Okay so my stupid traffic graph thing is broken again. Soooo sad. Oh well! I got a good amount of reviews from the last chapter so thank you guys! I'm glad you liked the second date!Also to "One Who Tries to Predict Plots " let me just say that while your ideas were interesting and had a few similarities to what I have in mind, don't go guessing too hard. :) It was interesting to read what you thought though.

Disclaimer: If I wished upon a star….I would own Max Ride…but sadly I do not, so myyyyyyyy liiiiiiiffeee suuucccckkksss!

Chapter 20

"Oh my god did you get into a fight?" Nudge burst as I slipped into my bedroom. "Oh my god did he hit you? Oh what an ass I can't believ—"

"Nudge, what the hell! We went paintballing! Calmarse! Calm down! " I couldn't believe my friend. Not only did she think that Fang had hit me, but she thought that I'd actually let him do it.

"Oh, well then….did you have fun? Oh I bet you did, you seem like the kind of person who'd like that kind of thing, not that I would. I mean, I might get paint on my clothes! Not only that but I don't do bruises too well. I'm like a peach, well not in color but my skin bruises easily just like one and-"

I tuned her out as I went and grabbed some PJs from my drawer and ducked into the closet to change. I'm not shy around Nudge; I just can't let her see my tattoo.

Once I came out I flopped down on the bed next to her where she continued to go in a roundabout conversation, shifting between asking me questions about my date and getting off topic in some manner.

"By the way," I said after I'd listened to her go on and on about sparkly nail polish for about fifteen minutes. "I invited Fang to hang out with us tomorrow. We'll watch the kids while you get time with Iggy."

"What?" she demanded. "You've finally decided to introduce him to Angel?" I couldn't place the tone of her voice. Was she mad? Did she just want to spend time with Iggy and make sure I had no distractions with the kids? Now that I thought of it like that it made sense. I should tell Fang not to come. I should tell him I need to focus on baby sitting and that…She grabbed me in a hug. "You're finally starting to trust men! I'm so proud!" she fanned herself like the drama queen she has the ability to be.

Did not see that one coming.

…..

"Oh my god, oh my god, ohmigod!" Nudge gasped, pacing back and forth. One minute she was sitting on my bed, the next she was across the room, then she was on the chase lounge, then back on the bed. "I'm so nervous! How's my hair? And my outfit? What about my makeup? Oh my god I put too much on didn't I? I look like a tramp, oh shit!"

"Nudge, your fine. You look great, though you're crazy if you think you won't be cold, you hair and makeup are amazing, and you have no reason to be nervous." I said, playing the supportive friend. Then of course I had to add a little Max personality to that. "I don't know why you're nervous anyway, you've gone on plenty of dates."

"But not with anyone with promise." She assured me.

Well I wouldn't say Iggy has promise but to each their own…

Nudge continued. "I mean those guys were nice, I wouldn't date anyone who wasn't, but, I don't know, Iggy just seems different." She got a goofy smile on her face, much like the one Iggy gets when he thinks about her.

"He is different." I agreed, mostly muttering to myself.

"How so?" she asked, picking up on my quiet words.

"You'll see." I assured her.

….

Cedar Brook Park is in Plainfield New Jersey and a few extra miles away from where I live, but it's a nice nature park and I take Angel there quite a bit. We took Nudges car and pulled into the parking at exactly two o' clock.

I could see Iggy already, leaning up against his mom's blue Volvo, Gazzy at his side. Angel and Nudge started bouncing up and down excitedly. I snorted. Then I saw Fangs car parked further in the parking lot and I felt like jumping too.

I untangled myself from the front seat of Nudges car and let Angel out. She zipped right past me and hugged Iggy and Gazzy while Nudge and I followed at a slower pace.

Nudge stood out already. While I was taking advantage of the nice weather to wear regular jeans and a light jacket, Nudge was taking it to the extreme. She had on an off the shoulder black shirt, white pants, and flats. (A/N pic on profile.) Iggy's eyes bugged when he saw her.

I'll give it to Nudge, she could keep her cool pretty well. I know on the inside her stomach is in knots and she feels like bursting out of her skin, but on the outside she is the picture of composure.

I stop and stand between my two best friends.

"Iggy, you remember Nudge." I said as I wave to Gazzy who's already whispering mischievously to Angel.

He nodded, trying to keep steady but I see his Adams apple bob as he swallows nervously. This is a guy who can take down a man three times his size and he's nervous for a date.

I don't know why, but I found it kinda sweet.

In that overly sentimental BS way.

I see Fang heading over to us and I wave energetically. Probably too much energy behind that wave, and he knows it because he smirks.

He draws up length with me and I am once again obligated to preform introductions.

"Fang, you remember Nudge." I motioned to Nudge who smiled sweetly and waved. Fang nodded in return. "This is Iggy, his brother Gazzy, and my sister Angel. Guys, this is Fang."

"Oh wait! This is Fnick!" Iggy cracked. "Nice to meet you man," he shakes Fangs hand.

Fangs face is as closed off as stone. Mr. Emotionless Rock…

"And if you say that again I'll be obligated to call you Figgy." He retorts.

I can't hold back my giggle. Neither can Angel whose laugh is like tinkling bells to my ears. Iggy appraises him for a minute before nodding.

"I like you," he says. "You don't take any crap, I can tell. How the hell are you with Max? She gives nothing but crap."

"Hey!" I objected while everyone laughed. Every god damn one of them. I punched Iggy in the arm.

"I don't know, honestly." Fang answered.

"Well at least he's honest." I said snidely and grabbed Angel's hand, who grabbed Gazzy's hand, before walking into the park.

Fang kept pace easily while Nudge and Iggy trailed behind at a slower pace.

"So, you're setting them up." Fang said quietly as we pulled ahead. I let go of Angel's hand and let her skip along in front of me.

"Well, technically…" I said like a valley girl. Then sighed and gave him the dish. "Nudge think's I'm helping her and Iggy thinks I'm helping him. They both want it so I'm killing two birds with one stone."

"Oh," was all he said. But I saw the smile playing at his lips.

Angel and Gazzy were leaning together whispering something. I hoped they weren't up to anything. Those two could get into it big time if they felt like it. I heard Iggy and Nudge talking quietly from a few yards behind us. The distance kept growing.

"She looks a lot like you," Fang said suddenly.

"Huh?"

Brilliant I know.

"Your sister. You two look a lot alike."

"Yeah. We look like our dad. My other sister looks more like Mom." I said matter of factly, thinking of Ella's deep chocolate hair and almond colored skin, compared to my blond hair and light skin tone. I'm so colorlessly blah. Ella and Nudge, hell, even Fang have beautiful skin tones. I'm like any old Plain Jane out there. But it does make me look a lot like my dad. I remember when he took me to bring you child to work day once. I was nine and he worked at some corporate building, working his way up the ranks, and wherever we went people would stop to comment on how much I was 'my father's daughter'. I still think about that day a lot. Especially when I see other kids with their dads.

"What happened to him?" Fang asked curiously. "I remember you saying he died but how, if you don't mind my asking."

I winced slightly but answered honestly. "He was killed in a convenience store robbery a few years back. Some kid got drunk and thought he'd nab a few bucks. Dad was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Fang didn't say anything. Somehow that was better than him being one of those guys who says their sorry or that they know how I feel. Because nobody does. Nobody can even begin to fathom what I feel. And if you don't know how I feel how can you be sorry for it?

Instead he laces his fingers through mine. My skin prickles in contact with his and I like how our hands fit together.

"Thanks," I say.

"For what?"

"For not saying 'I'm sorry'."

He just nods.

Angel and Gazzy look back at us, evil glints in their eyes. Then they take off running, Angel yelling "Catch us if you can," behind them.

I start running, pulling Fang with me by our connected hands. I'm a fast runner, one of the fastest in school, and Fang keeps up with me. I'm impressed. Then again the two kids we're chasing are pretty fast too for their short legs.

We chase them down the paved pathway, dodging moms pushing strollers, rollerblades with their dogs, and other random couples. We pass through the trees and around the lake. We could catch the kids if we really wanted to, but running feels so good after a winter locked up inside, and Angel and Gazzy are having a blast thinking that they're beating us.

We end our chase at the playground. A small square of wood chip covered earth with a play set, some slides, monkey bars, and a set of swings. Angel and Gazzy immediately head for the monkey bars as I idle my way to the swings.

I drop Fangs hand and plop down on the nearest swing, taking in deep lungful's of pine scented air as I close my eyes.

Chains rattle nearby and I know without looking that Fang has taken the swing next to me.

I start pumping my legs, stirring motion from the swing beneath me. I listen to the sounds of the park around me. We lost Nudge and Iggy way back and I knew that it would take them at least ten minutes of walking for them to get here. I heard little kids giggling in the background, yelling for their mothers to watch them as the climb, for their dads to catch them as they come down the slide. I hear dogs barking and people chatting. All the life that comes with Spring.

This is what I stand for, I thought randomly. Life and people being happy, being able to live freely, that's what the Night Hawks stand for. Being yourself and being safe. It really is a good thing to stand for.

"Max look!" Angel giggled. I opened my eyes and looked for Angel as I swung backwards on the swing. From this height I could see the entire little playground in a bird's eye view, as if I was a real Hawk. And my eyes zone in on the two little blond heads and their bodies which hang upside down from the monkey bars.

"Be careful you two." I said in my no-nonsense leader tone. They grinned widely and dropped from the bars, heading over to a tire swing instead.

"They're a handful." Fang commented from beside me. The chains on the swings squeaked in my ear and I had to struggle to hear his quiet voice over them. But I'm pretty sure I could pick out Fangs voice anywhere.

"Yeah," I agreed. "But it's worth it. They're good kids."

"They seem like it."

"Does it get lonely?" I asked suddenly. "Being an only child? I mean, I have two sisters. I don't know the meaning of the word 'silence'."

He thought for a second, staring out at the park.

"It does, but I have a big family." It sounded like those words were supposed to mean more than they did to me, but I had no clue what exactly I was missing. "I wouldn't mind a sibling though."

"Well I'd be happy to lend you Ella." I offered.

He snorted.

"You're lucky you have them." He assured me.

"Yeah. I really am."

…..

"Max! We're hungry!" Gazzy complained about twenty minutes later.

"You're always hungry." I said in an equally whiney voice.

"Yeah, but my tummy's growling!" he shot back.

"It's true." Angel said from where she stood next to him. "I can hear it. It sounds like a wolf when you get too close to its cubs. Or you when someone eats your cookies, Max." I glared at her while Fang made a choking sound. Trying, unsuccessfully, to hide his laughter.

"Fine. We'll get you a hotdog or something."

They cheered.

There was always a vendor around here that sold lunch items. We headed away from the playground and south where he set up his cart by the lake.

Angel came up to me and grabbed my right hand. Gazzy grabbed my left. These kids were so cute sometimes. Sure they could be a royal pain in the ass, but they were my royal pains in the ass. I always saw Gazzy as a type of brother. I've babysat him enough, I see him on every birthday and holiday, and most weekends.

We may make a motley family, but we were a strong one.

The cart was busy and by the time we got to the front of the line my very shallow pool of patients has all but evaporated.

I ordered the kids a hotdog each and Fang and me some shaved ice. Blueberry because that's the best.

Fang tried to pay. He pulled his wallet out while I was handing the hotdogs to the begging kids at my feet. I caught him though and hip bumped him out of the way while I paid. Muttering about what a sexist world we live in.

"Sorry man," the hotdog guy said. "Maybe next time." Fang rolled his eyes at me as we headed to sit under the shade of a big oak tree.

I was starting to wonder if I should do one of those…what had Nudge called it? Safety call when I realized that it probably wouldn't work because neither Iggy nor Nudge could probably hear a phone ring over Nudges incessant babbling. The safety call would have been to Iggy.

I happily ate my shave ice as I looked out across the smooth surface of the lake and leaned against the stalwart trunk of the old tree, my shoulder touching Fangs. A fish occasionally jumped out, breaking the placid surface.

I was having a great day. Just hanging out with Fang was fun. We didn't need to be doing anything extreme like snowball fights thirty feet off the ground or paintballing, we just needed each other's company.

That was something I think I'll always want.

"You look like a Smurf." Fang whispered in my ear.

I playfully growled at him. "That's half the fun of these things." I hoisted my half empty cup up into his view. "Didn't you ever have a contest to see who could get their tongue bluer?"

He shook his head.

"Well!" I said shocked. "I hereby challenge you." I declared. "See if you can beat me." I started scarfing down my ice.

Fang rolled his eyes but took my challenge.

By the time we'd finished our ices we both looked like we needed to sit extra close to a fire and warm up. I'm pretty sure I looked like I had frost bite or something.

Fang could pull it off.

We started cracking up when we looked each other fully in the face. I was struck by Fang's laugh. I hadn't heard it before. I mean yeah I'd heard his chuckles or scoffs but never a full out laugh.

I may be being melodramatic here but it was my new favorite sound.

I couldn't help myself. I leaned in and kissed his blue lips. That was the first time I'd ever kissed him first. I felt his surprise but he kissed back all the same.

It was a very good kiss.

And it was ruined by my little sister.

"Max and Fang sitting in a tree!" she called out.

"K.I.S.S.I.N.G!" Gazzy added.

I pulled away with a groan and glared at them.

Then I realized something.

"Gazzy whatever that is it better not be explosive!"

Babysitting never gets any easier.

I just thought this would be a nice chapter to have. I thought it was sweet. Review!

Peace!