"Give Me a Sign"

by Uchiha-Griffin

A FAX songfic-oneshot.

I don't own Maximum Ride (© James Patterson) or "Give Me a Sign" (© Breaking Benjamin)

Please listen to Give Me a Sign while reading this for max. enjoyment.

Nudge came out into the kitchen, where the rest of the flock sat, awaiting the news she was going to deliver. They all looked up, hoping for something positive. Nudge frowned and shook her head, holding up another brown, speckled feather. "Shit." Iggy cursed, and Angel bit her lip. Nudge set the feather on the table, in the pile of around ten. Dylan picked up the feather, examining it closely.

"She hasn't moved at all?"

"No." Nudge responded. "She's still in the same position as yesterday, curled up on her bed, her eyes open, but not really focused. I don't think she's moved at all."

Dylan clenched his teeth. "This is all Fang's fault."

Ever since Fang had left the flock, Max had been cooped up in her room. Not eating, not talking, not flying. It had been three weeks now. And now, since ten days ago, she began losing feathers. No one knew why it was happening. Nudge had been going in to check on her everyday, only to see she'd lost more feathers. This worried everyone.

"Her wings are getting really thin. I don't think they're fit for flying anymore." Nudge said, sighing and sitting down at the table. Iggy leaned back in his chair. "At least we're free of enemies for the moment. I don't think she's fit for fighting, either." They were all quiet. Angel suddenly spoke up. "I can't even reach her thoughts." she said quietly.

The flock looked surprised. "Are you serious?" Gazzy questioned. Angel nodded. "I went in yesterday to check on her, to see if she would talk to me. She didn't. And her thought train was just... blank." Iggy looked concerned. "So, she's not even thinking anymore?"Angel shrugged. "I dunno. All I do know is I've never experienced anything like that bef--."

Abruptly, Angel stopped speaking. She twitched, then gasped, jumping up from the table. "Oh my God. I don't believe... Fang?!" she seemed to be talking to herself, and everyone looked confused. "Angel, what are you talking about?..." Gazzy asked. "It's Fang!" Angel said, and ran out of the room. "What about Fang?" Iggy questioned.

"He's back!" They heard her say, and followed her to the front room quickly. Fang was just walking in the front door when they got there."Fang!" Nudge cried, and ran to hug him. Angel did the same. "Fang!! I'm so sorry! You belong with Max! You really do! Forget anything I said!" Angel cried, clinging to him. He smiled gently.

"I'm sorry I left. That was stupid." Iggy pounded fists with him. "About time you came back. Max is an emotional wreak because of you." Fang blinked once before looking concerned. "What do you..." Dylan crossed his arms and glared at Fang. "She hasn't come out of her room for three weeks. And... she's losing these." He held up one of Max's feathers, which he hadn't put down when Angel announced Fang's arrival.

Fang took the feather from him. "She's losing her feathers? Can she even fly anymore?" Angel shook her head. "We all doubt it. She's lost too many of her primary--"

Angel suddenly paused, blinking. Iggy sighed. "Great. Another one. Who's back now?" "I got something from Max..." Nudge turned to Angel quickly. "Does that mean she's up?!" The flock ran to her room, ready to stop her from flying with her deteriorating wings. Angel followed them, yelling. "She's not only up!"

Everyone reached her room and burst inside, only to see her window thrown open and the curtains billowing in the wind of the cloudy afternoon. "She's out." Angel finished, and sighed. Nudge looked around frantically. "There's no way she could fly with her wings in that condition! She's gonna fall out of the sky!" Nudge got ready to fly out the window, but Angel stopped her.

"Wait, Nudge!" She cried out. Nudge scowled. "Angel, I don't have any time to lo--" "If anyone goes, I think it should be Fang." Angel interrupted her. The flock all turned to face their newly-returned member. Fang nodded. "Angel's right. I should go. I never thought... I never imagined... this would happen." He looked guilty as he surveyed the mess of feathers on her bed and floor.

Nudge stepped aside, opening up the space in front of the window. "You better fly fast, Fang."

Max was pathetically flapping what was left of her wings, trying to stay airborne. Her eyeliner and mascara had streaked down her face and dried there, without her bothering to wash it off. Her hair hadn't been brushed. She was starving, but didn't want to eat. She felt a lot lighter. But her wings, in such a bad condition, still couldn't support her body.

She took in a ragged breath. What was the point of living, anyway? Her life itself had left her. The flock could live on. If Angel wanted to be the leader so frickin' bad, she could do it. They could all live without the dictator, and they would be happy. Because all she ever did was challenged by them. She was a useless leader, and her flock didn't trust her anymore.

She'd learned that when they voted her out of her leadership position, just a month or so prior.

Max suddenly realized she was gaining altitude. It began to get somewhat frigid, and she shivered. Maybe it would be best.... to just end it all now. Should she keep flying upward? Or just fold her wings and allow gravity to do the honors? It seemed fate was decided for her when a strong wind ripped out the last few primary feathers keeping her aloft.

She exhaled and time seemed to slow down as she watched her feathers drift away. Immediately, the wind began to rush past her, but it only felt like the gentle caress of Fang's hand. She tucked in her wings ever-so-slightly. She was falling so fast, something randomly sliced at her cheek, and blood flew with her, like a companion. It always had been.

It was only then she realized she, the invincible Max, was crying. Her tears mingled with the endless skies she could see above. Finally, she knew the ground was close. She closed her eyes. "Fang....." she whispered.

"...MAX!!"

She smiled slightly. "It's almost like he's here with me... I can hear his voice..."

The ground was very close now. Just a couple more feet, and all the pain would be gone. There would be no life without him. No waking up without him. No flying without him. She was going to be free. From the flock. From Jeb. From life. From.... him.

Just a little bit farther.

And it would all be gone....

Fang had just taken off from the window when he saw her, a little ways off, flying slowly, with terribly indecent wings. He began working his way toward her, flapping his wings strongly and efficiently in order to reach her sooner.

He had to apologize. He had to tell her he loved her; how much he had missed her. He had to kiss her, to hug her, to hold her and vow to never let go. He had so many things to tell her. It was then that he realized, to his horror, what was happening.

Max was falling. A straight shot toward a very quick and inevitable death. She had even folded her wings. She wasn't even TRYING to fly. He found himself pumping his wings faster then he'd ever gone, even when they were being chased, or attacked. He had to save her.

There was no way in hell she was dying if he had anything to say about it. She was so close to the ground... he had to catch her! "Shit.... I'm not fast enough...!!" he realized, only making him try to go even faster. He was speeding through the sky. Max was feet above the ground.

"AUUGGH!! MAX!!" he yelled. He had to close his eyes from going so fast, and extended his arms.

Moments later, they collided. He wrapped his arms securely around her as they tumbled through the air. He lost control of his wings, and they both plowed into the hard slate rock of the ground, rolling a few times across the rough, rocky surface. Fang had lost his grip on Max.

When they finally stopped cascading across the rock, they were laying only a foot from each other, covered in cuts, gashes, bruises, and other various, more serious injuries. Max's eyes were blank and half-lidded as she looked at Fang, breathing heavily. "Fang.... Fang...." she whispered. She was. crying.

Fang couldn't move. His whole body seemed immobilized; it hurt to even blink. But he managed a small smile anyway. "I got you... Max." he said, using the last of his energy to reach out and take her hand. He squeezed it once, before his whole body went limp.

Max still hadn't moved.

All was quiet in the forest as they lay there, Max looking at him with her blank, yet unbelieving, eyes. Fang's eyes were closed. He'd taken the blunt force of the hit by trying to keep her from hitting the ground. His recovery time was going to be really, really long. Great.

He opened one eye to look at Max, whose eyes were now half-lidded. She was holding his hand with all the strength she could muster, which wasn't very much under the circumstances. Blood was streaking down her face. Her lip was cut and bleeding, too. Her wings were stretched out awkwardly behind her, one of them at a strange angle.

Or maybe they just looked like that when nearly all her feathers were gone. She blinked once, her face capturing his attention immediately. "You okay?" he managed. She nodded slowly, looking extremely out of it. He decided to give up on talking and moving, and tried to settle the best he could on the slate stone. Before he could let relaxation capture him, her (for once) quiet voice reached him.

"I love you."

He stiffened, his eyes wide with shock. "M-Max...." He began, stuttering like an idiot. Max smiled. It was small, barely noticeable. But it was there. Fang stared at her, not knowing how to respond. "I love you.... so much, Fang." She repeated. Her eyes closed slowly and her grip on his hand loosened. Fang was silent as he stared at her face. She was unmoving, and he finally gave in as his eyes slid closed, a deep sleep finally overtaking his aching body.

Fang was jolted from his sleep when he heard Nudge's voice. "Are you sure, Angel?" she was asking, sounding skeptical. Angel's persistent voice followed. "Yes! I can hear Fang's thoughts close by! He's thinking that he can hear you! And that he's in a helluva lot of pain." Fang chuckled, but immediately regretted it because of the sharp stings of agony ripping through every inch of his body. Iggy spoke up, sounding closer. "I think they're over here."

Fang managed to move, cracking open an eye. He groaned. As he had expected, the pain was even worse after the initial shock had worn off. There probably wasn't any part of him that was not bruised. Max still had her eyes closed. She was still holding his hand. He decided to allow himself the indulgence of laying like this until they were discovered.

Iggy came into the clearing, yelling to the rest of the flock. "Guys, over here!" He cried out urgently. "Fang, Max! Can you hear me?!" Fang wanted to answer. He really did... but if it hurt to even open an eye, talking was out of the question. Angel promptly answered Iggy in Fang's place. "He can't talk. It hurts too much for him to even open his eyes."

Nudge came over next. "Oh, Fang!! Max!!" She cried, looking close to tears. "What happened?!" She asked, hysterical. Fang re-told the story in his head, which was then relayed by Angel. Iggy shook his head. "God dammit, Max. What was she thinking?" Nudge was crying. "She would be dead if it wasn't for you, Fang!"

Iggy began to help Fang up, causing him to cry out in pain. "Geez, Fang. You took a real beating with that fall." Gazzy got on Fang's other side, but Fang pushed them away. "I gotta get Max." he muttered. "Dude, are you insane?" Iggy complained, exasperated. "Who else... is going to carry her?" He huffed, leaning down and picking her up."At least let us fly you back." Nudge suggested, looking worried.

Fang nodded, accepting her offer reluctantly. But he knew with his screwed-up body he couldn't ensure both of their safety in flight. "Fine, let's just go home." He mumbled. With that, he blacked out once more.

~A few months later~

"Fang!" She cried out. I turned to her with a smile as she engulfed me with a hug. "Max." I greeted, and she smiled. I kissed her gently, and she blushed. How adorable. I smiled and took her hand. We walked down to the cliff near our house before I let go and started to run.

She grinned and followed. At the end, we both snapped out our wings and left the updraft carry us into the sky. The sunshine warmed my skin and wings. I took in a deep breath as Max zoomed past me into the glare of the sun. I followed her up before passing her by, pausing so she would stop as well.

"I love you, Max." I told her, and she smiled. "I love you too, Fang. More than you know." I wrap my arms around her and kiss her midair. She is caught by surprise and momentarily stops flapping, so we drop a few feet in the air. When I pull back from her she giggles. "I'm so glad you came back for me, Fang. Otherwise my falls would be lots more perilous."

"Whenever you fall, I'll always catch you, Max. Remember that."

She smiles again, and takes my hand. All I know in this life, no matter how dangerous, or enjoyable, or unpredictable... is that I love this girl. And I'll do anything to protect her. And no matter what happens, I'll always be flying right beside her.

Because that's what love is to mutant freak bird kids, right?

-------

FIN! TAKE THAT DYLAN.

I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, this is my first "Fax-fiction" :P

xoxo

Griffin