Hello readers! How have ya'll been since the last time? Good? Yea, me too.

Anyhoo, I've been sick the past couple of days, and I've taken that time to become a writing machine. I wrote this entire chapter yesterday, I was just so inspired. And if it isn't good, just know that my fever induced brain came up with it.

Anyways, I am bringing the action back! Just like I brought sexy back... haha no. But seriously, no more of that emotional crappy stuff, except for the first half of this chapter... eh whatever.

And just so you guys know that I got 24 reviews? I HAVE 313 REVIEWS! DO YOU KNOW HOW AMAZING THIS IS?!

I apologize for that... ahem... okay... you can read the chapter now. Have fun.

Oh and can we get at least 7 reviews? So I can be up to 320?

Read and review!

THIRD PERSON POV

The mocha-skinned girl paced back and forth. Too many dramas were swirling around her life. Seth, school, Iggy. She didn't want to concentrate on anything anymore.

"Nudge?" Iggy placed a soft hand on her shoulder.

She turned to face her companion, a look of extreme duress worn on her face. "Hey."

They both winced as a particularly loud crash sounded from downstairs, accompanied by a scream. Nudge frowned, knowing the voice belonged to her mother. i

"Are you okay?" Iggy slowly brought the anxious girl into a hug.

"No," She admitted, burying her face into her boyfriend's neck. "It's all just too much."

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the positives of being with Nudge. "I know what you mean." He pulled back. "Seth." Probably the main problem in their book. "Max and whatever she's doing with Lissa and Fang. Trying to rehabilitate them or whatever." He looked deep into her chocolate eyes. "Us."

She bowed her head, practically admitting to him that she had thought the same exact thing before he'd shown up.

"Nudge..." Iggy started off slowly, and all Nudge could think about was that Iggy was going to break up with her. Completely shatter her heart and destroy her ability to love and trust even worse than it was already broken. He would turn her into an uncaring monster. "I love you."

Her face broke into a smile. She beamed at him and said, "I love you too."

Iggy closed her into a kiss, and in that moment, everything was perfect.

MAX POV

We were at Fang's house. Fang was lying on the futon, sprawled carelessly, with Angel seated on top of him. She would kick him, trying to get a reaction out of the sleepy brick.

"Ange," I said warningly, but the way I said it let her know I really couldn't care less about her sitting on Fang.

After a few minutes of utter silence, Fang turned in his sleep, effectively dumping my sister to the ground.

I was there in a minute, scooping her up, checking to see if she was okay.

She smiled up at me and swallowed her giggles. "I'm okay, Maxie."

I returned her smile, maybe with a little wariness, but that was all Angel needed to feel completely comfortable.

Fang muttered something about a night before the dawn, before he cried out and the words, "Dawn, no!" left his lips.

"Fang," I whispered in his ear as soon as he began to thrash around, yelling about the truck. "Fang!"

"No!" He screamed as he sat up, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

"Shh," I soothed him, rubbing his shoulders slowly.

He laid back down, but not before pulling me down with him. "Thanks, Max."

I kissed him gently on the cheek. "No problem."

Yes, it was nothing new for Fang to kiss me, or for me to kiss him. But I didn't know if we were dating. Hell, I didn't even know if I was going back to school!

I decided I'd bring the matter up. Might as well figure it out while I still can. "Fang?"

His head turned sleepily to me.

"Are... are you my..." I let the question trial off, embarrassed of the question, and terrified of the answer.

He searched my face for a second before answering, "Maximum Ride, if you want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend like I do, then yes, we are." He paused, not breaking eye contact with me. "But if you aren't ready, then I respect that and will wait for the girl I love."

I stared deep into his eyes. "Love?" I asked quietly, letting the foreign word roll of my tongue. Sure, I loved Angel, but I felt no more love towards my parents. Angel and I usually didn't even say the word.

Fang stared back. "Yes. Love. I'm not going to keep it hidden anymore."

I wrapped my arms around him. "Well, it's a good thing, because I love you too."

Had I really just said that? Did those words really just exit my mouth?

Fang also seemed shocked by my words. Then there was no time for words. His lips were on mine, working against mine, and Angel was shrieking in the background. But I didn't care.

"Eww!" Angel nosed her way into Fang's and my embrace.

Fang let out a deep chuckle.

"No kissing!" Angel insisted, squirming so we were further apart. "It's gross!"

I giggled as Angel continued to make sounds of disgust.

Yes, giggled.

"Kids!" Vanessa's voice boomed through the halls. "Bed time!"

"Okay, Mom!" Fang called back, not breaking his stare at me.

Angel skipped out of the room, hurrying to our designated room. She loved staying here.

"Want me to walk you upstairs?" Fang offered, taking my hand gently. He seemed to have gotten more confident, and I'm sure I helped his ego grow.

I nodded before slipping through his grasp and whispering, "Race you."

I glided up the stairs, nimble and quick, able to slide through his futile attempts at grabbing me. I knew he'd be unable to catch me.

I made it to the top of the stairs and slid baseball style into our room, grabbing the door so I could close it when I finished my slide.

I heard Fang make a sound between a laugh and a groan from the other side of the door, and answered it with a taunt. "Ooh, Fang got beaten by a girl."

Angel made a sound of amusement from the other side of the room. "Come on, Max."

"Tomorrow," I vowed to Fang, and the sound of him shuffling away was answer enough.

I crawled into the bed and laid next to Angel. "Good night, sleep tight," I whispered, waiting for her answer.

"And don't let the parents fight."

It was a rhyme we'd made up when we were little, before the abuse began for Angel. Valencia and Jeb had been arguing a lot during that time, and we had always hated it. But now I miss those times.

I tucked in Angel before falling asleep myself. "They can't fight us anymore, we're safe."

MAXIMUM RIDE

"Maximum Ride, please come to the office."

I looked up from my paper when my name was mentioned. I was in fourth period, trying to concentrate on math, but failing miserably.

"Maximum," My teacher gestured to the door. "You can go. I'll take your paper." I got up and began to walk. "You can finish it tomorrow."

I nodded before leaving the classroom. I was wondering why I had to leave. Was Vanessa picking us up, or was Angel having trouble at school again? My mind began to pick up possibilities and drop them carelessly. Why was I being called?

I reached the office, a confused look was covering my face, replacing my usual indifferent one.

"What did you need me for?" The secretary looked up at me. "My name was called over the intercom."

"Oh yes, you're getting dismissed, sweetie." She pointed behind her. "They're back there."

I looked past the woman at the front desk to see who was claiming me.

My breathing stopped. My heart dropped. I think my brain exploded inside of my head. I was about to cry.

The people sitting inside of the office were Jeb and Valencia. They came back for me.

"Maxie!" Valencia smiled and rose from her chair. After a few steps were taken towards me, my mask slipped on. I steadied my breathing and let the emotions leave.

I looked at the secretary, but saw she had already turned away to focus on her computer screen. I couldn't call out to anybody, or Valencia would lash out.

"Angel's already here," Jeb picked up my sister, as if to prove that they had her. "So we can just go." A sickly sweet smile covered Valencia's face. "Aunt Karen is coming in from Utah, and we thought it would be nice if you would be waiting for her when she comes in." She glanced at her watch. "She's coming in about an hour, so we should get going."

I nodded, trying not to lose my sanity. We had been so close to escaping our desolate reality; I guess I was stupid for ever believing we could ever really get away.

Valencia grabbed my hand, and I saw the Jeb had done the same to Angel. We had no way out that would guarantee safety.

Just as we came to the front door, the bell rang, and kids poured from the doors of the classrooms. Fang exited one close to me, joking with one of the kids on the basketball team.

"Fang!" His head snapped towards my call, and I tried desperately to keep it cool. I knew Valencia was giving me a death glare, but I waved and said, "I'm leaving early, see you later!"

Fang managed to nod, but I saw the panic and fear in his eyes. He knew exactly what was happening.

We exited the school and entered the parking lot. With nobody her to witness their cruelty now, Jen and Valencia dropped the acts.

"Get to the car." Jeb's voice was no longer fatherly, it was cold and harsh, sounding as if it were capable of anything.

I sat in the back with Angel, holding her close and whispering comforting words in her ear, even though I knew it was going to be anything but all right. Something bad was going to happen to us. Something terrible.

"Get in the house."

I waited for Angel to unbuckle before picking her up and carrying her to our unwanted destination.

As soon as the door was shut and we were trapped in a corner, the yelling began. "Listen you little pieces of shit!" Jeb started, "You can't escape your own home! You cannot escape me! Don't you know how disrespectful that is? Don't you know how stupid, idiotic, worthless and ugly you are?" His shouts echoed around the room, but I was glad to hear them instead of feel what I knew was soon to come.

The yells and shrieks continued, but I tuned them out. I didn't need to hear things I had heard countless times before.

A blow struck my face. "Listen to me, you worthless bitch!"

I moved subtlety in front of Angel. They'd have to get through me first. And I intended to never let them get through me.

The yelling continued for a while, I think, I just let all of the words blur into each other and become meaningless babble. It was a strategy I'd come up with over the years. If I couldn't hear the words, the words wouldn't hurt.

Then Valencia pushed me aside and picked up Angel. "You were supposed to be the perfect one! Why aren't you perfect?" The sound of fist against face seemed to ring out around the room.

That was it. I had to fight back now.

I will be Maximum.

MAXIMUM RIDE

THIRD PERSON POV

A phone rang, loud and shrill in Nudge's house. The scared girl hurried downstairs before the ringing awoke her stepfather.

"Hello?"

"Nudge?"

The mocha-skinned girl's voice was barely above a whisper, but still hearable. You just had to strain your ears. "Yes."

"Max and Angel were taken out of school early today by their parents. I don't know what's going to happen to them, but I know it isn't going to be good."

Nudge's face contorted into one of panic, sadness and anger. Max didn't need anymore of this. She had been going through it for more than half of her life, and it had turned her into something no teenage girl should have to be. Strong. Unbreakable. Unwilling to trust.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know. Can I meet you somewhere?"

Nudge murmured her answer if yes before muttering the location of Max's singing tree in the park. But Nudge had a feeling Fang already knew where it was.

"We're coming to save you, Max."