A/N: Yep, another fairly filler-ishy one, but things start to get a little better after this one, I promise! Just as a note, Fanfiction wouldn't let me respond to ANY PM's or reviews for some reason, so I'm just going to do it here for now, until I can get that sorted ^^ I got loads of REVIEWS for the last chapter, so I was really pleased about that XD And yes, that was a subtle hint for you there. Also, for readers of the Guardian Experiment, there should be an update soon!

Review Replies:

faxgirl: I'm really glad that you're enjoying it so far, and that you took the time to review! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down! ~

BlackAthena: You've been forgiven for a very long time, honey. Just enjoy the story, and don't feel guilty - we all make stupid mistakes, and it means a lot that you've gone out of your way to apologize multiple times! ~

Iced-Tea-XD: Gosh, I hope I just got your username right XD I'm really glad that you understand, and that you're enjoying this one! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down! ~

SplatteredEggs: I think you're pretty much my most faithful reviewer, so it's good to see that you're still here! And yes, the "Puppy Plot" does ultimately have something to do with Total and Akila, just not what you think it does! And yes, stupid Igmeister. Max warned you, silly boy! ~

5253Racer: Sure, that's okay. I'm glad that you're still reading and excited for more! ~

.love: I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it! And thanks, it's a pass-time of mine, so I like that other people enjoy reading what I write. ~

randombookworm: First off, I want to take the time to thank you so much for checking out Broken Reality! It really meant a lot to see that someone from FanFiction had taken the time to head over and not only have a read, but leave me some positive feedback! I know that bits of it don't make sense at the moment, and some of the chapters don't lead onto others, but that's because I'm in the middle of changing the chapter order, so they're all disjointed and confusing ^^ And I can assure you that if Broken Reality - or any of my other novels - were to ever get published, you'd be sick of hearing about it ^^ I'd be telling everyone! ~

-HonoraAngel-: I'd like to start out by saying thanks for taking the time to check this out! And trust me, it's fine that you don't entirely remember the old one, it was posted so long ago! Also, I checked out Expired, and really, really enjoyed it - but since FF won't let me review, I figured I'd have to save all of my positive comments for when it lets me! ~

Miz636: It's great to see you checking out the new story! And I completely understand that you couldn't review properly - it made my day to see that you'd gone completely out of the way to make sure that I got your encouragement. Thanks! ~

Jace'n'FangLover: To answer your questions;

1] Yes. Max, Dylan, Dean and Owen are what you could call a gang, I suppose. The four of them work together to commit crimes and collect money, but it later becomes apparent that there's actually a little kinship there, and not just the crime holding them together. You'll see what I mean.

2] Yes. NICK IS FANG; he's Iggy's best friend, and adopted brother. This will be brought up and explained by Max herself in a later chapter.

3] No. The reason that Max and Iggy are no longer friends is not because he hadn't paid. It stems back a lot further than that - you'll have to wait and see ^^. I think that's it, and I'd like to say that I'm glad that you enjoyed it. ~

IZZLE-G: I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and Fang definately plays a BIG part later! ~

max88301: Thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and I hope this chapter doesn't let you down! ~

River-Fiona-Barrels-Me: Yeah, making Ari a little sweet-and-innocent seven year old was a personal challenge that was set for myself. In the other story, he was a gang member, but I reasoned with myself that, for one, he should of only been seven years old. Eraserfying him changed him into what he was in the books, and even then he showed a good side to him; my aim was to see what could of happened to him. I glad somebody else but me appreciated it! ~

-ƸӁƷ-

Chapter Two

Max

"He said that they were right back here." Ari said, his small hand tugging me forward, deeper into the alley behind the Elementary school. "His mum put them behind the dumpster so a big stray dog wouldn't find them."

He let go of my hand in a vain attempt to drag the dumpster forward, and I grinned a little before helping him. For a second nothing happened, and then the dumpster made a loud grating noise and rolled forward enough for Ari and I to slide comfortably behind it without getting grime all over our clothes.

For a second I didn't see a box, and thought that maybe someone else had picked up the puppies. That was when I heard the yelping; it was a quiet, pitiful sound, and drew me towards a black TV box that I hadn't seen before. Heading over and pulling back one of the flaps, I was disgusted with what I saw.

Apparently the person who had placed the second puppy in the box hadn't been alone in his thoughts, because there was now six tiny little puppies in the bottom of the makeshift shelter. I shook my head, and glanced around before spotting a crate that the people that ran marked stalls used for fruit and the likes.

"Ari, grab that for me, will you?" I asked, pulling out the towels that I'd packed this morning, on an off chance that we found the puppies. I was now glad that I had. Ari dutifully returned with the crate, and I lined the bottom with a couple of towels before picking up the first puppy.

It was shaking with the cold, and I gently wrapped it up in another towel, before doing the same with the other five.

"Alright, little man." I said to Ari, shouldering my backpack once more, and lifting the crate carefully. "Off to school with you. I'll take the puppies home and give them something to eat, and we can go and get some stuff for them when you get home, alright?"

Ari frowned a little. "Are you sure that they'll still be there when I get home?"

I laughed, ruffling his hair. "I promise."

-ƸӁƷ-

I'd pulled a drawer out of the chest that Ari and I shared, and lined it with clothes that neither of us could fit into anymore, before leaving the puppies. I'd fed them a mixture of milk and softened dog food that I'd bought on the way home with the last of my money, and although I knew that they were safe where they were, I couldn't get them out of my mind until lunchtime.

Why lunchtime? Because that was when Iggy made his move. Or, rather, when Nick made it for him.

I was sat at my usual table with Dean and Owen when he headed over; his posture was easy and confident, and he wore his usual blank mask on his face as he headed over - if I hadn't been looking, I'd of missed the way that his jaw was clenched.

Iggy trailed a little behind him, clearly unsure of his adopted brother, and best friend's actions.

The three of us watched them approach with a calm indifference that seemed to work better than ever when compared to the fact that the rest of the school was now watching and whispering. It was better to remain unfazed.

"Alright." He said, as cocky as ever, stopping by my chair as I sat back in it to study him - clearly a lot more relaxed than Dean and Owen, who were both tense and upright in their own chairs. "How much does Iggy owe you."

"Fifty bucks." I answered easily. Nick raised an eyebrow, and dumped the money on the table without another word. For a long moment he stood there, as if debating something, before he leant over to whisper in my ear.

"You are so broken."

It was amazing the effect that such a short sentence had on me. I stood sharply, my chair screeching a little on the tiles, and a change in my expression that I hadn't noticed shocked Nick into backing off a step. I wasn't sure what it was, but clapped my mask back on as Dean and Owen rose to stand with me.

Iggy grabbed Nick's arm and dragged him back a couple of steps.

"Watch what you're saying. You don't know anything about me." I spat at him, all too aware that my hands had clenched at my sides - the cafeteria was silent.

I expected Nick to say something, to apologize, but instead his eyes held mine for a long moment before he turned and walked away - proving that I wasn't the only one who had changed over the past two years. Anger welled inside me, and only Dean's hand on my arm stopped me from wiping the smug look off his face.

Glancing down at the money I felt myself relax a little. This was the twelfth payment today, which meant that I was getting paid at the end of the day. The four of us - me, Dylan, Dean and Owen, took an even quarter of the profits, and it would be enough to ensure that the puppies were well enough, at least.

The next thought that hit me was that I was surprised how relieved it made me feel that Iggy was out of the woods. For someone who hated emotions so much, I sure did care about him a lot.

-ƸӁƷ-

"I was thinking that we'd take the puppies to the shelter and get them registered before we go shopping." I said, as Ari skipped along next to me. He was grinning widely, almost dragging me in his haste to get home. It was the happiest I'd seen him in a long time, and I was glad that he was actually looking forward to going home for once.

"I think that's a good idea." Ari said, grinning as the apartment complex came into view. His step quickened even further, and I shook my head laughingly as I sped myself up accordingly.

Bridget was in the same chair as always, and had apparently moved at least once today, because the remote was no-where in sight and the TV had been turned up considerably. Maybe sitting around on her butt all day was turning her deaf? Still, I was glad to note that it covered any noise that the puppies could of made, and there was no other need for Bridget to head into their room.

I kept it tidy, as well as most of the rest of the house, and even if I didn't, Bridget wasn't about to do anything about it.

The six puppies were still in the drawer, and I remembered that I'd put the carry basket for our old cat, Jessie, under my bed, so pulled it out and quickly dusted it off. It was a wire cage with a plastic tray type bottom - nothing fancy, but it would be good enough to take the puppies to the shelter in.

Besides, with the amount of money that was currently stashed in my back pocket - and the promise that it would of at least doubled by the end of the week - money really wasn't an issue right now. I could get a better one at the pet store.

Ari ran to get some fresh blankets, and the two of us carefully lined the bottom of the tray with them before we began placing them inside. I took the time to study them closely, noting that although they all looked small, they could in fact be five or six weeks old. Not old enough to leave their mothers, but old enough that it would be an easy-ish task to raise them.

I'd done it with countless litters beforehand, so it wasn't going to be a challenge. I also knew that the shelter wouldn't be inclined to take the puppies away from us, as we'd been registered as a foster once. We clearly knew what we were doing, if nothing else.

Finally happy that the puppies were safe, and that they weren't going to get too cold on the way to the shelter, I draped a remaining towel over the cage to ensure that they remained calm, and Ari and I headed out.

-ƸӁƷ-

Thankfully, since it was a school day, we only had to wait for a little over half an hour before the shelter staff could see us. Ari was bubbling with excitement, and already in the process of picking names out for them.

"We should call that tan one Bailey." He reasoned. "Because it reminds me of Mom's old dog, and that's what she called hers."

"We don't even know that it's a girl yet, Ari." I laughed.

"That doesn't matter. He can be called Bailey anyway." Ari said earnestly, reaching his fingers between the bars to tickle behind the puppies ears. I rolled my eyes, but nodded anyway.

"What about the others? Have you got any ideas for them?" I asked, leaning forward to let Ari know that I was just as excited as he was.

"Well, that one could be Tinker. Like Tinkerbelle, you know? Because she's so small, and Tinkerbelle was small too."

I laughed. "Alright then, Bailey and Tinker." I nodded, and Ari dropped the towel around so that it covered the cage as a voice over the loudspeaker called for "Max Ride" to go to "Clinic Room One".

Ari insisted on carrying the puppies, despite the fact that he had to hold the cage with his arm in an uncomfortable position so that it didn't trail across the floor, and the weight of the puppies and cage combined was probably just under half of his weight. Still, he looked rather cute, and was going out of his way to be careful with them.

"Hi there," The man behind the table smiled, I didn't recognise him, which meant either he was my mother's replacement, or had come since she'd been replaced. "I'm Dr Steward; I hear that you're here to get some abandoned puppies checked over?"

I nodded, and took the cage off Ari to place it on the table since he couldn't quite get it high enough.

"I had a look at them, and there's no signs of mange or fleas. I think they're about five to six weeks old." I said, watching as he pulled the first puppy – the one that Ari had just named Bailey – out of the box. He examined it for a few long moments, and then handed it to Ari to hold.

"That one's a little boy; I'd guess some sort of Finnish Lapphund?" He said gently. "I'd also say that he's six weeks old definitely, and quite probably the runt of the litter."

I nodded, glad that my guess hadn't been horribly wrong as he pulled out the second puppy.

As it turned out, there was four female puppies, and two male, and the Vet guessed that only two of them – two huskies – were related in any way. He also decided that he'd write it down as an official adoption with permission, and wrote a letter saying that the shelter would pay for medical treatment – including the puppies shots.

Inwardly, I was a lot more relieved than I let on.

We were just leaving when he called my name.

Confused, I turned.

"Are you thinking about coming back to volunteer at the shelter? From what I heard, you were one of the best we ever had." There was a long pause, as I sighed, and looked down at Ari – who was looking up at me, eyes wide. "There's an open position for after school hours. A paid one, I mean."

I looked up again, to meet Dr Steward's pleading eyes. "Alright." I sighed. "Put my name down for it, and we'll see if I get the job, okay? You have our phone number on file."

Dr Steward grinned, and inwardly I was grinning as well.

If I got this job, it would mean that I wouldn't need to continue my… other means of getting money, through Dylan, Dean and Owen. That would be the most amazing feeling in the world.

Ari and I headed out, but Ari was still frowning.

"Did you used to work here?" Ari asked. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah. I used to come and help my Mom – she was a vet here, like Dr Steward." I said, ruffling his hair gently.

"I wish I had your mom." He said, his face suddenly sad. I knew what he meant – Bridget was bad enough as a step-mom, I couldn't imagine her being my real mom. "It doesn't matter though. I have you to look after me now." He was suddenly happy again, bouncing towards the pet store.

"You're right, Ari." I said, more to myself than him. "You do have me now, and I'm never going to let anything happen to you. Never."

-ƸӁƷ-

It was over an hour and a half later that we finally got home. Ari was still bubbling with excitement, and I was laden with shopping bags. Bridget's chair was empty, and the flat was hauntingly empty – clearly her and my father had gone somewhere. Good riddance.

The two of us headed straight into the bedroom, and I dropped the bags on the bed thoughtlessly, wincing when the sound of wood splintering filled the room. We really needed new beds soon, before they just outright broke.

I'd bought a "build your own puppy pen!" at the pet store, so that was first on the list. Between Ari and I, we had it up within half an hour. Ari then decided that the next thing that we had to do was put the puppies collars on, and I laughingly helped him do so before we put the puppies in the pen.

"So," I said, as the two of us sat watching them play. "We've only named two out of six. Four left, you got any ideas?"

Ari frowned, studying the puppies for a long moment before picking the little female Australian Shepherd up. "This was can be called Missi; because that's what my mom always used to call you, Max."

I smiled a little at Ari as he moved onto the two huskies.

"I want this one to be called Moon." He said, nodding to the darker of the two.

"Moon? How about something that means moon? Like Luna?"

"I like that!" He said nodding, and then turning to the light grey one. "You can name this one, Max." He said, as though he was being the most generous person alive.

I hesitated for moment before saying, "Let's call her Kayle."

The name was short for Kayla, which was what my little sister was going to be called before my mom's mom died, and Ella ended up partially named after Grandma Isabella.

That left just one puppy nameless.

"He looks like the puppy off the pet story vans!" Ari laughed suddenly, and I smiled.

"Their logo?" He nodded enthusiastically, and then grinned widely.

"That can be his name! Logo."

I grinned back at him, happy to see him smiling for once.

-ƸӁƷ-

"This is a bad idea. They're still inside, that's why they haven't cleared the windows." I hissed, watching as Dylan studied the jewellery shop from inside the car that he'd just successfully opened and hot-wired. Dean and Owen were in the back seat, and a glance in the rear-view mirror showed that they were every bit as concerned as I was.

"Alright." He sighed, finally taking his gaze away from the window and beginning the drive home. He'd already broken into three houses tonight, and taken four cars back to the car shop that his dad owned – his father would be changing the plates right now, so that they couldn't be traced.

It was a swift operation, and I hated every bit of it.

"Can you drop me home?" I asked. "I need to go and get Ari some dinner."

Dylan swore at me. "You can walk." He said, and released the locks on the door – pushing me out roughly. I stumbled, and slipped, landing hard on the floor and hearing a crack as my arm made contact with the floor. I rolled over to see Dylan, but the car was already gone.

I swore loudly under my breath and pulled myself into a sitting position, relieved to note that my arm wasn't broken. Probably just sprained. I was ten blocks from my apartment, injured, and in a bad mood.

Not only did this mean that I had to walk home, but I'd also be late to feed Ari and the puppies.

Life sucked.