Island Time

Chapter 25

The time had come. I was finally cured and could take care of myself again. I knew that it was a long time coming, but still, it felt too soon.

I had to let the traitors out of the cargo bay.

It should now be noted that this would have been so hard if I knew for certain that I could control everything from here on out. But I couldn't. I did, however, know that Angel was getting no better and the cargo bay was beginning to stink from the boys', uh, bathroom needs. So, anyways, it was time.

"Just admit it."

"Admit what?"

"You're gonna miss him."

Fang and I were standing outside of our cave, close to the ledge. We could see people on the beach, running around, all excited about their friends and family being freed. Rapture was down there somewhere, forgetting all about how much we did for him.

"He was just a distraction from the cause."

"Cause?"

"Getting Angel better. Tracking down Royce. Figuring out where the other scientists went. Now that you're better, Max, I'm not going to baby you anymore."

"Baby me?"

"I've been following you blindly and trying to help take care of you, but you're better again. Much better. My focus is Angel now."

"And? I never told you to not make it Angel."

Fang just touched my shoulder, lingering for a moment before running off, whipping his wings out and flying away. Whatever the heck that was about…

After Fang was gone, I went into the cave for some alone time. It was quickly broken up by boy wonder.

"Hey."

I didn't even look up at him. "Do you think that Fang babies me?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think that Fang babies me?" I repeated.

"Max, I don't think any could baby you if they wanted. Trust me, I've tried."

I ignored that. "Fang said that he's been wasting time for the past few months, taking care of me instead of dealing with Angel. I never asked him to do that."

"You haven't done anything wrong, Max. Fang just probably feels helpless right now."

"About what?" I finally looked up only to find that Dylan was now on his knees in front of me. If only Fang was here, to make awkward sex jokes.

"About Angel, about how you let those other guys out, about me too, probably." Dylan reached out, running a hand through my hair. I pushed him away, but Dylan kept up. "Fang has that male pride thing going for him, hard. He had nothing to do with getting you better, he's the only guy besides me on the island over the age of fifteen that hasn't had sex, he had to have Nudge free him from the chains or else he'd probably still be in them, he can't help Angel at all, and now those guys are just running free on the island again. How much do you expect him to take?"

I blinked. "Wow. You got a boner for my boyfriend or something?"

"Not at all, Max. I just have empathy."

"Do you now?"

"Yes. I've been hanging out with a lot of girls recently."

"I've noticed."

"Don't worry," he attempted to reassure, "it's purely platonic."

"So is this."

"Mmm, I dunno, about that one." He tried to touch me again, though this time it was my face. When I pushed him this time, I do so rather roughly. Dylan didn't mind. "The point is, you should probably go easy on him."

"Oh, what do you know?" I stood up. "Fang's just throwing another one of his little hissy fits."

"Is that so?" Dylan stayed on the ground for some reason, staring up at me. He moved to sit back on his butt.

"Look, whatever weird thing you have going on with my boyfriend, knock it off, alright?"

"I'm his friend though."

"While you're lusting after me?"

"There is no lust in this, Max," he told me. "Just love. So much love."

"You can't love your friends girlfriend."

"Oh, yes you can."

"Besides," I said, ignoring that, "Fang doesn't want to be your friend."

"Of course he does. You can tell. When's the last time we fought?"

"Do you know if you did somehow steal me from him, he'd kick your butt?"

Dylan stared for a moment. "He couldn't, I'm stronger."

"Dylan."

"That wouldn't happen anyways, Max," he told me. "I'm not into cheating. I'm just not. You could throw yourself at me right now and I'd just turn you down and walk away."

Because that wasn't a blow to my already pretty low self-esteem at all. "I don't believe you."

"Test me."

"Ha, as if."

"Max, I honestly don't want to fight Fang." He finally stood up, shifting his hands into his pockets. "I wish that Fang wasn't part of the equation, but he is. Which sucks, but I have to deal with it. I think, one day, you and Fang will both see that you're not right for each other and end things on good terms. And after you're completely over him, I'll take you back and we'll live together forever."

"That's not happening."

"Our first romance wasn't supposed to happen," he reminded.

"Fang wasn't there."

"Does Fang have to be around for your love to be?" Dylan smiled at me. "Anyways, Max, I came to see if you wanted to go watch Angel now."

I turned and walked away, him following. "Our love has grown since you first showed up, Fang and I. Being apart, coming back together, spending a year on an island, being separated again, him thinking I was dead. We've gone through things that have only made us stronger."

"And I was there, every step of the way. Every single thing that-"

"Save it, Dyl. I can't say for certain that I'm going to love Fang forever and I can't say that he will me. I can say, though, that for now, I can't see me with you in the foreseeable future. You should just respect that and leave it alone."

So he did.

"You know what I miss about life before all this happened? Back when the world was normal?"

Fang took a drink of his whiskey. He and Iggy had moved it from the cargo bay and hidden it away before those boys were moved down there.

"Birth control?"

"Well, duh, but I didn't need it back then. Now, heck yeah it'd be nice."

"Then what were you talking about, Ig?" Fang asked, closing his eyes a little.

He couldn't believe that he and Max had a mini fight about him doing nothing and yet, here he was, doing nothing. How long could he keep doing nothing? Max was cured, sure, but Angel was still sick. (Dylan too, but Fang could get over that. In fact, he already was.) Not to mention the fact that Royce was out there somewhere, with all of the diseases.

"Music."

"Music," Fang said slowly. They were both trying to stay clear, but Fang could tell by his friends movements that he was getting closer to gone every second. "What kind of music?"

"All music. Pacifically-"

"You means specifically."

"Uh, no, I don't."

"I think you do, Ig."

"No," he repeated a little louder. "I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I- Oh forget it. I like rap music was the point." The blind boy turned his head and puked. Fang just blinked, shocked. He didn't know that Iggy had already drank that much. When he finished, Iggy immediately searched around for a bottle of something. "Mouth tastes bad. Want…Kool-Aid."

"Yes!" Fang nodded. "That's what I want. Kool-Aid. Grape, lemonade, watermelon. Any of 'em."

Iggy started snickering. "'specially cherry. Max's cherry."

"You little freak!" Fang tried to jump up, but, as they were on the beach, the sand made him trip and fall on his face. Iggy fell over at that one, almost landing in his own puke. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Me? Get Dylan. He's prob'ly the one that's alrea'y got it."

Fang was going to push up off the ground and pounce upon his blind friend, but what would be the point? If Max's red Kool-Aid did get drank by Dylan, who was he to complain? For all he knew, Max put too much sugar in it anyways.

"Maybe I should just stick to hot chocolate," Fang mumbled against the sand.

Iggy just picked up a bottle and tried to drink more. "Max could be your hot salsa, I guess."

Fang just closed his eyes and went to sleep.

After spending some time with Angel, I went off looking for Iggy. He hadn't reported for his turn to watch, so I was slightly worried about what I would find. I mean, he did get with Nadia…

When I found my original boys, they were both passed out, bottles of liquor surrounding them. I frowned, going over to Fang. I kicked his side.

"Mmm, stop, Iggy."

Iggy spoke before I could. "Go get that cherry."

"Mmm."

Frowning, I kicked Fang again. This time he opened his eyes and saw me. He just groaned.

"Too…much…to…drink…"

"Et tu, Iggy?" I asked, the quote lost on the two boys. He just groaned. "It was cute the first time you told me that you got drunk together, but now it's just annoying."

"Shhh," Fang said, putting a finger against his lips as he rolled into his back. "Sleep."

"No. Get up. You guys can't just drink on the beach."

"Suclusion."

"What?"

"Secluded," Fang said for Iggy, apparently less drunk. "Max, go away. Sleep."

Iggy was already sleeping again, so I just sat down next to Fang, forcing him to put his head in my lap.

"Don't puke on me," I warned, though that would probably be payback after all the vomit he had dealt with. Fang just cuddled into my lap, falling back asleep.

I sat there, playing with his hair and ear. When did Fang and Iggy get so out of control? When did I lose control? Before, on the old island, there was no way I would tolerate Iggy fingering Nadia (I refuse to say that aloud though), Nudge dating someone I hated, Fang become, apparently, a drunk, and the Gasman become…well…I wouldn't have been able to do much about that one. But still! This is all just so messed up. Had I gotten so caught up in myself that I forgot what it meant to be a leader? I remember Dylan telling me once that sometimes it didn't matter if you were a leader or a follower, it just mattered that you did something.

Recently, I've done nothing.

Leaning down, I kissed Fang's head before slowly sliding out from beneath him. I collected their bottles and put them back in Fang's bag before heading up to the cave with it. I'd pour all of them out later. Then I headed out to gather up the rest of the flock for a game plan.

I'm done waiting for Royce to get back. This ends now.

"But you can't."

"Heck I can't," I said, crossing my arms. I was so done with being second guessed. Nudge just frowned at me.

"Max, I thought that we all decided to wait for Royce to-"

"To what? Poison our water and infect us all?"

Dylan, who was closest to me, sat a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. We were in the tactics room of the ship, where I knew we could be alone. Gazzy and Total were also there, but they didn't contribute much. Total not talking. My dreams have come true. I think, really, he knew that none of this was his place to argue about. He had Angel and Akila here. There was no need for him to try and stop me from leaving.

"Max, calm down," Dylan mumbled to me. "What happened, huh?"

"Nothing."

"Something with Angel?"

Nudge shook her head. "Ella and I were with her when Max came in all mad and stuff."

"I'm not mad," I told them, frowning. "I'm focused."

"On what, huh?" Dylan tried again to touch me.

"Do it again and I'll punch you," I warned him, making him take a few steps back.

"Max, you reek of alcohol," Nudge said, frowning at me. "Are you drunk?"

I frowned at her. "No."

"Then what's up with you?" Dylan asked, frowning. "I think you are drunk."

"Such a bad example," Total said with a shake of his stupid head.

"Don't make me drop you in the middle of the ocean, dog," I warned, frowning. "I am not drunk."

"Then why do you smell like that?" Nudge asked.

"Why do you know what that smells like?"

"I'm not the one on trial here."

"Says you." I crossed my arms. "I don't drink. I never have. Thanks for your clear support of me though."

"We're just worried about you, Max. What's with this sudden mood change?" Dylan took a step forward again, though he didn't move to touch me at all. "Is it about what we talked about this morning? I'm sure Fang didn't mean what he said."

"What did he say?" Nudge asked. "Huh? Did you guys break up? Oh, Max, that's no reason to drink."

"I don't drink!" I was about done with all of them. "Fang just said that he's been having to take care of me all this time and now he's not going to anymore."

"…That's it?"

"Dylan's the one making it all serious," I defended. "All I was saying is that I'm leader. Alright?"

"Who's saying you're not?" Nudge was clearly worried about me, but I didn't care. She was ticking me off, really. "Max, we just don't want you to be a drunk."

God, I do the right thing and I'm the one being grilled? I held down my sharp tongue…well, mostly. "Look, all I was doing with briefing you guys. You have no say in what I do. I'm going to track down Royce. More than likely, Fang will be coming with me. I was just offering you guys a chance to come, if you want."

"You're going to leave with Angel sick?" Gazzy finally spoke up, looking up at me. We were all standing around, but he was sitting at the table in the room, staring intently at a world map. It was dated, obviously, and still showed the continents in their place before everything got screwed up.

I sighed a little. He and his sister were my only soft spot. "I have to, Gasman."

"No. What if she gets worse while you're gone?"

"And what if she gets worse while I'm here?" I shook my head at him. "If Dr. Royce did cause this, he's the only one to cure it."

"But, Max-"

"There is no but, Gazzy. It's just the way it has to be. I'm sorry that things suck so much right now, but I'm better now. I have to leave. I have to fix things."

"You leaving started things!"

I stared at him for a moment. "There are things in life that you just have to do. This is one of them. I'm sorry."

He stared down at the table, hard. For a second I felt bad for the tone I used, if only because he looked so cute, his face all scrunched up like that. Total, who was on the table, crossed over to the boy and began to lick his face, trying to make him happy again. It didn't work.

"I'm going," Dylan told me. "I don't care if Fang is or Iggy or even Nudge. I'm going."

"I never said you couldn't," I told him. Looking at Nudge, I asked, "Well?"

"I'm staying with Angel. I'm not going to leave her, like some people."

Ooh, I'm really scared. Nudge gave me a glare. I just rolled my eyes before walking out of the room.

"When did you get to be such an alcoholic?"

"I'm not, that's why I've got a hangover. Be quieter."

Ella sat down next to Iggy. "You know, while you and Fang were passed out, Max decided that she's leaving the island."

"How come? Because we drink?"

"No," she said, shaking her head a little. "To get Royce. She wants Dylan and Fang to go with her."

"Idiot."

"I know, huh?" Ella had found her boyfriend on the beach, where Max had left him. Fang was gone now, probably off to find his own girlfriend. "So…are you gonna go?"

"I dunno. Have I been offered?"

"Probably. You know Max has that need to have every guy in her circle constantly begging to bone her."

Iggy had given Max some consideration in his most…private hours, but knew nothing would ever come of it. Mainly because of Fang, but also because Max was not someone he'd ever want to get involved with. He had seen, figuratively, what she had done to her other two, mind his words, lovers. No way was Iggy ever going to be begging on his knees for a woman like Fang and Dylan seemed fine with doing. Then again, how hot must Max be for this to happen? Man, if he could only-

"Uh, Ig?"

"Hmmm?"

"You zoned out there for a moment."

"Oh, right, sorry. The, uh, hangover."

"Mmm," Ella said, clearly not believing him. "Anyways, though, she's leaving soon. Nudge is staying and so is the Gasman."

"How come?"

"They want to stay with Angel."

He nodded a little. "Makes sense."

"So I think that you should stay too. For Angel."

Iggy shook his head a little bit, sitting up. "I dunno, El, I think that maybe I should take along. If Dylan and Fang start fighting, what's Max gonna do?"

"Probably sleep with both of them."

Iggy frowned at her. "What's up with you and Max?"

"Nothing. I just…I don't know." Ella pushed some sand around with her hand. "Don't you almost feel, like, annoyed with her? She always walks around like she has a stick up her butt as Fang and Dylan drool over her twenty-four seven."

"Jealous much, Ella?"

"I'm not jealous of Max."

"It's probably nature, you being jealous of your hot older sister."

He got elbowed. "How would you know?"

"I can feel it."

"You better not be feeling on Max."

He blushed a little. "I'll feel whatever I want."

"Fine, you do that. I'm going to go tell Fang though."

"What?"

Suddenly, Ella was gone. Iggy listened hard, trying to hear what direction she had run off in, but his head was pounding. Groaning, he just laid out on his back. If Fang was going to kill him, he at least wanted to get a good nap in first.

I was seething in Fang and my cave when he came flying in. When he landed, he just came closer and laid down in front of me.

"Tired?" I asked to which he nodded slowly. "My poor Fangers."

"Fangers' neck hurts."

"Come here."

Fang sat up, backing himself up to me. I tried to let him sit in between my legs like he had me, but it didn't work out so well. Instead, I got on my knees behind him, my hands on his shoulders.

"This is nice," Fang mumbled as I went to work on his neck.

"Mmhmm."

"Real nice." He shrugged his shoulders, trying to get me to go deeper. I kissed the back of his head. "Don't bite me though."

"A girl doe something one time and you act like you act like it's her new MO."

"All I know is that you've been licking and biting so much recently that I don't know what to expect." Fang rolled his head, trying to pop his neck. "Maybe it's your pent up sexual urges."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

I leaned forward, teasing the skin of his neck with my teeth. Fang tensed up, but relaxed when I pulled away without biting down.

"Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry. Can't help it sometimes."

"That's why I'm keep you far away from my-"

"Fang! Fang, are you up there?"

Fang and I both got to our feet, going to look down from our cliff. Ella was down there, looking up.

"What?" Fang called back. "Is something wrong with Angel?"

"No," she said. "I just wanted to tell you that Iggy wants to bone Max."

Fang looked over at me, but I just shrugged.

"Uh, cool, I guess. He can get in line though," Fang said before walking back into the cave. I pulled out my wings before flying down to her. Ella, having expected Fang, shrunk back.

"Oh, hey, M-"

"Whatever is going on with Iggy and you, I'm sorry, but leave me and Fang out of it," I told her, frowning. "Just because Iggy's screwing around on you doesn't mean that you can-"

"What do you mean he's screwing around on me?"

"Oh, like you don't know that Iggy's…whatever Iggy's doing." Honestly, I was just recently privy to this information, due to Fang. I was just going out on a limb and assuming that it was public information. "The point is, Ella, leave me and Fang out of your little kid drama."

"What? Like my life is less important than yours?"

"Gee, seeing as I'm the saviour of the world-"

"This is saving the world? Living on an island? Having a zombie inhabit that island?"

I wanted to push her or hit her or something, but I didn't. Instead, I just stared at her for a second, breathing deeply in a vain attempt to calm myself. I was rare to fight with my sister, but when I did, it normally didn't end well.

"Just leave Fang and I alone," I told her simply before turning and running off, taking to the air to get back to the cave where Fang was waiting.

"What was that all about?" He asked as I sat down next to him.

"Ella and Iggy's normal stupid drama, I guess." I kissed Fang, but didn't move to rub his shoulders. "You were very well behaved when she accused Iggy of that."

"I was, wasn't I?"

"You're becoming less of a hot head."

"Yeah. Maybe I should get some head, huh?"

"And you ruined it." I sat up straighter. "You know, Fang, you get somewhere with me and then you make some sort of off hand comment that turns me off."

"Maybe I need to turn you on even more," Fang suggested. "Come here. Want me to rub your stomach? Legs? Anything?"

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were still hungover?"

"Nah, just buzzed a little."

"How long after drinking do you get a hangover anyways?"

"I have no idea," Fang said, shrugging a little. "I'd figure a few hours."

I smiled in spite of myself as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Fang, there's something I have to tell you."

"Does it involve sex?"

I pushed his arm off my shoulders. "You said that you have to baby me, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Fang said, frowning. "So what? It was just, what, this morning?"

"I've decided that I'm leaving the island."

Fang moved to lay down, wrapping his arms around my middle. His head was behind me, near my butt. "You're not going anywhere without me."

"I know. You and Dylan are coming."

Fang paused. "No."

"Yes, Fang. Me just going alone with you didn't turn out so well last time."

That pissed him off. His arms tightened around me. "I don't want to go with Dylan."

"Then you don't get to come."

"I've been trying to cum for months now."

"Ha ha. I thought we agreed to stop the puns?"

"It's just too easy. Like I wish you were." Fang's breathing started to even out. "I don't wanna go, Max. Send Dylan, Iggy, and Nudge out."

"Oh? You're going to send Nudge out with two guys?"

"I trust Iggy. And Dylan's obsessed with you. He wants nothing to do with Nudge."

"I thought you were obsessed with me and then it turns out-"

"I'd shut up now if I were you."

"Or what?"

"I'm drunk, Max. Anything can happen."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know if I fart right now-"

"You're too hot to fart, Max."

"Compliments will get you nowhere."

Fang breathed out slowly. "Wake me up if you leave the cave."

"Why?"

"I want to follow you."

"How come?"

"I love you."

"You're so cute."

Fang just leaned up, kissing my back. "I know."

"My eyes hurt."

"Maybe it's because you stay up too late."

Gazzy shrugged. He was trying to say very uninteresting things, if only because that would stop him and Angel from a fight. Right now, everyone else was off doing something cool, but he was stuck here, babysitting his little sister. Gag.

"Maybe," he agreed, sighing. Angel wasn't that thrilled about being around him either.

"Is Max around? Or Iggy? Someone else?"

"What? I'm not good enough for you?"

She shrugged. "I just think that if I turned into a zombie, you couldn't control me."

"Please, I could take you any time, any day, one hand behind my back."

Angel frowned. "If I wasn't sick, I could take you."

"Yeah, well, you are sick, so shut up."

"You shut up!"

"No, you!"

"No-"

"What are you guys doing in here?"

They both frowned as Nudge came into the room. Then, in normal childlike fashion, attempted at the same time to tell their biased opinion on what happened. Nudge finally just told the Gasman to screw off, which solved the problem, short-term style.

"Hey, Ange," Nudge said after all was calm again. She took Gazzy's seat. No matter how much time Nudge spent with Angel, she wasn't Max. She knew better than to try and get into bed. They wouldn't ever be that close.

"Hi," she said, forcing herself to let go of her anger at her brother. He was so mean to her sometimes. The only reason he acted like that was because he knew that Angel could whine to Fang until she got better. He'd never mess with her if Fang was around.

"What's going on?" Angel asked after a moment. "Where's Max?"

"She's, uh, planning."

"Planning? Planning for what?"

"Some sort of mission or quest or something stupid. Whatever she wants to call it."

Angel frowned. "Max is leaving?"

Nudge nodded a little. "Her, Dylan, and Fang. Maybe Iggy too."

"Why though?"

"To find Royce or something." Nudge shook her head. "Let's talk about something else though."

"What?" Angel sat up a little. "I have nothing to talk about expect for what a butt head Gasman is."

Nudge sighed a little bit, rolling her eyes. "You know, Angel, you two are getting older. Maybe you should try, I don't know, actually getting along?"

"Like you and Ella."

"Ella's the one who started it with me, alright? I never did anything to her."

Angel just rolled her eyes. Nudge was so annoying sometimes. She wished that Max would come back and watch her. She was a lot more fun.