A/N Thanks for the two reviews...and about Total. Well, I would give some awesome explaantion about how he'd weigh down the story etc, but alas, I have no such excuse. I forgot him. xD Sorry about that...if you want, I can go back and add him in later...

I realized the FAX I mean to put in this story is sadly lacking. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it.

Don't get too excited. It's not all that FAXy. Actually, it's kind of almost-but-not-quite-Fax. Sorry about that.More will come. I promise.

MAX

I can't even begin to describe the deep depression that blanketed the Flock for the next two weeks.

Words were rarely exchanged. We slept most of the time. We stayed at the cave at night, but during the day some of us would disappear, brooding.

None of it mattered. 29 was gone.

As silent as she was, none of us had given her much credit for the amount she had touched us all.

We all remained sullen and quiet until finally I stood up and addressed the group.

"There's something I haven't been totally honest with you guys about. The Voice recently declared that all we need to do is demolish the last three branches of Itex. When we blew up the one in Germany, we cut off the monster's head. But parts of them still are going. Only three, though. So if we can blow up those last three, Itex will die. We'll be free, the world will be saved…" My voice grew quiet, almost to a whisper. "It will be over."There was a stunned silence, and then Gazzy, Angel, and Nudge threw their arms around me.

I laughed through my tears. We were going to win this battle. Damn it, but we would win.

Now I just had to tell Fang...

My eyes flickered back to the line in 29's letter regarding him.

What the hell. I walked out to the ledge next to him and sat down.

He jumped at my voice.

"Did you hear?" I asked.

"That there is only three left?" He asked, his voice quavering with…was that nervousness?

I nodded.

"Yeah." He said.

I looked over at him. Now or never, Max. I thought.

"Fang—"

"Max—"

We spoke at the same time. Embarrassed, we gestured for each other to go first. At the same time. Again.

He took a breath.

"In 29's letter…"

"You too?" I asked incredulously.

He nodded.

"Well, that makes this easier." I said.

He turned to me and said, "Max, I've tried to deny this…thing for a while now. But after seeing 29 leave Iggy, and seeing how lost he is, I can't help but imagining you leaving." Seeing the look of surprise on my face, he quickly continued "Not the Flock, I mean. But me. I couldn't do that. So I started thinking about why I couldn't do that. At first, I convinced myself because we were best friends. We couldn't fall out, it would destroy the Flock. But then, that excuse grew pretty flimsy. Another thought hit me. This one, I couldn't discourage myself from. Max," He said with a sigh, "I think I love you."

FANG

There. I said it. The three words that had forever haunted me every time I looked at Max.

I cringed, and prepared myself for the volley of insults and horrible things that were poised on Max's tongue.

Nothing happened.

I looked up, and to my complete shock, I saw her with the biggest grin on her face that I had ever seen.

"You're not planning my exile, are you?" I asked, only half- kidding.

She didn't answer. Her grin faded to a look of longing. She leaned in slowly. Our lips were inching closer and closer.

At the last second, both of us pulled back.

"It's not the time." She said, with tears spilling over her cheeks. "We can't seem like we're using each other for comfort after she left." Seeing the appalled look on my face, she rushed onwards. "Not that we are. But that can't be a good place to start something?"

My face fell. She was turning me down in the nicest way she could.

"Fang." She said quietly. "I love you too."

I felt my spirits lift. She did? Was this not entirely foolish? I did a happy dance. Inside, of course.

"But I can't. Not yet. I swear to God, when this is over, if you still want me I will be all yours."

"If I still want you?" I said incredulously. This girl really didn't get it. "Max, I love you. When you want to be with me, know I will always want the same."

She smiled again. She reached out and squeezed my hand.

"We'll always be here for each other until then, right?" She asked.

I nodded and smiled back. It was a real, genuine, "I'm happy smile", the likes of which I had only smiled about twice in my lifetime.

"Always." I promised.

We both stood up and stood still for a second. Suddenly, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I returned the hug.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"No." I said softly. "Thank you."

Aww… the real Fax will be in the second to last or last chapter.

Review if you want a new chapter before next Saturday. If not, don't bother.