Mating Day

Orithain and Rina

Disclaimers: You don’t actually think we believe they’re ours, do you? We’re not delusional. ;) We don’t make any money from this, just have fun.

"We need to leave."

Jason Kittridge looked up from the results of his latest tests and frowned, dark brown brows furrowing over equally dark brown eyes. "Is this another drill, Marnie, ‘cause I’m right in the middle of this?"

"It’s no drill. We’re leaving, so pack!" The diminutive blonde began shoving data disks into a bag, only slowing when she looked back over her shoulder to find Jason still staring t her. "Will you move it!"

"How many times do we have to go through..." Jason’s voice died away when he focused on Marnie’s side and saw the patch of red soaking through the fabric of her t-shirt. "Is that blood?"

"Most of it’s not mine," she snapped, grabbing the reports he’d been reading and throwing them in another bag. "Where’s the data from those tests I asked you to do?"

"Uh, here." He reached under his desk and handed her a removable hard drive, suddenly taking this a lot more seriously. "What happened?"

"I’ll tell you when we’re on the road."

Realizing that Marnie was ready to leave, Jason dashed around the lab, grabbing what he could, then back into his office/apartment, determined not to leave without his favorite jacket, a medical kit, and his CDs. "Okay, let’s rock, but once we get somewhere safe, we’re stopping so I can patch you up."

Marnie looked at him solemnly. "I’m not sure there is anywhere safe."

"Will you let me drive? The bleeding’s getting worse."

"We’re almost there, and my reflexes are still better than yours."

"Damn it, Marnie... Look out!" Jason ducked reflexively as a truck swung into the lane near them and he caught sight of a rifle in the window. "Fuck! I thought we’d lost them!"

Who ‘they’ were, he had no idea, and Marnie wasn’t telling. Reticence was something he wasn’t accompanied to from her, and this silence was gnawing at his gut as was worry about her blood loss.

Cursing, Marnie swung their SUV onto a side street, swerving around a parked car and gunning the engine to put distance between them and their pursuers. "There it is," she said grimly.

"There what is?" Jason looked forward to see a barricaded fence looming in front of them. "Terminal City? Are you crazy?"

"No," was all she said in reply, cutting the wheel sharply to the left as the truck came up behind them, then hitting the fence dead on, crashing through it and into the no-man’s-land beyond.

Jason’s head hit the dashboard hard when they jounced to a stop, and the last thing he saw was a gorgeous face looking down at him through the broken window. "Fuck, guess fags do go to heaven after all," he muttered before blacking out.

Alec’s eyebrows rose over green eyes as he caught that comment, and he very carefully avoided meeting Max or Mole’s gaze, knowing that they’d be laughing their asses off at the idea of him as an angel. Instead he carefully extracted the man from the truck before glancing at the female transgenic behind the steering wheel. "Who are you?"

"And why are you here?" Max added, her voice hard as she watched the newcomers suspiciously. Though her instincts made her want to welcome a fellow X series, experience had taught her to be wary, especially now that she’d somehow become the de facto leader of Terminal City. She had to take care for everyone.

Marnie got slowly out of the SUV, taking care to keep her hands in plain sight the whole while. "You must be Max. I’m Marnie, and that’s Jason; we need to see Logan." She looked back to where the truck that had chased them was backing away and winced, her hand going to her blood-soaked side. "After I talk to him, I’ll explain."

Max’s expression shut down. "You can talk to me, or you can leave." Nothing would make her bring an unknown transgenic to Logan; her kind had a habit of trying to kill him.

"Could you ladies decide quickly? I really can’t spend the whole day carrying this guy around," Alec said wryly, gesturing slightly with the unconscious man in his arms.

"I think we should just shoot ‘em and be done with it. We don’t need another pretty face with a superiority complex around here," Mole growled around his cigar. "No offense," he added to Max and Alec, who both just looked amused, used to him.

"Try it, Fish-face, and you’ll get that gun rammed up your ass," Marnie growled, turning back to Max without missing a beat. "You don’t want to take us to him, fine. Contact him then and tell him the answer he was looking for is here." She then turned to the X5. "And if he’s too much for you to deal with, pretty-boy, give him to me; he’s my responsibility."

"What answer?" Max demanded, ignoring everything else when Logan’s safety was involved. "You haven’t given me a reason to let you anywhere near him. Or did you really think it was going to be that easy to walk in here and assassinate him just because you’re a transgenic?"

"Take it from me, it ain’t that easy," Alec snorted before glancing down again at the man he was holding. "Is something else wrong with him? He should be coming around by now if this is just from that bump on the head."

"If he had wanted you to know, he would have told you," Marnie snapped back. "Just go tell him. I’ll sit here quietly and bleed, and as you can tell, Jason isn’t in any condition to do anything."

"Fuck, Marnie, did you get the number of that truck?" Jason groaned, reaching up to rub his forehead and opening his eyes when his hand smacked into a face that wasn’t his own. "I’ve heard of sweeping people off their feet, but I don’t even know you, man."

"You would have preferred that I left you slumped over the dashboard?" Alec inquired, lowering the other man to his feet but keeping an arm around his waist as he still looked alarmingly wobbly.

Momentarily distracted by the man’s regaining consciousness, Max quickly returned her attention to the blonde transgenic. "Who do you think you are?" she bit out, color rising as her temper did.

"Wouldn’t it have been easier to have asked me if I knew her?" Logan himself asked from Joshua’s side, the canine transgenic having come for him when it appeared that the two female X series were going to get stubborn.

He eyed Marnie. "I’ll need some proof of your claims though."

She nodded. "Jason is the one you need to ask about the details, but it’s done, at least the mock-ups are. The breeding cult got wind of us, and we had to scoot."

Jason struggled to regain his balance, shaking his head when his vision went gray. "If you’re talking about the retro-virus work, yeah, it’s done. What exactly do you want with it? It’s individual specific, so the cure isn’t going to work for just anyone, plus I haven’t done any trials yet." He realized he was leaning against the tall man who’d been carrying him and straightened up. "Dude, you can let go now."

Mole switched his cigar to the other side of his mouth. "He’s not a dude; he’s an angel," he smirked.

"Just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to fall at my feet," Alec replied easily, a smug grin appearing. "Not that you’d be the first." He glared at Mole. "And it’s easy to see why someone would make that mistake."

Max rolled her eyes. "I should have gone with my second choice," she muttered, eyeing Alec. "Dick."

Alec ignored her, concentrating on the newcomers.

"But it should work?" Logan asked desperately, and Max’s eyes suddenly widened as she realized what they were discussing.

"A cure for the virus? A real one?"

Ignoring the smug X5 at his side, Jason started to answer when he saw Marnie swaying. "Yes. It’s theoretical right now, but it should work. Look, can we discuss it inside somewhere? My head is killing me, and I need to play doctor on the super-soldier over there."

"Fuck you, Einstein," Marnie growled.

"And here I thought I was the angel of your dreams," Alec murmuring, grinning.

"Shut up, Alec," Max and Logan absently chorused, not even glancing at him. They stared at each other desperately, hope rising.

"You can use my apartment," Logan offered. "It’s in one of the safest areas of Terminal City for non-transgenics. And then... we can talk. This cure is more important to me than you can imagine."

"Great. Thanks. Now can I get some names to go with faces. Aside from Dick here, I’m at a loss." As he spoke, Jason ducked away from the tall X5’s side and moved over to Marnie, making her lean against the battered side of the SUV. "The data’s in here, if someone can help me with the hard drives—Not you," he snapped when Marnie tried to push past him. He bent to retrieve the hard drive and felt the world spin. "Man, that was better than Disneyland."

Alec caught hold of the scientist’s elbow, steadying him, before Marnie could. "The name is Alec," he growled, shooting a dirty look at Max, who smiled innocently back at him. "That’s Max, the queen bee around here; Logan you already know, and the one with the cigar is Mole."

"Come on, let’s get you both inside," Logan said. "We can offer something to eat too."

"Thanks," Jason said as he piled Alec’s arms with printouts, keeping the hard drive and discs to carry himself. "We’ve been on the road three days; don’t think we stopped for more than gas and pee breaks the whole time."

"If we had, want to guess where we’d be?" Marnie asked, straightening up and pulling the hard drive from Jason’s arm, wincing as she did so.

"I’m not arguing," Jason protested, "just making a statement is all."

"White and his cult don’t like anyone who might be able to stop this plague of theirs from eliminating the rest of the world," Max said somberly, watching the shorter transgenic. Once she’d realized Jason’s specialty, she know that Logan was interested in more than a cure for their own problem. "If they know you might be able to, you might knock me out of the position of worst enemy."

"Then again, they don’t like much of anyone, so I wouldn’t put too much weight on that." Alec eyed the wiry, very young doctor and wondered if he were really capable of what he claimed.

"Gee, someone not liking you, I can’t imagine why," Marnie snorted, before looking at Logan. "You said something about your apartment?"

Jason was eyeing Mole and the canine-faced transgenic he hadn’t been introduced to closely, clearly curious. He’d learned a hell of a lot on the drive from Chicago to Seattle, and it seemed he was going to learn even more being here in transgenic central.

"Oh sorry, my man," Alec said, following Jason’s gaze. "Didn’t notice you come back.

"That’s Joshua, the first transgenic, and our resident artist. He painted our flag," Alec added with a thumb jerk toward the white, red and black flag flapping atop a nearby building in the late afternoon breeze.

"We can talk at my place," Logan said firmly.

"I’ll get back to sentry duty," Mole said in his usual abrasive tone. He disappeared before anyone could have replied if they had wanted to.

Marnie nodded sharply and waited for Jason to step in front of her, clearly guarding his back as they followed Logan and Max deeper into the territory’s core.

"I told you, I’ll explain more when I’m done here," Jason said in what he thought was a patient tone. "The data’s not going anywhere, but Marnie might be if I don’t get this stitched up."

He glared back over his shoulder at the others, then dug into his med kit, searching for some anesthetic.

Alec and Max exchanged amused glances. "You do know what an X5 is, don’t you?" Alec asked, trying not to laugh. "It’d take a hell of a lot more than that to kill one of us. Actually, I’m surprised it hasn’t already clotted," he added with a frown. "It should have." Unless the other X5 was so run down that even her body’s most basic functions were slowing down.

"Jason’s a mother hen," Marnie hissed through gritted teeth as the man prodded the wound in her side, not bothering to explain that she wasn’t exactly an X5 but rather an X5A, one of Manticore’s experiments into creating better footsoldiers by adding more ursine DNA to the predominantly feline cocktail of the X5 type.

"No, I’m a sadist," he snapped back, not sparing the others a glance. "And yes, I know what an X5 is; I just haven’t had the pleasure of meeting any others."

"See, today’s your lucky day, you’ve already met two more, and there are lots of others here. Not to mention X6s, X7s, and lots of others you’ve never even imagined." Alec leaned closer to get a look at the wound, then rolled his eyes when he saw that it was healing fine.

"Mother hen all right," he murmured to Max, who smiled faintly.

"Most people worry when those they love are hurt, Alec," she pointed out, assuming from their reactions that Marnie and Jason were a couple.

"It’s natural with family, and I am not a mother hen," Jason sighed as he finished cleaning the wound, saw that it indeed was closing, and bandaged it instead of stitching it up.

Marnie glanced up at the others in the room and rolled her eyes. "No, not at all."

Max snickered. "Might as well get used to it. It makes no sense, but Logan’s the same way with me." She shook her head. "The fact that I can pick him up with one hand doesn’t seem to matter."

"It’s better than treating us like a piece of equipment," Alec said, his eyes momentarily focused inward.

"You can still get hurt," Logan protested.

"Pieces of equipment?" Jason asked, meeting Marnie’s eyes, his own gaze questioning.

She shrugged. "That’s what we were bred to be; some can’t see past that."

"So we do our best to change their minds." Alec’s smile turned feral. "However necessary."

Max simply nodded.

"So I gathered from the armed encampment here," Jason muttered, setting aside his instruments and looking up at Marnie. "No bench pressing the locals for a few days, okay?"

She chuckled. "I’ll try to restrain myself."

"Now, about that cure?" Logan urged, impatient for a solution to his and Max’s problem. "I’d really prefer not to die."

After washing his hands in the bathroom, Jason returned and laid out the printouts in a semblance of order. "It really wasn’t too hard to come up with a theoretical vaccine once I broke the sequencing down." He pointed out several series of genetic coding, then flipped to a scan of a virus. "It’ll just take time to produce it and try it. Do you really want to be a human guinea pig?"

"Considering that it’s the only way I’ll ever be able to touch Max again, yes."

Max flushed faintly at Logan’s emphasis, but she didn’t deny the urgency of their need. They needed to resolve this situation.

Jason shook his head. "Man, that’s really gotta suck. Main problem I can see is getting the equipment I need. I mean, this isn’t exactly Macy’s here."

"But the reason it’s called Terminal City is ‘cause of all the bugs that got loose... when the biggest medical research center outside the CDC or USAMRIID lost containment. Which means that no looters could get in here to steal the equipment. So it is the closest thing to Macy’s you’re going to find for your purposes," Alec replied. "And if anything’s still viable, well, transgenics seem to be immune to pretty much everything."

Jason slowly smiled. "So all I have to do is make up a shopping list?"

"Gee, a shopping spree for Einstein, how thrilling," Marnie sighed.

"Yeah, it might take a while to track stuff down, but I’m pretty sure that whatever you need is here. And when everyone hears it’s to help Max and Logan, they’ll all pitch in."

"Thanks," Max said softly, glancing over at Logan again, hope rising for the first time in a long time.

"Glad to help," Jason replied, rubbing at his forehead, the weight of the past three days and the realization that his whole life was gone finally hitting him.

"You can use one of the other apartments in the building," Max offered. "It’ll need to be cleaned out, but you’re welcome here as long as you want."

Alec chuckled. "Sketchy will be glad of another non-transgenic around here since Logan and Original Cindy don’t seem to notice the difference."

Jason offered a wan smile. "Only difference I notice is that Marnie can kick my ass from here to Saturn and back and not break a sweat. Not that I mind in the least when it’s my ass she’s guarding."

"Until we get somewhere else cleared out, is there somewhere Jason can crash?" Marnie asked, eyeing her charge closely.

Alec glanced at Joshua, waiting for the nod before he offered, "You could take my place, and I could stay with Joshua for a day or so. Don’t think we could all fit in my crib."

"I’m not gonna kick you out of your place," Jason said quickly.

Alec shrugged. "Hey, I don’t mind sharing if you don’t, but I don’t think there’s room for all three of us."

Marnie eyed the other X5 closely before glancing at Logan, who nodded, letting her know Alec could be trusted. "You let anything happen to Jason and your ass is mine," she stated flatly.

"Well, you’re not my usual type, but I’m sure I could make an exception."

Max groaned. "Leave now."

"Marnie needs somewhere to stay," Jason said, not moving until he was sure she was taken care of as well.

"Well, if you don’t mind a baby crying, Gem has some extra room. I’d offer my place, but it’s pretty full with me and Original Cindy," Max said. "I’d be happy to introduce you."

"A baby?" Marnie looked shocked by the idea, making Jason snicker. "Yeah, I could deal as long as I don’t have to change it or anything."

Alec laughed. "Not likely. Gem doesn’t let anyone she doesn’t know near that baby. Libby’s the first free-born X5 that we know of. So don’t try to get too close till Gem has a chance to get to know you. A mother lioness has nothing on an X5 protecting her baby."

"I don’t think she’ll have anything to worry about," Jason chuckled. "That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Marnie afraid of anything."

"Fuck you," she sighed.

"I’d love to, but you’re the wrong gender for me, babe," he answered.

Alec’s eyebrows rose, and Max snickered. "No wonder you thought Alec was an angel. It couldn’t be based on personality."

"Hey!" Alec sounded insulted, but his eyes were laughing.

Jason rubbed his forehead again. "I was delirious at the time, what can I say?"

"I think you had perfect vision," Alec said, glaring at Max.

"Even Original Cindy admits you’re pretty, Alec," Max laughed, "right up till you open your mouth."

"I think it’s time to call it a night," Alec said hastily, gesturing toward Jason. "Right this way."

"Logan, do you want me to leave you the printouts?" Jason asked.

"And just who is this Original Cindy? Does she have clones?" Marnie added.

"No, thanks, but they wouldn’t mean anything to me," Logan admitted with a sigh. "We can talk tomorrow after you get some rest."

Max led Marnie toward the door, laughing. "Original Cindy isn’t transgenic, but she is my best friend. And she is an original."

"You ready to go?" Alec asked.

Jason gathered up his things and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." He caught Marnie’s eye and grinned. "Take care of yourself."

She grinned back. "Only when I’m not taking care of you."

"So this is it, home sweet home," Alec said, opening the door to his small apartment and gesturing Jason inside. "There’s only one bedroom, so you can have the bed, and I’ll take the couch."

"It’s, uh, cozy," Jason said, looking around, trying to get a feel for the place and the other man. "And I’ll take the couch; you’re taller, no need for you to be cramped."

"I’m transgenic, you’re not. You’d probably be crippled after a night on that thing, while I’m used to a hard cot in a cell." Alec shrugged. "Manticore didn’t leave us with much need for luxury."

"Alec," Jason said stubbornly, used to dealing with Marnie when she got like this, "keep your bed. I’ve slept on lab benches and on the floor; I won’t die from sleeping on a sofa." He grinned, pulling what he thought was his ace. "Or we can share."

Alec shrugged. "Okay, that’ll work if you don’t have a problem sharing a bed with ‘inhuman scum’."

"Excuse me?"

"Just checking. A lot of people think that about transgenics." Alec shrugged again. "Better to find out before crawling into bed."

"Yeah, well I’m not most people, so deal. Actually, I’m amazed you’d agree to it; aren’t you afraid I’m going to jump you?"

"Uh, transgenic versus human—who do you think would win? And it’s not like it would be the first time anyway." Alec shrugged. "No big. But you don’t strike me as the rapist sort."

"I just meant..." Jason shook his head and waved a hand. "Whatever. I need some sleep."

Alec laughed finally. "It’s going to be fun confusing the hell out of you." He grinned wickedly as he led the way toward the bedroom.

Jason groaned. "This on top of a concussion—my day is only getting better."

"It’s not every day you get to meet an angel."

"Especially one who’s a Dick," Jason muttered, kicking off his sneakers and pulling off his over-shirt.

"You may never know," Alec retorted, stripping down for bed. "But we can figure that out another day. You look like you’re about to pass out."

After unfastening his jeans and shoving them down, Jason sat down on the bed, looking back over his shoulder at Alec. "Do you do that on purpose?"

"Do what?" Alec asked, honestly confused.

"Drive people nuts," Jason answered, carefully lying back on the bed and letting out a sigh as his bruised body relaxed.

"Oh, that. Yeah, pretty much." Alec grinned quickly. "Survival trait."

"Good thing you can take care of yourself then, I suppose."

"Yeah, that’s me, good old Alec, doesn’t need anything from anyone."

With a slight groan, Jason rolled over on his side. "Do I detect a note of irony in that statement?"

Alec’s smile as the green eyes looked down at the prone scientist was wry. "Do you know that you’re the first person ever to ask or care?"

"That sucks," Jason answered. "Maybe that’s why you act like you don’t need anyone."

"Chicken or egg," Alec murmured. "And what about you? How did you end up with an X5 bodyguard?"

"Just lucky, I guess." Jason rolled to his back again and glanced at the empty space alongside him. "If you’re going to stand there all night, you’re never going to get any sleep."

Alec raised an eyebrow as Jason dodged the question but let it go, instead pulling off the rest of his clothes. "I could sleep on my feet if necessary, but you’re right that the bed would be a lot more comfortable." Naked, he slid into the empty space and drew the sheet over him.

Having gotten an eyeful of a gorgeously sculpted body as Alec walked around the foot of the bed, Jason groaned, feeling his libido wake up even though his body was aching. "You sure you don’t want me on the couch?"

Looking surprised at first, Alec grinned as he turned his head to face Jason. "Back to that angel thing, are we? Don’t worry, I didn’t say no." Jason seemed pleasant enough, and if it would make him rest more easily, Alec had no objection.

Jason’s expression was one of pure surprise. "You’re joking, right?"

"Why would I be?" Alec was equally surprised.

"Other than the fact that we just met and I thought you were straight, I don’t know."

"I was trained as an assassin; that included all ways to get close to a target. And what does how long ago we met have to do with anything?"

"They trained you to have sex with your targets?" Now Jason’s eyes were about to pop out of his head, and he stuttered as he tried to recover. "Marnie never told me that part of her training, and the way I figure it, it’s nice to know the other person at least a little before you have sex with them."

"Uh, okay. But why? Sex is just sex. I had plenty of breeding partners back at Manticore, and we met for the first time when we were paired off."

Jason’s expression turned wry. "I’m not quite breeding partner material."

"Well, no, but it’s the same idea. I don’t see what difference it would to know each other longer. Last I checked, the parts don’t change."

"No, but it’s nice to like someone you’re sleeping with as well as being attracted to them."

Alec shrugged. "The only time I liked someone, I got her killed."

"Oh." Jason had no idea what to say to that. "I’m sorry."

"Not your fault. It was mine. I was supposed to kill her father. In trying to save her, I failed my mission and got her killed. Like I told Max, transgenics are dangerous to the people around them."

"From what I’ve seen the past few days, that seems only because other dangerous people are out there. Hell, if it wasn’t for Marnie, I’d probably be stuck in some underground lab somewhere chained to a sequencer for the rest of my life, however short it might be."

"That sounds fairly boring." Alec rolled to his side to face Jason, green eyes curious as they observed the other man. "So I’m assuming this all means you’re not interested?"

"Uh, no, I thought it was sorta clear that I was, but I’d rather sleep with something other than a hunk of meat. The person inside matters too."

"I can assure you I have plenty of personality. Just ask Max; she’ll go on for hours," Alec snorted.

Jason rolled his eyes, then winced and rubbed the purple bruise on his forehead. "I guess I’ll just have to do that."

"So you’re interested but not tonight?" Alec hazarded.

"Yeah, you could say that." Jason closed his eyes, continuing to rub at his forehead. "Aside from the getting to know you thing, there’s the good old cliched ‘not tonight, dear, I have a headache.’"

Alec burst into laughter. "Okay, that’s the first time I heard that. But I offered you my bed with no strings attached, so get some rest. We have plenty of time to deal with any other possibilities."

"It’d be nice to think that anyway," Jason sighed, pulling the blanket up to his chin and curling up on his side, slipping quickly into sleep.

Alec stared at him the dark for a long time, wondering what Jason had meant by that last comment. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well, never noticing when they gravitated together as the night wore on.

Feeling a solid warmth at his back, Jason murmured in pleasure and wriggled back against it. His back protested the move, and he whimpered quietly, not awake enough to remember the previous day’s events or just who it was he was cuddling against.

The movement woke Alec instantly, and it only took him a moment to remember who was sharing his bed. He felt Jason pressing against his morning erection, and he smiled faintly, trying to remember if he’d ever woken up with anyone before. He didn’t think so. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip around Jason’s waist, drawing him closer.

Jason relaxed again, leaning back against the body behind him and murmuring in pleasure as his aches eased.

Alec stroked Jason’s side, tempted to reach around but not wanting to take advantage of him when he’d been so emphatic about waiting the night before. "Wake up, Jason," he murmured, biting gently on the other man’s ear.

"Too early," Jason muttered, shaking his head, then groaning at the pain it caused.

"If you don’t wake up and say yes or no pretty soon, it’s going to be too late," Alec replied wryly.

"Huh?" That got Jason’s attention, and he managed to wake up enough to realize just where he was and just whose erection he was rubbing against. "Shit. Alec... Yeah, Alec, man, I’m sorry. I just..." He started to move and ended up holding his head in his hands, trying to avoid the painful bump in the center of his forehead. "Got any aspirin?"

"And that would be a no," Alec sighed, surprised to realize that he was a little disappointed. "Sorry, no aspirin. Logan may have some though. I can go over to his place and ask if you like."

"Might have some in my bag," Jason grunted, slowly sitting up, each move careful. "And sorry for not being accommodating, it’s just I’m still getting used to this whole being on the run thing."

"You don’t think it might have something to do with being black and blue and having a concussion?" Alec shook his head. "X5s have a higher body temperature than normal humans; you gravitated toward the warmth."

Jason looked unconvinced. "If you say so."

"I do. But when you’re feeling better, we’ll discuss it further."

"Maybe by then we’ll know each other better," Jason answered, looking down at Alec and giving a bit of a smile.

Unable to resist, Alec sat up and kissed Jason lingeringly before rolling out of bed. "I can pretty much guarantee it."

Jason was treated to an eyeful of very male X5 as Alec walked across the room, and he took a deep breath, shaking his head and using the pain to distract himself before he started drooling. "That sure of yourself, are you?" he called, swinging his feet slowly out of the bed and onto the floor, not quite ready to try standing yet.

Alec turned to face him, his trademark smirk on his face. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

"I seriously need coffee and drugs before I can deal with this," Jason muttered, forcing himself to stand and wincing as just about every muscle in his body protested.

"How about a hot shower? We actually have hot water here. I’ll even let you go first if you don’t want your back scrubbed."

"Hot water?" Jason perked up some at the thought and smiled wryly at Alec. "You know, I was wrong when I thought you were an angel; devils were supposed to be even prettier, and you do seem to be trying to lead me into temptation."

"Devils are dull." Alec grinned. "I’m fun, a smart aleck."

"Just why do you think devils aren’t fun?"

"All that torment and sulfur and brimstone?" Alex retorted, using the sum total of his knowledge of devils. "Boooring. I’d much rather something more interactive."

"Going out and helping people sin rather then just reaping the benefits of it?"

"Exactly. The journey is as important as the destination."

Jason grinned. "Which is why I’ll be showering alone."

That surprised a laugh out of Alec. "Are you sure you’re not transgenic?" he chuckled, pleased by Jason’s quick wit.

"Nah, just a genius," Jason chuckled, grabbing up his clothes and making a face when he caught a whiff of them. "Don’t happen to have a laundry anywhere here, do you?"

"Yeah, we do, but in the meantime, you can borrow some sweats and t-shirt. They’ll be big on you, but I don’t think anyone other than me will be noticing."

"They might if the sweats fall off."

"Drawstring," Alec replied succinctly.

Jason nodded. "Good point, you must be a genius too."

"That another detail about X5s Marnie forgot to mention? I’m starting to think you know less about us than the people reading the tabloids."

"I guess I’m kind of... sheltered," Jason sighed, scratching at his dark hair and making it stand up even more then it had been. "I’ve always known Marnie was a little different; it wasn’t until the last year or so I learned why and how. Guess I’m still at the ‘educate me’ part of all this."

"At least you want to learn and not just call us animals or worse," Alec replied. "And you’re in the best place in the world for that education."

"I also had a good start," Jason reminded him. "I’ve lived with Marnie for the past five years; how can I see any transgenic as different?"

"That never seemed to bother Lydecker or our other ‘handlers’," Alec replied, bitterness creeping into his tone. "And then there’re the transhumans. There are actually a lot more of them than us X-series here."

"Who is Lydecker and who are the transhumans?" Jason asked before holding up a hand. "Hang on, I need a shower and some aspirin before we get into this, but I really want to know—no, I need to know."

"Okay, doc, class is in session," Alec announced a while later after Jason had cleaned up, dressed, and taken something for his many aches.

"Transgenics include both the human-looking X series and transhumans, those whose other DNA makes them visibly different. Like Mole and Joshua," Alec added, giving Jason examples he’d met.

"Lydecker was the officer in charge of training the X5s, and a more cold, brutal son of a bitch you’ll never meet. He treated five- and six-year-olds like seasoned soldiers, pushed us to and beyond our limits, and killed those who didn’t measure up without a qualm." Alec was unaware that he was snarling as he spoke.

"Jesus..." Jason whispered, seeing that Alec spoke the truth by the look in his eyes. "Marnie said training was hard, but she never... Is this Lydecker still alive?"

"No one’s sure. His car was fished out of the water, but his body was never found. He helped Max and Logan last year, but that doesn’t make up for everything he did to us. I think Max would rip his throat out with her bare hands and smile while she did."

"She’s not the only one," Marnie commented from the doorway. "Your lock sucks by the way."

"Marn!" Jason stood as quickly as he was able and immediately began checking her side as she rolled her eyes.

"No one but us comes into Terminal City, and we don’t steal from each other, at least not yet." Alec watched, trying not to laugh as he watched the scientist fuss over the X5.

"There’s always a first time," she stated, glowering at him.

"Alec’s been telling me more about the history of the transgenics," Jason said, glancing up at Marnie from where he was crouched at her side.

"Never came up, huh?" Alec asked Marnie, watching the two of them interact. "Not that I blame you, we all tried to forget those parts of it."

"There wasn’t a need to go into details, at the time," she answered flatly, staring him down.

Jason slowly straightened up. "I think the time has come now though."

Alec shrugged. "Whatever you want to know. No need for secrecy, especially not if you’re going to be living among us."

After glancing at Marnie and seeing her slow nod, Jason settled himself down in the chair where he’d been sitting before and picked up his tea again. "All right, now we’re getting somewhere. So was he the one who developed the virus with Logan’s name on it?"

"No, that was Renfro. She was one platinum bitch. She managed to shove Lydecker out by being even more manipulative than he was, and she was pretty much in charge of the day-to-day operations of Manticore just before Max brought it down. Max had been captured in a raid on Manticore, and while she was there, Renfro found out something about Logan that made her want him dead. So since she knew Max and Logan had the hots for each other, she infected Max with the virus and let her escape."

"Is she dead?" Jason asked almost plaintively as he tried to keep all the bad guys straight.

Marnie shrugged. "After my time at Manticore," she said shortly.

"Yeah, oddly enough, she took a bullet for Max. Of course, that was after she saw Max’s DNA workup."

Jason shook his head. "Weird, really weird."

"Welcome to the world of transgenics, cultists, race wars, and general insanity," Alec said with artificial brightness.

"I can see I’ve got a lot more lessons ahead of me," Jason murmured, sighing when Marnie moved behind him and rubbed his temples.

"I’ll be happy to be your teacher," Alec all but purred, ignoring the look he was getting from Marnie.

"Sex isn’t on the lesson plan," she stated flatly, causing Jason to open one eye and look up at her.

Alec’s eyebrows rose, and he glanced at Jason, waiting to see how he would react.

"Not until we know each other better anyway," Jason answered, hoping to ease the tension between the two X5s.

"At which point it will be our choice."

Marnie’s eyes remained narrowed, though she didn’t argue.

"Good." Jason leaned back in his chair again. "Now that we’ve settled that, can we get back to transgenic history 101? I’d like to know the basics before I talk with Logan and Max again."

"The basics?" Alec laughed shortly. "A nutcase named Sandeman, who was one of the Purebred cultists, went against the party line and started playing with DNA. He crossed people with a lot of different animals, trying to create the perfect race who could survive the plague that’s coming, especially trying to create Max, who can provide a vaccine for everyone. He got us."

"More than he bargained for," Jason said quietly, a troubled look on his face.

"And less," Alec replied, thinking of the seizures and progyria that some of them faced. "But we’re here now, and as Max said, we’re not going anywhere."

"Which is a very good thing for the world."

"I’m glad to see another person join the small minority who think that. Just don’t let Mole bother you," Alec added as a thought struck him. "He’s not real fond of anyone who’s not a transgenic."

"Prejudice runs both ways, I guess," Jason murmured sadly.

"Until you’ve been treated as a nonentity, you wouldn’t understand it, Jase," Marnie said quietly.

For the first time Alec met Marnie’s gaze with understanding. And seeing how Jason accepted them so easily, he could also understand her protectiveness. There were so few humans who treated them as equals that they had to be protected. He nodded slightly to her. But Jason interested him, and he wanted to see where this took them.

Noticing the look the other two shared, Jason frowned thoughtfully and drank more of his tea. "So, Marn, did you get any sleep last night?"

"Actually, yes. I knew Gem before, it turns out, and we spent some time catching up. Libby’s cute."

Alec rolled his eyes. Women and babies. "So you’re okay staying there for a little while?" He knew he should offer to start cleaning out a place for the newcomers, but Alec was enjoying having Jason stay with him and was in no hurry to change the situation.

"Yeah, it’s fine until we can get Jason settled in somewhere safer," she answered.

"You mind having a roomie until then?" Jason asked Alec.

The X5 smiled slowly. "I think I can handle it." He looked Jason up and down before meeting his eyes with a grin. "It’ll give us lots of opportunity for those lessons."

"Why do men always think with their dicks?" Marnie sighed, reaching over Jason’s shoulder and taking his mug so that she could have a drink.

Jason snickered. "Must be genetic."

"Why do women always assume men are thinking about sex? I might have meant what Jason wants to learn about transgenics."

"Okay, this is the main equipment I need." Jason handed the list over to Max, who scanned it then handed it off. "I don’t see how you’re going to get some of it back here though."

Max grinned. "Never underestimate a thief who’s also an X5. Besides, for the most part, we can just pick the things up and carry them." She shrugged. "We’ll get what you need, don’t worry." She eyed Alec hovering behind the scientist. "Are you actually going to do anything?"

"I’m the doc’s official tour guide. Isn’t that right, Jason?"

"So it seems," Jason chuckled before turning serious again. "I wasn’t talking about the weight, but the size. Some of those instruments are pretty big; how are you going to get them out of the labs? Damn, I wish I could go in there with all of you, it would make this a hell of a lot easier."

"No," Marnie said flatly. "Everything’s probably dead, but on the off chance something isn’t, I’m not letting you expose yourself to it."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Eight years later?" He decided then and there that the female X5 needed a distraction to get her focus off Jason. Maybe one of the X6s, they didn’t mind being mother-henned. "Never mind, it’s better to set up a single lab with everything you need anyway. Several of us working together ought to be able to move whatever you need. In the meantime, you can start setting up the area you’ll be using."

"There’s a lab in one of the buildings down the street that didn’t have anything lethal in it at the time of the pulse, at least nothing that could live this long," Logan put in. "It ought to fulfill your needs."

Alec smirked at Jason at that comment but didn’t say anything.

Jason missed the look, being distracted by double-checking to make sure everything he needed was on the list. "That sounds good. I am going to have to buy some supplies though; after this long, all the chemicals are going to be long out of date." He grabbed another piece of paper and started making notes. "Once we get this set up, I’m going to need samples from both you and Max, Logan."

"Whatever you need," Logan replied fervently as Max nodded her agreement. "If you can do this..." He trailed off, afraid to say it yet, and looked over at Max.

"Thank you, Jason," Max said. "You’ve given us hope again."

"God, someone get out the violins," Alec groaned, grabbing the second list and handing it to Original Cindy, who’d just joined them. "Think you can track this stuff down?" It would be safer for a non-transgenic to do the shopping outside Terminal City.

Glancing over the list, Cindy nodded. "Original Cindy can do this bitch. After you introduce me to this fine woman," she added, noticing Marnie.

"So this is the infamous Original Cindy," Jason laughed, looking up at the woman and arching an eyebrow at her colorful appearance.

"Marnie," the short, blonde transgenic answered when it seemed no one else was going to. "You’re Max’s roommate."

"Until we can get rid of that virus, I am." Original Cindy grinned, dark eyes admiring the other woman. "You know what the doctor dude needs better than I do. You want to come with and help Original Cindy find these things?"

Marnie shot Jason a glance, and he shrugged in answer. "Since you won’t let me out, you’re the next best thing," he said. "Anyone got any crossword puzzles I can do to keep busy since it seems I can’t do anything around here?"

"You got any of those violins left?" Marnie asked Alec. "And sure, I’d be glad to go help."

Seeing that the women had things in hand, Alec focused on Jason again. "Come on, I’ll show you around and introduce you to some of our residents. It’s best that they get to know who you are quickly anyway."

"I’d rather not be shot or torn apart for trespassing," Jason mused.

"Exactly my point. So I’ll take you around and make sure that word gets out that you’re here. My plans for you don’t include you bleeding, nor do Logan and Max’s, I’m sure." Alec moved a little closer, crowding Jason slightly, his innocent expression belied by the mischief in his green eyes.

Jason quirked a brow. "Should I bother to ask what your plans for me do include?"

"Do you really want me to say in front of all these people?"

"Probably best not to. So, do you want an umbrella to complete your tour guide uniform?"

"Naw, umbrellas aren’t cool. It would ruin my manly image." Alec batted his lashes at Jason, hamming it up.

"In your dreams," Marnie muttered from where she was standing beside Original Cindy.

"Aw, you mean not even that could make me less than perfect? Thanks, I didn’t think you’d noticed."

"Don’t get him going," Jason groaned when Marnie bristled and started toward them. "I can only handle so much ego a day."

"That mean you’re gonna handle me?" Alec purred.

"I should have let your head explode," Max grumbled.

"Just why didn’t you?" Marnie asked, looking at Max as if she was insane for passing up that opportunity.

"A moment of weakness," Max sighed. "But he does have redeeming moments."

"You know, none of this is getting me what I need," Jason said loudly.

"We should go start trying to find everything on this list," Original Cindy added, waving the paper.

Alec just smirked silently from beside Jason.

As everyone headed out on their searches, Jason looked up at Alec. "You really love stirring up the shit, don’t you?"

"Who me?" Alec widened his eyes at Jason.

Jason snorted. "You aren’t stupid, Alec, yes, you."

"I have to entertain myself somehow."

"I’m wounded. Are you telling me I’m not entertaining?"

"You’re so entertaining that I have to distract myself to make sure I keep my hands off."

Jason had to grin at that. "So distract yourself; give me the grand tour of Terminal City, and show me where my lab is going to be."

Laughing, Alec led the way outside, where the first person they encountered was Mole.

Chewing on his cigar, the reptilian transgenic eyed the scientist as if wondering how he would taste. "Sticking around, are you?"

"Yeah," Jason met the transhuman’s eyes squarely. "Got a problem with that?"

"Naw, Max deserves a break. I’ll make sure people know you’re here and that you’re okay."

Jason continued watching Mole for a moment before nodding. "Thanks, I appreciate that," he said, offering the other man his hand, which Mole shook briefly after a moment’s hesitation.

Suddenly remembering that one of the X5s was going into her heat, Alec said, "Make sure Shayla knows to stay away."

Mole’s eyes widened slightly, and he gave them a knowing look. "Like that, is it?"

"Mole..." Alec warned, making the other transgenic laugh.

"I’ll pass the word."

"Okay, you lost me somewhere along the line there. Care to explain?"

"Pretty boy here was staking his claim. And making sure it was clear enough that going into heat wouldn’t be an excuse for trespassing."

Alec winced but didn’t deny Mole’s interpretation.

Jason rolled his eyes. "I got that part, what lost me was the part about who was it... Shayla? Going into heat?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Guess I need Transgenics 201 now."

"Marnie hasn’t had trouble with that? I guess she has a bit less feline DNA in her cocktail."

"She mentioned she had bear." At the odd looks that earned him, Jason shrugged. "Hey, I haven’t run her DNA; I’m just telling you what she told me."

Alec blinked. "I guess I always just assumed that all the X5s had the same mix, but no one ever actually said that. Interesting. It might explain why some the breeding pairs were chosen and some others were never matched up."

"I suppose from a scientific viewpoint, that would have been a way for Manticore to maximize the genetic combinations, but it’s still a shitty thing to do."

"That’s Manticore," Alec shrugged while Mole just spit on the ground, his feelings clear. "And it makes sense when I think about it. We all have a mix of a lot of different things, and just like the differences between kids of the same parents, each will have different traits show up. I think we need a geneticist around here too."

Jason gave a wry smile. "You never know, maybe there’s another X5 out there guarding another prodigy, getting him or her ready to come here."

"It sounds like someone knew we’d need you and made sure you’d be around," Alec said slowly.

"They say there’s no such thing as coincidence..." Jason murmured, falling silent as he mulled over his past. "I’m beginning to wonder if my life wasn’t almost as dictated as yours."

"It’s not like you can change it, so don’t let it make you crazy. We’re all here now, so let’s just see where life takes us."

"Good point. I suppose I’ll have to do just that." Jason looked around, surprised to see that Mole had vanished. "Where’d he go?"

Alec shrugged. "Could be anywhere. Spreading the word not to shoot you on sight probably." He looked around. "C’mon, the lab Logan mentioned is just ahead."

"I’ll have to buy him a cigar for that," Jason answered, picking his way around a junked car as he followed Alec, distracted for a second by the flex of the transgenic’s ass under his jeans.

"He’ll take it and demand more," Alec chuckled, picking his way along the street. So far, the transgenics were leaving Terminal City as they’d found it to make it harder for any attackers.

Jason shrugged. "Hey, if it keeps me from getting shot, I’ll buy him a whole damn box." He stumbled, climbing over a piece of wreckage, and cursed under his breath.

Alec blurred as he moved back to catch Jason. "Hey, don’t kill yourself. I’m not into necrophilia."

"You mean there are limits?" Jason asked, giving a bit of a smile. "Plus I don’t think that’ll happen, now that I’ve got two mother hens looking after me."

"A rooster if you please!"

"You want me to call you a mother rooster?"

"I think I’m going to call you Dick," Alec laughed.

"Guess that means I’d have to call you Cock," Jason shot back.

"I think maybe we should stick to non-verbal communication."

Jason chuckled as he stepped up onto the sidewalk. "So, you can dish it out, but you can’t take it, eh? Does that apply to other areas of your life as well?"

"You’ll have to find that out for yourself." Alec shifted a rusted car out of the way so Jason could get past.

"Thanks." Stepping around the hulk, Jason looked back at Alec. "And I will, too, eventually."

"Like teasing, don’t you?" Alec chuckled, recognizing the actions of a man who knew someone wanted him—as he should since he was usually that man.

"Well, considering the fact that I’m willing to bet good money you usually can have anyone you want by snapping your fingers, I figure to keep you interested, I’d better make you work for it some." Jason stopped and crouched down to study a battered container in the street. "Plus there’s that whole getting to know each other thing."

"You and Max," Alec sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, we ‘get to know each other’ first. Don’t forget to let me know when we reach that point." But being Alec he couldn’t let it go at that and suddenly pulled Jason to him to kiss him.

Startled by the swift move, Jason caught hold of Alec’s shirt to keep his balance, his mouth falling open under the X5’s and a low groan emerging from his throat when Alec took advantage of that fact.

As Jason kissed him back, Alec gentled the kiss, seducing rather than demanding, and one hand slid down to cup Jason’s ass, pressing them together.

Jason finally pulled back, panting for breath, his dark eyes dilated and luminous. "I’ll let you know, don’t worry about that. Just don’t start comparing me to Max, got it?"

"Wouldn’t dream of it. Not to mention that I don’t really think of Max that way. And she’d kill me if I did." Alec grinned as he slowly stepped back, letting go of Jason.

"As would Logan," Jason reminded him. "Now we just need to keep our hormones under control and go look at the lab like good little boys, got it?"

"Who ever told you I was a good little boy?"

"Are you telling me you aren’t good, or you aren’t little?"

"Both. I’m far from little, and when I’m bad, I’m better," Alec quoted the famous line, grinning.

"What I think you are is full of it."

Laughing, Alec led the way inside the building, making sure it was safe for Jason. "Welcome to your new castle, Dr.... Huh. I don’t think I ever got your last name."

"From the looks of this place, it might as well be Frankenstein," Jason chuckled. "In reality, it’s Kittridge; that’s what the papers from the orphanage say anyway."

"So a Kitt for a part-cat?" Alec teased, smirking. "How appropriate."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I suppose I should be glad it’s not Wolf. I don’t think I could chase you up a tree."

"I could carry you up one if you want to get up there," Alec shrugged. "I prefer us both on the same level." He looked around, seeing the dust and grime of a dozen years of abandonment and neglect. "Look like we should have tossed a stick of dynamite in first."

"Or called in a cleaning crew." Jason looked around, feeling somewhat daunted by the work that lay ahead of them. It was going to take weeks to even get this place into a semblance of order, let alone up and running.

"That would be us."

The sudden statement made them spin around to find Mole and about a dozen other transgenics, all armed with mops, pails, rags, and dustbins.

"Cheer up, doc, you have no idea what we can do when we’re determined."

"I think I’m beginning to get an idea though," Jason murmured, watching in admiration as the transgenics got to work. "Max and Logan are lucky to have friends like you," he added. "Got some spare rags? Alec and I just can’t stand around here." He winked at the X5 as he spoke.

"Hey, I’ve already been drafted once in my life!" Alec protested laughingly even as he accepted a broom.

"Just think of the job perks," Jason laughed as he got to work.

"You keep telling me I can’t have them yet!" Alec groaned when Mole overheard that and burst into laughter.

"Does he always whine this much?" Jason asked a boy who was working industriously nearby.

Brushing his blond hair out of his eyes, Dalton grinned. "You should hear him when he gets shot."

"Hey, I just said it was a bullet!" Alec protested.

"I really need to hear this story," Jason snickered to the kid, though calling someone a kid when they could rip off your leg and beat you to death with it probably wasn’t accurate.

"I do not want to be around to hear this," Alec moaned. "I think I’ll go jump off the roof."

"You mean you don’t want to hear me tell Doc about how that girl beat you up?" Dalton asked innocently.

Jason almost cackled with glee. "Spill it, now!"

Six hours later, the building’s lobby was cleared of junk and clean enough to make Jason happy, plus he’d heard quite a few stories about Alec, Max, and the other transgenics and had somehow become known as ‘Doc’ to everyone there. "Thanks for the help, everyone," he called as they packed up their things. "Any chance of a replay tomorrow so we can actually get some lab space clear?"

"Doc, you’re here to help Max, who’s done a lot for all of us. Whatever you need, you get," a woman with cat’s ears said.

"Besides, you’re keeping Alec away from the women so the rest of us have a chance!" a male X5 called, making them all laugh.

"From what I’ve been hearing, it’s for the good of society," Jason laughed, even as he leaned against a wall and slid down to the floor. "Just wake me when you come back tomorrow, or maybe toss some food my way if you remember; I’m just going to pass out here."

"Oh, I get to be Prince Charming and carry my damsel off in my arms?"

"Call me a damsel again and I’m going to have to stand up and kick your ass," Jason grumbled.

Alec just smirked. "Uh huh. Come on, Doc, let’s get you home. I’ll even make you something to eat after tucking you up snugly."

Jason got to his feet with a groan, rubbing his back as he straightened up. "Gee, you are a prince. You going to give me a back rub too?"

Alec’s smile widened until he resembled the cat that got the proverbial canary. "It’ll be my pleasure," he purred, sliding an arm around Jason’s waist.

"Somehow I knew you’d say that."

"You mean I’m getting predictable? I’ll have to work on that. After I work on you."

"No." Jason smiled and hooked his arm around Alec’s waist as well. "It means I’m getting to know you better."

"That sounds promising," Alec replied, steering Jason out of the lobby and away from their very interested audience. "So maybe this time I can wash your back?"

"So long as you feed me first, I’m starving."

"Of course, you’re going to need your energy. Maybe I should carry you." Alec pretended to be about to sweep Jason into his arms.

Ducking, Jason swept a leg out, catching Alec unaware and dumping him onto his ass in the middle of the street. "Damn," the scientist murmured, his eyes wide, "I didn’t think it would work."

Alec stared up at him for a long moment before starting to laugh. "Looks like you can take care of yourself when you try." He flipped back to his feet, still grinning. "Not bad, Doc."

"Thanks," Jason laughed, "Marnie will be glad to know her classes paid off, but I somehow suspect that if you had any idea I knew some martial arts, it would have been my ass on the ground. Speaking of which..." He reached out and brushed Alec’s butt off.

"I think you missed a spot," Alec said, peering over his shoulder at his own ass then raising his gaze to meet Jason’s. "You should always be thorough."

Jason nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Alec’s. "A very good point." That said, he ran his hand over Alec’s ass again, this time taking his time about it.

Alec made a soft sound of pleasure, and his back arched like a cat being petted. "The middle of the street’s probably not the best place for this," he said reluctantly, eyes heavy-lidded as he looked back at Jason.

"I don’t know, we’re getting quite the show here," Mole commented from where he was standing outside the building with the rest of the self-appointed cleaning crew.

"Yeah, well, that’s all the show you’re going to get," Jason muttered, feeling a blush heat the back of his neck.

"Definitely. No one else gets to see before I do. Or after either, for that matter." Alec surprised himself with how possessive he felt of Jason. "See ya tomorrow to finish up," he called over his shoulder as he led Jason away with an arm around his waist.

"If I live through tonight," Jason added.

"Where the hell did you take him?" Marnie asked, rising to her feet when Alec and Jason walked back into the apartment and taking in their filthy state. "Dumpster diving?"

"And hi to you too, Marnie. We had a productive day, thanks for asking. How was yours?" Alec wasn’t going to put up with her attitude silently, and if she didn’t like it, she could learn to ask politely before jumping down his throat with her assumptions.

"Hey, chill, both of you," Jason got in before Marnie’s growl grew any louder. "We were starting to clean out the lab space; I mean, after a decade, it was a little gross, you know? How about you? Were you and Original Cindy able to track anything down?"

She nodded shortly. "Yeah, we were able to get some and order the rest. What we got is stacked up at Logan’s; the rest should be here within the week."

"Great, you’ll be able to get started as soon as we finish cleaning up then," Alec said, stretching and trying to ignore other X5.

Jason’s gaze centered on Alec’s limber movements and stayed there as if locked on target. He was oblivious to everything else for a moment, then flushed when he realized Marnie had been talking to him.

"Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be," she said flatly. "Guess he’s your responsibility now, Alec."

"C’mon, Marnie," Jason said, eyeing her with something akin to panic when she headed for the door. "It’s just that we..."

"Want to fuck." Her tone was as dead as her blue eyes. "Go for it. Hell, I’ve had to babysit you for five years, I’m glad someone else has to do it. Oh, and I got you some clothes, not that it matters." She stalked out the door, slamming it behind her and cracking the frame.

"Marnie... Shit," Jason snarled as he tried to open the door and found it wedged shut.

Although tempted to distract Jason, Alec knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about, so he sighed and wrenched the door open. "Go ahead, I’ll be here when you’re done." He was starting to think they were cursed, or he would have been if he’d believed in such superstitions. "I’ll see what I can put together for dinner in the meantime."

"I’m sorry," Jason called back over his shoulder as he chased after Marnie, knowing he wouldn’t catch her if she didn’t want him to, but also that he had to try.

Shaking his head, Alec wondered why women always had to make things so complicated. He wanted something entirely different from Jason than Marnie could, so what was the big deal?

Several hours later, Jason returned to the apartment, looking even messier then he had before he left. He knocked on the door and leaned against the wall, physically and emotionally beat.

Alec opened the door, eyebrows rising when he saw Jason. "I take it she wasn’t happy?" He stood between Jason and the congealed mess that had been a quick casserole a few hours earlier, trying to hide it. "Everything okay now?"

"I think so, but yeah, she wasn’t too happy." Jason looked up and met Alec’s eyes, his own troubled. "She’s my family, Alec, all I have, and I’m all she has—at least until now. I guess she feels threatened by you and by how I feel about you."

"That’s nuts," Alec said bluntly. "I don’t think of you as a brother, and whatever happens between us is no more going to affect your relationship with her than mine with Max. Then again, women are crazy, so that won’t matter." He sighed, raking a hand through his slightly shaggy, dark blond hair.

Jason gave a quiet laugh at that comment. "I might have argued with you over that point earlier, but right now I’m inclined to agree. I’m also starving and in serious need of a shower, anything you can do about either of those situations?"

"Shower’s easy. Food..." Alec glanced over his shoulder and made a face. "Let me see if I have anything left that might make dinner."

"Shit." Jason caught sight of the dried out bowl of food and winced. "I hope you ate at least."

Alec shrugged. "Some. Training says to eat when it’s available because it won’t always be. Go get cleaned up and I’ll throw something together, though it may only be sandwiches."

"Anything’s good. If you have cereal, I’ve had that for dinner too many times to count." Wondering how the day had gone to hell so fast, Jason headed for the bedroom, feeling another twinge of guilt when he saw the clothes Marnie had brought for him laid out on the bed.

Watching him go, Alec considered joining Jason in the shower, but it looked like the other man needed some time to himself, what with being pulled between Alec and Marnie. Instead he turned to the small kitchen to put together some sandwiches. His lips quirked wryly as he worked, and he wondered what the normal humans would say if they realized that most of the transgenics were living a lot better than they were. Thanks to the bugs that got loose in the area, it had never been looted after the initial riots. The few who had tried had died.

"One lab creation protecting another," he murmured to himself.

Feeling a bit more clearheaded after standing under the hot water, Jason came out of the bedroom, wearing a pair of jeans and toweling his hair dry. "So, think we’ll get to eat this time?" he asked.

"I put a chair in front the door," Alec replied wryly, gesturing him to a seat. "I managed to find a can of soup to go with the sandwiches, so dig in."

"Yes, Mother Rooster," Jason said, smiling as bit as he did as instructed, sitting cross-legged in the chair and digging into his food with gusto.

"I am so going to make you eat those words," Alec growled.

Deciding to set aside his problems with Marnie for the moment, Jason grinned. "For dessert?"

"That would be eating me."

"Cream filled transgenic, now that’s a tasty sounding dish." Jason licked his spoon as he spoke, teasing Alec.

"I wanted make sure that you had a full-course meal." Alec’s eyes were fixed on Jason’s tongue as it dragged over the curved metal, and an instant later he was straddling Jason’s lap as he probed the lush mouth in search of that tongue.

Once he could speak again, Jason chuckled and slid his hands up under Alec’s shirt, savoring the warmth of his skin. "Why do I think dessert just jumped the line?"

"No, I’ll be patient. I’d hate to have you pass out from hunger in the middle of things," Alec teased, nibbling on Jason’s neck.

"But you’d have me choke because of trying to eat while distracted?" Jason groaned, tilting his head back to give Alec better access and pulling him closer.

"Multi-task," Alec purred, biting gently on the bared throat then licking hungrily. At first he only tasted soap and water, but when he licked that away, it was Jason’s natural flavor that made him growl deep in his throat and bite again.

Jason groaned in response to the feral sound and dug his fingers into Alec’s back. "I’d rather concentrate on one thing right now, and that one thing is you."

Alec only thought about it for a moment before standing up and pulling Jason up, urging him to wrap his legs around his waist. "I think I’ve been missing something pretty spectacular," he murmured before kissing Jason again, one hand supporting him under his ass and the other in the spiky brown hair.

"What’s that?" Jason panted, doing a bit of exploring on his own and discovering that Alec’s earlobe was very tasty.

"Men in general and you in particular. Ignoring my own gender seems to have been a mistake. One I’m very pleased to correct." Alec arched his neck, purring softly as Jason nibbled on him.

Jason froze and pulled back, staring at Alec in disbelief. "Are you telling me you’ve never been with a man before?"

"Once in training," Alec shrugged.

From the sound of Alec’s voice, it hadn’t been all that great. "Well, I promise that you’ll like this more," Jason murmured, exploring the X5’s ear again, enjoying the reaction it got.

"I already am," Alec agreed throatily, finally reaching the bed and turning around to lower himself to his back with Jason on top of him.

Jason smiled and pushed up on his knees, grabbing the bottom of Alec’s t-shirt so that he could tug it over the other man’s head. "Oh good," he breathed before leaning in to rub his face along Alec’s firm stomach and up to his chest.

"You certainly are," Alec agreed, back arching in pleasure. He ran his hands over Jason’s back, exploring the ridges of his spine, and he smiled when Jason squirmed.

"I’m also ticklish, so watch it," Jason laughed, shifting up to lick his way over Alec’s nipple, smiling smugly when it tightened into a hard point as if begging for more.

About to tease Jason about the use he could make of that information, Alec lost his train of thought when he felt the slightly raspy wet heat of Jase’s tongue on him. His hands caught hold of the other man’s head, holding Jason to him as he arched and moaned, wanting more of that wonderful sensation.

Very pleased with that reaction, Jason closed his lips around the peaked nipple, suckling on it while he brought up a hand to play with the unattended one.

"Trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?" Alec panted, looking down at the light brown head pressed against his chest. "Oh fuck that’s good!" His fingertips massaged Jason’s scalp as he moaned and tried to remain still as he was tortured deliciously, and the small part of his brain still capable of rational thought mused that girls didn’t know what they were missing by ignoring a guy’s nipples.

Jason murmured something unintelligible against Alec’s chest, grinding his hips down against the taller man’s as he switched sides, trading mouth for fingers and vice versa.

"Oh yeah," Alec groaned, gasping as their erections rubbed together through their jeans. "Clothes off," he demanded breathlessly.

"Soon," Jason panted, lifting his head and licking his lips before scooting backward, bending down to trail his tongue down the center of Alec’s chest to the waistband of his jeans.

"Now," Alec demanded, legs shifting restlessly. Trying to urge Jason on, he slid his hands under the waistband of the other man’s jeans, filling his palms with Jase’s ass.

"Don’t be pushy," Jason growled, nipping at the warm skin beneath his mouth before pulling back and mouthing his way along the hard ridge outlined by Alec’s jeans.

"Why not?" Alec panted, hips thrusting in search of more of the teasingly light pressure. "Isn’t pushing kinda necessary to the process?"

Jason rolled his eyes and dragged his teeth over Alec’s groin. "Eventually."

"Definitely trying to kill me." He gasped at the sensation of Jase’s teeth. "More!"

"Skeptic," Jason sighed. "I’m trying to make you feel good, so shut up and enjoy." He raised his eyes to meet Alec’s gaze and pressed harder against his erection.

"Yes, sir," Alec said smartly, saluting.

"Alec," Jason sighed, "be quiet." He slid a hand up and popped open the buttons at the X5’s waist and spread the denim, baring more of the tanned flesh to his gaze and taste.

"Make me," Alec purred, grinning up at him and raising his hips to urge Jason to pull the jeans off.

Tugging at the worn denim, Jason shook his head, nibbling at Alec’s navel as he got rid of his clothes.

"Finally," Alec gasped, unable to remain silent for very long. "You’re very good at that," he added in a near moan.

In answer, Jason moved lower, mouthing the head of Alec’s cock, wanting him incoherent again.

"Fuck!" Alec let go of Jase’s hair and grabbed the sheets instead, afraid of forgetting himself and hurting Jason. His hips rose sharply, pressing into Jase, then fell back to the bed as he forced himself to follow Jason’s lead.

Jason hummed and slid lower, taking more of Alec into his mouth, lashing his tongue over the warm flesh and savoring the musky taste.

The sound of tearing fabric filled the room as Alec’s nails shredded the sheets while he twisted under Jason. His legs spread wider, and he groaned as he felt the rasp of denim on his inner thighs.

His own cock throbbing against his jeans, Jason sucked harder, reaching between Alec’s legs to play with his balls, loving the way Alec was responding.

"Jase!" Alec yelled, taken by surprise, and a moment later he was coming hard in Jason’s mouth. When the last spasms had passed, he murmured, "Sorry. But I guess it’s true that men are better at that than women."

After swallowing, Jason looked up and chuckled, licking his lips. "Guess it’s a case of knowing what you like and using that knowledge."

"Damn, you use it any better and my brains are going to leak out my ears!"

Jason grinned. "You know, my ego’s not the only thing that likes being stroked."

"You want me to move?" Alec opened his eyes wide to stare, then grinned and rolled over to his side, one hand lazily stroking Jason through his jeans. "These need to go."

"Well, I could always take care of it myself if I wore the big, bad transgenic out," Jason chuckled, arching his hips into Alec’s hand and squirming as he tried to get out of his pants.

"Like hell. We’re only just getting started," Alec retorted, cupping and rubbing Jason, more interested in making him writhe than in helping get the pants off. Sooner or later they’d go, and in the meantime, Alec was enjoying himself.

"Oh really?" Jason asked, managing to hook his fingers in his belt loops and tug his jeans down, wanting Alec’s hands on him with nothing in between.

Alec eyed him hungrily, staring at the now naked body. "I thought you were the experienced one here. Aren’t you supposed to know that?" Unable to resist, he reached out, his palm flattening against Jason’s chest and stroking downward.

"Such humor... stop me before I die laughing." Jason’s snicker turned into a moan as he pressed up against Alec’s hand, catching it and dragging it lower, toward his aching cock.

"Die of pleasure instead. And satisfaction’ll bring you back." Alec curled his fist around Jason’s erection, inhaling sharply as the hot length filled his hand.

Jason gave up trying to talk, and instead, reached for Alec, pulling him in for a kiss as he twisted up in the other man’s grip, already on edge.

Alec opened his mouth, inviting Jason in as he continued to pump Jase’s cock, wanting to give him the same pleasure he’d just felt. He groaned into Jase’s mouth, tasting himself, and pressed closer, their legs tangling together.

Groaning into Alec’s mouth, Jason came, the slide of his cock within the tunnel of Alec’s hand becoming smooth and easy as his come lubricated their skin. "Oh fuck..." he rasped, breathing heavily and resting his face against Alec’s.

"I think we need a few minutes to recover before we try that," Alec replied, rubbing his cheek against Jason’s and lying at ease against him.

"More attempts at humor," Jason sighed, rubbing a hand over Alec’s back and nuzzling the transgenic’s face. "But I’ll live with it, considering I like what it portends."

"You know," Alec said slowly, "you don’t need to find a place of your own. You could stay here. If you want to, that is," he added hastily.

"Is that a serious offer?" Jason asked, eyeing Alec closely.

"I wouldn’t have said anything if it wasn’t. I like having you around."

"I like being around, especially being around you."

"Does that mean I get to top first?"

Jason groaned and smacked his forehead with his hand. "For that comment, you get to get your ass out of bed and bring me the rest of my food!"

Snickering, Alec rolled to his feet. "Made perfect sense to me. You lie there and get your ordinary human strength back." He gave Jason an innocent smile.

"Yeah, well just remember this ‘ordinary human’ had you speechless and coming in under a minute," Jason snorted, piling up the pillows behind him and relaxing back against them.

"Just keep up the good work and I’ll have no complaints," Alec laughed, heading out of the bedroom of what had once been some executive’s personal suite to get the sandwiches they’d abandoned earlier. "Hey," he called as he gathered the meal together, "can you test the air or whatever you do and make sure it’s safe for you here? We might need to move farther out toward the edges of Terminal City. I like the security of being farther in, but it’s redundant if breathing’s going to kill you."

"Yeah, but it’ll take some time to grow the cultures..." Jason frowned slightly. "Until I can do that, do you mind moving out a little more?"

Alec looked around a bit wistfully at the closest thing to an apartment that existed in the industrial park that was now Terminal City, but he nodded immediately. "Of course. I’d hate to have you keel over on me before I have a chance to explore all your possibilities."

"Gee, that really makes me feel loved," Jason laughed around a mouthful of sandwich. "And do you have anything to drink?"

"Aside from me?" No way was Alec giving Jase tap water till they tested it, so he scrounged in his supplies and came up with a bottle of soda. "Here you go. Hope you like cola."

"Already had you," Jason laughed, unscrewing the lid of the bottle and taking a drink. "Not that I didn’t enjoy it, I’d just rather have you a different way next time." He waggled his eyebrows as he drank again.

"I’m all yours," Alec murmured, stretching out beside him again and indulging his urge to taste Jase by licking his chest.

Jason squirmed and jumped when he spilled some of his soda, then again when Alec licked it away. "Ticklish, remember?" he laughed.

Alec’s smirk answered that question. "But you taste good," he replied innocently—if one ignored the gleam in the green eyes.

"Tell me another one, smart ass," Jason snorted. "You just like to cause trouble."

"That’s smart Alec," Alec grinned, remembering the look on Max’s face when she’d named him. "I have to live up to my name, after all."

Jason snickered. "So that’s where you got your name? Better than some I could think of!"

"Max seemed to think it fit me. Considering she named a couple of the kids we ran into after Manticore went down Bullet and Ralph—and yes, it means exactly what you think it does—I think I came out ahead."

"Well, you could have been Dick," Jason chuckled, finishing his food and the last of his soda and setting the remains aside. "That’s better."

"That was her second choice." Alec shook his head. "I ask you, do I look like a Dick to you?"

Jason glanced down and grinned. "Well, I’d say that part of you does at least."

"Who’s the smart ass?" Alec snorted, hips thrusting forward slightly as Jason looked at him.

"I’m just a cute ass," Jason chuckled.

"Well, I can’t argue with that," Alec agreed. "And speaking of asses..." He stroked Jason’s, wondering if the human male was ready for more.

Jason pressed back into the touch. "Interested in getting to know mine better?"

"You have to ask?" Alec leaned forward to kiss him, moving closer and pushing Jason down onto his back so he could stretch out over him.

"Just making sure," Jason laughed, pulling Alec down on top of him and groaning in pleasure at the weight.

"Considering that I’ve just been waiting for you to finish stuffing yourself so that I could stuff you..." Alec smirked.

"With jokes like that, I’m going to stuff your mouth—with my sock!"

"Sounds a little too kinky for me. How ‘bout we stick to vanilla for a while?" Alec suggested, chuckling. "You know, tab A, slot A stuff?"

Jason grinned and squirmed under Alec, teasing him. "With a judicious application of lubricant B, of course."

"Oh definitely. I’d hate to wear you out before the warranty expires." Alec ground down against Jase as he lowered his head to bite sharply at a nipple.

Jason shivered and drew in a deep breath as he bucked upward. "Do that and Marnie will get you."

Alec made a face. "Definitely not my type. I’d much rather you got me, so plenty of lubricant it is. But first..." He began to slide down Jason’s body, licking and kissing as he went, intent on exploring him orally.

"Just—oh fuck—just don’t bite anything down there, got it?" Jason rasped, threading his fingers through Alec’s soft hair and kneading his scalp.

"You mean you don’t want me to do this?" Alec nipped at Jase’s inner thigh, then licked the reddened spot, repeating the action slightly higher.

Jason’s answer was a drawn out moan as he spread his legs wider.

"Apparently some biting’s okay," Alec murmured, chuckling softly before continuing his game, alternating bites and licks in no predictable pattern, peppering both thighs with small reddened marks. Then he suddenly raised his head slightly and sucked a bit of the loose skin of Jason’s sac into his mouth, lipping it carefully.

"God!" Jason wailed. "Are you sure you’ve only done this once?"

Alec let go of him and raised his head to smirk—after blowing lightly on the sensitized skin. "I’m a quick study."

Jason recovered enough to push up on his elbows and attempt to glare down at the smug transgenic. "Let’s see you put your money where your mouth is."

"You sure you’d rather have money on you than my mouth?" Alec pretended to frown, then snickered at the glare he was getting. "Suck or fuck?"

"You don’t need lube to suck, now do you?"

"Demanding little guy, aren’t you?" Alec knelt up and reached for the tube, making sure to let his cock drag over Jason’s as he leaned over him.

"Little?" Jason bristled and contemplated kneeing Alec before discarding the idea as self-destructive. "Tell me you didn’t call me that."

"Well, I didn’t mean this!" Alec stroked Jase’s erection with a slick hand. "But you are shorter than I am, and you are kind of cute and cuddly."

"Cuddly!" Jason shrieked, his hips bucking up as he glared daggers at Alec. "If my mind wasn’t on other things, you’d be so in for it, Dick."

"Yeah, but your mind is on my dick, so we’re down with it." Alec grinned as he slicked his other hand in the gel he’d squeezed out onto his own thigh with this in mind. He watched Jase avidly as one hand kept moving on the scientist’s cock while the other hand slowly worked into his ass. Once he had three fingers inside Jason, he started fucking him with them—in a completely different rhythm than he was using on Jase’s erection.

Jason felt his eyes cross, and he dropped back to the mattress, moaning and writhing between Alec’s hands, already on edge, but determined not to come until the other man was inside him. "I’d rather you were down in me," he rasped.

"Your wish is my command." Alec shifted over him, his fingers vanishing only to be replaced moments later by something longer and thicker. "Oh fuck," he groaned harshly, his own control starting to slip, "you feel amazing."

"S-second that emotion," Jason whispered, hooking his legs around Alec’s hips to buck up under him and threading his hands together behind the X5’s neck to pull him in for a kiss.

Alec’s mouth opened hungrily, practically feeding on Jason as they moved together, his abdomen rubbing over Jase’s cock with every stroke.

Jason wailed and pulled Alec closer, his ass clenching around the other man’s erection as he felt his prostate hit time and again. Finally, it all became too much, and he screamed as he came, his seed gouting out between them.

Alec’s eyes flew open in shock as Jase convulsed around him. It was so different from a woman, so tight, and he groaned, hips moving faster and faster as he sought his own climax, barely able to restrain himself to what a human body could handle. He cried out sharply, body tensing and then shaking with the ecstasy of release, and poured himself into Jase.

They lay there, twined together, as the sweat slowly cooled on their skin and Jason’s breathing gradually returned to normal. "Whoa," he murmured, still unable to open his eyes though a silly grin played around his mouth.

"I’ll second that," Alec breathed, blindly nuzzling Jase and kissing whatever parts of him he reached.

Jason did the same, ending up nuzzling Alec’s ear when he found it. "So... the other time you did it..."

"I bottomed. Learned to take it, but there wasn’t much pleasure in it. It was just more training, another way to use my body as a weapon." Alec shrugged. "This, however, was pure pleasure."

A frown furrowed Jase’s brow for a split second as he thought of the people who would treat anyone that way but cleared again as he told himself to enjoy the moment. "Well then, we’ll have to repeat it as often as we can stand it."

"Transgenic here," Alec chuckled. "I really would wear you out. But I’m sure we can find plenty of ways to satisfy us both." Alec heard his own words with a little shock, realizing that he was thinking in the long term. He raised his head to look down at Jason and smiled slowly. He didn’t mind a bit.

Jason chuckled and pulled Alec in for a kiss. "I’d be willing to risk being worn out, I think," he laughed. "And maybe one day I can convince you that it’s not so bad on the bottom."

Alec blinked. "You were the one who wanted me to do you first," he pointed out. "I never thought this would be like that. And it’s rather obviously enjoyable, judging by your reaction."

"No fair using logic on me when my brain is melted."

The smile Alec gave Jason should have come complete with cream dripping from his whiskers.

Jason snorted. "No ‘meow’ to go along with that?"

Instead Alec managed a purr that should never have been able to come from a human throat.

Jason cocked his head to the side for a moment before giving a truly evil smile.

Alec eyed him warily. "What?"

"I’m just imagining how it would feel if you did that while you were sucking me off."

Now it was Alec’s turn to smirk. "We’ll have to find out some time. I’m eager to see what comes after your brain melting."

Jason snickered. "Just don’t make it run down the drain, okay? Logan and Max might get pissed if they lose their best chance to get funky again."

Alec sobered suddenly. "Not a chance. I screwed up their chance once; I won’t do it again."

Jason frowned slightly. "Mind me asking what happened?"

Alec sighed. "It was shortly after Manticore went down, and I was still finding my feet out here. White and his Familiars caught me. They were going to kill me, but I talked my way out of it, saying I’d kill transgenics for him." He winced at the memory. "I didn’t really intend to do it, but he figured that. He stuck an explosive in my head, right at the brain stem.

"I tried to fake my way out of it, but it didn’t work. I was going to kill Max and Joshua to save myself, but I couldn’t hurt Max, even then, and Joshua doesn’t have a barcode—the proof White demanded of a kill. I told her what was up, and she got this scientist who’d worked for Manticore to get the explosive out of me about half a second before it went off.

"Only problem was she had to give him the money she was going to pay him to work up a cure for them, and once he had it, he took off out of town, taking the knowledge of how to help them with him." Unable to face Jason as he told him about this, Alec rolled off him and stared up at the ceiling, concentrating so hard on it he could count the cracks.

"Guess I shoulda told you what kind of a fuck up you were getting involved with, huh?"

Jason rolled to his side and looked down at Alec, catching his chin to make him return the gaze. "Hey, I’m no priest, so I can’t be a confessor, but you did what you had to, you know? I can’t fault you for that, and hopefully, if this all goes down okay, Max and Logan can be happy, and you can lose the guilt."

Alec gave him a wry smile, not understanding the analogy, but getting the meaning. "Sorry for dumping on you. Everybody thinks I don’t care, but... I do." He shrugged.

"That’s what friends are there for, right?" Jason asked, stroking a hand over Alec’s stomach, hoping to relax him some.

Alec arched into the touch, exactly like a cat, and purred again.

"You know," Jase grinned, "I like this feline DNA thing."

"Offer me catnip and you’re a dead man."

Jason snickered but continued stroking Alec’s stomach. "What about tuna?"

"I prefer cream to fish."

"Might be a while before you get that unless you want to lick our bellies clean."

"That would involve moving, so no." Alec eyed him lazily. "This is nice."

"Yeah," Jason replied, without thinking, "I could get used to it."

Suddenly intent green eyes fixed on him unblinkingly. "Really?"

Jason frowned. "Well, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t like you, Alec."

"There’s liking and then there’s... more." Alec couldn’t bring himself to be the first one to bring up love or permanence.

"If it wasn’t more, do you think I’d be here?" Jason asked, pushing up to stare down at Alec, his hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

"How can I know?" Alec asked logically. "But I’m glad because I do want more."

Jason smiled. "I sort of thought that when you said you’d give up this place to be with me." He leaned in and kissed Alec’s chest. "And if I didn’t say it then, thank you."

"I rather enjoyed the non-verbal thanks," Alec chuckled. "We’ll get ourselves set up comfortably. I’d hate to lose you now that I’ve found you."

"Same here," Jason nodded and yawned. "Being lost sucks."

"Don’t worry about it. Cats are great trackers."

Jason chuckled again and squirmed around as he laid his head on Alec’s chest, getting comfortable. "Glad to hear it."

Alec wrapped his arms around Jason, smiling. "Get some rest. We have a lab to create tomorrow and more lessons tomorrow night."

"Yes, sir," Jason murmured, curling closer and relaxing against the transgenic’s body.

"That’s it," Alec said, flinging his broom and himself to the ground in the newly cleared laboratory that was on the outer edge of cluster of biomedical research buildings. So far Jason hadn’t shown any signs of illness, but Alec would be a lot happier once they got the results of the air sampling.

"I’m done. This place is as clean as it’s going to get."

Jason looked around and nodded, grinning when the rest of the transgenics flopped to the floor as well. "Now we just need to get everything in and up and running," he said, laughing at the chorus of groans that greeted the announcement. It had taken them two days to get this far, and setting up the machinery was going to prove challenging.

"Alec, my man," Mole grumped, "you need to do a better job of distracting Doc."

Max kicked at him half-heartedly. "Forget it. I think I’ll get better results with an un-distracted scientist."

"Oh, yeah. Well, you move all the stuff then, oh mighty X5."

Max rolled her eyes at Mole, while Alec chuckled and shifted closer to Jason.

"We could make a break for it," he suggested in a stage whisper. "Before it gets bloody."

"Try it and I’ll tie you both in knots," Marnie murmured, opening one eye from where she was lying on the floor and looking over at them. "You aren’t getting out of furniture moving that easy, pretty-boy."

"And I really want to start getting this place in order," Jason wheedled, looking round at the transgenics. "Even once we get everything set up, it’s gonna take a while to get all the equipment programmed and calibrated."

Alec moaned. "Are you sure I can’t interest you in some nice, sweaty distraction?" Knowing the answer already, he sighed and pushed to his feet, looking around with dismay. "You really need all this stuff, Jase?"

"No, I had you all bring it over because I thought it looked pretty," Jason snorted.

"Well, we know you like pretty things," Mole snickered with a glance at Alec.

"Ah, but I’m useful too. Aren’t I, Jase?"

Jason snickered. "At times."

"When you aren’t running your mouth, I’ll bet," Max laughed.

"Naw, he likes my mouth," Alec smirked. "You’ll never know what you missed, breeding partner." He winked at her before turning to one of the machines that lined the hallway. "Where do you want this?"

Max made a face and rolled her eyes.

"Be careful or it’ll end up on your foot," Marnie muttered.

"Hey! No damaging my mass spec!" Jason protested.

"Your what?" Alec eyed the machine he was about to pick up. "This thing? Don’t worry; I don’t want to have to score another. I’m not going to drop it."

Jason grinned and patted Alex’s butt. "Good boy, I’ll give you a cookie later."

"I’d rather have the cream."

Max groaned. "Enough with the sexual innuendo. Some of us aren’t getting any, ya know!"

"And the sooner we get all this up and running, the sooner I can do some serious work so you can be getting some," Jason laughed.

"Doc!" There was collective groan.

"Now Max’ll never let any of us rest till you’re set up," Alec sighed. "She could get the pyramids built in under a week."

Marnie shook her head. "You don’t know Jason well yet. Once he has a problem to solve, he won’t let himself rest either; in fact, he might wear Max out."

"Should I be concerned?" Logan asked with a chuckle as he appeared in the doorway.

"Hardly. Any energies the doc has that way are all mine," Alec said emphatically, startling everyone, himself included, with his clear air of possession.

Jason’s eyes widened as he looked at Alec, then he smiled slowly. "Guess I’ll have to save you some then."

Mole grunted and hefted another piece of equipment into place. "Maybe you all could stop with the talking and start with the doing?"

"Looks like Max isn’t the only one who likes to crack the whip," Alec muttered, knowing perfectly well all the transgenics could hear him.

"Okay, that’s it. Step away from the microscope." Alec eyed Jason with fond exasperation, wondering if the scientist had even noticed the others leave a couple of hours earlier.

Jason mumbled a response and continued typing notes into his laptop as he studied the calibration data, grumbling as the numbers still didn’t match standard values.

"JASON!" Alec yelled so loudly that the last few cobwebs shook free of the ceiling and slowly floated down toward the floor.

"Hmm? What?" Jason looked up and blinked as he slowly focused on Alec, then past him. "Where’d everyone go?"

Shaking his head, Alec stared at him. "They went home to get dinner and some rest... about two hours ago!"

"Two... but I was just going to run a few more tests. See? It’s almost set, just a few more tweaks..." Jason looked back toward the equipment almost longingly.

"It will still be there in the morning." Alec caught Jason’s arm in an unbreakable grip and drew him toward the door. "Food. You can even see our new place," he tempted. "Dalton and some of the younger ones moved our stuff for us this afternoon."

"But..." Jason protested, looking longingly back at the scanner before sighing. "I’ll have to remember to thank them for that, as long as they didn’t break anything."

Alec eyed him. "What all do you have in your baggage that’s breakable? I thought it was all clothes and stuff?

"And do you want to grab something and take it back to our place or have dinner in the mess?"

Jason grinned. "Well, since I haven’t even seen it, how about we eat there tonight? After all, I need some way to keep me distracted, don’t I?"

"I thought that was supposed to be my job?" Alec chuckled, slinging an arm around Jason’s shoulders as they walked. "Hope you’re not expecting gourmet fare, though. We do okay, but nothing spectacular. I guess culinary skills weren’t something Manticore thought to breed into us."

"I dunno, that stuff you made the first night was probably pretty good before it congealed," Jason offered, wrapping his arm around Alec’s waist. "And the rest of it hasn’t killed me yet."

"An easy audience. I knew I liked you." Alec smiled, not noticing the double takes as people saw him walking with Jason. "I’ll have to try cooking for you again."

"When I find a cure for Max and Logan, you can cook a feast," Jason laughed.

"You will eat between now and then!" Alec stopped in his tracks, staring down at Jason. "I’m not going to let you starve yourself."

"Don’t want to bruise yourself on the hipbones?"

"Ouch! That sounds fairly unpleasant. But no, I was more concerned with you passing out on me."

"Or passing out because of you?" Jason asked wryly.

Alec’s grin widened. "I can live with that. So keep eating so we can try it."

"So take me to food, then we can try it so I’ll be rested for tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" Alec snapped a salute. "Bossy, aren’t you. Good thing I like that in a man." He opened the door to the former cafeteria that was again serving that purpose, this time for most of the inhabitants of Terminal City.

Jason chuckled and waved to those who looked up. "Considering you didn’t know you liked men until me, I’d say I formed your opinion."

"Good point. But since I don’t feel any urge to go comparison-shopping, I guess I’ll have to stick with you."

"Be still my heart," Jason laughed, leaning against Alec’s side. "It must be love."

Alec’s eyes widened. "I guess it must."

Jason turned and looked up at Alec. "Excuse me?"

Alec shrugged uncomfortably. "Not that I know or anything. Only been in love once, and that didn’t go so well. But... I like having you around, talking to you, being with you."

"Same here," Jason nodded. "I mean, I’m no expert either, so... I guess we’ll just keep on going the way we are and see what happens."

"Sounds good to me. Does this mean Marnie might stop glaring at me sometime this century? I’m worried what might happen if she and Max team up."

"Dunno. I do think the two of you need to talk though."

Alec sighed. "I don’t have a good history with female X series. Couldn’t I just hide behind you?"

Jason quirked a smile. "I’m too short."

"I thought you were just right." Alec smirked, grabbing a couple of trays and handing one to Jase. "You know, I think this is just as bad as at Manticore." He eyed the meal unhappily. "We need to find a real cook."

"Don’t look at me!" Jason exclaimed, accepting a plate of... just what it was, he wasn’t sure. "Maybe we can run an ad somewhere."

"Gee, and how would we phrase that? Let’s see, ‘Help wanted. Ability to cook, immunity to bio weapons, weapons skill a plus.’" Alec snorted.

"Sounds good to me," Jason grinned. "Now let’s eat up so you can distract me before I end up in the lab again."

"We certainly can’t have that," Alec laughed. "And don’t make me carry you back over my shoulder. Neither of us would ever live it down."

Jason laughed. "Do that and you’ll end up with my dinner dumped on your head!"

"Marnie said she might come over later tonight to talk to you," Jason warned as they left the cafeteria.

"Sounds like you might get more of a distraction than you planned on. And not necessarily of the variety we hoped for. What’s her problem anyway? It’s not like I’m trying to kill you or anything."

"Be nice," Jason murmured, poking Alec in the ribs. "She’s trying to get to know you—I think—and we’ve got a few hours. Are you saying you can’t distract me until then?"

"I’m saying that I was planning on distracting you all night. But I think I can manage to fill a few hours quite nicely." Alec caught Jason’s hand and held onto it as they walked, making their way out closer to the perimeter of Terminal City.

"I have faith in you," Jason answered, smiling when he saw a group of X6s chasing each other around a cleared space.

Following his gaze, Alec smiled as well. "That’s why we had to do it," he said quietly. "Even if Max and the others who got away were the only ones who realized it at first. Those kids will know what it’s like to play. They’ll never get this blank look and pretend to be like everyone else."

"You don’t know how to play..." Jason said, a look of dawning realization coming into his eyes. "Wish I could help more, but I didn’t have a lot of time for it when I was younger. I did know it existed, at least."

"I think I prefer grown up games now. And you play those very well from what I’ve seen so far."

"Why thank you, I had hoped, considering I brought you to the other side, that you found it worthwhile."

Alec’s whoop of laughter momentarily drew the X6s’ attention before they returned to their game. "I found it so worthwhile that I can’t wait to try it again."

"Well then, get us home!" Jason demanded.

A raised eyebrow and a wide grin were all the warning Jase got before he found himself tossed over Alec’s shoulder as the transgenic blurred, running for their new home. Mere moments later, Alec opened the door to another executive office suite with its own bathroom. "Kitchenette’s down the hall; we have the place to ourselves for now. Bed’s right here." He tossed Jase down and followed him, straddling him on all fours.

"Really?" Jason laughed, pulling Alec in for a kiss while bouncing on the bed experimentally. "Comfy!"

Alec let himself drop down to sprawl over Jason. "Yes, you are."

Jason stuck his tongue out at Alec. "Too many clothes."

Alec pretended to try to catch his tongue, kissing Jason leisurely. He knelt up, hands going to the buckle of Jason’s belt. "I’ll see what I can do about that."

"Gee, and I thought you transgenics were supposed to be fast," Jason laughed, pulling at Alec’s t-shirt, wanting to feel bare flesh under his hands.

"You want fabric burn on your entire body?" Alec’s eyebrows rose again. "Kinky!"

"No!" Smacking Alec’s shoulder, Jason squirmed, reaching for the button at the waistband of Alec’s jeans.

"Then slower is good." Alec thrust his hips forward, groaning his appreciation as Jase freed him. "Or fast is good too." He made quick work of Jase’s clothes, green eyes scanning him appreciatively.

"Care to show me how good?" Jason asked, running his hands over Alec’s back and rubbing against him.

"Love to, but isn’t it my turn to be on the bottom?" Alec purred, back arching. "Want to see what all the commotion’s about."

Jason blinked. "You sure?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. You seem to be having a good time with it. I want to, with you." Alec’s hands petted Jason as he spoke, calming his slight nervousness though the connection.

"Then maybe we should switch places?" Jason suggested, pushing on Alec until he rolled to his back.

"Mmm, I think I like you all dommy." Alec grinned up at him, the green eyes intent.

Jason shook his head and chuckled, leaning in to lick Alec’s nipple. "You’re such a nut."

Alec’s reply was non-verbal. His back arched, and his fingers buried themselves in the thick, spiky hair, holding Jason to him. "Oh yeah. More!"

"Like this?" Jason murmured, nipping at the taut peak, one hand sliding down Alec’s chest to stroke his burgeoning erection.

"Oh yeah," Alec repeated, purring low in his throat, legs spreading as he thrust upward. "Just like that, please, Jase."

Jason hummed in response, loving Alec’s reaction before snapping his head up. "Shit!"

"What the—Get back here!"

"Is the..." Jason scrabbled in the bedside drawer for the lube and breathed a sigh of relief before groaning. "If the kids found this..."

"Jase, those kids have killed people. I don’t think a little lube is gonna freak ‘em out. Now get back here and finish what you started!"

Not having a rebuttal for that, Jason took only the time to grab the lube before diving back on top of Alec. "Miss me?" he asked cheekily while spreading the cool gel on the fingers of one hand.

"Yes! Bastard." Alec promised himself to get even for the teasing... later. For the present, he simply wrapped his legs around Jason and pulled him closer.

"Hey! No name calling, especially when I don’t know if it’s true or not," Jason pouted, attending to Alec’s nipples once more as he ran his fingers over the transgenic’s balls and back between his legs, teasing the tight entrance to his body.

"Don’t know..." Alec started before Jason’s touch distracted him, making him completely forget what they were talking about. "Jase," he groaned, arching his back to tilt his ass upward. "Feels good."

"It’ll feel even better soon," Jason promised, slowly pressing one finger inside Alec as he tugged at one peaked nipple.

"Oh fuck yeah," Alec breathed, hands gripping Jase’s upper arms. "Want you, can’t hurt me," he panted, trying to urge Jason on.

"Maybe so, but I want you to feel good," Jason answered, kissing Alec again as he crooked his finger inside the transgenic.

Alec nearly bent in half as he arched that time. "Already do," he panted when he could speak again. "Want you, Jase."

"Want you too, Alec," Jason rasped, straightening up to slick his erection up and set it at the entrance to Alec’s body. "Gonna have you now." That said, he pressed forward, eyes locked with the X5’s, his lower lip caught between his teeth at the exquisite sensation of it all.

Gasping slightly at the unaccustomed stretching, Alec stared up into the intent gaze, shivering as he felt himself slowly filled. He’d wanted this, but it still surprised him with how good it felt. "Yeah," he panted, knees pressing into Jason’s ribs.

Jason paused, his gaze turning questioning. "You okay?" he asked, wanting to move but needing to know Alec was all right with this first.

"Fuck yes!" Alec didn’t think he’d ever been better in his life. "Move, Jase!" he demanded.

Jason slowly smiled and reached in to tweak one of Alec’s nipples. "Yes, sir!" he laughed, driving deeper into the other man’s body, groaning when Alex clenched around him.

"Good soldier," Alec retorted, smirking around his gasps. He knew that there was more... but it hadn’t felt like this in training! He yelped Jase’s name when he felt the nudge against his prostate, clenching down almost painfully before forcing himself to relax. "More!"

"You asked for it," Jason grinned, dipping his head down to bite at Alec’s nipples as his thrusts sped up, wanting to hear that yelp again.

"Yeah." Alec began to move as well, meeting every thrust and nearly yipping with each impact on his prostate. "Oh fuck yeah, Jase, good, yeah..." he babbled senseless words of approval, his hands now cupping Jason’s ass and a thumb nudging at his entrance.

Jason nodded against Alec’s chest and flexed his ass under the other man’s hands as he drove inward again. "Uh huh," he gasped, his control slipping as Alec arched to meet his thrusts.

Alec’s thumb pushed inside Jason as he pulled out, and Alec gasped again as he felt the muscles clench around him, letting him imagine what Jase was feeling inside him. The image made him groan and move his other hand off Jason’s ass to grab for his own cock, needing to feel something, anything, surround it.

"Do it, Alec, do it," Jason chanted, slipping a hand between them to cover Alec’s, twining their fingers together as they jacked him off. "Gotta feel you come..."

Dazed green eyes stared up at Jase unseeingly, the rising pleasure overwhelming all other sensory input. All he was aware of was the cock pounding into his ass and the hands rapidly pumping his cock. Alec’s cry this time was hoarse, guttural, and wordless, simply a wail of ecstasy as he spasmed and came, semen spurting over their hands and bellies in several long bursts.

Jason cried out as well as he felt Alec go wild under him, and he drove inward one last time before his orgasm rolled over him. The spasms drained him, leaving him collapsed on top of Alec, not caring that their hands were trapped between them. "Damn..." he murmured, closing his eyes and squirming a little to get more comfortable. "You blew my mind."

Alec managed a breathless chuckle. "Don’t tell Max that or she’ll hurt me!" He mustered the energy to stroke Jason’s back. "That was incredible."

"Glad you liked it." Jason yawned and curled closer if it was possible. "We’ll have to do it again some time."

"Damn right. We’ll have to try it—and the opposite—a lot so I can decide which I like better." Alec smiled slightly as Jason snuggled into him, thinking that the scientist was like a contented kitten.

"Mmm, same here." Jason yawned again and closed his eyes. "Think I’m gonna take a nap now, ‘kay?"

"Sounds good," Alec agreed, perfectly content to lie there with Jason even if he didn’t need to sleep. "I’ll be here in the morning."

"Better be," Jason murmured. "Like waking up with you."

Alec stilled utterly. No one had ever said anything like that to him in his entire life. His eyes opened again to stare at the half-asleep man lying on his chest. "Me too."

Jason just made a contented sound and relaxed, falling asleep.

Alec’s eyes flew open though he didn’t move otherwise. Something had woken him, but he didn’t know what. He waited, every muscle tense and ready to flip over, putting himself between Jason and whatever threatened.

"You might as well get up; I know you’re awake," Marnie commented from where she stood at the bedroom doorway.

Recognizing the voice, Alec relaxed now that he was sure there was no threat to Jason. He carefully slid out from under the doctor, smiling when Jason grabbed his pillow and curled around it. He ran a tender hand over the tousled, spiky hair and pulled the forest green sheet up over Jason’s shoulder before turning to face Marnie as he stepped into a pair of boxers he retrieved from the floor.

"Outside," he hissed. "He’s tired, and I don’t want to wake him."

She rolled her eyes. "And here I thought we’d just start shouting at each other in his ear."

Growling under his breath, Alec shoved her though the doorway and shut the door behind them, though not without taking another fond look at the man softly snoring in the bed.

"What do you want?" he snapped as soon as the door was shut. "Or should I expect you to come wake me up every night?"

"As amusing as it might be, no, this is a one-shot deal," she answered as she walked down the hallway to the living room. "And don’t worry, Pretty-boy, I’m not here for you, I’m here for Jason."

"And this explains why you woke me up how exactly?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her short blonde hair. "Because there’s things that he needs to know, and once he does, he’s going to need you. I’m taking a chance here that you really care about him and just aren’t fucking around."

Alec ignored the last in favor of concentrating on the rest. "What do you mean there’s stuff he needs to know? What have you been hiding?" His eyes narrowed, and he focused on her, ready to move if necessary.

"He didn’t need to know, not before Manticore fell apart, and then..." Her chin came up, and she met Alec’s eyes squarely. "We aren’t the only ones who had people playing with our DNA, okay? It’s not something you just throw at a person. We’ve known all our lives we were different—it’s a big jump to go from thinking you’re really smart to knowing someone planned you that way."

Alec stared. "Like that Brainiac guy we met? He was a strategist. Really wild what he could do, almost like telling the future. You saying Jase’s something like that?"

"Could be. All I know is that while Sandeman was looking for one of us to give him a way to fight the plague, he also needed people he knew could create a vaccine." She paused and gave a mirthless smile. "You wanted to know why Jason had an X5A bodyguard."

"Fuck." Alec dropped into a chair. "So Jase’s a transgenic and doesn’t even know it?" He scrubbed his hands through his hair. "Coulda told us, bear girl. Or didn’t you think knowing that he doesn’t have to worry about any bugs that may still be here would make a difference?"

"I’m telling you now," she said flatly. "And his group was tweaked mentally, not physically, so I don’t know if any leftovers around here would hit him or not—are you willing to take the chance?"

"No," Alec sighed tiredly. "But don’t make any assumptions. That guy I mentioned with the jazzed up mind? He could also make himself seem invisible. Don’t know if that was mental or physical, but I don’t think they ever did only one thing at Manticore." He slumped. "Sandeman has a lot to answer for."

"He thinks he’s saving the world," Marnie answered, walking over to the window and looking out at the darkened streets below. "And I guess he is if you cut away the bullshit."

"You mean he started to and then walked away, leaving all his ‘children’ to the monsters," Alec snarled. "You were at Manticore, at least I presume so, so you know what it was like. Fat lot of good Max’s miracle DNA would have done if she’d died in that hellhole."

She spun back around and glared at him. "Yes, I was there, so I know just what they did to us; then I was a good little soldier and went out and did my job, so don’t pile your problems on me, got it?" As she spoke, she advanced on Alec, indifferent to the foot difference in their heights. "From what I hear, you were a good little soldier too."

"Oh, fuck you," Alec said tiredly, not even bothering to stand up. "You’ve been with Jason for how many years? You didn’t get the joys of Renfro and her breeding program, or being thrown into psy-ops because you were a clone of a guy who made it over the wall. You didn’t end up back in pys-ops because you fell in love and fucked up a mission. So don’t tell me how hard you had it, Marnie. Just don’t." The wiseass cover had slipped, and the green eyes were old and tired and more real than Alec had ever allowed himself to be around Marnie before then.

Marnie paused, watching Alec assessingly and nodding as she took a seat across from him. "So you are human after all. Good."

Alec laughed bitterly. "Is it? Too human for the handlers, not human enough for the upstairs people as Joshua calls them. We don’t fit anywhere, and they don’t want us to. So tell me what’s good about it?" Alec couldn’t believe he was saying all this to Marnie when he hadn’t even been able to bring himself to talk about it with Max, who actually was his friend.

"If they won’t let us fit, we just have to make a place for ourselves, which you seem to be doing whether they like it or not. Normals are scared of differences; look at their history. They use it as an excuse to hunt and persecute others, but in time they adapt."

"Forgive me if I’ve never wanted to be a posterboy for transgenic rights." Alec sighed heavily. Marnie wasn’t saying anything Max hadn’t said a dozen times or more, and he knew they were right. "Just once I’d like something to be easy."

Marnie looked toward the hallway that led to the bedroom and arched an eyebrow.

A laugh escaped Alec before he could stop it. "I don’t think he’d care for that comparison."

"Not in the least." She smiled slightly, then the expression faded away. "I have to tell him, Alec, and once I do, you’ve got to be there for him."

Alec only nodded. "He’s going to be hurt that you’ve known all along and didn’t tell him. And I get the feeling he doesn’t forgive easily," he warned her.

"I know," she said quietly. "And I can’t blame him. I also know he’s not going to let me tell him everything, so the information’s here—what the Hourglass Foundation is, and the fact that there are others like him out there." She pulled a mini-DVD from her pocket and set it on the coffee table between them.

Alec glanced at it before returning his attention to her. He finally stood up and moved around the table to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I’ll make sure he listens to it. And I’ll talk to him when he’s ready to hear," he promised. "He doesn’t need to lose a friend."

"Thanks," she said, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath. "Cut the sympathy crap though, okay? I need to do this, and I’m not going to be able to if you keep being nice to me. It’s not great timing for Max and Logan, but I need to do this tonight, then I’m going to take off for a while. Can you just wake him up and tell him I need to talk to him?"

Seeing how close she was to the edge, Alec just nodded again and went back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He stood for a moment, his cat’s eyes letting him see as clearly in the near total darkness as in afternoon sunlight. Finally shaking his head, he continued across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, one hand lightly stroking Jason’s shoulder.

"Jase?" he called softly. "C’mon, I need you to wake up, doc."

Jason groaned and rolled over onto his back, yawning as he opened his eyes. "Ready to go again already? Sure you don’t have bunny in the mix?" he chuckled as he spoke and reached up to pull Alec in for a kiss.

Alec met the kiss for a moment before sitting up, one hand stroking Jason’s chest. "Much as I like your idea, Jase, Marnie’s waiting in the living room to talk to you."

That brought Jason a bit more awake, and he sat up, blinking away the sleep from his eyes. "Something tells me this isn’t just a ‘how are you, Jason,’ talk, am I right?"

Alec straightened away from him. "That’s for Marnie to tell you. I’ll be right here when you’re done."

"Why does that not reassure me?" Jason asked, slowly climbing out of the bed and grabbing his clothes. "Not the you being here part, but the rest of it."

"It’s nothing terrible," Alec tried to reassure him. "It’s just that it’s her story to tell, not mine. Just don’t forget to crawl back into bed when you’re done. I like having you here."

"Getting rid of me’s going to be the problem," Jason said, managing a grin as he pulled a sweatshirt over his head, realizing too late that it was Alec’s, then shrugging as he pushed the sleeves up over his forearms. "Be back in a few." He leaned in and gave Alec a kiss then headed out the door.

Hearing the door shut, Jason stood and walked mechanically down the hallway toward the bedroom. Somewhere along the way his mind had shut down, and right now he knew of only one way to get through the next few hours: work, and lots of it.

"I’m going to the lab," he announced, knowing that Alec was awake and watching him.

Alec raised himself to one elbow, mouth opened to protest, but he saw the look Jason’s eyes and changed his mind. "Want some company?" he offered, rolling to his feet in a sinuous movement.

"If you want." Jason shrugged and grabbed his sneakers, pulling them on and lacing them up.

Alec thought that it was more to the point whether Jason wanted his presence, but he didn’t push the issue for the moment. It would be best to be nearby whenever Jase decided he was ready to talk... if ever.

He dressed quickly, keeping an eye on Jason to make sure he didn’t leave without Alec, but the transgenic was ready before Jase grew too impatient. "After you," he said quietly, indicating the door.

Without answering, Jason opened the door and headed down the hall to the elevator, stabbing at the button impatiently while staring at the wall. He heard Alec come up behind him, and his shoulders tightened.

Alec tentatively raised a hand and placed it on Jase’s shoulder, feeling the tension vibrating through the slighter man. "You’re still the same person you were yesterday."

"Just a little more ‘special’, right?"

Hearing the bitterness in that comment, Alec let his hand fall to his side. "No more so than Marnie or Max... or me."

The elevator arrived, and Jason placed a hand against the door to keep it open. "She knew all along, Alec. Why didn’t she tell me?"

"At first, orders." Alec shrugged slightly. "I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but orders are a big thing to us. We were bred to respond to them. Later... once you start to care about someone you’ve lied to, you’re trapped because you’re afraid of their reaction to what you did, so you just let it go, waiting and hoping that somehow it’ll fix itself."

Jason walked into the elevator and slowly turned around. "There’s the difference. I don’t care that you’re—we’re different; it’s that you’ve known all your life, and they kept it from me."

Alec faced him but didn’t try to touch him. "Would you really have preferred to be raised by soldiers in a barracks? Never having a chance to be a kid." He smiled wryly. "At least that’s what I hear. Don’t know since I have no idea how kids grow up out here."

"I studied a lot," Jason said quietly. "Looking at it now, it’s what I was made to do, right?"

"Yeah, but it’s also what you enjoy. Don’t forget that; don’t let them take that away from you. You like what you do, and you’ve helped people. Hell, you’re here to help Max and Logan and possibly every person on the planet." Alec chuckled almost shakily.

"You make it really hard to stay pissed when you’re that logical."

"Shh! Don’t let Max hear you say that. She’s convinced I’m a congenital idiot."

Jason gave a reluctant snicker and let the elevator doors close. "Not congenital, but I’m not sure about the idiot part yet."

Alec clutched dramatically at his chest. "Careful, you might overwhelm me with such glowing praise."

"Just keeping your ego in line." Jason looked a little steadier, though he leaned against the rear wall of the elevator as it descended.

"The way everyone keeps trying to deflate it, it’s a wonder I have any left at all. Fortunately, I know I’m amazing." Alec smiled smugly.

Jason rolled his eyes and aimed a half-hearted punch at Alec’s shoulder. "You were pretty good."

"Oh, I still have to perfect my technique at that. Practice makes perfect, you know." Alec mock-leered at the other man. "Care to help?"

"One track mind," Jason sighed as the elevator dinged and stopped in the building lobby. "I—I just need to work some right now, okay?"

"Sure," Alec replied easily, finally moving away from his slouch against the elevator wall and pulling Jason into a rough hug. "I’ll even clean up some more of the damn place while you do."

Jason leaned into the hug for a moment, then straightened up. "I knew you were more than a pretty face."

Alec grinned wryly. "Yet another of my secrets, not that many people would believe you. Except Joshua," he said slowly. "He sees a lot more than people give him credit for. I think you two will be good friends."

"I guess I’ll have to talk to him then." They walked out through the lobby and out into the night air. "He was the first, right?"

"Yeah, no barcode," Alec agreed, hands in his pockets as he strolled along at Jason’s side, acknowledging the other transgenics in the shadows with the slightest of nods. "He’s sweet. Naive, you know? He comes off as simple at first, but when you get to know him, you realize it’s just that he has no frame of reference. He gets people better than anyone I’ve ever met."

Jason nodded, seemingly lost in through as they walked to the lab building. "So he can be sort of a father confessor."

Alec looked at him blankly. "A what?"

"Guess Manticore didn’t cover comparative religion in your training, eh?"

"Religion?" Alec snorted, his opinion clear. "No, we didn’t waste time on that. It’s one of the few decisions that I agreed with."

Jason chuckled. "Well, it’s a topic that would take about a year to cover even the surface of. I’ll just give you the quick and dirty explanation that a father confessor is someone people talk to about their sins and problems, and he helps them work through them."

"Sins, huh?" Alec shook his head. "Never really got that either, and I’m not real big on talking." He thought about that. "Though it does help to talk to Joshua sometimes."

"That’s what counts then. Maybe..." Jason shook his head and pushed open the door to the lab building.

"Maybe what?" Alec asked curiously, following him inside and glancing around the cleared lobby with a certain degree of pride. It wasn’t nearly as gleaming as the laboratory itself, but he thought they’d accomplished a lot in a short time.

"I was going to say maybe Marnie should talk to him, but I’d rather she deal with her guilt for a while," Jason muttered. "I know I sound like a bastard, but..." he shrugged and headed for the stairs.

"But you’re pissed." Alec shrugged. "If you think I’m going to lecture you, you’re wrong. I’m a firm believer in working out my issues by getting even."

"You’re telling me to kick her ass? Alec, I may be smart, but I think I missed out on the strong and fast part of the mix."

"So use that super brain of yours. It doesn’t have to be physical. Hell, mental works better with women anyway."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You’re the expert on that front, never tried them myself."

"I have to admit that guys are a lot easier." Alec snickered suddenly. "Aside from the physical. Women are definitely easier that way."

"If you start listing the ways, I’m going to use this super brain of mine to come up with a way to take it out on you." That said, Jason walked into the lab and looked around, clearly ready to get down to business.

"I just have one word for you—lube." Alec grinned and headed the other way, deciding that it would be good for his health to clean up for Jason.

Jason looked up from the computer monitor and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, Alec," he called, "come look at this." The lab had been up and running for two weeks, and he was finally making some progress with the retrovirus.

Rolling his eyes, Alec dropped the magazine he’d been flipping through to keep himself from jumping Jason and went over to his side. "Okay, what am I looking at?"

"Philistine," Jason snorted. "What you’re looking it is what makes Max deadly to Logan."

Alec eyed him over his shoulder. "It took you this long to find the bug?"

Jason scowled. "Do I tell you how to do your job?"

Raising his hands defensively, Alec replied, "Was just asking. You know I know shit about this. So this is good?" He nodded toward the monitor.

"Yeah, this is very good. I was working with theoreticals before, going on the information Marnie..." Jason took a deep breath and continued, "gave me. Now that I have real samples, I can do the real work."

"Will you hit me if I ask why you have samples now when you’ve had Max and Logan’s blood for a week?"

"Because I had to reprogram and recalibrate all the equipment, remember? You know, big bad pulse comes along and wipes everything out? It’s hard to run tests when nothing works."

"Ah. Finally he says something that makes sense to the non-scientists in the room," Alec muttered. "I’m very happy for you and your little friend." He eyed the monitor. "Weird that something so minute could be deadly, isn’t it? I feel for them."

"It took some seriously fucked up minds to come up with this thing. Good thing mine’s even more fucked up because I can unravel it." Jason hit a few buttons on the computer, and the image changed slightly. "And fix it."

"Max and Logan will be thrilled. We may declare it a transgenic holiday. Mating day." Alec snickered.

Jason laughed aloud at that. "I’ll stock up on the lube."

"Maybe we can try to break a bed. Or maybe you’ll show me something new, something that’ll make you scream this time," Alec suggested.

"Mmm, now there’s even more reason to work fast on this, and get it right."

"A little inspiration never goes wrong." Alec stretched leisurely, knowing Jason’s eyes were on him as his t-shirt rode up, momentarily exposing the rippling muscles of his abdomen.

Jason actually whimpered before forcing himself to look back at the computer. "Go take your inspirational self somewhere else, or I’ll never get anything done, got it?"

Alec smiled smugly. "I’ll be waiting in bed. Naked." He backed toward the door. "Don’t work too late, honey," he teased just before he disappeared.

"Max is going to kill you if I mess this up because I was too horny to think straight!" Jason hollered after him, giving himself a shake to try and get focused again.

Some time later—but not as long as Alec had thought it might be—Jason finally made it back to their apartment. Having heard him coming, Alec was sprawled on the bed, one knee raised, lazily stroking himself. "I think you said something about being horny?" he purred.

"Gee, no, why would you think that?" Jason crawled up on the bed and sat on Ale’s hips. "Just because I’d look at the virus and see you?"

"Are you calling me a bug?" Alec laughed, sliding his hands up under Jason’s shirt.

"Well, you’ve certainly infected me. Think you have an injection to cure me?" Jason snickered as he spoke and leaned in to nip at Alec’s neck.

"That’s one cure you’d better never develop," Alec growled, catching hold of Jase and pulling him into a more satisfying kiss.

Jason shook his head and ground down against Alec’s groin. "No, you’re one thing I never want to be cured of."

"Good answer. But why are you still dressed?" Alec tugged at Jason’s shirt, wanting it gone.

"Because you haven’t gotten me naked yet?"

"Ah, so I’m supposed to do all the work, am I? You brain, me brawn?" Alec waited a beat. "Works by me." He suddenly flipped them over, stripping Jason naked with inhuman speed, and smirked down at him. "Your next order, sir?"

Jason pretended to think about it, then grinned, running his hands over Alec’s chest. "Fuck me."

"Your wish is my command." Alec reached for the lube on the night table, rocking against Jason as he did, and slowly began to coat the fingers of his left hand, taking his time and making sure to smooth the thick gel over every inch.

"So you’re a genie now?"

"You know that genies are also the concubines who fulfill their masters’ every desire in Paradise, don’t you?" Alec purred, sliding down and rubbing his lightly stubbled cheek against Jason’s chest.

Jason sighed as he arched up against Alec. "Actually, I’d rather have you here as yourself doing what you want to do."

Alec raised his head to look at Jason, startled. "I am doing what I want to. I want to be here with you, Jase. Don’t you know that by now?"

"I know, I just want you to know that."

"If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here. I’ve been used by the best, Jase, and I know the difference." Alec decided it was time to distract Jason, and he caught a nipple between his teeth, lightly biting and tugging.

Jason groaned and clenched his fingers on Alec’s shoulders. "Good, because I want you for you, got it?"

"Got it. And got you." Alec gave him a purely feline smile of smug satisfaction, distracting Jason long enough that he only noticed Alec had moved when a finger pushed inside him.

"Not quite yet," Jason panted, spreading his legs wider and bucking upward while pulling Alec in for a kiss.

"Then I’ll have to try harder," Alec murmured against his lips, two fingers now moving back and forth inside Jason, slicking and stretching him.

"Hard is the key here," Jason panted, catching hold of Alec’s cock and stroking it.

"Have I mentioned how much I love your ability to focus?" Alec snickered, his thumb gently nudging Jason’s balls every time he pushed his fingers into him.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Jason asked quietly.

Alec stilled and raised his head to stare at Jason, the green eyes wide and haunted at first, then slowly clearing. "No," he whispered, "but I hope it’s as much as I love you." As he said the words aloud for the first time in all their conversations circling around the subject, he tested how they felt, and he smiled slowly, realizing that he really did love the other man.

Jason smiled slowly and hooked a hand around Alec’s neck for another kiss. "That had better be a hell of a lot then."

"It is." Alec let himself sink down on top of Jason, pressing him into the mattress as they kissed. But it wasn’t enough for long, and soon he was kneeling between Jason’s legs, slowly withdrawing his fingers so he could press into Jason, gradually sheathing himself inside his lover.

"God, Alec," Jason sighed, arching upward and pulling the other man deeper into him. "That’s the damn sexiest thing I’ve ever heard."

"Good, ‘cause you’re going to be hearing a lot of it." Alec stared down at him, loving to watch Jason react to what he was doing. He could never get enough of it.

"Even when Mole rags on you for it?" Jason asked, running his hands down to Alec’s butt and kneading the firm flesh.

"Especially then." Alec rocked in and out of him, barely able to keep track of the conversation. "I’ll tell him to find someone of his own." He exclaimed wordlessly at the incredible pleasure and thrust forward, lowering himself so his belly rubbed Jason’s erection.

Jason gave up trying to talk and bucked upward, clawing at Alec’s back. "Harder!" he groaned, wanting to feel more.

Nothing could have stopped Alec now, his hips driving back and forth as he fucked Jase, one hand squeezing between them to wrap around Jason’s cock and pump him, knowing he wasn’t going to last very long.

"God, Alec!" Jason cried out, his orgasm rushing over him so that he went wild beneath Alec.

"Naw, just Alec, don’t need any titles." Alec managed to get out one more wisecrack before he lost himself in the pleasure, slamming in and out of Alec until he came as well, crying Alec’s name.

"Asshole," Jason muttered, managing a half-hearted smack against Alec’s back.

"Right now that’s you. I’m the one on top, remember?"

"Oooo, that’s a good one. If I didn’t feel so good, I’d kick you out of bed."

"I guess I’ll just have to keep making you feel good then so I’ll have a place to live."

Jason nodded before growing serious. "I meant what I said, you know. It wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex."

"So did I. I’m not very good at this, and I still think it’s dangerous for anyone to be involved with an X5, but now I understand why Max never let that stop her. I... need you."

"Same here," Jason answered, shifting to stroke a hand over Alec’s short hair, then down over the back of his neck where his bar code was. "It’s big and it’s serious, but I wouldn’t want it any other way."

Alec opened his mouth for one of his wisecracks but shut it again without speaking. He stared searchingly into Jason’s eyes. "I... really don’t know how to do this, but I don’t want to mess it up. I want this, us to work."

Jason nodded and leaned up to brush a kiss over Alec’s lips. "Then just be yourself, okay? I haven’t done this before either, so we’ll just learn together."

"Most people have some problems with me being myself," Alec mumbled, slowly withdrawing from Jason and rolling them to their sides, still holding the other man close. "I’m not even sure who that is."

Jason sighed and nodded. "I think I’m a little familiar with that emotion right now."

Alec laughed wryly. "You’re different from what you always believed, and I was never allowed to believe in myself at all. We’re a fine pair."

"So we work it out, figure out who we both are."

"Both individually and together," Alec agreed. "And we may just figure out where transgenics fit into the ordinaries’ world at the same time."

Jason managed to smile at that. "Tiny little things, all of them, right?"

"Yeah, just details." Alec laughed wryly. "We should be able to solve Max and Logan’s problem and possibly arrange world peace at the same time."

"Sure, with our eyes closed and one hand tied behind out backs."

Alec started laughing. "Okay, maybe we should start with something a bit less ambitious. One day at a time?"

Jason laughed quietly. "That sounds good to me, plus I think it’s about all any of us can stand."

"I think we’ll do good together, Jase. I’ll drag you out of the lab when necessary, and you’ll keep me from running my mouth off too much and driving Max to kill me." Alec smiled wryly.

"Something that will keep us all happy, I think."

"Well, I certainly hope you prefer me alive! Necrophilia’d be a bit much." Alec grinned and kissed Jason to smother the comment he knew would be coming.

Jason laughed into the kiss and pulled Alec closer, knowing he was being distracted but not minding in the least.

Rolling to his back, Alec settled Jason on top of him, grinning up at the scientist when their lips finally parted. "I really like that single-minded scientist thing when it’s focused on me," he said, panting slightly.

"Once I get Max and Logan’s problem licked, you’ll really see what having me focused on you is like," Jason promised.

Alec purred. "Good thing I’m genetically empowered then or it might kill me. And with that as inspiration, how can I help you finish faster?" He grinned crookedly.

Jason chuckled. "Don’t distract me!"

"But that’s half the fun!"

"I thought you wanted me to finish so I could concentrate on you?"

"I don’t want to be celibate in the meantime," Alec grumbled.

Jason cocked an eyebrow. "And what do you call what we just did?"

"Something worth repeating."

"Sure you’re up for it?"

Alec’s eyebrows shot up. "You still have doubts? I’m going to have to try harder."

Jason’s expression was one of pure innocence. "Well, harder is the opportune word here."

Alec started to laugh. "Planning to take tomorrow as a day of rest? Or at least in bed."

"So, you aren’t up to it..."

Flipping them over, Alec rocked down against him. "Still think so?"

Jason grinned, though he tried to keep his expression considering. "Hrmmm, not sure yet."

"So you want to bottom twice in the same night? Just don’t blame me when you can’t sit down tomorrow," Alec snickered, rubbing against him sensually.

"If you don’t forget the lube, it ain’t gonna be a problem," Jason laughed, squeezing Alec’s ass.

"Greedy," Alec chuckled. "I like that in a lover." He pushed a knee between Jason’s thighs, spreading his legs, and settled between.

"You like anything in a lover that gets you laid more."

"Well yeah." Alec rolled his eyes. "What did you expect?"

"You’re such a slut," Jason laughed, wrapping his legs around Alec’s waist. "Good thing I’m one too."

"There’s definitely some tomcat hidden somewhere in you, too." Alec bit at his chin.

"Can’t be a natural born slut?"

"Sure, but you’ve got great recovery time too." Alec reached between them to stroke their erections together in his fist.

"Hrmmm, you don’t think it’s because of you?" Jason asked, arching into Alec’s hand and clenching his fingers against his back.

"I’m sure my extraordinary beauty and skill helps."

Jason snickered and moaned at the same time. "Yeah, for a beginner, you’re pretty good."

"I’ll just have to keep practicing to make sure I get it right."

"I’ll be glad to offer advice on your technique."

"And you, of course, are just helping me out of the goodness of your heart. How selfless."

Jason beamed. "That’s me, working to end celibacy for transgenics and humans everywhere."

"Better be careful or you’ll end up as Saint Jason."

"Naw, it’d be Saint Doc."

Alec snorted and lowered his head to kiss him. "Definitely need to keep that mouth occupied."

Jason just grinned into the kiss and nipped at Alec’s tongue, circling his hips as they moved together.

A soft moan flowed from Alec’s mouth into Jason’s, and he pressed harder, letting more of his weight settle onto Jason.

"God, Alec," Jason moaned. "Want you now."

Alec fumbled for the lube again, only pausing long enough to slick himself before he was sliding back inside Jason, groaning his satisfaction.

"Mmmm..." Jason groaned, arching his back and sighing. "Let’s just stay like this till morning."

"You really think we can stay like this without moving?" Alec scoffed.

"Dunno, but we can try."

"You’re trying to kill me," Alec gasped, fingers biting into Jason’s hips as he fought to remain still.

"Yeah, right, like I really want to—oh shit—do that."

"That?" Alec practically purred, flexing his hips the tiniest bit.

Jason whimpered in response.

"You sure you want me to stay still?"

"Well, a little movement is good."

"I thought you might see it my way."

"Yeah, you’re just a persuasive guy," Jason groaned, writhing as Alec made that small move again.

"You inspire me," Alec replied, his hands sliding up Jason’s ribs and inward until he could flick the hardened nipples with his thumbs. "I rise to new heights."

"That mean you’re going to fly next?"

"Yeah right, just call me Clark Kent." Alec rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to ruin a perfectly good line. I think you’ve been talking to Max again."

Jason snorted. "Trust me, Alex; Max is the last thing on my mind right now."

"So I don’t actually need to do this," suddenly pulling back and driving forward again, "to remind you who you’re with right now?" Alec chuckled breathlessly as he rolled to his back with Jase on top of him.

"So... Oh, God, Alec... So fucking funny," Jason panted, sitting upright on top of the other man and trembling.

"That’s me, a real smart aleck," Alec chuckled, reaching up to twist Jason’s nipples.

"A real ass is more like it!" Jason’s voice broke, and he gave up trying to hold still, instead, driving himself up and down over Alec.

"More interested in your ass right now," Alec panted, stroking Jason’s body and down to the rock-hard erection.

Giving up trying to talk, Jason moved faster, rocking between Alec’s cock and his hand.

Alec immediately matched the more rapid rhythm, thrusting and pumping until he couldn’t manage to concentrate on two things at once and simply held Jason’s cock, letting his movements drive him into Alec’s fist.

"Alec..." Jason groaned, the pressure on and in him finally becoming too much for him, and he came, spasming on top of Alec’s cock.

"Fuuuck." Alec thrust upward, hips moving rapidly and hard enough that he’d have hurt a normal human. He gasped as Jason rippled around him and his hands shifted to Jase’s hips, pulling him down to meet Alec’s final thrust as he came.

Giving a dopey smile, Jason collapsed against Alec’s chest, propped up only by the hands at his hips. "Yeah, we did that."

"We sure did." Alec turned his head to nuzzle against Jason until the scientist raised his head and Alec could kiss him.

"You’re amazing, you know that?"

"Of course." Alec smirked at him.

Raising a vial of clear liquid, Jason tilted it from side to side, studying it musingly.

Perched on a nearby counter, Alec watched Jason, bemused by his total absorption in his work. "Never seen water before?" he finally said, wanting Jason to acknowledge his presence.

Jason rolled his eyes. "It’s not water, you doofus; it’s the answer."

"Answer to what? I didn’t know anyone was thirsty."

"The answer to life."

Alec blinked. "Have you been eating recently? Did you miss a few meals? ‘Cause you’re not making any sense."

Jason cupped the vial in his hand and chuckled. "What’s the most important thing in life—to you?"

"Um... you?"

"Good answer, you get a prize for that later, but that isn’t quite what I was looking for. How about this; how would you feel if we could never touch each other again?"

Alec growled, tensing as if prepared to prevent Jason being torn away from him. He suddenly relaxed as he realized what Jason was saying. "It’s the cure for Max and Logan?"

Jason nodded soberly. "That’s what it is."

"You did it!" Alec jumped off the counter and pulled Jason into a hug, careful not to make him drop the precious vial.

"I did—I hope." Jase sighed and leaned against Alec. "I just wish there was some way to test it."

"Can’t you—I dunno, put some in a blood sample or something? I thought that was that other guy did the time they found a temporary cure."

"I did, and it worked, but I still wish there was a way to do live trials."

"Well, considering that it’s specific to Logan’s DNA, unless you plan to clone him, that’s not going to happen."

Jason turned slightly and picked up another vial. "Though this one’s tailored to me."

"Don’t you fucking dare!"

"I think I can live without touching Max for the rest of my life," Jason said dryly.

"And if you happen to bang into her in the hallway? Who’s supposed to save you then? You’re the genius scientist guy here."

"Well, if the vaccine works, it won’t matter, and if it doesn’t... well, that’s a problem."

"Yeah, and there won’t be anybody to solve it! No, Jase."

Jason sighed. "Why did I know you’d see it this way?"

"Well, it’s a relief to know that all your brains haven’t leaked out your ears!"

"More like out my dick," Jason snorted.

"Ah, so I have all your brains now. Which explains why I knew right away what an idiotic idea that was."

"I repeat, not touching Max wouldn’t be a problem for me."

"And I repeat, accidents happen. No!"

Jase sighed. "And what happens to the human race if Max dies?"

"Max isn’t in any danger. The virus only affects Logan, if you’ll recall. Max is just the carrier."

"Yeah, but what happens to her if something happens to Logan?"

"The same thing that’d happen to me if something happened to you."

Jason set the vials down on the lab bench and hugged Alec close. "I love you."

"Then please stop trying to find crazy ways to get yourself killed. If it worked on the blood, it’ll work on Logan. No one, including Max and Logan, would want you to risk yourself. And for the record, I love you too." Alec’s arms tightened around Jason, holding him close.

After they stood that way for a while, Jason sighed. "So, should we go let Logan and Max know?"

"I think that would be a very good idea. They’ve been waiting a long time for this."

"And if it works, it’s Mating Day for everyone."

"I’ll finally get your undivided attention. Till the next crisis you decide to solve."

"What’s next? World peace? Undoing the Pulse? Curing cancer? Keeping an insatiable X5 limp?"

"You do better at keeping this X5 hard, but keep it up and you won’t be finding that out for a while." Alec tried to glare.

"Idiot, I meant keeping you limp by keeping you worn out."

"Mmm, I like that plan. Please feel free to try."

"Once I’m sure this works, got it?"

"Not yet but I hope to." Alec decided to wait a couple of days before suggesting that Jason try to find a cure for the seizures X5s were prone to or at least a more readily available treatment than tryptophan.

"Idiot," Jason sighed, shaking his head.

"But you love me." Alec gave him a winning smile.

"Because I’m an idiot."

"Because you have good taste."

"Oh, go get Logan and Max."

Laughing, Alec saluted Jason and headed out of the lab to get Max and Logan. Once he told them why, it didn’t take long for the three of them to return, and Alec moved aside, keeping out of the way.

Max stared at Jason, hope burning in her eyes. "Is it true? Have you found a cure?"

"All the tests I’ve done say I have," Jason allowed.

"So what do we have to do?" Logan asked, arms crossed to keep himself from reaching out to Max.

"Max doesn’t have to anything. You get to have a shot, and then we wait 24 hours until I can do another blood test and prove that you aren’t allergic to her any longer."

Max and Logan exchanged a look that was so full of hope, longing and fear that Alec had to look away, unable to bear the intensity of it.

"So what are we waiting for?" Logan asked, tearing his eyes away from Max. "I hope my arm will be sufficient?"

"What, afraid I’ll jump you?" Alec taunted, trying to lighten the moment. "Trust me, your ass isn’t that hot, Cale."

"Wanna bet?" Max asked wryly.

Jason spared a glance at Logan’s ass and chuckled. "Looks pretty good here, but all I need is the arm." He waited until Logan sat down, then drew the serum into a needle. "Ready?"

"Never mind his ass," Alec grumbled, frowning at Jason, which made Max laugh at him.

"You are so whipped, Alec," she chuckled, grateful that he was there to keep them from getting too tense.

"Like you wouldn’t have smacked me through the wall if I looked any closer," Jason chuckled. "But no worries, Max, I’m a one-man man."

"Good!" both X5s said emphatically and in unison.

Jason looked at Logan, his expression wounded. "They don’t trust me," he pouted, making the other man laugh just as he plunged the needle into his arm and injected the vaccine.

"Ouch!" Logan glared. "All doctors are vampires."

"But he’s my vampire, so just sit there and be good," Alec ordered.

"The vampire part doesn’t come until later, so make yourself comfortable; we’ve all got a long day ahead of us."

"You mean we all have to sit here and stare at each other all day?" Alec sounded horrified.

"You think I’m going to have Logan run around unsupervised?"

"Oh, just great," Alec groaned.

"You’re not exactly my idea of the best way to spend the day," Max shot back.

Jason groaned. "Why don’t you two genetically superior types go run around the city or something to calm you down?"

"Are you telling me that you don’t want me around?" Alec asked, looking injured.

"Not if you and Max are going to snipe at each other all day!"

"Fine." Alec slumped against the counter, arms crossed, looking sulky.

Jason groaned and turned his attention to Logan. "So?" he asked, picking up a blood pressure cuff and checking the other man’s pulse. "How’re you feeling so far?"

"I don’t feel any different," Logan shrugged. "But how is this going to work? Everyone else we worked with tried to eradicate the virus from Max’s system, but you’re obviously going at from the opposite angle. But how can you change my DNA without killing me?"

Jase shrugged. "That’s the point; they tried it and it didn’t work. I’m trying the other angle, immunizing you to her."

"Not completely, I hope!" Max exclaimed. "I like having some effect on him."

Alec snickered.

"I’m not touching that one." Jason looked up when the others groaned, then made the same sound himself. "Not that way!"

Chuckling, Alec sauntered across to stand in front of Jason and kiss him lingeringly. "Next time you feel the urge to talk, let me know first. I’ll keep you from it."

"I hate to say it, but I think I agree with Alec," Max said.

"In what way?" Logan asked as Jason continued taking his vital signs.

"Sometimes it’s best to keep Jason from talking."

"Ha!" Alec smirked at Jason.

Jason glared at all of them. "And I wanted to help you, why?"

"Because you’re a kind and selfless person," Logan replied with a big, toothy smile.

"I was thinking it was because you’re nuts, but that’s okay; we like you that way," Max added.

Jason just groaned.

"Just keep liking each other more," Alec said, sliding an arm around Jason’s waist.

"And you’re definitely nuts," Logan laughed.

Looking up from the printout from the blood sample, Jason nodded to himself, then looked at the others.

"Well?" Max asked impatiently.

"Guess we won’t know until you test it," he answered. "I’ve got a counter-agent here if I fucked up."

Max and Logan stared at each other, almost unable to believe that after more than a year they could finally touch each other again. Max was unable to move, afraid to reach out and find that they’d failed again, so Logan stood up and stepped toward her, stripping off the rubber gloves he wore and tossing them aside as he cupped her cheek.

Everyone stood motionless for a long moment until Max sighed and leaned into Logan’s touch.

Moving quickly, Jason checked Logan’s temperature and blood pressure, much to the annoyance of the reunited lovers.

"So far, so good," he murmured, moving back to Alec’s side, keeping a close eye on the readouts.

"Uh, Jase, you do realize that’s a horny, frustrated X5 you keep interrupting, don’t you? Keep it up and she’s going to swat you like a bug."

"Would she rather have Logan dead?" Jason snapped, glaring at Max.

Logan glared back. "When we’ve touched before, the virus took affect long before now. I’m fine, and Max and I would like to be alone now."

"Just who is the doctor here?" Jason snapped.

"You, but just how long are you planning on keeping watch?"

"Yeah, Jase, I’m not really into voyeurism, exhibitionism, or orgies," Alec added.

"Fine, fine," Jason growled. "Go find a room, but I’m going to be in the next one and Logan, if you start feeling strange, get me."

Logan nodded abstractedly. "Yeah, sure."

"Later," Max said, waving over her shoulder as she tugged Logan out of the lab and toward the nearest unoccupied room.

"Jason, if you follow them right now, it’ll be questionable which of them will kill you first," Alec said warningly.

"I’m not following them, but I’m not going to go anywhere until I’m sure the immunity isn’t temporary, got it?" Jason rounded on Alec, snarling at him.

"Whoa, maybe there is some cat in your cocktail after all," Alec said, holding up his arms in surrender. "Look, I’m not trying to drag you off to my lair, just keep you from getting yourself killed. They want to be alone, and believe me, Max’d be the first to yell if there was the slightest thing wrong with Logan."

"Sorry." Jason rubbed his forehead and sat down on one of the stools around the lab bench. "Guess I’m a little strung out right now."

"I could help you relax," Alec purred, coming to stand in front of Jason, his palms braced against Jason’s thighs.

Jason smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but not until I’m sure of everything here. Once we get past the first twenty-four hours though, you’re on."

"Mmm, on you sounds good. But if I have to wait a day, how about something to eat? I could go down to Gem’s and get you something," Alec offered.

"Sure Marnie won’t bite your head off?" Jason asked, giving a bit of a smile.

"I’ll sic her on you, tell her you skipped a meal," Alec retorted, smirking.

"She’d just growl at you and send you back with food; she’s still walking softly around me." Jason sighed then looked toward the door to the other room when he heard a loud thump.

"Jason, you do not want to interrupt them right now," Alec warned, visions of Jase torn limb from limb dancing through his head.

Jason stared at Alec. "I wasn’t planning on it."

"Just making sure. You do that absent-minded professor a little too well for my comfort or your safety sometimes."

"Only when I’m working. Do I look like I’m working right now?"

"Sadly, yes, or we’d be naked and sweaty."

"Oh, boo-hoo. Suck it up, bucko."

"I’d love to, but you told me I had to wait till tomorrow."

Jason groaned and resisted the urge to hit his head against the wall. "Go get me food."

Alec snickered and stole a kiss before heading down the cafe. When he came back a little while later, he was carrying sandwiches, slices of pie, and a thermos of coffee. "Gem wanted to make sure you were well fed. I’m not sure about the pie though; she’s just learning to bake." Alec eyed it warily.

Jason looked up from the printouts he was studying. "It got quiet in there. Want to go get a blood sample for me?" He smothered a grin as he asked this.

"I’m much too young and pretty to die," Alec demurred emphatically.

"And I’m not?"

"Of course you are. Which is why neither of us is going in there unless we hear Max specifically yell for us to do just that."

"Or until I say it’s time. Eventually I need a sample, Alec."

"Eventually being the key word. You go in there before they’re ready, and it’ll be a contest to see which of them tears you to pieces first."

"You wouldn’t save me?" Jason pouted, batting his eyes as he took a bite of the sandwich.

"You mean you want us to die together?"

"Well, it’s romantic in a Shakespearean kind of way..."

"Does that mean you’re going to wear a long gown and peer down at me from a balcony?"

"Yeah right, we’ll go to a Ren faire together."

Alec laughed. "I’m not wearing armor, not even for you."

"And you expect me to wear a dress? Right."

"Actually, I’m rather disturbed by the idea of you in a dress."

"You suggested it, not me."

"I should know better than to argue with a mind-enhanced transgenic," Alec sighed.

Jason smirked through another bite of food. "Yes, you should."

"Good thing I come out ahead on the physical side." Alec eyed Jason over his own sandwich.

Jason snorted, almost choking on his meal. "Don’t forget the modesty."

"False modesty is so pointless."

"As you well know."

"And why I don’t bother with it."

"Just the opposite I’d say."

Alec grinned. "If you’ve got it, flaunt it."

Jason groaned.

"Aw, you know you love me."

"At times. Prove you love me by tasting that pie."

Alec eyed it again and poked a slice with a fork as if afraid it would leap up and attack him. "I thought Juliet was the one who was supposed to eat poison?"

Jason shrugged. "You said you wouldn’t wear armor, so you get the dress."

"How ‘bout neither of us wears the dress?" Alec suggested, cautiously breaking off a tiny piece with his fork and raising it toward his face. Rather than tasting it right away, he sniffed it. "Smells okay."

"Chicken."

Alec glared at him and popped it in his mouth with an expression of dread. After chewing for a moment, however, he looked surprised. "Hey, that’s actually pretty good." He took another, bigger bite.

Jason grabbed the plate, trying to pull it out of Alec’s grasp. "Hey, that’s for me!"

"You do not get both of them!" Alec held it protectively out of reach. "Eat your own." He gestured toward the other, still covered, plate.

Jason sniffed theatrically and went back to his sandwich.

"Forget it. While you might be cute fat, it wouldn’t be good for you."

"You’re saying we won’t work it off? Ahh, the romance is gone, just when I find it for others." He nodded toward the door to the other room.

"Oh, we’ll work it off, all right," Alec promised. "But I prefer it to be for fun not exercise."

"How can I work off what you won’t let me have?"

"Greedy," Alec snorted. "And you’re still not getting my piece too."

Jason sniffed and finished his sandwich. "Guess I’d better get back to work then since I can’t have any fun."

"You’re the one who said we had to wait till tomorrow." Alec wondered how many times he could turn the conversation back to sex before Jason threw something at him.

"You know, if you’re that hard up, you could always jack off; I’d be glad to watch."

Imagining that almost instantly had Alec hard, and he kept his eyes on Jason as he hopped up on a counter in direct line of sight. "You should be careful what you wish for," he purred, unbuttoning his jeans and pulling his hard cock out.

"You are a cruel man," Jason muttered, unable to look away from Alec as he began to play with himself.

"It was your idea." Alec rubbed the pad of his thumb over his cock head until a bead of fluid formed at the tip. Capturing it on a fingertip, he raised his hand to his mouth and licked his finger clean, eyes never leaving Jason.

"I should have known better."

Alec pulled his finger out of his mouth with a faint, moist pop and smirked. "I like that just looking at me gets you hot."

Jason gave a strangled laugh. "You don’t have to be playing with yourself for me looking at you to get me hot."

"But I like you tongue-tied too." Alec lazily jacked himself, watching Jason watch him.

Jason’s response was a strangled whimper, and he fisted his hands on the table to keep from grabbing Alec and burying his face in the other man’s crotch.

"Mmm, feels good," Alec said throatily. "But not as good as your hands on me and nowhere near as good as your mouth. I love it when you do that, lick me, scrape your teeth over me, make me come in your mouth..."

With a groan, Jason half-leapt, half-climbed over the table, giving in to temptation and for the moment not caring about the couple in the other room, intent only on touching and tasting Alec.

"Oh fuck yeah." Alec let Jason’s weight carry him to his back, leaving them sprawled on the hard countertop. His naked cock caught between them, he thrust upward, trying to get more friction.

Squirming back, Jason bit Alec’s stomach to feel the muscles quiver, then found his cock and swallowed it, rolling Alec’s balls with one hand while propping himself up with the other.

"Just like I remember." Alec shivered and thrust upward, pressing into Jason’s mouth, his hands running over the other man’s shoulders.

Jason growled then hummed, feeling Alec shudder under him.

Alec’s hands shifted to Jason’s head, combing through the spiky strands. He fought not to grip harder and force Jason down harder while his legs spread and his knees rose, offering himself to his lover.

Jason moved a hand between Alec’s legs, rolling his balls between his fingers as he sucked, wanting to bring the other man off fast and hard.

Groaning, Alec rocked into Jason’s mouth, his fingers clenching in Jase’s hair. "Oh fuck, so good," he rasped.

Jason swallowed again, tugging at Alec’s balls.

Alec bit off a cry of pleasure, his hips thrusting forward as he tensed and spasmed, his climax ripping through him.

Swallowing the seed that filled his mouth, Jason continued to suck and lick at Alec’s cock, loving the shudders that ran through the other man’s body.

"You’re wasting your time; there’s nothing left," Alec half-laughed.

"Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself," Jason purred, pulling back to look up at Alec, grinning.

"That is not an all-day sucker," Alec pointed out, raising his head to peer down at Jason.

"So I can’t be like a kid in a candy store?"

"Far be it for me to interfere with your second childhood." Alec reached down to cup the hardness between Jason’s legs. "You could fuck me with that."

Jason sighed. "Yeah, I could and I’m dying to, but that would be when Max came running in screaming for me, so I’m just going to have to save it until later."

Alec looked a bit sulky, but he didn’t waste his time arguing. "I’m going to hold you to that."

"If you didn’t, I’d be severely pissed."

"We can’t have that. It’s my job to keep Doc happy."

Jason snorted. "Oh, it is, is it?"

"Yup, if I piss you off, I’ll be Terminal City’s public enemy number one."

"Then why didn’t you give me that other piece of pie?"

"Because even an X5 has his limits!"

"Wimp," Jason chuckled before straightening up, adjusting his pants as he did so. "Besides, I’ve done my job, so I think your life is safe."

Alec rolled his eyes. "You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve just proved to everyone that you can do anything. They’re going to be lining up to get your help with everything you can imagine. Including the tryptophan issue for us X5s."

"Ahh, planning on keeping me around and busy then?"

"You took me, you bought me."

That startled a laugh out of Jason. "I’ve never heard it put quite that way before."

Alec smirked. "I’m unique."

"That’s one way to put it."

"And how would you put it?"

Jason smiled. "You’re mine."

"Works for me. And you’re mine too."

"And just so you know, I’m still alive," Logan commented.

Jason looked around to see the other man peering out from the other room. "And how are you feeling?"

"Very fine," Max purred from somewhere behind Logan.

"I suppose comments about cats and cream would get me knifed?" Alec snickered.

"Nothing you haven’t said yourself," Jason reminded him.

Logan chuckled as he was drawn back into the room. "See you two later... Much later."

"Does this mean we can go to bed too now?" Alec asked plaintively.

Jason just looked at him. "You want to belong to a doctor, you deal with the sucky hours."

"You mean like the one we just had?"

Jason stared at Alec, then groaned. "That was so bad."

"You’re the one who said it."

"Be quiet or you’re going in there to take a blood sample, Nurse Alec."

"No. That is so not happening. Logan’s alive, and he and Max are busy and want to be alone. Sit. Stay."

"Woof."

"Good boy. Want another treat?" Alec leered at Jason comically.

"I don’t think you’re up to it."

"But you are. So... Take me, I’m yours." Alec managed not to laugh.

Jason turned, grabbed a wadded up napkin, and threw it at Alec. "You do realize your dick was hanging out when Logan was here," he asked.

"I really doubt he noticed. He prefers a different variety of X5."

"Thank God."

"Tell me about it!" Alec shuddered at the thought of Logan wanting him.

"I don’t know; he is hot in a scruffy kind of way..."

Alec glared. "Do you really want to piss off two X5s?"

"Mmm, you’re hot when you’re jealous."

"And you’re just hot," Alec replied, grabbing for him.

Jason let out an ‘oof’ as he was dragged into Alec’s arms, then chuckled. "I’ve created a monster; maybe they should have called me Frankenstein."

"Ha! You love every minute of it and you know it."

"Oh yeah, the ego, the over-active libido, the amazing man in my bed, it’s a horrible trial."

"No trial about it. You’re stuck with me for life."

Jason smiled. "I think I could live with that."

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