Work Text:
NOW
“So that’s the plan,” Michael zooms in on the map on the tablet, their staging positions and approach marked in red. “What do you think?”
“I think,” Alex replies with a frown, “the plan would be better if I was a part of it.”
“Alex,” Michael starts to protest with a sigh; they’ve been over this.
“I know,” Alex interrupts. “Aliens only. I understand, but I don’t like it. But other than that, you need to change your approach. Come from this direction instead.” Alex points to the opposite side of the map from where Michael had marked.
Michael hands him a stylus and watches as Alex makes the adjustments he wants. “I’ll let Max and Isobel know.” He forwards them the updated map.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Alex takes Michael’s hands and squeezes them gently. “Jones underestimates you−all of you−but especially you, Michael. Use that to your advantage.”
“Yeah,” Michael nods, but his head is already spinning, thinking ahead to all the things that can go wrong, or right, depending on how you look at it.
“Hey,” Alex drops one of Michael’s hands to cup his face. “You’re coming home to me when this is all over. We defeated one evil father; we can do it again.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Michael admits. Alex frowns, but doesn’t say anything so he tries to explain. “We’re starting something good here, finally after all these years, but it’s just the beginning. I don’t want to lose it before we get to see what it becomes, before we even get to have our first date. I’m afraid beating Jones will end us before we get more than this, before I really get to love you like I want to.”
Alex’s frown deepens. “Why would it? I love you, Michael. Nothing is going to change that.”
“Jones fights dirty. Max can’t; he’ll probably challenge Jones to an honorable duel and be shocked when Jones double-crosses him. Dallas is a preacher, and Isobel is just learning to fight. If we get backed into a corner, I’ll have to be the one to take him out,” Michael explains. “How are you going to look at me if I have to kill my own father? Will you still love me then?”
“Of course I will,” Alex steps closer to Michael, still gripping one of his hands and stroking Michael’s cheek with his thumb, “I’ve killed for you, Michael, more than once. And I’ll do it again without hesitation. As long as you come back to me, I don’t care who you kill to get here.”
Alex reveals this simply, easily, like it’s something Michael already knows, like it’s part of who they are. It’s not a confession, but it should be, and all Michael can do is stand there and stare at Alex with his mouth open.
THEN
Greg stays as long as he can, but after the funeral he has to go back to the reservation, to his work and his life. So in the end, with Flint still in the hospital and Clay absent as always, Alex is left handling the aftermath of Jesse’s death. He throws out the uneaten casseroles, deals with the lawyer, puts the house on the market and tries to move on. Condolence cards keep coming, but he tosses them in a pile, unread, not interested in sympathy for a man who should have been killed years ago.
After a few weeks, Alex decides to just throw them out−fuck etiquette. But he notices one of the envelopes is sealed with a symbol he’s only seen in Project Shepherd files. He goes through the pile and finds another eight marked with the same symbol. All the cards are similar − condolences on Jesse’s death and an invitation to discuss the future of Project Shepherd. It’s not worded quite so obviously, but Alex knows how to read between the lines and recognizes the email addresses left as contacts as being part of the restricted server his father used.
He’s sure the cards are meant for Flint, but Flint is out of commission and Alex recognizes an opportunity when he sees one. He takes a few days to consider his options then sets up his own email address that looks like it comes from inside Project Shepherd, but it is more secure and completely untraceable. Alex sends the same email to all nine contacts:
Thank you for your condolences during this difficult time. The loss of our leader is disheartening, but our work is too important to abandon. With the advanced threats against us, modernization is our only hope. We should meet soon so all physical and digital files you possess can be turned over for security purposes. Centralization of data is imperative for your safety and the future of this project. If there is anyone else I should contact regarding our path forward, please include their contact information in your reply.
The responses are swift and tellingly similar. Everyone seems eager to hand their part in Project Shepherd over, and they universally state that while they know others are involved, their only contact has been with members of the Manes family. Alex breathes a sigh of relief knowing he can take his time, both developing his plan and carrying it out. His contacts’ ignorance of each other means word of what he is doing won’t reach any of them before he does.
Within two days, Alex has the name and address of every one of his anonymous contacts. He researches them while simultaneously setting up a series of untraceable emails and offshore bank accounts as well as purchasing several burner phones. After determining the most convoluted route between his destinations, he arranges for a series of cars with fake license plates he can pick up and drop off at off the grid locations. Hotel rooms with outdoor entrances conveniently outside surveillance range are secured. Everything is prepaid and able to be accessed electronically so he never has to interact with anyone who might have been able to identify him.
Based on his research, he arranges for the supplies he anticipates using, along with a few backup options, to be delivered to an anonymous drop off point near each destination. Two weeks after discovering Project Shepherd was less of a family business than he’d been led to believe, Alex boards a bus out of Roswell. He calls Greg to let him know he’ll be out of touch while taking care of the last of Jesse’s affairs. Once he’s out of Roswell, he sends a message to the alien group chat before turning off his phone. “Permanently shutting down Project Shepherd. Will be out of town and unreachable until it’s done.” It’s the last message he sends for almost a year.
Alex’s first stop is in Texas. Hal Stevenson is cold and brusque. They meet in a diner during the lunch rush so no one has time to give them more than a passing glance. He hands Alex a small stack of files and tells him to let him know when the “scourge” has finally been wiped out. They part ways with nothing more than a nod, and Stevenson leaves completely unaware of the undetectable drug he ingested designed to induce a fatal heart attack within twelve hours.
Back in his hotel room, Alex monitors local dispatch radio traffic while tying up any loose ends. He was careful not to leave any fingerprints behind, and his hat and sunglasses would make it difficult for anyone at the diner to identify him. The diner itself doesn’t have any security cameras, but Alex confirms all security cameras in the immediate area are playing a loop that began three days before the meeting and will continue for another three days after. An older man dying of a heart attack shouldn’t warrant an investigation, but Alex can’t take any chances.
Eight hours later, an ambulance is called to Stevenson’s residence. He listens long enough to hear confirmation that the victim was unable to be resuscitated before packing up his room. Alex heads to Michigan, changing cars and picking up supplies three times along the way.
With his first successful mission behind him, Alex develops a routine. He arrives a few days before the scheduled meeting to conduct surveillance on both his contact and the meeting place. Public security cameras are put on a one week loop, and if the meeting will be a residence, home security systems are even easier to hack. Alex just redirects the cameras enough to make sure he won’t be captured on film. While he waits for confirmation of death or discovery of the body depending on his method, he reviews the information he gathers from each victim. Any medical files are sent to Kyle from one of his secure email addresses with multiple encryptions on the attachments. Anything nonmedical, he flags for further review so he can do a thorough analysis once he has all the files. Once this is all over, and he knows the full scope of Project Shepherd, he can share the information with everyone else.
By the time he returns to Roswell, he leaves two more heart attacks and a stroke in his wake. Delayed medical deaths through undetectable drugs are the easiest and cleanest methods of killing, but sometimes a more personal touch is needed.
Anthony Warrick is an idiot. Despite his well known, deadly bee allergy, he sets up his meeting with Alex in a deserted area of a nature preserve. The day before their meeting, Alex swaps his EpiPen with a defective one. Then he sits on a bench and nods along while Warrick rambles about the merits of extermination. He never notices Alex carefully disrupting the ground in front of him just enough to cause him to stumble when he stands up to leave.
Alex catches his arm to steady him, using a needle too small for him to feel to inject him with bee venom. The venom is encapsulated in a benign substance engineered to dissolve in approximately two minutes. That gives Alex enough time to depart and watch from a discreet distance as the venom takes effect and Warrick tries to use the defective EpiPen. He doesn’t even have time to call for help, not that there is anyone to hear him thanks to the secluded location he chose.
Warrick provided Alex with a crate full of files he spends two days reading through before leaving for his next destination. Marcus Hodge is a pompous ass. Alex meets him at his house where he promptly insists Alex follow him to the pool. He hands Alex a drink he didn’t ask for and has no intention of drinking while he struts around the pool chomping on a cigar. Hodge wants to know what Alex’s plans are in regards to studying alien powers.
“We need to find a way to weaponize them,” he proposes. “Take advantage of their powers and finally make our own super soldiers.”
Alex rolls his eyes as he knocks him unconscious. He takes his time studying the pool area, deciding he might as well have that drink after all, dumping the drink Warrick poured for him and replacing it with something more to his taste. Eventually he determines the best place to stage an accident. He slams Warrick’s head against the pool deck and rolls his body, cigar and all, into the water. Alex watches him sink and then drown before departing, glass in hand to be sanitized and disposed of at his next location.
After Warrick, Alex decides to take a few months off. He meets up with Forrest in Nebraska and then again in Connecticut. In between he finds three abandoned Project Shepherd locations and clears them out. He takes another two months to go through all the information he collects, although he never stays in the same location for more than a week. Kyle receives several more emails with medical information and Alex can’t help but wonder how frustrated he is by his inability to reply to the emails. He’s sure Kyle has questions−he knows they all do−but Alex needs to stay focused on the mission and not what is happening in Roswell.
He regrets the break once he arrives in Maryland and meets with Chester Mayfield. Alex makes his first and only mistake, and he blames it on the time he took to focus on gathering information rather than eliminating threats.
Mayfield isn’t old enough to have been around at the start of Project Shepherd, but he’s quite a bit older than Jesse. He’s not content to hand over his files to Alex, instead insisting on reviewing them in his study, reminiscing about his role as a supervisor of the team carrying out experiments. Despite everything he’s seen so far, Alex finds his pictures particularly nauseating, and he’s already on edge by the time Mayfield starts asking about Alex’s plans for a new facility.
“Your grandfather kept a special room, you can see it here,” he points to a series of photographs Alex plans to burn as soon as possible. There’s nothing to be gained from studying them, and he can only be grateful Nora doesn’t appear in any of them.
“Jesse shut down, said it was beneath us to be consorting with their kind, but I just think he didn’t have the stomach for it,” he laughs like it’s a joke. “You, on the other hand, look like a Manes after your grandfather’s heart. You capture any females, give me a call and I’ll come and test them out. Hell, if I get the right drugs from the doc, I’ll take your males for a ride, too.”
Alex snaps his neck without even thinking about it. He lets go, takes in Mayfield’s still open eyes and wishes he’d taken the time to make him suffer. Still, this is one of the few scenarios Alex didn’t plan for. He doesn’t allow himself to panic, just gathers up all of Mayfield’s files and wipes down the study.
Research settles Alex’s nerves, and it doesn’t take long on the dark web to determine exactly what injuries he needs to inflict to make it look like Mayfield was still alive when he fell down the stairs. Alex knocks his head and hip against a series of steps and scrapes the nails of his right hand down the banister. He takes particular satisfaction in breaking his wrist−the crunch of bones still satisfying even though Mayfield can’t feel it.
He waits four days for someone to discover the body. He’s glad there was no one in Mayfield’s life to miss him, hopes he was lonely. Alex leaves Maryland with files he’ll never share, a bag of ash to dispose of later and no regrets.
Alex isn’t without compassion. When Allen Lude looks at him with tired eyes and asks if the aliens Alex is hunting have hurt anyone, Alex shakes his head.
“Then can’t we just let it go?” Allen asks. “Do they need to suffer just for existing?”
Alex’s smile is genuine for the first time since he left Roswell. He slips a drug into Allen’s drink that will erase his memories of the last two days and thanks him for his time and the records he turned over to Alex. When he gets back to his hotel, Alex sends him a backdated email that will appear in his inbox marked as read along with a confirmation of delivery from a courier service. Alex confirms he received the files and tells him since they both agree Project Shepherd has outlived its usefulness there is no reason for them to meet in person.
Victoria Reyes reminds Alex of his father. She has the same fanatical superiority complex, the same drive to prove that a lack of humanity makes aliens monsters. Like Jesse, she also chafes at the continued secrecy. She demands Alex expose aliens for the danger they pose.
“There must be a public reckoning,” Reyes insists. “Find them all, their descendants, their descendants’ descendants and eliminate them without compassion. Anyone with a drop of alien blood must be purged without exception. Then make sure the world understands what horrors we saved them from through our decades of hard work and sacrifice.”
Alex knows she had a family once before her cruelty and alcoholism drove them away. She downs three drinks in the ten minutes he spends with her, making subduing her easy. Alex arranges Reyes’ body on the couch, half-filled glass and phone within arm’s reach. An injection increases her blood alcohol content to a level that would leave her unconscious for hours. He opens a few windows in the house which causes a curtain to blow into a candle, starting a fire. The control he has over her security system allows him to prevent the fire alarm from triggering until he can be sure smoke inhalation will kill her before the fire can be put out.
He drives off with her two dogs before allowing the fire department to be alerted. By the time the fire is extinguished, he’s deactivated their microchips. As tempted as he is to keep them, Alex knows it’s not worth the risk−no matter how small−so he drops them off at a no-kill shelter five states away. Mission finally complete, almost eleven months after he left, Alex criss-crosses the country again, taking three weeks to make it back to Roswell, Michael’s safety assured.
NOW
Michael stares at Alex, trying to process what he said. Alex has killed for him. He can’t mean the Air Force so what is he referring to?
“When?” he finally croaks out.
Alex looks confused, dropping Michael’s hand and taking a few steps back. “What did you think I meant when I said I spent the last year cleaning up my father’s mess?”
“The files you sent Kyle, the information you went over with all of us, the spreadsheets,” Michael throws his hands in the air. Alex had been very thorough when reviewing all the information he found; Michael never imagined there could be more to it than that.
“That was part of it, but not the most important part. There were still people out there who knew about Project Shepherd that were threats to you, to your family. I couldn’t leave them out there.”
“How many?” Michael asks.
“Eight.” Alex stands up straighter, hands clasped behind his back, and meets Michael’s eyes. Michael knows that posture, knows Alex is bracing himself for a blow. “Does that change anything for you?” Alex asks.
Michael doesn’t answer right away. He knows if he answers too quickly, Alex won’t believe him, so he lets what Alex told him sink in. Alex spent a year hunting down people who threatened Michael, killing them before he could be hurt. Maybe that discovery shouldn’t fill him with warmth, but it does. No one has ever made his safety and future a priority. No one but Alex.
“I love you.” It comes out raw. It’s not enough, but he doesn’t know what else to say. “I love you so fucking much.” Michael pushes Alex up against the wall and kisses him. He bites at Alex’s lip, the kiss hard and bruising.
“Deep Sky?” Michael asks when they pull apart, suddenly remembering what Alex said about joining Deep Sky to protect him.
Alex shakes his head. “There’s no threat to you at Deep Sky. I made sure of it. If one develops, I will take care of it.” It’s a vow and a promise. Alex cradles Michael’s face in his hands and presses their foreheads together. “No one will hunt you again. You will never be captured, never be an experiment. Not as long as I live.”
“Alex,” Michael breathes, stunned by the conviction in Alex’s voice. Michael knows he doesn’t deserve the naked devotion in Alex’s eyes, but now that he has it, he’ll never be able to live without it. It fills the holes in his soul he swore were permanent, heals them in ways he never dreamed possible. He drops to his knees, the only way he knows to show Alex what his protection means to him.
He undoes Alex’s pants, pulling them along with his underwear down past his knees. Alex isn’t hard, but Michael takes him into his mouth, holding him on his tongue, sucking gently. He strokes Alex’s thighs before cupping his balls and squeezing lightly.
Alex starts to harden in his mouth. Michael takes a deep breath and tilts his head up so he can see Alex’s face. He taps Alex’s hip to get his attention, to make him watch as Michael’s mouth stretches around his cock. Michael brings Alex’s hand to his face, guiding his fingers to trace over his lips so Alex can feel how wet they are against the heat of his cock, can feel how they tighten when Michael swallows.
When Alex grips his hair and starts to fuck into Michael’s mouth, he wants to close his eyes and lose himself in the feeling of being filled, of breathing around Alex’s cock. But he forces his eyes to remain open so Alex can see the tears in them as he takes Alex as deep as he can, so Alex can see his own devotion reflected in Michael’s eyes.
Alex’s hand tightens in his hair and his thrusts become quicker and more erratic, letting Michael know he’s close. Michael fumbles with his pants and barely gets his own cock out before Alex comes down his throat. Michael comes with a high pitched whine as he swallows the last of Alex’s release.
Michael stands on unsteady legs, buttoning his own pants before gently tucking Alex back into his underwear and refastening his pants. Alex pulls him in for a kiss, greedily licking his come from Michael’s mouth.
Michael hears his phone ring behind him and knows his time is up. “I’ll come back to you, I promise.”
Alex doesn’t say anything, just brings Michael’s hands to his lips for one last kiss. He holds on as Michael backs away, his fingers slowly sliding from Alex’s grip.
“I promise,” Michael repeats again before forcing himself to turn away.
When Michael regains consciousness in the bunker, his first thought is relief. Jones hasn’t killed him which means he wants something from Michael. That gives him time to keep his promise to Alex, to find a way out of this mess so they can regroup.
Jones seems content to take his time with Michael, an endless string of taunts and insults falling from his lips. But Michael realizes he’s stalling for time, trying to regain his strength. He struggles to keep his focus, to not fall into Jones’ trap by defending his mother and letting Jones distract him. Alex is waiting, and Michael won’t let him down.
Taking Jones' sword away gives him a boost of confidence. With it out of the bunker, there’s one less weapon Jones has at his disposal. He blocks Jones’ path to the ladder, “You want your sword? You’re gonna have to go through me.”
Jones looks momentarily frustrated, but then he laughs. “You think I need a sword to bend you to my will? You have a lot to learn.”
Michael slams into the ladder, held upright by the force of Jones’ powers. Jones wraps one hand around Michael’s neck, squeezing tightly. Between the pressure on his chest and Jones’ hand around his throat, Michael struggles to breathe, black dots swimming in front of his eyes.
“Not so tough now, are you?” Jones taunts. “You can put your energy into trying to breathe and staying alive or you can keep me out of your mind. But you can’t do both.”
Michael feels Jones press his other hand against his head, feels it grow warm. He tries to keep his mind blank, but Jones is right, all his focus is on fighting to breathe. He can’t control his thoughts, and as Jones invades his mind, his head is filled with Alex−always Alex.
“So you do love someone as much as you love Nora,” Jones eases his hold enough on Michael’s throat that he can take a full breath. His vision clears and he sees the satisfied smirk on Jones’ face.
“And he’s got a toy I want. Looks like it’s time for your boyfriend to meet the parents.” Jones releases Michael, and when he falls to the floor, he moves to step around him.
“No,” Michael shouts, forcing himself to his feet and into Jones’ path. “You won’t touch him.”
“Try and stop me,” Jones laughs.
Jones’ sword is in Michael’s hand before he even realizes he called for it. He doesn’t give Jones time to react, just slits his throat before he can say another word. Jones’ eyes widen momentarily in shock before he hits the ground at Michael’s feet.
He hears Alex’s voice in his head, ‘without hesitation,’ and he understands. Michael drops the sword and steps over Jones to climb the ladder. Once he reaches the surface, he calls Liz.
“Come to my bunker to get what you need from Jones’ body,” he says as soon as she picks up.
“Michael, I wanted him alive,” she protests and begins muttering angrily in Spanish.
“He threatened Alex,” Michael cuts her off. “I didn’t have a choice. Figure it out.”
He ends the call before she can respond. He knows Liz, knows she has backup plans for her backup plans. Killing Jones wasn’t the ideal situation, but she can make it work.
He calls Alex next.
“Michael, where are you? Are you alright?” Alex rushes the words out before Michael can speak.
“I’m fine, and I’m on my way home − your house,” he corrects. “Can you meet me there?”
“I’m leaving right now. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m fine, Alex. I kept my promise,” Michael adds, knowing Alex will understand what he isn’t saying.
“Thank you,” Alex breathes out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you in a few.”
Michael gets to the house first, lets himself in and paces the living room waiting for Alex.
When Alex gets home, he flings the door open, slamming it behind him and sweeping Michael into a tight hug. “I was so worried,” he says into Michael’s neck. “We didn’t know where Jones took you or what he was planning to do to you.”
Michael runs his hand along the back of Alex’s head, nudging him to lift his face so he can see him. “He took me to my bunker. He wanted information about the Lockhart Machine, spewed a bunch of his normal bullshit. But then he threatened you, and I,” Michael makes sure Alex is looking at him before he continues, “I slit his throat and left his body there on the floor.”
“For me?” Alex asks, stroking Michael’s cheek with a trembling hand.
“Only for you, Alex,” Michael turns and kisses Alex’s palm. “I was never going to let him close enough to hurt you.”
“Thank you for keeping me safe,” Alex kisses him again. “I’m proud of you.”
Michael leans into him for a moment before pulling back. He starts pacing again, too restless to stand still.
“You’re shaking,” Alex frowns at him. “Are you sure you’re ok?”
“I’m fine, it's just,” before Michael can think of a way to explain, they hear a noise and both turn toward it. “Damn it,” Michael swears when he sees everything on Alex’s mantle is rattling.
Alex visibly relaxes. “It’s just the adrenaline,” he reassures Michael. “Start the fire.”
“What?”
“Start the fire,” Alex repeats.
Michael shrugs and flicks the grate open with his mind. He throws an unnecessarily large fireball into the fireplace and watches the flames soar. Everything on the mantle stills, and he feels a little calmer.
“Better?” Alex asks.
“A little. You got another ten of those I can light?” Michael asks, only half joking. He still has too much energy humming through his veins.
“No, but I have something better. Lock up and follow me.”
It only takes Michael a few minutes to secure the house, but when he gets to the bedroom, Alex is already naked and stretched out on the bed.
“Fuck me,” Alex throws a bottle of lube at him.
Michael catches it and stands there, staring.
“Michael,” Alex’s voice is firm, commanding Michael’s attention. “Fuck me; take your clothes off and fuck me.”
“Yeah,” Michael finally moves. He drops the lube back onto the bed and strips as quickly as he can, hands shaking again. He takes a deep breath and tries to settle his pounding heart, but he just knows he needs to move, and he doesn’t know where to start.
Alex grabs his hand and pulls him between his legs. He bends his knees and spreads his legs wide, letting Michael see that he is already hard.
“Don't be gentle or take your time,” Alex demands. “I want to feel how strong you are. All that power you feel right now, I want you to give it to me.”
Michael cuts him off with a kiss, fumbling with the lube until he gets it open, pouring it over his hands and Alex’s cock, not caring about the mess. He presses two fingers into Alex, smiling when Alex hisses, “Yes, like that,” against lips.
Two fingers become three, Michael thrusts them deep, twisting and stretching as Alex demands more. As soon as he’s sure he won’t actually hurt Alex, he pulls his fingers out and replaces them with his cock. Alex lifts his hips and wraps a leg around Michael’s back, pulling him in as deep as he can.
Michael closes his eyes, letting the feeling of being buried in Alex, surrounded by him, overwhelm him.
“Hey,” Alex pinches his nipple to get his attention. “Look at me. You killed for me, to protect me. I want you to see how much I love you, how much it means to me. See how much I want you, and let go.”
Michael sees the love and determination in Alex’s eyes and knows he doesn’t have to hold back. He pounds into Alex, fucks him as hard as he can, never looking away from Alex’s eyes. He lets the words that fall from Alex’s lips−encouragement, demands, curses−wash over him as he chases his own pleasure. He hears Alex shout, feels him come, but he doesn’t stop.
When he can’t take anymore, he kisses Alex hard, biting his lip as he shudders through his own climax, pleasure more intense than anything he’s ever felt before. He collapses on Alex's chest, finally spent. Alex strokes his back, and Michael eventually rolls onto his side.
Michael carefully removes Alex’s prosthetic and sets it next to the bed. He peels away the liner, kissing the skin he reveals as he tosses the liner aside.
“Come here,” Alex urges, so Michael moves to straddle his hips.
“That was, wow,” Michael rolls his shoulders and smiles at Alex.
“Best way to come down,” Alex agrees.
Michael realizes suddenly that Alex did this alone. He didn’t have anyone to thank him or help him past the adrenaline high. Michael should have been there. He should have been by Alex’s side, rewarding him for his protection, washing the blood from his hands and holding him through the night.
“I’m sorry you were alone,” he says. “I wish I’d been there with you.”
“You’re here now, that’s what matters,” Alex tells him. Alex’s eyes sweep over his body and Michael can tell he’s still hungry. “After we shower, I’ll tell you about the first man I killed for you.”
But Alex isn’t the only one who’s still hungry, and Michael’s desire flares to life again as he imagines offering his body to Alex for his own release.. He sees a drop of blood on Alex’s lip from when he bit him. Michael swipes it off with his finger, makes sure Alex sees the blood on it before bringing it toward his mouth then he sucks the blood off his finger, moaning as he swallows. Alex’s eyes darken and Michael feels his cock twitch against his ass. “Tell me now,” Michael demands with a wicked smile.