Authors Note: I realized I have yet to profusely apologize for my horrible updating. (Or maybe I have. I can't remember) So yeah. I'm incredibly sorry. I'm usually so good about updating . . . but this story? Not so much. I've been in a weird writing funk lately. I shall do my best to overcome it (:

Thanks for your continuous support though. I'll try to do better.

Chapter Ten:

Dilemmas

My feet collided with the pavement at a steady pace, as I took off sprinting down the long stretch of sidewalk. Ahead of me my sight zeroed in on the figure I was pursuing. He was closing in on the coming corner. I pressed for more speed, pushing my endurance to the test. It was the most strenuous physical act I had been in since National's. I just had to hope my body was up for the challenge.

Behind me I could hear Fang's footfalls as he followed close at my heels, calling my name in a bewildered tone. He didn't reach out to stop me though, somehow sensing the urgency I was exuding, as always.

Thankfully, I naturally leaned towards the more athletic side. I was barely fazed as I looped around the corner of the building ahead, having seen my stranger disappear there just moments before. I didn't know whether he had sensed my fast approach or not. I was hoping for the latter.

When I cleared the corner though, he was nowhere in sight. Skidding to a halt I whirled in a circle, frantically examining the immediate area. My chest heaved as the effort from beforehand caught up with me. My breathing was slightly irregular, but I ignored the faint burn in my chest. There was no time to worry about that.

"Max, what the heck is wrong with you?" Fang demanded, snagging my elbow in his iron grip. He steered me around to face him, forcing me to look at his raised eyebrow and questioning stare.

I shook my head, peering around once more. Wrenching out of his grip I took a few steps away, running a hand through my hair in frustration. There was no denying it. The strange, hooded figure that seemed to be popping up everywhere I went was no longer in sight. Once again, he had flawlessly slipped through my grip.

"Max," Fang said plaintively, sounding more exasperated than before. I twisted my head around to face him, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry, I thought I saw somebody I knew," I explained lamely; the claim coming easier since this technically wasn't a lie. I didn't want to assume that, though. I couldn't be sure it was Dylan. He was supposed to be in New Jersey after all. He was supposed to be starting over, not coming back to haunt me.

And it wasn't like I could just come out and directly tell Fang that somebody had been tailing me, especially with my suspicions about their identity. Knowing him, he'd flip out in the form of going all dark and scarily silent. We still had plenty of problems between us without tacking that on, thanks.

Fang's brow continued to rise, as he stared at me wordlessly through midnight colored, narrowed eyes. So he didn't believe me. Big surprise there.

"We should probably go. We're going to be late enough as it is," I suggested, grabbing his hand as I hurried past him. He resisted my hold for a few moments after that, before eventually obliging to my tugging. As we walked he intertwined our fingers; mine fitting oh so fairytale perfectly between his.

For just another snippet of time we were back to normal. I couldn't wait to see how long that one would last . . . and the downfall we would experience after it had dwindled.

- }{ -

"-and she was totally wearing the same shirt!" Nudge ranted from the backseat, nearing the end of her spewing speech. Ella emitted the appropriate gasp, and I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to catch a glimpse of her aghast expression.

"No!" she insisted.

"I swear on my life. It was even the exact color as mine. I mean, really? Who even does that? It's not like she didn't totally know I was getting it. She was in the store with me, because she had just gotten that -admittedly- really cute haircut, and she was stopping by to get a pair of jeans or something. At least that's what she said. Instead, she rips off the super adorable top I managed to find! And then has the audacity to ask me when I was wearing it, so she could apparently wear it the same day. It's an outrage, I tell you. An utter-"

"I can feel my manly cells depleting as we speak," Iggy moaned from in between the two gossips, dropping his head in his hands dramatically. Fang rolled his eyes at me from behind the wheel, giving me a small, out of place smile. I didn't hesitate to return it, albeit a bit surprised.

The five of us were packed tightly into Fang's car; the others somehow convincing him to give them all a ride. Iggy had tried to vouch for shotgun, but I called him out on it. Luckily too, or else I would have been the one in his position; locked between Ella and Nudge. That was never a good thing.

"Can we just drop them all off at the side of the road?" Fang inquired, loud enough to overcome the girls' chatter. He smirked at their reactions, while pulling onto Iggy's street. Up ahead I could see his familiar apartment building.

"Sure, why not? Let's let them fend for themselves," I agreed, grinning at them mock-maliciously over my shoulder. Nudge stuck her tongue out, like the child she was, but shut up with a huff. Ella just shook her head and turned to the window, staring out of it. There was a small smile playing around her lips though.

"You couldn't pay me enough to stay here another second!" Iggy proclaimed as Fang rolled to a stop in front of the steps of his building. Without another word he launched over Ella's lap, making her blush profusely, shoving through the door. He stumbled onto the sidewalk, barely managing to keep ahold of his things. He was able to untangle his long legs enough to stand though, his strawberry blond hair dancing haywire in the wind. Ella waved meekly to him through the smudged glass, and he smiled in return before hopping up the stairs and through the door.

Nudge was the next to go; miraculously keeping mostly silent for the rest of the drive. It wasn't until she was gone that I realized that the person she had furiously been texting the entire time was Ella. Oh well. Her substitute worked well enough for me, as long as I didn't have to hear another second of her typically teenage angst.

I loved Nudge. I really did. She had done so much for my family; babysitting Angel and Gazzy whenever I needed (usually on a whim), and most importantly keeping the secret about my mother, especially considering how loose-lipped she was. She somehow managed to keep it from slipping, for which I was eternally grateful. But honestly, the girl talked too much. Constantly. We all had our flaws though, if that could be considered one.

It didn't change the fact that she was part of my family; now until the day I died.

"What are you thinking about?" Fang asked quietly, breaking through my thoughts with a soft blow. I shifted my gaze to Ella, who was stretched out in the back seat, now that it was only occupied by her. She had ear buds in, and a completely disinterested look on her face, but there was no way to know if she was listening in or not.

I shrugged, running a hand through my hair. "Everything in general," I replied, purposefully sounding vague. I hoped he would take the hint; which he did. No surprise there.

"All your problems are going to be solved soon, anyway. Then you won't have so much on your mind." He was referring to getting Angel and Gazzy back . . . but I had to wonder if that would be the end of my dilemmas, or if they were just beginning.

Because it was becoming clearer and clearer that the return of my siblings would only scratch the surface. Whole new complications were arising. Fang. The stranger seemingly following me around, that could be Dylan. Reconciliation with my mother. And it was only safe to assume that I would find myself in even more predicaments as time passed.

Even during this stage of relative peace, my balance in life was shaky at best. There was nothing any amount of assistance from Aunt Val or my other friends that could change that. It was just how things were . . .

And how they'd always be.

"Max."

I started, rocking forward in my seat. My chest strained against the seat belt, before I moved back into a regular sitting position. Glancing up I realized that at some point in my musings we had arrived home. Fang was already parked snug at the curb, and I was the only one left in the vehicle. He peered down at me through the window; his voice having reached me sufficiently muffled by the glass. Shaking my head I blinked several times before mechanically undoing my restraints.

"Is it just me, or are you zoning even more than usual?" Fang inquired as I climbed onto the gray pavement; slamming the door shut behind me. Up ahead Ella was just entering the house, her dark ponytail swinging around her head with every step she took. The front door swung wide before creaking closed after her.

"Sorry," I said, smiling weakly. "Like I said, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Are you okay?" Fang asked, his brow tugging down in barely masked concern. His fingers found their way into mine, and I squeezed back reassuringly. The troubled remains in his eyes didn't diminish though.

"I'm fine," I replied, trying to sound chipper. "Everything's going according to plan . . . Everything's perfectly okay . . . right?"

Could he sense the double meaning in my words? In any case, he didn't show it.

Fang nodded wordlessly, his dark eyes still trained on mine like he was searching for something he hadn't quite grasped yet. It was odd. He could usually read me within a fraction of a glimpse.

"How about you stay for awhile?" I suggested in vain. "Be distracting."

As soon as the words left my mouth I knew the answer. Without hesitation a shadow passed across his face; his usual blank mask falling into place perfectly. His torso seemed to visibly shudder as he sighed almost inaudibly, tugging his hand from mine gently. That didn't make it sting any less, though.

"I can't," he stated simply, a small apology pooling in his depthless eyes; casting the obsidian irises with a light film of his useless 'sorry'.

You can't, or you won't? was the question I was about to pose, my hands balling into fists at my side, when I was interrupted by the abrupt shrieking of the door. I whipped my head around to see who it was; not in the mood for getting cut off.

"Max!" Ella shouted excitedly. "Hurry, come quick!"

"What's going on?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow. Couldn't she wait for two more seconds? I got my answer not long after that.

A moment later a head appeared at her elbow; shoving past. Another figure followed. Standing on the familiar stoop of our home were Angel and Gazzy- blond hair shining and blue eyes wide. For what seemed like the longest time all I could do was gape at them in shock.

Aunt Valencia said they got the call earlier this morning, and had to go down to sign some papers . . . but I never thought they'd be able to work so quickly. Yet here before me was living proof: my brother and sister were back in safe care; with their family. Where they belonged. It almost seemed too good to be true, especially after all we had went through to get to this point.

Immediately a gigantic grin lit up my face; a mirror image of my siblings. It took all of my self control not to burst into tears, so joyous was the occasion. Were they just figments of my imagination? Was I dreaming? I didn't know. And if I was . . . I didn't want to wake up.

"Max, I have to go now," Fang said, putting his hand on my arm. With that my happiness was shattered, as the anger I had felt before rekindled at his iron grip on my arm. Trying not to make it too obvious I slipped from his grasp, taking a few precautionary steps away.

"Then go," I ordered blankly, my voice a complete monotone. Uncaring with the slightest edge of steel. "If you don't want to be here, then go."

"Max, I-"

I turned on my heel, striding away before he could continue. Not sparing a single glance back I took my brother and sister by their hands and led them inside; making sure to shut the door firmly behind me.

Authors Note: Uh . . . yeah. So . . . Angel and Gazzy are back. HORRAY! But . . . will it last? (that was me being ominous)

Well, I feel like you can probably find SOMEthing to review about. Right? Right? Mhm . . . SO DO IT NOW EVEN THOUGH I SUCK AT UPDATING. Awe, thanks! ;)

P.S. Which do you guys prefer in terms of weather: hot or cold? (AKA: winter or summer?)