HI! Thank. You. So. MUCH! I had so many reviews… it was wonderful! Thank you guys! Thank you so much. There will be so much sweet Fax that it will give you cavities! : ) Well, anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Never did. So don't count on it.

Chapter 11

Fang POV

I've never seen Max so upset before. Sure, I've seen her cry, a few times, but never like this.

She held on to me fiercely, like she was afraid that I'd dissapear if she loosened her grip. I wasn't going anywhere, but I'd scared her.

The machiene that was supposed to read my heart rate continued it's long, mournful beep.

Max was still crying and I was rubbing circles on to her back right between her wings, not sure of what else I should do. I don't exactly have experience to how to deal with Max when she won't stop crying. That situation really hasn't come up before.

"Max," I said after a while. She looked up at me, her big, beautiful brown eyes filled with tears, and I felt crushed. I had made her feel like this. Once again, it was my fault that she was hurting.

"Listen." I said as I gently pulled her closer and closer until her head was leaning against my chest. I wanted her to hear my heartbeat, I wanted to show her that I was alive. Her tears felt hot against my skin.

"I'm not dead. I could never leave you. Not like that." I said. I've never said anything more true than that. She looked up at me, and I wondered what she'd do.

She kissed me. Softly. My vision fizzed out and all that I could think, feel, touch, smell, taste, or breathe in was Max….Max.

After a while of that and a few short, teasing, softer kisses, I look deep into her eyes. She quickly looked down, her long, tangled brown-blond hair concealing her face. Her hair didn't hide the tears that started to drip down off of her face.

I tilted her head up to look at me, wondering what I did wrong. I just hoped that she wasn't mad at me.

I hated, hated, hated it when we fought. Especially the bad fights, like the one we had not too long ago.

Max, my tough-as-nails, I'll-kick-your-butt-if-you-get-out-of-line Max was gone and replaced by something fragile; I was afraid to touch her because she might shatter into pieces.

"I was afraid that I'd never get to kiss you again. I can't lose you Fang. I need you, heck, I love you." She said, still being very un-Max like.

"I can't promise that, Max. With the lives that we live, I can never promise that I won't die. I wish that I could, I wish that we'd never be in danger again." I said. I sighed. So far, so good. No loud interruption from Max.

"I understand why you don't want to get married. Heck, I don't blame you." I said Max looked at me. Yep, the regular Max was back. She was staring at me in her usual defiance.

"You're wrong. I do want to marry you." She said and my heart skipped a few beats. "yeah, life's tough. It always has been and that will never change. There will always be problems. Always. Life is tough, but we're tougher. I just temporarily forgot that." She said.

I couldn't help it, I grinned. I was too happy for words. Max grinned right back and I hugged her fiercely.

I reached into my pocket for the ring and pulled it out. Max's eyes shone. She looked like a kid in an all you-can-eat dessert buffet. I slipped the ring on her finger. It looked perfect, just like I knew it would.

Max admired it and then looked at me with suspicion in her eyes.

"You didn't steal it, did you?" she asked angrily. I smirked.

"No, as easy as that would have been, I actually bought it…with money… that we earned." I said. Max still looked a little suspisious, but whatever.

"It's beautiful." Max said finally.

"Yes, you are." I said, temporarily borrowing that line from some movie that Nudge was watching the last time that we were at a hotel. She smiled at me and hugged me. I could get used to this. I breathed in her familiar secnt of the outdoors and the clear, open air.

Max, my fiancé, my almost wife… Max. Wife. Part of me was still shouting, 'You're sixteen for god's sake! You're getting married!' another part, that was arguing with the fisrt part, said ' You don't know how long that you or she will live. You only find love like that once. Especially when you're a bird kid.'

I was listening to the second voice. I was afraid of getting married, even I'll admit, but I've never been more sure about anything else before in my entire life, however short or long that would be. I'd probably end up with the short life but hey, I'd be a short life well lived because I'd be with Max… forever.

I'm sorry! I broke my own rule. It's not at least 1000 words, but I SWEAR that I will update tomorrow too! I'm just soooo tired! Please forgive me. Hey, it was stuffed with fax and the next one will be too! REVIEW! If you don't, you can forget about that update…