A/N: Hey… hope you like the story… if you love it, REVIEW! If you hate it, REVIEW! I've posted the first four chapters, and once I get FIVE reviews I will post more!

A sudden burst of air from below us ruffled our feathers slightly, carrying us higher above the ground that we only sort of belonged on. Really, we belonged up here. Up in the sky, between the clouds, wings out, soaring and swooping and loving it. If I didn't have to eat and sleep and stuff, I'd probably just fly my whole life. None of that walking crap. Just… flying.

"UFO!" Gazzy screamed from below me. Startled out of my trance, I spun in the air to see Max flapping upward, her face concerned. Suddenly Gazzy laughed. "I totally had you guys!" he said happily. I rolled my eyes and Max did the same, glancing over at me like, save me. I grinned and she looked a little startled. Note to self: smile more often.

We flew for a bit longer in the silence I loved, but I knew Nudge couldn't last much longer. Right on cue, she sighed from behind me. "I wish Iggy could cook while he flew. Wouldn't that be great? He could, like, make us meals in the air. We wouldn't have to stop as much." Um… what? "Don't you, Fang?"

"Sure," I replied. "Does that mean you're hungry?"

"Now that you mention it…" she trailed off. That's what I thought.

"I don't think Max wants to stop for a while longer, Nudge," I said, glancing upward where I knew Max would be flying, a hundred feet above us or so. Actually, from the look on her face, she wasn't going to want to stop for… maybe not ever. Hmm… interesting that we seemed to have been thinking the same thing.

Except I'd wanted to fly forever because of the peaceful atmosphere it created.

She looked more like if she landed she might kill someone. I was a little concerned. I flapped harder, closing the distance between us.

"Oh, my gosh!" Gazzy called just then. "A UFO!" God, if he didn't shut up about the UFOs…

"That was funny the first fifty times, Gazzy. It's getting old," Max said tiredly to the now laughing eight-year-old. Again, I rolled my eyes. Nudge soared upward just then, stealing the small updraft I'd just caught. I scowled slightly.

"Max? How long 'till we get to DC?" I heard Nudge ask Max, who made a face.

"Another hour? Hour and a half?" Max guessed, shrugging. I saw her look over at the rest of the flock; Iggy, Gazzy, and Angel were flying a little ways behind me. Her eyes moved over to me before glancing back out ahead of her. Checking to see if we were all right. As always.

Nudge hung back a little to fly with the other three again and I moved up to Max. "You okay?" I asked, knowing exactly what the answer was but not how she would articulate it.

"In what way? Can you be more specific?" she asked, and I sighed, getting to the point, knowing what was troubling her most and knowing she trusted me enough to let me bring it up.

"Killing Ari," I said quietly, not wanting the others to hear our little conversation. Her face closed down instantly, a tragic expression crossing her face only for a split second before the determined look crossed into her eyes, covering up any weakness she might have. Again, leader mode. I didn't want her to have to do that. Not with me, anyway. "It was you or him," I pointed out. "I'm glad you picked you." She sighed, and I let it drop as Angel appeared below us.

"Do you want me to take him?" Angel asked, referring to the sleeping dog in Max's arms.

"No, that's okay," Max replied, but she didn't look that way. I was just about to swallow my dislike for all things furry and warm and offer to take him when she turned to me, smiling. "I know. Fang will take him." She flapped over, her feathers brushing mine as we flapped together. "Here. Have a dog." Total squirmed a bit before resting his head on my shoulder. He licked my ear and I reminded myself that if I let him drop to his death, Angel would kill me. I glanced up at Max and she looked away quickly, a barely-concealed grin on her lips. Jerk.

We flew for a long time. I was pretty sure the hour and a half Max had guessed was long gone, but I certainly wasn't going to say anything. I shifted Total to my other arm as Max soared down in front of me, dropping vertically and then coming up from behind me to float above me again. I grinned and flapped harder, flipping in the air to face her for a second before spinning back again. The sky was our playground and we were experts. Max laughed as I flew above her in the opposite direction, skimming my wings across her face. I turned to fly forward again, flapping hard to reach her before she got too ahead of me. She smiled and I felt my lips turning upward on their own, the way they often did when Max grinned at me. I turned away, flapping harder to fly in front of everyone. Suddenly, Max groaned.

"Fang! What's that? Behind us, at ten o'clock." I glanced over my shoulder, past the flock…

"To fast for a storm cloud. Too small, too quiet for choppers. Not birds – too lumpy. I give up… what is it?" I asked, looking back to Max's frowning face.

"Trouble. Angel, get out of the way! Guys, heads up… we've got company!" We all turned around wearily to face the dark things coming toward us.

"Flying monkeys?" Gazzy suggested from maybe thirty feet to my left, yelling over the wind in our ears. I missed the next thing he said because something had just occurred to me.

"No. Worse. Flying Erasers," Max replied, coming to the same conclusion.

Well, crap.