G'day, my happy fans and just-tuning-in readers! I decided to write this, not because I wanted to, but because I had to, simply to see where it would go.

Seriously. It was driving me crazy. And I had to get it out before Fang (the book) came out, because I was afraid it wouldn't make sense after it came out, because the summary says Max is gonna leave Fang for some random dude and Fang is gonna die and if that's true then I really will cry. I know Dylan is supposed to be her "other half," but seriously, who really wants someone who's perfect for them? When has anyone ever fallen in love with someone who was just like them?!?! No one, that's who!!!

But I digress.

The chapters are kinda short, to stay true to the books' format. So, enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story, except for Jerry. But he comes later in the story. I do, however, wish I could own Fang. But really, who doesn't wish that?

"Happy birthday to you," we all sang as Max sat, red faced, in front of a bright birthday cake. "Happy birthday to you. Happy bi-irthday dear Ma-ax, happy birthday to yoooooooooouuuu!"

The last word nearly made my ears bleed. Gazzy sung in a high opera voice, Iggy basically screamed it, and Akila and her litter of puppies all let out a long, earsplitting howl. Despite this (or perhaps because of it) Max laughed. Her laugh sent a shiver of warmth through my body and I couldn't help but smile.

"Make a wish, Max," Angel instructed.

Max glanced at me, then closed her eyes as if she were concentrating hard. Then, she blew out all sixteen candles.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Akila jumped up on Max's lap and licked her face, making Max jump up to avoid her tongue.

"I can't believe it! My baby, already sixteen!" Dr. Martinez cried, wrapping Max in a hug.

"Yeah, I know," Max replied, slapping Gazzy's hand away from the cake.

"I remember when I was sixteen," Dr. Martinez said nostalgically.

"Here we go," muttered Ella, Max's half sister.

"I got my first car," she remembered.

"Why drive when you can fly?" Max asked, slapping Iggy's hand, that was feeling around on the table for the cake.

"My parents finally let me date."

Max looked at me and blushed. "I've already been on dates," she said.

"And I finally didn't have a curfew."

Max, Iggy and I all laughed at this. "Like we ever pay attention to those, anyways," Ig said, feeling around for the cake. "I want cake," he complained.

Max slapped his hand again. "I can tell."

"I'll get plates and forks," Dr. Martinez said.

When she left, I went over to Max and wrapped an arm around her waist. She put her head on my shoulder and said, "I don't feel sixteen. In fact, I feel like I did five years ago."

I pushed her out to arm's length and looked at her slim, almost six feet tall body, then her beautiful face, and finally her deep chocolate eyes. "You don't look like you did five years ago," I said.

She pushed my chest playfully.

"She looks exactly the same to me," Iggy said with a straight face. This, of course, was funny, since he was blind.

Max just rolled her eyes.

Then Nudge, our little chatterbox, said excitedly, "Ooh, Max, you should let me give you a makeover!"

Max looked around, trying to find a way to distract her from the idea. Just then, Dr. Martinez came in with plates and forks. "Who wants cake?" Max asked with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Finally!" Iggy shouted.

"Max gets the first piece, anyways," Ella said.

"What?!" Iggy and Gazzy both whined.

"The birthday person always gets the first piece," Angel explained.

"Why?" asked Gazzy.

"It's a tradition," she said.

"Why?" Max asked. "You can't wait ten seconds for a piece?"

"You can't wait ten seconds?" Iggy retorted.

"I don't have to," Max said. "I'm the birthday girl."

"You don't even know that it's your birthday!" Iggy shouted.

Max looked like she was about to slap him when her mom handed her a plate with a huge piece of cake on it. She looked at it, muttered "Thanks," and walked into the living room.

"You can't stop arguing for ten minutes?" I snapped at Iggy.

"God, Fang, all I asked for was a piece of effing cake!" Iggy screamed.

"Here!" Ella screamed, placing a plate in front of him on the table.

"Thank you!" Iggy yelled back.

"Stop yelling!" Max yelled from the living room.

It was quiet for a few second. "I need a fork," Iggy said, breaking the silence.

Ella picked one up and handed it to him. Dr. Martinez, who was quietly cutting the huge cake the whole time, handed everybody else a piece.

I took my piece and went in the living room, sitting on the couch next to Max. She pretended not to see me, eating her cake and watching a show about sharks instead of acknowledging me.

"Are you mad?" I asked her.

She ate another bite of cake, ignoring me.

"So is that a yes?"

"Do you know that sharks have thousands of teeth?" she asked innocently.

I sighed and set my piece of cake, untouched, on the coffee table. "Why are you mad?" I asked.

She just ate another bite of cake, ignoring me. So I proceeded as nicely as possible.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, snatching away her cake.

"Hey!" she cried. "I was eating that!"

I put the cake next to mine on the table. "You should be happy today."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I am happy."

"No you're not. You're mad."

"So?"

"So, you just said you were happy."

"I'm both," she said, grabbing the remote off the table, one arm still crossed over her chest.

"You can't be both," I argued.

"Watch me."

I quickly yanked the remote from her and turned the TV off. She stared at me in surprise for a moment before jumping at me, trying to grab it back.

We wrestled on the couch for a while before I pinned her beneath me, tickling her sides.

As tough as Max is, you wouldn't think that she was ticklish. But tickle her sides, and she cries like a four year old left in the dark without a nightlight.

"Stop!" she giggled as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was gasping for air. "Fang, stop! I can't breathe!"

I stopped tickling her. "Will you tell me why you're mad?" I asked.

"I'm not," she insisted. I started tickling her again, so she squealed, "Okay! Okay, fine, I'll tell you." I stopped. "It's not that I'm mad, really, it's just…" she scrunched up her face, looking for the right words. Then she sighed. "Do you ever miss it?" she asked.

"You being mad?" I teased. "I don't think anybody ever does."

"No, I meant when we were on the run. Y'know, the freedom. The wide blue skies. That feeling of independence."

"The paranoia. The dirt. The fights to the death." I sighed sarcastically, "Good times."

"Seriously, Fang."

"No," I answered, staring into her eyes. "I don't. I've got everything I want right here: a home, safety, a family…. And we have each other, Max."

"I just feel so useless just sitting around all day, not doing anything," she complained.

"Well, get used to it, because you're not going anywhere."

I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her. She put her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss.

We were happily off in our own little world when Iggy came and sat down on the other end of the couch, right on our feet.

"Do you mind?" Max growled.

"That you're taking up all the couch space? Nah, I don't mind. Your feet are actually pretty comfortable."

Max and I both yanked our feet from out under him and sat up, me in the middle.

Since glaring at Iggy never worked-- him being blind, and all-- I did the next best thing and punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he complained. "What was that for?"

"You're almost smart," I told him. "You'll figure it out." Then I wrapped my arms around Max and pulled her onto my lap, grabbing the remote to turn the TV back on.

"Dude," Iggy said, shaking his head, "bros before hoes."

Max snorted, but didn't slap him like she did when he first started saying it. She just snuggled up closer to me and watched TV.