Genre: PWP
Pairings: M/A
Wordcount: 1200
Warnings: None

Crash was hopping as usual as Max and OC sauntered in, with a low level of humming voices permeating every corner. Max smiled at the bartender, who had a pitcher of beer and cups ready for them. A regular night at Crash. They snagged a table near the pool tables, where they could see that Sketchy was getting his ass kicked again, by Biggs this time.

"... and so, I'm like, you are such a jerk, if you don't want to sign, then no package for you, asshole..." Max broke off as she saw Original Cindy's eyes look past her towards the door and widen appreciatively. OC's lips pursed in a silent whistle. "Hey, are you following me here?"

Original Cindy shook her head slowly, eyes still on something over Max's shoulder. "I thought the straight honeys would go for him all Heathcliffe-like, but this... Christ, Boo, yo boy looks some hot tonight. Hell, I might consider switching sides for an hour or so." She paused, considering. "Or longer..."

Max shook her hair out of her eyes as she turned to look, "He is not my boy!" springing automatically to her lips. The last word fell off as she caught sight of Alec stalking smoothly down the stairs to the bar. "What the hell?"

Always a pleasure to look at (Max admitted to herself in a very private part of her brain), Alec tonight looked different. He moved gracefully, as always, but tonight the air around him seemed alive on its own, as if his energy was radiating on the very edge of visibility. His vitality shone from him, and when he flashed a sensual smile at a passing blonde, both Max and Cindy audibly caught their breath.

"Hey girls." Biggs snagged the pitcher of beer expertly, pouring himself a glass in one smooth motion. "What's up?" He followed their looks to see Alec order himself a scotch. "Oh. Shit."

"Biggs." Max muttered cautiously, not believing her eyes. "Biggs, if I didn't know better, I'd say.."

"Alec's in heat. Or damned close to it." Biggs stated flatly, setting his beer down harder than necessary. He surveyed the bar quickly as Alec gave a rippling laugh at something the bartender said, noting the feminine heads (and some masculine) that turned at the sound. He swore again. "We are all so screwed."

"Uh, men don't go into heat, my friend." Original Cindy tore her gaze from Alec to look at Biggs skeptically.

"What can I say?" Biggs looked back at her levelly, no humour in his eyes at all. "Manticore was an equal opportunity hellhole."

OC shook her head skeptically. "I don't think so, friend. Even I know only female cats go into heat."

Biggs laughed bitterly. "Oh, that's true... of felines." Original Cindy raised an eyebrow quizzically. "It's called a cocktail cause we've got a big mix. Lots of male animals have hormonal cycles. I've always leaned towards the pachyderm as the culprit myself."

"Elephant? Alec's in heat because he's got elephant DNA?" Original Cindy could barely believe her ears.

Biggs nodded slowly. "It's called musth. Still, like I said, pachyderm is just a theory. Either way, it happens less frequently for us, but it's just as real."

Max shrugged and took another pull on her drink to wet her suddenly dry throat, gaze still on Alec. "So what. He'll grab some willing body, and give her a good time for a few hours, then kick her out. Sounds like every other night in his life."

Biggs grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard, making her look at him. She recoiled slightly from the rage in his face, then straightened defiantly. "What?"

"You really have no idea, do you? You and your little brothers never together during mating season, Max? Or are you just so cold that heat never touched your precious little self?" Biggs was shaking slightly in his vehemence, and Original Cindy edged away slightly to give Max some room in case they came to violence. "We aren't actually animals, Max. Do you really think that your gender matters when it comes to wanting to have a choice?"

Max twisted away angrily. "Oh, please, Biggs. Give me a break. Alec is practically synonymous with slut."

Biggs compressed his lips, even angrier. "He might sleep around, but he's hardly a slut. More importantly, Alec has never willing hurt someone during sex in his life. You know what heat means. You know what the loss of control is like. You also know how powerful he is. If he goes with a normal, he could kill her."

"So, tie him up. Stick him in a room somewhere." Max shook her head indifferently. "If he tries to leave with someone, I'll just kick his ass."

Biggs shook her. "Alec wasn't the champion at Manticore his whole life because he can't take a punch, Max. He could take all of us like we weren't even here if he wanted to. And let me tell you, soon, he won't be able to stop himself."

Max stared at him silently, and a cheery voice behind them spoke up. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Alec hesitated as he picked up on the brimming tension at the table. "Whoa. Is it something I said?"

Biggs took Alec's arm roughly, getting a startled look. "What the holy hell are you doing, Alec? You should know better than this! Go home, lock the doors, take a couple of hundred sleeping pills, and wait this out."

Alec looked at him as though he'd gone out of his mind. "What? I'm just looking for a little action, buddy." he smiled. "The soft and smooth type, if you get my drift." His grin broadened as he saw the longing glances being sent his way.

Max rolled her eyes, and leaned past him to retrieve the forgotten pitcher of beer. "You're looking..." she broke off as his nearness registered, a whiff of his clean, uniquely Alec scent wafted past her nose. "In exactly the right spot." she finished, licking her lips invitingly and wiggling on her chair.

Alec stared at her, entranced. "That's it!" Biggs announced firmly, dragging Alec protestingly back towards the stairs. "We're leaving."

Original Cindy held on to Max when she would have followed. "Not you, Boo. You're staying."

The next day at Jam Pony was business as usual. Max watched the door, her concern growing as time passed and neither Biggs or Alec arrived. Finally, as she was preparing to head out on her fourth 'bip bip bip' of the day, Biggs appeared at the door.

"Nice to see you finally showed up, buddy. Next time don't bother coming back." Normal called as Biggs headed to the lockers. Biggs just flapped his hand at Normal and continued to the bench.

"Nice cast, Biggs." Max gestured to the black cast Biggs was sporting on his left wrist.

"Yeah, well. Could been my neck. I got lucky, Max. I need your help."

"What's up?" Instantly Max was concerned.

"The cops picked us as we were heading out of Crash last night." Biggs gave a ragged breath. "I got away, but they have Alec. And he's got less than 12 hours before he becomes uncontrollable."

Max was on her feet instantly, striding towards the door. Biggs followed. "What are you planning, Max?"

"No problem, Biggs." Max straightened her back and stuck her nose in the air in a haughty posture. "Whitney Mann, Public Defender's Office, at your service."

Alec strode into his apartment, pointedly ignoring Max as she followed him in and closed the door.

"Hey, you could at least say 'Thank You.'" she muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Thank you." he growled tightly. "Now, get out."

"It's not *my* fault the guard was gay, Alec. Though you did look cute trying to get away from him without doing damage."

Alec whirled, stopping with only inches between them, breathing heavily. "This is not funny, Max." he gritted. "This is not funny at all."

Max stared into his angry hazel eyes only inches away. "I dunno." she said, inhaling him in deeply, almost purring with amusement. "Pretty funny from here." Her own breath quickened as she smelled his warm scent.

Alec stared a fraction longer, then threw himself away from her desperately. "Get out of here, Max. You don't know what you're doing."

Max watched him hungrily. "Sure I do. That's why I had you arrested."

Alec froze, then turned slowly, with dawning fury. "You... you..." he spluttered.

"Damn straight. If you're gonna be kickin it with anyone during this, it better be someone who can..." she paused deliberately "... take some punishment."

Alec closed his eyes, feeling the anger rise like a tide, fighting it down. "I don't want to hurt you, Max. I wouldn't be able to control myself. It could be..." it was his turn to search for the right word. "... intense." He clenched his fists to keep from reaching out to her.

Max had a vivid flash of Alec moving above her, eyes hot, teeth bared, panting as he pressed himself powerfully into her over and over. The image was so strong that she moaned and her body clenched tightly at the thought. Alec groaned as the smell of her arousal reached his hypersensetive nose. "Sweet Jesus, Max. Get out of here. I'm losing it here."

Max turned toward the door, took three steps, and locked it firmly. "Sorry, Alec. I want to be here." She turned back to him, opening her mouth to say more.

His lips came down on hers with punishing force before she had a chance to finish. His arms clamped around her with barely leashed power and he lifted her off of her feet to get closer. She raised her hands to the sides of his face and caressed him softly. He broke the kiss long enough to tear off her black t-shirt. "I don't need that, Max. I need.... I need... " Max leaned forward and bit him on the collarbone, hard. Alec's knees buckled. "Oh, God, yes. That's it." He reclaimed her lips, trying to pull down her zipper and ripping her jeans apart in his haste.

Max moaned, his minor loss of control stoking the fires of her own desire. It could never be like this with a normal. She pulled off his shirt and raked her nails down his perfect back, making him buck against her in response. "Alec. Alec. Alec." Her hands went to the front of his pants, and his answering moan against her mouth made her shake. He sprang against her hand as she released his jeans, and the sensation of her hand enclosing him threw him over the precipice of control.

Alec dropped to the floor, pulling Max with him into an even more urgent embrace. He rolled her under him as they fell, and grabbed her skull in his hands. He held her absolutely still with his hands as he looked hotly into her eyes. She closed her eyes and arched herself against him, but he gritted his teeth. "Max. Look at me." She opened her lids and stared up into his beautiful hazel eyes, inches away. The intensity of his gaze was almost painful to meet with her own, and she felt like he was looking right into all the private places that were just hers.

He drove into her with all the power of his genetically enhanced body. She cried out in ecstacy, and he stilled as her body quaked around his. "Is this what you want, Max?" He licked his lower lip, then leaned closer and bit hers. She brought her eyes back to meet his, pleasure licking down every nerve ending. His pupils dilated, and he pulled out, then began pressing himself into her body with long, slow movements. "You like this? Is this what you want?" He reclaimed her lips as she nodded inarticulately, then, unable to help himself any longer, began to drive into her in hard, fast, racking strokes.

Max came apart with his first penetration, her entire body convulsing with pleasure. His hardness filled her perfectly, and she had to look away from the terrible intimacy of his watching her lose control. When he bit her lip, she felt the shock all the way to her toes, found herself nodding idiotically that she liked it. Liked it? She never wanted to stop. Already she felt her next orgasm building, and he'd barely begun to move again!

"Alec." she murmured, too softly for even his ears to hear. He responded as if he had, grasping her hips and pistoning into her with all of the strength in his wonderful body. She gloried in his loss of control, urging him on with lips, body, hands and voice. "Yes, Alec. More! God, yes!" He paused, then tilted her hips slightly with his hands to get exactly the right angle, and...Max's world exploded into white heat. Her voice was almost unrecognizable as she screamed out. "Now, Alec. Now!"

Alec went wild. He lifted them both off of the ground onto his knees, and using only his arms drew her body onto him again and again, his gorgeous hazel eyes never leaving her face as his own world blew apart around him.

Max closed her eyes in weary satisfaction as Alec gently placed her back on the floor, never withdrawing from her body. "I'm glad I had you arrested." she muttered as she snuggled into his chest, still heaving from exertion.

Alec sighed. "I wish I hadn't taken the medication that supresses heat in X-5s." he said contemplatively. "If I'd known you were interested, I'd have given you the whole deal."

Max froze. "That wasn't the whole deal?"

Alec smiled against her skin, where he was licking a bead of sweat off of her shoulder. "No, Max. Compared to a male X5 in full heat, that was merely a.." his tongue flicked against her nipple teasingly. "...quickie."

Max flushed as desire rolled through her again {sweet jesus, that was a quickie?}, then went stiff with anger. "You were faking it, when we first got here? What about the guard?"

Alec laughed, rolling her under him and easing into her far more gently than the first time. He bit her shoulder tenderly and grinned when she closed her eyes and arched against him. "No, I wasn't faking it. But I did manage to get my hands on some hormones while I was in jail, from a transvestite trying to go girlie." She moaned softly as he began to move against her. "It takes a while to work, but it does take a lot of the edge off. Full heat is a bit more... primitive. You'd love it." Max cried out as he tilted his hips to reach that particular angle again {yes, that one}, and she came apart in his arms. He captured her cry with his mouth.

Max opened dreamy eyes. "I will love it." she said.

-30-