I do not own Maximum Ride. Dang.

"So, what kind of errands were you running today?" I asked skeptically as we flew through the air. We'd left the hardware store and were on our way to dinner, but Dylan wouldn't tell me where.

"You'll see." He smiled. I rolled my eyes and kept flying but was interrupted by Dylan's voice.

"You do look beautiful, Max. But you always do." He beamed again.

"Thanks." I answered nervously. Nope, not ready for this at all.

I heard the crashing sound of water before it came into view.

"Here we are!" He answered proudly.

I saw a huge waterfall with sharp rocks jutting out around it.

"Wow, this is really pretty." I murmured quietly.

"Wait until you see the inside."

Dylan grabbed my hand and flew me near the waterfall. I thought he was going to pull us through it when I saw him swoop around it gracefully. He hadn't been flying as long as the rest of us had, but he had caught up quickly. We flew behind the waterfall into a natural cave. I saw candles lit all around since it had gotten dark and there was no other source of light. I understood what he meant by running errands now. He'd obviously put in a lot of time and effort to set this up.

"No crowds, no lines, no waiting…and best of all, Iggy made it." Dylan explained.

I sat on a blanket that had been spread on the ground. Dylan sat next to me and pulled a glass pan out of an insulated casing that I recognized.

"How did you manage to talk him into that?" I wondered out loud.

"Nope. Not telling you that secret." He grinned. That probably meant that Iggy and Gazzy were making a huge bomb in the backyard as we spoke.

"I have to admit, this is pretty creative." I said in between bites. I wondered how he found this place.

"You like it?" He asked, sounding kind of surprised.

I thought about it and nodded. "It's nice…and relaxing. Not having to worry about dressing up or crowded restaurants or anything. It's…comfortable."

We talked while we ate. We talked about the Flock, my mom and Ella, random stuff on tv…Dylan and I actually had a lot in common. I spent more time that night laughing than I had in the past year.

I thought about other "dates" that I had been on. I'd thought about when Fang and I had gone out in Hawaii. I was a nervous wreck, worrying about my manners and what I was wearing, which I never, ever do. This was a lot more my style.

I thought about when I'd gone out with Sam too when I was in Virginia. We'd held hands and eaten ice cream until his sister dropped me off at the end of the night. That was when Sam kissed me. I thought about that and suddenly felt a little more nervous.

"Max, we have to talk."

Uh oh. Déjà vu struck again and I remembered a time when Fang had said the same thing. I accused him of watching Oprah. This probably meant he was going to talk about his feelings.

"Max, I think I've made it pretty obvious. I like you and I really want to spend time with you. I know you've been through a lot but I'm asking you to just give me a fair shot, please. I'm not talking marriage or anything, just hanging out and doing things like we are tonight. " He requested seriously.

I thought it over for a second and prepped my wings for flight, just like I'd done a million times with Fang. I hated talking about my feelings and I wasn't ready for this.

"Wait." Dylan ordered, his hand wrapping around my wrist.

I turned on him knowing that my eyes had to be blazing with fury and preparing for a fight, but somehow Dylan knew what to say.

"Max, you can run all you want. I won't stop you. But it's different this time. You can run, because every time you come back I will still be right there with you and I will still feel the same way. I'm not leaving and I'm not giving up. There is nothing you can say or do that would ever make me leave."

I was shocked and absolutely speechless. Fang had always been quiet, so anytime he talked about his feelings it took me by surprise. That was one of the problems with that stupid letter he left. If he had told me half the things in that letter instead of writing it and leaving…well, let's just say we wouldn't be in this situation right now. But no, he was still Mr. Mute and I was left in the dark until it was too late and he was gone.

This was the complete and total opposite. I completely froze, unable to move. It was like Dylan had just opened his heart and poured everything inside of it out. The least I could do is stay and hear him out, right? I calmed myself, fighting the urge to run and sat down again. The relief and surprise on Dylan's face was…really comforting actually.

"Dyl..." I began not really knowing what to say that wouldn't break his heart.

"Max, we can take it as slow as you want. Whatever you want, I'll work with it. Will you just give me a chance?" He all but begged.

I was mesmerized by him again. His eyes were bright and shimmering. I couldn't look away. It was like I was one of those stupid computerized missile systems and I was locked on my target. Dylan could tell too, making him smile, not helping me break free from him.

I considered what that would mean. I wouldn't be moving on. I would be heading in another direction. I'd still wait for Fang. I'd go back to the hawk's cave in another eighteen years, six months, and ten days. But I had to accept a couple of facts. One of us might die before then, which may sound morbid, but is a reality for people with lives like ours. If that happened did I really want to spend my entire life alone? I knew the answer to that. No. On top of that I had to accept that Fang might feel the same way. He may not completely move on but he might find someone, at least temporarily.

And Dylan was right. It wasn't like we were talking marriage, or kids or something. Just a few dates, at my own pace. I could manage that, right? That's what normal teenage girls without wings did, right?

Finally, I nodded. I was going to give it a shot and Dylan couldn't look happier.