Max POV:
You'd think after months of not hearing anything remotely like a chirping bird you'd be used to it. However, after a night like last night, it's almost expected to hear the birds chirping in the morning as you wake up in the arms of the one you love. That wasn't the case this morning though. I kept my eyes closed to enjoy a few more minutes of peace. Peace, it's been a while and as I start to feel Fang shift and get up from behind me I realize it is short lived. I lie still and wait a minute as I here him walk away. He's going to leave me… Without even saying good bye.
I blink my eyes before speaking and as the words leave my lips I look straight ahead, not after him. "So that's it then?" I can hear his foot steps stop but he says nothing. He doesn't need to I already know what he'd say. "I get that Angel showed you something that is scary, even though I don't know what it is. I also get that you are worried that you are the reason why I may get hurt. What I don't get is why you can't see that I'm at more risk without you by my side."
Slowly I get into a sitting position before standing up. I stare at the back of his head. " Fang, if you leave again, I don't know if I'm going to survive this world much longer. The other's are right and part of me did stay on the island longer in hopes of finding my mother and Ella. But part of it was also because I didn't know what else was out there, if there was still an out there. If I had known I probably would have been more willing to look into leaving sooner. I made a mistake that is costing this flock it's trust and stability and I can't fix it. At least not on my own. I need you to stay to be apart of this flock to help it mend but also because I can't lose anyone else."
Fang shifted his head slightly to look over his shoulder at me. "Max…"
"I'm not done Fang. I failed at saving the world. I even failed at leading this flock. But I am not going to fail at staying by your side. I have an idea that may get everyone to be able to do what they wish but also keep this flock together. Angel showed you that vision because she didn't want you to stay with me and Nudge. I get that. But if we can stay a team all of us… We can help the people in Pennsylvania, Go to Germany to find out what Angel is talking about and Go to California. And I'll even give up my wish to go back to the island for a while until we know what is out there and if we need to get to those caves or not."
"What is your idea to get all that done Max?" Fang asked with a sigh.
"My idea is to form a plan as a flock. Not just me this time. We are all going to work it out together."
"How do we know that you aren't going to force us all back to the island?" A voice said behind me. I turned and looked at the rest of my flock behind me. Iggy had been the one to talk, his arms crossed across his chest.
I paused and looked at each member in the eye before looking straight head toward the city of skeletons. "Because my mom and Ella are dead… They'd want me to continue to do what I can to save what is left of this planet… I can look for them to put them to rest after we find those people, find out what is going on in California and in Germany. I lost my biological family… I will be damned if I lose my longest friends… my main family."
Angel walked up to me and took my hand. "You are Max… Maximum Ride. You were created to save the world. You raised all of us, protected all of us. I still think we need to go to Germany but maybe sticking together is a better option. There has to be away to do all things we feel are important."
I looked at Angel and smiled, "I promise we will get there. I'm still the leader of this group… however this time I'm not the only one calling the shots. Although I do have an idea for a game plan. But I need everyone…" I said the last part as I looked over at Fang who was completely facing me now.
Fang looked at Angel who nodded. "Fine. But if you get hurt because of me Max…"
"Then I get hurt." I said ending the conversation. "Now lets go back to the cabin."
As a group we walked back to the cabin and sat around the kitchen table.
"So what is your idea Max?" Gazza asked.
"Alright so we know that there are people in Pennsylvania, something Fang thinks we should check out in California, and something in Germany according to Angel." I said while Fang wrote it down on a pad of paper we had found. "I say we go to California first since it may be closer by a little bit than Germany, sorry Ange. Then I say we go to Anne's house, just to see if there is anything left and raid it before heading to Pennsylvania to check in on those people, make sure they are okay and find more people to get with them. Finally we go to Germany find out what awaits us there. Lastly we take three days… One to fly to the island, one to gather our supplies that we had in a safe place and the third to leave. I will not make us stay longer than the day. But we do have stuff there that may be useful after we see what the rest of the world is like."
Angel looked at me a blinked. "I think it's a good plan! Germany holds answers and stuff but maybe we need to see everything else before we can get those answers.
"Yeah I guess that's fair… Now that I think about it we'd have to stop in California anyway Gazzy." Iggy shrugged.
Fang shrugged in agreement and then I noticed Nudge who was quiet.
"Nudge sweetie what's wrong?"
"I still don't want to leave but I don't want to be alone. I'll get over it though. We are we going."
"I say we take a day to search the rest of Australia. Who knows we may be able to find more supplies or something to give the tablet more juice… Which I also think we should take."
"It's a plan then." Fang said before grabbing a backpack stuffing the food left in the house in it and then the tablet. We all stacked our fists before heading out the door.