When the World Made Sense (Part Two)
Title: When the World Made Sense
Author: hunters_retreat
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 26,000+
Warnings: pre-story off-screen death of a secondary character, slash
Author's Notes:Thank you so much to the mod's for this amazing challenge! And all my love to my amazing artist sillie82!
Summary: Once upon a time, Logan Cale's life made sense. Maybe not to anyone else, but it did to him. That was before he'd ever heard of Manticore, or X-5's, and certainly before he found himself the head of the Trans-normal movement that had sparked after the explosive outing of transgenics in Terminal City. Two years of fighting for the cause had taken its toll though, and not just on Logan. Anti-trans groups put a price on their heads and none more so than for Alec McDowell.
Alec tried to act like none of it bothered him but Logan knew different. They were co-conspirators and stood shoulder to shoulder leading the movement. An offhanded comment has Logan thinking it's time for a change, for the movement and for himself. Will Logan's grand experiment - a self-sustaining farming community for humans and transgenics alike - give them the chance to make peace with the world or will it fail? Will it give Alec the chance to finally heal from his emotional scars that a life as a Manticore assassin left him? And will they both finally realize what they’ve been fighting for all along?
It wasn’t as easy as it sounded and they’d known it then, but the water and soil had come back as clean as they’d expected it to. The advantages of a system that was built on self-sustainability was just that: the ability to keep fairly well with little to no maintenance needed. Alec had gone out two weeks after they got the all clear from the lab tests and took a contingent of people with him to get started. They’d done an inventory on what was needed immediately, then decided to clean up the main house, start construction on the larger barns to make them into more livable structures, and work on the gardens.
Logan didn’t like letting Syl leave with the group but she had been assigned an undercover mission with an agricultural group in the past and she was the one with the hands on knowledge that would get the farm working. She and Alec could worked faster and longer than the others without tiring and Logan would worry about that if it weren’t for the fact that he knew Alec would make Syl follow the Trans-normal Movement guidelines for how long transgenics were allowed to work without a break. Logan had mentioned to her that she should make sure Alec did as well.
Syl was a good asset to have and she was one of the X-5’s that Max had escaped Manticore with when they were just ten years old. Alec never really liked being around the escapees and Logan had a good idea why. It wasn’t just that Ben had gotten him into trouble when he’d gone crazy, but something deeper. Logan didn’t know what PSY-OPS was, outside of a vague sense of it, but when Alec let the word drop around Max in the old days, she’d clam up and it ended whatever argument had crept up between them.
He knew it wasn’t good and that was enough to make Logan weary of putting Alec with an escapee but Alec claimed he was fine with Syl and he’d set about making sure they had everything they needed.
Now, looking at the front of the house, Logan couldn’t help but be impressed. The house needed a new coat of paint once they could get to that sort of thing, but the weeds and grasses around the house had been trimmed and cut. There was an herb garden in the front that had been worked on, and to the side of the house the two animal runs had been cleaned up. Large walkways were free of debris and Logan knew if he walked around the back the area closest to the house would be cleaned up as well.
The windows to the house were open and Logan could see sheer curtains in them, blowing with the breeze. A smile passes his lips at the thought of someone making Alec do the laundry and hang curtains, but he had to admit that seeing the main house ready and livable gave him more faith in the project than he’d had at first viewing. It made an impressive sight and he wasn’t sure who’d thought to make that a priority. Both Syl and Alec were trained to understand diplomacy and the advantages of the setting in negotiations so it could be either of them. Of course, it could just be Gemma who loved to decorate to make up for the lack of choice in her earlier life at Manticore.
“Almost there,” Logan heard a familiar voice call out. The men and woman that had come with him followed Logan around the side of the house and Logan smiled as Alec came into view. Beyond the porch that wrapped around the front of the house to the back, there was a large barbeque pit built into the side where a great number of people could gather for food when it was nice out. Past that was the fruit orchard.
Syl was on the ground, staring up into a plum tree. Alec was actually in the tree, bare chested and stretching up to try to reach to the highest branches. He could probably just jump to get it but he had become reticent to show that sort of ability in front of ordinaries. Logan wasn’t sure why, but it was on the growing list of things he needed to figure out about Alec McDowell.
The sun was hidden behind a cloud so he could make out Alec’s features without being blinded by the sun behind him. It was a pretty picture and it made Logan itch for a camera in a way that he hadn’t in years. After the admission to Alec when they’d first come out to the farm, Logan had felt the pull more and more. He had a good camera packed away actually, having decided he wanted to document the community in a new way. He had pictures of their first trip and he planned to get plenty more before it was all said and done.
“Will someone get the cat down out of the tree?” Mole called out from behind Logan.
Alec turned to see them there and Logan smiled brighter as their eyes met and Alec’s confused look turned to honest amusement. “That’s the best you got?” Alec asked as he turned back to the task at hand. A second later he dropped three plums down to Syl who caught each deftly before gently placing them in a bucket.
“What are you doing, Alec?” Logan asked as he walked closer.
“Figured we better collect some of this before it all started to go bad. There are a lot of animals living off the droppings but we’ve started collecting some of them and we figured if we had too much it was time to start storing up for winter anyway.”
Logan could kiss him for the subtle reminder to the small crowd that they couldn’t afford to waste anything. “Need some help?”
“We’ve got it,” Syl said with a grin. “Alec, why don’t you show Logan around up here while I take everyone to the barns?”
Alec frowned but it was superficial and Logan didn’t worry about it as Syl began leading people away. “Come on folks. The barns we’ll be sleeping in are just this way. I’ll point out what we’ve been doing and you can see what we still need to do.”
She walked off and Mole and the rest of the group that had come in with Logan followed her. “What exactly are you supposed to show me?”
Alec watched the others go, then looked up, made an impossible leap into the air to snatch a plum off the highest branch, and landed on his feet with a smile. He held a hand out to Logan who took the offered plum. “Apparently our plans to move the office into the main house have been partially disrupted. Not that I’m complaining because Mole snores loud enough to wake the dead, but I didn’t know they were doing it.”
“What did they do?”
“Come on in and I’ll show you,” Alec said, grabbing Logan’s duffle from where he’d dropped it. They walked around to the front of the house and Alec opened the front door, letting Logan in first.
His first impression was that the house was immaculate. It had been scrubbed clean and the furniture had either been cleaned and aired well or it had been completely replaced. No one would know that the room had recently held nothing but dust-covered furnishings. It was well lit with windows opening into the great room. The fireplace had a few new accessories; a hanging hook where a tea pot hung and it looked fresh scrubbed as well.
“Wow,” Logan said with a little awe.
“We divided into three teams. Syl took one group to start on the farming, I took one group for the farm buildings, and Gemma took one group for the main house.” Alec smiled at him over his shoulder as he moved towards the stairs that led to the four offices upstairs. “It’s easy to forget that Gemma used to be a drill sergeant. She reminded everyone lately.”
Logan laughed about that because he had actually forgotten about her training. She was good with people though and even better with young children. They’d talked about setting up a crèche system at some point so that all parents would be able to contribute to the farm and everyone would be able to contribute to the raising of the children. They said it took a village and Logan planned on giving every single member of their community the support of the village.
“She managed to get this place so clean?”
“She managed more.”
Alec trotted up the stairs then and Logan followed him, knowing there was nothing else to say. When he got to the top of the stairs he was surprised by what he saw. The two bedrooms that had been at the top of the stairs had the wall cut out and were now glass from waist level up. The wall that had separated them was gone, leaving only a temporary partition between the two rooms.
“A conference room?” Logan asked.
“Yep.”
Alec walked further down the hallway and opened up the next door. “The bedrooms were made into two separate offices, though they expanded a bit by knocking down more walls and using the storage closets that were up here.”
On the right was what had once been the master bedroom. They’d talked about making it into the conference room but apparently he’d been vetoed on that one. Alec opened the door and walked in, dropping Logan’s bag. “Home sweet home,” he said softly.
He was in a sitting room. That was the only words he could describe it as. A sitting room with a small reading library to one side. On the other side was a media library that was no doubt meant to appease Alec. The bathroom door was open and Logan could see the other changes then too. “Who lives here?”
“We do.”
“What?”
“Apparently, since we’re running this show, we need to be in the main house. I didn’t know they were doing this until it was already too late to stop it. Gemma had some good points though and Syl backed her up. The Tribunal gave their blessing before they left. But at least we’ve got some privacy up here from the group and we’re close by in case of emergencies.”
Logan took a deep breath as he walked further in, pushing open the door to one of the rooms. He knew without having to see the other that nothing had been moved into it either. Alec had been waiting for Logan to arrive to pick one.
“Which is mine?” Logan asked, wanting to give Alec the chance to choose.
“Figured you’d want the one closest to the books,” Alec said with a small smile as he crossed his arms over his chest.
What he didn’t say was that the one closest to the books was the back room and would be the one least likely to fall under any sort of damage if someone chose to attack the farm from the front. It would get the least light in the morning and would get the light better in the late afternoon when Logan would be more likely to try to relax.
“Sounds great,” Logan said. He’d learned not to turn down Alec’s offerings. Speaking of which, “these any good?” he asked as he held up the plum.
“Haven’t tried it yet. Syl seemed to think so.”
Logan brought the plum to his lips and took a bite. It was perfectly ripe and Logan had juice dribbling over his fingers quickly. He let out a little moan at the sweetness of it. Fresh fruit was a commodity that the cities were lacking. If they could get enough crops growing to support themselves, they’d make a nice little padding trading surplus to the cities.
“Is this heaven?” Logan asked with a grin.
Alec was suddenly in his space, his hand holding Logan’s as he brought the plum to his own mouth. He bit into the flesh of it, sucking at the juices before he licked his lips. “Maybe. Feels a little bit like Eden, all this fresh fruit and temptation, don’t ya think? Think the snakes will show up soon?”
Alec moved past quickly, taking Logan’s duffle with him, making his head spin at the suddenness of his movements.
Alright, so Logan was confused as hell by Alec most of the time. He knew he had Alec’s loyalty. They’d both earned that. This - thing - between them though was unlooked for and unwanted. It was also undeniable and no matter how many times Logan tried to push it down, it popped right back up. He could see Alec do the same thing, try to give himself space. It never lasted though. They worked together and fought together and they were so wrapped up in one another for so long now that Logan wasn’t sure he’d know what to do without Alec in the back of his head, whispering what the X-5 would do in any given situation.
He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat before he pushed away from the door frame and followed Alec into the other room.
The rooms had the same design with similar furnishings. Whereas the bed and table in Alec’s room had been a darker wood, Logan’s was cherry. At this time of day, there was plenty of light for Logan to see by and it would be late in the summer months before he’d have to use lights in his room.
“This is amazing,” he said softly.
“Yeah, Gemma really kicked them into gear. She and Syl worked together to get the front part of the house cleaned up. Most of the farming so far has been to gather what’s ripe, figure out how to store it, and learn how to make it last. A few plots have been cleared up as Syl wanted to try her hand at some seeds she’d found. We also got the first barn converted into sleeping quarters. We took the smallest one and then began working on the plans to reconstruct the other into actual rooms. It will be pretty Spartan but someone had the idea to do moveable walls so people could cohabitate without much trouble and that’s given us some interesting results.”
“You started already?”
“A few days ago. I’ll walk you down later today so you can see what we’ve got. Pretty sure lunch will be started soon and they’ll toss us out of here. Go get cleaned up, Logan. Rest for a minute, then I’ll walk you around. Everyone gets their first day off to get their bearings here, then you’re put to work. Take advantage of it.”
“Where are you gonna be?” Logan asked his friend.
“Taking advantage of the fact that everyone thinks we’re glued to the hip and getting a few extra Z’s in. Who the hell put the chicken coop so close to the house was insane. I’m gonna strangle the damn rooster if he keeps waking me up so damn early.”
Logan laughed as Alec walked out of the room. He couldn’t help but stare at the place Alec had just vacated. Finally he pulled himself together and began unpacking. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being that close to the center of things all the time, but Alec was right. Living here would give them a way to separate from the others without having to make people feel like they were walking away. It would give them a little peace of mind and they would be close to the offices at all times. Like when it was 4am and Logan needed a piece of information that was sitting on his desk.
He didn’t know for sure how it would all work out, but he knew Alec was at his side and that was what mattered. The dark smudges under his eyes weren’t gone, but they were better and Logan could see a little of the spirit Alec had always had beginning to show up again. If for nothing else, it was worth the experiment for those things.
**
“God, this is good coffee,” Logan said, sinking into the couch in front of the fire. The spring nights were chilly and the fireplace offered warmth and the feeling of comfort that he’d never appreciated before he’d moved out to the farm. Touchstone, as the community called itself, was coming together well and most of the people from TC had been moved out. Not all the barns had been converted to living quarters yet - some were still used for farm gear as well - but the first barn they’d used was being used as a staging area for the newer people at the farm and it worked well. It served as a sort of dorm living for the uninitiated and they were easy to round up in the mornings and to gather together at night to talk about the events of the day or what would be coming the next.
It was a good mix of people and Logan’s contacts with other mixed communities were impressed with their progress so far. It was still too new to say it was a success yet, but Logan was feeling genuinely optimistic about it all.
A snort warned him a second before he felt the press of a warm thigh against his own. He knew it was Alec sitting down beside him and he knew then why the young girl from the construction crew had vacated her seat and settled onto the chair on the other side of the large coffee table. Alec had his own mug in hand and he smiled smugly as Logan sipped his again, eyes half-lidded in pleasure.
“You made this, didn’t you?” Logan accused.
Alec’s smile widened as he looked towards the flames. He didn’t say anything and Logan would have scowled if it weren’t for the fact that the coffee was just that good. It had been a small miracle that Alec had been able to barter some old farming supplies they didn’t need for coffee beans; a miracle to Logan who loved coffee and had lamented the lack of it at Touchstone since they’d moved in.
There were close to a dozen people moving in and out of the common room and Logan felt happy for a moment. This was what he’d thought about when they first talked about creating an open community. It had never happened in Seattle and Logan still doubted that it ever could, but here it was working.
“I had a job,” Alec said softly. No one else could hear, not with the way Alec leaned closer, his lips practically brushing Logan’s ear as he spoke. “Just a way to get close to someone to plant some tech bugs, but the guy was a coffee addict. I worked for this little coffee shop for three weeks before he trusted me enough to ask me out. I wasn’t much of a coffee person honestly, but I loved the smell of it. It grew on me after I worked there but only if you make it right. I never found anyone else to make it this way.”
Logan turned to look at Alec. “You never turned down my coffee before.”
Alec smiled. “Yeah, well you paid a fortune for quality beans and you could tell. Most coffee available nowadays you have to really coax to get a good flavor from.”
Logan couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face. “Did they make you wear an apron with a name tag on it?”
Alec laughed. “Yeah, I hated the damn thing. Manticore didn’t find it funny when I convinced everyone to make tags with fake ID numbers either. I got in serious trouble for wearing an X5-494 tag. Everyone had one though and they started taking orders in robotic voices. I don’t think I’d ever laughed that hard before.”
There was something in Alec’s eyes and Logan just waited, took another sip from his mug, and knew that Alec wasn’t done yet.
“Yeah, maybe it’s not the coffee I like so much.”
“Sounds like a good memory to have.”
“One of the few from Manticore,” Alec admitted though Logan knew that small fact was hard for the other man to admit. Alec didn’t talk about it a lot and Logan tried not to press him on it.
“You gonna teach me the secret of your barista days?”
“Nah,” Alec said with a shake of his head as he turned to focus on the fire. “Can’t give up all my secrets or you won’t need me around anymore.”
Logan knew it revealed a lot about Alec, that one comment. Alec said it in jest, but Logan didn’t doubt for one second that Alec felt insecure about his place at the farm. Alec didn’t need to say anything but in moments the truth spilled out and there was no way for Logan to make Alec understand except to show him just how valuable he was. Words never really mattered to Alec. It was all about what was said and done.
Because of that, Logan answered the only way he could. “At least you’re good on the eyes. We’ll keep you for that if nothing else.”
Alec laughed and Logan smiled around the edge of his coffee mug, content to have made Alec smile again. “It really is good coffee.”
**
“You see the new request?”
Logan looked up from his desk to find Alec standing in the doorway, Mole walking past him.
“You know this is idiotic, right?” Mole asked as he took the seat across from Logan. Alec didn’t say anything but
watched Mole as he tried to talk to Logan. He was trying to talk some sense into the other man, but Alec knew better. He knew Logan had accepted the request as soon as he’d seen it.
“What part of it is idiotic?” Logan asked. For once Logan didn’t try to make eye contact with Alec, but kept his focus on Mole.
“Why are we taking in strays when we have enough trouble of our own?”
Logan gave Mole a half smile and Alec still had no idea what Logan thought was so amusing about the Transgenic. Mole was abrasive at the best of times and their move to the farm hadn’t improved his disposition any. He’d been happy enough to leave Terminal City but setting up a farm wasn’t his idea of a great time. He’d actually been the only member of the council to vote against the idea. He moved to the farm with the rest of them and he didn’t complain too much about it. That didn’t mean he was any less likely to complain about the rest of it though.
“We have food to share and we have the space.”
“And what do we get out of this?” Mole demanded.
“You get to keep my foot out of your ass,” Alec answered, not liking the way Mole addressed Logan. It was a point of contention between them and one Alec was never going to forgive. The beginnings of their community had been at gun point and back then Mole had hated the ordinaries; he wasn’t willing to see that any of them were on their side. Or maybe it was the joy he seemed to have gotten out of holding a gun to Alec’s chest when they’d been found out and had to hide out at Jam Pony. Either way there was still no love lost there and Alec didn’t like the way Mole talked to Logan.
“Alec, I got this,” Logan said with a shake of his head. He didn’t bother to try to stop the animosity between them anymore. In fact, Alec thought there was a touch of amusement in the slight upturn of the other man’s lips.
“Mole, we have good relations with the community from San Francisco. If they have a problem it’s in our best interest to help them out.”
“We don’t own them anything and it’s about time everyone remembered that.”
Alec rolled his eyes. Mole had been the first one to talk about going to ground but once Max had convinced him to stay as a unit, he’d become adamant about their strength. He felt the need to constantly remind everyone that they could do everything on their own without help. It was true, but it wasn’t always the easiest way. Before the move, they’d started an easy trade of information. With the closer distance, they were able to open up trade routes between the two - or they would once the farm produced enough to trade, which was the plan he and Logan had talked about - and they hoped to develop a strong relationship with their nearest Trans-human community neighbors. Mole knew all that, but he was just stirring trouble.
“They are asking for a favor to help a transgenic who can’t seem to find her footing in the city. They aren’t demanding anything of us.”
Mole stood up quickly and Alec instinctively pushed away from the door frame to get closer. Mole didn’t seem to notice but Logan’s eyes finally settled on Alec’s. There was no fear there. Logan wasn’t afraid of any one of them and he never had been. He might have taken a little time to get used to seeing some of the stranger variety of freak Manticore produced, but he never acted like he was afraid of them.
“We don’t need another mouth to feed,” Mole spit out.
“We do need more bodies here, or did you forget your request for more people to help work on the south field?” Logan asked as he stood up from behind the desk.
Alec knew why he was doing it but it would only rile Mole up more, to have Logan standing up to him like that.
“Everyone on the Tribunal had their say already. This matter is done.” Logan watched Mole for a moment before he sat back down at his desk, effectively dismissing Mole.
Mole’s lip twitched in anger and he snarled at Alec as he turned to walk past. “We don’t need anyone else.”
Alec caught him by the arm, holding him there until their eyes met. He was pissed and he let the other transgenic see it. Mole didn’t back off at Alec’s anger, but it gave him pause and that was all Alec needed. “We don’t turn transgenics away.”
It was the first rule of their community, an unwritten law that predated Alec’s involvement with them. It went back to Terminal City and knowing that there was no place else to turn to. If transgenics were turned away back then, it was a death sentence. Now, the rule still applied, no matter how safe people liked to think they were. Alec, with a bounty on his head, knew better.
Mole pulled his arm out of Alec’s grip and Alec let him go. He stormed out of the office and Alec walked to the doorframe, watching him disappear down the steps. He let his head fall back and just relaxed for a minute before looking back at Logan.
“So, a new cat lady? I don’t get along so well with them.”
Logan smiled. “I’m sure you can charm her, Alec. “
Alec nodded, but when he closed his eyes he could still see the tunnel like it was present day. The stench had been horrific but it had barely registered with Alec as he made his way through, his mind focused on the small detonating device that had been shot into the base of his neck by Ames White. The transgenic ahead of him had been a nomalie, a creature too animalistic to survive in the real world, something that should never have been let out of its cage. This one wasn’t supposed to be as wild, but her appearance gave people pause and apparently her attitude had adjusted to their treatment. She was brash, ungrateful, and pushed everyone’s buttons according to the information they’d been sent.
“Mole isn’t the only one unhappy about this though. There are more than a few people concerned about taking on a troublesome transgenic.”
Alec wasn’t saying it to stir up trouble, but it was the truth. The transgenics could be calmed easily enough but the humans among them were worried about a transgenic that wouldn’t respect their place in the community.
“I know. We’ll have to come up with something. Maybe a mentorship?” Logan suggested. “We’ll pair her up with Mole and make him keep an eye on her for us,” he said with a smile.
Alec laughed. “You sure she wouldn’t just corrupt him? He’s a nuisance as it is.” Alec cocked his head to the side and leaned over Logan’s desk. “You sure you don’t want me to just bury him on the back lot? He’d add nicely to the compost heap.”
Logan laughed then. “I’ll keep it in mind. Until then, don’t you have work to do?”
Alec shrugged. “I thought my job was hanging outside your door and looking pretty?”
“Well, you do it well enough it could be a calling.”
Alec decided it was one of those days though, where he needed to keep close. He had no doubt there would be another group of people coming to complain about the trouble, or something else, and it was better to just be there with Logan than to be sitting in his own office, worried about him.
Logan looked up from the paper he was looking at and shook his head. “Fine. If you’re going to be here, take a look at this.”
He handed the paper to Alec and shuffled around for a file. Alec looked at the estimates they’d come up with for the current crop and the needs of the community and leaned forward to start reviewing it.
It looked like Logan was putting him to work after all.
On to Part Three
Author: hunters_retreat
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 26,000+
Warnings: pre-story off-screen death of a secondary character, slash
Author's Notes:Thank you so much to the mod's for this amazing challenge! And all my love to my amazing artist sillie82!
Summary: Once upon a time, Logan Cale's life made sense. Maybe not to anyone else, but it did to him. That was before he'd ever heard of Manticore, or X-5's, and certainly before he found himself the head of the Trans-normal movement that had sparked after the explosive outing of transgenics in Terminal City. Two years of fighting for the cause had taken its toll though, and not just on Logan. Anti-trans groups put a price on their heads and none more so than for Alec McDowell.
Alec tried to act like none of it bothered him but Logan knew different. They were co-conspirators and stood shoulder to shoulder leading the movement. An offhanded comment has Logan thinking it's time for a change, for the movement and for himself. Will Logan's grand experiment - a self-sustaining farming community for humans and transgenics alike - give them the chance to make peace with the world or will it fail? Will it give Alec the chance to finally heal from his emotional scars that a life as a Manticore assassin left him? And will they both finally realize what they’ve been fighting for all along?
It wasn’t as easy as it sounded and they’d known it then, but the water and soil had come back as clean as they’d expected it to. The advantages of a system that was built on self-sustainability was just that: the ability to keep fairly well with little to no maintenance needed. Alec had gone out two weeks after they got the all clear from the lab tests and took a contingent of people with him to get started. They’d done an inventory on what was needed immediately, then decided to clean up the main house, start construction on the larger barns to make them into more livable structures, and work on the gardens.
Logan didn’t like letting Syl leave with the group but she had been assigned an undercover mission with an agricultural group in the past and she was the one with the hands on knowledge that would get the farm working. She and Alec could worked faster and longer than the others without tiring and Logan would worry about that if it weren’t for the fact that he knew Alec would make Syl follow the Trans-normal Movement guidelines for how long transgenics were allowed to work without a break. Logan had mentioned to her that she should make sure Alec did as well.
Syl was a good asset to have and she was one of the X-5’s that Max had escaped Manticore with when they were just ten years old. Alec never really liked being around the escapees and Logan had a good idea why. It wasn’t just that Ben had gotten him into trouble when he’d gone crazy, but something deeper. Logan didn’t know what PSY-OPS was, outside of a vague sense of it, but when Alec let the word drop around Max in the old days, she’d clam up and it ended whatever argument had crept up between them.
He knew it wasn’t good and that was enough to make Logan weary of putting Alec with an escapee but Alec claimed he was fine with Syl and he’d set about making sure they had everything they needed.
Now, looking at the front of the house, Logan couldn’t help but be impressed. The house needed a new coat of paint once they could get to that sort of thing, but the weeds and grasses around the house had been trimmed and cut. There was an herb garden in the front that had been worked on, and to the side of the house the two animal runs had been cleaned up. Large walkways were free of debris and Logan knew if he walked around the back the area closest to the house would be cleaned up as well.
The windows to the house were open and Logan could see sheer curtains in them, blowing with the breeze. A smile passes his lips at the thought of someone making Alec do the laundry and hang curtains, but he had to admit that seeing the main house ready and livable gave him more faith in the project than he’d had at first viewing. It made an impressive sight and he wasn’t sure who’d thought to make that a priority. Both Syl and Alec were trained to understand diplomacy and the advantages of the setting in negotiations so it could be either of them. Of course, it could just be Gemma who loved to decorate to make up for the lack of choice in her earlier life at Manticore.
“Almost there,” Logan heard a familiar voice call out. The men and woman that had come with him followed Logan around the side of the house and Logan smiled as Alec came into view. Beyond the porch that wrapped around the front of the house to the back, there was a large barbeque pit built into the side where a great number of people could gather for food when it was nice out. Past that was the fruit orchard.
Syl was on the ground, staring up into a plum tree. Alec was actually in the tree, bare chested and stretching up to try to reach to the highest branches. He could probably just jump to get it but he had become reticent to show that sort of ability in front of ordinaries. Logan wasn’t sure why, but it was on the growing list of things he needed to figure out about Alec McDowell.
The sun was hidden behind a cloud so he could make out Alec’s features without being blinded by the sun behind him. It was a pretty picture and it made Logan itch for a camera in a way that he hadn’t in years. After the admission to Alec when they’d first come out to the farm, Logan had felt the pull more and more. He had a good camera packed away actually, having decided he wanted to document the community in a new way. He had pictures of their first trip and he planned to get plenty more before it was all said and done.
“Will someone get the cat down out of the tree?” Mole called out from behind Logan.
Alec turned to see them there and Logan smiled brighter as their eyes met and Alec’s confused look turned to honest amusement. “That’s the best you got?” Alec asked as he turned back to the task at hand. A second later he dropped three plums down to Syl who caught each deftly before gently placing them in a bucket.
“What are you doing, Alec?” Logan asked as he walked closer.
“Figured we better collect some of this before it all started to go bad. There are a lot of animals living off the droppings but we’ve started collecting some of them and we figured if we had too much it was time to start storing up for winter anyway.”
Logan could kiss him for the subtle reminder to the small crowd that they couldn’t afford to waste anything. “Need some help?”
“We’ve got it,” Syl said with a grin. “Alec, why don’t you show Logan around up here while I take everyone to the barns?”
Alec frowned but it was superficial and Logan didn’t worry about it as Syl began leading people away. “Come on folks. The barns we’ll be sleeping in are just this way. I’ll point out what we’ve been doing and you can see what we still need to do.”
She walked off and Mole and the rest of the group that had come in with Logan followed her. “What exactly are you supposed to show me?”
Alec watched the others go, then looked up, made an impossible leap into the air to snatch a plum off the highest branch, and landed on his feet with a smile. He held a hand out to Logan who took the offered plum. “Apparently our plans to move the office into the main house have been partially disrupted. Not that I’m complaining because Mole snores loud enough to wake the dead, but I didn’t know they were doing it.”
“What did they do?”
“Come on in and I’ll show you,” Alec said, grabbing Logan’s duffle from where he’d dropped it. They walked around to the front of the house and Alec opened the front door, letting Logan in first.
His first impression was that the house was immaculate. It had been scrubbed clean and the furniture had either been cleaned and aired well or it had been completely replaced. No one would know that the room had recently held nothing but dust-covered furnishings. It was well lit with windows opening into the great room. The fireplace had a few new accessories; a hanging hook where a tea pot hung and it looked fresh scrubbed as well.
“Wow,” Logan said with a little awe.
“We divided into three teams. Syl took one group to start on the farming, I took one group for the farm buildings, and Gemma took one group for the main house.” Alec smiled at him over his shoulder as he moved towards the stairs that led to the four offices upstairs. “It’s easy to forget that Gemma used to be a drill sergeant. She reminded everyone lately.”
Logan laughed about that because he had actually forgotten about her training. She was good with people though and even better with young children. They’d talked about setting up a crèche system at some point so that all parents would be able to contribute to the farm and everyone would be able to contribute to the raising of the children. They said it took a village and Logan planned on giving every single member of their community the support of the village.
“She managed to get this place so clean?”
“She managed more.”
Alec trotted up the stairs then and Logan followed him, knowing there was nothing else to say. When he got to the top of the stairs he was surprised by what he saw. The two bedrooms that had been at the top of the stairs had the wall cut out and were now glass from waist level up. The wall that had separated them was gone, leaving only a temporary partition between the two rooms.
“A conference room?” Logan asked.
“Yep.”
Alec walked further down the hallway and opened up the next door. “The bedrooms were made into two separate offices, though they expanded a bit by knocking down more walls and using the storage closets that were up here.”
On the right was what had once been the master bedroom. They’d talked about making it into the conference room but apparently he’d been vetoed on that one. Alec opened the door and walked in, dropping Logan’s bag. “Home sweet home,” he said softly.
He was in a sitting room. That was the only words he could describe it as. A sitting room with a small reading library to one side. On the other side was a media library that was no doubt meant to appease Alec. The bathroom door was open and Logan could see the other changes then too. “Who lives here?”
“We do.”
“What?”
“Apparently, since we’re running this show, we need to be in the main house. I didn’t know they were doing this until it was already too late to stop it. Gemma had some good points though and Syl backed her up. The Tribunal gave their blessing before they left. But at least we’ve got some privacy up here from the group and we’re close by in case of emergencies.”
Logan took a deep breath as he walked further in, pushing open the door to one of the rooms. He knew without having to see the other that nothing had been moved into it either. Alec had been waiting for Logan to arrive to pick one.
“Which is mine?” Logan asked, wanting to give Alec the chance to choose.
“Figured you’d want the one closest to the books,” Alec said with a small smile as he crossed his arms over his chest.
What he didn’t say was that the one closest to the books was the back room and would be the one least likely to fall under any sort of damage if someone chose to attack the farm from the front. It would get the least light in the morning and would get the light better in the late afternoon when Logan would be more likely to try to relax.
“Sounds great,” Logan said. He’d learned not to turn down Alec’s offerings. Speaking of which, “these any good?” he asked as he held up the plum.
“Haven’t tried it yet. Syl seemed to think so.”
Logan brought the plum to his lips and took a bite. It was perfectly ripe and Logan had juice dribbling over his fingers quickly. He let out a little moan at the sweetness of it. Fresh fruit was a commodity that the cities were lacking. If they could get enough crops growing to support themselves, they’d make a nice little padding trading surplus to the cities.
“Is this heaven?” Logan asked with a grin.
Alec was suddenly in his space, his hand holding Logan’s as he brought the plum to his own mouth. He bit into the flesh of it, sucking at the juices before he licked his lips. “Maybe. Feels a little bit like Eden, all this fresh fruit and temptation, don’t ya think? Think the snakes will show up soon?”
Alec moved past quickly, taking Logan’s duffle with him, making his head spin at the suddenness of his movements.
Alright, so Logan was confused as hell by Alec most of the time. He knew he had Alec’s loyalty. They’d both earned that. This - thing - between them though was unlooked for and unwanted. It was also undeniable and no matter how many times Logan tried to push it down, it popped right back up. He could see Alec do the same thing, try to give himself space. It never lasted though. They worked together and fought together and they were so wrapped up in one another for so long now that Logan wasn’t sure he’d know what to do without Alec in the back of his head, whispering what the X-5 would do in any given situation.
He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat before he pushed away from the door frame and followed Alec into the other room.
The rooms had the same design with similar furnishings. Whereas the bed and table in Alec’s room had been a darker wood, Logan’s was cherry. At this time of day, there was plenty of light for Logan to see by and it would be late in the summer months before he’d have to use lights in his room.
“This is amazing,” he said softly.
“Yeah, Gemma really kicked them into gear. She and Syl worked together to get the front part of the house cleaned up. Most of the farming so far has been to gather what’s ripe, figure out how to store it, and learn how to make it last. A few plots have been cleared up as Syl wanted to try her hand at some seeds she’d found. We also got the first barn converted into sleeping quarters. We took the smallest one and then began working on the plans to reconstruct the other into actual rooms. It will be pretty Spartan but someone had the idea to do moveable walls so people could cohabitate without much trouble and that’s given us some interesting results.”
“You started already?”
“A few days ago. I’ll walk you down later today so you can see what we’ve got. Pretty sure lunch will be started soon and they’ll toss us out of here. Go get cleaned up, Logan. Rest for a minute, then I’ll walk you around. Everyone gets their first day off to get their bearings here, then you’re put to work. Take advantage of it.”
“Where are you gonna be?” Logan asked his friend.
“Taking advantage of the fact that everyone thinks we’re glued to the hip and getting a few extra Z’s in. Who the hell put the chicken coop so close to the house was insane. I’m gonna strangle the damn rooster if he keeps waking me up so damn early.”
Logan laughed as Alec walked out of the room. He couldn’t help but stare at the place Alec had just vacated. Finally he pulled himself together and began unpacking. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being that close to the center of things all the time, but Alec was right. Living here would give them a way to separate from the others without having to make people feel like they were walking away. It would give them a little peace of mind and they would be close to the offices at all times. Like when it was 4am and Logan needed a piece of information that was sitting on his desk.
He didn’t know for sure how it would all work out, but he knew Alec was at his side and that was what mattered. The dark smudges under his eyes weren’t gone, but they were better and Logan could see a little of the spirit Alec had always had beginning to show up again. If for nothing else, it was worth the experiment for those things.
**
“God, this is good coffee,” Logan said, sinking into the couch in front of the fire. The spring nights were chilly and the fireplace offered warmth and the feeling of comfort that he’d never appreciated before he’d moved out to the farm. Touchstone, as the community called itself, was coming together well and most of the people from TC had been moved out. Not all the barns had been converted to living quarters yet - some were still used for farm gear as well - but the first barn they’d used was being used as a staging area for the newer people at the farm and it worked well. It served as a sort of dorm living for the uninitiated and they were easy to round up in the mornings and to gather together at night to talk about the events of the day or what would be coming the next.
It was a good mix of people and Logan’s contacts with other mixed communities were impressed with their progress so far. It was still too new to say it was a success yet, but Logan was feeling genuinely optimistic about it all.
A snort warned him a second before he felt the press of a warm thigh against his own. He knew it was Alec sitting down beside him and he knew then why the young girl from the construction crew had vacated her seat and settled onto the chair on the other side of the large coffee table. Alec had his own mug in hand and he smiled smugly as Logan sipped his again, eyes half-lidded in pleasure.
“You made this, didn’t you?” Logan accused.
Alec’s smile widened as he looked towards the flames. He didn’t say anything and Logan would have scowled if it weren’t for the fact that the coffee was just that good. It had been a small miracle that Alec had been able to barter some old farming supplies they didn’t need for coffee beans; a miracle to Logan who loved coffee and had lamented the lack of it at Touchstone since they’d moved in.
There were close to a dozen people moving in and out of the common room and Logan felt happy for a moment. This was what he’d thought about when they first talked about creating an open community. It had never happened in Seattle and Logan still doubted that it ever could, but here it was working.
“I had a job,” Alec said softly. No one else could hear, not with the way Alec leaned closer, his lips practically brushing Logan’s ear as he spoke. “Just a way to get close to someone to plant some tech bugs, but the guy was a coffee addict. I worked for this little coffee shop for three weeks before he trusted me enough to ask me out. I wasn’t much of a coffee person honestly, but I loved the smell of it. It grew on me after I worked there but only if you make it right. I never found anyone else to make it this way.”
Logan turned to look at Alec. “You never turned down my coffee before.”
Alec smiled. “Yeah, well you paid a fortune for quality beans and you could tell. Most coffee available nowadays you have to really coax to get a good flavor from.”
Logan couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face. “Did they make you wear an apron with a name tag on it?”
Alec laughed. “Yeah, I hated the damn thing. Manticore didn’t find it funny when I convinced everyone to make tags with fake ID numbers either. I got in serious trouble for wearing an X5-494 tag. Everyone had one though and they started taking orders in robotic voices. I don’t think I’d ever laughed that hard before.”
There was something in Alec’s eyes and Logan just waited, took another sip from his mug, and knew that Alec wasn’t done yet.
“Yeah, maybe it’s not the coffee I like so much.”
“Sounds like a good memory to have.”
“One of the few from Manticore,” Alec admitted though Logan knew that small fact was hard for the other man to admit. Alec didn’t talk about it a lot and Logan tried not to press him on it.
“You gonna teach me the secret of your barista days?”
“Nah,” Alec said with a shake of his head as he turned to focus on the fire. “Can’t give up all my secrets or you won’t need me around anymore.”
Logan knew it revealed a lot about Alec, that one comment. Alec said it in jest, but Logan didn’t doubt for one second that Alec felt insecure about his place at the farm. Alec didn’t need to say anything but in moments the truth spilled out and there was no way for Logan to make Alec understand except to show him just how valuable he was. Words never really mattered to Alec. It was all about what was said and done.
Because of that, Logan answered the only way he could. “At least you’re good on the eyes. We’ll keep you for that if nothing else.”
Alec laughed and Logan smiled around the edge of his coffee mug, content to have made Alec smile again. “It really is good coffee.”
**
“You see the new request?”
Logan looked up from his desk to find Alec standing in the doorway, Mole walking past him.
“You know this is idiotic, right?” Mole asked as he took the seat across from Logan. Alec didn’t say anything but
watched Mole as he tried to talk to Logan. He was trying to talk some sense into the other man, but Alec knew better. He knew Logan had accepted the request as soon as he’d seen it.
“What part of it is idiotic?” Logan asked. For once Logan didn’t try to make eye contact with Alec, but kept his focus on Mole.
“Why are we taking in strays when we have enough trouble of our own?”
Logan gave Mole a half smile and Alec still had no idea what Logan thought was so amusing about the Transgenic. Mole was abrasive at the best of times and their move to the farm hadn’t improved his disposition any. He’d been happy enough to leave Terminal City but setting up a farm wasn’t his idea of a great time. He’d actually been the only member of the council to vote against the idea. He moved to the farm with the rest of them and he didn’t complain too much about it. That didn’t mean he was any less likely to complain about the rest of it though.
“We have food to share and we have the space.”
“And what do we get out of this?” Mole demanded.
“You get to keep my foot out of your ass,” Alec answered, not liking the way Mole addressed Logan. It was a point of contention between them and one Alec was never going to forgive. The beginnings of their community had been at gun point and back then Mole had hated the ordinaries; he wasn’t willing to see that any of them were on their side. Or maybe it was the joy he seemed to have gotten out of holding a gun to Alec’s chest when they’d been found out and had to hide out at Jam Pony. Either way there was still no love lost there and Alec didn’t like the way Mole talked to Logan.
“Alec, I got this,” Logan said with a shake of his head. He didn’t bother to try to stop the animosity between them anymore. In fact, Alec thought there was a touch of amusement in the slight upturn of the other man’s lips.
“Mole, we have good relations with the community from San Francisco. If they have a problem it’s in our best interest to help them out.”
“We don’t own them anything and it’s about time everyone remembered that.”
Alec rolled his eyes. Mole had been the first one to talk about going to ground but once Max had convinced him to stay as a unit, he’d become adamant about their strength. He felt the need to constantly remind everyone that they could do everything on their own without help. It was true, but it wasn’t always the easiest way. Before the move, they’d started an easy trade of information. With the closer distance, they were able to open up trade routes between the two - or they would once the farm produced enough to trade, which was the plan he and Logan had talked about - and they hoped to develop a strong relationship with their nearest Trans-human community neighbors. Mole knew all that, but he was just stirring trouble.
“They are asking for a favor to help a transgenic who can’t seem to find her footing in the city. They aren’t demanding anything of us.”
Mole stood up quickly and Alec instinctively pushed away from the door frame to get closer. Mole didn’t seem to notice but Logan’s eyes finally settled on Alec’s. There was no fear there. Logan wasn’t afraid of any one of them and he never had been. He might have taken a little time to get used to seeing some of the stranger variety of freak Manticore produced, but he never acted like he was afraid of them.
“We don’t need another mouth to feed,” Mole spit out.
“We do need more bodies here, or did you forget your request for more people to help work on the south field?” Logan asked as he stood up from behind the desk.
Alec knew why he was doing it but it would only rile Mole up more, to have Logan standing up to him like that.
“Everyone on the Tribunal had their say already. This matter is done.” Logan watched Mole for a moment before he sat back down at his desk, effectively dismissing Mole.
Mole’s lip twitched in anger and he snarled at Alec as he turned to walk past. “We don’t need anyone else.”
Alec caught him by the arm, holding him there until their eyes met. He was pissed and he let the other transgenic see it. Mole didn’t back off at Alec’s anger, but it gave him pause and that was all Alec needed. “We don’t turn transgenics away.”
It was the first rule of their community, an unwritten law that predated Alec’s involvement with them. It went back to Terminal City and knowing that there was no place else to turn to. If transgenics were turned away back then, it was a death sentence. Now, the rule still applied, no matter how safe people liked to think they were. Alec, with a bounty on his head, knew better.
Mole pulled his arm out of Alec’s grip and Alec let him go. He stormed out of the office and Alec walked to the doorframe, watching him disappear down the steps. He let his head fall back and just relaxed for a minute before looking back at Logan.
“So, a new cat lady? I don’t get along so well with them.”
Logan smiled. “I’m sure you can charm her, Alec. “
Alec nodded, but when he closed his eyes he could still see the tunnel like it was present day. The stench had been horrific but it had barely registered with Alec as he made his way through, his mind focused on the small detonating device that had been shot into the base of his neck by Ames White. The transgenic ahead of him had been a nomalie, a creature too animalistic to survive in the real world, something that should never have been let out of its cage. This one wasn’t supposed to be as wild, but her appearance gave people pause and apparently her attitude had adjusted to their treatment. She was brash, ungrateful, and pushed everyone’s buttons according to the information they’d been sent.
“Mole isn’t the only one unhappy about this though. There are more than a few people concerned about taking on a troublesome transgenic.”
Alec wasn’t saying it to stir up trouble, but it was the truth. The transgenics could be calmed easily enough but the humans among them were worried about a transgenic that wouldn’t respect their place in the community.
“I know. We’ll have to come up with something. Maybe a mentorship?” Logan suggested. “We’ll pair her up with Mole and make him keep an eye on her for us,” he said with a smile.
Alec laughed. “You sure she wouldn’t just corrupt him? He’s a nuisance as it is.” Alec cocked his head to the side and leaned over Logan’s desk. “You sure you don’t want me to just bury him on the back lot? He’d add nicely to the compost heap.”
Logan laughed then. “I’ll keep it in mind. Until then, don’t you have work to do?”
Alec shrugged. “I thought my job was hanging outside your door and looking pretty?”
“Well, you do it well enough it could be a calling.”
Alec decided it was one of those days though, where he needed to keep close. He had no doubt there would be another group of people coming to complain about the trouble, or something else, and it was better to just be there with Logan than to be sitting in his own office, worried about him.
Logan looked up from the paper he was looking at and shook his head. “Fine. If you’re going to be here, take a look at this.”
He handed the paper to Alec and shuffled around for a file. Alec looked at the estimates they’d come up with for the current crop and the needs of the community and leaned forward to start reviewing it.
It looked like Logan was putting him to work after all.
On to Part Three