Chapter 4: Saving Nudge

Max POV:

I moaned as Gazzy banged his fist against my door. "Max! Come on! You're the only one still in bed!"

"Fine, just a moment!" I replied. I let myself enjoy the last few moments of my dream. It had been just Fang and I on a tropical beach. We had been lying in the sand and drinking something fruity out of a coconut. And of course, since we were on the beach, Fang was totally shirtless.

Sighing, I crawled out of bed and headed into the living room. The kids had sorted their presents into piles. Fang smiled at me as I came in. "Took you long enough."

"You got me up at eight!" I complained.

"And she was having a very good dream," Angel added. "Well, in her opinion anyway."

I already told everybody about you two being a couple, so they won't freak. Angel assured me mentally. I smiled at her.

"Oh?" Fang said, raising one eyebrow. "Was I in this dream? And did I happen to have a shirt on?"

I blushed. "Yes and no," I admitted. Fang chuckled as I sat down beside him and wrapped one arm around my shoulders. "Merry Christmas," he murmured in my ear. I turned my head and kissed his mouth.

"Gross!" Gazzy protested. "Just because we know you're dating doesn't mean you can do that in public!" he whined.

"I think it's sweet," Ella said.

"Oh, does it annoy you when I do this?" Fang said, and before I could react, he grabbed me and started French kissing me.

"EEEW!" Gazzy shrieked.

I pushed him off, and I could tell my face was bright red. "Fang!" I snapped. "Not now."

"Not now?" Iggy asked. "Just keep it down later, please. I don't want to hear you in the middle of the night."

I lunged for him, but Fang held my arm.

Then I fully noticed that one person was missing. "Wait, Nudge isn't up yet?"

"Angel said she went flying last night and fell asleep at the old cabin," Ari said. He looked a bit upset, probably about the whole "me and Fang" thing.

I frowned. Flying at night? In the freezing cold? That didn't sound like Nudge. "Angel, will you tell her to come home please?"

Angel tilted her head, then her eyes flew open wide. "She's in trouble!"

"What?" I cried, jumping to my feet.

"There are Erasers approaching the cabin," Angel said. "We can't beat them, but if we leave now we can reach them before they leave.

I didn't waste any time heading for the door. "We'll go get Nudge. Mom, Jeb, Ella, and Ari stay here."

Iggy, Fang, the Gasman, and Angel followed me as I ran out the door and shot into the air. I was freezing; my thin pajamas did nothing against the cold. I ignored it and pumped my wings hard. Why had Nudge flown off in the middle of the night? And why hadn't she come home?

We reached the cabin just in time to see an Eraser flipping an unconscious Nudge over his shoulder. I called a command and we dove together. I flipped and drove my feet right into his face.

The Eraser roared and I grabbed Nudge, but suddenly there were ten more Erasers around us. I took Nudge and set her against a tree, then shot over to help fight. Gazzy and Angel had teamed up to take down an Eraser. I saw Iggy move over and grab Nudge. He flew her up into a tree, where he rested on a thick branch to guard her.

Fang was taking on three Erasers at once. Two Erasers came up on either side of me. I waited for a moment, then snapped out my wings, knocking them back. I sprang on one and kicked him in the stomach. One grabbed me from behind, but Gazzy jumped on it's back and pulled its ears.

I heard Fang cry out. "Fang!" I called worried.

"I'm okay," he said. I didn't have time to grill him. Four Erasers were still attacking us. I punched one in the muzzle and flipped around to give him a roundhouse kick, but the Eraser caught my leg and knocked me down.

I felt his claws cut my leg as he fell, and he moved to attack me further. Then a black figure shot over me and pinned the Eraser to the ground.

I heard Fang say something with each pound to the Erasers face. "Keep-your-paws-off-my-girlfriend!" he snarled. What a bizarrely romantic moment.

Gazzy and Angel had pinned down another Eraser as Fang and I got up. Fang was panting heavily, more than he should have been, even for a fight like this. The lead Eraser called for retreat as I was about to grill my boyfriend.

"This isn't over freaks. We'll get you eventually," he snarled. The Erasers scampered off into the woods.

I turned back to Fang. He was panting hard, and his face was paper white. Then I realized his shirt was stained with blood. His shirt was dark, so I hadn't noticed it at first. "Fang! You're hurt!" I shrieked.

Fang mumble something incoherent, probably trying to tell me he was okay, but it was too soft for me to hear. Then his black eyes rolled back and he collapsed. I caught him and felt blood coat my arm

Oh God. "Fang!" I felt my voice strain with worry. "Fang! Fang, wake up!" I was panicking now.

"Max! You have to get him home!" Angel said.

"Right, right," I said. I gathered myself and shot into the air, carrying him with me. Even though home was just five minutes away, at the rate Fang was losing blood, that might be the difference between life and death for him. Oh God. I couldn't lose him. I couldn't go on without him.

I don't know what happened. All of a sudden I felt my wings speed up, and I was in front of our house. I blinked in surprise. Did I just teleport? I wondered.

There was no time to ponder. I burst inside. "Mom, Mom, you have to help!" I cried. Mom came running from the hallway.

"Max, what-oh my goodness!" she said.

"Mom, please, there's no time! Fang got clawed and-"

"Okay, okay, lay him on the couch. I'll go get the first aid kit," Mom ran back into her room.

I felt the tears start coming as I laid my boyfriend on the couch. I pulled his shirt of, revealing four long gashes the left side of the base of his neck to his right hip. "Fang, why are you so stubborn," I sobbed. "I can't lose you. I told you, I love you."

The door opened and the other Flock members came in panting. "Okay, everyone out," Mom said, coming back in. She saw my protest written on my face. "Max, please. I need space. You can wait in the hall."

I nodded. "Iggy, give me Nudge," I took her out of his arms without waiting for an answer.

I set her down on her bed and picked up her pillow to fluff it. Something was underneath it. Frowning, I picked it up. It was a picture of Fang smiling and leaning against a tree. I knew this picture. Ella had caught him with her camera as he grinned at something I said. This picture was in a heart shaped frame. Why had it…oh.

Then it clicked. When Nudge panicked, why she didn't come back, her recent behavior…it was so obvious. Nudge was in love with Fang.

I felt acid rise in my throat. Thanks to her crush, Fang was dying. I took the picture frame and threw it against the wall. The glass shattered. "Max," I heard Angel say from the doorway.

"Why? Why did she have to run off?" I was crying again. "He's going to die, I'm a complete wreck, Christmas is ruined…,"

"Max," Angel said again. "We're all worried. Don't blame Nudge. She's been head-over-heels for Fang for a few months, and when she saw you two underneath the mistletoe last night and heard what you said…I think it was like reality had smacked her."

I stared at the ground. "This is awful," I murmured. "I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

Angel wrapped her skinny arms around my waist. "Max, you of all people know that Fang is a fighter. After two years of waiting for you to love him back, do you really think Fang is going to leave you now?"

I blinked. "Two years? Fang's loved me for that long?"

Angel nodded. "I can't believe you didn't notice. He was always looking at you, and he almost always wanted to be next to you. It was more than friendship to him, Max."

I took a shaky breath. "I'm going to go lay down. Tell everyone that gift opening is postponed, and come wake me if Fang wakes up or…," I couldn't bring myself to say the other option.

Angel looked me in the eye, her blue eyes hard. "There isn't another option Max. He will wake up."

I left and crawled into my bed. Fang was dying, I had a new power, and Christmas was ruined. Maybe fate was toying with me, and this was all some crazy dream.

Yes, I suck at writing action/fight scenes. Sorry. But I do have to thank you all for the reviews. It really makes my day to know people like what I write. :)