A/N: Chapter 2! I have nothing else to say, except I just wrote 2 chapters in 1 day. I'm so great. Feel free to worship at my feet. Naw, I don't roll like that.
I wanted to ask what was going on, but Fang had firmly grabbed me just above my elbow. He launched up into the sky, snapping out his midnight black wings. He flew faster than I had ever seen him go before, and this was while carrying me. I heard a high pitched beep, and Fang sharply tugged me toward him and wrapped his arms in an X across my back.
"Hold on!" He shouted over the ear piecing hum, which had grown much louder since I had first noticed it. A frantic undertone in Fang's voice told me this was serious. I clenched my eyes shut and wrapped my arms in a safety hold around Fang's waist.
A split second later, the loudest blast I had ever heard send us barrelling backwards, cartwheeling through the air. I held Fang tighter, knowing that both of us would die if I let go. If I screamed, I couldn't hear it. The heat was unbearable. I thought I felt us hit something solid, but it might have been my senses going crazy.
Fang unfurled his wings, and they caught the force of the blast, steadying us. He began beating them, so they would clear away the thick dust. I pressed my face into his chest as he flew us higher, until we were above the smoke. We panted heavily, our breaths falling in perfect time. I opened my eyes, looking straight into his. What I saw made me cry for the first time in forever.
His entire face was covered in ash and dirt. The whites of his eyes stood out against the dark brown and black. His hair was charred a bit at the tips, and caked with grime and filth. I drew a quick breath when I saw the deep gash on his cheek dripping blood. I guess we did hit something. But it wasn't any of those things that made me cry. It was the look on his face.
In all the time I had known Fang, so forever, I had never seen any significant emotion on his face. Maybe he would raise an eyebrow or grin or frown, but everything looked about the same. But not now. Now, he looked terrified. Absolutely terrified. I don't know if it was the huge explosion or how Max noticed it just in time or what, but he looked shocked and petrified. Out of every adjective in the world, I never thought either of those would be used to describe Fang. He was always so calm and collected, so when he looked like this, you knew it was bad.
"Oh, my God." I gasped, tears rolling down my cheeks. It was a weird feeling; I wasn't sobbing, just crying. We landed on an overhang and I let go of Fang, clearing some dirt off his face and hoping some of the uncharacteristic expression would come off too.
Fang still held me as I desperately tried to bring his face back to normal. I don't know why I thought I could wipe his expression off. I was freaking out, okay?
"Please, please don't look like that." I cried desperately, he moved one hand to my face, cupping it and using his thumb to dry my tears. He gave a very slight, weak smile, trying to tell me he was okay. He brushed his hand over my hair, which had miraculously stayed in the braid. Once I had mellowed out a bit, I asked, "What just happened?"
"Let's go find Max. I'll explain on the way." He squeezed my shoulder and ran off the edge, opening up his wings and flying up and out. I smiled and did the same. Note to self: next time you're faced with a near-death experience, go jump off a nice cliff. It soothes the emotions. Well, not if you didn't have wings, but whatever.
"Someone dropped a bomb on us. Max must've seen it hit the ground." Fang explained briefly. My eyebrows shot to my hairline.
"That means someone's tailing us." I said apprehensively. Fang nodded. "Bet it was Dr. Hans." We said at the same time. I don't know what's with that- the same thing happens with Max and Dylan.
"Ambuuuuush!" I familiar voice screamed from overhead. I looked up just in time to see Gazzy drop down on me, causing me to drop about 20 feet.
"Gaz? Where'd you go?" I heard Iggy call from up above me. I slowly flew up toward him and yanked down hard on his foot, causing him to freak out. I heard Gazzy's cheeky giggles, and even Fang laughed. Okay, he more so let out a breath really loud, but that was a laugh in the world of the Fang.
"So not fair, Fee." Iggy glared in my general direction. Wow. This flock does a lot of glaring. We should probably go to some family councillor or something about that. Yeah, that would go over well. Our rudeness is part of our dysfunctional charm. A few minutes later, we were flying in perfect formation, a giant bird-kid sandwich.
"Did Max take Angel?" I asked Fang, since during that whole ordeal I was being carried into the sky and couldn't really see.
"Yeah." He replied. Thank God. Can you imagine what kind of trouble Angel and Nudge would get in if they were left alone together? Nudge told me about the last time she and Angel were home alone. Angel bleached Nudge's hair.
"So we need to- Dylan!" I cried as I spotted Dylan and Nudge flying off in the distance. I pulled out of the formation and sped toward them.
"Fiorela! Dylan waved. I was beaming, but as I got closer I realized that something was wrong. Dylan looked more distressed than happy. My expression changed to quizzical.
"What's wrong?" I asked, slowing down to a walking pace. Nudge drifted closer, clutching her wrist and crinkling her face in pain.
"I let go of Dylan and got swept into a wall, or something. I'll be okay; I just need Iggy to help me put it back to normal." She forced a smile. I smoothed her hair back, which was knotted and filthy. Thank God we're going to a hotel with a shower.
"So, did you enjoy your first explosion?" Dylan asked in a mock-cheery voice, swinging his arm in a way that should be paired with the words 'gosh golly'.
"Oh, yeah. Good times." I gave a sarcastic smirk. "I wonder where Max is. I'm getting worried."
"I'll try to talk to Angel. She recognizes my voice right away." Gazzy said proudly. He's the cutest kid ever, isn't he? It's too bad his goal in life is to blow up a planet. A few minutes later, Gazzy spoke up again. "Max has Angel and they're on their way."
"Good. Oh, there they are!" Nudge pointed down, nose-diving towards them. I saw her take Angel's hand as they quickly flew back up to meet us.
"Oh, good. The gang's all here. To Columbus we go!" Max said, clearly wasting no time. I don't blame her. We looked like we lived underground, we were all so dirty. I couldn't wait to wash my hair.
"Lead on, McDuff!" Dylan smirked, pecking Max on the cheek. I saw Fang's jaw clench, and he casually looked away. I felt my heart sink. Why couldn't Fang care about me the same way he cares about Max? I shut that thought down immediately. I couldn't be so selfish.
After about 2 hours of flying, we touched down behind our hotel. We checked each other to make sure our wings weren't visible, and went inside. The staff looked at us funny, and I wondered why until I remembered we were all coated in grungy dirt. I laughed in spite of myself. We probably looked like freaks. Well, we kind of are, so…
"Hi, we booked rooms 721 and 722? Max and Dylan Martinez?" Max told the woman at the front desk, sounding very much like a business executive. Fang looked at the ground. For him, it was supposed to be Max and Nick. Just like he had told me it was before. The lady just blinked at us.
"Rooms 721 and 722 should be under Dylan and Max Martinez. I'm Dylan and this is Max. Is there a problem?" Dylan said, a little more firmly. The lady shook her head, snapping out of it.
"Oh, yes. Sorry. Ummm… yep. Here you are. Enjoy your stay." She plastered on a fake smile and handed us some room keys. Dylan muttered a thanks and, taking Max's hand, lead us all toward the elevator.
Okay, so picture 8 freakishly tall bird kids and a small dog all crammed in and elevator, looking like they just took a dirt bath. Now picture lame elevator music playing as they all stand around, shuffling their feet. Maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty funny.
The elevator dinged, and we all rushed out of there at record breaking speed. 8 claustrophobic, mucky bird kids in a tiny elevator with the Gasman, self proclaimed King of the Farts? Uh, no thank you.
We rushed to our rooms, the boys in one, the girls in the other. We bulleted through showers, so everyone got a turn. About half an hour later, we were all squeaky clean and congregated in the guys' room.
Gazzy, Nudge and Angel were sprawled out on the floor, watching Cartoon Network. Iggy, Fang and Dylan were playing poker, those losers. Max and I were going over the plan for tomorrow, mostly because everyone else was busy. They were having fun, which doesn't happen that often, so we take what we can get.
"So we'll check out, and then what? We can't just wander aimlessly, right?" I asked. Max sighed and ran her hand through her now smooth and damp hair. We were sitting in the bedroom, where a glass door kept us separated from everyone else.
"I don't know. I was thinking Canada. No bad stuff ever happens there, right?" Max shrugged. I didn't feel like filling her in on all the kidnappings and law suits that had been happening lately. That would just make matters worse.
"I guess." I said, only half listening. I was actually looking over Max at Fang, who looked gorgeous as ever now that he was cleaned up. Fang looked up, and I instinctively shot my head down. I peered back up again, and realized he had actually been making cow eyes at Max.
"What?" Max said, looking back. Fang looked back down at his cards. I sighed, trying to keep myself from crying.
"He looks at you, you know." I told Max glumly, who raised her right eyebrow in confusion.
"Who?" She asked, trying to sound like she didn't care.
"Fang. I see him staring at you while I'm staring at him. He still loves you, Max." I informed her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then they crinkled together in the middle.
"But he's with you!" Max protested, not wanting to believe it. Well, believe it, sister. He loves you, not me. I thought.
"Because he has to be. Trust me, he likes me, but he loves you." I nodded gloomily. She looked kind of pissed off about that. I don't know if it was because Fang liked her, or because she didn't like him.
"Well, that's nice for him, then. We're never going to get back together, and he knows it. I did love him, but not anymore. Not since he messed up so royally. So you can have him." Max ranted, and I wondered who she was trying to convince- me or herself.
"I know he knows that. And I know he hurt you really badly. What he's feeling for you is the same as what I'm feeling for him. Like you're never going to have a full on, head over heels relationship. Like whatever you do, you'll never be good enough. I know it's not your fault, Max, but I just wish he could get some closure. You know? Like if you just told him upfront that you just don't feel the same?" I explained, majorly beating around the bush.
"That's the thing. I don't want to have to tell him that. You know what? He gave me a promise ring. And even after he took off and ripped my freaking heart out, I still kept it. I have it with me all the time. I just don't want it to be like this. We used to be so in love, Fee. Why is it like we don't know each other now?" Max flopped down backwards on the bed.
"You don't know what it's like. I'm actually programmed to not be able to resist Fang. You two could still be together, but I would still need him to be whole. You guys are the lucky halves. You were created feeling whole. I never do, unless I'm with Fang. Do you know how hard it is for me that he only feels whole around you? I'm not trying to be obnoxious, but please talk to him." I begged, mentally slapping myself for sounding so whiney.
"I'll try. Don't blame me if it doesn't work." Max sighed after a long pause. I collapsed into the desk chair.
"Thank you. You have no idea how important that is for me." I almost cried I was so happy. Finally, Fang would know for sure that he couldn't be with Max.
As selfish as that sounds, he kept beating himself up about it. I remember when he was teaching me to fly; we saw Max and Dylan holding hands and kissing up in a tree. He said he needed air, which was dumb because we were already outside. I followed him, and he was punching the crap out of a tree until his knuckles bled, swearing loudly. Then he just sat on the ground, staring into nowhere and absentmindedly folding leaves up into little squares. That was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him. He has no idea I saw him.
"Let's get this over with, then." Max groaned, opening the door and plastering on a fake smile. I casually walked past her and sat beside Iggy on the couch.
"Hey, Fang? Can you give me a hand in here?" Max called in a very chill voice. She was quite the actress. Or she was a liar. What's the difference?
"I'll help you-" Dylan started. I shot him a threatening glance. Getting the idea, he shut up.
"It's cool. I got it." Fang said in a very lax tone. I knew his heart was beating faster than usual and his palms were sweating. He had it bad. He got up and went into the bedroom/office. Max shut the door. Not that it mattered, since at least Iggy and I could hear what they were saying. Lets hear it for acute hearing, folks.
"We need to talk." Max told him. He hesitated for a second, and then I saw him nod. "Okay, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. I love you, Fang. I probably always will. But you screwed it up, and you know it. It hasn't been the same since you left. Things have been super freaking awkward. So let's just clear the air, okay?" Fang nodded again. "You say what you have to, and then I'll say what I have to, alright?"
"Okay. This freaking sucks. I can't believe how stupid I am. I should've told you before I left. I know that. And I know you felt like crap after, which is actually kind of flattering. But it wasn't easy on me, either. I cried, Max. I cried for the first time in my entire life. Imagine what it would be like if you left Dylan," He said Dylan as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world. "And you had no idea where he was or how he was doing. That's how hard it was on me." Well, Iggy and I were awestruck after that. Fang had never said that much in one go before, and the fact that he was talking about feelings made it that much more weird. Wait… he cried?
"He speaks!" Iggy muttered to me. I nodded slowly. Dylan, clearly getting a bit freaked out, got up and sat on the floor with Gazzy, Nudge and Angel. Nudge began rapidly explaining to him what had happened so far in whatever show they were watching.
"I know it was hard for you. Imagine if it had been reciprocal, if I had left you. Can you even contemplate how bad the freaking hurt? You had a choice in this, Fang. I didn't." Max hissed, evidently getting really pissed off. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all…
"I'm sorry, Max. If I could go back, I would. I know things can never be the same, but can we just try to put it behind us? Do it for my mental health." Fang pleaded. I had never seen him more desperate before. Clearly, neither had Iggy, whose eyebrows were cocked, as if he wasn't sure that was really Fang talking.
"Okay." They shook hands and hugged for a second. Fang looked like he never wanted to let go. "But just so we're clear, I'm in love with Dylan, and Fiorela is in love with you. Do with that what you will." Max said, walking toward the door like she owned it. Fang just sat there on the bed, staring at me. Instead of looking away like I normally do, I just stared back. Things are going to be a lot different.
A/N: That was the longest chapter I've ever written! It's six and about a third pages and 3005 words long! That's pretty good, judging by my other stories. Hopefully, chapter 3 will be done today. My goal is to do a chapter a day, but let's see how that goes. R&R!