Third Chapter!

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!

A/N: I won't be able to update as much for the rest of the week but please be patient.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Maximum Ride.

Fang's POV

I opened the door to my black ducati and took a deep breath. The air was clean and crisp and smelled like lavender. It was just like I remember.

"Fang! Hurry up! Or else Iggy and I are gonna get the best rooms" Nudge yelled. I nodded and headed toward the door on the porch. I quickly ran up the stairs and chose the room with a balcony, near the back.

By the time I fully unpacked and came down my sister had found the pool and my brother found our kitchen. Nudge saw me come down and started gushing about how cool this place. I was smirking at her uncontrollable talking until it wandered to how I needed to wear pink. "Nudge if you turn my clothes pink, I will turn all your clothes puke green and burn your high heels" I said dead serious.

She was about to protest when the doorbell rang. Saved by the bell. I ran over and opened the door. There were 3 people there. The youngest, a girl looked to be about 10 with curly blonde hair and sky blue eyes. The boy, who looked to be her brother, was about 10 with spiky blonde hair and the same bright eyes. Even though those 2 looked like siblings the other girl didn't seem to be related at all. She was beautiful and she had long dirty blonde hair with natural highlights unlike lots of girls I've met. She also had eyes that looked like melted chocolate. They were beautiful and I saw a flicker of…recognition? Who would know me? I mean I really only remembered one person… and that's when it hit me. This beautiful, drop dead gorgeous girl was Max.

"M-max?" I stammered unsure. Wait, did I just stammer? Why was I nervous? It was just Max, my best friend. Nothing to be scared about right?

Her eyes flashed with recognition, surprise, hope, disbelief and…fear? That couldn't be right though. I could understand everything else but not fear. Why would she be afraid of me? The second I saw it though it disappeared just a quick, replaced by a small smile that seemed to light up her face. "Fang. I didn't know you came back," she said curiously.

"Yeah. I just came back today. I was planning on tracking you down tomorrow but it seems you did all my work for me" I replied smiling. I was so happy to see her I can't believe I spoke that much. It feels like an eternity since we've been together but at that moment I felt like we were 13 again and that I never moved.

"Well I'm glad to see you. I know how much you hate work," she laughed. I just shook my head at her joke. The one time I felt like blowing off homework and basketball practice because I was tired and she never let me live it down.

"Well since you already know me; I'll introduce you to my adoptive siblings who you may or may not remember" she teased. "This is Gazzy, my hyper pyro" she pushed the blonde boy forward. He grinned at me then looked down sheepishly, probably remembering the time he and Iggy blew a whole in my backyard. "And this is Angel" she pushed the little girl forward. I remember her now; she was the sweetest little girl I ever knew. She was just like her name said, angelic. I looked over the three of them and everything seemed like how I remember except I felt like something or rather someone was missing. The question though, is who was missing?

Nudge popped up before I could ponder it any longer though. She took one look at them and shrieked, "Angel!" 'Here comes the Nudge channel' I thought. "ZOMG! Angel! Max! Gazzy! How are you guys? I've missed you all so much. I was so excited when I heard we were moving back. I mean I missed you all so much! Fang was so sad when we left. I mean I was too but he was the saddest. Oh and Iggy was really sad too. I mean Fang was so sad he like stopped talking like completely! Well he didn't talk much to begin with but it was like even worse! How can someone live without talking? I just love talking. If I couldn't talk I would die because what's better than saying what you're thinking? If you don't say anything then why even think! Talking is a form of expression and I have a lot to express. Like how I think your shoes are so cute! Angel where did you get them? They're pink with white hearts and sparkles and there are just so awes-" she was cut off by Iggy's hand. "Nudge I know that your excited but please don't talk our ears off" he said mock serious. She looked down blushing, mumbling an apology.

I looked over at Max. She had an extremely amused face on. It appears she was the only one besides Iggy and I who thought it was fun. Angel looked like she had found her long lost sister, while Gazzy just looked stunned.

"It's nice to see you too, Nudge. We missed you too. I agree that talking is a very important form of expression. And thank you. Max got them for me for my birthday last year" she said trying to answer all of her questions. Nudge nodded rapidly and ushered them into the house.

Max's POV

Hearing Nudge's rant made me smile. I remembered the Nudge channel and her lovable but constant talk. It was good to see all of them but I was slightly upset. Of all the people our neighbors could be it just had to I definitely couldn't ignore them. They were like family to me but I couldn't stand to see them hurt. I really want to push them away, but I know I couldn't bring myself to hurt them. Hurting them would be like hurting Angel or Gazzy and that was one of the things I vowed never to do again.

She ushered us inside their house. It was beautiful. It had wide, tall, open spaces with sunlight flittering through their wide, floor-length windows. I felt like I entered a whole different dimension. Everything in here was glowing with love and warmth. It was so different and yet, so similar to my house. Structurally it could almost be it's twin but unlike here everything felt cold and empty. Is this what a real home feels like? I haven't felt anything like this in 2 years.

We ended up following them to the living room where Angel and Gazzy took the loveseat while I sat on the floor in front of them. Fang sat down on the recliner while Iggy and Nudge sunk in to their beanbag chairs. Everyone was silent while we each looked over each other. I noticed that Nudge had become even more beautiful and stylish these past 2 years. I also saw that Iggy had become taller, more muscular and overall more handsome. Noticing how much both of them changed I turned my gaze on Fang. He was definitely taller and he most certainly had become much more handsome. He had lean, attractive muscle and he was totally rocking the dark and mysterious look. Even after all these years I still found it hard to believe that Iggy and Fang were twins. Where Iggy is pale with spiky blonde hair, the tips dyed to match his blue eyes; Fang is olive skinned with hair as black as his obsidian eyes. The only thing they possibly had in common was their height.

After we had finished surveying the others we split off it to our own conversations. Nudge and Angel's about fashion, Iggy and Gazzy's about explosives, I would have to watch them closely after this, and me and Fang's about everything and anything. I found out so much about his life in Flarewire, Florida. Apparently he had a stalker, some girl named Lissa, and he was MVP for his school basketball and soccer team. I was happy for him. His life seems so happy now. I can tell because this is the most he's spoken. EVER. He tried to get me to talk about what happened here but I either changed the subject or spit out a few vague pieces of information. I felt bad about telling him but I wanted him to be safe. I needed him to be safe.

I looked up at the clock at for the first time noticed how late it was. It was 7:30! We came over at 4:00! I looked apologetically at Fang but told him "I have to go."

"If I don't leave now you'll get bored with me" I said winking at him.

"I could never get bored with you Max. We're best friends after all" he said getting up.

"Of course. But Fang I think Nudge is rubbing off on you. This is the most I've heard you say ever," I laughed. I was still his best friend? Really? He didn't want someone else? I was shocked. I was important to someone other than family. Well I guess I could consider Fang family. I didn't want to jinx my luck. He smiled at my comment. A true smile too. It was brilliant and it seemed to light up the room. I really did miss him. I guess I'll admit this one thing to myself, I was extremely happy to see him again. I just hope he'll stay this time.

Once we found Angel and Gazzy, we walked to the door. I was just about to open the door when I was enveloped in a group hug. I froze but then allowed myself another small smile, and returned the hug. After that I lead Angel and Gazzy home to get a good night's sleep.

However a good night's sleep was not what I got. I dreamt of that my personal nightmare; I dreamt of Ari.

I was walking home with Ari when I felt hands grab me from behind. I struggled but they were much stronger than me. I felt a piece of cloth being placed over my mouth and smelled chloroform and then I passed out.

I woke up in a dark, cold place. I looked around trying to see something, anything. My eyes landed on a beam of light coming from a boarded up window. Due to this small amount of life I saw someone slumped over. Dread filled my stomach, it was Ari. My sweet little brother.

I moved over to him. Which was quite a feat considering my hands and feet were bound. I nudged him with my shoulder. He didn't wake up. I was getting scared. I tried to find something to cut his ropes. I looked behind me and saw something glinting in the darkness. It was a piece of glass. I picked it up in my bound hands, ignoring the fact that it was cutting into my hands.

I quickly sawed my way through my ropes tied around my hands, and then I got started on the ones around my Once I unbound I ran over to Ari. I quickly sawed through his ropes before trying to wake him. He woke up a bit but was still groggy. I started making my way to the door when we were surrounded. I tried to fight them off but unlike in reality they were too strong for me. They surrounded Ari and me though I tried to fight them off. They were taking turns punching and kicking us until Ari passed out.

No! This couldn't happen, not Ari. Not him. He was only seven. He was just a baby. I saw one of them pull out a knife. He was cackling manically, and then I knew what he would do. He stabbed Ari seven times. He killed him. My baby. They killed him!

I saw red. I couldn't think straight. I grabbed my piece of glass and ran at them. I stabbed about nine of them before the rest got the idea to run. However there was one I couldn't let run. I looked at the people running away until I saw him. I ran at the man who killed Ari. I tackled him and I stabbed him over and over again. I killed him because he killed Ari.

When I finally came to my senses I was drenched in blood. I looked for cuts on my body but I only found a few. Most of the blood wasn't mine. I shakily got off then body and made my way to Ari.

On my way to him I saw my reflection in mirror on the floor. My hair was streaked with blood, my clothes were torn, my skin cover in blood and the scariest of all my eyes weren't their normal brown they were a bright bloody red. I looked like a demon.

I jolted straight out of bed. Cold sweet coated my body. I felt my arms and looked around. I wasn't back in the warehouse and I wasn't covered in blood. It was just a dream or at least part of it.

I thought back to my dream. I really did get kidnapped and I really did get beat up and I really did kill that man. Everything was the same except for one little fact. Ari didn't die. I called the police and I got him to the hospital and to this day he's been in a coma.

It's been one and a half years since that day. The police said it was just a random kidnapping, yeah right. 1) Since when were kidnappings random? 2) I already know who kidnapped me and why. Well I don't specifically know who wants me but I definitely know why. They want me because of my secrets.

These secrets could get me killed. It was the one I have been caring since I was 5, when I witnessed a murder. However that wasn't the only thing that happened. I was kidnapped and brought to a secret facility hidden in the Colorado Mountains. There they gave me wings. Yes, that's right. Actual wings. I was kept there for an entire month. I underwent numerous extremely painful and scarring tests. Each test was more terrifying than the rest but I couldn't stay there. So once I had enough strength I escaped and burned the place to the ground. That way it's hard to find me. I know I should probably run away but I need to watch over Angel and Gazzy. I need to protect them if only so that the can be happy.

I've given up on happiness for myself because I'm a monster. Monsters don't deserve happiness.

Wow. Okay that was a little angsty.

I know a lot of you were wishing Ari was dead but he's not. There's a reason for that though.

Thanks for reading! Please Review!