Numb (DA, XO, UC, Adult) Chp 10 , 10/22/11 [WIP]

[Traitor]

So now that the board is back up and running I have a new chapter. Thanks to everyone still reading and to all those who leave feedback. I heart you all!


10. You’ve Been Burned…..

Alec stood towering over her, arms crossed, head cocked to the side, and a wicked smirk teasing at the corners of his mouth. The perfect picture of cockiness. Look up the word, she would bet money his picture was next to the definition. He glared at her, knowing he was pushing her buttons, knowing what he did. Smug egotistic bastard.

Liz let out a low feral growl and narrowed her eyes in anger. Why? Of all the places she could have walked into, after all those months of careful hiding and isolation, why did she have to run into him…..quite literally.

“Want to answer my question?”

Click, click, click.

He tapped his boot clad feet against the cement floors in mock annoyance. He should be annoyed at her, should be pissed as all hell, but for some reason, he wasn’t. Yes, she had knocked him out, cold, which was enough of a blow to his ego as it was - just how had she done that anyways? And yes, he had received one hell of a verbal lashing from Max, one that she was still yelling at him about, not that he really cared. But even after all the inconvenience, he found himself filled with nothing but pure relief when he looked at her. Alec didn’t know her, had only briefly ever even spoken to her, but somehow in the wake of her absence, he had worried for her, been concerned, caught himself on several occasions wondering where she was and if she was ok. This disturbed him on a very deep level.

The only person Alec worried about was Alec, that’s how it was supposed to be.

“Is it really any of your business?” She snapped at him with enough venom to scare off a cobra. She felt corned and uneasy. She kept telling herself that it was his resemblance to Ben that unnerved her so much. After all, it’s not everyday you see the twin of a brother you lost contact with years ago. It hurt to think about Ben, even now, even after everything she’d been through, he was still a sore spot on her heart. But as much as she tried to tell herself that that was the only reason he left her unbalanced, it wasn’t. There was also a pull towards him. He seemed to be able to crawl under her skin with an ease that no one else had ever possessed. Something about him, even now as he looked at her, eyes burning into her own, rattled her transgenic cage and threatened to set the animal within her free.

OC looked between the two of them, brown eyes darting back and forth from on to the other in complete confusion. They paid no attention to her,. Everyone else that occupied the room was all but forgotten now, a grey area that blurred around them. The tension was palpable, thick and heavy, and OC finally let out a groan and rolled her eyes.

“Please, Please, tell me you did not do the dirty with this poor girl and then split.”

OC stared at Alec accusingly, eyebrow cocked, lips pursed tight. Alec grinned innocently and fought the urge to laugh as a slow heated blush crept over Liz’s cheeks.

“You know,” he was still smiling, eyes looking over Liz appraisingly. “I seem to recall you being the one that split that morning….Isn’t that right, Lizzie?”

Her fists were clenched at her sides with such force she could feel the skin begin to break as nails dug into palms. Anger washed over her in a wave. His cockiness, his sheer arrogance, made her want to let loose of the demure person she usually showed and let out her inner bad ass and throttle him.

“And I seem to remember that you’re a fucking prick!” Liz ground out through clenched teeth. Keep it calm, Liz, she scolded herself. Don’t make a scene.

Alec’s eyes latched onto hers, amusement sparkling in their depths. “Oh,” he said, clutching at his chest. “Such harsh words from such a pretty little mouth. You wound me. Really.”

His sarcasm made her snap and the carefully constructed wall of transgenic, I don’t give a shit attitude began to crumble. That flash of feline ferocity that passed through her eyes was pure animal and dangerous, and he was slightly taken aback at its intensity.

“You arrogant son of a ---”

She made a lung at him, wanting desperately to knock him down a peg or to, but was stopped by OC stepping between them.


“Whoa, Boo. Chill out for a sec, alright? We all know that Alec is a low down dirty dog when it comes to treatin’ women with some respect.”

:Hey!” Alec protested, but was cut off by a swift look from her that told him in no uncertain terms to shut his mouth before she shut it for him.

“But,” OC continued, staring at Liz and choosing to ignore Alec’s presence. “Lets act like grown folks and calm this shit down before Normal comes out here and blows a fuse.”

Liz took a deep breath, letting the anger simmer down enough to compose herself, and nodded in reply. Alec watched in awe as the her walls built back up around her, or at least she tried to put them back anyways. Even though her face went blank and expressionless, her eyes were still open, still laid everything out to see if you only knew what you were looking for. He saw anger there, and pain, and need, although a need for what he wasn’t entirely sure. He wondered if she knew how much her eyes gave away…

“Sorry,” Liz grumbled, looking from OC to Alec, before finally settling onto the wall opposite him. She decided it was the most interesting wall ever, completely engrossed herself into memorizing every crack and chip so that she wouldn’t have to look back at him. Maybe if she ignored him he would just walk away, not that she actually believed that would happen. He seemed like the kind of person who refused to let things go until he had the last say. She didn’t know why she was being so hostile towards her, he had saved her life after all. But the more she studied that fascinating wall, the more she realized that was the reason for her behavior. He had saved her life. The last person to have that honor had used it as a constant reminder of what she owed to him. Had left the enormity of that fact dangle over her every time he had the chance. She didn’t want to be indebted to Alec, didn’t want to owe him a thing.

She was sick of paying dues to a club she never asked to join…

Alec watched her shoulders hunch in defeat and he fought the urge to reach out for her. Why the hell did he feel so protective of her? She was just a girl, albeit a transgenic one with a quick temper, fast tongue, and an amazing frame, but a girl none the less.

So why did he suddenly care?

“Look, I…” he paused, unsure of what to say or how to approach her. This was out of his comfort zone. Witty banter and heated arguments? Now that he could do. But this? He wished she was angry again. His hands ran through his hair and he sighed in frustration.

“Are you ok? I mean, cause the last time I saw you….”

Her eyes clenched shut at the memory of what once was. The cold darkness that had closed in on her, the slowing of her pulse in her ears. She shook her head, forcing the memory away. Liz didn’t need him to remind her of how utterly stupid she had been…. She had to live with the absolute torture of that fact every day.

“I know how bad that must have looked, how bad it was, but I’m fine now. Really. “ Her breath came out in a heavy sigh and she crossed her arms, suddenly aware of the chill in the room. “I’m not your problem anymore, but I appreciate what you did for me.”

It was true. She was grateful, and she was sorry that she had never said that to him or the others who had helped her that day. She had been in self preservation mode then. Protect Maria, protect herself. They had been the enemy to her then, the threatening presence, but now she realized how wrong she was. They had only tried to help.

They had ignored OC for a long period of time now, and the small woman was suddenly very aware of how uncomfortable she was. She grumbled something about getting back to work then made a swift retreat towards the nearby row of lockers. Neither of them noticed, neither paid attention to the sudden absence.

Alec’s eyes softened and his stance became somewhat more relaxed, arms dropping to his sides. “You’re welcome…. And I never said you were a problem.” He looked her over, taking in the dark circles under her eyes, the uneasy shuffle of her feet. “You don’t look ok.”

Brown eyes, warmer than Max’s but so eerily similar locked with his own. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip, the defensive wall slowly beginning to slip again, and she managed a small smile.

“I really am better, you know.”

Liz shook her head.

“I mean, I’m not going to off myself if that’s what you’re wondering.”

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, eyes darting to the ground then back to him.

“I’m good.”

Alec’s head bobbed in a slow understanding nod, his gaze never traveling from her for even a moment. He wondered what had broken her that night. What had pushed her over the edge of sanity and made her so desperate to escape.

“We’ve been looking for you.” He spoke softly. “Max has been looking for you.” Her face hardened at the name. He would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been what it was. “She’s been worried. She told us who you are….Eva.”

Liz swallowed back the knot that pressed on her throat. She clenched her eyelids shut at the mention of her name, of the person who she had once been. She paused for a moment, letting the assault of memories slip past her vision, and then she opened her eyes slowly to look at Alec with all the seriousness she could muster.

“I’m not that person anymore.” Her voice had turned hard and cold, no emotion, just the solider. “Eva died that night and for all I care, she can stay dead. Max should accept that and move on.”

Alec couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, well, try telling that to Max. She doesn’t let go of things so easily.”

“Wanna bet?” Liz murmured to herself, but Alec heard her.

“Look Liz, Max told me what happened. And I don’t understand a lot of it, but I do know that you guys were just kids. You did something none of us would have dared to ever try and she panicked, she got scared…” He sighed heavily, eyes shutting tightly for a moment before looking at her again. He moved towards her, waited a moment, and when she didn’t back away, he took another step, closing the gap between them. He reached out hesitantly to touch her. He didn’t do the comfort thing very well. “I don’t agree with a lot of what she’s told me Liz, and I’m not saying you should forgive her right now, but… a lot has changed since that night.”

Liz felt the warmth of his hand rest on her shoulder and sighed at the pure transgenic heat that radiated from him. His touch sent a tingle through her arm and she fought the urge to reach up and take his hand, just to feel that comfort, just to be close. “No shit,” she replied with a laugh. He didn’t have to tell her about change. Hell, she was the poster child for the subject.

“I--,” she stammered, trying to remember why she was even here in the first place. “Maybe I should just go…”

Alec watched her, observing the way she tried to change the subject, tried to find an out. Max always did the same thing when a conversation started in a direction she didn’t like. Be evasive, ignore the issue. He decided he would oblige her.

“What did you come in for anyway? Are you friends with OC?”

Liz shook her head, grateful to him for not hounding her about Max and her past, and suddenly realized that the woman who had been so nice to her outside was no longer there. Her eyes darted around, searching the faces of the employees, but she was nowhere in sight. Damn. She made a mental note to apologize and thank OC the next time she saw her.

“Actually, I’m looking for a job,” Liz admitted, suddenly feeling very small as she stood before him.

Alec cocked an eyebrow and the hand that had been resting on her shoulder snaked across her back to pull her towards him. “Well kid, you certainly ended up in the right place.”

His arm, the one that wasn’t draped across her shoulders, gestured towards the crowd, at the sea of people in helmets hustling and bustling around the room. He leaned in close to her, the warmth of his breath hitting her ear making her shiver involuntarily. “Cause this happens to be Transgenic central.” he whispered. He pulled back, still lingering close but not nearly as close as before. “And the boss man happens to worship me, so I’ve got some pull.”

There was the cockiness, the sass. She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her and she was happy he was slipping back into what appeared to be his usual self. She couldn’t help but laugh at how utterly refreshing and equally infuriating he was. Hell, in the last five minuets he had evoked more emotion from her than she had shown in the last ten years.

“Oh yeah?” she smirked at him, letting the thoughts of her earlier conversation slip from her mind. His attitude made her smile and god did it feel good to use those muscles. She’d thought she’d forgotten how to really smile genuinely. “Why’s that?”

He looked down at her, marveling at her dimples and the flash of her teeth.. He wondered why he had been so quick to compare her to Max before. Those eyes…her eyes held so much more than he believed Max’s ever could. There was a light there, life that begged to be lived, and he could see it so clearly, even though she tried desperately to hide it. He saw it, saw her, and she was truly stunning, even worn down and beaten and having more mood swings in the last few moments than he could count, she was stunning.

“Didn’t you know?” He asked playfully. “I’m a god. Seriously, be careful or you might start worshipping me too.”

Liz smiled at him again, looking up into his eyes. So much like Ben, but so startling different at the same time. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Liz chuckled. “Wouldn’t want to find myself on my knees praying to you or anything.”

Alec’s voice grew deep and his eyes flashed down at her darkly. She knew she had steeped right into that one, but she couldn’t seem to care. His eyes held her captive. “Oh honey.” he purred huskily. “You have no idea how much I would love to see that.”

Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. The heat that seeped from him….oh god. She mentally cursed her transgenic hormones. Alec grinned and squeezed her shoulder, breaking the sexual tension that had begun to settle over them. “Now, firstly, to get you a job, munchkin.”

“Munchkin?” Liz snapped in annoyance.

Alec smirked. “Hey, it’s not my fault. You have no one to blame but your makers for that one.”

Liz growled up at him. “You are such a jackass.”

“Yeah,” Alec laughed. “So they tell me.”

---------------------------------------------------------

An hour later and a new job under her belt, Liz left Jam Pony with Alec by her side and a smile on her face. Normal had been…..interesting to say the least, but he had given in quickly to her once Alec had batted his eyelashes a little. His man crush on Alec made her laugh inwardly and the fact that Alec exploited that fact for his own gain was even more hilarious.

“So, you wanna hit Crash with us?” Alec asked as he walked beside Liz in the busy streets.

“Who’s us?” Liz asked, looking over at him. Conversation was becoming increasingly was between the two and it unnerved them both. But Alec felt like she was a kindred spirit, someone who was far more like him that anyone else, someone who understood that the world was hideously dark and tainted.

Max didn’t see the world the same way they did.

Alec shrugged his shoulders. “The whole gang from Jam Pony. O.C., Sketchy, Biggs, CeCe……” He laughed. “Oh, and Max.”

Liz’s eyes darted towards him and she steeped forward into his path, abruptly stopping him in his tracks. “Max?” she asked. “I start work tomorrow and Max works there too?”

Alec winced at her tone. He knew he should have mentioned that earlier, “Um…transgenic central, remember?”

“But MAX?” she growled. She didn’t want to see her sister. Not this soon, not when she wasn’t prepared. "Thanks for telling me earlier.” she ground out through clenched teeth.

“Hey,” Alec said nonchalantly. He pulled her towards him, squeezing her shoulder. “I’m telling you now. Better late than never.”

“Well aren’t you just sweet as sugar.” Venom dripped from her voice, but she quickly shoved her animosity aside. It wasn’t, after all, Alec’s fault that she harbored bad feelings towards Max. In fact, Alec seemed to get a little moody at the sound of her name too. She was trying to be strong, trying to live, and she couldn’t very well do that if she once again ran and hid from her past. She had learned in these last few months that running solved nothing, if anything, it only made matters worse.

Alec stared at her as they continued to walk, trying to gage her, figure her out. Who knew such a small person would be so difficult to read. “Liz?”

“I’ll have to call and check in with Maria first, “ Liz sighed, pulling her cell phone from her jacket pocket. “Then I’m down for the bar.”

Alec’s eyes narrowed. “You sure?”

Liz nodded. Was she really sure? No. Did she have much of a choice? Also, no. “Might as well get it over with.” She smiled, looking up to meet his eyes. “I mean, wouldn’t want to come to blows with her at work….especially not after I almost kicked you’re ass there today”

Alec scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, munchkin. You couldn’t take me if you tried.”

Liz pulled away from him, walking ahead on a few steps and tossing a dark glance over her shoulder. Alec shuddered at the primal feral look in her eye. "I’d have you on you’re back quicker than you could blink.” she purred.

Alec chuckled. Something deep within him growled low in answer to her challenge. …

“Promises, Promises….”