A/N-Okay, I wanted a Max and Dylan and Fang story, so here's a new one. It's gonna be a love triangle, so hold on! This chapter's basically just to set the scene of it, okay? Almost like the prologue. More of the story on chapter 2, I promise. Don't forget to review, and enjoy this new story.

My Girl

Chapter 1

My world was shattered. As pathetic as it was to admit it, my whole world had left me, leaving me nothing but a pathetic letter in its place. I hadn't wanted to face anything after he left. My best friend, my right-hand man, the one I had loved more than anything. He had made it perfectly clear that the mission was more important to him than me. I would have cast the mission aside, and gone with him as far as anything.

But he had pushed me away. It was like a slap in the face. A rejection. Something that told me that I wasn't as important. He'd made the best choice for the world, but I remembered a time when I was his world.

Let Angel be the leader, let Dylan stay here, let Jeb push us around and tell us what to do. Just bring him back. Dear God, bring Fang back to me. Send him home. It had already been months. Several months had gone by, months that I had done nothing during, spending my day asking myself questions, questions like why I was even alive now. He'd taken everything from me.

Do you know what it's like to lose something? Something so important to you that you couldn't stand it? Even to lose someone that meant as much to you as the oxygen you breathed, or the ground steady under your feet? No. You have no idea. I didn't want to be judged. I had ceased life altogether, and I was a shell that ate, slept and existed.

My family tried to pick me up. I knew I was scaring Iggy more than he'd ever been scared. He had tried the hardest, or the next to hardest, to help me. I was his only true sister, it seemed.

Angel had ceased all communication with me. I didn't even hear her voice in my head anymore. Gazzy had abandoned me two months ago, and even Nudge fell silent. Dylan was the only one who talked to me. Day after day, as I read that letter, rereading that last promise of seeing him in twenty years, Dylan was the only one that brought me food, despite being told that it was never going to happen between us.

And it never was. I wouldn't wait for Fang, either. It had destroyed me, letting him go like that. It was like I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

I was reading the letter again when I heard a knock at the door. It was so soft, I knew it had to be him. When it was soft, it was always him. Dylan's the only one here I can't blame or hate, because his personality is just too kind and soft.

"Max?" he called softly as he poked his head through the room. I quickly stuffed the letter into my bedside table, busying myself with a magazine lying next to me on my bed.

"You were reading it again," he said quietly. "You were reading the letter again. I thought you told me you hadn't picked it up for two weeks."

"I wasn't thinking," I said emotionlessly, looking down. The tears no longer welled up. I didn't think I could ever cry again. I felt so empty and lonely that nothing could make me feel anything, ever again, but pain and loss and grief.

"Yes you were," he said, his voice growing unnaturally hard. "You meant to. You can't put it behind you, even though you'll see him again. He loves you too much to leave you here forever," he said bitterly.

"I didn't mean to," I almost whimpered.

"Yes you did," he finally spat. "You miss him too much for your own good. You just can't let it go, Max. You just can't forget him. The dirty bastard left you high and dry and you can't forget him because you don't have a better world than him."

I clenched my jaw and looked up. I grabbed his shirt collar with my hand, as if to strangle him and threaten him, but it looked more like I was trying to support myself on him. "Listen," I breathed raggedly, no longer having the strength to sob. "You…you don't know what it's like, not to be able to hold someone because they couldn't take it anymore. He cracked and he left, and now I can't take it anymore. You don't know what it's like to miss them everyday and wonder where they are. You don't know what it's like to hurt like crazy over them, and you never will. You…you don't know what it's like."

He threw my hand away. "Save it," he hissed. "It's obvious you can't do the same thing as he did. You can't just think of your flock. The younger kids need you to be there for them, and where are you? In here, with me being your slave, your only means to the outside world? Don't ever think like that! Get your life together, for me, for them!"

"But-"

"But wait. You won't do anything for me. You've resented me all this time. And you still do," he whispered, and was out the door before I could stop it.

I fell back. Now he was gone, too.

"Oh, Max," Angel greeted as she swung through the door that Dylan had just stormed out of.

"Oh, look who finally wants to talk to me!" I proclaimed to the heavens. That sarcasm thing? I still got it. But sadness just makes it sound lame, so I don't use it very often now.

"Just shut up, Max," Angel said angrily. "I just came in here to preach to you, okay? Get your freaking butt in gear. I've had to take over being the leader since your little meltdown, and we all miss Fang too. I know you love him and everything, but please just try, for us! Get off your stupid pity thing."

Gazzy poked his head through the door too, followed closely by Iggy and Nudge. Oh, goodie, the gang's all here. "Angel's right, Max," he said evenly. "Mourning for the loss of Fang isn't going to bring him back any faster. He's gone for now. And you can't just sit here. You're better than that."

"No, she isn't," muttered Angel.

"Our point is, it's been over half a year since Fang left, and you're already sixteen," Iggy said. "It's time for you to buck up. If you're planning on waiting for Fang, you've got another nineteen years, so we might as well start now.

"And just what do you plan on doing with me?" I sighed. "You all know that I don't want to get up in the morning, let alone talk to you about any of this. There are some things you just can't understand-"

"Stop," Iggy held up one hand.

"We're actually going on a trip, the whole flock, without Jeb. We need to get you away from here for a while. This place clearly has too many memories of Fang," Gazzy clarified excitedly.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Well, it's a really nice place, that has no memory of Fang whatsoever," Angel began.

"Where are you taking me?"

"And we'll be staying in a hotel completely funded by CSM – that's Jeb's credit cards," Iggy grinned.

"Where. Are. You. Taking. Me?"

"Las Vegas, Nevada," answered Nudge. "Tonight."

"I'm sorry about earlier today," I said solemnly to Dillon as he helped me pack my things in a huge suitcase that was lying open on my bed. I carried a mountain of my clothes and heaped it in, then went back for anything else I might need.

"Whatever," he sighed. "It's just like always, Max. You get upset about him, and then I get upset because I don't want you to hurt. It'll happen again tomorrow. It won't change until he comes back."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Max, I'll be blunt. I don't want him to come back. I like it how it is. He hates me, and I hate him. And you'll end up choosing him, forgetting that you were ever friends with me."

"That's not true. I can have friends, and I can have a boyfriend."

"Not friends like me."

And it was true. No matter what, I couldn't stop myself from being drawn to Dylan. He was extremely handsome, with shaggy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that made you want to totally forsake any boyfriend that you had and go for him.

But not Fang. Fang had my heart, and that was all that mattered. Besides, it wasn't like Fang was too shabby either, know what I mean?

Iggy came running in, a look of pure evil on his face. "Look what I found in Nudge's room," he said excitedly, and held up a Justin Bieber bra. "She doesn't know I took it."

"Iggy!" Nudge yelled from the other end of the house.

"Aw, shit," Iggy swore. "I'm coming, Nudge!" he shouted as he ran out of the room.

When I looked back for Dylan, he had gone. My eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not finished with you yet!" I hollered for him. "You can't always do that to me, you can't always disappear, because that's being just like…just like…"

"Just like Fang, Max?" asked Dylan coldly, right behind me.

"Aaaaaarggh!" I shrieked as I realized where he was. "Yes, just like Fang! I'm sick of you, and your judgments, and your teleporting, so just leave me the hell alone!" I screamed at him. "I don't need you, or your friendship, or your confusing behaviors!"

He turned and pressed me against the wall, his face inches from mine. I gulped, and for the first time since Fang left, I felt my heart flutter in my chest. This wasn't how I was supposed to be feeling, I wasn't supposed to be feeling this way about Dylan, my friend, my brother practically…

"You listen, Max, and you listen good," he ordered through clenched teeth. "You're talking about how I don't know anything? I know a lot. You're the one who doesn't have to watch the one girl you truly love think about some other guy all day and have it hurt you so much because you're not the one that can make her happy anymore." Tears pooled in his eyes and he blinked them away rapidly.

"Damn it, Max, I love you, and you know I do! You've avoided me for a whole year, and when I finally get close to you, it's to comfort you about that bastard that left you. I'll never leave you, Max! I would never hurt you! But you ignore it, because of him. Ignore me, because of him. Every day, I think about leaving, and I know I can't, because the only thing keeping me here is you."

"Dylan…"

"Don't give me that! Don't tell me we can't be together, don't tell me you love Fang, don't tell me we can still be friends, 'cause I don't want to hear it, Max! I know we could just have a chance, if you weren't so hung up on Fang."

"Dylan!" I shouted at him, and he winced, we were so close. I didn't notice how close we had gotten, but his nose was pressed against mine, and I had the sudden urge to do things that should never be done to that boy. "I'm so tired of hurting you, and I'm so tired of me hurting over this, but I have to wait for him, whatever it takes. It'll always be me and Fang."

"You are hurting me, Max. You're hurting me every day that you're in love with that guy, and I can't stop you. But I want to stay here, because I want to be with you." And right in front of my eyes, he was gone.

"One more thing," a voice behind me said, and I jumped. "I can teleport, Max." He was gone for good when he vanished next.

I had to get out of there. I was so confused. I ran straight out the front door and off the cliff. For a few seconds, I considered who would miss me if I were to jump and not unfurl my wings. I came up with two people.

On one hand, there was Fang, who I loved. I knew that I loved him with all my heart. I still got butterflies in my stomach when I even remembered kissing him. I remembered him from my days at the school, and I remembered our first kiss. I remembered being jealous of Lissa at that school in Virginia, and Fang rescuing me from the giant squid. How could I ever give up Fang?

But on the other hand, there was Dylan, the one who was here now, and loved me, at least. I didn't know how I felt about him. One minute I wanted to fade forever into his deep blue eyes, and the next, I was remembering why I could never be with him, as good as it would feel. Because Dylan was easy to talk to. He was straightforward, and not dark at all.

I was hurting Dylan by wanting to be with Fang.

But I would hurt Fang if I was with Dylan.

Why did this all have to hurt so much?

"Hey, Max," said Nudge tiredly as she came in with the Justin Bieber bra she had snatched away from Iggy. She looked so grown up now that she had just turned fourteen. "Look, I know this is all tiring. That's why we're leaving. Like we need to start clean, because we'll be living without Fang for the next twenty years. But, between you and me, I…I really think that Dylan could be good for you."

I reeled on her. "You think I don't know that? You think I haven't been worrying about things like this every day? I know it's a lost cause with Fang, I just don't want to admit it to anyone. I don't really think he'll ever come back. He'll just hope I forget or something. But I'll never forget, I'll never forget how much I love him! And I won't have Dylan forced on me!"

"Dylan's been kind to you," said Nudge coldly. "Choose him."

"So much for being subtle!" I threw my hands up. "He has been kind. He's been generous, polite, chivalrous, competent, and a good friend. But he's just not…"

"Not Fang?" she replied. "You won't give him a chance because he's not Fang. He was made for you, Max. Even you can't deny it. He's made for you, meaning you have to love him, no matter what, because he's perfect for you in every way. And he's really in love with you, just like he's supposed to be."

"I'm not going to have my life planned for me!"

"You just don't like not being in control."

"Hey, you guys," Angel said with a frown as she walked in. "Good to see that you're bonding again. We're out of here now. We have a schedule."

"Dylan left," I said blankly.

"Dylan's waiting for us in the car," Angel said briskly. "He's driving, even though no one's really old enough to drive. Get whatever luggage you have and we're out."

"I thought I was supposed to be the leader," I muttered.

"Not when you're an emotional wreck," she challenged scathingly.

"Say, why are we taking the car when we can fly?" Gazzy asked from the doorway.

"It's more convenient for all we need to carry with us," Angel answered. "Get your things, and Max's too, since I doubt she'll be able to carry them without crying, and get them in the minivan. Grab a couple more of Jeb's credit cards and half the fridge, too. It'll take longer than it would flying to get there."

I glared and took it all out to the car myself. Slamming the trunk as I threw Nudge's pink suitcase in, I grabbed the car handle to the front seat and yanked it open, a murderous look on my face. "I'm going to kill her," I fumed.

"I know the feeling," Dylan said almost wistfully.

"Angel?"

"No, you," he said with a grin that I desperately tried to ignore. The last thing I needed right now was one of Dylan's heart-stopping grins. If I looked at it, I'd fall in love with him for a second time that day, and I was already trying to squelch the first one down into nothing, which is exactly what it would have ended up as, I was quite sure.

"Where's your sense of humor?" he cocked his head to the side and I sighed as the other kids got in the car. "Just drive," I commanded, and we pulled out and onto the open road.

I was at the cave, the same cave, with the hawks that were still there. I could see them flying around as I walked slowly to the entrance, knowing he was there. Joy flooded through my body as I saw the same jet-black hair, the same black clothing that he had worn twenty years ago, the last time that I saw him.

At thirty-five, twenty years ago to the day was when I last saw him. He had aged some, and I had to be sure it was the same Fang, he looked so much older and worn. But I knew that because he was the Fang that I loved, I had to go to him.

"Fang!" I shouted and ran to him. As I enveloped him in a hug, he disappeared into a mist in my arms, and I had no idea where I was anymore. I will never come back. Never, never. You're alone. Alone, alone. I will never come back.

I jolted upright, the words still jolting through my head. I was alone without Fang. Completely alone, no matter how many people around me. I knew he would never come back. He'd write to me, promise me to come back, and then the letters would disappear, slowly, leaving me hoping for the rest of my life. I didn't even know if I would still be alive in twenty years.

I slowly took in the cream colored walls, the ivory bedspreads, the soft surface I was lying on. I was in a hotel room. A very empty hotel room. The rest of the flock was nowhere. What had happened to the car?

"Dylan," I said as I saw him next to me. Apparently he was the only one there. "How'd I get in here?" I asked groggily. "Where's the flock?"

"One question at a time," he rolled his eyes. "Okay, so, you fell asleep in the car. Shoot me for not having the heart to wake you up and carrying you in here. By the way, you weigh a ton. You're pretty heavy for someone who's skinny with lightweight bones."

"And the flock?"

"They went out."

I sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about the same things as that morning. Dylan, Fang. Dylan, Fang. It was all the same thing today, and it had all come so fast. Maybe I had just gotten tired of waiting for almost a year. Before today, I would never have thought of Dylan and I, only what would happen once Fang got back, and we could finally be together.

"I didn't just stay quiet while I slept, did I, Dylan?"

"…No."

"I'm so sorry," I muttered.

"Sorry about what?"

"Don't pretend you don't know. I'm sorry for putting you through so much for over a year, even before Fang left. I'm sorry for putting you through so much stress because Fang left, and I'm sorry you always felt like I didn't care about you just because I wanted to stay loyal to Fang. And I feel so guilty, even considering being with you and not him."

"You were considering that?"

"…Yeah."

He leaned in and kissed me then, nothing hungry or passionate, but our lips lingered on each other's for a while, when he pressed his mouth back to mine, more confident and urgent this time. At some point, I realized that it was wrong, that Fang could still come back, but I couldn't stop.

And I didn't stop until the other kids came into the room.

"Hey, Mike [1]," I said tiredly as I crashed on the couch of his apartment. He looked so much older than he had two years ago in the subway tunnels, or on the beach with his Mac. And much better in terms of his attitude. I had kind of forced him to take his medication, which was a good thing,

"Hey," he answered, and I didn't look up as I caught the can of pop he threw at me.

"Take it easy," I said wearily. "You weren't the one who took out a huge branch of Itex today, single-handedly, I might add."

"And he's ever humble!" proclaimed Mike. "You forget that I'm the one who coordinates the whole thing for you."

"Fair enough." I stared intently out the window at the sky, wondering how often Max flew nowadays. "It was the last one."

"The last what?" he asked absent-mindedly as he flipped through papers on his desk.

"The last branch of Itex. I can't do anything about global warming, only the large corporations, and that was the last one. I have to go home now. Thanks to you, it was a lot quicker than it should have been."

"Wait, you're leaving? You're leaving me here? What the hell am I gonna do?"

"You'll think of something. I gotta get back to my girlfriend."

"…Okay. Do what you gotta do."

"I can't believe I told her it was gonna take twenty years. I practically gave her up, and broke both of our hearts, all to get it done in under one year. What's she going to think if I come back so suddenly? Will she hug me or kill me? Dammit, why do I have to be so stupid?"

"This is the girl who was screwing with my Mac in that subway tunnel, right? Well, she's way too strong to crumble just because you left her, no offense. So get your ass over there, go get back to her."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

"Thanks, Mike."

"Take care."

Wait for me, Max. I'm on my way.

[1] If you didn't remember, Mike is the one from the first book who was in the subway tunnel when Max first started hearing the voice. His name isn't revealed until the third book.

This is my first story with the character of Dylan, so please review!

~Rachel