Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, I've been having trouble figuring out how to connect chapter 2 to my idea for chapter 4 so if you don't think chapter 3 is as good, don't give up on me just yet. Chapter 4 will be worth the wait and suffering through this chapter. I'm adding just a little fluff here just for fun so...enjoy... or don't your choice.

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Max silently slipped out of her room and crept towards the opposite wall of the warehouse. She picked her way around the sleeping bodies of her flock, feeling horrible for her behavior earlier that night.

'I've got to make it up to them somehow. Maybe we can try Disneyland after all this is done.'

'Don't think too far ahead Max, it will only hurt you later. Focus on fixing the problems at hand, not the ones that haven't come up yet.'

'I was talking to myself thanks. And, you don't think the flock maybe hating me isn't a current problem? Care to explain how you came up with that?'

'Talking to yourself huh? Now I understand why you think you're crazy.' the voice was really enjoying it's newfound sarcasm.

'Says the voice in my head.' Max rolled her eyes.

'As much as I enjoy arguing with you about your sanity, you have something you need to take care of right now, and you're not getting out of it.'

'I don't see how this can't wait until tomorrow.' Max protested and instantly regretted it.

'Maximum. This was originally your idea. And if you don't do this now, there will be more problems to deal with tomorrow. Fang is you're main issue, fix things with him and the others will be easy.'

'Why do you have to be right?'

'Just get it over with Max.'

Max sighed inwardly, nodded and turned the knob of Fang's door, opening it slowly.

Fang's "room", much like Max's was a small office with a large sliding window. Tonight, though, the blinds were drawn back and Fang's window framed the full moon, which bathed the whole room in silver-blue light. Max blinked as she stepped in from the near pitch darkness of the main room, and at first all she could see were shapes. But as her vision came back into focus, she realized that what she had thought was a stray piece of furniture was actually Fang sitting in the open window. His large wings hanging loosely behind him, glinting purple in the blue light, his head was tilted back as he stared up at the moon, and Max could make out the white ear buds of the iPod they had bought -with a stolen credit card- resting in his ears.

'That's why he didn't hear me come in. I probably shouldn't bother him, he looks peaceful'

'And sad. You need to do this Max. Besides, he'll probably hear you leave, the song can't last forever.'

'Fine.' Max took a deep breath and walked across the room. She leaned on the sill and looked up at Fang, who had noticed her presence and was shutting of the music. Max caught the tail end of a new song by Chevelle, one of Fang's favorite bands. " Leave well enough alone" Max realized that the voice had been right, again. Fang was upset and it was probably her fault. Max inhaled again,

"Sorry-" their eyes widened as they realized they had spoken at the same time, yet again.

"We gotta stop doing that." Fang said with a weak smile. Max nearly died. He was blaming himself. He was trying to get on her good side, lighten the tension, it all just made her feel worse.

"Fang, you don't have to apologize for anything, I was being, I don't know?" she looked up at him again in exasperation, lacking the words to prove her sincerity.

"A bitch?You weren't. I was being stupid and I should have just let it go, you are the leader, and..."He kept moving his eyes from Max, back to his hands. She cut him off with a shake of her head.

"I can't do it alone Fang, especially not now, I need all the help I can get, 'cuz this isn't going to be easy." She tugged on her braid nervously.

"What's not going to be easy, Max? What's going on?" suddenly he was on full alert, hanging on her every word. She began to relay her dream/vision to him, when she got to the end, she shuddered. 'Maxx may have been crazy but no one deserves that, and the kid too.' Fang gave her a questioning look and tentatively put his arm over her shoulders.

"I know why the voice said California, we have to end the School, bring it down for good." she leaned closer to Fang, the prospect of returning to the school, driving her to seek comfort, even if she wouldn't admit that she was enjoying being so close to him.

"I'm in." Fang said quietly, Max could feel his breath on her cheek as he spoke

"Really?" she looked up at him, she hadn't expected him to agree so quickly. It was only then that Max noticed how close they really were.

'Looking up, bad idea." she thought, but she couldn't look back down.Fang's eyes searched Max's face as he contemplated his next move.

'Best not to complicate things right now. Keep your head in the game. The "stay alive" game. Just break the tension, save this for a better time.' Fang made his decision, and his more rash, impulsive side regretted it, but that side was currently grounded, for the incident that evening.

"Yeah, 'cuz the longer their in business the more versions of you they make, and that's just not acceptable." Max pulled back and looked at him, from a safer distance. He grinned to reassure her that he was only trying to joke around. 'Nice save.' she thought.

"We should try to sleep," Max saidquickly,pulling awayand heading for the door "We've got a long flight tomorrow." with that she slipped back out into the darkness and back to her own room.

XXX

The next morning:

"Take out the School? You're serious? Max. Your blond is showing." Iggy hadn't slept well.

"Ig, Don't insult me. It's not like I make suicidal decisions for fun. We have to do this. And how would you know if my hair was blond anyway?" Max rubbed her temples, this was giving her a migraine, the normal kind

'I like the other kind better, at least then no one hates me, or insults me.'

"No one hates you Max, Iggy's just tired. And you're hair is coming in more blond right now." Angel came up and hugged Max in her own way of reassurance.

"Thanks Ange." she ruffled the younger girl's hair, and looked up quizzically at her own.

'Huh. It is blonder.'

This discussion had started at breakfast, when Fang had entered from an early run to the local bakery, and asked Max when they would be leaving, assuming she had already filled in the others. She hadn't, and it hadn't gone well from there. Max had explained her plan, Fang helping where he could, pitching in ideas, and the others, even those who were for the trip, began having doubts. All this time the plan had been to lay low and run when necessary, now they were going to turn and fight. It was a scary notion. In the end the voice had been right again, "Fix things with Fang and the others would be easer." Him backing her up was the only thing that had kept breakfast from turning into a riot.

"What if I told you that none of you are going to have to go anywhere near the School? And that I know someone who can give everyone a place to stay for a while?"

"What do you mean, 'none of us have to go near the School'?" Gazzy asked, his wispy hair falling in his eyes as he cocked his head.

"I'm going in alone." she shot Fang a look that said, Don't argue right now, I'm winning them over. He just shrugged and hunched closer to his bagel, like it was telling him a juicy secret.

"But what if they catch you inside?" Nudge asked, eyes wide.

"I won't even have to go inside. I just need to plant some of Iggy's bombs outside then watch the fireworks" she hadn't told them, however, that there were intelligent experiments, including her clone and clone sister, inside, and she was in fact going inside and setting them all free. Fang knew of the experiments but kept his mouth shut, he knew Max was trying not to alarm them, and he figured that was the best idea, even if he did end up talking her out of it later.

"How many bombs are you gonna need?" Iggy asked, finally warming up to the idea, seeing as he could help and still be a safe distance away.

"A lot, and I need a way to set them all of at the same time from a distance."

"You said you know someone who can give us a place to stay. Does said someone have a tool shed?" Iggy raised an eyebrow, an eery effect with his glassy blue eyes. Max grinned.

"Yep. A big one."

"I'm in!" Iggy said with a nod. That was enough for the younger three, since they had no other problems with the plan. There were nods all around, and a stern look from Fang, but Max was glad the decision had been made in her- no, Maxx and Arianna, and the other's- favor.

"Ok then, finish up breakfast, pack up, and we'll be gone as soon as everyone's ready. Oh and someone let the dog out."

"I resent that."

XXX

Two days of flying and sleeping in trees, later...

"Should be right around here." Max said as they flew high over the California trees.

"Do they know we're coming?" "Are you sure this is it?" "Do you think they'll let us all stay?"

The flocks questions buzzed around Max's head as she searched for the familiar clearing in the trees. 'There it is.' Not bothering to answer, she angled her wings and began circling lower and lower, until she was only a few feet above the roof of the little house, the others followed suit. A door slammed, and a girl's shriek cut through the air.

"Max! Max, you came back!" the girl was soon joined by an older woman, as Max flew closer for landing. The rest of the flock hovered for a moment as Max was enveloped in hugs, then everyone decided it was safe, and joined Max on the ground.

"Ella, Ms. Martinez, this is my flock. Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel."

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Well there's that. Hope you enjoyed it.(and, OK, it was quite a bit of fluff, but hey!) If my facts are a little off on Ella and her mom, it's because I don't have my Angel Experiment book right now, so bear with me. Please review. Sorry if it doesn't flow as well as the last two chapters, this one was hard to write.

Thanks all of you who have reviewed, and all of you who will.

ENox