Overheard

Nudge tells Max that she overheard Dylan telling Fang to leave. What will Max's reaction be?

Nudge POV - 7 months ago.

I came out of the kitchen and started to stroll past the balcony but I stopped in my tracks when I saw Dylan walk out and stand by Fang. I frowned. They hate each other. I ducked under the window and started to listen to their conversation.

"Are you really in danger?" I heard Dylan ask Fang.

"I don't know. Maybe"

"How can you stay here?" I clasped my mouth at that, shocked.

"What do you mean?" I heard Fang whisper.

"If you're in danger, then someone's coming after you, right?" I was so shocked that I couldn't move. "And if your standing right next to, lets say, Gazzy, then Gazzy's in danger too, right?"

I could practically feel Fangs stare on Dylan. "What are you getting at?"

"Your putting everyone else in danger" Dylan said gravely and I shuddered. "Your putting Max in danger. Doesn't it upset you?"

I was just going to shout that of course it would upset him, he loves her when I felt Fangs mood change slightly.

"I'm not going to discuss my feelings with you, I've got news for you pal, Max has been in danger pretty much everyday of her life, with a few notable exceptions. She knows how to deal with danger. We all do" I could really feel the tension.

"Max isn't indestructible, none of us are. If we can avoid danger, we should. We don't need to sit and wait for it to come"

There was silence, I looked through the window to see Fang just staring at Dylan. Dylan took another breath.

"If I were you," he spoke. "I'd be doing everything I could to keep Max safe" I saw emotion cross his face and I could tell Fang was confused. "But it's bigger than that," he continued. "Max is the key to this whole flock surviving, According to Jeb, Max is the key to the whole world surviving. Sure, Angel was the leader for a couple of days, and she's a strong kid. But she's no Max. The rest of the flock needs Max_ more than you need her"

"I know that!" Fang burst out, he was getting irritated now.

"Any one of us is dispensable," Dylan said. "If I disappear, I'm not even a blip on the screen. I know that. If you disappear, Max would be bummed, the flock would have lost a great fighter, but the flock would still be here. But without Max, how long do you think the flock would hold together? Even with you leading it? Would Dr. Martinez still be looking out for you? Would the CSM still be throwing houses your way? Would you gave a single freaking clue about what to do?"

I could hear that Dylan's voice was steadily rising and now he was completely focused on Fang, each word pelting him like a stone. I could believe Dylan was saying this, the flock would survive fine because no-one was going to die. How could he tell Fang he was being selfish, even if it wasn't in so many words. If Fang left. Dylan would make a move for Max, which I nor anyone else would never allow. There was only one soul mate for Max and that was Fang.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," Dylan spoke again, somewhat calmer. " It's just _ I cant stand the thought of something happening to Max. I cant stand it" I shook my head. " I'm designed to feel that way"

Everyone knew that Dylan was created to be Max's other half, but no way in the world would she give up Fang for him. They had been through to much to be together to give it all up now. I heard Fang get up so I moved away from the window to the bathroom door.

"I'm gonna get something to eat," I heard him say, then the balcony door closed and I saw Fang. I made it look like I had just came out of the bathroom. "Hey Nudge, you ok?"

"Yeah, just tired."

"Well go for a rest alright, see you" as he left I knew he had a lot on his mind, I knew he would be able to tell that I could tell but it was because I had just heard the entire conversation.

Nudge POV - Present Day

I stared at Max through the window. She was curled up in her bed clutching the only shirt Fang left behind. Bummed? Nah more like heartbroken, distraught, hysterical. She was a shell of her previous self, she never spoke. I sighed and landed on the ground. I walked into the kitchen and bumped into…Dylan.

"Hello Nudge, how was your flight?" I glared at him. "What's wrong?" then I snapped.

"What's wrong? What's WRONG? I'll tell you what's wrong. Max is what's wrong. You did that to her and don't you dare deny it. You said she'd be bummed. Well do you think locking herself in her room, only eating when necessary and crying herself to sleep every night is the definition of bummed?" he looked shocked.

"Wha-oh" he realised that I had overheard the conversation. "Look"

"Didn't think so" I spat before he could finish his sentence and I turned around to face Max who was looking confused, shocked and juts plain terrible. "Max!"

"What was all that about?" she asked quietly and I sighed.

"Max, sit down and I'll tell you" I looked at Dylan who hung his head and I sat Max down. "Well 7 months ago when you were off to find Angel, I overheard a conversation, one between Dylan and…Fang." I saw Max frown slightly. "Dylan asked Fang if he was in danger and Fang said maybe, Dylan then told him all this stuff saying that if he died no-one would care, if Fang died you would be bummed, but if you died the flock would tear apart, he then said he couldn't bare it if you got hurt and that it would be best if Fang left" I stopped speaking to let Max take all this in. We waiting in silence for 5 minutes until Max's head shot up, her eyes glaring at Dylan.

"You made him leave?" she spat and Dylan nodded. "how could you! You KNEW how much I loved him but still, you tell him to leave so you could have me all to yourself. I cant believe this" she collapsed in tears by the sink and I turned to Dylan.

"Get out, "he turned to leave. "Actually, pack your bags, just leave altogether. We'll be fine without you" he nodded and disappeared.

"Nudge" Max sobbed into me. "I need him"

"I know you do, I know you do" I managed to get Max up and into her room, she locked the door when I left and I trudged to the stairs. I stopped outside Dylan's room and peeked inside. All his stuff was gone. I sighed and continued down the stairs just as Angel, Iggy and Gazzy arrived home.

"Hey Nudge" Angel said and I sat on the stairs, all the energy gone from my body. "Nudge?" she walked up to me. Dylan's gone, Max is worse and well I know why Fang left. I thought to her. "Oh dear" Angel sighed next to me and burst into tears. I quickly followed her and soon we were all crying, including the boys.

"What's with the tears?" we heard someone ask and I peeked through my hands that were covering my face to see who spoke. Someone familiar was leaning against the doorframe. I wiped my eyes and looked closer. I frowned, the figure almost looked like…

"FANG!" Angel whisper-yelled and jumped down the stairs to give him a hug.

"Fang?" I whispered just as the boys walked to him.

"Hey Nudge" I smiled and walked down to the bottom of the stairs and ran into a hug.

"Fang I missed you so much" I cried a whole new batch of tears, I saw Angel crying whilst clutching to Fangs other arm.

"I've missed you guys too" he whispered and I let him go, Angel did the same. "Listen, I have some people I want you to meet."

"Who?" Iggy asked curiously.

"Well…come in guys" he said to the door and 5 other kids of different ages walked in. He pointed to the youngest looking girl who had brown hair, like Max's. "This is Minerva, but she likes to be called Minnie" He pointed to a boy who looked around Gazzy's age, with the same colour of hair. " This is Hero and this is his sister Snow" he pointed to a girl around my age with black hair. "And finally, Scratch and Diamond" the other two were a decent age. Scratch looked my age and Diamond was around Max and Fangs age. She had long dark hair that landed by her waist. She was pretty.

"Hey guys, nice to meet you all" I said. Snow stepped forward and pointed to us all, like she was counting.

"There is only four of you, I thought there were 6?" She turned to Fang who looked at me. She turned to me. "where are the other 2?"

"Well, one of them left and the other is in her room" she smiled and headed up the stairs. "Um, she wont come out"

"She'll come out for me, I'll tell her the truth." she disappeared at the top of the stairs and we all sat in silence for 5 minutes until we heard footsteps and Snow reappeared at the top of the stairs, followed by Max. "Told you"

"What did you want to show me?" she whispered and Snow pointed to Fang. Max looked up and almost passed out.

"Your soul mate" she whispered and we all gasped.

"What?" Max asked.

"I have a rather odd gift, I can tell when two people have created a bond and if they are soul mates. You and Dylan aren't soul mates, even if he was made for you. You are Fang are" no-one of us could believe what we were hearing but just went with it. Fang stepped forward and looked at Max.

"I'm so sorry I left Max, can you ever forgive me. Even if we do go back to being friends?" he was showing emotion. I gasped. Emotion. Max walked down the stairs and stopped in front of him.

"I don't want to be your friend Fang," I saw his face drop then I saw Max smile. "I want to be so much more"

Then he kissed her.

Overhearing is fun.