Hey, guys! Last chapter you got your small dose of Fax. I'm gonna give you a teensy bit more this time. Hehe. What's wrong with me? I'm acting as if Fax is a perscription medication that the dosages should be checked. Who knows, maybe it is! Anyway, there's a teensy bit more of Fax in this chapter, and *gags* I just HAD to mention... Dylan, the character whom I hate more than anything in the world. Yuck.

Not as many people reviewed last chapter. I only got four. BUT, since all four of them made me happy, I am updating! Of course! I don't put AUTHOR'S NOTES as chapters! Thanks to my amazing reviwers: PurpleTea88, Mrs. FangBelikovIvashkovWayland, storyteller1425, and NewHamptireMan155. This chapter isn't as long, but it's above my minimum standard of 1,000 words, so it's okay.

Chapter Three

Macaroni and Cheese

By the time Max and Fang had gotten back to Max's apartment, it was late at night. But at least Fang had found her. He'd found her. The mere thought that he'd done it was enough to blow him away, but now, looking at the Max he'd left so many times, and then come back to, he was almost overwhelmed with happiness.

He found himself staring at Max, who was making microwavable mac-and-cheese. He smiled, remembering the time she'd first cooked a meal, and he'd gagged and how she'd dumped the rest of in on his head.

Max caught his gaze, and looked back. "What?"

He shook his head. "Just seeing you for the first time in so many years."

She shrugged, and came out of the kitchen to the living room, where he was, handing him the bowl of macaroni and cheese and sitting down on the couch next to him. "Here. You'd better not throw it up."

He smirked at her, and began to eat. The fact that it was microwavable and Max hadn't actually cooked it made him feel better about eating it, and to his surprise, it didn't taste all that bad. Once he'd finished, he pushed the bowl away and glanced at Max. "So what've you been doing lately?"

"Studying," Max shrugged. "Nudge has been begging for me to just get a real education, so my mom sort of homeschooled me about the most important parts of education, so as you can guess, she left out a lot of History and English, but taught me a lot about science and math."

Fang nodded. "Of course, growing up in a lab, we've pretty much gotten science down, huh?"

"Exactly," she agreed. "But after a few months, she just sent me to university, as well as Ella. I wasn't up to it, but it's not too bad, especially since Nudge and Ella are there."

"What are you studying to be?"

She shrugged. "Not sure yet. But I'm sure to find me you went to my mom's house, right? Ella probably told you she wanted to become a vet. Nudge is in the arts, and all that. Of course you knew she wants to be a fashion designer."

"Uh-huh," he said, waiting for her to continue.

She glared at him, and asked, "So what've you been up to since you left me?" She had a hard edge to her tone that let him know she was still a bit touchy on that subject.

Of course she'd be, he reasoned with himself. He looked at it from Max's point of view. First, he leaves her without a goodbye other than the note he wrote her, and all of a sudden he shows up at her door. He sighed. "Nothing much."

She narrowed her eyes, but she knew him well enough to know there was no way of getting information out of him. But he wanted to know something.

"So, how'd you get Dylan to get unstuck to you?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Why wouldn't Fang want to know what happened to that experiment?

She glared at him. "Why do you wanna know?"

He shrugged. "Please, Max, I just wanna know."

"It was pretty hard," she admitted, and tensed. "After- after you left… Fang, can you imagine how heartbroken I was? You left me, with only a note to remember you by."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Never meant to hurt me?" she echoed. "You left me! How could you think that you could leave and not hurt me? I loved you!"

"Loved?" asked Fang, pain twisting his already wrecked heart that was only just starting its healing process. "So… not anymore?"

Max stared up at him with identical brown pools of melted chocolate for eyes. "That's not what I meant. But… how?"

"I'm sorry, Max. You know it tore my heart too."

"Then why did you leave?" she demanded.

He just stared at her.

She glowered at him. Obviously she'd wanted a response.

"Anyway," she continued, "Getting rid of Mr. Perfect was hard. I was torn up about you, Fang, and… we got close, I'll admit it. I liked having him near me. But I realized I didn't love him. Not like I love you. My love for you is stronger than anything I could ever feel."

Fang gave a small smile and wrapped his arm around Max, like he used to do. "Max, I'm sorry I left. But part of the reason I left was because of Dylan. If Dylan and I are together… let's just say there's blood."

She leaned into him. "I guess I understand. I told Dylan to leave, and he understood, but he was seriously programmed to be with me, because every step away he just took more and more effort."

"So what happened?" Fang asked, tucking a stray strand of Max's hair back behind her ear.

"We remained as friends," she sighed. "If I can't keep him away and though he- he loves me… He knew that if my heart wasn't in our relationship, there was nothing he could do. It was the most reasonable solution."

"I'm glad," he said.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I mean we've been off and on for years, but I just don't love him. So friends it is."

He nodded, and took the risk of asking another question. "Max, would you ever go back to him?"

She glanced up at him, a questioning look in her eyes, but whatever she was going to ask, she thought the better of it and replied, "Not anymore." She curled up to him, yawning. "Never again."

A rush of emotions met Fang, and he wasn't sure whether or not he was happy or sad. She was never going to leave him now that he'd come back. But, he knew he was going to die soon. Did he really want Max to be alone? The thought disgusted him. Why was he questioning himself like this?

He shook it off. Maybe this was the time he should say that he had an expiration date. But one look at Max, leaning against him, looking sleepy, he was discouraged at telling her he was to die soon. He knew he'd have to tell her soon, but it could wait. Especially because his own eyelids were getting heavy.

The dark night outside the window showed a full moon spilling its glittering light into the apartment and on Max's face, making her hair catch the cold white light of the moon. She looked so beautiful when she slept, and now, with her leaning on him, and him with his arms wrapped around her, feeling drowsy himself, he wouldn't have it any other way.

A little sleep would do him good. He relaxed himself and fell asleep next to Max.

Okay! So there ya go. ;)

I forgot to mention last chapter; I have a pole on my profile for this story, because I'm unsure of one little important detail... Anyway, how many of you guys have read ANGEl? This story is pretty much after FANG, but I'm not sure whether to include some events, especially because some of you probably haven't read it yet. I read it last Saterday. It's sad, but very good, and of course, it flared my hatred of Dylan even more. So yeah.

Please review! I'm not gonna update if you don't review! The reason I updated today was because I felt depressed after reading ANGEL, and the four reviews made me desperate to update. If you review even more, who knows, I might update faster!

~Coqui's Song