Chapter eleven:
"What's wrong Max?" Fang said coming out of the wall.
"Nothing. I'll go wake up the girls." I said turning to leave but Fang caught my hand.
"Come with me." Fang said and half dragged me out the back door.
"Max. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong."
"Fang, there's nothing wrong." I said.
"Max."
I took a deep breath.
Fang's POV:
"Max. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong." She was starting to worry me.
"Fang, there's nothing wrong." She said unconvincingly.
"Max."
I watched her take a deep breath.
"Fang, if something happened to me, if I died or got taken, you would take care of the flock right?" What the h was she talking about?!
"Of course I would, but that won't happen, I won't let anything happen to you." I said. Her mouth turned up into a half smile. I pulled her into me and rested my cheek on the top of her head and I felt her arms wrap around my waist.
"Thank-you." She whispered. She unwrapped her arms from me, stretched up on her toes, kissed my cheek and went to go wake up the girls.
Chapter twelve:
Today could have been my last day with the flock, and how do I spend it? Watching the kids play in the backyard of our safe house.
Nudge and Angel were playing cards, but Angel looked up at me every now and then and smiled at me.
Iggy and the Gasman were constructing some sort of device and arguing about it and I was sitting with Fang on the deck with an arm around me that I couldn't see because he had faded into the couch.
This could be my last day with the flock and I was spending it being depressed, scared and bored. Now I was singing Liam Rooney songs over and over in my head so Angel wouldn't pick up any thoughts on Mr. Chu.
Fang's POV:
Something was wrong with Max. I didn't know what, but I knew something was wrong.
It probably had something to do with what she said this morning. What did she think she was going to die or be kidnapped by M-geeks since seeing them last?
Fang, something's wrong with Max. Angel thought at me.
What is wrong?
I don't know I think she's blocking me. Try talking to her maybe I can find out.
"Max?"
"Hm?" She said.
"Um want to go for a fly?" That was all I could think of.
Panic lit in her eyes and vanished almost as soon as it had come. "No. Let's just sit here for a while."
"Okay."
Angel? Anything?
Well she thought "If I do he-" Then she stopped herself and started singing Liam Rooney songs in her head again.
That's how she's blocking you? Can't you get past it?
Nope, she's focusing really hard on the lyrics so that's all she is thinking about. But Fang I can tell that she seems really sad or depressed or something. Also-
"Hey guys let's get something to eat" Max said as she got up. She could probably see me again.
"Look who decided to show his face" Max said to me and grinned. But something was off about it. I would find out what.
Chapter thirteen:
I had just finished writing some of the most painful letters in the world. Now I was sobbing but the letters were under my bed. I heard a tap on the door.
"Come in." I said wiping my eyes.
Fang popped his head in the door. His eyes widened when he saw me. I was in his arms in less than a second and I started sobbing again.
Fang's POV:
I heard what I thought was crying in Max's room. What was up with that? Max couldn't be crying, she was Max.
I knocked on her door. I heard a hoarse "Come in." And poked my head in the door, and there she was, the most beautiful girl in the world sitting there with silent tears streaming down her face.
I immediately shut the door and sat down next to her, holding her.
Stroking her hair I said "Max what's wrong?"
"Just a really, really bad headache." She whispered and started sobbing into my chest.
I had known Max to have headaches like this before but 1. she was usually on the ground moaning when she had them 2. She hadn't had one in months and 3. I didn't really believe her.
She had stopped crying and I looked down at her. She was looking up at me with the saddest expression I had ever seen. That, combined with the fact that 1. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, 2. Her face was fairly close to mine and 3. Just the fact that she was Max, made me lean down and kiss her.
Max's POV:
Just as Fang's lips touched mine I realized that this was probably the last time I would ever kiss Fang and so I made the most of it.
My fingers twined in his hair and my legs wrapped around his waist, while I kissed him hungrily, I wanted as much of him as I could before I had to leave.
Suddenly Fang pulled me even tighter to him and kissed me with a new passion I had never felt before. That made me remember how much I love him and how I will probably never see him again after tonight. There was something I had to say.
I broke us apart and whispered "I love you Fang."
His eyes widened, then he smiled playfully "How much do you love me Max? This much?" He held his arms out a length apart from each other.
I laughed "No." I pulled his arms farther apart "I love you that much."
He smiled "I love you too, Max"
I hugged him. "Well I gotta get some sleep, Night Fang."
"Night, Max." He got up bent down and gently kissed my lips and left.
I realized that that was probably the last time I would ever see Fang and tears streamed down my face again.
Chapter fourteen:
Angel's POV:
I woke up with the sun shining in my window. That was weird, Max usually woke me up, but I woke up myself this morning. I crept pass Nudge, trying not to wake her up. I held tight to Celeste and remembered how much I miss Total but hoped he was having fun. I bumped into Iggy on the way down the stairs.
"Hey! Watch it Ange!" He said and scooped me up and carried me downstairs the rest of the way.
"Morning Iggy. Where's Max? She usually wakes me up." I said
"Probably still asleep, she was kind of upset last night." Fang answered from the couch. In his head were the images of Max holding onto him, sobbing.
What was wrong Fang? I thought at him.
She said she had a headache but I think it was something else. But she's fine now Ange.
I saw Nudge come down from the top of the stairs rubbing sleep out of her eyes.
"Mornin Nudge!" Gazzy said "Trying to get a jump start on the day I see!"
"Bite me." Nudge mumbled.
We all laughed.
"Gazzy don't bug Nudge before she has had her morning coffee." Max said.
I looked to see where Max was but it was just Gazzy with his impressions.
"Speaking of Max I'm gonna go wake her up." Fang said.
Five minutes later he yelled "GUYS GET UP HERE!!"
We all ran upstairs, Fang only sounds like that in an emergency.
In Max's room Fang was looking over a note with a broken expression, he wordlessly handed it to Nudge.
She read "Guys, I had to leave, I can't tell you why, I can't tell you where, just know that I love you all and look under your pillows. Love Max."
We all wordlessly went to our rooms, under my pillow there was a note that said:
Angel,
Sweetie I had to leave, I can't say where but I can say that I will miss you. Ange, you've always been my little girl, my baby. Now you're growing up to be strong, independent, and with your own will and power. Make your decisions wisely, you have been gifted and blessed with many powers so use them carefully. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, Angel, my baby, in the meantime don't be scared, and listen to Fang. I love you sweet heart. -Max
Tears dripped down my face and fell where the paper had already been stained in Max's tears.
Gazzy's POV
His note read:
Gazzy, I had to leave for a while, and I'll miss you. Gaz, you've always been my little trooper, stuck it out through the tough times and you were always grateful for the good times. Thank-you for that sweetie, I appreciated it. You're going to grow up to be smart, strong and intelligent, and never forget that. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime try not to let too many rip and don't blow up anything that shouldn't be blown up. I love you Gaz. –Max
He started crying, but pulled himself together; he was Max's trooper.
Nudges POV:
Nudge, I had to leave for a while, and I'll miss you. What can I say? You've always been my nudge. When I have been feeling down you pat my back and nudge me to feel better. I love how you do that for me. Nudge, you may be obsessed with fashion, clothes and make-up, but you are still the toughest eleven year old I know. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime try not to let your mouth flap too much or hack any computers that should not be hacked. I love you sweetie. Hang tough. –Max
Nudge started crying and whispered "I love you too Max."
Iggy's POV:
Under my pillow was what felt like a tape recorder. I took it out and pressed play. She sounded like she was crying when she said:
"Iggy, I have to leave for awhile and I'll miss you. I want you to know how thankful I am to have known you Iggy, I mean you're blind, you're lost every time we move and you never complain. You're the Gasman's best friend, and he would be incredibly lonely without you, Iggy you have been my brother and my left hand man for as long as I can remember. Thank-you for that. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime you'll be his right hand man. Try not to aggravate the Gasman too much. I love you Ig." She let out a sob and the tape was over.
I put the tape recorder away wordlessly.
Fang's POV:
I looked under my pillow; there was a note that said:
Fang, I love you. I love you more than anyone. You've been my whole world for the pass while, and leaving you is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Please understand that there was no other way to keep you and the others safe. I'm so, so, sorry. I love you. I have to tell you, you're the oldest now, you can handle it, I probably won't be able to come back, I'll be fighting every step of the way and if there's any way at all to come back keeping you all safe I'll find it. I love you. You've been my best friend from day one in the dog crate, you've always been my right hand man. You've been more than that since that first kiss on the beach so long ago. I wish I hadn't run away when you kissed me in that cave, we could have had more time together. I love you I love you I love you so, so, much. This is probably goodbye but I will be fighting just to see your face again. I love you. You're leader now Fang, please don't try o find me, I would suggest to go to our house in Colorado, Itex is destroyed, no one knows about it. I love you-Max
I just stared at the note for a long time then I yelled and punched the wall, making white powder all over my hands. I stormed over to Iggy's room and tapped his hand twice and he nodded. I launched myself out of the nearest window and felt miserable by myself.
Chapter fifteen:
Flying right now would feel amazing, soaring through the air at top speed for hours, you actually start to go even faster after awhile. You caught that would huh?
It would feel amazing if I didn't feel as if my heart had been ripped out and stomped on by a bunch of rabid elephants.
I had just stopped by my mom's house in Arizona, I let myself in with the key under the eaves I left her and Ella notes.
Right now what I was missing most was Fang's smile; rarely ever seen, and a wonderful sight. A smile I would probably never see again. My world would now be filled with evil grins as they tortured me, which I knew they would. I had just decided my family was more important than my pain.
Max your family are not the ones who are suppose to save the world you are, save yourself.
Yup I'll be sure to put that on my list of things to do I thought.
My ear buzzed.
"Now Maximum, what state are you in?" Mr. Chu asked, trying to sound like what he was doing was perfectly alright.
"I just left Arizona."
"Fly straight to Mexico city, where you used to do the air shows, I'll meet you there. And if you fail to show up in twenty-four hours your family is dead."
I didn't know if they left yet so I said "Fine. I'll be there."
"See to it. And don't sound so glum; your family will be alright if you do what I tell you." He chuckled.
I swear if he was standing in front of me and did not have my family in danger then absolutely NOTHING could stop me from slugging him.
Fang's POV:
I came back to the safe house feeling just as bad as when I left it. GOD! Why hadn't I guessed it? She knew she was going to leave and even said it. I could have stopped her if I just stayed with her. She said she loved me and left! I felt like hitting something again; get all the frustration out on something. I hit the outside wall and almost instantly my knuckles started swelling. I trudged into the house.
Everyone was sitting in the front room waiting for me. They weren't talking, and they weren't watching TV, they were just sitting there.
"Fang?" Angel. I sat down next to her and she crawled into my lap and started crying. I rubbed her back and stroked her hair, like I did when she was sad. I had never really held Angel when she cried; she always used to do it.
"We're gonna go find her right Fang?" Angel said sniffling.
"She said not to." I wanted to but she said not to.
"But Fang, you're the leader now, not Max, you don't have to do what she says." I flinched at her name.
"I'm not the leader." I said "I'm just in charge until She comes back." I absolutely refused to believe that I would never see her again. "But until then we have to figure out what we're going to do in the meantime. There's always a plan." There was hardly ever a plan but I had to pretend there was one, she taught that to me. I suddenly knew what to do. "Pack up guys, we're leaving."