Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Two: Hole In The Wall

"Max.....seriously? You're the thief everyone's complaining about outside our home? They made it sound as if it was a grown man that they caught. Not a scrawny bean like you."

Alec stood in the cells with his arms crossed over his chest. The way the people went on with in the community, they made it sound like some badass, brave soul from outside the gates managed to break in and steal a few things. He didn't expect it to be his little brother. Skinny, small Max.

"They had pudding! You know how long it's been since I last had pudding, Alec?!" Max wiped his nose in the sleeve of his shirt. "When I was younger I used to eat it all the time."

"By younger you mean last week?" Alec chuckled as Max glared at him. "Come on. Get up. I'm breaking you out of prison. We'll change our identities and dye our hair so no one will recognize us."

Max giggled. "Really? You're breaking me out?"

"Of course. You're only 9, Max. You shouldn't even be in here." Alec grabbed the keys that hung by the door and opened the cell. Max raced out and wrapped his arms around Alec's waist in a tight hug. "Easy there, little man. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you or anything?"

"No," Max shook his head. "But Victor said if he caught me stealing again he's gonna hang me by the ears from a tree."

Alec felt his blood boil. "I won't let that happen to you, bud. Just promise me you'll ask permission for some food first next time, okay?"

Max saluted him. "Roger that! I'm gonna go play with the other kids now. Jace found baseball gear in one of the houses and said we could have it."

Alec smiled down at him. "Nice. I bet you liked that." He watched as Max raced off towards the large empty field. "No stealing! I mean it, Maxwell!"

After leaving the cells, he had every intention of finding Aldertree and give him a piece of his mind but the need to sleep overpowered him. A shower sounded nice too....then sleep. Maybe sleep in the shower.

Alicante had running water, but it was very limited. They managed to schedule each household with a shower for certain days of the week, making the water last a little longer. They weren't allowed to go over the allotted time given (two minutes was the time limit). So everyone pretty much had to wash and get out. No screwing around.

"Did you talk to the little thief?" Victor sang out from the courthouse where they held their town meetings.

Alec glanced up in Victor's general direction as he walked past. Victor was leaned against one of the columns with a cigarette in his mouth. As much as he wanted to punch Aldertree in the face, he couldn't risk being in the cells for a night. He had a family to take care of. "Yes. He's off playing baseball with the other kids. He promised he won't steal ever again."

Victor laughed harshly. "That's the exact same thing he said to me. If it were up to me, I'd leave him in solitary for a few days. Maybe that would scare him straight."

Alec couldn't take it anymore. He turned abruptly and stomped up the path to the courthouse with an anger raging inside him, and Victor knew he was mad. He'd backed away when Alec charged towards him in pure horror.

"Talk about my brother like that again and I'll kill you. I won't even hesitate," he growled. Victor wasn't that much shorter than him, but with the way Aldertree cowered away, he felt like a giant.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I swear. Just don't hurt me," Victor whined.

Alec almost laughed. Victor was known for being all talk but no game. He could convince anyone into doing his own dirty work but once it came down to doing something himself, he was pretty much useless.