Author's Note:
This is my first attempt at a Maximum Ride fanfic. I'm absolutely in love with the flock, so I thought I'd put my own spin on what happens AFTER the third book. That means, MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS for those of you that haven't read #3. Go buy it. Read it. THEN read this fic.
For those of you that HAVE read #3, ENJOY, and review please! I'm trying to decide wether or not to continute it (so the title can make sense, hehe), so if you like it, REVIEW!
Thanks so much for reading.
Oh, and the disclaimer, of course. I DO NOT own Maximum Ride, nor the characters. Sadly. I just love them.

Maximum Ride: Fame, Fortune, and...Feathers?!
By HurricaneWriter

The flock and I were finally back together. Tempting as it was to stay in Arizona with my – get this – MOM (it just feels so darn weird to say), and my long lost half-sister Ella, I knew it wasn't truly where I belonged. I'm Maximum Ride. Built to save the world, and all that, right?…Oh, yeah, I've already taken care of that. Well, who's to say it won't need saving again? The way things are looking now, we can pretty much say it will need saving again. But I wasn't going to worry about that yet. I had bigger things to ponder. Like, why Fang was staring at me right now, for example.

I looked up at him from my lofty branch of the giant fir tree we were resting in, and balanced my elbows on my knees. I squinted to see him as my eyes adjusted in the dark. We were somewhere around the Texas border, still trying to decide where to go.

"I would tell you to 'take a picture, it lasts longer', but that's getting sort of cliché, don't you think?" I asked him.

He shook his head briefly, like he was trying to re-focus. "What?"

"Never mind," I said, pulling my hair, which was clean for the first time in forever, out of my face. I really needed a haircut.

The younger kids, Iggy, and Total were all asleep in some of the lower branches. Well, when I say lower, I mean lower than Fang and me. There weren't any "low" branches on these trees. We were finally not running from anything, or so we thought. I'd forgotten how it felt just to hang out in a tree for the fun of it. Wait, had I ever hung out in a tree for the fun of it?

I swallowed, wondering how long it was going to take Fang to start talking. This was our first time to be truly alone since…well…since he had kissed me. Actually, to be technical, our first time alone without being completely freaking ticked at each other.

"You know, I never realized how hard it is…" Fang started, swinging the leg he was dangling over his branch. "Being the leader, I mean."

Well. Interesting choice of conversation. What was he doing, admitting weakness? That was so not a Fang move. "Not as easy as I make it look, is it?" I quipped, a faint smile appearing on my face.

"I didn't say you made it look easy," he teased, giving me one of his "close-to-a-smile-as-I'm-gonna-get" looks. "But, really. It's a lot of pressure. It's like, you have so much depending on you. Everything riding on your shoulders. It was really different for me."

"Tell me something I don't know," I winced, glancing down at the rest of my sleeping flock below me. Total was snoring on Iggy's stomach, and Nudge and Angel were both leaning against the tree trunk close together. The Gasman was a couple branches over from the girls, hugging another limb. I watched the steady rise and fall of their chests for another moment. I was so thankful we were here. Together.

Fang and I sank into companionable silence, and I closed my eyes. I considered everything I'd been through in the last couple of days. Dr. Martinez, the one person who I would have picked out of the billions to be my mom, WAS my mom. Since when do I get what I want? I chuckled a little. That was sort of funny.

Jeb was my father. That was a new development. Just like I'd wished for before he turned into my worst nightmare. I remembered the way we fought together at the Itex headquarters in Germany. I remembered the sorrowful expression that sent daggers through my heart when he realized his son had just "expired", and my throat tightened. I remembered the moment when I had found out that he was my Voice. Did I still love Jeb, after everything he had put me through? I shook my head, and then rubbed my temples. Slow down, Max. Get a grip.

My brain was on hyper-drive for a while, recalling everything. Then, for once, the knot in my throat loosened. I felt like I could relax. I took a deep breath in, and seriously considered doing an up-and-away. I needed to fly; I would never be able to fall asleep. It was Fang's watch. (What do we need a lookout for anyway? We're free! I guess old habits die hard.) I looked up at Fang again, and realized he was typing on his laptop. I stood, got my footing on one of the other branches, and then pulled myself up beside him.

"Did you tell the kids we said 'thanks'?" I asked, suddenly genuinely curious about all those kids who had helped us stop Itex.

"Yep. You wouldn't believe it. There are all kids of stories they're posting, places they went…" he informed me solemnly. "I don't think we've been giving normal human kids enough credit."

"You mean, you don't think I have been giving them enough credit," I corrected. "Macho Max. You are the one who believed in them in the first place."

Fang bit his lip as he thumbed the trackball. "Well, when you put it that way."

I laughed, tilting the computer screen back so I could see better. I noticed he was no longer surfing the blog. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he was quick to say, leaning the screen back to his liking.

"Come on," I told him, folding my arms. "Got a cyber-girlfriend or something?"

He looked over at me, his dark eyes staring directly into my own. "Something like that."

"You've got to be kidding," I said seriously, my heart skipping a beat, moving the screen back and holding it in place. "What kind of –…" I stopped short. On the screen was a word document. It seemed to be a short free-verse…poem…

Her hair flows behind her in the wind
The sun sending a dazzling array of light shining throughout.
I know her smile could light the darkest of places
I couldn't live without her at my side.
Her eyes are closed, as she takes in the chilly air.
I know beneath her beautiful exterior, she is fierce.
Strong and intelligent, graceful and loyal. More so than I can fathom.
My best friend, my one and only, the Maximum Ride.

I swallowed hard. Oh. He looked at me, the closest thing I've ever seen him to blushing. I was almost afraid to look back, but I allowed myself to lock eyes with him.

"Quite the writer, aren't you?" I whispered. Way to go, Max. Would it kill me to be a little sentimental every now and then? "Our very own Shakespeare. James Patterson reborn-…"

"Max," he stopped me. He reached over and brushed my hair out of my eyes, my forehead tingling where his fingers had grazed it.

"What?" I asked stupidly, inwardly kicking myself. Why did I have to be so dang stubborn? Well, what I was I supposed to say?

Fang closed the laptop and put it in his backpack, swooping down to where Iggy was sleeping, and gently woke him. "Your watch," he mumbled, handing him the backpack. "Max and I are gonna fly around a little, okay?"

Iggy nodded, sitting up and pushing Total into a more comfortable position. "Got it."

Fang came back up to the branch where I was sitting, probably looking quite shell-shocked. "Come on."

I stood, unfolding my wings carefully. Well, this was very odd for me. I was pretty much speechless. There were so many things I wanted to say, so many emotions that needed conveying, and yet nothing would come out. Fang took off first, and I followed close behind, as we gained altitude.

"Where are we going?" I managed, after a few silent minutes. I had calculated we were flying southwest.

"Just this place," he answered, not very helpfully.

"Fang," I looked over at him as we flew. He was kind of diagonal to me, below me, so our wings would have some room. "Do you know how upset I was when you left?" Interesting tactic, Max.

He nodded silently, the tips of my wings coming within a few inches of him every down stroke.

"It wasn't right. I mean, I didn't feel right with you gone. Not at all. I was pretty much torn up the whole time. I was so hurt. I couldn't believe you just left. I couldn't believe you made the kids choose." It was all I could do not to burst out in rage all over again. Self control. He better be thankful I have it.

"I know," he said. I detected a hint of bitterness in his voice. Who was he mad at?

"Do you still think it was wrong of me to help Ari," I asked venomously. "Considering…the recent development?"

"I never thought it was wrong of you to help Ari," he answered quietly. Hmm. That was a new one. "Only wrong to put yourself and the kids in danger." Oh. Right.

"Sometimes that's what it takes," I told him without missing a beat, slowing down as he did. I looked down and saw the beach below us. How predictable.

"I didn't ever plan to leave you, Max. I thought maybe if I actually stood up to the decision, you would realize how dangerous it was and change your mind." He and I coasted in the air for a moment before descending toward the sandy embankment. "Not to mention I pretty much hated Ari's guts."

"Right. And of course, because I always cooperate so well, it was the perfect plan," I joked, sarcasm dripping from my words.

We both hit the ground running, backpedaling in the sand to keep ourselves upright, and folding in our wings. Then Fang surprised me. He looked right at me, and let out an actual laugh. I was stunned for a moment. And as I think I've told you before, it takes a lot to stun a walking genetic phenomenon.

"I'm sorry, Max," he said, after his laugh had worn off. "I'm sorry I left you."

We walked there, our sneaker-clad feet making footprints side by side in the wet sand. After walking for a few more minutes, we climbed up on a rock, and sat down. The stars were practically dancing in their reflection on the ocean. I rubbed my hands on my jeans thoughtfully, and Fang wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward him. I thought I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"But, more importantly than all of that, I missed you," I told him, after long moments of listening to the waves crash against the shore.

"Not half as much as I missed you," he said. By the sheer emotion in his voice, I was inclined to believe him.

I leaned my head back, resting it against his strong wiry shoulder. The only shoulder I would ever want to rest my head on. The shoulder I had known since I was tiny. He put his other arm around me and hugged me again. I could feel his heartbeat only inches above my own.

"Not only did you miss me," he began. I could sense his happiness. Our closeness. "But you also loooove me." He was referring to what I had said while on Valium in Dr. Mar- mom's operating room. And I was going to kill him.

"FANG!!" I yelled, as I heard him laughing. I spun and jumped up to a standing position, nearly slipping off the rock in the process. I threw out my wings to balance myself. He joined me, and we stood there face to face. He was grinning, teeth and all, which made me want to grin too. But, not before I clocked him. "You know what?"

"You're going to kill me?" he asked. Boy, did he know me well. But, I decided I might as well prove him wrong.

"No," I loved the way he went from looking completely smug to confused in that split second. "You are absolutely right. On Valium or not."

Then I grinned. He looked pretty much like I HAD just clocked him. Only, in a good way? I don't know. You'd have to be there.

"Seriously?"

I looked up into his dark eyes, and brushed some hair out of his face. Then I stood on my tip-toes, thanking everything good that I had wings to keep myself steady, and kissed him. As we kissed, he pulled me closer. His lips against mine sent chills running through every freaking vein in my body. Lemme tell you. After several seconds we broke apart. I was dizzy, confused, and exhausted; yet pretty much the happiest I'd been in, like, years. He put his arms around me again, and I leaned my head against his chest.

I tried to summon something very smart-aleck, but I was having trouble. "Oh, my gosh."

Yeah, Max. That works. I felt him smile, as weird as that sounds, and did the same.

"So isn't this the part where I fly off sulkily?" Fang asked, referring to our previous encounter. Since when did he beat me to the sarcastic remarks?

"I didn't mean it…I just…I wasn't sure…" I trailed, trying to justify my little episode. "I had a lot going on at the time, if you didn't pick up on that."

There we go! Finally my sarcasm kicks in.

Fang laughed slightly again, and we were silent for a few minutes. "You need to let your heart drive for once, Max."

"Wha?" He spun me around so we were both facing the ocean, and wrapped his arms around me again.

"I'm talking about the flock. Lead with your heart, not your head. We don't get many free opportunities like this. What do you want to do now? Where do you want to go?"

I looked back at him over my shoulder. "Well…" I began, swaying slightly back and forth. "I've always wanted to vacation in Hawaii. Maybe the Bahamas. Learn to juggle."

He sighed. "Very funny. But I'm serious. For once, you're really calling the shots. No higher power to answer to. No immediate task looming over you, like, saving the world. What do you think we should do?"

"I guess one of the first things we should do is figure out where all this blog stuff is going. You realize we've probably been on every freaking news channel in America. Not to mention all the kids starting riots in other countries."

He nodded, resting his chin on the top of my head. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I'm not sure yet," I answered him. "I guess we'll just have to find out."

A/N: No flames if you can refrain from it. Other than that, REVIEW PLEASE.