Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Thanks so much for your reviews. They totally make my day. Don't forget to check out the revised Ch. 16 & 17! This might make some more sense. Much Love.

I lay on my side, curled tight, praying that I could find my way back from wherever I had gone. I had so much unfinished business.

The last thing I remembered was walking away from Iggy, trying not to turn around and beat him into the ground, and then Fang, even if he was angry when he touched me or I was angry, I always felt safer. And then I had burned alive. I've never considered myself much of a girly-girl, but I would have stomped and screamed and whined to high heaven and worn a skirt if it meant that I could go home. Back to Fang. Yeah. I know. I was SO desperate.

As if someone flicked a switch, light burst into my eyes. I could hear water and seagulls and feel the rough crunching of sand beneath my body. Slowly, I untucked from my position and cracked my eyes open to see exactly where I was. Blinding blue sky and an endless expanse of sand peppered with small bushes and driftwood greeted me. Oh, joy.

I placed my palms against the sun-warmed sand and pushed upright, inhaling deeply to prepare for pain. Maybe I had fallen out of the sky.

To my great pleasure, I felt perfectly fine. To my dismay, I was totally alone. Sea gulls so don't count as company. They are the most boring creatures on the planet. I am ashamed to call them brethren. Well, two percent brethren. Anyway…

My legs supported me in my effort to stand and seeing no other option, I set off down the waterline. The beach itself probably spanned a hundred and twenty yards from the waterline to the edge of the sand. Where the sand stopped, trees began. The spot felt vaguely familiar, but then I think most beaches look the same, and I've been to quite a few, so I can't be expected to remember every tract of sand I've landed on.

I opened my wings, allowing the sunshine to warm them and the soft ocean breeze to comb between my feathers. I flapped to work out the kinks and walked slowly. Maybe this was a vacation for me. No reason not to pretend to enjoy it. And perhaps I might actually enjoy it.

A little shiver went down my spine.

Far down the curve of the sand along the trees, I spotted a single dark figure. I never had much trouble from one person, so I kept going at my leisurely pace but still on alert. As I got closer a tingle of recognition sparked along my senses. It was Fang.

He still hadn't moved as I approached, even when I was only twenty yards away. His long hair covered the side of his face I could see, but the tension in his body was unmistakable. He was upset. Really upset by the looks of it. There was also an air of defeat and sorrow in the hard lines of his form. But something didn't look right.

I edged around him so that I could see the other side of his face. He didn't even blink at me. No indication that I had registered on his radar. Was he really that mad at me? Then I had it. He looked young. I called his name. "Fang?"

Nothing.

Oh, God.

I was seeing him years ago. This wasn't a vacation. I wasn't so lucky. This was some cruel manifestation of his version of things. I turned to run when he spoke.

"You didn't have to leave," he said. "I would have kept you safe."

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak a gust of wind worthy of a tornado caught in my spread wings and yanked me into the air. I was tossed around like a little girl's rag doll in a game of keep-away.

I spun around madly and my vision blacked out. Automatically, I beat my wings with as much power as I could muster to pull myself out of the dizzying spin. If it didn't stop soon, I was going to die or at the very least get sick.

Just as quickly as my world had spun out, I was righted and flying, listening to Nudge chatter away in my ear. I still hadn't gained back all of my equilibrium so her voice was muffled, seeming far away. I watched her for a second, wondering why she looked so young when someone fired a nail gun into the back of my skull. Her scream echoed faintly as my wings folded and I dropped like an Wiley Coyote in those old Warner Brothers cartoons.

I was praying that the ground wasn't much farther when strong arms wrapped around me, halting my downward descent. Immediately, I started rising and realized that Fang had scooped me up. When I was finally able to take my hands away from my skull, he glanced down at me.

"Man, you weigh a freaking ton. What have you been eating, rocks?" he asked.

"No, why? Is your head missing some?" I replied. His almost smile made me realize how worried he had been. "Find a place to land. Please?"

Just as we were landing and I sat down to recover, I was whisked away. One moment, I had plopped down on a tree trunk and the next I sat inside a cool dark church on a hard wooden pew. All the kids sat around me whispering prayers. Not quite sure how to pray, I folded my hands and closed my eyes, saying the first thing that came to mind, "And help me be a better leader, a better person. Make me braver, stronger, smarter. Help me take care of the flock. Help me find some answers." I glanced up. There had been an echo. I heard my own voice saying the words not quite in time with the ones I had actually spoken.

Fang spoke to me, but I couldn't hear his voice. All I heard was a deep menacing growl. I spun around prepared to do battle and caught a clawed blow across the face. I felt the quick gush of blood spurt from my cheek and whipped around to confront the source of the attack. An Eraser stood nonchalantly in front of me, licking my blood from his claws. Another chuckled to my left.

"So, any last words?" The first said.

I assumed the standing thinking pose, pretending to consider the question. This wasn't going to end well and I was gonna take as many of them with me as I could. "Yeah," I quipped. "Bite me." And I launched myself at his face.

I managed a few good punches before the others ripped me off. I stumbled, but planted one foot firmly on the ground and kicked one real good just under his ribs.

Of course, all of them took offense and ganged up on me. Four Erasers and just one me. What's a girl to do? Fight like hell. Which I did. Duh.

Another explosion decimated my brain and I collapsed, groaning. I still felt the punches and kicks of the Erasers, but I also heard Fang and felt his hand on my arm. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

I moaned again. Then a cacophony of voices joined his and the Erasers' growls.

"I love you best, too, Max," Angel told me sweetly.

"As I recall, you're girly enough," Fang said, crowding me into the wall.

Go where the fun is, Max. Of course the Voice had to join in.

"I'm scared," Iggy whispered to me, his hand sweaty in mine as we stood in front of his parents' house.

Gazzy pouted, exhausted and upset. "I just want to sit and eat and rest."

I felt and heard everything. Every memory blasted over the others until I was in a flood of sensation that made my nerves scream. Then, a tingly numbness started to envelop me. It worked its way from my fingers and toes toward my torso, canceling the thousands of sensations pressing into my body. I welcomed the reprieve, but grew panicked at the implications. She was taking over. She would be in my place.

Fuck.