Hope you like it, I kinda wrote it in a hurry but I thought it was pretty decent. I wanted to do one in Max's POV.

Oh and dont worry maximumride230, she wont be better than Max. No one is better than Max.

And to Maximum Daemon of Half-Bloods 42, 'the beatles' reference should be coming out within the next chapter or two.

Enjoy.

Chapter 5

Max POV

After the kids left I helped Annabel's mom sew up Iggy's wound. I wont go into the gruesome details, but lets just say I will never eat cottage cheese again.

She was a nice woman, very polite. She was about 5'7" with short light brown hair, and bright blue eyes. She had this determined look on her face that told me that she would never give up on Iggy. She smiled at me reassuringly as she cleaned the bloody tools.

After everything was cleaned up I sat next to Iggy, just watching him sleep.

"He's going to be fine, Love." she said in a very motherly voice. I nodded slightly and couldn't help but draw a parallel between her and my mother. They were both confident and determined, and they both seemed to want to help us. I just hoped that we could trust her.

"I should be getting up to the house now." she said, pulling me out of that thought. "I have to check on the kids, make sure their at least in bed by now. With all the excitement of today they should be exhausted, but then again kids will be kids, they're probably having a slumber party in the living room." she chuckled. I couldn't help but smile in return.

She gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze as she walked to the door. She paused at the doorway and said, "If you need anything, just yell." I nodded without taking my eyes off of Iggy. I absently heard the door close and I felt a tear run down my face. I'd been holding it in for about 2 hours now.

This is my brother laying on this table. My friend. My mutant bird buddy. I know he can get annoying with his bombs and his sexist sense of humor but I love him. He's family. He cant die.

I began to sob quietly, not wanting to bring any attention to myself.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I shivered slightly, "Don't do that." I said hoarsely.

"Do what?" a familiar and beautiful voice asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't even heard the door open, but then again this was Fang.

"You know what." I accused. "Why did you leave the kids?"

I felt him shrug, "They're safe. Angel says that we can trust them. They were all squatting in the living room fighting over the remote when I left." I let out a strangled laugh at that, Carrie had been right.

Fang pulled up a stool next to mine and put his arm around my shoulder, as he does so often when I'm upset.

"Carrie says that he'll be fine." I sniffled.

"Carrie?" Fang asked gently as he brushed a tear off of my cheek.

"Annabel's mom. She said he's going to be fine. He'll be up in a couple of hours."

"Then why are you still crying?" he asked worried.

"Its just…Iggy." was all I could manage. He nodded, understanding what I meant without having to dive into the details of my feelings. Feelings was on top of Fangs 'Do Not Talk About' list, right between fears and the past.

He's always been the strong silent type. So sexy. Wait, what?

He leaned his head against mine and I unconsciously reached for his hand. He held mine without a word being said. We both knew that this was not a romantic gesture, just a comforting one.

We sat in comfortable silence for almost twenty minutes before we heard someone outside. We pulled apart as the door swung open and Annabel walked in.

She was carrying two trays piled high with food. She smiled politely at us and said, "I didn't know what you'd want so I brought everything."

"Exactly what we wanted." I said trying to make a joke.

She smiled and said, "I thought you might say that." She handed Fang and I the trays and sat on a stool at the other side of the bed.

I saw her sneak a peek at Iggy before she turned her attention to us, a serious look on her face. "I know you guys want to hear my story, but if its alright with you I'd like to wait until Iggy is awake. it's a long complicated story and I don't want to have to repeat it twice. I promise that I will tell you everything you need to know. But please, know that we are not the enemy. We are friends." she looked at Iggy and smiled softly, "Allies." she looked back to us, still scarfing down our food.

"I know you have issues trusting people, we all do, but please, trust that you will be safe here. This is the safest place on Earth for mutant freaks, I'll explain how later, but for now you guys look exhausted. Our attic has a sky-light-type window that makes for easy take-off, there are a couple cots up there and mom brought down the extra blankets. The kids are exhausted but they don't want to go to bed without you."

"I laid out some of my clothes for you in the bathroom, the hot water should be back now and I know you probably want to get out of those clothes." I looked down to notice that my clothes were caked with dirt and blood, I could only imagine what the rest of me looked like.

I shook my head and said, "No, I have to stay with Iggy, I promised Gassy he wouldn't be alone." Fang opened his mouth to say something- probably to offer to watch him- but Annabel spoke first.

"I told Gassy that I would watch him. Before you object let me tell you why; Firstly I am the most rested of the three of us. I don't need the sleep that I see you cannot go without. Secondly, the kids need you guys right now. Nudge is trying to keep them together, but she's still young, Gassy is almost catatonic, Angel is busying herself with talking to our fish, and Total just keeps muttering about the Flyboys and 'accommodations.' They really need you guys right now." My heart was aching at the news of my babies. Especially Gassy, my little trooper. Iggy's best friend. I needed to be with them now, I know I did but I still didn't like leaving Iggy here.

"And lastly," Annabel continued. "It'll help me prove to you that I am trustworthy."

"Unless as soon as we go inside you kill Iggy or take him off to the whitecoats." Fang's bluntness. I always admired how he just got straight to the point.

"I thought you might say that. But if you think logically, that would just mean that I would be leaving you here with my mother and two mutants that I have come to think of as my brother and sister. As far as I know you are working with the whitecoats and Iggy getting shot was your plan to get here and take my family away. So while your trusting me not to hurt your brother, I will be trusting you not to hurt my family. You see? Its even."

There's that logic again. Fangs favorite weapon against my stubbornness being used against him. I almost grinned at the irony, but let it pass. I still had my reservations about trusting these people but what she said made sense. She would be trusting us inside with her whole family while I simply had to trust her with one of my brothers. But somehow she trusted us, and I felt like I could trust her.

You can trust her Max. I told you.

Yeah, yeah she has connections.

Connections are important, Max.

Geez, where have I heard that before. (AN It was in MR:STWAOES)

"Fine." I said coming out of my trance. I stood up and felt Fangs eyes burning into the back of my head, I crossed my fingers behind my back to tell him that it was okay. I put on my fiercest face and said "But if you hurt him, I will splatter you like a bug on the windshield of the world, understood?" A quick look of fear splashed on her face but was then replaced by a look of determination. She stood up and braced herself on Iggy's bed.

She leaned over it and said in a voice that almost matched my own, "And if you touch any of them, I will hunt you down and pluck those grimey feathers off of your back one by one and UPS you to whatever's left of Itex. Got it?"

I heard a low growl forming in Fangs throat but I held up a hand to shush him. I leaned closer to her like I was about to attack, "Not bad." I said letting a small smile play on my lips, "Kudos for the 'grimey feathers' but I would have added something about shipping me to Itex in a dog crate just to put a little more fear into me."

"I'll have to remember that for next time." she said smiling.

I leaned down and kissed Iggy on the forehead. Then I whispered "Be Safe" in his ear low enough for only him to hear. If he were awake that is. Please God let him be okay. I remembered how we had prayed in that church in New York, maybe we should do that again. Pray. For Iggy. For us. For the world.

I pushed the hair out of Iggy's face and backed away. I looked at Annabel, "If you get tired wake me up and I'll take watch." She nodded slowly. I turned and walked towards the door, not bothering to see if Fang was behind me. I knew he probably had his own threats to dish out.

I paused outside the door to wait for him and with my raptor-like hearing I heard Fang say firmly, "If you get tired wake me up." I heard him turn and head for the door.

"You really care about her don't you?" Annabel said knowingly. My breath caught in my throat as I heard his steps stop abruptly.

After what felt like an eternity he whispered "Yes." almost mutely. What the hell does he mean 'yes'? Like a sister? Like a friend? More? This just shot me into a-whole-nother level of confusion.

"She's lucky she has you." Annabel said sweetly. Fangs feet hurried towards the door and I tried to put an impassive expression on my face, but Fang could always see through my masks. He took one look at my face then stared straight ahead as we walked to the house in silence.