Past Blizzard Tidings

*Come on Max, hurry up.* Alec thought to himself as he leaned against the wall of the makeshift building. Granted it was the night before Christmas, and everything had basically been picked through. But he wanted to get out of there. Not only wasn’t it safe to really be outside of Terminal City. *Especially when it’s just for a last minute Christmas tree. But how can I say no to her?* He sighed, and then his eyes caught the other reason he wanted out of there, again.

She had been staring at him for the last few minutes. Not that, that was something new. Heck, he was used to pre-teen girls all the way up to little old ladies looking at him. Heck, he had even caught the appreciative stares of a few Nuns now and then. But it wasn’t that she was looking at him that got him. It was how she was looking at him. It was as if… as if she knew him. And he prided himself with the notion that he never forgot a face. But this one, he just couldn’t place.

He shifted his weight to his other foot and looked around. Finding Max still looking at what was left of the oh-so-not-great collection of pine, his gaze drifted back and the woman was still there. She looked as if she was trying to make a decision, and he knew she was trying to decide to approach him or not. He sighed, and looked away. Who the heck was she? He swore he didn’t know her. He had never forgotten a face… Well… he almost did, once.

Alec’s heart constricted slightly at the thought. His jaw tightened at the recollection of what Manticore had tried to do. How they had tried to make him forget Rachel. How they had almost succeeded in their attempt. But how he had somehow managed to hold on tight to her memory. To her face. To her necklace. The locket that he had managed to keep hidden from them, take strength in, and focus in on through all of their vain attempts to get him to crack.

But then his mind whirled as a thought entered his head. He had tried so hard to not forget her, were they successful in making him forget other things? Other people? Other… His thoughts were cut off as he saw the woman get up from where she had been sitting. He sighed as he watched her approach. He wasn’t going to run, he wanted answers as well.

“Hi," she said rather shyly, uncertain.

“Hello," he responded, taking a look down at her as she teetered back and forth slightly on what he assumed to be unsure feet. “Can I help you?" he asked, trying to help get the information out of her.

She looked up at him, and swallowed. He watched her take a deep breath, and her next onslaught of words floored him. “I’m not sure if you remember me. I know I remember you. And…" she looked around quickly, whispering the rest, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that you’re one of the X5’s."

His face must have registered shock, because she seemed to feel the need to explain herself. “Yeah, I figured it out. I remembered the barcode. That… and other things." She looked down at the ground on that, and then slowly shifted her eyes back up.

Alec wasn’t exactly sure what to say. He looked around quickly, and was then glad to see Max still very much pre-occupied with what looked like her narrowed selection to three trees. He looked back at the woman in front of him. “I’m… sorry," he told her. “I…" he shook his head. He did feel bad about it, “I can’t…"

She nodded up at him, an understanding smile on her face. “It’s okay. It was awhile ago. It was just one night." He swallowed again. So… his past ways were finally catching up with him. “I’m not here…" she started again, “I’m not here to try and… well… whatever. I just… I needed to talk to you. I don’t expect anything… anything at all.. from you. I just… I just felt that I should… tell you."

He nodded slightly, “Uhh… okay. Maybe if you just… refresh my memory." Maybe if she told him, where, when… how. Some small detail, then his brain would remember it. That is, if Manticore hadn’t erased it permanently from his memory banks. That was if she was even talking about something from then. He was beginning to wonder about those nights he had drunk a little too much scotch in the past year, even by transgenic standards.

She nodded up at him, and started with her tail of events……..

*Ugh. Can this blizzard get any worse?* She turned her wind shield wiper’s up to the highest setting, but a blanket of white was basically the only thing visible. “I can barely see two feet in front of my car!" she yelled to no one in particular, since she was driving alone.

She took a deep breath, “Just calm down. It’s okay. Just nice and slow." But inside, she was fuming. She was supposed to get home by tonight. At least that had been the plan. So she could be there for Christmas morning. She had even started the usual trip extremely early that morning for that reason. So she wouldn’t have to stay at a hotel for the night. It was, after all, a long trip from Seattle. “But nooooo… the weather had to go and decide to have… THIS!" she yelled again, throwing up one of her hands in exasperation.

“Oh shit!" she yelled, swerving the car to the side. She had barely made out the shape in time. She stopped the car up ahead and looked out her back window as the figure continued to walk. Her eyes widened. *A person is outside? In this?* She quickly opened her door, and caught sight of the person. Her eyes widened. They weren’t wearing a coat, only a bulky sweater. “Do you need a ride?" she yelled out to the person, and soon they were close enough that she could see him.

He smiled back at her with a large grin, and she could only assume that meant yes, but that he was too cold to form the word. “Get in," she told him, motioning to the car. He nodded, quickly walked over to the passenger side, and got in. She quickly got behind the wheel, shutting the door. She proceeded to try and shake the snow off her, and he tried to as well, beside her. She looked over at him and saw him shaking slightly. She turned up the heat and he smiled his thanks.

She stared at him for a minute. Lost in the sight of what she had brought into her car without thinking. But the look in his eyes, and the smile on his face had her instantly at ease, not to mention slightly flushed. Or was that from turning up the heat?

She turned back to the steering wheel, and pulled back onto the road. Besides the music from the radio, it was pretty quiet. She took glances over at him every so often, and almost decided to ask him his name just to start a conversation. But then decided better of it. *He’ll talk when he wants to. Or when he’s not frozen to death.*

When he did finally speak, she jumped. “Thanks."

She turned to look at him again, “No problem. Least I could do for almost running you over." His grin grew even wider, and his hazel eyes seemed to dance back at her. “If you don’t mind me asking… What were you doing walking in this? And without a coat?"

A small laugh came from beside her and he proceeded to explain his little adventure…

Her hands fumbled with the key in the lock, “Here, let me," his deep voice in her ear made her shudder slightly. His one arm around her waist, his other hand took the key and opened the door. She turned around in his arms, and his mouth came down to hers once again as they tumbled into the room. She put up her hands, pushing him away slightly. Only to try and shut the door as a big gust of wind came from outside.

He pushed it closed with her, leaning on the door. They looked at each other and laughed, “Yeah, you’re right. There is no way I was getting home tonight."

He grinned as they stood up straight, his arms moving around her waist, and she leaned in against him. “Why did the clerk seem to know you?" he asked, his eyes dancing in curiosity.

Her hands moved up around his neck, her fingers playing in his darkish blonde hair at the base of his neck. She watched him shudder at her touch and smiled, “What? Worried I come here often?"

He smiled, “Well now that you mention it…"

She grinned, “I do. This is usually where I stay the night when I drive from Seattle to see my parents." He nodded in understanding. “But I’ve always stayed alone before."

He smiled down at her, his hand moving over her cheek, “Well… not tonight." His lips captured hers in another kiss, and she was once again loosing herself in him. They had talked the whole way here. About all kinds of things. The weather had somehow managed to get worse, even colder. But the temperature in the car had been going up and up, without the help of the heater. And this kiss was now making their room that much hotter.

Her hands traveled over his shoulders, bringing him closer to her, pressing her body up against his. His one hand went up into her hair, pressing her mouth closer to his, as his other moved around her, pressing her body more firmly to him. She groaned at the contact, the feel of him hard against her stomach. Her hands slipped down his muscled back, and then moved under his sweater, touching his skin. Her fingers moved up under the fabric, pulling it with her. He broke the kiss long enough to allow her to pull it and his undershirt over his head. She dropped it on the floor, her eyes widening at his well muscled chest. But her eyes didn’t get to see the sight that long, as his lips were attacking hers once again.

She felt his hands moving over her skin, over her back, her sides, then up her front. His fingers deftly unbuttoning her shirt. His hands moving to her skin, one cupping her silk covered breast, making her moan into his mouth. She kicked off her boots and he followed suit, their mouths never parting. She started to back up, and he followed as his hands moved the fabric down her shoulders, til it finally fell to the floor.

The back of her knees hit the bed and her hands moved over his shoulders as she fell back onto it, bringing him with her. They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, their hands wandering over each other, mouths and tongues battling against each other in a passionate fury.

His hands found the clasp of her bra and she looked up into the deep hazel pools that stared down at her. They were looking for confirmation, to make sure. Her hand went to the back of his neck, and she pulled him back down to her mouth, her tongue moving inside, tasting him once again. He groaned in response, and then his fingers unhooked the material, his other hand slowly pulling the straps away from her, exposing her skin to him. His mouth ran down her check, her neck, and then she let out a moan when his lips found a hard nipple.

Her eyes closed and her head tilted back into the mattress. Her hand moved to the back of his head, threading through the hair, keeping him there. His tongue flicked at the peak, then his mouth moved over it, sucking at it lightly. She tilted her hips up at him, causing a groan from him to vibrate over her skin, making her shudder.

Her other hand moved between them, playing with the button on his jeans. Finally getting them undone, her hand snaked its way inside the denim, under his boxers, her fingers tips brushing against hard, pulsing flesh. His hips jerked towards her as his mouth moved to the other side, giving her other breast the attention he gave the first. Her hand encircled him, squeezed him lightly, causing him to move against her once again.

He broke his mouth away from her, and she groaned in protest, only to sigh in pleasure as he continued to kiss his way down her chest, her stomach. His tongue darting into her belly button, making her gasp, before letting it lick at the skin over the waist band of her pants.

She lost her grip on him as he moved down her body. Her hands moved to his hair, where she could reach him. Playing with the strands as he quickly undid her pants. She lifted her hips quickly, wanting to be free from the material. He pulled them down her legs and finally off her feet. The material hit the floor quickly thereafter.

She sat up quickly, moving to her knees like him. Her hands started tugging on his jeans. He helped her pull them and his boxers down as he quickly kicked them off. She swallowed hard, looking at his naked form. Perfection wasn’t even a good enough word to describe the sight and the thought brought even more nee, a bigger ache deep inside of her, and she pulled him to her hungrily. She wasn’t disappointed as his mouth hit hers, once again, with passion.

Her hand moved to his and quickly set it to her hip, pressing his fingers into the waistband of her underwear. He got the message, and slowly moved them down her hips, her legs. She helped to shimmy out of them. And then she found herself back on the bed, him over her, their skin pressed intimately against each other. His hard shaft pressed into her hip, as her legs moved around him.

His body started to move down hers once again, but her legs tightened around him, and his eyes quickly found hers. She moved her hips up into him. She watched his eyes close in pleasure, and a groan sprung from his lips. “I need you now…" she let out. And she did. The ache inside her was so great, she felt like she would explode if she waited any longer.

His hand found the side of her face and his lips pressed down onto hers, this time more gently, as his finger tips trailed over her cheek, and then into her hair. His lips retreated, his eyes stared down into hers as he moved his hips. She whimpered at the feel of him brushing against her as he positioned himself. Her legs loosened around him slightly, and her hips arched, moving against him.

Then he pushed into her. She gritted her teeth as she felt him move into her, her head falling back, her mouth opening at the pure sensation of it. His hips plunged into her after he was halfway inside, making her gasp, her legs tighten around him, holding him tight. His mouth found hers once again. His tongue moving inside as his hips started to thrust inside of her.

Her hands clung to him as he started to move inside of her. His arms wrapped around her, gripping her shoulders from underneath, as his pace quickened slightly. Her head lulled at the movement, at the pleasure each thrust of his hips was causing in her. Her body was already tensing, building up to the breaking point. Heck, it was starting to do so before she had all her clothes off. Her hands traveled down over his shoulders, his back, and then gripped his ass, as he pounded into her even more, making her gasp.

His eyes were watching hers. Watching her face, her reactions. She wanted to keep her eyes open to watch his. See the dark greenish pools sparkle back at her, swirl in the pleasure he got from moving inside of her. Moving in and out, over and over, her hips rocking back at him. Her heart was racing, her body on fire, her body shaking. Each thrust, each plunge of his hips driving her closer and closer to oblivion. Her hand went back to his shoulders as she held on for dear life as he moved a little quicker in response.

And before she knew it, she was flying. Her mouth let out a scream to the high heavens as her muscles convulsed and contracting around him. Pulling at him. Squeezing him tight. Her ears barely registered a loud groan from him, as her whole world turned a blinding white. The sensation prolonged from the continued hard thrust of his hips, then with another hard push he was shuttering against her. Her arms tightened around him as their bodies shook together.

Her arms were wrapped around him in the dark room and her eyes scanned his peaceful, yet troubled face, he looked almost like a lost little boy and as his arms tightened around her once again. She wondered what could possibly be so bad for this angel that lay next to her.

*Maybe it has something to do with this," she thought as her fingertips trailed over the back of his neck. Trailed over the tattoo that she had seen during one of the numerous times they had made love the night before. *Yes, made love,* she said to herself. Because sex was not the right word for it. It had been way too magical to have been just sex. She couldn’t count the number of times that she had screamed out in ecstasy. She knew it was because of him. He had done it to her so easily, so many times, her head spun as the memory washed through her.

And that thought… all of those thoughts scared her. *What the hell am I doing? What the hell did I do?* She mentally berated herself. Guilt washing through her. *So what if we had a fight before I left? So what if I had technically been right and he had been an ass for not being able to come with me to see my parents for Christmas? That sure as hell didn’t give me the right to do this!*

She looked at the man sleeping next to her and then thought of the one back home in Seattle. She closed her eyes, regrettably pulled her arms from around him, and inched out of the bed. She quietly got dressed and opened up one of the drawers in the desk in the room. She took out a pad of paper and started to write.

She wasn’t sure how she could explain things, she wasn’t sure if she even wanted too. But one thing was for certain. She had to be sure he wouldn’t come after her, that he wouldn’t try and find her. This had to be just a memory, nothing more. A memory of him, of the night before. She finished the note and left it on the table. She grabbed her coat, and the keys, quickly leaving him there sound asleep.

His eyes widened at her words as his mind tried to comprehend. “And now… here you are," she said. He didn’t know what to say to her as she then started to rummage around in her purse. Once she found something, she returned his gaze and handed him a piece of paper. “I’m not asking for anything, I just thought you should know."

Alec’s eyes looked down at the piece of paper and a young boy with his eyes stared back at him. His mouth went dry, and his own eyes moved quickly back to the woman in front of him in surprise.

“Please…" she started, a slightly worried look in her eyes. “Please understand. I’m in love with another man." She laughed slightly, “Heck, he thinks Mitchell is his." She lowered her gaze for a minute. “Which I know is impossible. Because… Mitchell is so… fast and strong… smart for his age. I know he’s part… transgenic."

She had tears in her eyes, and Alec wasn’t sure what to do. She smiled up at him, “He’s my perfect little boy. Something so very special that you gave me. And I don’t regret it one second of the day."

He looked back down at the picture, then back up at her. For what seemed like the first time of his life, he was absolutely speechless.

“When I saw you. I didn’t know what to do. Why you were here." She looked over at Max, then back to him. “I don’t want to trouble you with this, I don’t want anything at all. I just thought that you should, at least, know."

He nodded, still unable to talk. She looked into her purse again and then this time gave him a business card. “Like I said. I don’t want or need anything. But… if you want to… see him. Just let me know." She said quickly as she saw Max approaching. He nodded, and the woman swiftly walked away.

Max came up next to him and gave him a strange look. Then she pulled the two pieces of paper from his hands and gasped as she looked at the picture of the little boy. “Oh my God." She looked up at him, “When the hell did you do this?"

He shook his head at her accusation, her harsh words finally getting through the shock in his brain. “Max… that boy is a little over 3 years old." She looked at him, waiting for more. He sighed, “Four years ago I was in Africa on a long mission… Now I might be quite the stud Max… but I’m not THAT good."

Then her eyes got bigger as she looked down at the photo, then back up at Alec. The implications of what he said finally dawning on her. *Ben…*

Alec smiled at her and moved his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side in a hug. “Well Maxie, you wanted to find your family for Christmas. You got your wish."

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The End

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Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. hferguso@niu.edu



...h.o.m.e...