Disclaimer: James Patterson owns Maximum Ride. I own this plot.

Chapter 25

Date: Monday, February 18

Location: Max's apartment

"I already told you the bed is big enough to share," I said as Nudge and I cleaned up the blankets and pillows on the couch.

"I've been here less than twenty four hours and I've already taken your clothes, your money, and invaded your home and your work place. I think the least I can do is bunk it on the sofa. Besides, this is the most comfortable thing I've slept on in years," she said.

"What's mine is yours," I assured her. I felt no animosity towards her whatsoever for anything she'd listed. More than anything I enjoyed sharing my life and everything in it with her.

"You make it sound like we're married!"

"'For better or worse, for richer or for poorer' eh, I think it fits our bond pretty well."

The telephone rang, interrupting anything else she might have said. Nudge went back to folding the blankets as I went to answer it.

"Hello?" I picked up on the third ring.

"Max," Fangs voice came through. He sounded somewhat relieved. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Fang. Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," he said, "but we were getting worried. You disappeared yesterday and didn't answer your phone last night. And now you're not at school."

I winced. I hadn't thought to contact him. I may know Nudge is harmless but all the Flock had seen yesterday was me go all 'ghost of your past coming back to haunt you' and running off with a street kid.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I didn't realize I was freaking you guys out. But I'm fine. More than fine, I'm great. Listen, you guys should come over to my place tonight. I have someone I want you to meet."

"Tonight? But don't you have work?" he sounded surprised. I almost never called out of work.

"I called out sick. Please? I really want you all to meet her. I'll make dinner and everything."

"Alright, I'll bring the Flock. Seven?" he asked.

"Great! See you then!"I hung up with a smile on my face. Finally, everyone I cared about in the world would meet.

"Max?" Nudge said quietly from behind me. I turned to see her playing meekly with the edge of a blanket. "Are you sure you want me to meet them?"

I blinked in confusion. She was the one asking me all about them yesterday. "Of course. I've wanted nothing more than for you to meet them since I met them."

"But….they saw me yesterday. They saw me looking all gross and poor. How are you going to explain that?"

I bit my lip. I hadn't thought of that. I didn't think the Flock would judge her, or even care about what she had looked like, once they got to know her. Yet, I could see her point.

"We'll tell them the truth," I said. "Or, well, some of it."

"Huh?"

"We'll tell them you ran away from home and hitchhiked here. It's the truth. You did run away from home, even if it was years ago, and you did hitchhike here. We'll just tell them you decided to come live with me because you couldn't stand it at home anymore. They won't ask questions, they don't like prying into people's unhappy pasts."

"Are…are you sure?"

"Positive. Trust me, Nudge. They are going to love you."

…..

"You look beautiful Nudge, stop fidgeting," I said as I finished taking the pasta off the stove. I'd made spaghetti, one of the few dishes I'd learned to cook over the past few months.

"I feel like I'm playing dress up," she admitted, coming to help me in the kitchen.

"The feeling goes away after a week or so. Trust me, you won't want to go back to rags after this."

"I already don't. Max…" she hesitated.

"Yeah?"

"What are you going to do after…you know. After the trial. Will you stay here? Will they let you?"

I sighed as I got the plates down from the cabinet.

"I talked to Jessica about this a while ago, back before I'd really started to settle in here. Once I'm in Witness Protection I'm in, as long as I don't get myself kicked out—which is why she can't know I've told you," I added seriously. "If she found out before the trial I'd get relocated." She nodded and motioned for me to continue. "I always planned on coming to find you though. I told her—Jessica—that after the trial I wanted to find you again. She understood. She told me I could come back and pretend like nothing happened and continue on in the program—something she highly suggested because I would still be on a few peoples Most Hated list—but it wasn't mandatory. If I found you and brought you back here I'd be out of Witsec's protection and they'd stop paying my rent but I'd still be allowed to continue the life I've started here. And I would have done that but….I told you I came looking for you one day," I pointed out, leaning against the counter top. "I snuck out of my hotel one night while we were in New York doing some stuff for the trial and went to find you. But you'd left. I found Marcella and Juan and they told me you'd left a few weeks before. I honestly didn't know how I'd find you. I'd have hired a privet investigator if I could. But now I don't have to. You see, you found me. It was meant to be."

"Max!" she cried, lunging at me and pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "I don't know how I got so lucky as to have a friend like you."

"Just by being yourself," I told her as I returned her hug. "Honestly, I think I get the better end of the bargain. You're always so bubbly and happy. I'm all doom and gloom most of the time."

"Except when you get chocolate chip cookies," she said, pulling back to smile at me.

"Ah yes, expect then."

There was a knock on the door.

"Coming!" I called as I left the kitchen. Nudge grabbed my arm as I passed her. "Max," she whispered. "I'm nervous."

"You?" I said in mock surprise. "Miss Social? Trust me, you'll be perfectly fine." I put my hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "Breathe, and just be yourself."

I answered the door.

"Max!" Angel and Gazzy flew into the apartment and immediately attached themselves to my legs. "We missed you at the movie! It was so funny! You should have come!"

"I'm sorry guys," I said crouching down to their level. "Something came up but I promise you I'll be there for the next one. Now come meet my friend," I said, standing back up and gesturing for them to head into the living area.

They ran in and started fighting over who got to sit in the chair. Iggy came in after them, his strawberry blond hair tousled. "Sorry Max, they're crazy today. I think dad gave them sugar after school."

"They're kids, they're allowed to be crazy and have fun." I looked behind him but Fang and Ella weren't in the hallway.

"They're parking the car," Iggy informed me as he traipsed into the apartment. I closed the door but left it unlocked.

He sniffed the air. "Smells good Maxie, did you order out because I know you can't cook worth a da—and who is this?" Iggy asked, cutting himself off as he spotted Nudge hiding in the kitchen. His face adapted a star struck look and I couldn't stop the smirk from settling over my lips. In the entire four months I'd known Iggy I hadn't seen him show any interest in a girl.

Was that about to change?

"Iggy this is Nudge," I said, walking into the kitchen to coax her out into the living room. "She's a friend of mine from back in Portland. Nudge, meet Iggy. The crazy kids are his siblings."

"Hello," Nudge gave him a small smile while sticking to my side. "Nice to meet you. Max has told me about how crazy you are. I mean—" her eyes widened as she realized what she'd said. "I didn't mean that in a bad way! I just meant that Max has mentioned you're funny and like to mess around and there's nothing wrong with that I just—"

"Nice to meet you Nudge," Iggy cut off her babbling and shook her hand. I fought back my laughter. The front door opened and Ella skipped in, followed silently by Fang.

"Hey Max!" Ella said cheerfully. "I missed you at school today. Well we missed you at school today." She elbowed her brother playfully.

Fang said nothing but one look at his eyes told me she was right.

"I'm sorry I blew you guys off yesterday," I apologized. "I got caught up in everything and didn't really think to let you guys know."

Ella shrugged. "As long as you're okay. We don't own you; you can do your own thing too."

"Yeah well, guys, I want you all to meet Nudge. Well, Iggy's already been introduced," I amended before gesturing everyone into the living room for introductions.

I pulled Nudge to my side as we faced the Flock. "Nudge, this is the Flock. Iggy, Angel, Gazzy, Ella, and Fang." I gestured to each respectively. "Guys, this is Nudge. She's a friend from back home. Practically my sister."

"Oh yeah, I can see the resemblance," Iggy quaffed. I whacked him upside the head as Nudge laughed. We were about as opposite as the north and south pole. Her skin was chocolate to my cream, her hair brown to my blond, and her attitude light to my dark. The only thing we had in common was height. She was about two inches shorter then my five eight.

"So are you the one who Max is always upset about leaving?" Ella asked her. "The one without a cell phone?" I rolled my eyes. She was still obsessing over that?

Nudge raised an eyebrow at me. "I suppose so," she said slowly. "You talk about me?"

I shrugged. "I told you I missed you."

"She hasn't said anything about you," Ella corrected. "Just that she felt horrible for leaving someone very important to her. She never talks about her past."

I felt a twinge of fear. Was Ella going to try and use Nudge to learn about my past?

Nudge shrugged. "Not much to tell about it," she said. I let out a breath in relief.

"Well Its very nice to meet you Nudge," Ella said, coming to hug her. "Any friend of Max's is a friend of ours. Right guys?" She turned to the Flock.

Iggy was nodding vigorously. Angel and Gazzy chorused 'yes' and Fang gave a small smile as he nodded.

Nudge looked shocked.

"People are nicer here," I informed her. "Are you guys ready for dinner?"

…

"What's your real name? I mean, did your mommy name you Nudge?" Angel asked. She'd claimed the seat next to Nudge at the table as we all ate our dinner. She'd been asking a constant stream of questions ever since.

"No, my mom named me Monique," she said, as patient as ever with Angel. I could already tell that she adored Angel, she's always had a soft spot for little kids. "Max is the one who calls me Nudge."

"Oh, why?" she asked, leaning over the table to look at me.

I called her Nudge because when we'd first gotten together on the streets we'd slept on the same piece of ledge in the subways. At night she'd always end up nudging me closer and closer to the edge until I'd fall off. She was a complete bed hog.

"Because she talks so much," I said. "Sometimes she keeps going and going without realizing it. I would always have to, ya know, nudge her to get her to stop." I elbowed Nudge gently in demonstration.

"Ohhhh." Angel nodded, accepting my half assed answer.

"How did you know where Max lives, Nudge?" Ella asked. "She sure looked surprised when you showed up yesterday."

"Yeah, I kind of surprised her," Nudge admitted. "Max has a cousin who lives here and she was always talking about moving out here," she explained, reciting the story we'd fabricated after I'd invited the Flock over. "So when her parents told me she moved I figured this is where she went. I decided to come find her."

"Why didn't you just tell her you were moving, Max?" Iggy asked.

I bit my lip. That was one thing I hadn't figured out. "Its….complicated," I said by way of answer. They just nodded, accepting that I didn't want to answer the question. They were very good about giving me privacy.

"So, how long are you staying then?" Iggy continued.

"Nudge is moving in with me," I said, answering for her.

They all looked surprised.

"You're moving here? But where's all your stuff?" Gazzy asked.

"I didn't bring any," she said.

"But why?" he pestered.

"Because I just wanted to leave. Start new. So I left everything behind and came here."

"You ran away?" Angel asked, eyes wide.

"Angel, sometimes people live in bad situations. You are very lucky to have people who love you and take care of you," I said carefully. "Nudge didn't have that at home, so she came here because she knows I love her and will take care of her like your mom and dad do for you and your brothers."

"Oh," she said. "Well we'll love you Nudge!" she announced before reaching over to hug her.

Nudge gave her a watery smile, not meeting the eyes of the rest of the Flock. I scanned their faces.

Iggy looked sympathetic, his eyes glued to Nudge. Ella didn't look completely surprised but still sad as she too gazed at my best friend, and Fang….well Fang was watching me, his expression unreadable.

"Angels right," Ella proclaimed. "The Flock will look out for you Nudge."

….

"They're great people," Nudge said after the Flock left. "All of them. I'm happy you met them."

"Me too," I smiled. "I told you they'd like you." Ella had even invited Nudge to go shopping Wednesday while I was at work.

"Yeah," she wandered over to the counter and ran her fingers over the two picture frames I had there. One was my Christmas present from Ella, the whole Flock together and smiling, and the other was one that Ella had given me on Valentine's Day. It was a picture of me and Fang at her birthday party, right before Iggy interrupted us. Her mother had apparently snapped a picture while we were else wise distracted.

I loved the picture. I'm not one for mushy romantic moments but I could stare at that picture all day. We looked happy.

"Your boyfriends really cute," she said. "Quiet, but cute. And he really likes you."

"How can you tell?" I asked as I put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

"The way he was watching you all night. Making sure you were okay, simply happy to see you happy. And you practically glow around him," she smirked. "Never thought I'd see the day that the Maximum Ride gets all mushy for a man."

"He's not just any man," I said. "And I'm not Maximum Ride…not anymore."

"Do you miss it?" she asked. "The fighting?"

I sighed. "I miss doing something I know I'm good at," I admitted, "but I don't miss it as much as I used to. Now I miss it most when I'm angry and not allowed to hit someone."

She scoffed and went to sit in the living room. "Those are great pictures."

"Do you know which one I like best?" I asked her.

"No, which?"

I disappeared into my room and came back out a minute later cradling the photo strip from Coney Island in my hands.

"This one." I handed it to her. "Do you remember that day?"

"Remember it?" she demanded, her voice thick with emotions. She handed me back the photo and pulled her duffle bag—a small tattered canvas bag that had been her only company across the continental U.S.—closer to her. She rummaged through it and pulled out a photo strip identical to the one in my hands. "I look at it every day," she said. "How do you even have it? I thought they wouldn't let you have connections to your past."

"What they don't know won't hurt them," I said as I smiled at her. "We'll make new memories now."

Yay! The Flock loves Nudge! Of course, I knew they always would...On another note, in future chapters make sure you are paying attention to the dates! We start jumping forward a bit! And we all know what that means...the faster the months go by the closer we get to April... Please leave reviews! Comments, concerns, questions, criticisms! I take all of them into account. I also like seeing how many people are reading this story and your reactions to each chapter. It helps me to know what to add more/less of in a chapter.

Peace!