I would say sorry for the hiatus, but it's just embarrassing at this point! Enjoy!

Max's POV

I took another big gulp of vodka tonic.

"You got someone to drive you home?" the bartender asked with a scolding look.

I shrugged. "I can walk. Just keep them coming."

Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, and I made a pathetic attempt to slap them away. Can't people leave a girl alone to drink in peace?

"Max," I didn't need to turn around to know that condescending voice belonged to Iggy.

"Funny, I would've expected such judgement only from Nudge."

Iggy shook his head and wagged his finger jokingly. He was still in his work clothes, the classic white collared button up and slacks.

"You should try wearing a hat to work tomorrow, see what Valencia thinks about that." I rested my head against my knuckles sloppily. My head drooped.

Iggy chuckled and gestured to the bartender for a drink. "Damn she's drunk."

The bartender nodded sadly, "Worst I've seen in awhile."

I narrowed my eyes. "Now that just can't be true. I may be drunk, but I'm not now nor have I ever been an idiot, thank you very much."

Iggy shook his head almost apologetically before grabbing the seat next to me. He spun my stool so that I had to face him, had to meet his unseeing eyes. "Alright, talk to me, Max. What's going on?"

I pinched his cheeks playfully, barely noticing his stubble with my numb and drunk fingers. "Are you really blind, Iggy? Because I swear you can see me. I mean, I feel you looking right at me. How do you drive?"

He smacked my hands away. "I'm being serious right now."

I sighed and spun back to face my drink. Iggy forcing me to be serious when I was so deadly drunk was sadly sobering me up, like having to face the cops and touch your nose over and over again.

"I'm growing up and moving out," I responded simply. "Like a true adult who's got nobody. Join me in the celebration why don't you?"

"Did you get into an argument with Fang? I've known that guy for the majority of my life, and I'm hesitant to believe he'd ever kick you out, so I can only assume you're leaving voluntarily."

"Spot on, genius."

Iggy sighed and took a big swig of his drink before continuing, like he was preparing for a touch speech. "Look, Max, I'll slit your throat if you ever tell I gave him praise, but Fang is a really good guy. I mean, a really good guy, like miraculously good despite his shithole of a childhood. I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you, and I know you mean a lot to him, so let me talk to him, and I'm sure we can work something out…"

I stopped him because I couldn't bear to let him continue telling me what I already dreadfully knew. That Fang was one of a kind and irreplaceable. "I know all of that, Iggy. Trust me, I'm the last person you'd have to convince that Fang is a saint, but…" I sighed. "That's kind of the problem. You see, Lissa's business trip ended early, and she's moving in with Fang."

Well, that did the trick. Iggy was speechless.

"They're taking their relationship," here I made sure to use air quotes "to the next level."

"Forgive me for asking," Iggy took another big sip of his drink, so I knew I wasn't going to like what was coming next. "But do you have feelings for Fang?"

Just rip the bandaid off why don't you? Frankly, the fact that I was in love with Fang was really no secret. Afterall, I'd technically already confessed to him, even if that was ages ago, and sure, we never spoke of that or the kiss on the rooftop again, but that didn't dampen my feelings in the slightest. Actually, with every additional day, every second that I spent with Fang, the more I grew fond of him and every little thing about him. The way his eyes bore holes into your soul when he looked at you, the way his brows furrowed in concentration, the way he smiled. If you teased him, he'd give you half a smile, adoringly. If he managed to unravel another clue to a case, he'd full-on grin. I even fell in love with the way he'd suck on half a sugar cube and put the other half in his tea. I thought it gross at first, and I would've still thought it gross if that'd been say, Iggy, but with Fang, it just became endearing.

Yet, I had never heard anyone other than myself say it aloud, and so bluntly. It took me by surprise and sounded odd leaving from Iggy's lips. I felt embarrassed, almost ashamed, so I was grateful that Iggy accepted my silence for an answer. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder in a brotherly fashion.

"Valencia would kill you if you went to the office drunk, but there's work to do, you know, if you want to take your mind off of things."

I smiled and nudged him lightly in the ribs. "You sure know how to cheer a girl up." I gestured at the envelope sitting on his lap. "Is that work?"

He nodded, opening the folder just enough to show a boy's picture. "In fact, the chief ordered that I deliver this straight to you."

"To me?" I beamed. "I'm flattered. What can I do to help?"

"Well she's hoping you might recognize him, the kid who got caught in the fire, but we really should go somewhere less exposed."

I glanced around. The bar was pretty empty with the exception of the bartender and an old man sitting across from us. He hadn't said a word during our entire conversation, but he seemed much too drunk and half asleep to have paid much attention. I realized then how much it sucked living life as Iggy and Fang, having to be suspicious of everyone, having to live by "guilty until proven innocent." No one could be trusted, so if I really wanted to earn a place in Fang and Iggy's life, I'd have to fight for it. Maybe step one was realizing and understanding that they both had a life before I came along, and that Fang didn't necessarily need me to be his most important thing in life.


Fang was pacing the living room when Iggy and I returned home.

"Max," he rushed towards me as Iggy closed the door behind us. His hands hung in the air unsure, like he wanted to grab my arms, but was afraid of what touching me might do.

"Were you worried?" I joked casually, brushing his useless hands aside as I headed towards the kitchen. I had walked out feeling pretty pissed off, but that wasn't fair to Fang, so I was determined that he wouldn't torture himself over a situation that wouldn't have been a situation if he had just never met me. Plus, I was now here for a reason outside of Fang. I was solving a case.

"Alright, lay it on me, Iggy," I had made coffee for all of us, and I gave Fang a sure smile when I handed a cup to him, along with an extra sugar cube.

Iggy scattered the items of the folder onto the kitchen island and held up the photo of Gazzy, the boy who'd died in the fire. There was a headshot. He was a cute kid, with determined eyes and spiky hair. Then there was the photo of him facedown and naked, on a medical examiner's table.

"He died of malnutrition and dehydration," I read the report and pushed it towards Fang. "He didn't stand a chance in that fire."

Iggy nodded. "He was also branded and tortured, but that's not the strange part. Look at the shots of his back."

I took the photo from Iggy and gasped, catching Fang's attention as he looked over my shoulder. "What in the hell?!"

"That," Iggy traced it with his fingers. "Is his spine."

"Not a human spine," Fang corrected, and he was right. The poor boy's bones were contorted into awful spikes. Maybe they weren't obvious at first, but the way the examiner positioned the boy with his arms hugging his knees, the spine stuck out like rays of a sun out the boy's back. They looked painful, and dangerous.

"What did the coroners say?"

"Two theories," Iggy flashed two fingers in demonstration. "First, stone man syndrome or something along the lines of elephant man."

I shook my head not convinced. "But the deformity is concentrated only to his spine and way too uniform."

"Hence the second theory. For lack of better terms, his DNA was… odd."

"Odd how?" Fang probed.

"Odd like, not entirely human?"

Fang and I exchanged confused glances. "What exactly are we dealing with here? Are we talking supernatural?"

Iggy shrugged.

"Well, I think this is worth a conversation with the examiner tomorrow," Fang said in determination.

"And I'll be coming with," I was getting over asking for permission. I did have the necessary clearance after all.

"There was something else at the scene," Iggy added, and he pulled out the plastic evidence bag.

A white feather.