Chapter 1 ----------------------

I had lost quite a bit of blood. I thought I had to get it out. Stop it Max! Now! Leave it. There's nothing you can do. Trying to cut it out of your arm is pointless. And it certainly won't make you feel better. Don't be an idiot, Max. The voice was right and I didn't ever think I'd live to see the day to where I admitted to that. I sat, lost with my head in my knees and my arm a red river. It's because of this were constantly being chased, beaten down, always moving from place to place. Never having a place to call home, never having that one place to just sway. And it's my fault. My fault we were constantly being tracked, my fault. The only two words strung to my chest. My fault. You're the leader. And you've failed. I'm putting the flock in danger. Maybe if I took myself out of the picture, then they'd be better off. Had I completely lost faith? I wasn't sure but I did know that I had completely lost sight of who I was, completely lost sight of who I was becoming. And the voice, to which did not belong to me. Irritating a storm in my head, every thought was thunder and the headache was back. I had to get away from the flock. For I couldn't let them see the failure that seemed to flush my face leaving nothing but a trail of nothing. Nothing, nothing at all. That was my plan, because this time there was no plan. Max, losing hope will get you nowhere. Sitting here, doubting your leadership is getting you nowhere. You're wasting time. Get back to your flock. Show them you know what you're doing. Even if you don't have the slightest idea of what may come next. Go with the flow. Figure it out. My arm burned. The cut ran deep. I was feeling nauseas. My stomache was an empty crown box and the smell of the blood that stained my arm was getting to me like paint. "Max! Oh my god! I've honestly been worried shitless. I have looked bottomless for you! You just kind of took off-" He stopped mid sentence and glanced at the blood on the floor, my wings; The blood on shirt. Fang just looked at me with a horrified expression. "Max, what the hell happened to you-"I didn't even have to answer him. Being sherlocke himself soon enough he figured it out. Tearing off his shirt, and pulling me in to his lap; yanking my arm towards him. "ughh Ow. Hell. Ow." I screamed. He wrapped my arm and the bleeding came to a dam. And the color flushed back to my cheeks. "Max." One word was all he said. One word He said as if he was about to break down. "What the hell. Max. Were you thinking?" "That's it. I wasn't." "The hell you weren't!" "I dont know. It feels like i dont know Anything anymore FANG! But now i know why they keep finding us!!" I explained glancing toward the blood soaked shirt. The chip. "NO! Definitely not, Max. Whacking your arm off is not going to fix this problem. See no? That would kill you. And that Maximum would kill me. And eventually lead to the whole flock getting marched off by Erasers. We need you Max!" His voice cracked," I need you! And i cant afford for you to go around playing IDIOT!" And that's all it took. All it took for the sobs to find their way to my throat. And I fell into his bare chest. Tears, something I hadn't witnessed for so long because I was trying to stay strong. Building a wall, a wall that bottled up fear and emotion. So they wouldn't get to me. Get to the flock. But that wall just about fell and the emotions came tumbling down. And I broke. And Fang-Always the one who cared about that type of stuff. Always the one asking me if I wanted to talk.-held me and let me cry myself-out...

Fangs POV:
She must have cried herself to sleep because I looked down to find Max eyes closed and her body limp in my arms. Her face looked beaten down and confused. This was not the Max I recognized. Her cheeks were lacking color and she seemed so brittle, so breakable. I could tell by the way shes been acting that she was giving up on herself and I wasnt going to stand by and let that happen. The sun was falling and night was lurking. I had to get back to the flock, so they didnt start to worry. Iggy being blind and all, had zero patience and was probably pacing the cabin as we speak. So I picked her up, carefull not to wake her and flew.
I carefully shut the door behind me. When Iggy bombarded me with questions, "Where the hell have you been? Dear lord Fa--"
"Shhhhhhhh! Dude. Iggy Shes sleeping, I found her."
"Oh, sorry. Didnt see her."
"Yah no kidding."
I walked her back to the bedroom and put her on my bed, seeing Angel must have fallen asleep in hers. I threw the sheet over her, and took off her shoes.

Max's POV:
Half asleep. I was confused, where was I? Fang must have ... but i didnt even remember falling asleep. It was all a rush. Thats when I realized I wasnt in my room. I was in Fang's. I sat up straight, thats when I heard footsteps, Fang. "Oh hey, sorry didnt mean to wake you." He went to the cuboard and grabbed a shirt pulling it over his chest. "S'okay. Fang?"
"Thank you." He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He patted my leg and smiled.

"I'm sorry I lost it."
"Well it was About time, Max it's okay. It's okay to cry. Its okay to feel lost. So stop alright? Stop trying to hold it all in. You're strong, but you're not that strong."
"But Fang, I don't know anymore. I don't know what to do. Not this time. They'll find us. We can't just keep running. I don't have a plan this time." It hurt to admit.
"And that's okay too! We'll figure it out Max! We always do. Now I need you to stop thinking you're alone in this. Where ever we go its always going to be home. Where ever it's all six of us. Where ever were together. We're family. You're the leader for a reason. And that's not because you're always the one with the plan so stop! We love you. I love you, all six of us Maximum Ride. We're in this together. " He put his hand behind my neck nealing down on one knee then pulled me into an embracing hug. Kissing my forehead, he held me tight.
Looking at my arm. "Ya I should probably rebandage that, before you go back to sleep Max." Remembering what happened sent a storm of emotion my direction. He left to get the first aid kit.

Kneeling on my bed. He slipped his T-shirt of my arm and winced, looking at my cut. It was deep, good thing we heal fast. "Jesus, MAX. Promise me?! Dammnit Max. Promise me, you wont ever try anything like this again!" I could taste the venom in his voice. He was angry with me, and my arm was radiating with pain. It hurt even to wiggle my fingers. "Ok, It was stuiped and reckless. I promise Fang. Im sorry." His expression was unreadable. He almost looked in pain. "Are you okay Fang? Are you mad at me?" "Hell. Yes Max what do you expect? You would have died if i didnt find you! Just like that. You could have left me. Just like that. Did you even care to think how that would have made me feel? Huh? Did you Max? You couldnt have honestly thought that you could have gotten that chip out of your arm? God, your so selfish sometimes." His voice cracked and he was almost to tears. Barrying his face in his hands. Comforting him, I rubbed my hand throught his hair. And he placed both his hands on mine. Fang sounded as if he was in love with me? Was it possiable that I.... No. No he's like my brother.... Right?

Fangs POV:
I really doubt she understood the effect she had on me. "Fang I can go sleep in my room?"
"Hah, yeaz no you cant. Angel and Total. And im on watch for the next 4 hours anyway, then Nudge takes next."
"Well, you can just sleep in here then. After your shift i mean. Theres plenty of room." I was surprised, Max tends to likes her space. "Hmph, Yah I guess thats easier anyways, After what happened tonight. Theres noway ill be leaving you in a room by yourself. Ya-nomam not after that little stunt you pulled. But Anyways get some sleep, Ill see you later."

Letting Nudge sleep in, I came in 5 hours later. I closed my bedroom door and slipped in the bed to find Max still up, tossing and turning. "Max? How are you still up? Does your arm hurt?"
"Yeah it feels like there's pins in it. Plus im too stressed, I cant think straight."
"Then stop thinking Max. Dont dwell, we'll figure it out in the morning." She continued to squirm. "Max? Come here." I dragged her by her good arm over to me. I whispered in her ear. "Stop okay? Its going to be fine. Everything will be fine." I reasured her. She didnt scoot away from me though. She scooted closer. I noticed this, and brought my arm around her. After about 5 minutes. She was out, drifting off into the still night. Asleep in my arms, for the second time tonight. I breathed her in, knowing this moment wouldnt last. Nothing good lasts forever so I let the night take me. Bracing myself for whatever the morning was to bring.