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Note: Words that are italicized either mean a flashback, someone is talking to someone in their head, or they're thinking to themselves.

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Chapter 12

(Fang POV)

Jeb sat there uncomfortably drinking his water. His greetings and smiles at the front door hadn't worked on them and now they were all looking at him suspiciously.

"It's been a long time. How are you guys?" Jeb said right as Angel asked him, "How did you know we were here?"

"Ah," Jeb said uncomfortably, "Well you see-"

"I told him you five were here," Dr. Martines said standing behind Jeb.

"Six," Total said raising his paw, "There are six of us."

Dr. Martinez nodded at him and looked at Jeb expectantly. He opened his mouth to speak again but Angel cut him off.

"Why are you here?"

Jeb glanced at Angel confused then at Fang who was standing arms crossed leaning against the wall. Fang knew why, he was wondering why Angel was doing all the talking if he was the leader. He didn't care who did the speaking for him, he was too busy studying Jeb with mixed emotions. What a coincidence for Jeb to come to see them, after two years, right after what Fang had learned from his blog. Of course he was suspicious, but not only about Jeb's timing. Someone was monitoring his blog and it wasn't the first time someone had slipped some information to him through it. He knew something was going on. Ever since he learned about the Institute everything from their past seemed to be coming back to them. Getting captured, the cage, the Institute, Itex (if it was true and it really was back), and now Jeb appearing when they didn't need him.

"First," Jeb said, "I want to know where you...six have been for the past two years."

"Haven't you had us monitored since the day we were born!" Nudge said angrily.

Jeb blinked confusedly at Nudge. It was true Nudge had been more sweeter than the rest of the flock to Jeb even after he disappeared and come back telling them he was always with the School, but after Max died...things changed.

"No," Jeb said, "Nobody knows where you six have been for two years, except for the months you spent here with Dr. Martinez," He said as everyone looked in her direction. Again she smiled apologetically at them.

"You expect us to believe this shi- I mean this useless information," Iggy said looking at them for confirmation, all he got were eye rolls from the people who seemed to forget he was blind.

"Please," Jeb said looking each and every one of them in the eye, "I need you to trust me." He glanced at Fang who never gave any of his emotions away then at Angel. They looked at each other and after a while Angel gave a slight nod.

"Virginia, Anne's house."

"Angel!" Nudge exclaimed looking at Angel in shock along with everyone else.

Angel looked at Fang and he nodded at her.

"It's okay," Fang said speaking up for the first time surprising them and making some of them jump.

He and Jeb looked at each other then Jeb looked away uncomfortable. Fang smirked a little.

"Anne's house?" Jeb asked bewildered.

"Yea," Nudge said, "The FBI agent's house who might have been fake but we don't know because she was pretending to care about us who made us go to school where we were attacked and when we got back to her house you and the Erasers were there waiting for us!" Nudge took a deep breath then settled back in her chair.

"Yes..." Jeb said uncomfortably, "But I meant why."

"Oh," Nudge said then huffed, "Because that was the..." Nudge looked up at Fang, "You know, I don't know why."

"Because we thought no one would think to look for us there," Angel said with a straight face.

But Fang knew that wasn't the whole truth. Maybe Angel knew too because she was a mind reader and everything, but Fang knew the real reason why. He thought back to that time when they left Dr. Martinez and Ella. Back to when Fang was trying to escape the memory of Max.

"Are you sure?" Dr. Martinez asked with tears in her eyes.

Fang nodded. He knew from the beginning they'd have to leave. But the flock needed time for mourning and Dr. Martinez and Ella needed time for comfort. So he gave them time. But time was up and now they had to go.

He turned away from Dr. Martinez, but she pulled him into a hug and he stood there awkwardly and uncomfortable.

"Remember," She said, "There's always room for you...five. This will always be a home for you all."

He nodded and she let go. He glanced at the rest of the flock. They had bags under their red swollen eyes. They stood there looking sick and weak. But just the fact that they were willing and ready to go showed him the strength they still had and the look in their tired eyes showed him their determination.

Dr. Martinez had said all her goodbyes and she stood there watching them all. Ella on the other hand had just finished hugging Gazzy goodbye and went over to Iggy. She gave him an awkward hug then stepped back. They both looked like they had something to say but all they did was mutter goodbye and Ella walked over to join her mom.

Fang walked over to the flock, "ready?" He asked.

All he got was solemn nods.

He nodded back, "Up up and away." he choked a bit on his words, hearing the own pain in his voice and quickly opened up his wings so he could get back up into the air where he felt more at home than anywhere else.

Everyone followed his example and together they leaped into the air one by one. Fang was the last one on the ground. He glanced back at the trees that concealed something dark, then at Dr. Martinez and Ella who waved at them. Fang took a running start and jumped into the air.

His wings felt weak from lack of use, but after a few miles they grew stronger with each wing stroke. He saw a tear fly by him and he glanced at Nudge who was silently crying. For the first time he was unsure of what to do, but soon Angel was beside her brushing her wing with hers and giving her a gentle smile. Nudge nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Where are we going?" Gazzy asked falling back to fly next to Fang who was watching them all from behind, keeping a close eye out for anything.

Fang had a place in mind, but wasn't completely sure about it.

"Far away from here," Fang answered with the only bit of truth he could give about where they were going.

Iggy flew on the other side of Fang. Just like him, Iggy hadn't been tearful, but for the past months he'd been unusually quiet. Especially now.

Feeling Fang's eyes on him, Iggy said, "I should've said something."

Fang knew what Iggy was talking about, knew the feeling he was having. He nodded thinking of someone that was not Ella.

"Me too," Fang said.

Iggy glanced at him with his unseeing eyes and nodded.

It took them five long days to get to somewhere that would've only taken two. The flock was weak and tired as they made their last stop. Instantly the flock found their own space in a tall oak they had found and quickly fell asleep without stacking their fists like they had insisted on doing two nights ago. Their spirit wasn't into it anymore and it just wasn't the same.

Fang stood in the highest branch keeping a look out. He glanced down at the flock, finally deciding it would be safe to leave them here.

He didn't think anyone would be after them for a long time.

Silently, Fang spread out his dark black wings and flew up into the air. It had taken him a while to locate the house and to make sure it was completely safe to stay in. Everyone had thought he had stayed cooped up in his room out of sadness (which was partially true) but Fang had already stepped up to fulfill a unspoken, dying wish.

Now, alone, he could lose his calm expressionless face and just feel the air flowing through each feather. He closed his eyes then quickly open them again. He took a deep breath and shook his head because for a second, he had felt Max's wing tip against his.

He sighed.

"Max," He whispered, "What have you done?"

And for a moment he let himself feel mad, angry. He couldn't lead the flock, not now. He wasn't good at this stuff. Sure at one point he and max had split and he had taken the Gasman and Iggy. But it was different now.

He had lost the most important person to him.

He almost missed the house. He would've flown right over it if it wasn't for the moon's reflection in the lake. He could see himself in the water too. Dark and powerful. Blocking out the moon as he soared up to make a small u turn towards the house.

Fang landed in a tree closest to the house and watched for any signs of life. There were no lights in the rooms. No cars parked in the driveway. There was absolutely nothing but silence. So once more, Fang flew out of the tree and swooped down on the house.

He knew the house would be empty. He knew that they'd think he and the flock would be crazy to come back here, but that's exactly why Fang had thought of it.

In reality, they had no place to go. They couldn't stay at Dr. Martinez's house. They couldn't go back to their house they had lived in before...They couldn't stay on the streets or on the run like they used to back in the good old days. Without...Max, they were incomplete. Inexperienced. So for now, they had to lie low and wait for whoever remembered, or cared enough about them, to come and get them because, that's all they could really do. Wait.

And that's what Fang did until the sun began to rise above the rolling hills. He'd give himself one more day. One more day to see if Anne's house was good enough to live in, for now. Otherwise he would have to find another place. Far away from Dr. Martinez and Ella so they wouldn't get in danger. Far away from a cold dark grave that always lurked in the back of his mind. And most importantly, far away from the memories of Max he had left behind in the flames.

"What I need to know is what happened that day Max died in the fire."

Fang blinked in surprise, "What?"

Everyone stared at him.

You need to learn how to start paying attention Fang.

"The day Max died," Jeb said looking at Fang, "I need to know everything that happened."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Yeah," Nudge said, "Shouldn't you know?"

"I feel like we're in some mystery movie you know," Gazzy said his eyes wide with excitement, "It's all tense and at the end everyone has a secret and the double agent is revealed." He lpoked up at everyone, "Y'know?"

"No Gazzy," Iggy said shaking his head, "We don't know. We have no idea what you just said."

Gazzy sat back with a huff as Angel jumped up from her seat. Total yelped and fell onto the floor having fallen asleep on Angel's lap.

"Angel?" Nudge yelled after her as Angel ran out the kitchen.

Gazzy stood up to go after her but Angel was back carrying her windbreaker.

"Your hiding something Jeb," Angel said taking something out of the pocket of her windbreaker, "But you're not the only one," She said throwing down what looked like a photo.

Dr. Martinez gasped.

Fang leaned closer to get a look at the picture only to stand back up in surprise. He and Max had found that photo, and the same photo a long time ago in an abandoned house where a couple of crack heads were staying.

On the table lied a picture of a baby Gazzy in the arms of a man and a women.

"We want answers," Angel said looking at Jeb and Dr. Martinez who was still staring at the picture with wide eyes. She looked back at Jeb, "And so do you."

Jeb leaned forward with his fingers crossed straing intently at Angel.

"What do you know?"

Angel looked at Fang.

"The Voice is inside of Fang's head and Itex is back."

Re read all the other chapters before writing this one because I want to make sure it all actually makes sense. Especially with all the out of order flashbacks. To be honest the flashback was actually the first thin I wrote before I actually completed planned how I wanted this chapter to go. So tell me if there's anything out of place!

Next chapter comes out Thursday!

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