Me: Hey guys!

Fang: Yo.

Me: So, I finished reading you-know-what the other day (actually half a week ago...) and I'm please to say that JP can live by my standards.

Fang: And what does that mean for us?

Me: Sorry, no spoilers!

Fang: -grumbles off to wash hair, again-

Me: So, I'm literally three chapters off ending this baby, so please keep up with the reviews/suggestions for new fandoms/re-write suggestions and all round support. Love you guys so much for everything! But without any further ado, chapter 37!

Disclaimer: You all know by now I own nothing but my slightly neglected blog, right? (please look at it! Link on my home page!)

Chapter 37

Max POV

"We need to leave. Now," I said quickly and definitely. The only person who made any movement was Nudge, who opened her mouth to say something, before Fang swiftly put his hand over it, then replacing it with Iggy's hand. He then came back to my side and lent down to my ear as he put his hand on my right shoulder, stepping behind me and pressing against my back, and my good wing.

"Max, as much as I know this needs to happen, can you spare five minutes?" he whispered, quietly, but urgently, his breath hot on my ear. I thought about what he meant and was about to reply smartly as to why I couldn't, when he continued. "Your wing needs wrapping, and the kids could get supplies?" he suggested. He was right, but I had to do something first.

"Okay, so you have ten minutes!" I announced, pulling away from Fang to address the Flock. "Get anything and everything we may need into bags that can be taken with us!" Everyone nodded swiftly, before rushing off in every direction.

Fang swept in and gave me a quick peck, before heading upstairs to the bedrooms and the bathroom for the first-aid kit. He looked back towards me and I nodded, signalling I would be right up. Geez, talk about paranoid, it was like he'd forgotten who had raise everyone as soon as he had come back... But, I still loved him.

As I passed Iggy, I grabbed his hand and whispered in his ear. "Don't panic, or freak the kids, but my right wing is most probably broken... And those helicopters, yeah, they stopped alright..." I said softly as I watched what the kids were doing. I was so glad we had trained them like this, that we had run drills with them for things just like this. It was nice to know that we could rely on them to react well when they needed it.

"So, you can't fly?" Iggy whispered, looking in my general direction... I shook my head enough that he knew I had, by then my head was on his shoulder. "Want me to check it?" he offered. I just nodded, bit down on my lip and led his hand to the little downy feathers at my shoulders. "Right wing?" he asked as he stepped behind me.

"Uh huh," I whispered, slowly unfolding my wing. I didn't want to worry the kids, Fang or Iggy... I mean, I haven't quite mastered the whole 'emotionless rock' thing yet, so if my voice raised, I would've quite easily shown that I was not as alright as I was trying to portray.

Ig's hands ran expertedly along the length of my wing, softly pressing on every bone and every muscle, testing for a reaction. I flinched more as he made his way out to the primary's and went around the edges of my wing.

"Sorry," he muttered, his hands twitching every time I made a move. "Well, it's not broken, but it is torn and damaged..." Iggy concluded. "So don't fly for a couple of days if you can help it... And when I say a couple of days, I don't mean it'll be fine tonight..."

"Thanks, Ig," I said as I shrugged my wings back inside my shirt. I gave him a quick hug, him wrapping his arms around my waist, and mine around his neck.

"No worries, but can I ask how it happened?" he asked with concern. I looked around to see none of the Flock anywhere close, but hear them upstairs clanging and banging everything, really trying to pack as fast as they could.

"In short, I jumped off a cliff in frustration, landed in a lake and a shark bit my wing. Fang saved me," I said as quickly as I could. And I tried to get away from Iggy before he could ask again about what I had done, but he grabbed a hold on my elbows tight enough that I couldn't get away.

"You did what?" Iggy said, fear plain and obvious in his unseeing eyes.

"I was mad, I couldn't imagine life where Fang went behind my back and got engaged to some prep..." I whispered back.

"Max," Iggy said in a half comforting, half blunt tone, but he was 100% serious. "I know you think Fang is the only person around sometimes, and that's okay for little bits of time... But the thing is, what if Fang hadn't come after you? Do you think any of us would be able to go on living like we do? To even exist without you would be hard enough..." He paused. And I knew he was right... I'd acted on impulse far enough lately, and this could've been it... It could've been the last time I saw any of them... "And, we know it's hard for you to be going through all this at once," Ig continued, bringing me out of my thoughts and plonk back down to earth. "But you're still the person all the kids, including me, look up to." I had to stop and think about that. What would they do if something happened to me?

"Ig, I'm so sorry..." I said, crawling back into his arms for one last embrace before I knew I had to go.

"It's fine, just don't scare us like that, okay? he said, letting me know that it was the whole Flock that was worried... "We didn't know what was happening, and the last thing we had was you saying you were going to break your wings off and Angel didn't get much besides you being super upset... Just trust us, it'll get better." I nodded, stepped back and started walking up the stairs, to where my Fang was waiting for me, when Iggy grabbed my hand and called after me. "And trust Fang. He's a good guy. He knows what he's doing, more or less," he chuckled the last bit.

I raced up the stairs and saw Fang standing with his back to me, first aid kit open on the bed. I walked up behind him and grabbed him around the waist, placing my head on his shoulder. He knew it was me straight away and tilted his head back and turned it, his lips finding mine for a quick peck, before he turned around and gave me a proper kiss.

I snaked my arms around his neck, tangling my hands in his growing hair. We would all need a cut soon... Maybe it would be an idea to stop by Mum's? That and she could help me with my little issue... You know, the whole damaged wing thing?

His arms wound around my waist, pulling me closer to him, until we were so close I could feel his heartbeat.

I tried deepening our kiss, but Fang was hesitant towards me, like he didn't want to kiss me like this... I remembered why when his hand bumped my wing. It hurt, but I just grimaced a little and pulled him tighter to me.

Apparently that wasn't such a good idea...

"AHHH!" I all but screamed the house down when his hand pressed my wing against my back. I knew I had scared him when he jumped back about five feet and went sheet white... Like, really white and quiet. Both of which scared me...

By then, I was doubling over in pain, biting my bottom lip so hard it bled in an effort to stop my screams. I wasn't doing too good of a job because then I heard someone running into my room... Two people actually...

"MAX!" Gazzy screamed when he saw me. I didn't have time to turn around before he and Iggy were in front of me, Iggy asking Gazzy what was happening, and Gazzy looked at me. "What happened, Max?"

I coughed a little, the blood from my lip starting to trickle down to my chin. I wiped that, sucking my lip a little so the blood left was lessened, and stood up slowly, but the pain was too much, so I stopped halfway, before leaning on Iggy for support so I could continue to moan in pain as I explained.

"I'm fine, just..." I groaned inwardly, knowing I had to tell Gazzy, who would tell Nudge and Angel, if she didn't already know... "When I was gone, my wing got bitten by a shark, and Fang was... uh..." think fast, Max! "Was giving me a hug, when he bumped my wing and yeah..." I looked up at the pair, noting their odd looks at me, and Iggy's stifled laughter... Probably because he knew what Fang was really doing...

"Uh, hate to break it to you Max, but..." Iggy started once he had smoothed his breathing out, covering most of his laughter. "Fang's not in here..."

"Oh geez," I muttered as I stood fully upright. I thought back to when I first screamed and he stumbled backwards, going quiet and still... "He is, he's just gone quiet and invisible..." I stepped forward and gently put out my arms until they touched Fang's chest, making him move just a little, but enough that he was visible for a moment, but then gone again in the next.

"Okay, well so long as you're alright..." Iggy trailed off, ushering Gazzy out the door.

"I will be, so long as Fang snaps out of this soon..." I answered, flashing the pair a smile before turning back to said stunned boyfriend... Well that was awkward... Never said that word before, in a sense of Fang was mine...

With that in mind, and him still not responding, I planted my lips on where I assumed his were, and kissed him softly. I snaked my hands to the back of his neck, attempting to bring him back around. I knew he was okay when he kissed me back so lightly I wouldn't have known if I wasn't waiting for it.

I was disappointed, in spite of my usual self, when he pulled back sooner than I'd have liked.

"Are you okay?" he asked from his stance in front of me, his hands resting on my shoulders, his expression worried... Well, Fang's impression of worried... Which just meant a slight difference in the position of his eyebrows, and his eyes showing more emotion than normal.

"I'm fine, really," I lied. My wing was killing me and I was freaking out about those choppers, due to my lack of ability to fly off with everyone easily... I just hoped I could fool him for two minutes, just enough for him to relax.

"I'm sorry," he said before walking off and in to find the first-aid kit, we knew all too much about.

Me: Next chapter, Fang POV! His thoughts on the 'incident' and then a little action!

Fang: You could never get my thoughts.

Me: Well I have for half a story, so I think I'm right.

PLQ WINNER: Zebrasandweasles!

Fang: Oh no...

Me: Oh yes! –pulls out clippers- -expertedly clips hair, leaving heart on the back-

Fang: -groans-

Me: Hold still! –dyes hair multitudes of colours, again- Ta da!

PLQ: Play any instruments? If yes, what. If no, what would you like to, if any.

Me: And in response to zebrasandweasles, I've heard of it, yes, but haven't had time to read... Saw the movie, if that counts.

Fang: -grips at scalp- MY HAIR!

Me: Mwah ha ha... So as always, please review and pass on and whatever you do, never let the bunnies invade...

RR&A!

Fang: NOOOOO!