Disclaimer:

I don't own Maximum Ride or any of the characters. I do own Callie and her friends who you haven't met yet. He, he. Also the plot…at least I think there's a plot.

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. I didn't mean it to, and I don't really have an excuse. SORRY! Anyway, enjoy, and please REVIEW!

Callie's POV

Throughout the coarse of the next day I met the entire flock. It was slightly awkward, considering…well just because. Not to mention, Iggy never left my side the entire time.

God that boy is sweet. And I just can't get over the fact that his voice it the most melodious sound I have ever heard.

But I can't stay. Sure they're nice, but at this rate by wound will just get worse and worse without Mark's help. I had already gone through five sets of bandages, and that was only since I've woken up. I had to do something, and it had to be done fast. For some reason, the thought of dying any time soon really isn't very comforting.

Of course with my stupid bullet wound I can't very well fly, now can I? And I would rater die then have these…birds bring me to our house. They might sell us out and then we'd all die! No, that wasn't an option. Of course without Mark I can't get better.

God this is a predicament. And a ruddy bad one at that.

"Hey, you still there?" I jumped at the sound of Iggy's voice having been totally lost in my own thoughts.

"What…oh…yeah. I'm here. Just thinking about…things." Good going Cal, things. That won't make him curious at all!

As I expected he gave me a weird look, which was odd considering his eyes were completely blank. He just had a way of lifting one eyebrow and tilting his head the slightest bit to the side. God he was hot.

My eyes widened at the thought. I hadn't meant to think that! It was a total mistake. Although now that I think about it, it was totally true, he was hot.

Thank goodness he was blind, otherwise he would have noticed that I-

"Hey, you okay?" Crap, he did notice.

"Yeah…why would you think I wasn't okay?" Okay Callie, calm down. He may be hot, but that's no reason for you to act like this.

"Oh, well it's just that…your heart beat got even faster and…well…sometimes I can just tell…you know…how people are feeling." He shrugged. "It's a skill I guess."

I nodded, forgetting he couldn't see me. That was weird. I held back a shiver. I felt totally violated here. It was like I couldn't have any privacy, what with that little girl who could read minds and now Iggy being able to sense the slightest change in my heart and sense my emotions.

I had never wanted to be home more then I did right now.

"Anyway, I wanted to see whether or not you wanted to come down and join us for dinner? I mean I know your hurt and all, but I can help you down stairs and I know Dr. Martinez thinks it would be good for you to get out of this room for once."

I didn't really know what to do. I wasn't completely comfortable around the people here, especially Max. I don't know why but she just has this 'I'm better then you' air about her. I can tell that it's not voluntary, but still it makes me feel extremely self-conscious, something I never am.

But I could also tell that Iggy really wanted me to. I guess he was tired of eating up here with just me instead of with his entire flock, which I get. I just didn't know how welcoming everyone else would be. I can see how they might think that I'm trying to invade on their flock and…I don't know. Quite frankly I don't know how bird's minds work. It's not something I've really ever had the time to care about.

"Uh…sure." I said finally. Might as well. Besides it's not like I'm going to be here long.

Iggy looked delighted and his face lit up with a smile. He helped me out of the bed as best as he could, making sure I was able to stand before slowly leading me over to the door.

I have to admit walking was hard, and not something I would have even attempted if Iggy hadn't been letting me lean on his shoulder more then my legs.

Once we finally made it downstairs and to the dinning room- I swear it was at lease half an hour later- Iggy sat me down on the chair next his. It was all I could do not to disappear right then and there, but I held myself back. I couldn't give myself away that would be suicide.

But still I wanted to. They were all staring at me, never glancing away and rarely blinking. Didn't they have better things to do? Like eat? Cause there were piles of food littering the table.

Piles of good smelling food. Dr. Martinez must be an excellent cook if any of this tasted half as good as it smelled. Of course I had spent most of my life living off of micro waved chicken and before that the scraps they threw into our cages, so I wasn't the best judge on good cooking. But I trusted my senses and I had an excellent sense of smell.

The only reason I hadn't devoured it all already was because they were all still staring at me, and I didn't want to seem stupid and greedy by being the first one to take food.

My eyes traveled over the birds and the two humans. They were all so different yet almost exactly the same.

My eyes traveled over the young mind reader. Iggy had said her name was Angel, but personally I don't think that name fit to well. I don't really know why but she just made chills run down my arms.

Next to her the young boy who's name I didn't remember sat. He had that little 'I'm innocent' look on his face, which made it obvious that he was extremely guilty. He reminded me of J. B. more then I had ever thought possible.

At the thought of my little J. B. another pang of homesickness ran through me. I'm not sure whether it was really homesickness or just that I missed my friends. I mean, I've switched homes been on the run so many times before that I really couldn't miss my home per say. I just wanted to be back with people I didn't feel so uncomfortable around. Besides if Mark forgot to feed Tabitha and she ran away again, I don't know what I would do!

Again I was so caught up in my own thoughts I almost forgot where I was and that everyone was still staring at me. When I jolted myself back to the present I had to hold back my instinctual urge to bare my teeth and hiss at them all. Damn my feline instincts.

Angels POV

I must admit I have never been so confused in my life. Callie was thinking all kinds of confusing things, and she thought faster then anyone I had ever met. Luckily I was able to pick a few things out of the jumble of thoughts.

She thought I was creepy for one and didn't think my name fit. But I've always loved my name. I think it fits quite well thank you very much.

Then there were more names. Gazzy reminded her of someone named J.B. I got a picture of a small kid who couldn't be more then a year older then Gazzy. He had dark messy hair that needed to be cut and bright blue eyes. I didn't really see the resemblance to Gazzy, and thought more of Fang when I noticed he was wearing all Black.

After that she mentioned a…Mark I think and then a Tabitha. Pictures flashed across her mind to fast for me to see clearly, but I was pretty sure a picture of a small monkey fit in there somehow. Of course that only confused me even more.

I frowned, silently pleading her to think it more clearly. It was then that I heard, 'Damn my feline instincts.'

Well that certainly answered my prayers.

"Oh, so you're part cat!" I said, before thinking about what I was going to say.

She glared at me, and I wished I had kept my mouth shut. She looked ready to kill.

"So is that what the other 1.5 percent is?" Dr. Martinez, momentarily forgetting whom she was talking to and her scientific fascination seeping through.

Callie's eyes were wider then ever and she seemed to trying to sink into her chair. I was surprised when I realized that she was thinking of…battle tactics. She had noted where the window were, already eliminating the door as a possibility because it would take to long to open and it wasn't exactly easy to go crashing through three inches of solid wood, but what from I could see she definitely could, were it not for her wound.

Then there was whom she could easily knock down to get to those windows so that she didn't need to fight and get hurt even further. I was insulted that she put me in that category with Gazzy, Nudge, and surprisingly Iggy.

Looking into that matter I realized that it wasn't because Iggy was blind, more that she had noticed how smitten with her he was so he was less likely to fight.

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I think Iggy needed a talking to about this. I'll speak to Max later…

"So is it?" Fangs voice wrung out in the silence making Callie cower back into her chair even further.

After deciding that escaping wasn't really an option, after all she was both injured and outnumbered one to six, Callie stood down. Of course only I could tell because she was just as tense as before, so everyone else was still on their guard, especially Max who also was thinking of battle tactics and what Callie might try first.

I have never loved Max more then this. She was always so willing to protect us all.

Callie slowly nodded. "Mountain Lion. 1.4 percent." Her eyes darted around, still wary, when it occurred to her that she couldn't even stand on her own.

'Crap. I'm not getting out of this…I should have just told them I was only bat and human…crap…'

"1.4? But what about that .1 percent?" Dr. Martinez asked, completely emerged in her need for knowledge.

'Well that explains back in the forest when she was hissing at us. I wonder if the fangs are from the Mountain Lion part or the bat part. Wait, is she part vampire bat? Hmm…'

Max's thoughts were clear as crystal just as usual. It made me wonder why Callie's thoughts were so difficult to hear. Maybe it was because I wasn't…the same…as she was. After all we were completely different species when it came down to it, whether or not we were both mostly human.

"You know for a scientist who has worked with crossing species you really aren't very smart." Callie's harsh voice ripped through the silence, surprising everyone.

"W-what do you mean?" Dr. Martinez seemed really put out by that comment.

"I mean that I'm not the only one in this room who is one percent insect."

If we had thought it was quiet before, it was nothing compared to now. We all stared in shock at her. Insect? But that didn't make any sense!

"Don't look at me like I'm crazy because I know I'm not. If you didn't notice, you all have six limbs, not just four. Also your skin is a lot tougher then normal skin. I mean come on, there's really no other explanation!"

"Do you know this for a fact?" Dr. Martinez asked, voice wary and unbelieving.

Callie glared at her. "What, you don't trust my ability to know what I am? Well excuse me if I don't rely on a six year old for my information on myself!"

Well ouch. Besides I'm not six any more. Sure I was when everything was going on but that was almost two years ago!

"Look Callie, just calm down. There's no reason to get worked up." Iggy said, trying to calm her down.

"Don't tell me-"

BANG, BANG, BANG!

We all jumped at the sounds. It wasn't like before with the gunshots. This time it was more like a crash or a large stomp. Like someone was falling from a great distance and landing on their feet on a not so secure surface. And in this case the not so secure surface was the roof.

"What was that?" Ella asked, speaking for the first time.

"Everyone stay here…I'm going to go-"

Before Dr. Martinez could finish her sentence there was another bang and a crash. Then the sound of glass breaking.

'We're coming…don't…careful…rip their throats out…sneak up…Callie…heal her…" The thoughts were all mixed together but I could tell there were more then one of them. It was just like trying to listen to Callie, only it wasn't her.

"What's going on?" Gazzy asked, and I could tell he was trying to stay calm and to not freak out.

It was then I noticed Callie. Fang was already staring at her suspiciously, as was Iggy.

She had a relieved, delighted smile on her face and she breathed heavily. Closing her eyes, happier then ever Callie muttered under her breath, "They're here."

A/N: REVIEW PLEASE!