Through the Eyes of a Servant Chapter 13, a maximum ride fanfic

Through the Eyes of a Servant | Chapter 13 | by: Rachel / Chapter posted August 22nd, 2010.

AU | Max/Fang | PG / 3,521 words

When Max accepts a job as a maid in Fang's household, will it be love at first sight? Or will anything and everything come between them?

The idea for this story is my own, and no one else's. Everything else belongs to Jame's Patterson -although I will be next in line for the throne when he retires xD-. I made no money for writing this story, I simply write for reviews.

Nudge couldn't believe what she had just heard. Fiancé? She had known that Iggy had a girlfriend, but she had always just assumed that she was only a girlfriend, a picture from his past that he was clinging desperately to. But this was different. This was the girl he was going to get married to.

And that made her feel dirty. She'd gone after a guy who was as good as married, and what was worse, he didn't tell her, and they'd kissed. They were supposed to be friends, at the very least. So why was this girl in front of her now, looking as confused as Nudge herself did?

"Fiancé," Nudge murmured slowly, looking down at her feet and blinking away tears furiously. How could this have happened to her? She was stupid for even coming, stupid for thinking that anything she had to say could change his mind.

Iggy nodded, and Ella looked up at him in confusion. Sure, this "Nudge" didn't look like anything much, with scrawny arms, big eyes and frizzy hair, but Iggy had seemed so close to her about three seconds ago, before she had interrupted them.

"What's going on?" Ella asked. Iggy had asked her to marry him. By all rights, he was hers now, something she'd been waiting for as long as she'd found out he was moving away from her. Now that it had finally happened, nothing, and more importantly, no one could stop it, right?

Iggy looked down. "Nudge is a friend," he replied steadily, and Nudge flinched at his cold and indifferent tone. "She's Fang's sister. You remember Fang, right? I told you, he's Max's sister." Ella nodded uneasily, and Nudge bit her lip.

Max glared at Iggy from across the room. When exactly had this little engagement happened? More importantly, when exactly had he found the time to propose to her? Over the phone? No, that wasn't right. Max distinctly remembered listening in on the phone conversation.

She heard the door open behind her as Fang walked into the kitchen. "Max?" he called. He was abruptly pulled to the floor as Max grabbed his hand and yanked him into a sitting position. "Shh!" she hissed, and turned back to Nudge, Ella and Iggy, who hadn't noticed him coming in.

"Just a friend," Ella repeated cautiously. She knew she was acting like a territorial bitch, and Nudge didn't look mean. But she wanted to make sure that nothing would ruin her chances with Iggy. She loved him. She'd waited for him. And now all of her dreams were coming true.

Iggy nodded in agreement. Oh, right, just a friend, his subconscious smirked at him. Because a friend is someone you wish could be your girlfriend. A friend is someone you make out with in the gas station. Max whirled around to see Angel chuckling behind her. "What's funny?" she hissed.

"Your brother's thoughts are even stupider than Fang's," she chortled. Max and Fang pointedly ignored her, and turned back to Iggy, Nudge and Ella.

Nudge bit her lip and looked up at Iggy. "Congratulations," her voice cracked as she pushed past him and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. It was over. The tears were flowing freely now, and she slumped against the door, burying her face in her arms and just allowing herself to cry.

It was over. There would be no more going to Iggy's gas station and spending the day with him. She wouldn't joke or laugh or talk with him anymore. She wouldn't be able to see him smile anymore. She wouldn't be there when he was in trouble or needed help. This was goodbye.

"I love you," she whispered to the thin air, and she knew it was true. "I really love you." And she realized that she did know him, probably better than Max. She knew that he liked cloudy days even though he couldn't see him, and that he actually liked being poor because it brought his family closer.

"Goodbye, Iggy," she stood up and set off walking. She forgot that she had a home to go to, and started off down the quiet street. Closing her eyes, she just listened to the sound of silence, seeing how Iggy saw things one last time.

And it worked out perfectly, until she smacked into someone, and her eyes flew open.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, and looked up. She blushed as he inspected her curiously. He probably thinks I'm some kind of freak for walking down the middle of the road with my eyes closed, she almost groaned to herself.

"It's okay," he shrugged. "Look, are you okay? You look…terrible. Like, depressed," he decided. She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks." She looked up at him, and she was surprised. He looked like an angel. Well, almost, anyway. He had thick dirty-blonde hair, with deep eyes and slightly tanned skin. He looked around Max and Fang's age.

She frowned and walked past him, fully intent on still being miserable. It wasn't like she had a specific reason to be happy. "Huh?" she heard him behind her, and he turned around to follow her. "Hey, wait up!" She rolled her eyes again.

"Why are you following me?" she asked bluntly. "You were walking that way. Don't you have somewhere to be?" She kept walking.

He shrugged, following her. "Not really. I just noticed that a lot of people in the neighborhood were over at one of those houses and decided to see what was going on." She felt another pang of hurt and grief as she remembered Iggy. He panicked. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No. Just having a bad day, really."

He flashed her a crooked grin. "I know what'll cheer you up."

She glanced at him curiously. "What could possibly cheer me up?"

He smiled brightly. "Come with me," he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

Back inside the house, Ella turned to glare at Iggy, who saw it coming, figuratively. As soon as the door slammed, she whirled on him. "Alright, what the hell was that?" she shrieked. "What did you tell that poor girl, and why was she crying? She's a little young, but she looked like she really liked you! So what did you say to her?" She was on her toes yelling.

Iggy shifted uncomfortably, knowing that people outside on the porch were starting to stare. "Ella, can we take this someplace more…secluded?" he asked desperately. He had just ended it with Nudge, and he didn't really want to talk to anyone, let alone the girl he had given her up for.

"No!" she looked at him desperately, but she pulled him into the hallway anyway, so at least their neighbors wouldn't be staring at them. Max rolled her eyes as she shifted positions so as to spy on them better. Fang just shook his head.

"Iggy, talk to me!" she pleaded. "I want to know exactly what's happened in these two months that you've been gone! You seem so different and guarded and cold, and I just want the boy I love to come back! I want to know who that girl is, and why she was crying!"

He looked straight at her, and she gulped. She was scared to know the truth. She didn't want to believe that Iggy had changed in only two months. "It doesn't matter what happened. What matters is that it's over now, and you and I are engaged, alright?" His voice was hard.

"Iggy…" She shook her head. "No! You're in pain. You're hurting about something, and I want to know if I caused it! I…I love you!" She looked at the ground. "I don't care where I am, as long as I have you, because you're the one I've waited for! But I want to know that you feel the same way!"

"What's going on?" Max heard a voice behind Angel, and she whirled around to find Gazzy sitting behind her. He grinned sheepishly up at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Nudge just found out about Ella and ran out, and now Ella wants to know about Nudge."

Gazzy looked puzzled. "Nudge likes Iggy?" Angel slapped him. "Oh, keep up." They resumed their staring.

"Look, if we're getting married, I don't want it to be a mistake!" she exclaimed. "If we're going to be married, with a house and a family and everything, I want it to last. You're the one I want to spend my life with!"

"What's happening?" came a voice behind Gazzy. Max gave an exasperated sigh and turned around to see Jeb peering around the corner at Iggy and Ella. "Fang's little sister likes Iggy and he just stomped on her heart so she ran out," Gazzy answered cheerily. Fang elbowed him.

Iggy just looked down. He looked strangely like he was being pestered. Why is he hesitating? Max was furious. He just broke Nudge's heart for Ella, and now he's not sure if he made the right decision? You jerk! Just make up your mind already! Angel grimaced and scooted away from her.

"Iggy, please! Tell me that this isn't just a mistake!" Ella looked more worried and vulnerable than Max had ever seen her, but Iggy just walked away.

"I'm sorry," Iggy turned around to look at her, so much pain in his eyes. "I can't tell you that."

"So what I'm getting here is that you loved this guy, 'Iggy' or whatever, and he was already engaged to another girl, so you ran out, started walking down the street with your eyes closed because this guy was blind, and you ran into me," he peered at her curiously from across the table.

Nudge sipped her smoothie nonchalantly and looked away. She knew he was getting frustrated with her, but she couldn't understand why she should talk about her personal life to this inquisitive stranger. "Why do you care?" she asked.

He shrugged. "You're obviously really upset about it. I can't help it, I'm interested. Shoot me for caring about my fellow human being," he grinned. She ignored him and looked away. "Plus, I don't want the next thing you run into to be a car," he added.

She blushed and looked down. "But you don't understand. I don't know you, and you don't me. I don't know your life story, and you don't know mine. I don't know your name, and you don't know my name. But the difference is, I don't care."

He laughed. "Wow, aren't you the friendly one? I happen to care about your life story, and your name, and who you are." She gazed at him curiously. He was just so strange. She didn't know people that strange actually existed.

"Just what planet are you from?" she asked curiously, and he chuckled. "You don't know me. I'm a random stranger that you ran into –literally!- on the street. Sure, you bought me a smoothie, but that doesn't make us best pals, now does it?"

Grinning, he twirled his straw around in his own smoothie. "I'm willing to bet that Little Miss Prickly isn't really 'best pals' with anyone, am I right?" He studied her carefully. "I think you're one of those rich girls, in the fancy part of town," he declared.

She reddened. "Just what makes you say that?" her voice went up about an octave. He backed off. "Whoa, don't take it the wrong way. You just seem like you don't get out much is all." He shrugged. "So your friends, they're poor and you're rich. How did that happen?"

"Stalker," she accused sourly, and he laughed. "Well, if you must know, Iggy's younger sister works as a maid in our house. So our families became friends." Why am I telling him this? Next he's probably going to ask where I live and for my last name, and possibly my mom's social security number on top of that.

He chuckled. "And you say I don't know you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked indignantly. "You don't know me. You don't know my name or anything, and after today, I'll probably never see you again."

He shook his head. "I may not know your name, but that doesn't mean I don't know you." He leaned in. "I'll let you in on a little secret – I've known you for twenty minutes, and I know things that you haven't told anyone else." He leaned back.

She blushed furiously. "So? That doesn't mean anything," she stammered. "I talked to Iggy all the time. And I actually knew his name," she glared.

"It's a stupid name, by the way," he laughed, her death glare having no effect on him. "Did you mention all this to him in twenty minutes? Look, it's no big deal to me that I don't know you. I don't care if I never see you again, no offense." She wanted to punch that stupid grin off his face.

"What's your point?" she asked tiredly.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Iggy doesn't know you that well?" he asked, and she frowned. "Don't get me wrong, like him all you want. But you're a little too young to pick out who you want to be with at this age. There's lots of time to decide."

She looked up. "Thanks for your concern, but I don't need you to tell me that. I can take care of myself, you know. And anyway, you're almost the same age as me, so you don't need to be all preachy, mister."

"If you really want to be sure if you're right for someone…ask them what their dream is. What their plan for their life is. And if it includes you…then it was just meant to happen. That's the most important thing," he said thoughtfully.

She rolled her eyes. "His plans include his fiancé and a perfect life."

She finished her smoothie and chucked it in the garbage. He shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm just saying that you don't have to know right this minute, you know." He stood up. "Well, it's getting dark, and you shouldn't walk home alone any later than this."

"Thanks," she said, getting out of the booth and following him out of the restaurant. "Seriously, thanks for everything. You're right about all of it." She looked up at him. "I hope I get to meet you again," she smiled.

"I hope so, too," he smiled, and turned to walk away. "Wait!" she called after him. He stopped.

"If I ever do see you again…what can I call you?" she asked.

He turned around and flashed her a grin. "Dylan," he replied, and then he was gone.

Iggy was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, when Ella burst into the room. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to do this. Not right now. Nevertheless, she was glaring down at him in seconds. He sat up, knowing it was her. "What do you want, Ella?" he asked.

"I want the truth, Iggy," she answered. "The whole truth."

He stood up and looked her in the eyes, and she forgot that she was angry at him. She forgot all the fury that was in her heart. She was afraid, afraid of what he was going to say, because in her heart, she already knew, and it terrified her. "Don't do this," she whispered.

He closed his eyes. "You need to know everything, Ella," he sat down, and she followed him. "You need to know that when I moved out here, I missed you more than anything in the world, and that I loved you. I still do. You need to know that it killed me to move here."

"Then what's the problem?" she asked, just wanting to get it over with. "I hate that things are different now. I hate it! I want you to know that I love you, and it feels like you're rejecting me." There were tears in her eyes. "What did I do wrong, Iggy?"

He grabbed her hands and enveloped them in his own. "You didn't do anything wrong, Ella. But I moved here, and I moved on with my life. I don't even know what I want anymore. I was so sure I wanted to go to college and marry you. But I'm happy here, the way I am."

He looked down. "I thought of so many plans, plans that included you. But none of them made me happy. It's just not what I want with my life." He looked into her eyes. "You also need to know that I was in love with the girl that ran away."

She stood up. "I love you, Ella." She shook her head. "You love her more." He nodded slowly.

"I get it. I want you to be happy. And I'm okay with it. But I hope you know that I wanted to marry you, and that I would have." She looked into his eyes. "But most of all, I just want you to be happy with your life. And if it doesn't include me, I'll be happy for you anyway."

He hugged her, one last time. Her heart was sinking, knowing that it was the last time, but she'd give him up, just like she had when he first left her. "I hope you find what you're looking for," she said, and she meant it. "Go," she urged him. "Go get her, before it's too late."

In the hallway, he ran into Max, who gave him a questioning look. But before she had a chance to ask any questions, he spoke. "You were right. You were right about everything. I don't know how you knew, but you did, and if you hadn't figured it out, I never would have. That was a real wake-up call back there."

Max smiled. "I guess I'm psychic." She hugged him. "From now on, do what makes you happy. It's your life."

He nodded, and grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. But when he opened the front door, Nudge was standing right in front of him. "Hi," he said quietly. "Hi," she replied, right before he pulled her into his arms. And she heard every word he hadn't spoken. I love you. I'm sorry. You're the only one for me. I was stupid. I love you.

I love you, too.

An hour later, the darkness had set in, and the stars were out. Chatter, laughter and the sound of chirping locusts filled the air as the clouds started to clear and fireworks were painted across the night sky. Small children ran around the yard, setting off firecrackers and chasing each other around with sparklers.

Max sighed, finally content. This wasn't just a prison anymore. It was a home. For the first time, she could see herself spending her life right there. And when she pictured the rest of her life, she was surprised at herself for seeing Fang right there beside her through it all.

With her hand in Fang's, she was always sure of everything. Every doubt she had would just vanish, and she would feel at peace. Maybe he was the answer to all her problems. He's a brat, and a pain in the ass, and a horrible cook…but I love him, she thought, smiling slightly.

On their right, Nudge sat in Iggy's arms. She wasn't completely sure she forgave him yet, but she still loved him, that was for sure. And with his arms wrapped around her, she couldn't figure out that he loved her. Why is it like this? Why is he acting just like Max is with Fang? His girlfriend probably broke up with him or something.

Nevertheless, she remembered something that Dylan had said, that had stuck with her. She didn't particularly know why. "Iggy," she said hesitantly, and he looked down at her. "Iggy, what's your dream?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't have one right now. I'm still kind of figuring things out." She looked away, shaking off the feeling of rejection.

"But," he lifted her chin with his finger, "I do know that any good day is a day I spend with you, that I wouldn't cry for you because I would fight for you, and that I never want to hurt you again." She felt her heartbeat quicken. "Now – my dream is to make up for hurting you. In every way that I can."

And he kissed her forehead sweetly. Max watched out of the corner of her eye, and smiled up at Fang, who said nothing, only pressed his lips to hers. She rested her head on his shoulder and glanced up at the sky, streaked with lights and colors.

I guess this is my dream, she thought. I never knew that I could feel this…happy.

From the yard, Angel looked up at her, and winked. Maybe they didn't quite know how their story would turn out. But she could see it clearly. Slowly, everything was coming together.

She was happy as Max smiled back, and kissed Fang again.

Last update of the summer, yay! Well, not yay. BOO HISS HISS. But at least I worked everything out in my own little way! xD Niggy ftw~ Wow, almost 180 reviews? I'm soo happy ^^ You people are awesome 8D

Muahaha, Dylan! xD Yup, he's here! Feel free to shoot me. Sorry, but I had to do it. I actually really like Dylan. :D

Thanks to all your beautiful reviews, Pooh bear thanks you. You saved him. Now, let's throw in a bonus. Every time you review my story NOW, Bob the Builder gets shot. xD

~Rachel