Hey! Here's a new chapter because I'm so nice! I don't own Maximum Ride. Just these guys in this story.

So far our hiding in the house for sale was going pretty well. There was a little hostility between Eric and Taz at first, but Eric was starting to ease up. Wait, no. That's a lie. (See. I told you I'm a good liar.) Eric avoided Taz at all costs. If Taz needed to be fed or changed, Eric was conveniently in the bathroom or asleep.

As for our new favorite Eraser, Taz had learned to use his transformation driving away rats. I think it was a good thing. Maybe sometimes Erasers can't help themselves. Maybe they just had to get it out of their system. But Taz was great on mouse patrol. He'd snap his jaws at them, occasionally accidently eat them. (I flipped out the first time he did that, thinking he was going to get the plague, but I couldn't stop him if he tried.) But he was probably healthier than any of us since he was getting the most to eat.

He'd also learned to walk and say, 'No.'

It was night time, which meant everyone in the house was up and at 'em. I was showing Kitten how to braid her hair when Salem walked into the kitchen.

"I'm going outside," she said. She'd been outside a lot. I figured she was antsy from being cooped up inside all day. I knew I was. I'd go out on a diaper run any day of the month just to get outside.

"Be back..."

"Before it's light out. I know," she finished putting her hood up and shut the door behind her. Kitten looked up at me.

"Cat, who's Jason?" she asked. I straightened at the sound of his name. I finished her braid in her flawlessly straight white hair.

"Jason is a very mean Eraser who used to be my friend," I said.

"You had friends there?" Kitten asked. I half smiled.

"He was the only one," I said. "That is until I met all five of you." Kitten smiled and scooted off my lap.

"Do I look pretty?" Kitten asked twirling like a ballerina to show off her braid.

"Definitely," I confirmed with a thumbs up. Eric walked into the kitchen and opened a cupboard. He paused by Kitten briefly to scratch behind her little kitty ears. She smiled at the affection and purred with delight.

"She's right. You're going o have to beat off the boys with a stick," he said. Kitten giggled and touched her hair.

"No, I don't need a stick. I have claws." The girl makes a point. "Can I get my pictures taken?"

"No. None of us are getting their pictures taken," I said quickly. Kitten pouted.

"But Salem got to do it!" Eric dropped a pot that he was holding on the ground. I felt my face go white.

"What do you mean Salem got her picture taken?" Eric asked making her spin around and face him. She looked a little scared.

"The other day. She said someone walked in front of her and took her picture, then left," Kitten said. I jumped from the beanbag chair and Eric slammed the cupboard door. "What's the big deal? Only one person will see it."

"Stay here Kitten," Eric ordered.

"Tarzan!" I yelled. He poked his head in the kitchen. I reached to the back of my jeans and tucked my tail inside a pant leg. "Salem's out there. She got her picture taken. Keep an eye on Kitten and Taz. Get all of our stuff together. We'll probably leave tonight." His eyes widened.

"Her picture?!" he shouted outraged. Without another word passing between us, Eric and I shot through the door. All I could do was pray and I didn't even know how. I could just think toward the heavens, Oh God, please let her be alright.

"A few days ago? That's more than enough time to get it printed in the tabloids," Eric said as we jogged beside one another outside.

"I'll look for her at her usual spots," Eric said.

"I'm going to check the newspaper stands," I said. We turned our separate ways. I ran up to the nearest stand. It was locked down for the night. Suddenly I heard the ring of a bicycle. My head jerked around to see a young boy.

Yes! It was early enough to still catch the delivery boys. I waited patiently for the kid to throw the stack of papers my way. As I calculated my plan of action I was interrupted. Suddenly the kid was attacked by a black shadow. I knew that shadow, I realized. I started to run closer.

Salem held the horrified boy pinned to the ground with her yellow eyes piercing through him.

"I do not want my pictures in your dirty paper! Can't you see I'm hiding here!" she hissed in his face.

"I don't print the papers m-ma'am. I just deliver them," the poor guy stuttered. He gulped. "Please don't eat me." I saw Salem cringe. It was then I knew the pain she felt. She felt different. She was always furry and literally darker than night with glowing eyes. She knew she stood out more than the rest of us. I had sensed her pain many times when I reminded her to keep her hood up, when I was trying to convince her to wear gloves to hide her fur covered hands so she didn't have to walk around with them stuffed in her pockets all the time.

"You tell your boss that I'm already a freak enough without him to point it out to the rest of the world," Salem threatened with a crack of pain in her voice.

"Hey!" I snapped. Salem dropped the boy flat on his back and looked at me with guilty eyes. I got into view of the boy. I looked from one to the other as I came up with a half ass plan off the top of my head. I crouched down on all fours and extended my claws. Them my tail poked out from my waistband to reveal what I was. "What have I told you about playing with your food?" Salem was confused for a moment. I winked at her. With a slight nod, she bowed her head.

"You said not to," she said quietly.

"That's right. Now finish him off before he goes and tells his boss more about you," I said like a mother telling her child to eat the rest of her vegetables. The boy held up his hands.

"No! I won't tell! I swear I won't!" he cried.

"How do we know you won't. It's your paper? Isn't it?" I argued. He was crying now. I was even beginning to feel a little guilty.

"I won't! I swear! I'll burn every paper I have with her picture on it, you can make sure I do," he said hesitantly. Good, it will save me the trouble.

"You better," I said. He started to calm. "We'll watch you from afar. Burn it someplace secluded. I don't want her face anywhere where your slimy kind can see her!"

"Okay, okay!" he cried. I looked at Salem who was looking at me like a some girl who was in trouble with her mother. I turned my attention back on the boy.

"And give me one," I said. In a heartbeat it was in my hand. "Let's go." Salem and I turned the other direction. The first page that showed a picture of a preteen walking down the street with a sweatshirt, her furry face poking out ofher hood.

The title read, First Bigfoot? Now Catgirl?

"Cat girl?" I asked whoever wrote the article. "That's lame."

"There was another issue yesterday," she confessed in a quiet voice. Salem stared at the ground and I heard a sob escape from her. She put her hands over her face. I put an arm over her shoulder and she leaned into me.

"Aw, come here." She continued all the way home.

When we got to the house, Tarzan had three blanket's holding together some of our stuff.

"Did you find her?" Tarzan asked. I looked at him confused for a moment. It was then that I noticed she was hiding behind me. I moved out of the way to show her to him.

"Did you get your picture taken again?" Kitten asked innocently as she poked her head in the kitchen. Salem narrowed her eyes at her. Kitten's widened.

"Kitten, can you go into the other room with Taz?" I asked. She nodded and turned on the radio with Taz beside her. Tarzan and I had to play the parent roles.

"Are you okay?" Tarzan asked first. She nodded.

"Do you know what kind of danger you caused us? We're in so much trouble. We could've lived here for like another month!" I said crossing my arms across my chest.

"I'm really, really, really, sorry," Salem said. Eric came through the door.

"I couldn't find her!" he said. He saw her and he let out a breath of relief. "Oh man, Salem! You-" I put a hand on his shoulder.

"This is a delicate situation, I think Tarzan and I got this one," I whispered. Eric seemed a little disappointed. I guess he always saw himself as one of the parent roles. He was a bit of a loose cannon though when it came to Salem. They just didn't get along that well. He stomped past Tarzan into the room with Kitten and Taz.

"I-I..." Salem started. "I'm sorry. I'll leave..." I straightened up and grabbed her arm. Eric returned having heard this. He looked just as shocked as we did.

"Leave where?" I asked. She sniffed.

"I'm a danger to the pride," she said choking on her words. I looked at the doorway where Eric was watching. I passed him a glance. See? This is what happens when you threaten to kick out people, I thought hoping that somehow he got the message. He took one look at my glance and tore his eyes back to her

"Like Taz," she said. "I'm worse than Taz! I'm going to get us sent back to Sch-" I scooped her up in a hug and held her. Tarzan put a hand on her back.

"Salem, it's okay. It was a mistake. It was just a very dangerous mistake. But next time we're in danger you tell us right away so we can get a head start," Tarzan said. Salem switched from me to give Tarzan a hug. I watched them admiringly.

"What if Taz makes a mistake?" Salem whispered. Tarzan and I looked from each other to Eric. He must have felt like crap just then.

"Nothing. We're staying together. Through good times and bad," I said. Salem wiped away her tears on her hand. "Go wash up. We gotta go." Salem left us to go to the bathroom.

"Aw, how touching," came a new voice from the window.

How about it? Ya like?