Disclaimer : I don't own Maximum Ride. If I did, Fang would be living with me.

Claimer : You know all that . . .

Okay guys, I've worked out the ENTIRE plotline for the rest of this story and its sequel. Yay :D I'm so exited . . . does that make me sad?

And to lonewolfrox624 : you gave me 9 reviews! That officially makes you awesome :D and thanks to all who reviewed!

Chapter 37.

I was woken up at the wonderful time of four in the freaking morning by a shriek that rang through the house. I sat bolt upright in my bed, automatically looking over and into Bree's cot. But she wasn't the one screaming, she was just stirring slightly, coming back into sight, blinking with a confused expression. I swung my legs out of the bed I was sharing with Ella and ran out into the corridor.

It sounded like the scream had come from the upstairs bathroom, so I hurtled down the narrow corridor and barged through the door. Only to see, not a bunch of Erasers holding one of the Flock hostage, but Nudge stood in front the mirror, staring intently at her chin with a horrified expression. As soon as I burst through the door, she turned to me, tears in her eyes.

"Max! I have a pimple!"

I could have died right there and then.

"A pimple? Seriously, Nudge? A pimple caused you to scream at four in the morning and wake up half of America?" I asked incredulously. She just nodded.

"But, Max, it's huge and horrible! What's happening to me? Have I got some sort of disease? An illness? Am I going to die? I sure hope not, that would suck, I mean, I would miss out on so many things, like bungee jumping. I've always wanted to go bungee jumping. It just looks so awesome, don't ya think, Max? I think it does. We should do it. I mean, after we've got Fang obviously, but soon after. Where do you think the nearest bungee place is?"

I just stood there with my mouth scraping the floor. Trust Nudge to start talking about a pimple and end up on bungee jumping . . .

"Nudge. Ears. Bleeding." She just grinned at me. That was when Iggy walked in.

"Would somebody please enlighten me why I am up at this unearthly hour?" I rolled my eyes.

"I have a pimple on my chin, Iggy!" Nudge turned to him, looking like the sun was about to crash into the world and we were all going to explode into big fiery bally of fieryness.

He just laughed at her expression. I could see Nudges temper brewing. This would be . . . interesting.

"What the hell Iggy." Her eyes were narrowed, but Iggy just kept on sniggering to himself.

"It's just that you're getting so worked up over a stupid pimple, Nudge. I mean, everyone gets them at some point. There's really no need to be such a drama queen." He was leaning against the counter now, his arms crossed, still chuckling quietly. I could hear footsteps in the corridor, and I knew that the commotion had roused everyone else in the house.

"Oh whatever Iggy. At least I don't have hair growing all over my face." She stormed past him, knocking him against the wall as she ran to her room, leaving him standing before the mirror inspecting the fine reddish-blonde hair beginning to grow on his face with a gleeful expression.

Great, let's just add some more hormonal teenagers in the mix . . .

I left him to it, shaking my head as I walked out into the hallway. The rest of the Flock were standing in the hallway. As soon as I walked out, they all started smirking and giggling quietly, remembering when me and Fang were like that. What a delightful period of my life.

Not.

I ignored them and turned to Phoenix who was standing with a confused expression on his face, obviously not understanding what was going on.

"Just don't ask." I told him, grinning at the whole situation. He nodded, smiling slightly in return. I walked past him to Ella, who was holding a fidgety Bree, looking worried. I reached over and took her from her arms, watching as she seemed to sag with relief.

"Geez, Ella, she isn't made of diamonds, you don't have to hold her like you're afraid of breaking her." She just nodded. Since she'd arrived home from school the previous day and heard all out news, she'd kind of avoided holding Bree, as if she was scared of touching her. I could see my mom slowly climbing the stairs at the other end of the hallway, probably to see what the noise was.

"Okay, guys, since we're all up now," pointed glance at Nudge's door "we might as well get ready. The plane leaves in two hours, and it'll be better to be ready early that miss it. We can sleep on the way over." They all nodded at my words and went off to their respective rooms; my mom lived in a four bedroom house, and she had one room, Gazzy, Iggy and Phoenix had one, Me, Ella and Bree had one while Nudge and Angel had the other.

My mom came up to me once everyone had gone, coming to stand next to me. The only sounds where the shuffling of everyone else in their rooms and Bree's baby noises. She was the first to break the silence.

"Do I want to know?" She asked. One side of her mouth was drawn up in a lopsided grin.

"No. Definitely not, Mom." She nodded, and reached out her arms hesitantly. "Mom, you just have to ask. I'm not going to say no, you're her Grandma." I smiled, handing Bree over.

Mom took her delicately and cradled her close to her face, giving her a finger for Bree to hold on to. She just looked so amazed by Bree.

"She looks like Fang so much, he's definitely her father." She looked up at me, smiling again.

"Of course he's her father, why, who did you think it was?" My guard was up, what, did she think I was sleeping around like a slut?

"No, no, of course not, Max. I was just commenting." I calmed down. It seemed I got very . . . nettled when it came to Fang and our situation.

She handed Bree back to me. "I'll let you get ready now." And she turned and headed down the stairs again, leaving me and my baby alone in the hallway.

Within an hour and a half, we were boarding the plane. It had taken an hour before we realised Nudge had tried to pack all of her clothes as well as half of Ella's, along with about three boxes of make-up and some pink hair dye. Where did she get most of this stuff? Pshh, don't ask me, probably where Gazzy and Iggy got all their bombs and such.

So, once we'd sorted that dilemma out, we'd tried to get everyone in the car. When we realised that 8 people, six of which were abnormally tall bird kids, and a baby, would not fit into a five seater car.

Yeah, we kinda broke a few laws that day. Believe me, it is anything but fun to be sat Iggy, holding a baby, with the worst half of Gazzy laid across my legs. Anything. But. Fun.

Then, we were half way to where we were meeting the jet when Angel had an urge to write a postcard to Total, who was still on his extended honeymoon in France. Yeah, try dealing with a seven year old having a tantrum in said cramped car.

So we eventually made it to the jet. I'm, telling you, it was sweet. All cushy interior and all that stuff. Our backpacks were loaded into the overhead compartments, and we all got buckled in. Angel was waving to my mom through the window, exited to be on a plane again. I could already hear Phoenix, Gazzy and Nudge arguing over which game they should play first. Iggy sat down next to me, looking nervous. All of us older ones were the worst in planes and such, small places were a big no no.

I could just see Ella having a heated conversation with my mom before storming out of my vision. I was confused, I'd never seen the two of them having an argument before. I made a mental note to call my mom about it when we were up in the air.

I heard the jet door open and close, and a few seconds later the engines started. I did a quick wave out the window to my mom, and sat back in my seat, my eyes closed, just wishing this flight was over already. The usual announcements were said, yada yada yada, and soon we were rocketing down the runway and up into the air. I was looking over Iggy to try and see out the window, but he was hogging it all himself, so I took Bree out of the seat she was in and tried to keep her entertained.

And that was when Ella tapped me on the shoulder.

Fang fell onto the cold white floor as a whitecoat pushed him into his 'room'. He was so starved, so exhausted; he couldn't do a thing but lay there unmoving. He hadn't been taken for long, but being without food and having to endure the Experiments . . .

He heard the door open slowly, gliding across the tiles. He was roughly grabbed by his armpits and lain down on his back on the floor. He forced his eyes to open and saw Lucia crouching down next to him, a smug smile on her lipsticked mouth. He kept his expression blank, like he always did when possible. Obviously, it was kind of hard to keep emotionless when you're being tasered and branded and whipped and injected with toxins at the same time.

Lucia leant down and whispered in his ear. Fang couldn't help his eyes widening. He couldn't find the energy to protest, however, he was too drained. She couldn't do that. That was sick, that was wrong on so many levels. Surely no sane human being could do that . . .

That was when she drew out the syringe and plunged it into his arm. He tried with all his might to shuffle away from her, but he didn't have the energy to go more than a centimetre. Lucia noticed his efforts and tied him to the ground with some rope she produced out of nowhere; attaching it to a few hooks embedded in the tiles. Well, at least that cleared up what they were for.

That was when Lucia began.

Max, I'm so so sorry.

Okaaay, opinions? :D