Disclaimer: I have never, still do not, and never shall own Maximum Ride or any of the flock members or any of that mess. *sob sob*

SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS

CHAPTER 17/18

"What are we doing here, Fang?"

I looked over at her. Was she…thinking what I was…no. No, that was just me. God, I was a pervert. I needed to get my hormones under control, for Christ's sake. "The kids want us to find a place to settle down," Was the best I could reply with. I was still working on the whole hormone situation.

"What about the School and saving the world?" Max asked very, very carefully. Why so careful? What was she afraid of? Why couldn't I seem to see straight through her, like I always could?! What was different between us recently? It'd been like this since the day with the chip…but today it was worse than ever.

"We have to quit playing their game," I resolved, not looking at her. I stared at the fire instead, ignoring how the light hurt my eyes. It was really quite pretty. Not as pretty as Max, but still. "We have to remove ourselves from the equation." It was true. I was so sick of being a lab rat in the School's twisted little maze game. Even though we'd escaped, sometimes it still felt like we were in one of their experiments, in one of their tests. I hated that feeling.

"I can't," Max admitted, her voice tight with frustration. At least I could still recognize that much. "I—just have to do this."

"Max, you can change your mind," I insisted quietly. I wanted her to let it all go. Let go of everything that was causing her all this stress and pulling her away from me. I wanted her to find a place where she could lie next to me, and just stay there forever…

"I don't know how."

Her expression twisted and she hid her face in her folded arms. Her hands scrubbed at her eyes, and for a second I was afraid she was crying again. I realized she wasn't, but now I was all worked up. I wanted to touch her. I needed to touch her. She was my Max. Wasn't it about time she understood that? Maybe I could convince her. Maybe I could show her what we would have…

I reached out and pushed her hair off her neck. I felt Max's body tense beneath my caress. Slowly, slowly, I ran my hand down her silk-soft hair one more time, then allowed my fingers to roam across her neck, over her shoulder, down her back…A shiver ran up Max's body, bringing goosebumps to her flesh. I liked that. A strange and terrifying amount.

Max gave me a huge-eyed look of pure innocence. "What the heck are you doing?" She demanded.

"Helping you change your mind," I murmured. I took her chin in one hand, tilted it up so that her face was even with mine. I took a breath, leaned over to her, and kissed her, right on the lips.

She stiffened up, but I didn't let her go. I had one hand on the back of her neck, and I held her to me, prolonging the kiss. I moved my lips against her soft, soft mouth, all warm and delicious. Slowly, hesitantly, she began to kiss me back, making me elated and psychotic at the same time. My heart throbbed, and heat rushed through me. Feathers brushed the back of my hand, feathers and hair.

I'd already kissed Max once. Well, she'd kissed me. But this was different. More intense, more passionate, and lasting for eternities of our lips moving together, hers on mine. All the heat and sweetness almost swamped me, and for a moment my mind kicked my hormonal teenage self into hyper drive—I could imagine all the things I could do with Max, here and now, without the rest of the flock to hear or interrupt. I could picture it all, and my throat was getting all choked with desire, and Max was still just drowning me in her heat, so I slowly pulled away.

Max stared at me, deep into my eyes, like she was searching for something. I don't know what she expected to find there. It wasn't like I could give her anything. That's why I wanted to set down somewhere, somewhere where I could get a job and be like a normal teenager and be Max's normal boyfriend and buy her stuff. I had nothing to give her, not yet. Nothing but a whole heart full of love and adoration and respect. And desire. I was brimming with that.

"Forget the mission," I half-ordered, half-pleaded. My voice was so quiet, even I could barely hear it. The fire threw strange light on Max's face, casting her in constantly shifting relief, staining the right side of her face orange. The left half of her face was covered in shadow, but still clear to my raptor vision. She looked enchanting, enthralling, enticing. "Let's just all be safe somewhere together."

Max didn't say anything. I probed her eyes with mine, searching within her for the answers I needed. I saw stark surprise. There was stubbornness, and a soft, gentle will to give in. I saw dull sleepiness, and confusion. Maybe, deep, deep beyond reckoning in her eyes, I found a spark of something similar to the fire I held in me. Lust, love. Who knew? Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. But for one split second, as I sat there and stared into my Max's eyes, I could have sworn I saw it.

Slowly, I rubbed small circles between her wings, just the way she liked Angel to do when she was stressed. Beneath my hands, she began to relax. Her eyes half-closed, and she sighed, tension just leaching out of her body. Our eyes continued to bore into each other, waiting, waiting. The abject confusion still lingered in her hooded eyes, and I didn't know what to do about it.

I shifted my hand to her neck, massaging the taut muscles there. She leaned her head back into my caress, and I massaged harder. It seemed like she liked it, and I was just about having the time of my life, touching her. Call me creepy, I don't care. I got to touch Max.

Taking my time, trying not to startle her, I leaned in to kiss her again. I couldn't help it. She was just so close, so tempting, and I couldn't keep my eyes off hers, or her full, soft lips. I leaned closer, licking my mouth in preparation to lay it against hers once again…

Suddenly, Max rocketed to her feet. Too shocked and suddenly hurt to do anything else, I looked up at her.

"I—I'm not sure about this," she stammered. I looked at her disbelievingly. What was there to be unsure about? I loved her. I knew she loved me. I was sure of it, sure down deep in my bones. What was wrong? I still was incapable of doing anything but sitting there and staring up at my Max.

Abruptly, she wheeled on her heel and sprinted for the cave entrance. I was on my feet a split second later, right behind her as she threw herself out into space. Silently, I watched as she streaked off into the night. I had no way of knowing if she'd ever come back. I wanted to punch myself in the head. God, I was an idiot.

I settled for punching the cave wall, instead of myself. Aah! That hurt like hell. I held my hand, mentally cursing all caves and birdkid stupidity. My whole body was trembling again, longing to go after Max. But I'd never be able to find her.

I went outside and stood in the rain, letting it flow down over me.

Max.

Max!

Max!

I clenched my teeth, falling to my knees.

"MAX!" I roared to the darkness. I didn't expect her to respond. I didn't expect that, I just…wanted to scream her name. It was pounding in my head, so hard and hot I needed some kind of exit. I dug my fingernails into my palms and screamed, as loud as I possibly could, to the night and the cave and the rain and the thunder that obliterated my cry:

"MAX!!!"

The rain soaked through my hair. I didn't feel it. Because there was nothing inside me…just emptiness. Black, black hollows. When I didn't have Max, I had nothing. And what if she never came back? What would I do then? Where else could I go? I had nothing else to do, no point to anything I did except to protect Max. To be with Max. To win Max's heart. Max, my Max.

Exhausted, I crawled back into the cave and collapsed next to the fire, letting it slowly dry my clothes and feathers. There was nothing to do but sleep and pray. Because if Max didn't come back to me, I had no clue what I'd do. I didn't know at all.

Where's the truth?

For us to see

Because all we seem to do is lose

Who we are and how we've tried

Are we all the same inside?

It's now or never to decide

In this time

Are we loving?

Or do we sit here wondering?

Why this world isn't turning around

It's now or never!

A/N

*kowtows anxiously*I'm so sorry! I took so long about this one, I know! Blame , not me. It's ADDICTIVE.

Okay, yes, I know James wrote what actually happened after Max flew off, but I wanted to write my own. Fang was far too coherent in that one for my taste. So I had him go a little emo/insane. You know. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T LIKE IT. So, anyway. I dunno why I put this one at the bottom. But, I BOUGHT BOOK FIVE TODAY, AND SHEESH!!! *faints into a pathetic swoon* I almost died. Finally, Fang got to make out with his Max, like, seriously sucking face. Twice. Maybe three times, depending on what you describe as making out. But still. Happiest moment of my life right then. Don't worry, my loves, only…two?...scenes stand between this fanfic and those wicked awesome makeout scenes. I will get there in due time. At this point, I'm really just hoping I didn't screw up their first real kiss. *cringes* Tell me I didn't…

Thanks to all of you, for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it all.

Thank you to James Patterson for supplying such excellent fodder for me to write shameless romanticism about. (Yeah, be forewarned, I might get a little bit perverted when Fang is thinking sometimes. He's just a hormonal teenage boy, cut him a break.)

And thanks to Three Days Grace—whose CD I finally bought today—for inevitably bringing me inspiration when I'm bored as hell and also supplying a song that can fit each of these scenes perfectly. I swear, it was meant to be.

WOW this was long.

I'm done now.

Buh-bye.