Poor Max. No I refuse to be looked after by a bunch of humans who don't know a Flock what their talking about! So what if she's my mother! Im my own mother, I don't need her to tell me what to do what to wear…..or….or to even clean my hair! Which I do by the way, because if I didn't, that would be gross.

I found a new little log cabin in the middle of nowhere in Los Angelis for the flock to hunker down to stand out the winter that was happening in the U.S. I needed to get out of under my mother's 'microscope' I know, I know poor choice of words, but I didn't exactly want to say leash, because I am NO ONES pet! You can be damn sure. My flock was really beating themselves about not having mothers, though they didn't dare do it around me. Instead I had Angel in my thoughts telling me all the things I was missing. In a way I wanted to miss them, but I also needed to get out of her crammed house and back on my own feet with my wings spread out. I also needed my flock happy, well as happy as they could be with flock eating erasers always on our secondary feathers.

My mother was pained we were gone, yes I know but I had to do it. Fang has developed a new power, too. He now feels any emotion of those around him. Now it was extremely hard to cut myself off from the world with him always chasing me. He was back to his old self now though, which I was liking. He was off on his own hiding in dark spaces like he used to and being emo. Fang all soft and emotional was starting to make me sick. Ever since mom had cornered him and forced him into this talk about 'true emotions' he was a little bit….um…not himself. The awkwardness really made an impression. I guess my mother just wanted us together so bad. Doesn't she know encouraging teenage boys to let their emotions be free equal pregnant girls? If the girl like me for instance CAN'T beat them till their blue for trying to get in her pants which should be elastic tight, they shouldn't have free emotions. But since I can beat the snot and worse out of Fang, which he doesn't like, he has a hard time wearing me down. Now he sticks to his shadows. Bless my lucky stars.

A few weeks after we moved I couldn't get Angel out of my head. Nonstop talk or annoying chatter about Dylan, boring, never ending rants about total staying with Akila, and finally something I should have noticed myself. Fang, disappearing in the middle of the night every night. Yes I know his talent is for not being seen or heard but we knew he was repetitively leaving. It was starting to get the flock concerned. And of course no one was brave enough to face him but me.

I decided to follow Fang one night. I crept into Gazzys and Iggs room to talk to Igg. "Hey, Ig. Im going to follow Fang. If anything goes wrong and im praying to God it doesn't, you are in charge. I know I can trust you, but just in case, no bombs. Hear that Gazzy?"

"Yah, yah sure."

"Thanks Max."

"Don't make me regret this Ig." He winked his left blind eye once and I was off. I heard with my paralleled hearing, Fang sneak out the back door. He took flight twenty yards from the house. I followed a yard after him. I followed him for fifteen minutes until we were near a deserted beach. Don't tell me he sneaks off in the night for a dip in the ocean! My hopes failed me. He curled his wings and silently but gracefully hurdled towards the ground.

I landed in some bushes a few yards away from the sand line so he wouldn't see me, or hear me. He walked till he was a few yards away from the ocean and I tried to look away, took his shirt off. Damn. The all mighty Max fell to the hands of the enemy with quivering knees. Not! Though I almost fell over. Fang was beautiful in the moonlight. His skin glittered and was so smooth. His dark, black hair swept across his face in a perfect swoop. His lips so perfect and full. I felt dizzy. I had never noticed how my new older girl hormones reacted to muscle, correction, Fang's muscle. He was ripped! His abs, biceps, arms, mmmmmm, everything. Thank God he kept his pants on! He slowly walked toward the water and dug his feet into the sand.

I was feeling pretty lame crouching in the bushes. When was he gonna get in the water so I could get up. He then started moving on my thought. Weird. He kept walking till he was waist deep and stopped, just enough so that all his muscle could shimmer in the moonlight too. He stood there for a few minutes, moving his hands around the surface of the water, making it ripple and crash up against his eight pack. I swallowed. With my very good eye sight I saw his lips pull up at the corners of his mouth into a mini smirk. DAMNIT! What was he thinking? It better not have been me naked there beside him or he would get a kick straight into that speechless smile and those perfect teeth. Just then he smiled a full smile and turned slightly to let his teeth glisten in my direction, he wasn't turned quite to me though. Another minute passed.

"So, Max. Are you gonna stay back there in the bushes or come out like a normal person.?"….shit! ANGEL! I gave up and stood. I shoved my hands in my pockets and let my wings out to air them. I slouched over to him looking bored to hide the awe that had previously been on my face.

"How'd you know I was here? Angel tell yah?"

"Nah, you did. You might not notice the soft sound you make when you land, but I do. How did you think the erasers always catch you in sneak attack? You can't be silent." He smiled more, still not facing me.

"I CAN SO BE SILENT! AND SNEAKY!" this time he turned. An owl stirred in a nearby tree. He was awake and I frightened him.

"My point exactly, but she did add that you like my smile. That's all. That made me smile a little. Then I heard you huff under your breath. I grew up listening to that huff you make when you're caught or frustrated."

"Well I will try to be less annoying then." I turned to leave when he stopped me.

"Wait. Don't leave. Do you wanna join me?...you don't need to come 'as is'" I could feel his boyish grin. Not to his advantage I did join him. Not in the water though. I flew over his head and hovered above the water in front of his face. I made it look as if I were lying on the ground. So I put my chin in my hands to look casual. He pulled my closer to him, almost till our noses were touching. I flinched away from his touch. The gentle Fang touch. I did miss this a bit since we decided no more relationship stuff. He noticed my reaction.

"Don't worry, I won't kiss you. I know that's not what you want, so I respect your wishes. I just miss having you close to me. Your back against mine in the battle field is nice; we always have each other's backs, but our butting heads before battle sure hurts. This is what I like, but you're our leader; so what you say goes. No matter what the outcome. I also know that's not why you came here."

"You are right. Almost everything you said was right."

"Almost?"

"I do want you Fang. Like I need air, but the flock including you are my priority. I have a mothering instinct. You're not really a child to me but when we were together, you always needed to be my protector. It was a bit too much, and you and I both know you can't stop being that protective male lead. I need you on my side in the battle with the white coats and with the flock. We need to be there for the flock, we couldn't keep our heads focused together. Last year Gazzy was almost taken away because we were distracted. I fell on top of you and we both lost focus. I can't have that sort of distraction Fang. No matter how much I love you." He nodded a sad look in his eye I wanted to avoid.

"You are right, you always are. When were together ONE way were unbeatable. When were together in both ways were at a disadvantage, and I hate it being this way, I do; but you can't always have what you want and maybe someday our time will come but like you said, I can't stop being that protector so our priority right now is the flock."

The hurt in his eye was compatible to mine. I felt so horrible tearing him like this. Now I wish I hadn't come. However I knew that this conversation had to happen and how hard it was going to be. A single tear rolled down my face, he wiped it away with his huge thumb. It was followed a wave of tears. He took a little leap and extended his wings so he was fluttering above the water too. He pulled me into his lap and rubbed the small on my back in-between my wings.

"Don't cry Max, im not that great." He snickered. I just chocked out another sob. We looked in each other's eyes, mine wet and vulnerable his dark and beautiful.

"Max, I cant." He looked away from me. "You make me weak. You and the flock, my number one weaknesses. You top the list with your big brown eyes. I want to kiss you so bad. I don't know if I can keep holding back."

"Then don't. please Fang, please don't!" I pulled his face to mine and crushed our lips together.

What a weird scene this would have been. To winged kids making out above the ocean, one crying and one moaning like a bear. Awkward! Oh well it was great for me. Fang was such a great kisser. His pouty full lips just begging. Carefully and slowly he slid his hand up my shirt and grabbed my left breast. Oh great now I was moaning too. He was great at this stuff. I then worried about what was in his computer history… then I gave. I rolled with him now under me and kissed down his abs and perfect body, I tangled my fingers in his perfect hair. We made out until about four in the morning. That was as far as I would let us go.

We flew back to our cabin; I was just a little bit ahead of Fang. We couldn't look at each other, both of us knowing the consequences of what we just did. What would Ig be thinking? Although im sure he had everything under control. He was very trustworthy. And a great cook. No doubt the flock was up by now wondering where we were, Fang was usually back way before now. Ig was probably cooking breakfast.

He was still pretty upset, so was my mother when I made him do something. I found out Ig had smuggled my little sister to LA. I was so mad. And so was my mother. I made him send her back. That was really uncomfortable to do to him. Ugh!