HA! I'm alive and well! Sorry I've been so busy I've been working on sculptures, paintings and band projects all year. This is my first time in a while to just sit down and write so... yeah... busy busy busy... If you want, you can PM me and inquire exactly what I've been up to but it doesn't matter. (shrugs)

Um... Thanks for all the reviews and I can't wait to hear from you! But seriously though, I'm sorry that I'm late.

Enjoy!

Ruat Caelum

Recolligo

It was cold. She realized that as her first conscious thought. The fingers ached to move, but remained numb as she floated in a dark mass. It splashed around her, endless black that kept her floating just above the surface, salty and cold. It was raining, much to her distaste, lightning and thundering too. When the dark sky was lit up she could see everything tinge a dark blue, her fingers pale and wrinkled like a raisin, the waves growing taller with the passing wind.

"Man overboard!" A muffled voice called out against the storm. She blinked against the rain, seeing a light a short ways away. A boat… how unusual. It rocked nearby as a familiar object was thrown to her, a floating device. Unconscious fingers wrapped around it, her body unwilling to think anymore, and she felt the waves cutting through her body as she was pulled towards the small boat aiding her. She inhaled deeply, feeling an odd sense of elation as ice-cold air cut her lungs, reminding her of high altitudes.

Two men lifted her with practiced ease onto the boat, carrying her below the wooden deck and tucking her beneath a blanket. She sat up as soon as the two turned around, gazing blankly at the small room. It was a galley, a small amount of food remained on the table from a meal that happened not long ago, worn with time and use. She stared at her feet disappointed in herself; why did she let herself get picked up by strangers so easily? She sniffled, oh yes, she was cold. She suddenly frowned in distaste realizing she had lost one of her shoes to the waves, a dirty white sock stared up at her wanting the missing shoe to cover it.

"Clothes." One muttered, tossing clothes into her lap. She stared at them gratefully, feeling herself shivering. She looked up at one of the sailors and he pointed behind her to a small door on the right. Without a word she stood and closed the door behind her with a soft click.

It was a bathroom. An unkempt bathroom, but a bathroom nonetheless. She changed quickly, ignoring the groaning protests of her body, she needed to move her body anyway. She was caught off guard as she glanced into the mirror; was that her? She glanced herself up and down, yes, it was her, grown up and with a figure, a figure easy to hide beneath the baggy clothing. A trembling hand touched her cold face. This was her, older and somewhat wiser, but it was odd though not as odd as it could have been.

It didn't take long for the ship to sail out of the storm, faster than she expected. The night sky beamed down at her as she stood at the bow, rubbing her arms for warmth. How were they? She wondered, ignoring the crew behind her. Were they healthy? She smiled at the stars, reminding herself of the boy she missed. The stars twinkled in excitement, as if spreading the news that she was awake.

After all, that was the hardest part of waking up, actually being awake...

"Miss? What's your name?" The crewmember asked a few hours later, the edge of the horizon held a warm yellow hue, watching her flip through a soggy deck of cards in distaste. She looked up at the male before her, he could have been faceless for all she cared, but she remained polite in keeping eye contact. She smiled briefly, as if pondering the question herself, before speaking in a calm voice.

"Max." She grinned, missing her name; her voice seemed kinder and higher than before. She felt the wind caressing her, encouraging her to do her favorite pastime: fly. "As in the ever indestructible, wonderful," she gestured to herself, "Maximum Ride." She jumped to the edge of the boat, her wings cutting through the back of the shirt and she leapt into the air before the male could say anymore. "Thank you!" She yelled in excitement, already hundreds of feet above the boat. And with what seemed like a kick of the heel, she disappeared.

She grinned at the familiar shiver flowing down her spine, elated by the chill of the air. With a laugh, she pumped her wings faster, breaking the speed of sound with ease. She was awake, she realized. She was literally flying instead of dreaming the same scene over and over. She slowed to a sudden stop, her eighteen-foot wings wrapping tightly around her body like a cocoon. Max plummeted, the feeling of adrenaline caused her scream in excitement, and at the last second she snapped open her wings, the tips just brushing against the water.

Her smile faltered as she slowed her flight to the gentle waves; it took so long to wake up. She closed her eyes in disappointment towards herself, for she had been Sleeping Beauty without a Prince Charming. But it wasn't like Max was a damsel in distress; she could wake up without the Prince, but she sorely wished he had found her. She sighed heavily as the cool air began to feel muggy. What if Fang did find her? Would she have woken up? Would she still be in that state? She shook her head. It didn't matter, it was impossible to find her back then in that moment of time. Fang could not do the impossible. The improbably, yes, but never the impossible.

She saw a shoreline in the distance, only to climb altitude to avoid being seen. Where was she? Below she could hear people talking in a language she could barely recognize, but that never stopped her. There were skyscrapers, tall and glistening, with smaller buildings where people were walking in and out, minding their own business. She hurried out of the bustling center of the city revealing a nice neighborhood nearby; there were a few windows open and almost no one on the streets. Max smiled with mild guilt; she still remembered how to steal.

It wasn't that Max wanted to steal; it was just that she had no clue where she was, no identification, let alone money. There really wasn't much of a choice. She slipped into a bedroom, tucking her wings in behind her, sighing in relief that it belonged to a girl. After locking the bedroom door Max began to rummage about the room, grabbing a backpack and tossing it on the bed. She changed into fresh clothes from around the room and in the closet, tossing the ones from the boat into the bag. A simple tank top and jeans soon graced her figure. She didn't mind how loose they were, since it was more comfortable that way.

With a sigh, she took more clothes from the closet for an emergency change before dumping it in the bag and lacing up knee high boots to protect her feet. The backpack was light, Max vaguely noticed as she placed it on her back. In her hand was a simple black blazer she could slip on when she landed. She took a final look about the room, noticing a large jewelry box in the corner. She never owned accessories before. She opened it slowly, revealing an assortment of jewelry, hairpins, and miscellaneous items.

"I must be crazy." Max muttered to herself as she took a butterfly necklace, a few bracelets, rings, and hairpins from the box before placing it in a small pouch in the backpack. "It's for when I meet Fang." She attempted to convince herself, not that she really was going to see him. She already promised she could do her job alone. "I want to look nice." She flushed. Why should she look nice? Being covered in dirt never stopped her before, so why now?

A knock on the door and Max jumped out of her skin. A woman called into the room and Max leapt from the window and into the air. The language was Japanese, Max realized. She wasn't even in the right continent! The last time she was with the flock, she was in Greenland, and now she was in Japan? She flew higher, so she was in Japan and she needed to get back to America, the question was how? Of course she could fly but she didn't know where America was because she didn't know where in Japan she was.

Much to her dislike Max began to lose altitude. She needed to eat; it felt like she hadn't eaten in forever. She noticed a couple carrying grocery bags just below her; she needed food, and it was now or never. She tucked in her wings, aiming towards the couple, grabbed the bags with ease, and ran away. She ran a block or two before leaping into a tree to look at the spoils, chips, sodas, and something that was like a Lunchable, a bento or something like that.

Hours later, she was flying over the water once again, her internal sense of direction leading the way. She was flying faster than most airplanes; as long as there was any way possible to reduce the risk of being shark food in the middle of the ocean. She could see the California coast, or at least she hoped it was the California coast, empty due to the lack of sun. There were people walking on the streets, talking excitedly, some even noticed her by now but that wasn't her concern.

She flew in the direction of Dr. Martinez's house; she was dying for the taste of the woman's chocolate chip cookies. Max dropped to the ground a few miles away from the house, vaguely noticing a mansion in its general direction. She squinted at it; that wasn't there eight years ago. Gaudy people must live in it, she sniffed, people who like to show themselves off. The air was sweet, an hour or two before midnight, and Max breathed it greedily as she walked down the worn street.

At a gas station Max slipped into the bathroom, washing her face briefly and placing butterfly hairpins in her hair. The necklace felt cool against her skin before she slid on a few bracelets. Dr. Martinez would like to see her dressed up, right? At a moments hesitation Max slipped a ring on her left ring finger, starting at it and then looking at herself in the mirror. Her gaze surprised her. She wanted to be married, her expression longed for the person to actually slip the ring on her finger. Max slipped the ring back off, tucking it away in her pant pocket and slipping the black jacket over her shoulders. It wouldn't look weird, right? Some random person showing up at a house she hadn't visited in eight years?

With a sigh Max trekked to the familiar house, the windows lit up, signifying someone was there. She stepped onto the porch, hearing her boots tap against the wood and creak under her weight. A hand hesitated to knock on the door, noticing a note on the door. Black ink smiled at her through the fluid handwriting of the person she wanted to see.

Ella,

We're having dinner at the mansion. Don't forget the cookies.

Mom

So no one was there. Max tried the door; locked. Maybe the people at the mansion wouldn't mind her asking for Dr. Martinez. She hoped they didn't. If they asked why she'd say she was her daughter that would work… that could always work. She turned around; the tapping of the wood began again, and began her trek to the mansion.

She was there faster than she expected, the moon high in the sky, the doorstep lit up the pathway she didn't take. Her hand curled into a light fist, ready to knock, but hesitating. What if the people inside were snobs? What if Dr. Martinez changed?

There was laughter inside. Who was inside? A screech of surprise. "I have to go, my flight leaves in an hour." A male voice called and it strangely reminded Max of someone. It was then that Max became familiar with the sound of ticking, like a bomb, but much grander. "No Iggy, I'm fine, I'll be back in a week." Her chest tightened at the words, the ticking, and voice, her hand raised to knock on the door and there was a chime.

One chime, two, three, Max blinked, frozen by boisterous sound. Four, five, six, Max was shaking, she could hear the door unlock. Seven, eight, the door was opening, and she could see dark hair cut in a similar manner as her best friend. "God that's loud." She couldn't help but hear. Nine chimes, He looked up, vaguely noticing Max standing there, her arm rose to knock the door, and lifted his duffle bag on his shoulder. Ten, he did a double take. Eleven, the door slammed wide open along with his eyes, showing more emotion than ever. Max gasped, seeing the male in front of her.

"Well crap." She said aloud.

Fang waited to hear the twelfth and final chime to breathe again but heard nothing. The incessant ticking noise wasn't there but he could hear the flock giggling and laughing behind him. He saw a girl with familiar brown eyes and hair standing before him, dumbly at that with her arm raised, with hairpins keeping her silky hair from falling onto her face. Her eyes were wide as if she did something terribly wrong. His duffle bag slipped from his grasp.

The thud of the duffle bag must have snapped her out of comatose she was in for she jumped at the vibration and began running away. "WAIT!" Fang yelled, his arm outstretched to touch her. He cursed under his breath, running after her, wishing deeply that she wasn't another hallucination.

Silence fell over the mansion as Iggy looked in the direction of the door as he gave Ella a piggyback ride despite her protests. He had stopped suddenly at the sound of Fang's frantic voice, to suddenly be that way – Iggy caught a familiar scent. He let Ella down gently, his eyes wide. "Get Angel." Iggy ordered quietly as the acting leader. "Wake her up now."

"What's-" The Gasman began, staring at Iggy in worry. Iggy never ordered around, he never played leader unless it was urgent. Iggy's face was pale and Fang had just shot out the door.

"Get her." Iggy ordered through gritted teeth, tension filling the air. The Gasman left the hall quickly; jogging towards the room his sister had been sleeping since yesterday. She had woken up for brief moments only to mutter unintelligible words and fall asleep once more.

"I don't know if anyone cares to notice but the clock's stopped." Iggy stiffened further at Nudge's remark as she pointed to the tall clock. "You didn't forget to rewind it, did you Ig?"

"I don't forget." Iggy mumbled, his jaw tightening. He had wound the clock not long ago.

Fang was panting, he had been running after her for what seemed like an hour, she was running faster than he ever believed possible. Suddenly they were in a meadow and she turned around, her face illuminated in the moonlight. She was beautiful. Though her eyes were filled with fear and her expression searched for escape she was beautiful. The silky brown hair struggling to catch up with her graceful movements, the simple clothes hugging her curves in a boyish fashion. And butterflies, the butterflies she wore shocked him, sparking in the moonlight.

"Do you know my name?" Fang yelled out to her as she reached the edge of the clearing, already dashing towards the trees. This would determine if she was truly a hallucination. But this hallucination was too real. Max never wore jewelry so he never imagined her wearing it. And there she was, running away, with the attempts to look pretty shined against the moon.

"What idiot wouldn't?" She yelled back, her voice rushed and angered. He could imagine her face filled with anger for a moment.

"Come with me to England." Fang rushed, his mind drifting only vaguely to the plane he was missing.

"I just got back from hell and you want me to go see the Queen?" Her laughter echoed through the trees. Where was she? "Alright, I'll go." Her voice seemed amused. "If you can find me." He could sense the grin in her words.

"I know everything about you. You think I can't find you?" Fang questioned, listening for the slightest movement.

"Back then, Fang, it's been eight years, guess how much I've changed." The voice was calm and somewhat lonely, Fang stumbled hearing the voice resonating from a nearby tree. "You won't find me. It's improbable."

"I can do the improbable, you can do the impossible." He reminded her.

Angel stared blankly at everyone in the room as she concentrated her thoughts to someone far away. "I can hear him, he's almost thirty miles west of here. And Mama's voice… I can hear her very faintly." A tear slipped down her cheek. "She's like Jeb… like there's nothing there but I can hear her voice, it's just so quiet…" Angel fell silent, pressured glances coming her way. Her expression showed she was concentrating hard, listening so the thoughts were shouting in her mind. She suddenly sat up straighter, her expression suddenly relaxed.

"Ah." Angel smiled, "The Prince found Sleeping Beauty."

"I can't believe you tripped over me." Max frowned, glaring at the male beside her. They were sprawled on the forest floor, lost in the bed of leaves, looking at each other.

"I found you." Fang whispered, his dark eyes filled with sudden emotion. "You're here and you're real." His fingers caressed Max's cheek. "It's been eight years, Max. God you've changed, we've changed. I thought… after Greenland."

"That was Greenland. Eight years ago. So what's in England?" Max changed the subject abruptly. Her gaze changed towards the sky while inhaling the familiar earthy smell.

"I'm performing there. And since you're going, you'll be there. Then, of course, the Queen."

"The poor dear should be delighted to see me, perhaps she'll throw a ball just for me." Max giggled. "Well, it's time to go, I hear them coming." She sat up, brushing the leaves from her hair and heading towards the clearing the two of them had previously been in. "You're a pianist with a mansion, you must be doing good. Makes me wonder if it's a good then I disappeared." Max told Fang with a smile just before Angel landed in the clearing, leading the way for the rest of the flock. Fang cursed inside, unable to counter her tone because of the emotional between Max and the flock.

"Look! We managed to bring Dr. Martinez and Ella!" Nudge grinned as she ran up to Max and hugging her tightly. "Ew, Max, haven't you ever heard of fashion sense?" Max's eyes widened in a deceitful surprise, gazing down at her clothes.

"I thought this looked nice!" Obviously pretending to be embarrassed or at least it was obvious to Fang. Her cheeks flushed as she glanced around, surveying everyone. Ella had grown so beautifully, carrying Dr. Martinez's cheekbones and held warm brown eyes like Max. Ella was staring at Max with wide eyes, tears streaming down her face and hands covering her mouth in utter shock. Dr. Martinez was no different, though she was just a slightly older version of Ella, she made the same exact movements and expressions as her daughter. Iggy's blue eyes were wide too; amazed by Max's scent and her presence. The Gasman was grinning, his eyes flickering from Max to Angel and back again; his sister was happy again.

"Well that's beside the point." Nudge sniffed, releasing herself from Max. "Oh! I almost forgot! Yesterday was someone's birthday but we totally forgot to celebrate it and I totally forgot whose birthday it was. Do you remember whose birthday it was?" Nudge asked an obvious look of curiosity on her features. Angel finally released herself from Max, so excited her mother was back.

"Of course." Max laughed. "Yesterday was my birthday." She flashed a smile, grinning at everyone around her. "Did you really forget that Nudge? I thought you were the one with the best memory." Her expression was teasing. Fang watched as Max made a subtle move to position herself away from the flock as if ready to run. "But, you see, I can't stay long; I promised dear old gloomy there that I'd go to England with him." Max jabbed a thumb at Fang as he stood silent at the edge of the clearing.

"Oh! But I have this dress!" Nudge was suddenly jumping up and down, her wings extending as if ready to shoot off into the sky. "I just designed it last week and you'll totally fit into it! You'll be gorgeous and it'll be for your birthday! A Nudge Original for your birthday! How does that sound?" Her grin sparkled.

"Like I'm being spoiled by the best fashion designer in the world!" Max laughed, watching Nudge shoot up into the sky in excitement only to drop back down and grab Ella. "Lets go back to that house- erm…mansion, where it's nice and cozy. I'm sure Total feels left out." Max glanced around once more knowing the small black dog was lacking. In an instant Angel and the Gasman was lifting Dr. Martinez into the air, the Gasman taking most of the weight, and Iggy was leading the way giving minor help to Nudge with Ella. "Come on Fang, I'm not going anywhere." She laughed as she gestured for Fang to come closer. She unfurled her wings, lifting herself off the ground a few feet. "I don't have a passport, Fang, I can still back out of this."

"No." Fang replied stiffly, suddenly at Max's side. "We made you a passport a long time ago, Angel's shape shifting can come in handy." He tugged on Max's hand, urging her to catch up with the rest of the flock. A twinge of pain surged through her, they had made Angel shift into her? Was it that time or more? How much did they miss Max? Was it enough to scar Angel emotionally through the shifts? She flew a little faster but her expression seemed dreading something no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"So this is your home." Max said in awe as the flock landed just outside the mansion. It was illuminated brightly as if expecting Max as well. A black mass came running out, leaping into Max's arms and throwing her off balance. Total grinned at Max as his paws pressed against her chest to be eye to eye with her. Max raised a brow at him as his tongue hung out of his mouth allowing his saliva to get on her face with her gaze falling on the pale lavender ribbon.

"Those mongrels you left me with have no class, well, except for Fang. His style is magnificent! It's like everything and nothing, like a mystery and, and – "

"That's enough Total." Fang cut the small dog off, removing Total from Max's arms, a speck of anger on his features. Max wiped her face gratefully, now eying Fang at his sudden cut off.

With a sudden tug Max was running through the main doors of the mansion, speeding through the halls taking turn after turn, up a flight of stairs, and another turn to reveal a large four poster bedroom. Over all the walls were sketches of clothing with pieces of fabric tacked onto it to provide an idea of how the sketches would look. A sole mannequin stood in front of the large red four-poster bed, a glistening white dress. It reminded Max of a sundress and at the same time not at all. It was strapless with a silk trimming that shined against the light that fell upon it. The dress followed every curve of the mannequin, emphasizing on the bust, hips, and small waist, ending near the knee. The skirt looked thin like a sundress, thanks to the imagination of Nudge, but had many layers that bounced and giving the lift a sundress would have in the wind. A fabric white rose was pinned to the top front corner of the dress as a large ribbon was tied pointlessly in the back, the ribbons falling just above the floor. Max gasped at the dress before her. It was simple, yes, but it was really the first dress she'd own. Wait. Was it really hers? As if reading Max's mind, Nudge grinned at the work in front of her. "Yeah, it's yours." Nudge gestured to the mannequin before them. "Try it on."

"You're kidding." Max gave Nudge a pointed look but Nudge's Cheshire grin told her otherwise. "Remember, I don't DO dresses. It makes it hard to make an escape or pull a heist or something like that." Angel was already pulling the dress off with minor difficulties due to her bandages. "Angel, sweetie, I never got the chance to ask you this yet but what happened?"

"I was dancing." Angel replied with a sore shrug. "And I fell from the third story and forgot that I had wings." She handed the dress to Max, her expression serious.

"Angel, forgetting you have wings is like forgetting you can read minds. You didn't forget you could do that, now did you?" Max raised a brow.

"She didn't, Max, she was just having a bit too much fun. Now hurry up and try on the dress!" Nudge urged. Minutes later Max was standing before Angel and Nudge wearing the dress, standing uncomfortably while missing the loose clothing she wore only minutes before. "You look so gorgeous!" Nudge gushed, her inner artist suddenly blooming. "It makes me want to add more trim and maybe some sort of a doily pattern but not really. Oh! If Fang sees this –"

"If I see what?" Fang's voice was near the door and in a flash Nudge had slammed it closed. "I guess I'm not seeing it." Max heard Fang mumble as Nudge locked the large door and walked back to Max looking strangely calm with a pleased smile on her face.

"You have a plane that leaves in an hour and a half." Nudge said moments after Max changed back into the loose clothing. "I've got some clothes for you to take with you so you won't be wearing the same old ratty things. Don't worry, you'll like it." Nudge grinned, half a duffle bag already filled. Max watched in awe as Nudge speed packed every single compartment on the duffle bag and moments later the duffle was in her hand, the dress already inside it. "Now get going, we'll see you at the end of the week, we've been without you for eight years so we can handle one more week." Nudge smiled pleasantly as she shoved Max out of her bedroom and into Fang. "Whoops!" Nudge grinned sheepishly slamming the door to her room once more to trap Angel and herself inside.

"So, plane." Max lifted herself off of Fang and grabbed her duffel bag. "Sounds like fun." She began walking down the hall as if she knew where everything was. She stopped a few yards away turning to look at Fang who was still on the floor. "You know, you're going to be late for that concert of yours if we don't leave soon." And at her voice Fang jumped to his feet and grabbed her hand, tugging her out the door with yelled goodbyes to the flock and Martinez's.

Fang watched in awe as Max nodded off against his shoulder. She was right beside him, it was her breath breathing on his skin and her warmth made the plane ride bearable. He watched as her chest raised and fell, her body visibly relaxing as if it had been tightly wound for years. And then he wondered, where did she go? Why couldn't she contact them? Max stirred, turning her head slightly before drifting off once more. Why should it matter, Fang asked himself, she was here right now. That's all that mattered to him. Right?

Done! For now... I'm rushing to a concert at my sister's college, so gotta go! Miss you guys!

Adieu
Nightwing