketchy said.

"Nope.  I'm still in his hearing range," Becky said smugly.  Her grin only got wider when Zack returned to the table and gave her a glare.  "It's about time that you're back."

"I wish I knew why I even bothered," Zack muttered as he set the pitcher down on the table.

"Who knows and who cares?" Wayne said.  He refilled his glass and drank from it.

"You don't have time to risk your neck by racing your girlfriend on your motorcycles or BASE jumping so you just have to settle for risking your neck by annoying Zack," Rena teased.  "Personally, I think that's way more dangerous than BASE jumping."

"Yep, until I've been at the hospital longer, I've got to enjoy what little time off I can get however I can," Wayne said.  "After this, Jondy and I are going back to my apartment and we're going to--"

"We don't need to know about what you and Jondy do behind closed doors," Max said.

Jondy shrugged.  "Why not?  It's probably nothing that you and Zack haven't done by now.  Besides, we only started sleeping with each other recently."

"Moving on," Becky said.  She turned her head as Alec and Jeff finished their game and headed back to the table.  "Who won?"

"That would be me," Jeff said.  He gave Becky a kiss and exchanged high fives with the other guys.

"I guess you guys didn't put money on it 'cause Alec still looks like he's in a good mood," Sketchy remarked.

"No, we didn't put money on it," Alec said.  He finished his beer and looked at his watch.  "I promised Brin that I wouldn't be out too late tonight."

"Is she your girlfriend or your mother?" Sasha teased.  She sipped her own glass of water and exchanged high fives with the other girls.

"Biggs, buddy of mine, please do me a huge favor and get your girlfriend to quit being such an annoying bitch for once?" Alec joked.

"Actually, she isn't my girlfriend," Biggs said.

"Oh?  You've been dating for a few years, you're mates, you're living together, you're raising children together and you're expecting one in a little more than seven months.  If that doesn't make Sasha your girlfriend, what does that make her?" Alec said.

Sasha took her left hand out of her pocket and grinned triumphantly.  "That makes me his fiancée, you moron!"

"Holy shit!  Congratulations!" Rena said.  She leaned over and gave her twin a big hug.  "Have you decided on a date?"

"Not yet," Sasha said.  "We'll figure that one out later."

"That is some rock," Max said.  She looked at it critically.  "I could easily fence that one for at least a hundred grand.  Where did you get a rock like that?"

Biggs grinned.  "I had plenty of cash saved from the last heist I did before we became legal.  I wanted to save it for something special and I can't think of anything that's more special than this.  Can you?"

"Not much," Alec said.  "Congratulations, buddy."

"Thanks," Biggs said.  The others congratulated him and Sasha.  "Zack, have you popped the question to Max yet."

"Not yet," Zack said.  "To be honest, I'm planning on it, but not yet."

"We're as good as married anyway," Max said.  "We love each other more than either of us can describe and there isn't anything that will keep us from being together forever if we can help it.  It's not a question of love as to why we're not getting married yet."

"I'd say it's not a question of love," Zane said.  "You two love each other so much, it's nauseating for the rest of us to look at you and seeing you make those eyes at each other that you do all of the damn time."

Max wadded up a napkin and threw it across the table at Zane.  "And how many times have I been seeing you and Rena giving each other similar looks?"

"As much as I would love to watch this fight-in-the-making, I've really got to bail," Alec said.  He threw some money on the table and stood up.  "I'll catch you guys later."  He left the bar.

"Actually, I feel like leaving myself," Max said.  She stood up and so did Zack.  "I'm starting to get a little tired."

Jondy blinked.  "The last time you slept was only four days ago!"

"And I'm three months pregnant and my doctor over there says that I'll be needing to sleep more frequently the farther along that I get.  Isn't that right, doc?" Max said.

"Yep, Max is actually right," Wayne said.  He couldn't resist the temptation.  "That makes a hell of a change, doesn't it, Jondy?  Remember the time when--" he was cut off by the slap across the back of the head that Max had given him after she'd walked around to his side of the table.  Wayne winced but laughed.

Max rolled her eyes.  "Why do I've got the feeling that I decided to blaze not a moment too soon?"

"I have no clue what could have given you that idea," Becky deadpanned.

"Oh yeah," Max said.  "Sasha, Biggs, congrats again!  I'll see you guys tomorrow."  She and Zack left Crash and started to walk back to Terminal City and their apartment.  "That was nice."

"It was," Zack said.  "It's probably good that we're leaving now because we've got a long day ahead of us."

"Yeah, we're looking at that apartment," Max said.  She grinned.  "I feel all domestic."

"What happened to the Maxie that I know and love?" Zack teased.

"Oh, she's still here," Max said.  She grinned and stopped and pulled Zack down for a long, deep kiss.  "She is definitely still here."

"I think I might have to look a little bit harder," Zack murmured and then he leaned down and kissed her before they continued onto their apartment.

TBC