Okay…So this Is that story I wasn't sure about posting…But I like it. It's pretty much written from the start until 10+ chapters, so these first ten chapters might be updated pretty quickly, then we run into issues…

I don't ever own Maximum Ride…

CHAPTER ONE

Fang's POV

It was after lunchtime. Time had passed quick today. Unusual. But we were still kind of gathered in the kitchen area. Max was at the computer, doing some long-needed math learning on the educational math websites. Nudge was reading one of the teen girl magazines she was so into, for some odd reason, sprawled across the couch. Gazzy was playing a video game; his favorite, the one with the fighter jets. It was rated T for Teen, but the 8-year-old always seemed to beat Iggy and I and get the highest score…He'd make a great pilot one day. Angel was at the kitchen table, coloring. Iggy was in the armchair, head back, looking in the general direction of the window looking out over the canyon.

I finished the lunch dishes. That was my job. Max did so much around here, and that was one thing I could do that would ease her load just a little bit.

When finished, I sat down next to Angel at the table. She was using her crayons to color a picture Max had printed for her from the computer. She did a perfect job. She stayed in the lines, used the perfect colors. It was an angel. It figured Max would give her that one…

"That's really pretty, Angel." I told her. "Good job."

She looked up at me and smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Fang."

I ruffled up her hair, then moved to the couch, shoving Nudge's legs aside and sitting down. She scowled at me, then exaggerated stretching her legs out over my lap, obviously trying to hit me where I'd rather not be hit. I lightly smacked her leg. She ignored me.

Gazzy passed up to Level 11 on the game. I'd never been that high, of course…I watched him, trying to see his secret to passing…

I glanced at Iggy. He was still staring outside. He'd been doing that lately. Staring at something--well, staring at something like only a blind person can--but not really doing much else. He sat somewhere with his arms crossed, frowning, just looking in the general direction of a window. He hadn't said much. Not normal for him.

Today his eyes were a glazed over shade of blue. They'd always been like that, but it had been getting worse. It was a little disturbing…

"You okay, Ig?" Max beat me to asking him. She had turned around in the chair, looking at Iggy.

He looked up at Max, looking straight at her. He nodded wordlessly.

She glared at him, knowing he couldn't see. She rolled her eyes.

Iggy sensed it. "I'm fine. Really."

Nudge looked away from her magazine and made a face. "Ig, you don't look so good."

He sat back again and looked away, back at the window. "I wouldn't know…Besides, I'm fine."

Max got up, stepped over my legs on the coffee table, and leaned down over him, hands on both arms of the chair. She was stubbornly face-to-face with him. I could tell he knew it, just by the way his nose twitched, but he didn't look at her.

She backed off. Even from behind her, I could tell that her maternal side took over. She pulled his chin up, since he was about 2 feet shorter than her at that slumping position he was in, and made him look at her. She put a hand to his forehead. "You have a fever…" She stroked her thumb under his glazed eyes. "You're pale, and you have dark circles under your eyes like you haven't slept forever…"

He pulled away from her. She scowled. "And you're in a bad mood…I officially declare you sick." She said that like it was the law. Like she was declaring independence from all authority. Which sounded like her actually…

I pushed Nudge's legs over again and got up, standing next to Max. "You heard her, Ig." I said down to him. "You are sick. Go to bed and try to get some sleep."

He stayed, his arms still crossed, still looking away. "I'm not tired."

I raised an eyebrow over at Max. She scowled at me. I turned back to Iggy. "Then we'll drug you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You are so stubborn…"

"I'm stubborn, not sick."

I scowled at him, glanced at Max again. I leaned down, arms around his stomach, and hauled him up over my shoulder as he protested, banging my back like he knew I hated. I ignored him. Angel laughed as I carried him to our room and dropped him on his bed. He landed with a thump and halfway fell off the bed because of my bad aim, which wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been resisting and flailing around so much. He landed on his knees beside the bed. I lightly tapped his shoulder, mentally saying "I'm sorry."

That was usually all that needed to happen to make things okay between us…

Which is why it surprised me when he stood, swung around, and got in my face.

Okay…Not sure what to say…Except that this is the very reason I wanted a fan fiction account, so I could post this, yet it's like the 6th story I've published…

Please review! I'd really love to continue! The action hasn't even started yet!

--Fire wolf12