The Produce Aisle (DA XO, UC, Mature) Complete 11/20/08

[fourrightchords]

Ask and you shall receive.

Chapter 11

Two years later

The city is cloudy. Rain threatens to fall. I breathe in and inhale that before-storm smell that I grew to love. This part of Seattle has remained the same, and it seems to be the only thing.

No familiar faces await me as I enter Crash. Whereas a year before I might have received a more lively greeting. Then again, I’m not exactly a face one would recognize in these parts.

Living for so long closer to the equator has darkened my skin and had the opposite effect on my hair. The red that I would have received from my mother makes itself more known leaving my grown out hair brown with shades of auburn. No make up sits upon my face, an oddity in eyeliner driven Seattle.

Not 48 hours ago I was waking up to a mosquito net in Uganda. A Six month mission to Haiti turned into a three month trip to India followed by a year and change in Africa. Uganda was the last stop. The night before I had been offered a permanent position on a federal funded research team in New York, discovering better more efficient ways to distribute clean, disease free water to those who are in need. An opportunity, considering I had and still have no college degree to show, a person would be crazy to pass up. When the big city had been mentioned my thoughts fell on a sandy brown haired man almost immediately. A vice that, as much as I tried to deny, has held me almost every day I’d been gone.

Call it stupid and girlie, but being a hopeless romantic is a part of who I am.

Setting down an empty beer mug, I rise out of my stool and throw cash to the table, nodding at the bartender.

The cool air hits my skin, small bumps form along my arms, I’ll need to buy a coat.

“Liz? Liz Parker?” I spin on my heels to be met with a brunette male with spiky hair.

“Logan Cale.” A smile erupts from my face.

“I thought that was you. What are you doing in Seattle?”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come back to see him. But I figure I can pretend for at least a little while. “I desperately missed the weather. That and real, honest to goodness coffee.”

He laughs heartily before enveloping me in a hug. “It’s great to see you, Max will be thrilled you’re here.”

“Speaking of, I stopped by Jam Pony. Seems its not transgenic underground railroad anymore?”

“Not so much, no. Shit has pretty much hit the fan. Ames White has all but started a lynching movement against all those genetically altered. Its been all over the news. Most of them are holed up in Terminal City, the only safe haven for Transgenics. They’ve built a fortress slash community within the walls. The toxins seem to keep the bigots at bay, so to speak. Max and Alec have been a pretty integral part in all of this.”

“Wow…Shows what you miss without a Television. I wish I had known sooner, I would have come back, tried to help.”

“They’ve been doing well. Gotten things pretty under control, it’s a pretty well-oiled machine.”

“How…uh…How is Alec?”

Logan smiles knowingly which only makes my face turn red. “Good. Different, but good. He helps a lot in T.C. much to Max’s chagrin, he’s taken away almost all her reasons to dislike him, slutty and irresponsible being her old favorite topics. He’d…he’d love to see you, Liz. So would Max.”

I grin widely. “I’d love to see the both of them”

“Great! Listen I’m making a pick up real fast then heading over. Where are you staying?”

“You know, I just got in, haven’t had the opportunity to check in yet.”

“You’ll stay with me then. No arguments.”

“Thanks, Logan. If its not too much trouble, at least.”

I change when we get to Logan’s, my nerve’s starting to get the best of me. I know better than to expect anything. I’ve only been gone two years, but I’ve seen things and done things and become an entire different person. Better, I like to believe, but different all the same. I’m not the Liz Parker Alec was in love with, I’ve told myself numerous times. But I guess it’ll take seeing him one more time, maybe to give me closure. I like who I am and wouldn’t have changed the experience for anything. This doesn’t stop me from changing my outfit twice. Okay, three times.

I compare the entry to T.C. to that of Fort Knox. Although I’m sure when you get into Fort Knox, they don’t sniff at you and stare like they’d been burned. A girl could get a complex.

We find Max in a training room. A stuffy room with wrestling mats lining the floor. Its hot in the room and although many of the people are sparring enthusiastically not a one has broken a sweat.

Max has a male twice her size pinned before Logan interrupts.

“Look what I found wandering around the concrete jungle.”

Her head spins quickly and her eyes go wide when they meet mine. “Liz! What are you doing here girl!” She grabs me into a hug that I eagerly return.

“Oh you know, you stand on a street giving puppy eyes, and you’re bound to get picked up sooner or later”

“Listen, I’m almost at my quota for TC for the day, so I’ll let you two catch up. Give me a call when you’re ready to be picked up, alright Liz?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Thanks Logan!” With a smile, he’s off. “How bout a tour, so I can see what you’ve been up to while I’ve been gone? How are Cindy and Sketch?”

“They aiight. Don’t get to see them much as I’d like but they happy, healthy. Doin what they can to help the cause and all. You gonna ask about him, or were you just waitin on me to bring him up?”

I laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Maxine.”

“Alec’s good. Don’t let him hear it, but he does good work here. People look up to him. Although, It took me a good two months to finally force his ass outta bed after you left.”

I halt her speech there. “Two months? Are you kidding?”

“He’ll try to say it was just one. Nope. Two whole months and he was doing nothing but converting Oxygen into carbon dioxide in a very Emo fashion. When the shit with the witch hunt started, Biggs was killed. He snapped out of it after that. Took control. He’s mellowed some”

“Has he…been seeing anyone?” I fear the answer as much as the question.

“Couple dates now and again. Nothin serious, hasn’t really had time. Nothings really held his interest. What about you?”

“Uh…pretty much the same. So…what about you and Logan. Have you stepped out of ‘are we or aren’t we’ land?”

“Me and Logan…we’re friends.”

“Mhmm.” I raise my eyebrows.

“Look, Logan’s special, you know. But nothings changed. The virus is still an issue so as long as it is, we aren’t. So you wanna avoid it some more? Or we gonna nip this in the butt, because I’m pretty sure Alec’s in the control room right through there.”

I run a hand through my hair and straighten my clothes out “I guess no time like the present, huh?”

[fourrightchords]

Your feedback makes me exceedingly happy. Hope this part does the same for you.


Chapter 12


We walk into the room and it takes me a minute to spot him. His hair is kept shorter now, five o’clock shadow adorns his face. He looks like he’s aged 5 years in the last two, but it’s just proof that Alec will only improve with age.

He’s wearing a tight black tee and denim jeans, bent over some papers with a Lizard looking guy sitting next to him. I resist the urge to run out the door before he notices me. Then he speaks, or more like yells. That dark raspy voice that I hadn’t thought I’d missed until just now.

“Josh! I need those blueprints for the Steinbeck Building!” A boy no more than 11 marches up to where they’re stationed.

“Sir! I did the inventory in the mess hall. What are my next orders, Sir!

Alec looks up from the table exasperated. “Kid…this ain’t Manticore. Didn’t I tell you to go like…play or something?”

“Sir?” He cocks his eye brow like Alec’s talking a different language. Alec slumps his shoulders in defeat.

“Alright, alright. Uh…I need you to make a run around the perimeter. Patch up any holes you find. I’m trusting you, soldier. Make sure this place is sec….-ure” He looks up then and drops the papers in his hand. I offer a small smile. “Dismissed.”

“Close your mouth, Alec. Tryna catch flies or something?” Max grabs my hand and pulls me.

“Hi Alec.” My smile widens. He closes his mouth and tries to make his way over to us. Instead, he makes his way right into the desk, knocking everything off it.

“Oh…shit, damn it…”

“Hey pretty boy? Mind taking the Cirque de Clumsy-Asshole act outta my workstation?” Lizard man bites out.

“Sorry man…Fuck” This time it’s the file cabinet. “Liz, Hi.” He finally makes it in front of us, but not before tripping on the stairs. “What are you doing here?”

“I flew in this morning. I missed…Seattle.”

“Well…Seattle missed you.” He smiles. We stare at each other for a minute.

“Alec, flies again.” Max laughs. “So look, I’m due in the mess hall in 10. Alec, why don’t you show her around and I’ll meet you all back here in say, 2 hours?

“Yeah, alright.” I know what you’re doing, missy. “Oh Max. About…your issue? I think I have an idea on how to fix it.”

Her head perks and she looks at me strangely. “We’ll talk later.” I tell her.

Alec walks me around Terminal City, stopping every once in a while to talk to random people and explain how things are run. Its an impressive operation, but then the boy was raised in a military facility, so I expect nothing less.

Max meets us two hours later and we decide to get dinner outside of TC so we can meet with our old crew.

Dinner is lively, eating greasy bar food and catching up with old friends, reminiscing about old times.

I pull Max aside half way through dinner.

“So this virus thing…pain in your ass, huh?”

“Hell yeah. Girl, there isn’t really any way around it.”

“Max…I’ve told you the story of how I got my…abilities, haven’t I?”

“Yeah…gunned down in a café, saved by alien boy, changed forever, right? The problem is, Logan doesn’t have a disease that you can heal. Its my DNA that’s the problem.”

“Right, well I’ve been doing some research on what exactly Max Evans did to me. How the change occurred, why it occurred. I…uh…commandeered some old hospital records of me and other people he’s helped over the years, before and after the fact. In every single case, Maxie, genetic coding is changed. Different. My DNA as of now is COMPLETELY different than that of 15 year old Liz Parker. That means my kids…my kids’ kids are all going to be different.”

“So that means…”

“They created the virus based on X5-452’s specific DNA. To attack it and only it. If we alter your DNA…”

“Right…it sounds plausible, but girl…I’ve already got so much stuff floating around in me…how do we know that the alien DNA wont…”

“Make you turn green? I’ve been working on that. I mean…mostly on small mice and stuff, but…I guess that’s not soothing your fears, huh?”

“No, not really.”

“Well…the only hypothesis I can come up with is when Max healed me he was still pretty new at it, he pretty much had to bring me back from the brink of death. He didn’t mean to change me and make me different. I’ve learned that with practice you can control how much causes mutation so to speak. It takes quite a bit to make you into a crackling molecule-changing freak like myself!”

“So…what, I hurt myself, let you fix me up and then my DNA is altered? No more virus trouble?”

“Well…I mean. Its only a theory, but its worth a try isn’t it?”

“How can we tell if it works? We can’t test with Logan’s life…”

“We’ll pull some of his blood, some of yours now, and some of yours after. Give me a lab and I’ll run some tests. I’ll have your answer in no time.” I smile.

“If we do this…I don’t want him to know till we’re sure. I don’t want him to get his hopes up if it doesn’t work.”

I nod in agreement.

“So this means you’re sticking around?”

“Yeah…looks like. Seattle’s home. I know that. I’ve known that.”

“Good. We missed you around here.” She throws her arm around me and we head back to the table.

“Alright, kids” Cindy stands. “Its getting late for me and I still got work in the morning. Lizzie girl, good to see you, boo.”

“Yeah I’m getting kind of tired. I left some stuff at TC, Logan would you mind a pit stop on the way to your apartment?” I ask and Logan smiles.

“Yeah no prob. We can even give these vagabonds a ride.”

The ride is quick and easy, boys up front, girls giggling in back. We pull in and Logan lets Max, Alec, and I out of the car.

“I’ll walk with you to grab your stuff.” Alec tells me. I tell Max goodnight and we’re off.

“So you staying in Seattle for a while?”

“Yeah. Do what I can around here, if you guys’ll have me.”

“You aren’t gonna miss that African heat, are you?”

I look at him quizzically. I never told him I went to Africa. “How do you know I was in Africa?”

He looks like he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “If I show you something will you promise not to freak out or think I’m really weird and creepy?”

“I reserve my right to run screaming for the hills.” I state.

“Right.” He grabs my hand and leads me into his living quarters. In a desk drawer in the corner he pulls out a file. “I dragged it out of Maria…where you were. Then I had someone flag every article, news event, if the grass moved out of place…”

My mouth drops open.

“I wanted you to have your space…but it didn’t stop me from worrying. I didn’t look anything up on you…just current events, promise.”

“Okay…well…that’s sweet I guess. A little weird, but sweet.”

“I know…not one of my more shining non-neurotic moments, but I was desperate.

I thought about you everyday you know.”

“I thought about you too, Alec.”

“Did you? No uh—young doctors taking up your time?”

I laugh. “I dated an intern named Thomas for a couple months. Really nice guy. Treated me well.”

“Dated?”

“Just…wasn’t the one, you know? What about you? In a city swarming with eligible transgenics probably all dying to get with the alpha male.”

“Alpha male?? I mean…lets not delude ourselves, I am the alpha male but…”

“Alec.”

“I’m kidding! I’ve been on some dates. No one special.”

“Ahh.”

“Liz…come on” He stares at me unbelieving.

“What?”

“As much as Max hates that she can’t pin me for being a man whore anymore…I haven’t been THAT Alec in a long time. Since I met you, actually. Besides, I’ve got a city to run. People to help. Not really a lot of time for dating.”

“You’re different, you know.”

“Good different I hope.”

“Mmm good different.”

“Good different enough to let me take you out tomorrow?”

“Alec…I’m different too. I’m not the same girl I was…”

“Liz Parker…you should know that I’m going to be in love with any version of you I can get.”

“Alec…”

“No…wait, just…I’m gonna put myself way out there right now and you can…you can do with it as you will, but you have to know. I’ve been kicking myself in the ass ever since you left for how I let things go down. I was stupid. I was selfish. And you were right to get as far away from me as possible. But…I did love you. I do love you. And I will love you for as long I’m on this earth. If you don’t love me…if you think there’s someone out there for you that will love you more than I do and treat you better, then…Its gonna suck but I’m gonna let you go. Until then I’ll be right here. Loving you, and doing whatever it takes to show you the type of person you make me want to be.”

I’m silent. I have no words. I have thoughts, millions and millions of thoughts. But nothing of verbal recognition.

I could lie and say I don’t love him. I could say it would be too hard. I could tell him I’m too scared. But then I look up into his green eyes and I just know, none of that is any good. Yeah, I could live in fear of being hurt, but then, I wouldn’t really be living, would I?

“Pick me up at 8.”

“What? Really?”

“Well. We’re going to have to get to know each other again, aren’t we? Might as well get a meal out of it.” I joke.

His eyebrow cocks and he smiles a smile that makes the room seem brighter “I must have been like…a freakin saint in my last life. Cause I’m like, the luckiest fucker alive, you know that?”

I laugh. “Well…don’t mess it up for the next you, huh?”

“I’ll do what I can. So, we’re getting to know each other, huh? Starting fresh…brand new.” We begin walking toward the door. I realize I’ve made Logan wait almost half an hour.

“Mmhmm.”

“Well, I apologize in advance. I don’t normally do this with girls I barely know.”

“Do wh—“

His mouth is on mine before I can finish that sentence. Its slow and hot and I suddenly wonder how I’ve gone so long without this feeling. And then its gone.

“Oh…” I whisper.

“Been waiting two years for that, all you got is oh?” He teases. “its getting late. Logan’s waiting.”

“Yeah, I should go.”

“You probably should.”

“Where we going for our date tomorrow?” I smile.

“There’s this place downtown. Grocery store. Open 24/7.” He winks.

I laugh and bring his face to mine again. Logan can wait.

Next part is the Epilogue!

[fourrightchords]

AN: Last part! I had a great time writing this and hope you had fun reading. Thanks for all your support and feedback. Let me know what you think!

Epilogue

One year later

“Babe…you look fine. We’re going to be late.”

I look out from the bathroom. “You’re supposed to say that.”

“Doesn’t make it less true.” He smirks

“Shouldn’t YOU be the one in front of the mirror worried about your appearance? Its MY parents you’re meeting tonight.”

“Lizzie…come on. What’s not to love? Besides, I’ve talked to your dad on the phone before.”

“You have? When?” I squint my eyes at him.

“Oh you know, just in passing, handing the phone to you.” He sticks his right hand in his jacket pocket. He forgets I can tell when he’s lying.

“Mmhmm. Well, lets get a move on.” I step out of the bathroom twirling in my red dress.

Alec lets out a low whistle. “Remind me to thank your parents tonight for their rockin genes.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere. You do know that this is an extended family thing…Which means everyone…even Max.”

“Yeah I know. What, you think I can’t be civil? I got nothing to be mad about…I got my girl.” He hands me my jacket and a peck on the lips.

I grab my purse off the hotel table. “So you did. I’m glad Maxie and Logan could come with us to Roswell.”

“Yeah me too. Although it would be nice if they stopped sucking face for two seconds…Speaking of…” We open the door to find Max and Logan locked in an embrace outside our door.

“Are we interrupting something?” I giggle.

“Shove it, Lizzie.” Maxie smiles.

“God you two are disgusting.”

“In the words of my girl…Shove it, Alec” Logan smiles.

“This is your fault ya know. I liked him better broody and quiet.” Alec whines.

The Crashdown is closed for the day, a first in years. The inside transformed with long tables and white table cloths, candles and food everywhere. My dad is visible in the back, basting the turkey.

The bell jingles when I open the door, like its always done and the eyes of my friends and family rise as we enter.

“Merry Christmas!!”

Greetings are passed around as I introduce my boyfriend to my parents and friends.

“So this is Alec, huh?” my mom smiles.

“The one and only.” And there’s that cocky grin I love so much.

“Hey there handsome!” Then all of a sudden there’s a Maria Deluca, or should I say Guerin, in my boyfriends arms.

“Glad to see my own best friend snubbing me for my hot boyfriend.” I joke and we hug.

“I can’t help it if beautiful women have trouble staying away.” I smack his arm. “Dad, this is Alec. Alec, this is my dad.”

“Sir…nice to finally meet you.”

“Its Jeff, Alec. Nice to put a face to the voice.” My dad winks at me as he seats us at the table.

It’s a weird array of people that gather at the Crashdown for thanksgiving. Maria and Amy come because of how long we’ve been friends, and in turn Jim and Michael are dragged along. Kyle and his wife Ellie and baby Jamie finish all the Valenti’s. Max and Isabel come because Michael is family too, and their parents join us. Isabel’s husband Jesse holds their daughter Lexi, who at two is the spitting image of her father. Max and his girlfriend of nine months Sarah sit opposite of them. Then there’s my parents and us four, the Seattle folk in our dark attire.

My mother comes in the room after everyone’s been seated with the turkey and places it in front of my father. We eat and exchange gifts and after we’re finished the women fawn over the babies and the men watch football and scratch their asses. Dessert is served and we all sit again.

“You know…I think we’ll need some more whip cream. Alec?” My father stands.

“Yeah…be right back, babe.” With a kiss he disappears in the back.

“So Lizzie…how long did take for him to crawl his way back into your good graces.” Isabel leans over and says over like, 8 people.

“Well, I made him sweat for a while.”

“Psh.” Maxie scoffs. I glare.

“Okay…so like 4 days.” I choose to ignore all the smirks and rolled eyes in my direction. “Sue me. I love the idiot.” A collective awe is conjured throughout the room and this time I roll my eyes.

And I do. Alec and I, we aren’t perfect. He’s a cocky asshole and I’m a little neurotic sometimes. We fight…oh how we fight. But its okay because that’s what happens when you let someone in. He’s seen all of me and I’ve seen him and at the end of the day we’re right where we want to be. Together. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Alright! Whip cream anyone?” My father and Alec emerge from the back with tubs of cool whip.

I raise my hand. I’m a sucker for the stuff.

“There you go, baby.” Alec places a heaping spoonful on my pumpkin pie.

I ignore the pie and head straight for the cream, something that used to bug the shit out of my mom.

Maria is saying something to me when I notice something cold and hard in my mouth. I spit it out into my napkin and start shaking when I see it take form.

A silver ring stares at me from my white linen napkin, a solitaire diamond perched on top. My eyes grow like saucers as I pluck it from the cloth. Slowly, very slowly I glance to my right, breath catching in my throat when Alec slips from his chair and takes a knee.

“Oh my god…” Everyone in the room is all smiles, having been looking at me for the last couple minutes. I had figured everyone was just really really into their pie.

“Holy crap!”

“I love you more than anything. This world isn’t perfect, but I think you make it as close to perfect as it’ll get, and there isn’t anyone else out there I would rather face it with.

Elizabeth Parker…will you—“

“Yes!” I hastily shove the ring onto my finger, still partially covered in cream.

“I—You didn’t even let me ask the question.”

“Yes!” I say again, more firmly.

“Jesus, Parker…can I ask the damn question?”

“Yes…Yes I’ll marry you. Yes yes yes yes. Now shut up and kiss me.” So he does. And I’m lifted into the air and spun around.

Maria and my mother are hugging and crying, as are the rest of the females. My dad has tears in his eyes and everyone else looks genuinely happy. I’m pulled out Alec’s arms by Ria and my mom who go straight for the ring and scream. Maxie hugs me and I glance over at Alec who’s shaking my dad and Jim’s hands. Our eyes meet and he mouths ‘I love you’ to me.

Ah. So this is what it feels like to be complete.


Hello, Ive waited here for you,
Everlong
Tonight, I throw myself into and out of the red,
out of her head she sang

Come down and waste away with me,
down with me
Slow how, you wanted it to be,
Im over my head, out of her head she sang

And I wonder when I sing along with you
if everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again

The only thing Ill ever ask of you
Youve got to promise not to stop when I say when

she sang

Breathe out, so I can breathe you in, hold you in
And now, I know youve always been out of your head,
out of my head I sang

And I wonder when I sing along with you
if everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again

The only thing Ill ever ask of you
Youve got to promise not to stop when I say when

she sang

And I wonder if everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing Ill ever ask of you
Youve got to promise not to stop when I say when

Everlong by Foo Fighters


End