Title: What's Your Agenda
Disclaimer: I don't have ownership of any of these characters. They belong to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee Productions and 20th Century Fox Studios. The story is not for sale or resale it is written solely for Dark Angel fans. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
Setting: Post "Freak Nation". Biggs and CeCe didn't die, their survival is explained in further chapters.
Pairing: Max/Alec
Acknowledgments: Many thanks to Tabitha5 and Acire Fox for the beta of this story.

Prologue

Feeling the soft caress on his cheek, Alec opened his eyes. She was smiling at him. Her brown eyes sparkling with mirth. What was she so happy about? Then it hit him, she was smiling. At him. He felt the edges of his mouth tugging up. It was innate. How could it not be, when a beautiful woman smiled at him, he smiled back. He only hoped that it would not shatter the moment. Far be it for him to be the one to put a downer their present situation, but usually she was scowling at him, not looking at him with warm longing eyes, and a gentle smile. He blinked. No there was no mistaking it. She was staring at him. Her eyes were practically devouring him. And her hand was still on his face. Although, it had begun as a brief and casual touch, it now rested against his jaw with her fingertips grazing his earlobe. Alec held his breath, this couldn't be real.

"Max," he whispered tentatively, unsure of whether he should speak at all. Desperately wanting her touch to continue but sure he should ask her what she was doing. Even though he had a sneaking suspicion that one word or movement on his part and he'd find himself on the receiving end of her fist.

"Why did you have to be such a smart ass," Max sighed.

He blinked. Then he shrugged, oh hell if she wanted to tear him down so be it. Wasn't like either of them had any way out anyway. "If you didn't rise to the occasion, maybe I wouldn't be such a smart-alec," he replied reminding her of her name for him.

"True," she breathed. Her fingers traced his jaw and Alec sucked in air sharply. Did she know what she was doing to him?

"Ah, Max," he said closing his eyes, "Whatcha doin?"

Her hand stilled, and then left his skin. His throat tightened, why did it feel like she'd just kicked him in the gut. It was just a touch, you jackass, she's lonely, and we're stuck here. Get a grip.

He opened his eyes, grateful that she wasn't looking at him, yet disappointed at the same time. Had he imagined it, or had she looked at him with longing. Or had he mistaken it for something else. Disappointment. Yeah, that one fit better. Trust Alec to screw up again. At least I can do that right.

Fingers at his collarbone, halted all internal bickering in a millisecond. He looked up to find her eyes on him again. This time she looked confused.

"Alec?" she asked, "Are you okay?"

He was about to smirk and come out with his usual, I'm good, great, fine or something of the like but slightest graze of her fingertips brushing his forehead, caused his tongue to take a leave of absence. His lips moved but no sound came out. Her face was drifting closer, so slowly that he wasn't even sure it was moving until it was so near that he could feel the air leave her lips.

Alec stared at her mouth. It was so close that if he puckered, he would actually be touching them. His chest tightened. God help him. She'll probably hate him later, but how much worse would it be than the usual. Consequences be damned. He leaned that half inch and captured her red, full and sumptuous mouth.

His tongue teased her lips, and when she moaned and opened her mouth to him he felt as though they'd left the floor. He felt weightless, dazed. All of a sudden it wasn't enough to have her near him. He wanted to taste her, feel her body against his. He wanted to feel her heart beat in tune to his. His tongue played against hers, she tasted like fresh dew, from the morning frost. It was as though he were a parched man, he couldn't get enough of drinking her in. His hands splayed into her hair, trapping her head. He turned her in his arms, shifting so that she was pinned against the wall, his mouth holding her in place.

Alec pulled away breathing heavily, his cheeks flushed. He rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. He was surprised to read that she was as labored as he was. It was just a kiss. His heart was thundering against his ribs. Her eyes were sparkling, and her lips were swollen from their kiss. "Max..." he started.

She grabbed him, her palms molding his jaw and dragging him forward. She kissed him hungrily. And for the second time, all logical thought left him.

Alec didn't know who initiated what happened next, but he was at a loss to protest or stop. His hands were running over her top, her body soft and willing to his touch. Her hands had found their way under his turtleneck, and she was dragging her nails lightly up and down his back. The sensation was driving him mad. He growled deep in his throat, and stared down at her. He straddled her legs abruptly, cupped her behind and slid her under him. Then more gently, he pushed her back to the floor, kissing her as they went down.

He toyed with the zipper at the throat of her top. Tugging it down slightly, he licked and then breathed on the exposed skin in the opening of her top. She closed her eyes and arched into the feather light caress. He edged the zipper lower till he could see the swell of her breasts. Still straddling her, he leant down and trailed kissed as long the top of her bra, and then dragged his index finger softly along the same path that his mouth had lead. Her eyes were still closed as her head fell back and a deep moan left her parted lips. He pulled the zipper lower, till it fell open at her waist. Her skin was blemish free, just as he'd envisioned. But then they were fashioned that way, so why shouldn't she be? He dipped his tongue into her navel, and then took small nips of her belly from just below her ribs to the waistband of her jeans. All the while his lips tasted her skin, his hands were holding her, committing her shape to memory. He wanted to go slow, he wanted this moment to last for eternity. He needed it to be immortalized in his mind. Who knew what would happen tomorrow, or the next hour. He needed to show her that he could be everything she needed and more.

His sense was keeping him from going crazy and everywhere at once, but it was his sense of her that was fast making him lose control. He didn't know why he'd never given in to them sooner. Her scent, her taste, the feel of her against his lips and hands wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced before, and in his heart he feared that he never would again.

She moaned again, and she opened her eyes. What he read in her gaze was his undoing. They were like fire, a blaze with unmasked desire and for heartbeat he was afraid. What if this was too perfect. If he gave in now, there was no going back. She could mark him forever, and if it happened that this was just a fling for her, would he be able to let go?

As her hands roamed over his chest, and lower to his stomach, Alec knew he was a doomed man. Her fingers rounded his waist, and slipped into his pants. Her fingers burned into his ass and when she started to knead his muscles and pull him forward so his groin came in contact with her pelvis, he closed his eyes and tilted his head skyward. There would be no leaving her now.

Standing, he pulled her too her feet. He barely gave her time to find her footing before he was pushing her back against the wall. Kissing her savagely, desperately. His hand pushed her top from her shoulders, and his other unsnapped her bra in the same movement. She dropped her arms to let the clothing fall to the floor. Once she was free of them, she when to the hem of his top pulling the knit over his head, not caring about the sound of ripping as the offending material caught on his arms. Having his upper body naked for her attention, she wasted no time reenacting his previous ministrations.

Her lips on his chest, and his navel made him lightheaded. He lost his fingers in her hair and tugged lightly, wanting her to come up. Pursuading her to come up to his level, Alec captured her mouth again, kissing her, and teasing her tongue as he did with his eyes.

Her hands which hand been grasping his shoulders, slipped down his arms, and then disappeared from his skin. Only to remerge somewhere else on his body. Damn she was too quick. He'd hoped to stir her further before his body gave in, but under her smooth touch, that wasn't going to be for much longer.

Before he knew it she was no longer incoherent or gentle about telling him what she wanted. She pulled him roughly against her, kissing him hungrily, fusing their mouths in a desperate embrace, while her hands worked the zipper on his pants.

In the aftermath, Alec felt the cold of the room bring him back to reality. He drifted rather unsteadily to the floor, still holding her in his arms.

He picked up his jacket off the floor and placed it around her. Max looked up at him, her face a glow and her eyes bright and watery. One of her cheeks looked distinctly moist. She'd been crying. Alec felt a lump in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. She was already regretting what had just happened and here he was still holding her. He felt like dying. No scratch that. He was dying. There were stabbing pains in his chest, distinctly like the blunt daggers Manticore used for interrogation. Inflict the most pain, who cares about the damage. They had doctors on hand to patch them up. And they were designed to heal impeccably. Although at present, he wasn't sure he was going to recover from this very well.

"Max?" he queried testily. He was about to pull away from her and let her get dressed, when her hands wrapped around him in a death grip.

"Don't you dare let me go," she said shakily.

Alec squared his jaw, not trusting himself to reply. She sounded so vulnerable, so lost that against his better judgment he drew her back to him, and kissed her forehead. Her hand snaked around to the nape of his neck, and her fingers ran over where his barcode appeared. He'd just had it removed, so it wouldn't be there for a few weeks, but feeling her rub it felt like she was acknowledging him - the real him, bad heritage and all - and he liked that.

They didn't stay like that for long. The cold floor soon chased away the warmth they had built up and even though he would have liked to hold Max like that forever, the pins and needles in his butt where giving him hell. They reluctantly parted, and dressed. Max had offered him his jacket back, but he planted it over her shoulders and pulled the opening firmly around her.

He then hugged her to him and kissed her forehead again. He felt her smile against his neck and, he grinned into her hair. Maybe they would be okay. He wasn't about to mull over the negative while the here and now was too good to be true. Alec relaxed against the wall, and Max snuggled into his chest. She fell asleep soon after and Alec was left to his thoughts. It had been over ten hours since their hiatus had gone sideways now. They were stuck in this building with no way out. All he could do was count on Biggs figuring out what went wrong and coming to get them. That didn't happen till the next day. And it seemed it had just been a case of nerves and loneliness for Max, because the last time he'd seen her was jumping out of the truck when they'd reached Terminal City, and that had been two months ago.