Whoa... Okay, first off: Thank you so much for all your reviews!!! The amount of people that were worried about Fang was crazy!! I'm pretty sure that every review said something along the lines of "OMG not FANG!!! You can't kill Fang!!!" I'm sorry for driving you all crazy lol!! I have so muchwork to do tonight that I haven't actually replied to most of the reviews yet- I thought you would prefer that I write and post this instead, I'll try to reply after I do my pile of homework!

Well, this doesn't completely answer everything but the next chapter will. I hope you are happy with it- it is extremely rushed and I feel I could probably do a better job on it if I had more time... Stupid homework... Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing- don't forget to let me know what you think of this one too =]

~Max POV~

He was clutching the edge of the shiny metal tabletop. A strange look passing over his face as he swayed. My heart started to pound as his eyes fluttered closed. And then he was falling- tumbling towards the ice-cold tiles.

"FANG!!" Came the high-pitched scream. It was a shrill and piercing sound. It was me.

He hit the floor with a dull thud, slumped over on his side. Eyes closed, chest still, lips parted. Silence rushed in my ears like a crashing wave, preparing to swallow me whole.

"NOOO!" I ran over to him on unsteady legs- half collapsing before I reached his side, dropping instantly to my knees. The hard, glazed tiles rattled my kneecaps. But I couldn't feel the pain that should have been there. Mainly because the emotional kind was chewing me up so much from the inside that I couldn't sense anything physical. My fingers fisted into his shirt and I lay him on his back. I repeated his name over and over in a desperate plea, as though it would somehow bring him back to me.

Warm moisture dripped down my cheeks, it took me a few seconds to realise that they were tears. Hot, salty, fresh, grief-filled tears. Acidly burning my skin.

Not now.

I couldn't come this far and lose Fang now. Not after everything we had been through. We had finally ended the Erasers, there was no more School, no more saving the world to do. We had a future now, an uncertain one albeit, but a future nonetheless. My trembling fingers flitted through his soft hair, looking unnaturally dark beneath my pale skin.

I wasn't going to lose Fang now. I finally accepted help, dammit! That had to count for something, surely?! He needed to protect me in this crazy world and I needed to protect him- that stupid song was right. We needed each other- The Leader and The Second In Command. The Number One and her Right Hand Man. The two best friends. The stubborn fools. The ones that loved the Flock. The winged kids that saved the world.

"Hell no, Fang! Don't you dare even think about leaving me here without you. Get your stubborn ass back here and open your eyes." And he didn't. They were still closed and I slowly felt my gradual grief turn into hysteria as I screamed at him.

"That's an order! Fang! For once in your life do what you're told! Fang!" I started to hit his muscled chest. My hair fell across my face and stuck to the rivulets of tears, my breath was starting to catch in my throat. This was panic- pure, unadulterated panic. And suddenly I could empathise with that look of desperation and fear I had seen in Fang's eyes so many times. Only mine were probably a million times worse. This time I knew what those meaningful looks were. I knew the weight they held, and I was feeling that weight crushing down on me with horrible strength.

Suddenly I understood it all.

And Fang might never know.

"Open your goddamn eyes, this isn't funny! Fang!!" I had been screaming so much that my voice began to grate against my raw throat. Behind me, I head footsteps skid into the room.

"Max? What the hell is going on in here?" Iggy's voice held innocent bewilderment. It wouldn't if he could see the scene unravelling before his unseeing eyes. Vaguely, I detected Nudge's voice telling him frantically what was happening. I was breaking-down right in front of them. Their Leader was turning into an hysterical mess. Maximum Ride was breaking down completely… and she didn't care who saw.

I was starting to sob. Tears no longer dripped down my cheeks, they cascaded. I couldn't lose him. Not Fang. We were finally going to right the wrongs. He had a family now, I had him now. The Flock buzzed in the background- terrified talking that I tuned out. My legs cramped beneath me on the freezing cold floor. My face was flushed from crying but I didn't care anymore, I just needed his eyes to open for me. I needed him to pick himself up off the ground and say something sarcastic and tease me for crying. I flung myself limply over his prone body- but over all my juddering sobs, I couldn't feel anything anymore.

Over my quietening cries, I could hear Iggy approaching. Nudge and Angel rubbed my shoulders and tried to pull me upwards- away from my Fang.

"No," I shook my head resolutely. "No! I'm not leaving him!"

Iggy walked slowly forward to examine Fang, to find out what had happened and why. "Max," he said soothingly. "Let me take a look at him, okay? I won't make you leave Fang, alright. I just want you to step back a tiny bit. Right beside the others. Just for one minute. Come on Max, I need to see to Fang. Just for a second."

His tone was so soothing and understanding that I could barely notice the note of anxiety and fear carefully masked in it. Iggy was making sense. If Fang had any hope left at all, it would be Iggy that could help.

I leant my head against Fang's chest for a second, and then scooted up beside his ear. "You better wake up, Fang." I whispered hoarsely. "I know now, I swear I do. And you won't know if you don't open your eyes for me. They're gone Fang- the Erasers are gone. It's all over. We did it, Fang."

Every word I said scraped along his ear and I could hear myself begging. I was on my knees, on the floor, begging. "Please wake up. Think of Rosie, and Allie. Think of your parents Fang! You can even think of me. I swear I won't get mad- I'll let you save me, I'll let you help. I'll do anything Fang, I get it now. Come on. Please! Don't even think about leaving me. Don't break your promise again. Not after all this! I'm sorry- I really am, but I get it now Fang, I swear that I do. Don't leave me here. Please... "

"Alright Max, come on. That's it. Just for a minute, okay."

Iggy was anxious. He wanted to see to Fang as badly as I wanted to stay by his side forever. But I couldn't do that. So I let the girls pull me up, pushing their shoulders beneath my arms to carry me back from Iggy and Fang. My head kept up my praying mantra.

Please. Please come back to me.

Angel hugged my midriff, it helped me to stand straight while I watched Iggy work. As his fingers flitted over the contours of Fang's chest, my legs felt like they would buckle beneath me and send me crashing to the ground to join him once more. Because he still hadn't opened his eyes and I still hadn't heard his voice. And all I could think, amongst all my crazed though processes, was that this had all been for nothing. This meant absolutely nothing if Fang didn't make it through. My hope was slowly ebbing away like miniscule grains of sand against the pull of the forceful tide. I couldn't lose him. And if his family lost him it would all be completely my fault. I was being selfish again, wanting him to myself- but I was gone past caring. All that mattered was that Fang opened his eyes and got through this.

"There's a pulse!" Iggy yelled abruptly and my heart soared into life once more. "I found a pulse! It's okay- I've found a pulse. It's not very steady guys, but it's there and it seems pretty strong."

My hands smacked over my mouth to contain a stifled sob. But this kind of sob was for an entirely different reason. Nudge hastily wrapped an arm around me as my legs faltered a little more.

That's it Fang. Come on, just keep fighting. Please, please wake up. Please.