Disclaimer: Don't own MR, do own plot.

Chapter 12

Max's POV

"Fang?" I called in a weak voice. My body hurt all over and I was having trouble remembering what happened. And I couldn't seem to open my eyes.

"I'm here," he informed me.

I sighed with relief, then instantly regretted it. It hurt like hell!

"Are you okay?" he asked me, obvious concern in his voice.

"I can manage."

I struggled to open my eyes. They opened slowly and light nearly blinded me. I quickly closed my eyes again. But not before I saw Fang's face. Knowing he was there and he was looking after me made me relax (just a bit). Then the memories of the fight and capture returned and I almost cried out in pain. Not physical pain, the emotional type.

"We have to save them," I managed to croak out.

"Calm down, Max. You aren't in the condition to go anywhere. I swear we'll go after them once you're ready."

"What if it's too late?" I cried.

"Trust me."

I struggled to sit up but his firm hands pushed me back down. I managed to open my eyes again without searing my retinas. I glared at him.

"So what, I'm just going to lay here and do nothing?" I demanded.

He smiled. "Glad to see you're not to sick to be the boss." He sighed. "We'll formulate a plan instead of rushing into things," he told me.

Why did he have to be so logical all the time? It frustrated me because I knew he had a point. But I wasn't going to let him know that!

"Well? What have you got so far?" I asked.

"Well, first I figure we have to figure out if they took them to the school or Itex."

I sighed. He'd had time to think about this. It was only making me madder.

"And you decided . . . ?"

"I didn't say I decided anything," he told me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I know you've decided. You wouldn't just sit there waiting for me to wake up to decide which one. You forget I know you too well," I said.

He smirked. "Okay, so I figure they took them to the school. It's closer than Itex and they aren't very original, so they probably didn't take them somewhere else entirely.

"Hmmm," I pondered. "Sounds feasible," I agreed.

He smiled. Then his expression changed as he saw something in my face. "Are you okay?" he asked.

My brow furrowed. "Yeah, why?"

"You look pale. You sure you aren't feeling any pain?"

"Fang, I am feeling a whole tonne of freaking pain, but I can manage. Pain is just a message. I'm trying to ignore it."

He still looked worried.

"Fang, I'm fine," I said in a confident voice. Though silently, I checked out all my aches and pains. I could feel the broken ribs when I breathed, but that was manageable. I had numerous cuts and bruises, but that was nothing compared to the pain I'd had before.

"Okay, so we head to the school," I stated. I had only just started to notice that my throat was dry and I needed a drink. I tried to sit up but the pain and Fang's warning glare made me give up.

"I think we need a distraction," he mused.

"If only we had Gazzy and Iggy to build us a bomb," I said wistfully.

He glanced down at me from his sitting position and his eyebrows met. "You thirsty?" he asked. God, I hated it when he could read my mind like that.

I nodded and stifled my gasp as I found it hurt. Why did every single part of me have to hurt? Fang rummaged through his pack and pulled out a bottle of water. I stared at it greedily. He gently lifted my head with his hand and touched the bottle to my lips. I swallowed the water in huge gulps. In fact, I nearly chocked. When I was done he screwed the lid back on and returned the bottle to his pack. He allowed my head to return softly to the ground.

My mind travelled back to the devastating event that passed only last night. My family was gone. I couldn't wrap my brain around that single thought. I had to stay strong. I had to rescue them so that we could be together again.

"What if they want to kill them?" I whispered to myself. Fang overheard me and his eyes grew sombre. He didn't need to ask to know who I was talking about.

"Don't think like that. They'll be fine and with us in no time," he whispered back to me.

Part of me wanted to believe him, but part of me wouldn't let me lose grip of reality that easily. He seemed so sure. Silent tears streamed down my face. I couldn't sob because it would hurt too much, so I lay there silently, letting the tears run.

I felt a warm pressure on my face and realised that Fang was wiping the tears away with his finger. I was so glad that I hadn't lost him as well. What would I do without him? I couldn't possibly survive. And if he hadn't of turned up last night I surely would've been taken with the flock. He surprised me by kissing me affectionately on the forehead before lying down next to me. He gently started playing with my hair.

"Max?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

I was momentarily shocked. "What for?"

"For not being here. I said I wasn't going to leave you, and then I go off and do exactly that."

I turned my head slowly to look at him. "Don't be sorry. It would've happened anyway. There was nothing you could've done to stop it. Plus, you can't stay with me every moment of the day. I was just lucky that you got back in time to help me," I assured him.

He smiled sadly and then leaned towards me. His lips pressed gently against mine. I parted my lips and moved them against his. To my surprise, the kiss deepened and when he pulled away I found myself breathing shallowly.

I wasn't about to get all mushy . . . again, and tell him I loved him. But I could see in his eyes that he loved me and that was all I needed. We were safe, and we were going to get our flock back. Right now, I feel like I can handle anything.

Angel's POV

A little whimper made her jump. Maybe she wasn't alone after all.

"Hello?" she called in a whisper. The room was still dark even though she was sure it was day time by now.

"Angel?" A voice called back. It was Total. He was in the same room as her. But he sounded far away. How big was this room?

"Total," she cried.

"Angel, I can't believe it's really you. Where is everyone else?" he whimpered.

"I'm sure they're okay." Well, she hoped they were.

At least she wasn't alone anymore.

Nudge's POV

The footsteps were loud in the deserted cement hallway next to her cell. Max? She thought with hope. But she realised that the footsteps were too loud and heavy to be any of the flock's. She managed to pull herself into a sitting position on her bed. A tall African American man stopped in front of her cell. His dark eyes shone, reflecting the little light in the room.

"Hello, Nudge. How are you feeling?" He asked in a smooth voice. A very smooth voice.

Nudge swallowed. This man actually sounded sincere. But he couldn't be, he was wearing a white lab coat.

"I brought you some food. I thought you must be starving," he said with a friendly smile, indicating the large tray in his hands. Nudge's mouth started to water as she eyed the large amount of food. She hadn't eaten since she'd been put in this stupid place.

He pulled out a set of keys and opened the door. He stepped inside and quickly locked the door after him. He wasn't taking any chances. He walked over to her and placed the tray on the ground next to her bed. He smiled pleasantly at her. He was actually rather handsome.

"Are you worried I'm trying to poison you?" he asked when she didn't start eating.

She didn't answer.

He sighed and picked up the fork. He took a forkful and placed it into his mouth. He quickly chewed and then swallowed. He put the fork back down on her tray.

"Who are you?" she managed to choke out.

He smiled warmly. "You don't really need to know," he informed her.

Her brow furrowed. Maybe I should attack him and steal the key. He couldn't be that strong, could he? she thought. She eyed his body critically. He seemed very muscular. But she was a super bird-kid, right?

"I wouldn't think about it," he warned her. "The people I work for aren't idiots. They allowed me to come in here with you because they new I could take care of myself. I'm a very skilled fighter and you're very weak. The odds are not with you."

She scowled at him. "What do you want?" she spat. She was struggling not to ask the many questions coursing through her head.

"Just thought I'd make sure you're okay. You need to eat," he told her. He smiled again and turned around. He unlocked the door and let himself out. Nudge saw how he watched her warily out of the corner of her eye when he exited.

As soon as he was out of sight she fell on her food and ate gratefully.

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. I'm gonna try and make the next chapter extra long. But my computer has been stuffing up lately so if you don't get another chapter in the next few days that's why! Well, keep reviewing! Umm, I sorta put some stuff in this chapter that I didn't really plan. So, later on some things might seem a bit random. But I'll try and tie them in.