Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. I've been super duper busy. But good news, I'm finally almost healed from stupid torn ligaments or whatever. I hate sitting around all day, doing nothing. Blarg. But I also got a new puppy! He's a puppy and a mutt. His name is Junior and he was abused in his past home, so he's kinda scared of my dad. It sucks, but he's getting better.

Anyways, enjoy another chapter of Songs From The Trees!

I didn't knock on the door. I'm not stupid. I simply opened it, waiting for the creak I knew would come.

And as the door wheezed its usual sigh, the fear I am so used to came back. Simply this place makes me fear again. The feeling of being afraid almost caused pain. So I shut my eyes and strengthened my mask.

I slipped into the house, hearing the TV in the other room and the low, murmuring voices of Jeb and Valencia. Great, they're home. I was hoping I'd be able to run quickly up the stairs then run quickly out of the house, but stealth works, too. I know stealth. I have been practicing invisibility practically my entire life. That skill never dulls nor disappears.

I silently slipped by the living room, staying to the walls. I peeked into the room, taking a deep, silent breath.

Their heads were bowed together, and I could just barely make out their murmured words.

"The children still haven't come back," Jeb whispered, and Valencia nodded. "Where could they have gone?"

Was it possible they wanted us back? They wanted us?

Valencia make a sound of annoyance. "I have to teach that brat a lesson. She can't leave and take Angel with her!"

My hope fell from my heart and shattered on the ground. I shook my head, making sure the mask was still there. Check, the emotionless void was still occupying my face.

I continued to glide through the house, making my way to the stairs. The familiar steps were my lifeline, or at least were. They had been for the past five years.

I quietly thanked the wooden steps as I brushed up them. The door to my bedroom was practically hugged when I came to it. "I've kinda missed you," I admitted to my room, the one place in this house where I've never been wounded.

After all, how can I not miss this unfamiliar place?

As I surveyed the room, I noticed a dirty, white tail poking out from under Angel's old bed and I understood how I missed it the first time.

I pulled it out to reveal the old friend. I remember cuddling with Angel and Josey while she cried. I remember handing her the animal to stuff in her backpack on the first day of school. I also remember Valencia giving this to her on the day of her birth.

I held the animal tightly in my hand and slipped out of the door and back down the stairs. I didn't dare close the door, terrified it would creak.

Slipping back the same way I came, I steadied my breathing until a scream ripped out of my throat.

"Maxie!" Valencia spat. "You're back!"

MAXIMUM RIDE

FANG POV

As a scream made its way out the front door and to my ears, I froze. That was Max. No grown man or woman could make that sound.

Before I knew what I was doing, I had locked the car doors and grabbed Angel's hand, pulling her with me to save Max.

I didn't care if anybody heard me so I slammed the front door against the wall. My footsteps were loud and commanding for attention.

"Max!" I ran through a hallway. "Max!"

I looked wildly around, not caring about my surroundings. But as I did look around, I saw a bloodstain on the carpet and a cut in the wall that looked unintentional. Why would they have a knife in the living room?

"Stop!"

I didn't even have to tell my feet to move towards the sound, they did it themselves.

I never want to see what I saw again.

Max, curled up on the ground, an emotionless face stuck on her face, getting kicked over and over. By her parents.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snarled at her parents, bringing out my scary Fang voice.

They looked up momentarily, giving Max a needed second to compose herself and roll out of their reach. How many times had she done that?

I was so worried about Max I didn't even feel the first blow. It landed on my stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of me.

The next one hit me hard, though.

It was on my face, right on my cheek, hard enough to make my head snap completely back and Angel scream.

By this time Max was able to get up and pull me away. She held a tight grip on my hand as she made a dead sprint for the door. She completely ignored the scarlet blood dripping down her face and staining her shirt.

It took me a minute to realize why she kept running even once we were outside, but as soon as the pounding footsteps were audible, I was afraid. Her parents were following us.

Finally we reached the car. Max literally threw the small cat toy through the window, where it landed safely on the seat.

Angel was next, landing in the back seat with a bounce. She was bawling her eyes out, and Max gave me a look of apology as she climbed in with Angel.

Max's face already had several nasty bruises forming on it, and blood still made a trail down the side of her head in a steady place.

I knew there would be a nasty bruise on my stomach, and an even nastier one of my face, but I was completely ignoring the burning pain. All I could focus on was the blood streaking Max's hair and staining her face. It was making me crazy, seeing her in such obvious pain.

But I had to turn my head towards the road and concentrate on that instead. I let the winding turns take me to a secluded place in my mind and just breathed. I almost forgot about this devastating present. Almost. The dripping of blood in the back seat and Angel's low cries brought me back.

Oh God. What happened to us?

MAXIMUM RIDE

MAX POV

I knew I was bleeding. I knew there were probably multiple bruises all over my face. I knew that I had possibly broken a rib. But I didn't care. All of my worry was on Fang. He had gotten into a fight with my abusive parents for me. He had probably saved my life. Oh, when you say, "No, your parents wouldn't have killed you. They're your parents!" I'll tell you that you didn't see the look in their eyes. You didn't witness the murderous anger present in their faces, the way they attacked. It was awful.

The only reason I presses my hand against my face was to stop the blood from staining Fang's car. I felt that would be rude.

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped from my lips. I'm so used to bleeding, my parents have made me so used to bleeding that I have literally only stopped it in concern for other people.

"What are we going to tell my mom?" Fang asked worriedly, pawing at the bruise beginning to form around his eye. "We come home bleeding and bruised, and Angel is crying. What will that make her think?"

I felt my mask loosen slightly near Fang, but thought it would be best to harden it. "Well, I honestly don't care what your mother thinks of me."

Angel frowned in the back seat, pulling on a familiar expression. "Yea," She grunted in agreement, not really able to pull the whole 'tough' thing off all that well. Her name is literally Angel.

I put a comforting hand on Angel's shoulder. "Sweetie, it's okay to care."

She looked into my eyes and whispered, "But when I do, I get hurt."

"I know, I know."

MAXIMUM RIDE

"Angel? Max? Fang?" Vanessa's voice boomed through the hallway. "Is that you?"

"Yea, Mom!" Fang called back, then quietly gestured for us to slip up the stairs instead of walking through the kitchen.

"Do you guys want anything to eat?" There was the sound of a blender. "I just made smoothies!"

"No thanks, Mom!"

Angel turned towards me and whispered, "I'm fine, I'll go with Vanessa."

I nodded and hugged her before hurrying up the stairs and trying desperately to find my way to the guest room that held my concealer. If I could get to the concealer, I could hide these wounds and stop any forming suspicions.

I stopped dead.

Why do I try so hard to protect those monsters? Why do I carefully disguise any visible wound everyday to assure any doubts about my normal, happy family? Why do I care if Jeb and Valencia get sent to jail? If they... die? I know that's an awful thing to think. Believe me, I do know. But I also know that they've wanted their imperfect daughter to drop dead multiple times before.

I felt my eyes turn to stone. My mouth formed a thin, grim line. Once these thoughts entered my mind, it took time, or something seriously important to get them out.

I could call the police. Spill my guts. Get Vanessa to let Angel and I stay here until I could find an apartment. But as I imagined Jeb and Valencia being towed away to prison, maybe even getting killed there, something stopped me. It wasn't love, or the remaining ounce of care I had left for them, it was the kindness that somehow still shrouded my heart. I don't wish death on anyone, even if they deserve that and more. Maybe hell. Maybe.

"Max." Fang's voice snapped me out of my mind. It was a good thing he did, I don't know how much longer I would have stood a chance to that darkness.

"Yea?"

"Do you have anything for this?" He gestured to his ugly looking black eye, then down to his bruised stomach.

"I put concealer on your eye," I examined the bruise with concern. "But we'll just have to ice your stomach."

He nodded. "Okay, the guest room is this way."

I followed his lead, still trying to even begin to make sense of the twisting hallway. How is it possible for only two people to live here?

Finally, Fang opened a somewhat familiar door, revealing the bed that had obviously been occupied, and a blue, fallen duffel bag. I quickly picked up the jar of concealer that had been sitting on the dresser and applied it to Fang's eye, thankful that I had brought this savior.

Then out came the first aid kit. I carefully began to clean my wound, until Fang insisted that he take it.

As I sat still and let him apply dabs of make-up, he would focus on my eyes, warily, travel to one of the wounds, before sneakily placing their gaze on my lips.

I knew what he wanted, but I waited for him to actually act upon it. To see if he would act upon it. I doubted it. He is the kind of guy who would give me the entire universe if I asked for space. And right now, he thinks I need space.

Honestly, I need the opposite of space. I need somebody to hold me close and tell me that they're never going to let me go. I need somebody to stroke my hair and tell me it's alright even though it isn't. Hell, even a hug and a compliment would help right now.

As soon as those thoughts entered my mind, Fang seemed to sense it. He picked up the pace with his cleaning and applying before quickly brushing my hair behind my ear. He then proceeded to pull me down into a laying position on the bed where we simply cuddled. Nothing more, nothing less. He just held me as I murmured nonsense into his chest. I babbled on and on about unfairness before silencing and enjoying the feel of his arms around me.

And in the comfort of those strong, warm arms, I let the arms of sleep overtake me.

The last words I heard before I drifted off were, "Sleep, my darling."