Not So Relaxing Vacation Chapter 10, a maximum ride fanfic

Chapter 10

Max POV

It's about 10 am but everyone is still tired. My family and Jeb are just staring at their breakfasts. Whenever someone goes to say something, nothing comes from their mouth. The atmosphere feels dense with anxiety and a whole crap load of other emotions.

Toby walks into the room but we hardly notice him. He isn't bursting with energy like normal. The incident has changed all of us. He observes our behavior and approaches us.

"I guess a good night's sleep didn't lighten your moods very much." His statement doesn't get a response.

He sighs before adding "It's not that big of a deal. It happens pretty often. We're trying to find a cure but we don't fully understand what is happening. The good thing is that now the incident is done and out of the way. There is nothing to fear. Hunter would never harm anyone if he could help it. If he even considered it during his state, we would have done anything to stop him. He will never harm anyone as long as our hearts still beat."

His guarantee is comforting. We have no doubt in our minds that the threat is over now that he has said that. We start to dig into our food and Toby smiles at us. We finish and he laughs at how quickly we can eat after his words.

He suggests that we go fly for a while to stretch our wings. It has been a while since we went for a flight. So after breakfast, the Flock and I go out for a while but we don't venture far. We stay pretty close to the ship. Angel and Nudge had changed into swimsuits beforehand and are diving into the pools at various heights. Iggy and Gazzy start a game of tag which the others soon join in on. Some how Iggy is able to play while carrying Total.

I feel my neck prickle and I spin around. "Would you knock that off, Fang?" He smirks at my anger before saying "Stop what? Breathing?"

I lightly hit him and he returns it. I go to hit him again, but he dodges and our own game of tag ensues. I chase him around the ship about three times before I lose him. I stop and look around but can't find him.

I fly around the ship again but can't find a trace of Fang. I'm just passing our rooms when someone pokes my sides. I drop about ten feet from the shock. I look up to see Fang smiling down at me. He waves and chuckles at the surprised look on my face. I fly up to him.

"Where the hell did you go?"

He point to our balcony door. "I hid in there and waited so I could scare you."

We go back to the Flock and after a while we all land back on the ship. We walk over to Mom, Jeb, Ella, and Toby. We all decide on getting a snack then chilling out at the pool for a while.

Toby shows us to the ice cream machine and shows us how to work it. He pulls the lever and makes a huge tower of ice cream on his cone. Everyone gets some ice cream and walks back to the pools. Fang and I are walking farther back from the group. His ice cream is chocolate while mine is vanilla.

"Hey Fang, can I have a taste of your ice cream?" I ask.

"No."

"Please. I'll let you taste mine."

"No," he says again and takes a lick of his treat. I smile as he takes another lick.

"Hey Fang?"

He looks at me and I crash my lips to his. He quickly recovers from his surprise and kisses me back. I push my tongue into his mouth. It is met with something cold that tastes like chocolate. I take the ice cream and break away from him. I lick my lips and smile at him. He just stands there trying to figure out what the hell just happened as I walk away.

I go to lick my ice cream to realize I no longer have it. I turn to look at Fang, who is smiling at me and holding my ice cream. He has finished his and is now eating mine.

"Fang, that's mine. Give it back."

He shakes his head and continues eating. He walks passed me and I follow him with my arms crossed.

Hunter POV

Everything is so dark and quiet. I feel sore all over. For a second, I think I'm back at Mezon and I just went through a test. I groan from the pain and try to open my eyes. When I finally do, I am blinded by the lights above me and quickly close them again.

I hear a door open and I take a peek to my left. A dog with light gold fur is standing in the door way. She seems torn between happiness and pain.

"Am I in heaven?" I whisper.

She must not have known I was awake because she looks surprised. "No stupid," she teases as she sits beside me. "I'm not dead and neither are you." I barely register her lick my cheek.

"Well I feel like crap so you're probably right Angie. I doubt I'd feel pain in heaven," I chuckle trying to keep the pain from showing on my face. I'm sure it is still obvious though.

I know Angie has noticed but pretends she hasn't. "I'll tell Lucky you're feeling better."

"Why would you say that?" I joke.

She smiles at me and brightens my day. "Your attitude is coming back." Her gaze lingers on me for a while and she becomes serious.

"I'll stay for a while. Watch the kids and keep an eye on you." I catch the troubled look on her face and I begin to fully comprehend her situation.

"As much as I would love for you to stay, I know you're already in trouble for being here. After you finish your mission, we can all be together again. The kids are fine and playing with their new friends. Besides if they see you here, they'll think I'm in really bad shape."

She rolls her eyes. "You are in bad shape."

"Please, I've been much worse. And with my recovery rate, I'll be at full health and back on my feet in a few hours!" My statement would have been more convincing if I didn't wince. Damn these stupid cracked ribs!

Angie sighs. "Alright, I'll leave but I'm staying for another hour. I miss everyone," she says quietly.

I give her a smile. "That's fair. As long as nobody becomes worried."

Angie leaves and I don't know how long it is until Lucky comes in. He is careful to look emotionless so he doesn't reveal anything to me. There is nothing his mask can do to stop my questions though.

"How long have I been out?"

"About 3 days."

"That's bull." He allows a brief smile.

"Yeah, you've only been asleep for about…6 hours. And before you start freaking out, you were lacking sleep. Your body needed to recover from sleep deprivation and your…incident."

Damn. Six hours! I should be mostly recovered by now.

"What else do you have to report?" I ask.

Lucky hesitates trying to decide whether or not he should tell me. I give him a glare that says he had better not keep me out of the loop. Something's up and I WILL find out what!

"We have reason to believe he is following us. I did a few evasive maneuvers but I can't help feeling …like I'm missing something. Something big."

His words are not something I should be hearing right now and he knows it. I start to sit up but I feel a sharp pain in my side.

"Shit…what the hell?!?" I fall back and grab my side.

"You've got a couple cracked ribs and fractured vertebrae. You are in no condition to move."

"That might have been a good thing to mention BEFORE I attempt to get up!"

I feel completely useless as I lay on the bed while the others do the work. Lucky thinks it is best if he leaves me to rest and I am alone once again. Screw this, I think to myself. I have to do something. I'll go crazy if I just lay here.

I start to sit up but the pain stops me. Alright. Another hour and THEN I'm going to do something.

Max POV

We ran into Sara and Blaze earlier and they wanted us to go swimming with them at night. They seem pretty happy like always. Of course, we agree because it's impossible to say "no" to them.

We all hang out for a while splashing and playing. Fang and I take a short break and share a chair. We just sit there watching the others. Everyone except the two of us seems to have accepted Jeb back. It's like he never left. Maybe if everyone else can give him a second chance I can too.

I shiver slightly and it doesn't go unnoticed by Fang. His arms wrap around me in a warm embrace and he pulls me onto his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder as he lays us back. Even though he's wet from swimming, he is able to keep me warm.

"What are you thinking about?" he wonders.

"You."

"I know that. I mean what are you thinking about me?"

"You're so full of yourself." I hear him chuckle. "And that's one of the reasons I love you," I add.

He stops and my heart rate accelerates. Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"What?" I hear him say.

Before I can take back what I said, his grip on me tightens. He kisses the top of my head before whispering in my ear "I love you too, Max."

And let me tell you, those five words meant the world to me.

Hunter POV

Finally, I think as I lay on my back, eyes closed and panting. I finally escaped from my room. I really needed some fresh air. I can't stand just doing nothing for hours on end. A few more minutes and I would have lost my mind.

I open my eyes and look at the dark sky above me. It took forever it seems just to get up here. But to see the stars and moon alone make the effort worth it. I look at the full moon and smile. For some reason, I always feel so happy when there is a full moon. When I miss seeing it, I feel sort of incomplete.

As I look at the sky, I try to think about what Lucky could be missing. My thoughts soon drift to the past though. Not being able to help my family. Always being in cages and undergoing painful test. I may not have been able to break free from them physically but they would never cage my spirit.

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you
Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is you
Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin'

I remember when Rex used to be our friend. He helped us and comforted us. I always had trouble making friends when I was younger. Maybe that's why I jumped at the chance of Rex being my friend. Maybe that's why I denied his true intentions for us being friends for so long. Who knows where I would be now if Mother never opened my eyes.

Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me

Then there was that time I was training with Lucky. It was one of the few times we were allowed out of the lab. We were wandering around Chicago jumping from roof to roof because we weren't welcome on the streets. Suddenly, I had this massive pain in my head and chest. Looking back it must have been one of those times I was going to transform. I was standing on the ledge of a building at the time though. Lucky was ahead of me and didn't notice. I managed to call out before the pain became greater. I bent over and lost my footing. I was falling and I wanted nothing more than the pain to end even if that meant death. As I was falling, Lucky rushed down and caught me. Somehow he was able to climb back to the roof without drawing unwanted attention. I owe him my life for that and I still have yet to pay him back.

Heaven's gates won't open up for me
With these broken wings I'm fallin'
And all I see is you
These city walls ain't got no love for me
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you
Come please I'm callin'
And all I need from you
Hurry I'm fallin'

I always thought I was worthless and no one truly cared for me besides my family. That is until I met Angie. She has taught me so much and I am incredible grateful. Even if she wasn't an experiment as well, I think she would have accepted me. In a way, I think she saved my life as well. She has also given me four perfect pups and has asked for nothing in return. I'll have to do something major even though it will never be enough.

I can't believe how my life has turned out.

My ears pick up the sound of splashing and I sit up to look below me. Our new friends are using the pool and I just notice this now. I must have been pretty deep in thought.

Seeing them all so happy and carefree is probably a rare occurrence. We are all so alike. Even when I try to relax, worry plagues my thoughts and I am restless. I am not the only one either. All experiments must feel this way because of how we have been treated and what we are. I have done all I can to protect my kids from the same treatment my siblings, parents, friends, and I myself have undergone.

I begin to think about why this happened to us as I watch my friends enjoying themselves. I believe in God because that is how I was raised. But if God is all powerful and the giver of life…why should everyday, normal humans be able to manipulate life?

I look back up to the sky as if searching for a sign. I find a few clouds have appeared. Maybe it's warning that something bad is going to happen. Or maybe it means it will rain tomorrow.

I look down at the happy family. I notice Fang and Max off to the side and smile to myself. Hopefully, they will all have more joy and happiness than pain and sorrow from now on. I will do whatever I can to make sure of it.

I was thinking of having them play a game of Truth or Dare. You guys can send me some suggestions on some dares or some things you want to find out about them. Like if someone wants to know how Angie and Hunter first met or something, tell me and I'll have that answered in the next chapter.