Hello! It's me…back again. Not much to say unless you want excuses for my infrequent updates but I did promise an update last Friday on my profile so I need to get my act together. Anyway…

Max's POV

There is only one thing that can possibly come out of my mouth.

"Oh my freaking god," I whisper, struggling against nervous breakdown.

"Max?" Ella asks, and I can tell that she's freaking out.

"Max," Dr. Martinez says, taking over, "What's going on?"

"What are you guys doing here?" I manage, not answering her question.

Fang is giving me another I-am-going-to-kill-you-later look and I can feel his eyes boring into the back of my head. The rest of them are just plain bug eyed, staring.

"We're on a hiking trip," Dr. Martinez says, watching me carefully, "And you?"

"It's a long story," I reply and then realize that I have instinctively stepped in front of Nudge, blocking her entirely from Dr. Martinez's view. I steel myself and take a step to the side. Her mouth drops open in a big O. Ella gasps. I feel the intensity of Fang's stare change and I realize that he is now giving me the I-am-going-to-kill-you-with-these-people-standing-right-here-if-you-do-not-explain-this-to-me-within-the-next-fifteen-seconds look.

"In a minute," I mutter, too low for the humans to hear. He growls under his breath and glares around the crowd.

"Max, what happened? What's going on? Are these the people that you had to go and meet?"

"Some of them," I grin weakly.

After a few more short answers, I let Dr. Martinez take over and order my companions to do as she says. I know that Nudge needs me, needs me to be there as her wing is set and bandaged, and needs me to be there to comfort her. My head aches. Not like the splitting pain that I'm accustomed to, but a sharp pain pounding away at the walls of my skull. I lean against a tree, facing away from where Dr. Martinez is trying to help Nudge. I hear Nudge cry out, and I finally break from my reverie and go to try and help the doctor. But where is Dragon?

Dragon's POV

I can't recall when I pass out but I do. One minute I am gasping for air, half in, half out of the lake and the next I am waking up probably hours later. I pull myself totally out of the water. The top half of my shirt is dry and crusted with sand and mud but the rest of me is still drenched. Ugh. Now that the rest of the tranquilizer and most of my adrenalin have worn off, I can feel sharp lines of pain digging into my chest, back, and mostly my wings. I glance down. Thin chains snake around my torso and I can feel them restraining my wings. I sigh and try to open my wings, just for reference. I stop instantly. If I had pulled any longer, I might have broken a wing. Not only do the chains hold my wings to my body, the also attach them to each other. The only way to get them off is to break them. I scowl. Just by looking at the chains, I can tell that they are reinforced steel. My scowl fades and I make my face emotionless, refusing to show my inner fury. To get these chains off, I'll need help. It's hopeless though. I'm miles away from the flock and the only way for me to reach them is to walk. I sigh again as I see the sky darkening. I might as well sleep here on the beach.

Max's POV

I wince as Nudge cries out yet again.

"I'm almost done setting the bones," Dr. Martinez mutters.

I bite my lip and stroke Nudge's hair, my mind once again running on hyper drive. As Dr. Martinez begins to clean flesh wounds, Fang detaches himself from the shadows and comes to tap my shoulder.

"It's okay Max," Nudge says, and I know that she's trying to be brave, "You don't have to sit here for the rest of this, and I'm fine."

I draw blood as I bite my lip again, standing up. I smile at her in encouragement and then follow Fang. He turns to look at me and I know exactly what he's going to ask.

"And?" he says, when I don't say anything.

"Do you remember when we were flying to the School to save Angel and I went to help that girl on the ground?"

"Yes," he says through gritted teeth.

"That's her," I say, pointing to Ella. "And the Doctor is her mom."

He looks at me skeptically but doesn't say anything. Before I can say anything else, he does.

"I don't even want to know."

And with this totally un-Fang-like statement delivered, he turns on his heel and walks away. I close my eyes, tired.

Dragon's POV

"Dragon, listen to me child. You're different, yes. You have wings. But that doesn't mean anything."

"What do you mean, Kali?" the little girl asks, miffed, fluffing out her wings and parading around the older woman's chair.

"Nothing bad, silly, just remember this. You can live whatever life you want to and you're not to let anyone stop you. Do you understand?"

"Why would anyone want to?" the little girl asks, picking up a rag doll from the floor and cradling it.

"They are out there, my dear, but you needn't worry now," Kali hastily reassures her. "It's almost suppertime…"

I sit up abruptly, eyes wide, breathing hard. Oh god. Memories are coming back now. I curl up into a ball, my head on my knees, trying to catch my breath and banish the tears that are welling up in my eyes. I will not cry. Kali deserves better than that. I take a deep breath. With the chains digging into my body and the flood of memories I am obviously not going to be able to get back to sleep. I stand and wince as the chains chafe my wings. I begin to walk, leaving the lake's edge and making my way in the direction from which I came. Even if it's only to get these damned chains off my wings, I'm going to have to find the flock the old fashioned way. Walking.

:) Happiness is me. I have managed to write this chapter! What do you think?

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or anything related to it. (haven't done one of these is a while…oops)

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