Disclaimer- Don't own Maximum Ride and company… :( *stomps feet and wails*
Author Note- This is not the last chapter! There is an epilogue and a sequel! Or is it a prequel, since it's before this story…but it was written after this so would it be a sequel? Oh that requires too much brainwork! :) enjoy!
Author Note #2- Thanks for the reviews and the people who added this story to their favorites/alerts :) they totally make me happy and make me give out a girly squeal :P
Chapter 8 (Not the Last!)
Jamie lay on the ground, writing in pain as Ari hit her again and again on her back. Her knuckles were bloody, partly from Ari's now broken nose, wrist, ankle and jaw. (Ahhh…. The wonders of chemistry equipment) But now, he had the upper hand and was hitting her, hard. Jamie bit her lip, trying not to cry out. She felt two hands wrap themselves around her neck and begin to squeeze.
"God…" she mumbled "Everyone wants to choke the life out of me." She wheezed on the last part. Jamie was running out of air, and quickly. Ben was pinned to the ground after he tried to help her and the Eraser versions of her friends certainly weren't gonna help her. With her last ounce of breath, she let out an ear piercing scream. A scream that cut clear out of the room, zipping down the hallways, tunneling through eardrums, lodging itself in your conscience. It was a desperate cry for help.
XxXxXxXx
Max heard the scream. It was a familiar one from hours of hanging out together, but it wrenched her very soul out of place.
"Jamie!" screamed Max, ditching secrecy altogether. She took off running down the hallway, swinging her foot up high, she kicked the door down. It crashed to the ground. Max threw out her wings, her eyes flashing in fury. Even Fang jumped a little at the anger that was pouring off her. Ari looked terrified at her, but her threw Jamie to the ground and came after Max.
"Watcha gonna do Maxie?" he snarled
"You hurt my friends." No one hurts my friends and gets away with it. No. Freakin'. One." She spat, and launched herself at Ari. Fang meanwhile, slipped around the fighting pair and grabbed Jamie from the floor and motioned for Ben to follow. Both shook their heads resolutely. Fang rolled his eyes in frustration.
"You can't help her!" he hissed. They continued to stand there stubbornly.
"I need to find a cure for my brother and Rose and Brittany." Ben said
"I need to stay and help Max." Jamie said "She might be furious and well trained, but she's not invincible. Neither are you Fang." Fang stared at her. She was very beaten, with bruises forming around her collarbone, cheekbones, and a black eye. Her blonde hair had long since become disheveled and wild. Her clothes were wrinkled and had blood on them, a mixture of hers and Ari's from when she had been punching him. Her gold necklace was broken and scattered across the floor, but she refused to give up. He wondered where this loyalty to her had come from. Fang opened his mouth to try and convince her but she cut him off. "Don't even try and convince us otherwise because just ask Max. We are damn determined and no one gets in our way." Fang glanced back at Max, who was wailing on Ari. He gave a curt nod, and turned to Max.
XxXxXxXx
Max let loose another flurry of punches that further disfigured Ari's face.
"I just wanted to start over!" she snarled into his face. "I wanted a new life away from the flock and the school and you." She punched him again, and then kicked his shin, knocking him to the ground. Max sat down on his chest, pinning Ari to the ground. "I." punch. "Wanted." Punch. "To." Punch. "Be." Punch. "normal." Punch. "But you had to come blundering in didn't you Ari? Can't leave a girl in peace!" She hit him again. "Why couldn't… you just…" Max cried out, bursting into tears. Fang slipped up behind her, wrapping her in her arms and tugged her off Ari. He enfolded her in his embrace, taking in her familiar scent. He wished her could have her in his arms under better circumstances, but he would take what he got. She sobbed into his chest, all the suppressed anger at him and the flock and at herself coming out. Ari leapt up and ran towards the door, but something wacked him over the head. Fang glanced up to see Jamie release a container of acid and it shattered all over him. He tumbled from the window shrieking. Fang raised his eyebrows, and she smiled innocently. Then, hurried from the room after Ben. Fang planted a kiss on the top of Max's head.
"Dang. Your friend Jamie is scary. She just doused Ari in acid and then smiled." He murmured into Max's hair. She gave a choked laugh.
"You've never seen her play soccer." She whispered through her tears. "She's vicious." Max looked up at Fang. He smiled.
"Ready?" Max nodded.
"We need to find some way to reverse what was done to them though. Please?" Fang looked into Max's pleading eyes and nodded.
XxXxXxXx
Later… on a small cliff
Max felt terrible about leaving Jamie and Ben, especially now that they had just gotten their friends back from the destruction that she had rained upon them. If she had gone to another school, or not gone to a school at all, maybe they would still be happy and innocent like the first time she had met them. She felt incomplete, like she was missing a part of her. Fang came behind her and whispered in her ear.
"You 'kay?" Max looked at him.
She sighed.
"I don't know Fang. This is where I belong, but a part of me will always belong there. I left some of me there, and that never gets to come back. I don't know where home is now." She turned her head away from him, a tear slipping down her cheek. He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.
"You'll figure it out."
Neither of them knew, but they both had found home.
Right in each other's arms.
XxXxXxXx
Oookkkaaayy… kinda a sappy, poetic ending. And a huge definite plot hole. Ew. But I could not figure out a dramatic enough way to heal Nate, Brittany, and Rose so yeah… :( sorry.
Now, remember 3 things-
There is an epilogue coming really soon!
There is a sequel/prequel thingy coming the same day as the epilogue!
Reviews are love!
Love From-
December-Apples
