This is from the third book, so for those of you who haven't read it… beware!

Summary: This is what is going through Fang's mind as Dr. Martinez is operating on Max to get the chip out. It describes him as kind of quiet, but since when has Fang been loud? What are his thoughts…?

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. Practically all the dialogue is accurate, but that is ALL JAMES PATTERSON. My idol. Don't sue me! Great, I'm depressed all over again. Wonderful.

Fang's POV

So Max had decided that we would make a pit stop on our way to California to visit Ella and Dr. Martinez. They were really close, I guess, ever since they had taken care of Max when she was "away".

We flew silently through the sky. I was being led through the town, from hundreds of feet in the air, of course, and it was pretty relaxing, considering all the stress we had been through. I knew Max wouldn't want me to distract her, so I put on my trademark blank face and just followed her lead.

We approached their sunny home. It looked to be around 3:00, and I wondered if we would only knock on the door to get no answer. Max didn't seem to care, and began to walk towards the door.

Turns out we wouldn't have to knock at all because out stepped Dr. Martinez, or the woman I expected to be Dr. Martinez. The second she exited the house, Max froze, wondering what she should do. Dr. Martinez hadn't seen her, and was locking the door, but her head rose as she heard Max shuffle, and she slowly turned around. I was in the shadows, watching from behind a tree in the lush forest that surrounded the home.

"Max," Dr. Martinez breathed out, as if she didn't have any oxygen to say anything out loud. I had to read her lips to make out what she had said. Her eyes were wide with shock, and she froze as if this shock didn't permit her to move.

Before I knew it, Max was running towards Dr. Martinez at full speed, and I worried that she would knock the poor woman over, but she slowed down just in time. I could make out tears coming from the woman, but I couldn't tell if Max was. That frustrated me, not knowing what she was feeling, but then again, if I had known, Max would have hated me and despised me if I were to… I don't know… annoy her with mocking comments.

But I wouldn't do that and actually mean it. I wondered if she knew that I never meant to make her feel bad whenever she thought I did. I loved her too much to see her sad. Then, my thoughts got the better of me. Does Max… like me? At all? Like, more than a brother? Does she… love me? It was a question I asked myself frequently, especially after that little kiss. Was it a little kiss? Did she care? I had always felt something more than "brotherly love" towards her, and I think she knew it. I thought she knew it. I had always cared for her.

I was snapped out of thought by Max, who had her hand pointed in my direction. She probably looked like she was pointing at a tree, because only with her sharp vision could she see me. I covered my expressions up again, and I stepped out of the shadows to face Max's friend.

Dr. Martinez was shocked beyond belief. I didn't know I was that well hidden. I probably looked like Houdini reappearing.

"This is my… brother, Fang," Max said, and I think I saw her gulp as she said "brother". There we go: we kissed not that long ago, and the first intro you make for me is that I'm your brother. Great. That makes me feel loads better.

"Fang, are you… like Max?" Dr. Martinez asked.

"Nope, I'm the smart one," I said, knowing how bad Max wanted to hit me for saying that. I laughed internally to myself.

Dr. Martinez realized that we had gone through this whole sentimental moment in front of her house, and said, "Well, come in, both of you. I was going to run to the grocery store before Ella got home from school. But that can wait."

Max seemed to know her way around the house, but I was already on automatic defense. I had no idea how this house was, and I looked at every hallway and window and door, making sure we could leave the second things got out of control.

I kept smelling the same thing, that heavy sweet smell that gnawed at my empty stomach. I learned later that that is the smell was chocolate chip cookies. They taste really good. If you haven't tried 'em, I don't care where you are. You had better get yourself a packet fast. I mean it.

"So you've named your price. Your soul for a chocolate chip cookie," Max said. I made sure that Dr. Martinez wasn't looking before I shot Max the finger, which was only done once I was sure that Dr. Martinez was not looking, and took another bite. Cookies are addicting, especially if you haven't tried them before.

Then the subject of the chip, (no not the chocolate chip, but the evil chip in Max's arm), came up, and I instantly fell silent and rigid. That chip had caused so much pain to all of us, but especially Max. She knew that she was the reason that Erasers and all the danger in the world found us wherever we went. She didn't know that we all knew the same thing: without that chip, we could hide forever.

Dr. Martinez had been studying Max's X-rays ever since Max had left, and she hadn't stopped trying to figure out a way to get it out. Max's eyes pleaded, along with her voice, for there to be a solution. A way to be rid of this chip once and for all.

"I want this chip out," Max said, practically begging. I half expected her to get on her hands and knees, but I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head, knowing Max wouldn't stoop so low.

Then again, it wouldn't be the first time she did something drastic. Maybe Dr. Martinez should see how desperate Max had gotten. I grabbed Max's left arm, and turned it so it was palm side up. The ugly scars from when I found her practically bleeding out on the beach glared up at us, red and thick. She glared at me, but I knew that this was the only way for Dr. Martinez to understand why we needed the chip out: so we wouldn't have to watch Max, our leader and the girl I happened to love, try and practically kill herself again.

Dr. Martinez looked at the scars, fear in her eyes. She thought hard before saying, "I can try."