2

FOR ONE WHOLE WEEK Fang had been holding back the tears. He missed Max and the rest of the Flock. No matter how many times he told himself that it was for the best it never made him feel better. All he wanted to do was hold Max. Tell her that he loved her. But that couldn't happen. When Max and him were together they became weaker, and that was bad.

Finally, Fang broke. Tears started streaming down his face. He tried to sob silently but he was in a cave far away from anyone else so he couldn't help going into full cry mode. Fang curled up into a sobbing ball on the cave floor. If the Flock had seen him, they would have been shocked. Fang was the one that barley showed emotion and when the one who barley shows emotional turns into an emotional wreak, the world needs to worry.

The sound of Fang's crying echoed in the big, lonely cave. It was eerily quiet but Fang had chosen this, right? He had done this for the safety of the Flock, hadn't he? Now that he thought about it – while he cried like a baby- he was apart of the Flock. Maybe he'd made a mistake that he couldn't fix. He knew he could never go back without the Flock hating him. But he also knew that he couldn't live without the Flock. More importantly, he couldn't live without Max.

Fang tried to stop crying but it was no use. He was too depressed.

The sound of footsteps filled the cave and Fang jumped up, ready for battle even though tears were still running down his face. He tried to see the person that had just entered the cave but his vision was blurred because off the tears in his eyes.

'Fang?'

Max. It was defiantly Max.

Fang realized that he probably looked like death warmed up. Granted that death warmed up didn't cry.

'Are you crying?'

Fang didn't answer. He knew if he answered then Max would start talking, persuading and kissing him. Fang didn't want that to happen. It was better when he wasn't distracting Max. In fact, they would survive if he wasn't distracting Max.

He started to back slowly back into the depths of the cave but Max grabbed his arm with her vice-like that demanded his attention. Fang still couldn't see Max's face through his tears.

'After everything that's happened, you still choose to run away,' Max said, despair literally oozed from her voice. 'Please come back. We need you. I need you. I don't want Dylan or anyone else. I just want you.' Max then hugged Fang so hard that he almost couldn't breath.

Max started to cry from joy and sadness. She didn't want to lose him again. She held Fang tighter and to her surprise, Fang hugged her back. That was all she needed. Right there. She needed Fang to be there to hold her.

'Are you gonna' come back?' Max asked, scared Fang would say no and take off.

'The Flock probably hates me now,' Fang said through his sobs.

Then and idea popped into Max's head. Fang didn't have to come back straight away. They could wait a few weeks or he could come back when they needed him again. Fang was clearly having the same idea because a smile started form on his face.

'I could visit you every night,' Max said, pulling away from his chest so she could see his face.

'And I could come back when I'm needed,' Fang said, moving a strand of hair from Max's face.

Max and Fang then kissed. Their Kiss felt secretive. Like they were the only ones that knew about it, but they were wrong. Very, very, wrong.