Chapter Ten

It was a nice relaxing day at my mother's. After all of us got showers again, I sat out on the steps of the backyard to watch Angel and Total play. Nudge was fussing over my hair, saying that she wanted to put it up and do something nice with it. Gasman was in Mom's study, looking at all of her books and asking her questions. He had a lot of interest in how we were exactly created. Ella and Iggy were in the kitchen together, making food for dinner and talking quietly. I noticed when I walked by that Ella was blushing a lot . . . Fang stayed in the living room, working his good wing since he hadn't flown in over a week.

"You know, Max, even if you wear your hair in a ponytail or something, it would look so cute," Nudge suggested, pulling my long stubborn hair back with her hands. "What do you think, Angel?"

Angel and Total stopped running around the yard to look in our direction.

"Max looks pretty no matter what she does," Angel answered with a smile. "But you're right. It would look pretty good."

"Ha! Two to one, Max. I get to do your hair."

"For what?" I sighed, letting her run her fingers through it.

"I dunno, to show Fang you aren't a guy or something."

Total chuckled. "I think he already knows that."

I clenched my teeth. "You know, in some countries they eat dog! And I'll bet a talking one would be a delicacy!"

His ears went back and he hid behind Angel's legs. "Threatening to let me be eaten. That is just wrong!"

"Then shut it, furball."

Nudge went back to messing with my hair while Angel picked up Total to take him for a short flight. I ordered her to stay low to the tree line and try not to draw attention to herself. She flew off, her pretty wings spread out behind her. Nudge was combing my hair for what felt like the millionth time when she sighed heavily.

"Don't you wish it could just stay like this?" she said softly. "Just having all of us together at your mom's house. All of us just being a real family, kind of like what we did with Anne all those years ago . . ."

"Anne lied to us the whole time," I snorted, remembering the woman. "I wouldn't trust her as far as she could throw me."

"Isn't it 'I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her'?"

"Nudge, we have super strength, remember? I could throw her a lot further than she could throw me. So that's my analogy."

She laughed. "True."

I inhaled sharply as her fingers caught a knot in my hair. "Jeez, Nudge, why don't you just rip my hair out or something?"

"Well, it's not my fault you haven't tamed it."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Nudge, when did you become such a girl?"

"Well, seeing that I am a girl, it kind of makes sense. It would make a lot of sense for you to be one, too."

"Too much work."

Nudge giggled, then went quiet.

"What's the matter, Nudge?" I asked. "You're never quiet."

"Do you think it's okay we stay here?" she muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"I just . . . don't want Dr. Martinez or Ella to be hurt. They do so much for us. I just keep thinking that we're going to get them into trouble."

"Well, we usually always do have trouble, don't we? But we can't leave them alone here with Fang."

"I know that and there's no way we're leaving Fang behind on his own. I guess I just worry."

"We'll protect them, Nudge. If worse comes to worst, we can lead them away from the house before they find us. I'll go back to keeping watches. Everything will be fine."

"Okay."

I sighed and stood up. "All right, that's enough playing with my hair. I say we follow Angel and mess around in the sky for a while. What do you say?"

Nudge stayed sitting on the stairs, looking at me questioningly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You're actually suggesting we go out and play when there could be danger? That's a first."

I made a face at her and unfurled my wings, flexing them behind me. "Fine, then don't come."

She stood up instantly and stretched her own wings. "Oh, no, I'm in. Just one thing."

"What's that?"

She hit my arm lightly before launching herself up into the air. "You're it!" she called behind her, laughing.

I shook my head and smiled. I gave her a few seconds, watching her fly gracefully over the line of trees. Nudge was right. It would be so great just to stay like this, to live with Mom and Ella. To be able to play and mess around, rather than training because we were afraid for our lives. I turned back to look at the house, hearing Gazzy's voice coming from an open window with my mom, both of them laughing together. I closed my eyes, wishing to whoever would listen for all of this to be real, for everything else messed up in our lives to disappear . . .

"Max, are you coming?"

I looked up to see Nudge and Angel hovering beside one another, Total's dark head peeking over Angel's arms. I smiled weakly at my girls.

"I was just giving you a head-start. Ready or not!"

The two squealed and took off flying as I jumped up into the air after them.

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We ate a hefty dinner, made by Iggy, Ella, and Mom. We sat around in the living room again, so we could be around Fang. After we finished and talked for a while, Iggy, Ella, Nudge, and Gasman decided to go out and walk Total together. Angel volunteered to help Mom with the dishes. That left Fang and me alone for the first time during the day. Shortly after the others left the living room, he stood up and stretched, careful of his wing.

"I've sat around all day," he said. "Do you want to go walk around outside for a while? I could use the movement."

"Sure," I answered.

I stood up and together we walked out the back door. Ella told us about some old trails that stretched out over the land behind their house. They were a little hard to find in the dark, but Fang and I found a relatively clear path to walk. We were quiet for a while. Fang kept his distance from me, which was very frustrating. I felt like nothing was wrong when I was near Fang. Even when we were arguing, being around him made everything better. With the way we were, Fang keeping his distance meant that one of those arguments was about to start.

"What's the matter?" I finally asked, caving.

"I've been thinking a lot today," he started.

I laughed weakly. "That's a first."

He looked at me with his serious face. "Max, we can't avoid this forever."

"Avoid what?"

"I know you like staying here with your mom and Ella. The rest of the flock likes it and I do, too, but . . . but you know Jeb is right."

"Don't tell me you're actually agreeing with him."

"Well, think about it, Max. You know the Erasers can find us. The last thing we want to do is lead them to the only place we can actually go to. We can't risk it."

"But your wing isn't any better than it was 14 hours ago when Jeb was here. We're staying until you're better."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to risk you or the flock or Dr. Martinez or Ella. All of you are too important. You should do the same thing."

"What do you mean?"

"You and the flock should go ahead without me."

"What?! No way!"

"Max . . ."

"Fang, there is not a chance in hell I'm going to do that! Don't you remember the last time all of us were separated? You and the boys were attacked by Flyboys and we were taken to the Itex headquarters so I could be tested. All of us are weaker when we're apart, you know that. I'm not going to let it happen again."

"But you really think I'm useful with a messed up wing? I can't fight, Max."

"Which is exactly why we need to stay! You said yourself that they want to use you as collateral to get me to cooperate. We need to stay with you to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes, protect you. Fang, I'm not going to leave you behind."

Fang raised an eyebrow at me. "Then I'll be gone when you wake up in the morning."

"What?!"

"That doesn't give you any reason to stay here, then. I'll hide out and come to see Dr. Martinez once in a while, then find all of you again after my wing's healed."

"That's just stupid, they could get you so easily."

"Then Iggy and Gasman can stay with me. We'll find you, Angel, and Nud—"

"NO!!" I shouted over him. I didn't really mean to yell, but I was so angry. My body was shaking as I clenched my fists at my sides. "Fang, we're not breaking up the flock."

"We don't have another option, Max. We have to."

"No, we don't. We can stay here and wait until you're better, then we'll leave."

"So you'd rather risk everyone, including your mother and sister and the flock, because you want to stick to some rule that you knew was never going to stick in the first place?"

I punched his chest as hard as I could. "Damn it, you sound just like Jeb! What is the matter with you?! We have to stay together!"

Fang shook his head, looking away from me. "Not if it means the others being hurt. Or you, for that matter. If I go, then you have no reason to stay. You and the flock can keep moving and I can find you later . . ."

"No, no, this isn't happening."

He glanced up at me. I shook my head repeatedly, not sure what to say for a second. I felt tears welling up again. I sniffed angrily, not letting them fall. God, I hated that he could make me cry so easily. He reached out his hand. I moved away, still shaking my head.

"Where did this come from?" I asked. "What, did Jeb get inside your head, too? At least I had sense enough to ignore his bullshit advice."

"Max . . ."

"No, Fang, not this time. I am not going to let you 'calm me down' from this and let me make a 'rational' decision that's just going to end up being a dumb idea! I'm not! We're staying, you're staying, Jeb's an asshole, and my family will be safe, one way or another. Period, end of sentence, let it go."

He met my eyes. "I'm not staying."

"Yes, you are!" I shouted again. I hated how he was able to be so calm. That made me even angrier. "If you leave, don't bother coming back, because there's no way I'll take you back!"

He shrugged, but I could tell by his eyes that that hurt him. Good. "If that's really how you want to end it."

"It is! And if they get you, fat chance you'll see me doing anything about it!"

"Okay."

"Okay! Then you have to explain it to the others because I'm not going to!"

"Fine."

"Fine! Have a good life, Fang! Hope I never see you again!"

I ran off and launched myself into the air before he could see me cry. I flew up out of the trail cover and into the night sky. A thick line of clouds were slowly moving in the direction of the house, probably a big thunder storm. I used my super speed and flew toward the wall of clouds. I just had to get away. Fang, the one person I had been able to count on for almost my entire life, was abandoning me again.

"Traitor!" I yelled out loud to the sky, still crying.

I flew until I was hit by soft drops of rain. It was a gentle rainfall, which was kind of surprising because how menacing the clouds looked. I finally dropped down into a grassy field. I slumped down on my knees and just started beating my fists into the ground, my tears blending in with the rain running down my face.

"Damn him!" I said loudly, pounding the ground hard. "I hate him! I hate him!"

I kept punching until my hands were numb. I cried until I started dry-heaving, almost to the point where my dinner was about to come out the wrong end. I dropped to my stomach and rolled over onto my back, letting the rain fall down over me. I laid spread eagle, my arms and legs out with my wings stretched behind me, panting hard. I closed my eyes and just felt the rain, hoping with everything in me that it would just wash away this bad dream . . .

A/N: Sorry about the wait, guys. Thanks for being patient. It's been a long time for me to just be able to sit and write for a while. Hope you liked it and thanks for the reviews so far. They make my day. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up later this weekend. Until next time!