Asha and Alec
by iluvaqt

Disclaimer: I don't have ownership of any of these characters. They belong to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee Productions and 20th Century Fox Studios. The story is not for sale or resale it is written solely for Dark Angel fans. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
Summary: VS3 Episode 3.08 "Brothers In Arms": Missing Alec/Asha scenes.
Rating: PG-13
Code: Short
Author's Notes: Also archived on the "Original Works" page at Virtual Dark Angel.

Alec kissed her deeply, running his fingers along her neck, behind her ears and into her hair. He shifted his weight on her slightly, not wanting to stifle her, and she moaned in protest.

"Alec?" Asha whispered huskily, her blue eyes searching his. They'd tried to progress down this road before. Each time, something had gotten in their way. First time around, neither of them had been sure, and when he'd offered her his number, she'd pretended to write it down…just to assure him that she'd save it for a rainy day. As their friendship progressed she'd left herself open to the idea of something more and when he'd blatantly propositioned her, she'd accepted And, not anticipating the effect the long walk and all the booze would have on her, she'd fallen asleep. One circumstance after another, it seemed; just as it had been for Max and Logan; it was never the right time. But this was now.

"I want this, Asha," Alec murmured into her hair before lifting his head to meet her gaze. "Maybe we both need this…"

Asha reached up and pulled him down again, kissing him and silencing him. Letting her tongue trace his lips before sweetly assaulting his mouth. "Not here." Pushing against his shoulders lightly, she slipped from under him and reached for his hand. Both standing, she led him to one of the spare bedrooms.

Alec kicked the door closed behind him and pulled her into his arms again. She was a tall woman, slender and well toned. Her short tussled hair enticed him to no end, not to mention her soft lips and smooth silky skin. Leaning forward he kissed her again, slowly pushing her back toward the bed.

Asha tugged off his jacket and lifted his sweater over his head before she let him lower her to the bed. He stood before her, bare-chested and magnificent. For a moment he looked uncertain and she reached for him, not wanting his withdrawal. Not now, not when she was there, half-ready to offer herself to him.

He leaned down, one leg between hers and came to lie beside her. He brought her hand and fingers to his lips, kissing them before leaning in to take her mouth again.

She didn't want it to end and painfully broke contact with him to pull her shirt off before looking at him again. She couldn't get enough of watching his eyes, trying to read their depths, loving the feeling of being watched by him.

Alec bent his head to kiss her flat stomach. He started at her navel and traveled upward, a trail of nibbles and bites that left a blazing trail across her already heated skin. He continued his sensual exploration of her body, till she cried and tugged his hair. Leaning up, he read her expression. Her eyes glazed and cheeks flushed, her breath coming fast. He kissed the tip of her nose and got up to remove her boots.

She sat up and helped him undress and he reached down and unfastened her jeans.

They had no light in the room, save the pale moonlight that peaked through the blackened windows. In the moonlight, her hair was a silvery blue and her eyes were crystal, shining with desire and longing. He lay on top of her, their breathing harmonized and they gently caressed each other's warmed skin.

They lay together, making love over and over, through the night. It was dawn, the first rays of the morning sun just beginning to peak through, when Alec first spoke.

"You're beautiful, Asha Barlow," he said, brushing the hair from her forehead.

She lay with her head resting on his chest, her arm across his waist, and her hand fingering his collarbone. Looking up at him, she responded shyly, "I bet all the girls hear that."

"No really, you've got more to offer than just a hollow shell, Asha."

She understood what he was trying to say and showed him her appreciation for his genuine compliments by kissing him on his chest. She had started an ascent and would have further reciprocated his generous ministrations, when he stopped her.

"Not that I don't enjoy it, but I would like to talk to you."

Asha flushed and looked away as he pulled her into his arms again. "Ah, what did you want to talk about?" She wasn't under any delusions that something more would come of their night together. There were too many complications to even to begin to make assumptions about where she might stand in his life.

"How 'bout how this unique and beautiful creature, Asha Barlow, became the reckless, self-sacrificing leader of the S1W?" He traced the soft plane of her back; relishing the involuntary shiver that chased his fingertips down her spine.

As the cold air finally touched her skin, she snuggled closer to his warmth and willed herself to think back to how it all began. "It was so long ago, I'm not sure if I can even remember just how or when it all started for me. My brother was always my mentor. I looked up to him for everything. He was the one who started the S1W, he and his friend Striker…"

"Striker's his name? The guy sounds like he could have Manticore origins," Alec teased.

Asha smiled grimly before continuing, "I have no idea, but after awhile things went bad in San Francisco. I lost Mike. For a while I didn't have any direction and I felt suffocated just by my being alive and being without him. Out of the blue, I just called Logan. We'd been friends as long as I could remember and unconsciously he gave me a purpose, a way out."

Alec knew it was more than just Eyes Only stuff that would have called Asha to Seattle. Knowing Logan was hurting, alone and lost, just as she was, would have been more than enough to get her packing. "Logan's one hell of a guy. You can always count on him. One in a million."

"Yeah, he is, I guess," Asha said carefully. She knew guys always seemed to size each other up and even though she knew her feelings could well be blatantly obvious, she realized that Logan would only ever be a friend. She wasn't sure why she thought Alec would need to hear it, but she told him anyway. "I'm grateful for everything he's done, and he'll always be a great friend, but nothing more."

"Yeah." Alec kissed her forehead and reached for his pants. "We better get moving. Gotta figure out a way to get back to Terminal City. Not to sound eager about it, but Max probably needs help keeping the tyrants under control."

He probably hadn't intentionally meant for his comment to push her away but it felt like it. She was just an ordinary, with no place in his life, no place in Terminal City or in the struggles he was facing. She'd opened up to him, but he hadn't reciprocated, he'd wanted her to talk without having to expose himself. Asha held the sheet to her body and sat up. "I'll call Father Destry, I think there's a way we can get you guys back and avoid the police."

"See what you can do. I think I'll go check on our hung-over, buddy." Alec smiled at her briefly before pulling on his sweater and heading for the door. "Thanks, Asha."

"No problem," she replied, non-committally. It was a regular reply that surfaced automatically. So that's what they were doing - providing an appreciated service. Sighing, she silently berated herself for having the stupid glimmer of a fantasy in her head. Getting out of bed and pulling on her clothes, she headed for the bathroom to have a quick shower. At least she could be grateful that their morning after hadn't been in the least bit awkward.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Seattle

A few hours later, Asha waited in the courtyard, for the men to appear. The large mobile soup kitchen was parked near the gate. Asha stacked a few of the boxes in the back and went around the passenger door and climbed in. She heard Alec and Logan talking outside and the heavy thump of more boxes being loaded into the back.

When Logan climbed in alone and pulled the side door shut, Asha swiveled around to talk to him.

"Everything okay?" she asked masking the concern in her voice.

"Yeah," said Logan, watching Alec walk away from them. "He'll catch up with us."

"You sure?" Asha asked, following his gaze and noticing Alec just as he took the corner.

"Not entirely," Logan admitted, as the van pulled away from the curb.

Asha sat back silent, remembering their conversation before it became more intimate and words were lost. "I'm dying in there." Her heart squeezed painfully, reliving her fear, ache and loss when she'd realized she'd lost her brother. Not hearing anything reassuring from Logan only confirmed her dreaded suspicion that his morning farewell had been a final one.

He'd squeezed her hand over the breakfast counter as she prepared to wash up. And before Logan and he left to do last minute jobs before heading back to Terminal City, he'd kissed her lightly. "Later."

She'd smiled and nodded, eyes flickering downward for a second, she hadn't noticed that he'd already disappeared from the kitchen.

A quiet street, Seattle

Alec trudged down the street, hat pulled low and eyes downcast. Hands shoved deep in his pockets, he tried to scrub her warm smile from his mind. He couldn't afford to keep falling down the well he'd stumbled into. She definitely couldn't afford it. The cost for both of them was too high. And what more could she hope to get out of it than sex? Grudgingly, he knew he was already beginning to crave more than that himself. He envied the companionship both Logan and Max had. Even Joshua and Gem seemed to have something going on. If he kept going he could count off more than one hand of all the couples who seemed happy and content. OC and Ginger, Dix and Cat, Sketchy, who finally won back Natalie…everyone but him. And Asha it seemed. He allowed a small smile to creep cross his lips. She certainly tasted divine and she couldn't kick his ass to next Tuesday if he pulled one of his wilder stunts…

Rounding another corner and disappearing down an alley, he started to whistle a cheerful tune. Perhaps things weren't looking so grim after all. He patted his pocket, feeling his cell phone there. He had her number, and after getting himself a new set of wheels, the future was looking a whole lot brighter.