Disclaimer: I don't own the Maximum Ride books. Well, I own copies of them…but anyway, JP does. Oh but I do get dibs on MY plot. With the snake and stuff.
A/N: this is set in the E-shaped house, after Jeb died, but before their house was swarmed by erasers. I know its sorts bad, but that's because its my first fic. I write better with my own characters when I can have them do whatever I want without worrying about them being OOC. But I'm pretty sure the charecters aren't OOC in this fic. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! criticism appreciated greatly.
We were walking back from playing freeze tag in the forest and I decided to do a quick head count. I'm a bit paranoid. Well, to tell the truth, especially since Jeb, well, he…well, I'm going to stay off that topic. It hurts too much.
OK, Angel is clearly here, because he small hand is tucked into mine. She smiles up as me as I glance down at her, brilliant sapphire eyes sparkling, her shining bright blond curls bouncing jauntily.
Nudge… well, of course, Nudge is being Nudge, prattling on incessantly to Gazzy, who looks about to implode. I shoot him a meaningful look before he does and hurts her feelings.
OK, Iggy's walking along, hands in his pockets. IN the dim, chilly twilight air, his pale skin seems to dimly glow. He's humming the Stone Sour song Made Of Scars under his breath.
Now that makes all of us but Fang…Oh great, where is he? He was playing air freeze tag with us a second ago. He won, of course. Oh, well, I'll drop the rest of the guys off at the house and then go back out to look for him.
We reach the E-shaped house and I spin around to go find Fang but he's already slipping through the door, even before it shut from when Gazzy came through.
He glimpse at me and then his eyes flicker back to the floor. Huh, something's up. He's trying to hide something from me… hey, when you've lived with a kid your whole life you notice things.
Usually he helps set the table or something; it's almost dinnertime (IF Iggy would hurry up and make it! I'm starving!) and the younger ones (and me) are getting crabby and starting to argue.
I start to head up the stairs to Fang's room but stop when I hear Nudge shriek " GAZZY!!!! STOP STEEPING ON MY FEET!!!! Can't you see that I'm…" while Gazzy's cutting in to defend himself with "It was an accident, Nudge, and ACCIDENT! Jeez, you need to take a chill-pill!"
"Guys, guys, calm down… Nudge, obviously Gazzy didn't do it on purpose but Gazzy please apologize to Nudge…" I get them sorted out and help Angel finish setting the table, while Iggy starts making tacos.
I then turn and head swiftly up to Fang's room. No one else would have noticed that he had traces of a slightly mischievous and smug look plastered on his face, but I did.
I stomp up the stairs and barge into his room without knocking, just in time to see him stuff something into his nightstand table drawer and slam it shut.
He goes over to crank down the blaring the Relient K song I Need You and passively turns to me.
"Hey Fang, what'cha doin'?" I ask suspiciously.
"Standing." Smart aleck who needs to learn how to speak in complete sentences.
"What did you just shove in your drawer?" It looked brown, but that's all I saw. Even my eagle eyes couldn't catch it. He's quick, too.
He shrugs nonchalantly and grabs my hand, pulling me over to his bed and pressing me down onto the black comforter, so we're both sitting.
"Max, I was thinking… we need a pet"
"Huh?" Was my brilliant response.
"A pet?!" I was incredulous. What, like a little bunny or something? Some how that didn't seem very Fang-ish.
When he made no response, I screeched "A PET!?!?!" again. Hey, who was going to eventually end up taking care of the animal they didn't want from the start? That's right, me. And that wasn't exactly on the top of my "high priority" list.
"Yeah Max. Like regular families. Don't you want them to grow up semi-normally?" He was sneaky. He knew that I'd do anything for them. But he wasn't gonna get me this time. I already had an unwanted rope swing from that trick of his, which caused quite a few injuries so far.
"NO! Because we're NOT normal Fang! And they're NO FREAKIN' WAY I'm locking a hamster up in a tiny cage! It just isn't right! And anyway, how're we supposed to get it? We can't just stroll down to the nearest PetSmart!" I was beginning to rant now, and with good reason.
"Calm down Max" Fang said evenly.
"No." I paused, then amended "Why?"
"It doesn't matter. Just close your eyes" he said. Was it just me, or did I detect a hint of slyness in his apparently harmless words. Yeah, uh, closing my eyes, not something I'm very fond of.
The whitecoats sorta killed the blind faith in me. And Fangs kinda got a rep in our family as a practical jokester/prankster/delinquent. (Yeah, in case you didn't catch that, that last one was a joke.) Especially on me. I stared him squarely in the eyes.
"Max, don't you trust me?" He was looking in my eyes, just the slightest bit earnest. I could tell he'd be hurt if I said 'no', even if he didn't outwardly show it. But the thing was, I did trust him. Unconditionally (when he was being serious). With my life. So I honestly responded "Absolutely"
He allowed a small smile. Then he deftly reached up and manually closed my eyes, gently brushing his fingers downward over my eyes, making them involuntarily shut.
I sat there with my eyes shut like a good little girl (Ha!) and felt the bed rise minutely, heard the springs creak softly. I heard the drawer slid open gingerly and after a brief pause shut again.
Fang took my hand in his and uncurled my clenched fist, spreading my fingers out.
"You calm?" I could feel him eyeing me speculatively. I nodded once in affirmation. (Ha, I was going Fang! No talking. At least I wasn't going Nudge…) He snorted at that. "sure". Sarcastic little…
"Don't panic" he merely stated, interrupting my thoughts, and plopped a wriggling piece of what felt like bike tire in my hand. It was smooth and scaly and sleek and streamlined. Crap. I knew it wasn't going to be cute and furry. Naturally Fang was too macho for that.
Fang caught and held my wrists to prevent me flinging it across the room. I HATED snakes, and he knew that. And looking closely at it, I saw what it was. A rattlesnake. "SHIT FANG!!! TAKE IT AWAY!!!!! NOW!!!!!!"
Instantly, he snatched it away and hid it behind his back.
"Jeez, Max, you didn't have to be THAT dramatic" He was gaping openly at me, something he normally tended to avoid.
I was close to hysteria. Actually, I'm not sure if I had already reached it. "FANG!!! DROP IT RIGHT NOW!!! DID YOU NEVER LISTEN TO JEB!!! THAT'S A RATTLER!!! DROP IT!!!!"
He just laughed and brought it back out from behind him. I shrank away. He sighed and held up the tail end and wiggled the tapered tan tip. "Do YOU see a rattle? 'Cause I sure don't" he countered.
"Fang! Don't treat me like an idiot! YOU'RE THE IDIOT! Their rattles break off when they try to squeeze between rocks." Jeb had told me that, Oh great, now I'm having trouble breathing from panic and sadness.
And Fang, as collected as ever, retorts "Max, chill. It's not a rattlesnake. It's a harmless bullsnake. See the way his neck doesn't flare out?" he gave me a 'don't think I'm stupid' expression and as I stared at it- from a safe distance- I could see what he meant.
"Oh" I answered, humbled.
"Yeah, 'oh'".
"Here" and he held the snake out to me to take. I didn't take it, for obvious reasons.
"Fear management" he added. I stupidly continues to shake my head, my eyes never leaving the serpent.
"You scared?" He taunts, knowing it'll get me. "Chicken?" he asked in a low voice, his onyx eyes glinting playfully.
That made me buck up. "No!" I then mouthed, more to myself than him, "never". He caught this, I think, because he notices everything, he's Fang, but also because his eyes were smiling, almost laughing. Yeah, definitely laughing.
But there was no way in hell I'd let him think I was a wimp, because I wasn't. I'm the great Maximum Ride, remember?
I trust my hand out, but my shaking fingers betrayed me. Screw them! I took a deep, shaky breath, and grabbed my wrist with my free hand.
Fang slipped his snake into my hand [A/N and not like that, all you pervs out there But, being only about 3 feet long, only the very middle was actually touching me. The head hung down, but not limply and awkwardly like you'd think, it was actually quite graceful.
The tail end wound around my forearm like a vine, but not too tight. Just enough for a grip. It sat there for a little while, then started exploring around my arm, agilely twisting its head slowly this way and that.
It flicked out its tongue a few times (no, the first time it did I did NOT gasp. I swear…hehe), and it felt dry and rubbery. really cool, in fact. It wasn't gross.
Then it weaved around and curled around its own body, climbing up. Doubled over, its head was now investigating my arm.
I, regrettably, let out a little tiny frightened squeak. Yeah, I know what your thinking, tough as nails and brave as a lion Max petrified by a snake? Hey, what can I say, phobias are hard to overcome. But, with Fang's (my best friend in the whole world) help, I was doing it.
Of course, nothing gets by Fang and he chuckled under his breath "She's fine".
I glanced up at his smirking face, and whispered "She? What's her name?"
He thought for a bit, staring up at the ceiling. Finally he declared "Inteus"
"Inteus?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded. "means 'has no shame' in Algonquin"
A fitting name, I thought. She really was beautiful, a sandy color with darker bands and spots coloring her long, lithe body georgeously, with a streak running down across her eye, giving her a pitiful quality. But I could tell this proud snake didn't want anybody's pity. Didn't want it, didn't need it.
It-sorry, she was now almost up my arm, nearly to my shoulder. The next thing I knew, she was nosing around my NECK! Damn! This sucks…
But I didn't want to move. I could always just fling her across the room, but then Fang would be mad, and I might hurt her, which I didn't want to do. Despite my terror, I was warming up to her. She had a bold, fearless quality that I admired.
By this point, she was slithering up by my ear, loosely coiled around my neck. Nerve-wracking to an Ophidiophobic. I was holding my breath, screaming in my head. Quite alarmed, as you may have guessed.
Fang took my hand and held it, squeezing it a little every now and then, when Inteus happened to poke her blunt snout in my ear or something. I gave him a small (but I though very brave, despite the circumstances) smile, which he returned with a smirk. His specialty.
Once she flicked out her tongue and it went up my nose! But eventually, it didn't scare me anymore. I was OK with the whole thing. I was really getting comfortable around her.
I guess now I'll be OK around snakes, as long as I have Fang to back me up mentally. By my side to help me if I freak out a little. I mean, I flipped out this time, but by the end I was another Steve [A/N RIP buddy, ha, just kidding. Fang just being there reassured me, and made me know I could do it. I know nothing bad will happen to me as long is Fang is around.
After a little while more when I was completely calm, Fang reached up and pulled her off of me. He slung her over to himself and draped her across his shoulders. I guess my face looked a little disappointed, because his got a smug and triumphant look on it. He handles her gingerly, but without any fear. Confidently. It occurred to me then how docile she seemed.
"Oh, so she's peaceful" I said, thinking that I still liked her, but if she'd had a bit more warrior spirit in her…
"Hell no! I just respect her and don't do anything dumb" and with that he took of his improvised scarf and set her on the ground and said "watch". That was unnecessary, though, as my eyes were already glued to him and Inteus. He stomped over to her, pretending not to see her. Completely surprising me, she hissed. Fang carelessly reached down to grab her roughly, and she whirled around like to sink her teeth into him. Fang didn't even flinch, he acted like she wasn't latched onto him and moving her jaw around, so it looked like she was gnawing on him. "Uhm, Fang, I think she's chewing you"
"No, she's just trying to get her teeth out" he pressed his arm to the ground and waited patiently. After a second, she let go. He reached down time, being gentle, and scooped her up, draping her over his shoulders. Didn't bother him at all.
I saw a small amount of blood on his arm where she'd bitten him. I knew he was fine, but I was curious. "Fang, let me see your arm" Normally, if he were hurt, he'd protest, but he knew I knew he was fine, so he came over and stuck out his arm. I looked closely, seeing just a bunch of tiny holes. Like tiny pricks from needles…ugh. Don't think about it Max. All of the sudden, snapping me out of my reverie, his hand shot up and lightly smacked my check. It didn't hurt, but it was sudden and startled me, and I fell back. He was laughing, but I was mad. He started backing out of the room, because I was closing in on him.
"Where do you think you're going?" I asked childishly. But, hey, I am a child.
"To let her go"
"You just got a pet and now you're gonna let her go?" That's dumb…
"Yeah"
"Why?"
"I was just messing with you when I told you I wanted a pet. She belongs in the wild, and would hate captivity-being caged in" He shook his head, and I saw a glimmer of sadness flash into his dark colored eyes before it vanished. Probably remembering the school, and our liberator, Jeb.
Trying to lighten the mood, he says "Besides, I doubt Nudge would approve of her feeding habits and dietary requirements".
He turned to go out the window to go back to the woods to release our temporary pet.
"By the way Fang, how'd you know she's a girl?"
He just laughed, the loudest he's laughed in a while, and said "How do you know you're a girl?" and jumped out the window, snapping his wings out powerfully and gliding away. To go let the stunning, courageous, wise snake go. So she could go home. To be wild. Be free. Like we were now. And trust me, I wasn't taking it for granted.
ok so that's that! It didn't take me long to write, just long to TYPE! and my computer died halfway through it… anyway, criticism appreciated and thanks for reading the whole thing (well, I assume you did because your at the bottom. unless you abuse the scroll-bar privileges…) )