A big thanks to all those who reviewed this. It really made me force myself to finish this chapter at o'dark thirty. (Actually, I couldn't sleep, but same difference.) I liked writing this chapter. It was fun. : ) ~Nano

Disclaimer: Don't own Maximum Ride.

Sage

"You bastard! You filthy little…" I screamed every obscenity I knew at him, trying to reach him so I could kick his ass. But something held me around the waist and I couldn't break free. I dimly heard someone telling me to stop, felt my foot connect with something, but all I could see was Jeb's face, the look in his eyes. He pitied me.

Of course, that only made me fight harder.

"Sage, listen to me," Jeb started calmly.

"No, you listen!" I shrieked. "My life has been one screwed up mess since you showed up. You let those dogs of yours frickin' murder my parents! How can you just stand there and smile at me after what you've done?" I stood there, glaring at him, slowly coming to my senses. I realized that Iggy had been holding me back from clawing Jeb to pieces, his arms wrapped around my middle. The rest of the flock was staring at me, and Ella was on the floor, a huge purple and black bruise blossoming on her forehead. Oops.

Max looked from me to Jeb. "You did what?" she spat.

The kids were still staring at me. I had to get out of there.

I peeled myself away from Iggy and ran to the front door, flinging it open and dashing into the front yard. I opened my wings and took off, beyond caring if anyone saw me.

Max

Mom came in just as Sage had ran out the front door, leaving it open. Quite frankly, I couldn't process what she had said before she left. The fact that she'd known her parents or the fact that she held Jeb responsible.

"Jeb," I said calmly. "What was she talking about?"

He sighed. "It was something I couldn't control."

I glared at him. "You couldn't control the fact that you killed someone?"

Nudge stared at him, horrified. "How could you do that?"

"It's the same reason I couldn't let you out whenever Itex captured you," he said.

"That's BS Jeb, and you know it," I snapped.

Jeb shook his head. "Max, you don't understand. You need to see the big picture. Besides, I'm glad she found you guys. I know some of my, uh, ex-colleagues wondered whether she would be able to make it on her own."

Mom looked from me to Jeb. "Jeb, maybe we should go into the kitchen, get some coffee, ok?" He nodded and turned back into the kitchen. Mom started to follow him. "Maybe you should go find her. It's getting dark."

I nodded. "Got it, Mom. I'll be back soon then." I turned to the flock. "I think you guys should stay here, okay?"

Nudge opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "You guys will be safer here than anywhere else, ok?" I looked at Fang. "I'll be back by.." I glanced at the clock, which read 8:12. "Ten, ok?" He nodded.

"See ya later," I said, heading out the door. I really hoped I would, but that's just the kind of life I live. Ain't it sad?

Sage

I landed in a huge pine somewhere in the woods. As soon as I'd stopped my angry screaming at Jeb, I'd felt like crying. I hadn't cried in front of anyone since I was five, and I wasn't going to do it then either. So I did the only think I could think of. I ran.

So there I was, tears streaming down my face while I cried silently, clinging to a tree. That day was so fresh in my mind, surfacing all the pain and fear I'd hidden for the last four years.

Running away the night before, Mom humoring me, telling me to pack my toothbrush. Getting lost that first night and first meeting the Erasers. Somehow getting away and getting home. Waking up the next morning and thinking it had just been a bad dream, only to be kidnapped that afternoon. My father's face, calm in the face of death, my mother's teary green eyes as she told me to be strong. Watching as the whitecoats let the Erasers after them, while Jeb stood next to me. I was strong, like my mother told me to be. Calm like my father had been. I thought I was next. I promised myself I wouldn't cry or show my emotions and give the whitecoats that satisfaction. And Jeb's words, echoing in my head.

I'm sorry, it has to be done. There's nothing I could do. It had to be done.

The words in my head, took on the same pitying tone he'd had back in the house. Part of me said I'd misunderstood. The words now twisted with pity, held a different meaning than the one I thought they'd held.

I hadn't mourned my parents in four years. I wouldn't let myself, back when I was at the School. And when I heard Max's voice, I did feel… well, at least a little bit better. I dried my face on my sleeve and sat on the branch, staring up at the now dark and star-filled sky. It was hard to imagine that things had flipped so upside down and right side up in the last 24 hours.

Max found me sitting there, staring calmly at the sky.

"Hey," she said, landing next to me.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I've been better."

"So, what you said, back at the house," she started.

"What about it?" I cut her off.

"What did you mean, about your parents?"

"I thought that was obvious. He was there when the Erasers killed them." I said a little annoyed.

"No, I mean, did you know your parents? Where they whitecoats?"

I stared at her. "No, they weren't. What would make you think that? They killed them after they kidnapped us."

"You mean, you grew up outside the School?" Max sputtered.

I blinked. "Uh, yeah. Didn't you? You have a mom too, ya know."

Max shook her head. "The flock grew up in the School. Until about five years ago, when Jeb got us out. We've been in and out a few times since, though."

"Jeb got you out of the school?"

Max shifted, like it was an awkward subject for her. "Yeah, he did. He taught us most of the stuff we know. But then he disappeared, and we thought he was dead. But he had just gone back to work at the school. We didn't trust him at all after that."

"And what made you trust him again?" I asked.

Max laughed. "We still don't trust him, don't worry. But my mom seems to, so we let him stay. But I at least do my best to piss him off whenever I can."

"Hmm," I frowned. "That actually sounds more satisfying than beating the crap out of him."

Max smiled. "Yeah. Imagine that, huh?" she stood, her wings spread to balance herself. "Well, you want to come back to the house with me, or what?"

I sighed. Sad to say, I actually enjoyed having the flock around. Hanging with them for a while couldn't hurt, could it?

"Sure," I said. Max nodded before leaping off the branch. I stood and followed, jumping off into space before spreading my wings, feeling the air below them.

XXX

By the time we got back, it was almost ten, not that I always paid attention to the time anymore. Dr. Martinez was just sending the younger ones to bed- the girls in Ella's room, and the boys in a guest room. Max decided she'd go to bed too, mumbling something about never getting a good night's rest in a bed.

I ended up sitting on the couch, watching Fang and Iggy doing something on a laptop. "What are you doing over there?" I asked them.

"Blogging," Fang said.

"Cool. About me?"

"Only about your insane freak out earlier," Iggy replied.

"Ouch," I said sarcastically. "That makes me feel completely sane. Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Fang suddenly closed the laptop and slipped it into his backpack. "Night," he said, heading down the hall. I heard the guest room door open and close.

"Man, if he hadn't taken that laptop, we could have Googled ourselves or looked up videos of piano playing cats."

"Well, you could," Iggy said stiffly

"What do you mean?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm blind."

Oh. "Really?" I asked. "I honestly couldn't tell. I mean, you seem so… I don't know, familiar with everything, I guess."

"Uh, thanks," he said. We sat there quietly. Can anyone say awkward silence?

"So," Iggy said, "What was that about, earlier?"

I groaned. "Besides the obvious?"

"Well, it was obvious you hate his guts, but I mean, what you said about your parents. You actually met them?"

"Well, yeah. They raised me. And then… well, the School found me."

Iggy frowned. "How'd you end up with them? I mean, Max didn't meet her mom until about a year ago, although Jeb had always been around she didn't know he was her father until about the same time. And…"

I coughed in disbelief. "Jeb is Max's father?" This was news.

"Only genetically," Iggy pointed out. "She doesn't consider him related to her."

"I don't blame her," I snorted. "Well, as you were saying."

"Well, we tried finding the rest of our parents, but we've gotten a lot of mixed information, so no one's really sure about their parents."

I cocked my head. "I feel there's more to this story, for some reason."

Iggy shook his head. "We did find my parents back east. But they weren't what we expected."

"And what exactly led you to that conclusion?" I asked.

"They were going to go to the media. You know, about the wings."

"Did you try talking to them about it? Tell them you would be safer if they didn't?"

"Well, no. I just left." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "You think things would have been different?"

"You never know. But if these kids you're with is your real family, than that's where you need to be."

Iggy yawned. "I should really go to bed," he said, getting up.

"Yeah, probably. Night." He headed down the hall. The living room was dark, but a dim light shone under the kitchen door. I got up, because for some reason I was dying for some water now.

Expect for the fact that Jeb was sitting at the kitchen table, doing some form of paper work.

I grabbed a glass and headed to the fridge, ignoring him. I could feel his eyes on the back of my head, though, as I pulled out the water jug and filled the glass.

"You should probably get some sleep," he said as I put the water back.

"Not going to happen," I said, leaning against the counter. "I'm not going to get any sleep anyway when I know murderers are about."

He winced. "Sage, honey, I couldn't do anything."

"Um, how about keeping the Eraser's away from my parents? You could have done that." I could practically feel the venom dripping from my words.

"They would have done the same to me then," Jeb said calmly. Ah, self preservation. Something he thought I'd be able to understand.

"Sometimes creeps like you should be the ones to die then, shouldn't they?" I retorted.

"I don't think your parents should have died, Sage. If I could have done anything, I would have. But the other scientists wanted to know about you."

"Well, then, what's so special about me, then?" I growled.

"You, Sage, were the Avian-Human programs accident child. You weren't supposed to happen." He said, leaning back like this was supposed to unhinge me.

"So?" I said snidely. "Most kids are 'accidents'."

Jeb shook his head. "You don't understand. We never anticipated that our experiments would affect the children conceived after we were done."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. Some scientist you are."

"Haven't you ever wondered about that?" he asked.

"I knew I had a brother. But he died. Duh." I shook my head.

Jeb smiled. "Your brother isn't dead, Sage. He's alive and well. And free. In fact…"

So far, this is the longest chapter I've personally ever written. :) Yay! I do believe something celebratory is in order. Anyone up for chocolate chip cookies?

Also, I'm a little worried about how I did Max. What do you think?