I disclaim

BR>

It was late. Quiet. Too quiet. Alec's worst nightmare was about to come true. They heard the drones of marching. Closer, closer the sounds came, until they were at the door. Dressed in uniforms and armed with guns, the soldiers made their way to the room.

Max and Alec got closer than they were, still holding hands. The turn of the key in the lock was a noise so indescribable, so chilling, Alec blocked it out.

He felt the pressure on his arm and shoulder as he was ripped out of the cell, away from Max. The sounds of her cries, were muted against his horrified thoughts. Their hands, slowly pulled out of reach from one another, and then they were out of sight. His mind a blur. He blacked out.

They didn't talk to the ex-manticore soldier. They just beat him repeatedly. He wasn't there to be questioned. The only reason the brought him to the room, and away from Max was to torture him for their own fun. He felt his skin burn as they tied him down and repeatedly kicked him. The steel toe of their boots connecting with his face, arms and legs, was excruciating. They were sick and insane. The greatest fear Alec had, was that if he didn't survive they would do the same thing to Max.

Hours later, silently Alec walked back into the small box of a room, collapsing on the floor. Too strained to move, Max helped him over to the only blanket they had.

"Alec?" Max whispered, the tears already springing to her eyes.

He moaned under her light caresses. His face, bloody and bruised. Max stroked the side of his cheek and ruffled her fingers through his hair, like the night she had woken him from his nightmare.

"Alec?" Max tried, but no response. "Alec?" Max let the salty tears fall against his blemished skin, and slowly, reverently, he opened one eye, the other too swollen for him to even blink.

He reached his hand up to her face, tracing a soft line to her lips. "We have to get out of here," he told her, through strained breaths. It was such a simple statement, but it made her heart leap. He was okay, but she knew he had been through a lot. He wanted to protect her from the same treatment.

"Oh Alec, I'm sorry," she whispered, gently kissing his forehead.

"If getting beaten up was all it took to get a kiss from you, I would have done it a long time ago," he told her, trying to laugh, but coughing so much, it seemed pointless.

Max smiled, a large grin. Leave it to Alec, to try to make her feel better at such a time.

"See?"

"See what?"

"If you're laughing, things aren't too bad." Alec smiled, even though his lip was spit and the blood seeped into his mouth.

"Alec, I don't know what I'd do without you," she laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes. Then bent down, surprising Alec and even herself by hugging him tight to her. Alec, with shaking hands, weakly wrapped his arms around her, before he drifted off to sleep.

Max continued to hold onto him, while she sorted out a plan in her head. She had to get them out of there before White came to take her away. They would probably do the same thing to her, as they did to Alec, or worse. She didn't want to stick around to find out.

Just before the sun came up, Alec shifted restlessly in Max's arms. She looked down at him, applying a kiss to the top of his head.

"We're getting out of here."

"We are?" He asked groggily.

"Can you stand?"

"Maybe if you help me, but I dunno, I still feel pretty weak."

"Let's try anyway."

Max stood and helped Alec to his feet. He swayed against her, unsure of his balance. "I can't do it Max. Go without me."

"I can't leave you alone. Who knows what they'll do to you."

"The worst thing they can do is kill me."

"Alec! Don't talk like that!" Max yelled. "I won't let it come to that. We have to find a way."

"Max, just go," Alec told her, looking into her eyes, almost begging her.

"I can't!" she told him turning her back from him.

"Max!"

"Alec I won't leave you. It's final."

"Fine, then we'll both die, is that what you want?" Max paced the room. "Well, is it?" Alec yelled.

"No!"

Why couldn't she just leave? It was only Alec. He had caused more problems for her than anyone and yet, she couldn't leave him, she wouldn't do it. In fact, she didn't want to. A part of her felt safer with him there, even though he was bloody and weak.

"Alec?"

"Yeah," he answered lazily.

"I don't hate you, you know?" Max told him quietly. "I don't even mean to be such a bitch to you, but it's like sometimes I can't even control myself."

She looked to Alec, he was intrigued and a little surprised, she was being so honest with him. He encouraged her to continue. "Go on."

"And, I just want you to know, that even though I'm rough with you sometimes, and I don't always listen to you, I really do respect you."

"Whoa Max, that's quite an admission," He said lightly, followed by a few minutes of silence. "You're not too bad yourself."

Max laughed, "Gee thanks. You're right you know, no matter how bad things are, you can always get me to laugh."

"All a part of my charm," Alec told her sarcastically.

TBC