Dudes. Dudets. I provide for you, the ultimate, super awesome, MEGA SUPER CHAPTER OF AWESOMENESS! Prepare yourselves! And remember I don't own Maximum Ride.

Max yanked her backpack off the security conveyer belt and slung it over her shoulder. She was tired and cranky and was pretty sure it was her bed time and yet, here she was. She felt an odd sense of déjà vu when she curled herself into a ball in a hard plastic chair in yet another airport. She honestly wanted nothing more than to be sleeping stretched out in Fang's bed, but that couldn't happen. She couldn't get involved in an actual job. She couldn't get weighed down. She couldn't get attached.

Max would be the first to admit openly that she had issues. Not lock her in a padded room with her arms trapped in a strait-jacket sort of issues, but issues yes. Sometime in the second year of travelling, Max had realized that perhaps she may have commitment issues. She couldn't stay in a relationship for longer than a couple months, she hadn't held a steady job since she worked in the ice cream shop in high school, and she hadn't lived in a single place for four years. She wasn't about to start now.

Max pulled her knees tighter to her chest and shivered from something far from cold. Her plane left at 10:30 and a quick glance at her watch showed it was only 8. Crap. 10:30 couldn't come soon enough.

8:00
Two Hours, Thirty Minutes Left

Fang walked to the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge. He popped the tab as he paced his way back towards the living room and tipped the can back. "Fang," Iggy said softly. "That's the fourth soda in twenty minutes. Chill out bro." Fang glared at Iggy but said nothing; even when he remembered that Iggy couldn't see him. Fang jumped slightly and started pacing back and forth.

"Fang!" Maya snapped. Fang looked over in hope, his eyes wide. "Stop pacing!" Fang's face fell but Maya saw nothing. For the past five minutes, she'd been searching through flights that were set to leave around 10 or so tonight from the Los Angeles Airport.

Fang looked down at the slightly crumpled piece of paper that had been folded, unfolded, and stared at more times than Fang could count. It was an airplane ticket receipt for a plane set to leave from Los Angeles International Airport at 10:00 p.m. They'd been combing through all the flights leaving, but they were having significant issues. Max must have gotten impatient or something when she was printing off the receipt, because the ink was smeared and impossible to read. The only thing they knew was wherever she was flying to, the city started with a 'T'. Or it might have been an 'F'. They weren't sure. Fang looked at Maya intently, his leg bouncing up and down as he got the sugar high from his soda.

Maya looked up briefly with a pointed glare and she growled, "Knock it off Fang." Fang nodded, his sugar buzz fueled head going up and down so many times that the world became blurry. "Fang!" Maya shouted and Fang stilled immediately. He stayed that way for about a minute, and then he was bouncing again. He was about to stand up and start pacing yet again when Maya said, "Hey I've got something." In an instant, Fang was at her side and staring intently at the computer screen. He tried to read the screen but he couldn't stop moving enough to make out the words.

"What's it say?" Iggy asked crabbily.

"There's a plane leaving from Los Angeles International Airport at 10:30 flying into Tampa Bay tomorrow."

"Is Max on it?" Fang asked quickly.

"I don't know," Maya said with a shrug. "But it's the most likely one that I see."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Gazzy asked curiously. Fang shot the blond-haired boy a look. "Let's get going!"

"We're going in one car," Maya decided quickly. "We need to get to the airport as fast as possible."

"Well what time is it?" Iggy asked. Maya glanced at the clock and said,

"8. It's going to take us about an hour to get into the airport if traffic is good."

"It's a Tuesday," Iggy pointed out. "Traffic shouldn't be all that bad."

"We need to leave now," Fang said urgently, a hint of hysteria creeping into his voice.

Maya looked at Fang oddly and said, "He's right."

"If we take two cars, one of us might get there first and the others can meet us at the airport," Iggy suggested. Maya pursed her lips and thought.

"Come on," Fang said impatiently, his hand already on the doorknob expectantly.

"Alright," Maya finally conceded. "Fang, ride with me. Iggy go with Gazzy and take Fang's car." Fang knew that Maya was testing him. He never let anyone else drive his baby. Heck, he didn't even let people who looked dirty ride in his car, or touch it, or look at it for extended periods of time.

"Sounds good, let's go!" Fang shouted over his shoulder from the elevator, throwing his keys at Gazzy carelessly as he went. Fang saw Maya studying him intently from the corner of his eyes as he watched the light of the elevator slowly descended. When the doors slid open with a soft 'ding', Fang practically flew out of the elevator with Maya walking quickly behind him. When Maya finally slipped into the car, Fang was waiting expectantly, his knee bouncing up and down and his eyes twitching. Maya revved the engine and pulled out while Fang's eyes remained trained on the clock without wavering.

8:30
Two Hours Left

"Come on!" Maya exclaimed, slamming her hands on the steering wheel in frustration. "Could you people go any slower!" Fang was tense in the passenger seat, his knuckles white as he gripped the door handle as tight as he could. Maya bit her lip in frustration and had to use every ounce of her self-control not to lay on the horn as hard as she could. Instead she settled for just slapping the wheel in frustration yet again. Suddenly, the already slow as snail traffic slowed to a complete and utter halt.

"IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!" Maya shrieked to the heavens. The one night that Maya needed the roads to be clear and a straight shot to the airport, the universe decided to have three separate accidents because people were freaking twits. Maya exhaled in anger, massaging her face with her hands.

While she was rubbing her face and attempting to stop shrieking at random times, she caught a glimpse of Fang out of the corner of her eyes. She had never seen him look so… devastated for lack of a better term. It baffled her. Fang had only known her sister for a few weeks. How could he have become so infatuated with Max in such a short time? Not even a month ago, Fang was an emotionless rock that Maya didn't even know could laugh. But yet, Max was softening up her roommate. Fang had gone from granite too mushy cheese. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was well on its way to getting to that point.

"You really like her, don't you?" Maya asked bluntly. Fang stiffened and looked at Maya, his eyes open wide.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said tightly.

"Sure you don't," Maya attempted to chuckle but it came out strangled and forced. Maya looked back at the road and inched her car forward in the standstill traffic. They needed to get to the airport and they were running out of time.

8:40
One Hour, Fifty Minutes Left

Gazzy reclined in the front seat, his music cranked up and the windows vibrating. "This is awesome!" Gazzy shouted to Iggy over a most-likely-offensive rap song.

"It's a little loud!" Iggy shouted back, his hands pressed palms tight over his ears.

"I know isn't it great!"

"Not really!" Iggy winced again as the decibel levels raised yet again.

"Course it is! Fang's got a kicking car!" Gazzy cackled.

"Indeed he does," Iggy agreed. "I'm surprised he's letting you even breathe on it. I've known that guy for months and he's never let anyone else except me in his car. And no one else has ever, EVER, driven it. Consider it an honor grasshopper."

"So what's the deal with Fang and Max anyway?" Gazzy asked, turning the music down to Iggy's immense relief. "Are they a 'thing'?"

"Nope," Iggy said, popping the 'p'. "They're just friends."

"You're sure?" Gazzy asked hopefully.

"Why?" Iggy asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You trying to get in on that?"

Gazzy blushed bright red and mumbled, "Maybe."

"Oh hoo," Iggy chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"She's really hot," Gazzy admitted, drooling ever so slightly.

Iggy rolled his eyes and said drily, "I hadn't noticed."

"Well take my word for it," Gazzy said with absolute confidence. "And she's really nice."

Iggy quirked an eyebrow in disbelief as he snorted, "Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

"Well, not nice in the normal sense, but she's helped out with Angel more than anyone else and she hasn't tried to kill her yet so that's got to say something," Gazzy amended.

"So do you really like her?" Iggy asked curiously.

"Yeah," Gazzy mumbled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's… amazing." Iggy rolled his eyes at Gazzy's completely enamored tone.

"Quit daydreaming about Max lover boy," Iggy teased. "How far from the airport are we?"

"A while yet. And it doesn't look like traffic is going to let up anytime soon," Gazzy reported. "And anyway, have you seen Max's body? I guess not, but it's perfection. And she tells the most amazing stories. And she's got the most amazing laugh. And she…" Iggy groaned and sunk his head into his hands. It sounded like he was stuck listening to the love sick ramblings of a love puppy the entire drive to the airport. Shoot him now.

8:45
One Hour, Forty-five Minutes Left

Oh shoot her now. Maya wanted nothing more than to shoot anyone and everyone who got in her way. Granted she didn't have a gun, or a knife, or anything that even remotely resembled a lethal weapon. However, she was 95% sure that she could use the tire jack as a weapon if the need ever arose. And it was getting pretty damn close to that moment. She was annoyed and pissed and sitting in bumper to bumper traffic with a moody teenager that may or may not be capable of murdering someone without batting an eyebrow. You know, if he wasn't already dead. He hadn't moved in a VERY long time. Although, Fang's eye had started twitching mysteriously and Maya was actually starting to get worried.

Fang had never been a talker, like ever. However, as soon as Max had shown up, suddenly he was smiling, laughing, and conversing like any other normal person. He still had his quiet moments to be sure; no one ever talked all the time, except for the Head of the Makeup department who jabbered away so much you practically had to slap her to get her to shut up. But Fang was, if possible, more quiet than before Max had come. Well, maybe he wasn't more quiet, but a different sort of quiet.

Pre-Max, he was quiet but you could just sort of tell he was observing everything going on around him and he was aware of everything and everyone. Now, post-Max, Fang looked completely out of it. His eye was twitching, he was sitting so still Maya was afraid he'd frozen, and the air around him was tense. Maya looked back at the traffic and growled in frustration.

9:00
One Hour, Thirty Minutes Left

Iggy was getting ready to strangle Gazzy. The car hadn't moved in the past five minutes by Iggy's internal time clock and Gazzy wouldn't shut up. Iggy liked Max, honest he did. He thought she was a great friend with a good sense of humor. However, if he had to hear how perfect or hot she was ONE MORE TIME, he was going to strangle Gazzy, no joke.

Suddenly, the nonstop yammering coming from Iggy's left halted and for that he was grateful. However, all too soon it started up again. It appeared Gazzy had only stopped to get air and was now going strong once again. Iggy groaned as Gazzy started his third rendition of, 'And her laugh is so beautiful'.

That was it. Iggy was done. With a feral roar, Iggy launched himself over the cent console and felt around. When his hands were clamped firmly around Gazzy's neck, Iggy started shaking back and forth. "I DON'T CARE!" he shouted hysterically as Gazzy started making strange little gargle noises. Suddenly, there was a loud shriek of a police siren and Iggy heard someone rapping on the glass of the window. Oops.

9:15
One hour, Fifteen Minutes Left

The traffic, slow before, had become downright unbearable as Maya inched forward. It seemed there was some altercation in a car up in front of them and the police had had to intervene. "What the hell?" Maya asked as she inched forward and saw Fang's bright red car surrounded by police cars.

A tall, pale figure was being led over to a cop car in handcuffs and appeared to be shouting, "You've got it all wrong!" A smaller boy standing on the side of the road was gesturing widely and appeared to be pantomiming someone choking and/or throttling him.

"You have got to be kidding me," Maya muttered.

9:20
One hour, Ten Minutes Left

Iggy wanted to groan and bang his head on the roof of the police car he was currently being escorted to. How was he supposed to know that there was going to be a police car behind him when he attempted to throttle Gazzy? And besides, the brat was fine. Everyone was just overreacting. Pansies.

9:45
Forty-five Minutes Left

With a sigh of satisfaction, Maya pulled into a parking space in the airport. "It's about goddamn time," Fang mumbled with his arms crossed across his chest.

"There's no need to by bitchy," Maya said snarkishly. "It's not my fault that traffic was so bad."

"Just get us into the stupid airport so we can find Max," Fang snapped. Maya shot Fang a mean look and resisted the temptation to throttle Fang as Iggy had so clearly done to Gazzy.

"Look, all we have to do is get into the airport which is right… over… there…" Maya trailed off as she saw row after row of cars in between them and the airport. The airport building itself was nothing more than a speck on the horizon. "You have got to be shitting me," Maya spat.

9:50
Forty Minutes Left

Gazzy sat shivering in Fang's car, his hands gripping the steering wheel nervously. His eyes shifted every which way and he kept glancing back over his shoulders. Who was to blame him? He'd just been strangled by someone he considered an ally. No one was safe. No one was sane. Not even him! Especially not him…

10:00
Thirty Minutes Left

Maya panted as she and Fang finally got in through the airport doors. The mad crush of people was overwhelming to some, but Maya took it all in with ease. With long, purposeful strides, Maya stalked her way through the swarm of people. Even those who didn't recognize Maya parted and let her pass like a hot knife through butter. The determined set of her jaw apparently warned the slightly less oblivious airport travelers that Maya was not one to be messed with. Fang followed Maya quickly though even in his all dark clothes, he looked far less intimidating. Nothing is scarier than a pissed off blond in heels, Maya mused.

As she was stomping forward, well stomping as best she could while her legs felt like jello, Maya was abruptly halted by security. "Sorry ma'am," the biggest guy drawled, not even sort of apologetic, with a thick Southern accent. "No one gets past this point without a ticket."

"Look mister," Maya said with a scowl that the man instantly saw and was weary of. "My sister is about to get on a freaking plane to who knows where and make one of the biggest mistakes of her life. So if you would please, move!"

The man set his jaw in a stubborn clench and said, "No ticket, no getting past, lady." Oh, now Maya was pissed. She took a step forward, just enough inside the man's personal space to make him squirm.

"If you know what's good for you," she ground out. "You'll let me and my friend past."

"Is that a threat?" the man tried to glare intimidatingly and failed epically. Maya had spent her whole life since the womb with Max who had one of the deadliest glares known to human kind. A southern gentleman's glare was next to nothing in Maya's book.

"No it isn't a threat," Maya said dramatically with an eye roll. "Now let me go!"

"No," the man shook his head stubbornly.

Maya sighed in exasperation and finally exclaimed, "Do you know who I am?" Maya wasn't a huge fan of playing the 'I'm famous and rich so bow and kiss my feet' card, but at times it was necessary.

"No ma'am," the security guard wisely sounded somewhat more reserved.

"Maya Martinez," Maya snapped. The security guard's eyes flew open wide and he looked like someone had just socked him in the jaw.

"I'm sorry Miss Martinez," the guard's voice shook and he stuttered over his words. "I'm a big fan, I really am, but I can't let you through." Maya let out a strangled cry of frustration and gripped at her head tightly.

With an aggravated huff, Maya turned on her heel, pushed and shoved her way to the front of an airport ticket booth and bought the first two tickets she saw. She tapped her heeled foot on the ground quickly with her hands on her cocked hips. Finally, the machine spit out two tickets. Maya grabbed both tickets, shoving one of them roughly against Fang's chest as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him behind her. She walked right up to the security guard she'd been battling before and waved the tickets in his face.

"See!" she waggled the flimsy paper a little harder for emphasis. "Tickets! Now let us past!"

"Just a moment ma'am," the security guard said as a dark red blush began to creep up his neck. "Just pass through there and you're good to go."

Maya stomped over to the x-ray machine that the guard had gestured to and walked through it angrily. BEEP BEEP BEEP! Maya stalked back and removed her shoes at the operator's insistence. With a dramatic huff, she went back through.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! Next was the belt that she didn't realize she'd been wearing. Let's try this again.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! The 37 cents from her coffee she'd picked up that morning.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! Yup, her $1000 limited-edition wristwatch thrown into those horrid little plastic trays in an undignified manner.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! "OH WHAT NOW?" Maya all but roared.

"Arms up miss," an emotionless TSA officer ordered. Maya rolled her eyes but lifted her arms nonetheless. After an incredibly uncomfortable pat-down that Maya thought may have something to do that she may have, at least in some people's eyes, 'threatened a security officer'. It really wasn't threatening. Maya preferred to think of forceful encouraging. Really, it was just somewhat angry talking, not even threatening in the slightest.

When the TSA was quite positive that Maya wasn't hiding any C4 underneath her skin tight skinny jeans, he reluctantly waved her through. Maya found his disappointment disturbing. Did this guy WANT to find a wannabe terrorist and get to taze him? Was that the life goal or something?

10:16
Fourteen Minutes Left

"Where are we going?" Iggy asked curiously. He had finally calmed down long enough for the police officers to regain their hearing. Now he was less freaked out and more just interested in where they were going because, hey, it's not like he could just look out the window.

"The police station," the officer in the passenger seat responded curtly.

"Ah," Iggy drew the word out. "NO YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG GUY I'M INNOCENT, INNOCENT I TELL YA!" The officer groaned in unison. This was going to be a long drive.

10:22
Eight Minutes Left

Maya and Fang quickly moved past the security lines and into the hubbub of the airport's main terminal. Evidently a Tuesday night at 10 in the night in the middle of November wasn't exactly a huge travel time as while the Los Angeles International Airport was crowded, Maya could breathe so it was hardly packed.

"Do you see what gate it's at?" Maya asked Fang as they skimmed all the outgoing flights with baited breath.

"Why didn't you just get tickets on the same flight?" Fang asked irritably as he felt yet another pointy elbow dig its way beneath his ribs. "I hate airports."

"You're not the only one," Maya snapped back. "And I was just trying to get us through security, thank you very much."

Fang scowled a little deeper before exclaiming, "There it is! Her flight leaves from terminal B18."

"Where's that at?" Maya asked expectantly. She was met with a halfhearted shrug.

"Like hell if I know," Fang admitted. Maya couldn't resist rolling her eyes. Any other time, she would have whacked Fang upside the head, but right now all she was concentrating on was finding Terminal B18 in the airport and getting her dumbass sister from boarding that plane. They ran and skidded to a stop in front of a directory.

"Where is it?" Maya heard Fang faintly mumble to himself. She didn't even have time to send him mental sympathy.

"Here it is!" Maya called triumphantly, her finger jabbing a spot in the far right corner of the airport.

"And where are we?" Fang asked quickly, committing the terminal location to memory.

"Right… here…" Maya trailed off as she pointed to the little 'You Are Here' star, way on the other side of the airport. Maya's eyes briefly flickered to the clock on the wall. 10:22, though as she watched, it changed to 10:23. Fang and Maya barely made eye contact until they were off running. Their jackets flapped in the wind and they sprinted like they were going for the Gold.

10:25
Five Minutes Left

There were so many people! They kept touching him and were keeping him from his final destination. Fang honestly couldn't tell you why he was currently running like a bat out of hell to get to Terminal B18. He could only tell you it was for Max. He had no clue what that meant, but he knew that it was the whole truth absolutely. Maybe.

10:26
Four Minutes Left

Every minute that ticked by felt like a death toll. That inaudible 'tick-tock' seeming to count down to something so horrific even Fang himself didn't know what exactly he was dreading. Well, he knew, he was just going to keep lying to himself about it.

10:27
Three Minutes Left

Maya wasn't running behind him anymore. Probably a good thing. What sane person would try and run in three inch heels? Silly actress.

10:28
Two Minutes Left

B12. B13. B14. The terminals were passing him by in a blur of colors. They were going by so slowly, too slowly.

10:29
One Minute Left

B18! There it was! Fang poured on the speed, enough to make any gym teacher proud as a rooster.

10:30
Time's Up

Fang collapsed on the Information desk of the terminal to the visible shock of the flight attendant. "Can I help you?" she asked with genuine concern.

"The plane that's leaving here," Fang said between gasps for air. "Is it still here?"

"No, Hun I'm sorry," the flight attendant apologized. "We stopped boarding ten minutes ago. It's probably pulling out as we speak."

"Oh," Fang said shortly. "Oh. Thanks."

"No problem," the flight attendant as she watched Fang closely to see what he was going to do. All Fang could do was walked around the corner and collapse against the wall, sliding down until he rested on the ground, his hands grasping each other on top of his knees and his head bowed.

He hadn't been fast enough. She was gone to who knows where. Honestly he'd probably never see her again. He felt weird. Like the world was still spinning but Fang wasn't moving anymore. He was just sort of floating away now that the one thing holding him down was gone. He didn't bother to reach up and brush the solitary tear that traced a track down his face.

"Fang?" Fang froze at the sound of his name. In the bottom of his vision from where his eyes were trained on his clasped hands, he saw a shadow move and stay in front of him. He couldn't bring himself to look. He was hoping against hope that it was who he thought it was, afraid to believe it and get his hopes crushed yet again. "Fang." Huh, the voice sounded louder and more commanding.

Sucking in a deep breath and holding it, Fang slowly looked up at whoever was crouching a few mere inches from him. Black eyes met brown. Her blonde head was cocked to the side, a quizzical look on her have as she asked, "Fang, what are you doing here?"

Fang found he couldn't say anything, his mouth had gone dry. Instead, he went on instinct alone and he shifted forward, drawing Max into a tight hug. He buried his head in her shoulder and just held on as if he let go, she'd disappear. In his eyes, she would if he did, so he just gripped tighter. Max froze as Fang wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Finally she lifted her arms up and awkwardly pat him on the back.

10:32

"Stupid heels," Maya muttered to herself as she walked to B18, stepping gingerly. She'd rolled her ankle pretty badly back there and it hurt like a son of a bitch. When she rounded the corner, she saw a sight that was strange. Fang was half-crouching, half-kneeling and hugging Max, his hands grasping her shoulders tightly. Max was crouching on the ground, patting the dark-haired boy unsurely.

Maya felt an explosion of happiness when she saw that her sister hadn't left and was still here. She wanted nothing more than to run over, hug Max and then slap her on the head for scaring her so much. Maya was fully prepared to do so, too. However, first she turned around and pointedly got a drink of water. When she'd been watching Max and Fang, it felt like she'd been intruding on something, something that was only theirs.

Alright people, this chapter was a whopper and I hope it was worth it. We got everyone's point of view in here, Max's, Maya's, Gazzy's, Iggy's, and Fang's. Really this was a productive chapter. I tried a new writing style. I'm not going to use it all that often, if ever again, but I felt the dramatic count down was just too perfect to pass up. Also, yet another hint of characters to be introduced to us all. Next chapter, expect appearances from our tenacious paparazzi, Brigid, our favorite incorrectly named devil child, Angel, and a new friend. Can you guess who and how and where?

This story's at over 5,000 views and one day got 600+ hits alone. My goal for this story is to have 1,000+ views on one day and 100 reviews. So, here's hoping!

And here's your tip!

Your summary is more important than a lot of people realize. Any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are already chalked against you. And I really don't like ever seeing, 'Story is better than the summary, I promise!' I won't click on this story 99 times out of 100. If your story is good, tell me why. The summary is when you get to show off your story and make it seem epic. Would you eat something that looked like it had been stepped on but the chef promised that it tastes better than it looks? A lot rides on that summary so make it good!

See yas!