Okay, this is posted on behalf of my friend mysteryredhead, of the maximum ride forum. She cannot upload to the site, so i do it for her. please read and reveiw. This is the first chappie (6 others already done if you like) and she has told me to tell you all: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I Don't own Maximum Ride or any of it's affiliated characters etc, nor do I want to, because nobody writes like JP and it should stay that way (cept' for fanfics).

Max's Downfall

Her body writhes, convulses, twirling on the mossy ground like a pale ballerina. Her mouth opens and a scream pours out into the silent night, echoing through the valley. She no longer hides the pain. She no longer needs to hide the pain. We all know. We are all there to support her. Because if were are not…

It will be her downfall.

She screams again, and my heart lurches. I want to hold her, like I used to be able to, but now, she is too strong. The terror of the nightmares give her strength. I cannot touch her; she can fling me away without a thought. She thinks I am the enemy and that is the worst part of all. She won't tell us what she dreams of, won't tell me how to help her. That brings back a memory

Jeb is sitting in the kitchen with Max on his lap. She must be really upset because she is crying. She won't tell Jeb why, and he asks her "How can I help, if I don't know what the problem is?" and she responds with the given statement, a guarantee to end the conversation, to make any adult stop and think; "You can't do anything to help me." The boy hiding in shadows around the corner of the kitchen thinks about this, how can Jeb feel if his child says he is useless?

How can I help her if she won't tell me, now I feel like Jeb, and that is a horrible thought, to have anything in common with that, that monster. He gives her this pain. That pain is destroying her. I can see it, she is quiet, and more withdrawn, she has stopped giving orders so forcefully. She takes no as an answer. It is eating away at her; literally, she is so thin and frail, like a leaf on the wind. Iggy and I try to get her to eat more, but she pushes it away, and we can all see it. It is affecting all of us; this sadness and despair, spreading like a disease. Nudge is quieter, scared that if she talks she might wake Max from one of her irregular naps. Max hardly ever sleeps anymore, she is afraid of the dreams, and what they mean, the pain she has to go through, so she goes and goes and goes than collapses and sleeps so heavily there is no room for the nightmares to intrude. Gazzy and Iggy haven't built a bomb in months; scared it will remind Max of one of her dreams, like in the beginning. Angel has stopped reading people's minds, scared that is she sends out her thoughts she might pick up one of Max's. That happened one day, while my Max was thrashing, I was so desperate to see what was inside her head, what was causing my beautiful Max so much pain that I begged Angel. Angel cried for hours after, Gazzy comforting her and throwing me nasty looks for upsetting his sister. She will not tell me what is making max like this, but without knowing, how can we help? Because if we cannot support her…

Her downfall is coming...