Sorry, this would've been up Friday but in the middle of writing the chapter I got distracted, so I never got a chance to finish it. And my B key isn't working well, I need to press on it harder and longer, so if there's a word that's missing a B, it's just because it didn't work and I missed it.

Another thing, I don't completely know how hospitals work, the last time I was in one, was about two years ago to visit my uncle after a skateboard-on-doghouse accident, the only thing I really paid attention to was the nurse coming in to check his IV drip, and how I thought the jell-o looked funny. So sorry if I mess something up.

And, last thing, I promise, in a respond to a review, I told someone, I don't remember who, that the flock would eventually meet Anne, but now I'm rethinking it, I know if I will make it that they do, it will bring the whole story in a complicated direction, but I don't want to do that, I want to finish up the story soon, so it doesn't drag on and on. I don't know how I'll end it though, I'm really bad at endings :P.

I crashed down in the trees near my grandparent's house, it wasn't too graceful either. I didn't wait for the others; I just tore through the trees. At this point Angel and Gazzy knew where they were going, they could lead the way.

I went to run into my grandparent's house, only to realize the door was locked and slam my head against the door thinking it would open.

"Son of a bitch." I said rubbing my forehead. The door flung open and I immediately forgot about my ran to hug my mom.

"Max? What was that?" She asked.

"Doesn't matter. What's going on?" I need some answers, now.

"Ella, was attacked, by one of the um…" She thought for the name.

"Erasers." I filled in.

"Yeah, she went outside and w heard a scream, by the time we got out, she was on the ground, the things where gone." She still sounded confused.

"We have to get to her." I turned and headed out the door to my mom's car.

She grabbed her keys, "Max, where's everyone else…?" She looked around the yard.

"Um…oh, here they are." I pointed over to Fang. "Get in the car." I demanded. I jumped in the passenger seat. Surprisingly, no one protested to me getting the front. I guess they knew it wasn't quite the best time.

"How long of a drive?" I was looking at my surroundings, I was remembering now, we haven't come down here in a while.

"About twenty minutes." My mom replied dryly.

"Nana and Grandpa at the hospital?" Usually they'd be out saying 'hello' by the time the door was opened.

"Yeah, they stayed with Ella, I said I'd come back to get you guys." She was going as fast as she could without breaking the speed limit, or hitting another car. The last thing we need is six bird kids in the hospital.

I'm pretty sure they'd notice the wings, and that might raise some suspicion.

The rest of the ride was silent. At one point Fang reached his arm over and touched my shoulder. I took his hand, it was an awkward position, because he was sitting in the seat behind me, so he had to stretch his hand over. Even though it was a bit uncomfortable, they gesture of 'it's going to be okay' was still there.

Mom looked over, and gave me a confused look.

Crap. I mouthed, "I'll explain later" to her, she nodded her head. As if she didn't already have enough to deal with, this wasn't exactly helping.

Ella would be ecstatic, if she'll be able to, I know what Erasers can do, they could've killed her no problem.

No. Don't think that. It will be okay.

But you know that little voice in the back of your head (one that's yours and not some six year old or mysterious voice) that keeps telling you it won't be okay? You try to convince yourself of something and it just keeps telling you the opposite? You know that one?

Well, mine, at the moment, will not shut up.

We got to the hospital not nearly fast enough.

What was really only twenty five minutes, felt like a lifetime.

My mom was handling this much better, maybe it's because she knew Ella's condition, and since she wasn't totally freaking out, made me think she really is okay.

"I don't know if they'll let all of us in the room at once…" Mom thought as we walked in.

"Well, I think we can make it so we can."

"I thought you hated tight spaces." She didn't just think it, she knew it.

"Well…for Ella maybe we can get over that." I was pretty sure I could, but I wasn't too sure about Fang or Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy should be fine.

"Hi –" I started but my mom cut in, she knew this better than me, she worked in a vet's office, which is somewhat like a hospital, but with more animals.

"We're here to visit Ella Martinez." My mom said.

The receptionist looked at her, "You're her mother?" she guessed.

"Yes, these are her siblings, and some close family friends." She gestured to the six dirty bird kids.

"Okay, head on in, room 37, on your left down that hall." She pointed in the direction of Ella's room and looked back at her computer.

She seemed nice, one of the only decent strangers I've come across in the past week or so.

We entered Ella's room, she had a book in her hand.

I peered through, "MAX!" She yelled.

I walked in, and sat next to her bed, giving her as much of a hug as I could without hurting her.

"I'm so glad to see you guys!"

Angel and Nudge hugged her, Gazzy said hi, Iggy, waved in Ella's general direction, Fang, he nodded his head at her.

"Oh Ella, I'm so sorry." I patted her hand.

"For what?" She seemed in absolutely no pain at all.

"Um…this." I pointed to the cast on her arm, "that," then pointed to her bandaged head, "and that." and pointed to the giant bruise on her leg.

"Oh, that? I'm fine." She said it like she just walked into the house with a small scrape on her knee.

"Ella…" I lowered my voice." You where attacked by erasers. Deadly mutants." I tried to explain.

"They weren't erasers, at least I don't think they were." She realized that what she was about to say was all new to us too. "They were….like…robots almost."

"Almost?" Iggy asked. He had a point, can you have half a robot?

"Yeah, it was kind of gross, they had hairy features and stuff, but they had robot features too, most definitely programmed with computers or something." She explained.

I turned to look at the rest of the flock, "New enemy?" I guessed.

"Maybe it isn't the school." Fang suggested.

"It said 'where's Maximum?'" Ella pointed out.

"Yeah, I think it's from the school." I said sarcastically.

"But Gazzy and I blew it up." Iggy reasoned.

"Another branch maybe?" Nudge chimed in, "like with CSI, there's three different types, original, New York, and Miami. Maybe there's more than one school, or one type of school."

"Maybe. Which means we're totally screwed." Gazzy sounded annoyed.

"Just blow it up again!" I meant it to sound sarcastic, but right after I said it, it didn't sound like such a bad idea.

"We could seriously use some C4 explosive." I could tell Iggy was already thinking of the possibility.

"Okay, why don't we discuss this new threat later, this isn't what we came for." But it scared me knowing there was another thing that could kill us.

"Okay, what cha been doing lately." Ella asked.

Angel walked around to the other side, and whispered something in her ear.

Once Angel pulled back she looked directly at me and says, "Everyone who isn't Max, get out, I need to talk to her."

I looked at Fang and smirked, we knew what this was about.

She watched the door and once the she heard the door click shut she looked at me with wide, excited eyes, "Oh. My. God." She started.

"What?!" I couldn't help but smile.

"You and Fang and Fang and you and wow. I knew it! Ha! I win!" There goes her competitive side again, "I knew it, I am so good at this, admit it." I just stared at her, "humor me, just admit it."

"Fine. You were right, I was wrong." I said in a monotone voice.

"Oh, sweet victory." She had a grin on her face.

"So, when?" She persisted.

"When what?" I teased.

"When did you realize Angel, Nudge, and I had it all right, and you realized you love him and want to be with him and live happily ever after with him?" She practically went into her own world of Max Ride and the Four Birds, or Maxerella, or Flying Beauty. Fang being prince, me being princess. Oh joy.

"When…" I thought. The truth was, the day he moved in, that annoying voice (the one that's my own), kept telling me, but I ignored it. "Well…I guess the day he…kissed me." I said slowly.

"When was that?"

"That was, the night we after we left." I thought back to it.

"Huh. You sure it wasn't sooner?" She knew me too well.

"I'm sure." I kept a straight face.

"You sure it wasn't the day we planted the idea in your head?" She cocked her head sideways, waiting for me to admit.

"Maybe you had a small influence." Maybe that would shut her up. She just raised her eyebrows, "can we just talk about something else? What did you tell the doctor? You obviously didn't say 'a robot thing attacked me.'"

"Fine. We'll talk later. We told him I slipped and fell off a small cliff near our house, that it was slippery after I spilt my water, and I fell." She explained.

"Nice, they bought it?" It was a stupid question, but I just wanted to avoid talking about Fang and I.

"Yeah, they didn't care too much though, they just focused on seeing how bad the damage was."

"How bad….is it?" I was worried now.

"Fine, I can go home tomorrow, just a broken bone, bruises and cuts. I screamed just in time, it could've been a lot worse." Something made me think she was under-reacting, I'd talk to the doctor later, or mom.

"Well, that's good." I was relieved, it was like my wings being unclipped, so I could finally fly. In your perspective, it was like a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders.

"You here to stay?" Ella asked, looking hopeful, but worried.

"I'll try. I want to stay." And I really meant it. I don't want to leave again, or deal with people I didn't know.

I hugged her and she hugged back. "Please don't leave again, it's boring, the house isn't hectic enough, you know I can't concentrate on my homework without your music."

"Ha, that's funny. Well, don't worry, I'll try."

I'll update tomorrow, I have nothing planned.
Please review!
~XxIgnorancexX~