The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Missing Skate

I breathed a sigh of relief as I spotted a frozen lake. We'd been flying for close to 45 minutes looking for a place to ice skate and I was sure that Iggy's arms were about to fall off from carrying Ella. I motioned to the Flock and started descending with the others not far behind.

The lake appeared untouched, not surprisingly, since we were in the middle of nowhere. There was a light breeze rustling the sprays of evergreen needles, making them whisper amongst themselves as we landed.

"It's so pretty, Max!" Angel shouted, running over to my side.

I smiled at her and I had to agree. The ice was blanketed with a thin dusting of snow that almost glistened, even under the overcast skies above. There was a small cluster of apple trees near the northern bank, devoid of leaves, but still holding its own amongst the green and white landscape. Total, who was wearing Angel's socks on his paws, went springing through the fluffy snow and it looked like the scene could have been a postcard photo. All it needed was a small farmhouse and a white picket fence…

I turned around to find that Gazzy already had his boots off and was slipping his feet into ice skates, Nudge rushing to do the same right beside him.

My gaze shifted over to Iggy, who was reaching into his pack.

"You sure you'll be okay, Ig?" I asked cautiously.

It was Ella who responded to my concern. "Don't worry, Max. I won't let him fall," she giggled, lacing up her own skates. I sent her a weak smile, still unsure about whether or not I should be allowing… whatever it is that's going on between them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang standing off to the side, his arms folded across his chest, eyes distant again as he stared ahead. I wondered if he was thinking about the exchange that almost occurred last night. I had pushed all of those thoughts to the back of my mind, willing myself to just have fun today.

As I unzipped my pack, I looked in and felt utterly disappointed.

"I'm missing one of my skates," I frowned. I must have dropped one when I was putting them in… I sighed.

"Go back to the cabin and get it. We'll be fine here," Iggy said.

I looked around. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel were already gliding on the ice, quite gracefully for three kids who've never skated in their lives. Total was curled up on top of Angel's pack, already taking a nap. Ella was guiding Iggy to the lake, their hands entwined as one.

"Iggy's in charge. Do what he says," I told them.

I turned to face the direction of the cabin and saw Fang standing a few feet in front of me, wings unfurled.

"I'm going alone. It'll be faster," I said, knowing he wanted to follow.

"S'not safe to go alone," he reasoned, giving me a look that said, 'Don't bother arguing.'

I sighed, still annoyed about the previous night, but what he said was true; if Itex has attackers searching for us and I was discovered alone, they might easily be able to capture me – although not without a hell of a fight.

"Hope you can keep up," I called to him over my shoulder before taking to the skies.

;;;;;;;;

I couldn't find the skate anywhere. I had searched my bedroom, the others' bedrooms, the kitchen… I even looked under the Christmas tree. Yet the skate remained misplaced.

Fang was standing at the bottom of the steps finishing off a candy cane, like a useless lump of coal.

"Help me look!" I said every time I passed him.

"Calm down and maybe you could remember where you left it," he would say.

The longer we were in the cabin, the more paranoid I was becoming. Why did I leave the Flock alone?

"We've gotta get back to the Flock. Help me find the skate, Fang."

I felt my heart start to race in a panic as I rushed through the rooms…

The only other place I could think to check was the hallway closet. I prayed the stupid missing ice skate would be in there so I could get back to the Flock…

If I lose Angel again… Maybe I shouldn't have left the blind kid in charge… They might not be prepared for an attack… My mom would be devastated if something happens to Ella…

I was practically sprinting through the hall to get to the closet, but I didn't make it there. Out of nowhere, I was pressed against the wall, Fang's firm hands restraining me.

"Let go," I struggled. His grip only tightened on my arms as his eyes bored deep into mine.

"Relax," he said calmly.

"What are you doing, Fang?" I asked, attempting one more time to free myself from his hold. "You know what? Let's forget the skate and get back to the Flock," I pleaded.

"The Flock is fine, Max."

"You don't know that," I muttered. They could all be dead right now. Or worse… in dog crates.

His fingers loosened on my arms as he slowly traced them from my shoulders down to my elbows… down to my wrists… He bowed his head toward me… What was he going to do? Try to kiss me and make it all better? Yeah, as if I'm going to let that happen now and then watch as that uncaring mask of detached feeling reappears two seconds later…

But he didn't kiss me… His cheek brushed mine as he leaned further, lowering his lips to my neck. The warm electrical feeling of it was enough to drive me crazy.

My breath was caught in my throat… I couldn't even swallow… And I forgot what I'd been so worried about…

How does he do that?

"Found it," he breathed.

"Mhm," I murmured senselessly.

He chuckled very softly and his breathy current swept across my neck, sending a tingle down my spine.

Found it. It had taken me almost ten full seconds to comprehend what he said. I snapped out of fantasy land when he straightened himself away from me, holding up a single ice skate in his left hand. His face was tainted with a horrible smirk.

I told myself to punch him, but I couldn't do it.

I told myself to walk away, but I couldn't do that, either.

He had reeled me in too far. Fight or flight wasn't going to cut it this time.

I told myself, Don't you dare kiss him… but I did it anyway.

In one abrupt movement, I moved forward and leaned up on the tips of my toes, urgently pressing my lips to his, abandoning my inhibitions with one of my spur of the moment decisions that I would come to regret later on.

Fang froze where he stood, again not doing anything at a time when I really needed some hint of acknowledgement for my actions. We need to quit this game of cat and mouse, Fang. Tell me what you want from me, I wanted to yell.

Trying to get some kind of reaction, I took a fistful of fabric from his chest and pulled his body closer, bringing my other hand to the back of his neck to hold him there.

I heard a clank as he lost his grip on the ice skate in his hand, letting it drop to the wooden floor.

The sound must have roused him from his state of immobility because his lips finally began responding to mine with a haste that paralleled my own.

Both of his hands came to my hips as I grinned against his mouth.

I was surfing a tidal wave of emotion, yet I had no thoughts… only sensations… the feel of his warm skin grazing mine, sending bursts of heat through my body… his breath on my face, on my lips… his soft, clean hair draped between my fingers… the sound of only our labored breathing and the occasional vocalizations uttered accidentally… the lively scent of peppermint from the candy cane he'd eaten…

My lips moved of their own volition with his as Leader Max stepped out the backdoor of sanity for a few moments…

When I was satisfied, I pulled back to catch my breath…

Oh, but Fang wasn't done…

The sound of my own heartbeat pounded in my ears as his mouth moved rhythmically along my jaw, leaving tiny fiery pecks in its wake. Embarrassingly, I think my wings may have quivered. I could feel him smirk as he continued.

Looking for his weakness, I trailed a hand slowly down his spine and my fingers tickled at the hem of his shirt, lingering for a moment before they slid underneath, forcing contact with his heated skin.

He exhaled heavily and drew his lips back to my own smirking mouth.

As the kiss continued to intensify, I started… shaking? Why was I shaking?

"Max?" I heard. I knew it was Fang, yet his voice held concern. Why? What's going on? Am I having a seizure?

"Max, they're fine. Open your eyes," he said quietly. I realized then that his hand was on my shoulder, shaking me more gently than I had first perceived.

"Fang? What's…" I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me and felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion…

I took in my surroundings and realized with wide eyes that I was in my bed…

"You kept yelling, 'Gotta get back… Flock's alone.' They're fine, Max. They're downstairs eating breakfast."

Holy crap. It was a dream…

"They all want to know what you had planned for today."

I hesitated, but told him, "Uh… Ice skating. Figured we could find a frozen lake around here somewhere."

He nodded slowly. "They'll like that," he paused to offer his hand, "Come on. Breakfast is almost gone."

I blushed suddenly as I took his hand, not able to look directly at him without seeing an image of myself pressed against him. He didn't say anything, but I was sure he noticed my expression.

I followed him downstairs, making a mental note to double-check the contents of my pack before we left, to make sure that there were indeed two ice skates inside…

Big thanks to the following people who gave suggestions for this chapter:

maximumcullenxxx - up and coming writer - F0r all The Wr0nG ReAs0ns - jenfan456

I dare you to review again. You know you want to. How was it?