What Would Happen If He DIDN'T Make It On Time?
Summary: One-shot. After FANG. Max and Dylan are twenty years old. They're engaged. Fang finds out about it on THE DAY of the wedding, from a flock in chaos. What happens if he's halfway around the world and the ceremony begins in an hour?
Max's Point Of View
"Nudge," I breath slowly, "I feel like I'm about to puke."
"Maybe we shouldn't have let her eat all those chocolate chip cookies Dr. M made," Angel frowned.
Ella sighed, "Max, it's wedding jitters. You're nervous. Maybe we should have took you out on a bachelorette party like how Iggy and Gazzy took out Dylan. Maybe it would've helped with... this."
"I," I squeaked, not at all sounding like I should. It didn't sound like Maximum Ride. Then again, neither does marriage. "I don't know what I'm doing! How do I get married? They're outside! I have two hours, Ella, two hours! Nudge isn't done with that awful make-up of hers -" Nudge protested while I kept going, not stopping because of her disagreeing with me, as I already knew she would, "- and I'm in a dress! And the dress itself, Ella! It feels a size too small. No, a size too big. No! It just doesn't feel right!" I kept rambling, doing a Nudge-worthy speech. I couldn't help it. If I didn't, I think I just would have thrown up in place of the scrambled up words.
Angel sighed, "Max," She looked at me. She was almost thirteen. She was my flower girl. She was my baby. Yet she didn't act like it anymore. She hasn't acted like a child since... well, ever really. But she stopped acting the way I was used to when I told her and Ella and Nudge that I was engaged. That was two years ago, when I turned eighteen. She said, "You are ready for this. It's been long enough. Stop hesitating. We told you we would support you always. We may not agree with it, but we would always support you. You're practically our mother - all of us, not including Ella, obviously, considering she's your half-sister. But Max. You are ready for this. Ready for marriage. Ready for parent-hood, which will no doubt come from this, and ready for it all. You already have been for years."
"Yeah," Nudge piped, "You raised us single-handed. You were our mother, even if it was not biologically. You are ready Max. Ever since you were a fourteen, fifteen, year old girl... however it happened, Max, you were ready then and now you're ready still. Don't back out of this. You wanted it. Dylan proposed when you were already ready. And now it is time to take that leap off the building - just like how you taught Dylan to fly. Max... it's your wedding day. You should get to be happy. You should be with the one you love. And you told Dylan yes, Max. You love him. Don't you, Max?"
And suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I had been calming down, doing great considering who I am, but when she said that... all I could think was 'Do I? Do I really love Dylan?' and when I thought of love, it wasn't Dylan who I would be thinking about... but that's not right. I'm getting married today... and it is to Dylan. I can't do this to him... I can't be thinking of... someone else... on our wedding day... I can't be thinking of... Fang.
Fang's Point Of View
I was flying and not thinking about what I was doing. Instead, my thoughts were on a girl. Not just any girl, though. It was always the same girl. It was always Max. She was always the only one on my mind.
I sighed and felt a buzzing on my lower left. That's where I put my phone... I pulled it out and looked at it. There was an unidentified number calling me. I sighed, opening it.
"Hello?" I said.
"Fang?! Oh my gosh, it worked, Angel, it worked! He's on the phone," Only one person I knew could ever say so much in a single breath and still have breath to spare. That person was a mocha-skinned girl named Nudge.
Suddenly, it wasn't Nudge on the phone, but Angel. And she didn't sound so small anymore... She'd be about twelve or thirteen now, wouldn't she...? Angel said, "Fang?! Fang! You have to come home. You have to come fast. Max it's - she's -"
"Angel?!" Suddenly, I was worried. What was wrong with Max? Was she hurt?! I said, "Angel, what's wrong? What's going on with Max, Angel?"
"Marriage!" Angel gasped.
That one word made me forget to flap for a moment. I caught myself before I plummeted to the hard cold concrete below, saying, as calmly as I felt I possibly could, "What about marriage?" She didn't respond. "Angel!" I growled, "What about marriage?!"
"She's getting married today." I heard Angel whisper. "And she's getting married to Dylan."
"What?" It felt like I couldn't breathe. I fell thirty feet from the altitude I'd been in before I remembered to use my wings. Max. My Max. She was getting married. No... She couldn't be. She can't get married. And to Dylan?! No. No! He doesn't deserve her. No one deserves her... but me. I made a split decision. Taking a deep breath I told Angel, "Angel, I want you and Nudge and the whole flock to help me."
I heard Angel tell Nudge to get the guys and bring them there. I heard her tell Nudge exactly what I just told her. Angel said to me, sounding much older than she should, "What do you want us to do, Fang?"
"Stall the wedding for as long as you possibly can. I'm coming there."
Angel's Point Of View
As soon as Fang told me that he was coming here I knew what was going on. He didn't want max married any more than we - the rest of the flock minus Max - did. Sure, we told her we loved the idea of it. Nudge gushed for hours nonstop about bridesmaids and flower girls and maid of honors and weddings and dresses and so much more that even I couldn't keep up. I wanted Max to be happy - we all did. But the thing was, even though Dylan was made for her... he just wasn't Fang. And Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and I all knew how Max felt for Fang. I had to hear it... but even Iggy - a blind pyro! - could see that they had loved each other. But damn Fang had left Max heartbroken and Dylan had been there and... ugh. Now we were here, getting ready for Max's wedding, and it's not for her and Fang, it's for her and Dylan!
Biting my lip, I told Fang where we were and I literally heard his breath leave him.
I asked, "What's wrong, Fang?"
"I'm halfway across the world from where you are." I heard him say.
I took a deep breath and said, "you have one hour before the wedding is supposed to happen and I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold it off. Fang... Max and Dylan might already be married by the time you get here."
"I have to try."
Those were the last words I heard before he hung up and I was left to stall a wedding. Oh boy.
Gazzy's Point Of View
"Angel," I looked at my blonde, pretty little sister, "what's going on? Why did Nudge blow a cork coming to get us and babbling about how you needed to talk to us?"
Nudge whined, "Hey! I do not babble, Gazzy. I was just telling you about how Angel was on the phone and the other person on the phone - you'll never believe this - but it was Fang and we had finally been able to reach him after all this time and -"
Iggy slapped a hand over Nudge's mouth saying, "Nudge, please let us keep our ears intact."
She blushed and nodded.
Angel took a deep breath and said, "We're going to stall a wedding."
I gave her a confused look, "Why? We've known it was going to happen for the past two years, why stop it now? If we wanted it to not happen, wouldn't we have just nipped it in the bud or however that saying goes?"
Angel sighed, "Yes, Gazzy, but we have to. We have to do this, not for us, but for Fang and Max."
"Fang? How is this for Fang, Angel? He's not even here right now," Iggy sighed. He wouldn't admit it, but he really missed Fang. We all did.
"Yeah, Angel," I said, "How is it for Fang?"
Her next words shocked me, "He's coming back."
Nudge's Point Of View
I listened intently to what Angel said. I decided to try and hold my tongue for once... it's really hard...
Angel said, "Fang wants us to stall the wedding until he can get here. So we need a plan."
Iggy said, "bombs."
Gazzy smiled, a sparkle in his eye, "Gas bombs."
"Good, good," Angel said, crinkling her nose slightly. She obviously thought it was a good idea, but didn't like the thought of being with in the proximity of it.
Ella walked in and suddenly, we all hushed up, not making a sound as we all looked at her. She noticed right away that something was off. Ella said, "What's going on?"
"Nothing," I said, a bit too quickly.
Angel gave me a look and I felt a little guilty.
Ella gave me a strange look, "No, something is up. That's the least I've ever heard you say, Nudge. I repeat my earlier question: what is going on?"
"Answer this first," Iggy said, biting his lip, "do you really want Dylan to be your brother in law?"
She looked started, but her answer was what shocked me. "No."
Iggy said, "Do you want the wedding to continue like this?"
"No," Ella sighed, looking at the floor guiltily.
"Do you want to help us stop it?"
"Yes."
Max's Point Of View
I took deep breaths, just like Mom told me to. I asked, "Where did Ella go? Where's Nudge? And Angel? What about the boys? Are they even with Dylan? Oh, damn, what if they all ran off without me?!"
Mom said, "Max, honey, calm down. It's okay. Dylan is in the other room, getting ready. It's half an hour from the time you have to walk out. The girls are probably all together and doing something to make today all the more special. Ella is probably just helping Angel with getting into her flower girl ensemble and Nudge is probably doing someone's hair and making them look nice. Everything will be perfect, Max. Today is your day. Today is your wedding day. Be happy, Max."
I took even deeper breaths and slowly breathed them out, my eyes closed. I opened my eyes and looked at my mom. "Thank you, Mom."
As soon as she turned away though, heading to the restroom, I started to think again. Am I really ready for this? Do I really want to marry Dylan..?
Ella's Point Of View
Angel looked happy. It looks like everything is in order. Gazzy had planted stink bombs all over the room - in corners, on the roof, under chairs, even inside of some things. Iggy had came up with a perfect distraction plan for just before the 'here comes the bride' music starts to play. Blind boy's got it on... Nudge has planned a 'looks crisis' and Angel's got a 'mind-throbbing' idea. It was really awesome when they explained everything to me. And, as I'm Max's maid of honor - she said it was since we were sisters - I have a job as well. Talk to Max and make things seem like they're going great, just so that she won't believe anything would go wrong. Of course, I got the least glamorous job...
Angel told me, "Go talk to Max now, Ella, it's almost time for operation 'Stall the Wedding' to be put into motion."
I nodded and did as told.
Iggy's Point Of View
As soon as I heard Angel's whisper of 'go,' I let out a strangled cry. I put my hands to my sightless eyes and yelled, "My eyes! They're burning! It hurts!" And I kept going. Soon, people were panicking and I wasn't the only one screaming.
Angel's Point Of View
After I told Iggy to do his thing, I waited two minutes before going into my own action plan.
I screeched, clutching my head, hard, "My head! It feels like it's being torn open!" I screamed an ear-splitting screech. Then I screamed a higher pitch and it was a blood-curdling scream. I continued to stage my head pains.
Gazzy's Point Of View
After five minutes of watching people panic, I activated my stink bombs, pressing a small button on a wall where I had connected each of the detonators with Iggy's help. As soon as the room was filled with the retched odors of my bombs, I faked a faint and fell in the middle of it all. Everything was going as planned.
Max's Point Of View
I heard screams and I recognized them. I heard Iggy's cries and I felt numb. I heard Angel's scream and it made my blood run cold. She sounded like she was dying. I didn't care that I was in a dress. I didn't care that I was supposed to let people do last-minute touch-ups to my dress and make-up and hair. I just didn't care. All I knew was that I had to get to my baby. I had to get to my family. I had to save my flock from whatever it was out there.
Fang's Point Of View
Damn it! I checked my phone to see the time and cussed. I was out of time. I was still two states over. I pushed my wings as hard as I could, but it hurt. It was excruciatingly painful. But the thought of Max... married to someone else... married to Dylan. It was much more painful than my wings.
I pushed myself harder. I had to make it.
Nudge's Point Of View
I forced my tears to come to my eyes and fall down my cheeks as I screamed and ran around the room, pulling and tugging at my previously-beautiful and now-horrendous hair.
I saw Max run out of her room, Ella and Dr. M following closely behind. Dr. M looked worried, Ella was faking worry, and Max looked crazed. I could see in her eyes that she was having mixed emotions and I knew it was time to make it even worse. I ran towards her, keeping up my 'looks crisis' problem.
Max saw me and I started to scream and cry and yell at her about my hair and my make-up and how my dress wasn't right and, even to myself, I sounded like a blubbering baboon. But this was my part of the mission.
Angel's Point Of View
Everything was working out exactly how it should. The wedding was in complete and utter chaos. I felt terrible for doing this to Max.. to Dylan.. but I knew it was right. I had to do it. For Fang. He loves Max and Max loves him. The wedding had to be stopped.
With those thoughts, I screamed louder and put as much feeling as I could into it. I could be a little actress.. I gripped my head and screeched.
Fang's Point Of View
I was one state away... I could make it. I pushed myself harder, but then I realized my mistake. I felt my wing tear. And suddenly I was dropping from the sky, plummeting to the earth. I tried to slow down, using as much of my other wing as possible, but it didn't work. I felt my other wing tear. I was lucky that I fell on top of a tree - my fall could've been much worse. But I was slowly bleeding out with two broken wings and an ache in my heart. I pulled myself up. I had to get to Max. I couldn't let it happen... She can't marry him. Dylan isn't supposed to be the man on her arm... It's supposed to be me.
Dylan's Point Of View
"Max?! Max!" I cried, looking around desperately. I had to find her. The wedding wasn't going as planned. We were supposed to have said our 'I do's ten minutes ago. I searched the wrecked room to find utter turmoil. Gazzy was passed out on the ground, surrounded by what looked like... gas..? I saw Iggy, too. He was holding his eyes and crying, yelling about a burning in his pupils. Angel.. she was screaming at such an octave that I felt queasy. My legs felt like jello and my stomach rolled so much I wanted to hurl. It was awful. I continued to search the room to find Nudge was screaming and crying and yelling and the waterworks were full-on working as she tugged at a bird's nest of hair and a ripped dress. Make-up was all over her face - smudged and not in the fashion she seemed to have wanted it, seeing as she was bawling so much. Then I noticed who she was with, and I started to run towards them, "Max!"
Angel's Point of View
Oh no. I saw Dylan running towards Max and I saw the guy who reads the whole what's-it-called before they say 'I do' (don't judge me, I'm still a kid! An advanced kid, yes, but still a kid!) making his way towards them, holing his nose to try and block out Gazzy's fumes.
I screamed as loud as I possibly could, hurting my throat in the process. I saw Max's eyes dart over to me and I started to choke and I coughed, spitting onto the floor. Now, it really did hurt..
Where was Fang?!
Fang's Point Of View
I crawled, pulling myself over the concrete ground below me, despite my aching limbs. I was a mile away.. Just a mile away...
Angel's Point Of View
I cried. I really cried. It wasn't fake. I really was hurting now as I tried to make them stop, screaming my lungs out and choking and coughing and spitting on the ground as I lay, crumpled against it.
I watched as Max saw me and her features were boiling. I could see how she wanted to come to me, to come and hold me and help me. But then, Dr. M... she told Max something and I used my mind powers to know she was telling Max and Dylan to say their 'I do' things while telling Ella to come and help me.
Damn it! Where the hell was Fang?!
Fang's Point Of View
I could see the building... It was so close. I pushed myself harder despite the fact that it felt like I was being killed slowly with each centimeter I pulled myself past. I had to stop Max from marrying him... I can't let her marry Dylan.
Angel's Point Of View
It wasn't happening... It can't be happening. No! No, no, no, no, NO!
I watched as Dylan said, "I do."
And then the man asking them... he turned to Max.
I tried to scream for them to stop, going to it as a last resort, but I couldn't. My throat was on fire. It hurt... really, really bad.
Ella pulled me to her, tears falling down her face, "We were too late, Angel. He's too late. It's happening. It really is.."
Damn it Fang!
Fang's Point Of View
I groaned. I was right at the door. I pushed it as hard as I could. But my heart stopped as soon as I heard the words. I watched as Max... She said them.
She was looking at Dylan as she said, "I do."
The guy beside them told them, "You may now kiss the bride."
And my world crumbled before me. Dylan kissed Max. There was a ring on her finger.
I was too late.
And my heart was in excruciating pain.
All I could think was the same exact four words. Over and over and over again...
I. Was. Too. Late.
