Fang's POV

"Fang where have you been? Out all night? Do you know how worried I was?" Dr. M yells as I walk in the front door.

I didn't purposefully stay out all night….I fell asleep at Kayla's grave….and had the best sleep I've had in a while. So yeah, I spent the night in a cemetery.

"Fang look at me when I'm yelling at you!"

That's enough to bring a smirk, which is the equivalent of a smile, to my lips.

"Oh, you think that's funny? Well how's this, you're grounded for a week," she says. "Hand over your iPod, cell phone, and no TV or computer. No leaving the house for a week either."

I narrow my eyes. "And how exactly do you plan to keep me in the house? What physical power do you have to stop me if I turned around and walked out right now?" I sneer, pissed off.

"If you refuse to listen I'll just ground you longer."

"If I'm not listening the first time I don't think I would listen the second time either."

"Fang, I am your mother and you will listen to me!" she snaps. Wow, either she puts up a really good front or I really worried her and that converted to anger. Probably the second but I'm not one to back down from a fight. Not anymore.

"You are not my mother. I don't have to listen to you. You can't make me listen to you."

"I'm your adoptive mother and I decide what's best for you!"

"No, I decide what's best for me! I'm sick of people deciding for me! All that got me was two dead sisters, a dead mother, 11 years of torture and 8 years of rape!" God, I can't believe she's being such a bitch. I didn't mean to stay out! She didn't even give me a freaking chance to explain, not that I would have.

No, wait, WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?

Max's POV

Fang's face pales half a second after saying what happened to him. Ella, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, and Angel, who are all gathered behind me in the doorway, gasp in shock.

Apparently Dr. M wasn't fully aware of what he'd been through because she gasped too. "Fang…I'm so-"

"Don't! Don't say that you're sorry!" he snaps but he sounds weak and vulnerable under his anger. Before Dr. M gets a chance to say anything he whirls around and runs out.

We all stand there in a hock for a few moments until Dr. M gets herself together. "That was….a very stupid move on my part."

"No duh," I tell her, coming into the front hall. "What were you thinking there?

"Don't give me that Max! I was worried about him. Always disappearing, staying out so long and so late."

"That was still the worst way you could've handled it!" I'm only mad because of how upset Fang looked. I need to calm down before this gets any worse. "Sorry."

"It's ok Max."

"Where's Fang going?" Angel asked. "He's coming back right?"

"Of course he is sweetie," I tell her. I hope.

"He looked pretty pissed," Gazzy says.

"Sounded pretty pissed too," Iggy adds. "I wouldn't expect him back for at least a day."

"What if he gets hurt? Or lost? Or someone tries to hurt him? What if he never comes back and we can't find him?" Nudge starts then goes into a full out 5 minute rant on all the bad things that could happen.

"NUDGE!" I finally shout. "Fang is a big boy and he knows how to take care of himself and I'm sure if any one tried to touch him they'd be the ones hurt."

"Should I call the police?" Dr. M says worriedly.

"No, give him a day at least to come back," I tell her.

"He…he was…..raped?" Ella asks horrified.

"Dude, how does that even work?" Gazzy asks.

I swear you could hear the slap of all of us except Gazzy and Angel face palming 3 miles away.

"Don't ask him that when you see him," Iggy says. "And I'll explain when you 14."

"But that's like…..6 years away," Gazzy whines.

I look at him. "It hurts Gaz, that's all you need to know for now." As an afterthought to change the topic I say, "Who wants to go swimming?"

"I do!" Angel shouts being the first to get my message. She's so intuitive for a 6 year old sometimes.

"Are you ok with them Max? I have to get to the office," Dr. M says.

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

Fang's POV

Why? Why did I tell them? Why did I say that? Why did I lose my temper like that? Why? Why why why? What possessed me to say that? What made me say that? What did I do to deserve everything?

"Fang? What's wrong?" Jordan asks as I crash rather loudly into her quiet little flower shop. "Tell me what happened."

And before I know it I'm in the small dark back room on the burgundy couch with Jordan's arms wrapped around me telling her what happened with Dr. M. "I- Can I stay with you for a few days?"

"Of course," she says gently. Jordan is 23, so sometimes I think of her as a friend, sometimes an older sister, and occasionally a mother. Right now she's a cross of a mother and an older sister. "But you do have to go back, you know that right?"

I nod into her shoulder. "I just….Not yet."

"Ok, but you have to let me call so they don't freak out."

"N-no!"

"Fang, please. If you don't call or let me call I could end up in some serious trouble. I won't make you leave until you're ready but you have to let me call."

"Ok…" I sigh and slump limply against her.

"Come on, I'll take you home. You don't mind walking do you?"

"Jordan if I minded walking I'd have a huge problem."

"True enough. Up you go," she says, hauling me to my feet.

Suddenly exhausted I lean on her for support and she wraps and arm around my back/waist.

"Sorry," she says as she feels me tense.

"It's fine…"

"Melissa, you're in charge for the rest of the day," she calls out to one of the employees as we leave.

When we get to her tiny little apartment she takes a step back and gathers my fairly loose shirt behind me, showing off how skinny I really am.

Taking me to her kitchen she makes me sit then starts making something on the oven. "You're going to eat it all weather you're hungry or not. I know Dr. M feeds you."

I sigh. "Fine."

While I eat the pizza she made she talks to Dr. M. I almost have a heart attack when I feel something small jump into my lap.

"Hey Jinx," I say to the small kitten in my lap.

Said kitten mews cutely. Jinx is light grey with really dark grey stripes and aqua eyes. She's really young and adorable, in the cat's stage of life where all she wants is love and affection.

I scratch behind her ears and she purrs happily, curling up on my lap.

"Where's Black Magic?" I ask, then feel a head but my leg a second later. "Speak of the devil."

Black Magic is older and has adopted Jinx as her baby sister. She's pure black with emerald eyes. Magic is at the point where she won't jump onto your lap unless she's in the mood. She's not a friendly cat unless she likes you. I happen to be one of the lucky ones that she likes.

"Hey Magic," I say reaching down with my other hand to pet her.

"Eat," Jordan orders coming back in.

"Jordan I can't pet both cats and eat at the same time," I tell her.

"I could always feed you," she says with a light teasing tone but I know she's dead serious.

Quickly I shove a piece in my mouth. "I'm eating I'm eating."

"Good," she says sitting on the floor next to Black Magic and pulling the cat onto her lap. Magic purrs happily. "Dr. M says that you can stay and that you're not in trouble and that she just wants you to come back home."

"That's not my home," I say.

"I know Fang."

"And I will go back…just not yet…"

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, as I said before."

"Thanks Jordan," I smile.

"You finish that pizza and I'll get the spare room ready," she says getting up and walking out.

Later that night Jordan and I are sitting on the couch watching some random movie eating popcorn, making fun of how dumb the characters are. My head's on her shoulder and her arms draped loosely across my shoulders. Amazing how sitting like this with anyone else would make me flip but with Jordan it feels natural and comfortable. I guess it's because Jordan's just always been there, always took care of me.

I'm startled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Oh, no, I forgot I was having Jay come over tonight!" Jordan exclaims.

"Who's Jay?" I ask, not wanting someone to interrupt.

"An old friend from college," she says getting up and causing me to fall over. "He's visiting town for a few days and I told him he could spend the night here. Do…Do you mind Fang?"

Honestly, yes, but I'm not going to tell her that. She's already done enough for me; I'm not going to make her tell her friend to leave. "It's fine," I tell her. "Do you want me to take the couch?"

"No, Jay can deal." There's another knock and Jordan calls, "It's unlocked Jay come in!"

"Wow, I feel loved. 'It's unlocked Jay come in' is all the greeting I get after 2 years?" a man, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's Jay, says as he comes in.

"Hi," Jordan deadpans then bursts out laughing.

Jay joins in then hugs her. "Hi Jordan. It's been a while."

"I know. You don't mind the couch do you?"

"What, the cats have their own room?" he jokes.

"No, something, someone came up."

"Who?" Jay looks around and I sit up so he can see me and I can see him.

"Jay this is Fang, Fang, this is Jay," Jordan introduces us.

I look him over warily, distrustful of all things human, especially of guys. It's a side effect of years of abuse.

"Nice to meet you Fang," Jay says cheerfully. "He's a little young for you Jordan."

Jordan hits him upside the head. "He's a friend."

"That was unnecessary," Jay grumbles. Just then Black Magic darts out and starts hissing at him. "Whoa, down kitty."

"Magic," I whisper and she happily trots over to me, turning to hiss at Jay every couple of steps.

"We were just watching a movie Jay, care to join us?" Jordan offers.

"Sure, just keep Hissy Kitty away from me," he says and drops onto the couch next to me. I launch myself to the other side to get away from him and he looks at me curiously before Jordan sits between us.

Holding Black Magic close I lean back and watch the movie.

Morning brings breakfast with Jay and Jordan breathing down my neck making sure I eat all the eggs she dumped on my plate.

"You're too skinny Fang. You have to promise you'll eat more," she says.

"But-" I protest then sigh. "Fine…"

"How do you wind up with the name Fang? I mean, that can't be your real name," Jay says around a mouthful of egg.

I shrug. Kayla came up with it one day….

"You need a better name then Nicholas. Something that separates the two of you," Kayla said.

"Nick?" I suggested,

"Something original," she scolded.

"Like what?"

"Something tough sounding but not stupid. Fang?"

"What?"

"Fang! I'm gonna call you Fang!"

Not a long story to that…

I stayed at Jordan's a total of 3 days and now I'm headed slowly back to Dr. M's. I'm not really ready but Jordan said sooner would be better than later.

I'm a little over half way when it happens. When I see him.

Bwahaha! Cliffhanger of doom! I promise I'll try to update soon.