Dun dun dun... Guess who's back.. back again.. :)

Hey!

You know, I reallly love people. They are just awesome. Especially people who say nice things. They, my dear friends, are the reason I'm posting this story even though.. yeah, I've complained enough about it. -.-

You can all consider yourself virtually hugged if you reviewed/review. :)

P.S - Hey, if you need a faxy oneshot fic to read - my friend just got an account, and she just wrote a good one! So it's called "Will You Dance?" by Isabella Bordalini. Reviews will be appreciated greatly by her. (She practically had a heart attack because she's on a fav list. :) I love you, darlin'!

My eyes flew open, and I sat up straight with a gasp.

"Max!" I heard Angel exclaim, then she ran over to me.

"Do you feel better?" she asked sweetly, holding my hand with her smaller one.

I automatically surveyed my surroundings: we were in the campsite in the woods, the sun was coming up, and I was laid on a hasty bed of blankets. Iggy had apparently gotten a fire started, and the rest of the flock was lounging around it.

"I'm fine, Angel." I said reassuringly. She grinned angelically and threw her arms around my neck.

"Angel, why don't we give Max some space?"

I looked up and saw Fang rising from the opposite side of the fire. I looked at him, bewildered as to what had happened. Angel scurried over to her brother's side, falling asleep almost immediately.

I chuckled dryly. "I guess she was tired."

Fang came over and sat next to me. "She didn't get much sleep last night." He looked pointedly at me. "None of us did."

I flushed, then asked, "Fang, what happened to me?"

He suddenly looked wary. "You had another brain explosion. I heard Iggy calling, and I found you crumpled on the forest floor, looking like you had seen a ghost."

I frowned in thought, then suddenly realization dawned on me. "Fang…I heard-."

Maximum.

I think I physically jumped. What? I screamed mentally.

Yes, I'm back. Did you miss me?

Of course, Daddy dearest, I said snidely, what do you want this time? Space travel? I'm warning you, I get airsick.

Max, you have to save the world!

My frustration had no limits. I DID! I already saved the world!

Of course, then the voice was silent.

I became aware of Fang kneeling in front of me, waiting anxiously for me to focus again. I looked dazedly at him.

"What?"

He sighed in relief, and sat back on his heels.

"You spaced." He said simply, waiting for an explanation. I could tell he wanted an answer now, and he wasn't going to rest until he got one.

Unfortunately for him, I wasn't ready to give one. Not yet.

"Oh."

He just looked at me, hands on his knees.

"Well, we'd better go get some sleep," I muttered, slightly unnerved. I stood up, and brushed my jeans off nervously. I could tell that he was upset with me, but he just stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. I sat down next to Gazzy and smoothed his hair absently. Fang was still standing where I had left him, his dark eyes watching me from his shadowed face.

"Max, what were you going to say earlier?"

I looked at him for a long time, then sighed and looked away, knowing that I could never keep something this important from him.

"I heard the voice again, Fang."

I saw his eyes widen, and he was next to me in a second. He dropped to his knees, and asked me worriedly, "Is that why you weren't listening to me earlier?" I nodded, feeling hopeless. No matter what I did, I couldn't get away from my destiny. Fang apparently picked up on my pessimism, because he sighed and looked away.

"What did it say?" He asked quietly.

"It said I needed to save the world."

Fang looked back at me in shock. "What about Itex?"

I dropped my head into my arms, muffling my voice. "Apparently that wasn't it."

I knew he felt bad for me in a Fang kind of way, but I just needed to think for a while.

"Let me rebandage your foot," I changed the subject.

He snorted. "Don't waste the bandages."

"Whatever. Just don't come to me when it gets infected," I grumbled. "Go get some sleep, Fang. I'll hold down the fort here."

"No. I got first watch." He said stubbornly.

"Fang, go to sleep before I knock you out," I stated firmly, totally serious. He made a face at me before lying down on my other side, a few feet away. I shuffled the logs in the fire around a little bit, then settled back against a tree. I could tell Fang wasn't asleep yet, and he called out softly a few minutes later, "Max?"

"Mhmm?"

"Wake me or Iggs for watch."

"Fine."

He grunted in satisfaction before rolling over with his back to me. In a few minutes, his steady breathing told me he was asleep.

I stood stiffly and put some more wood on the fire. Pulling my thin windbreaker more firmly around me, I yawned and stepped over Fang to where Iggy was sleeping next to Nudge. I shook him gently, and whispered, "Iggy, your watch."

He nodded sleepily and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned and said blearily, "Jeez, Max, how many watches did you take?"

I rolled my eyes; sitting back down against the tree and pulling my windbreaker over me like a blanket.

"Two."

He shook his head. "Fang's gonna kill you!" (We customarily had three 2 and a half-hour watches.)

I looked over; Fang was out like a light, one arm over his eyes and the other tucked neatly in against his body.

"Oh well," I whispered. "You guys needed sleep."

Iggy's head swiveled like he was actually looking around the clearing. "So do you, Max. Now go to sleep before I knock you out."

I grinned drowsily at him. "I've taught you well, Iggs."

Now, let's all say thank you for not having a major cliffie again. Next chapter probably will again, haha. There's just no good way to end these things!!

Over and out.