((Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or any of the characters in this book. They all still belong to James Patterson, well, they still did when I last checked. Enjoy!

But I do own the plots, so PLEASE respect this story and the author and don't steal the plot(s).))

Chapter 17: When Rain Falls

"Max! Stop it! No, I don't trust her." I tried to stand and thought better of it. Don't let them see you're weak. "But she did save my life. If she hadn't have got Tara and I out of there, I wouldn't be there to tell you!"

There was silence. I hadn't realized I'd raised my voice. I just needed a sleep…wow, man, I was tired. I closed my eyes for a minute while Max thought this over.

"Fine then. What's the deal with her?" I didn't like the way she spat out 'her' but what was I going to do? I didn't what it to look like anything had happened. I hid my thoughts from Angel.

"Anne saved here from being turned into an experiment. She helped me escape." I was quieter this time, over come with sleep. My eyes fluttered, but I managed to keep them open.

"Saved you? What happen?" I tried opening my mouth to answer, but I couldn't. I was just so tired. Why wouldn't see let me sleep? I could drop right here. Angel, please, just let me sleep. I'll explain everything once I wake up ok? I promise. I saw Angel nod. Yay, thank goodness.

"Max, he needs to sleep. He'll tell you everything when he wakes up, he promises."

"And you believe that! He could be lying!" Max was determent not to let me get to sleep. Ahh, bloody heck. Sorry Angel.

"What happened?" Tara stirred and held her head. I looked at Anne, realizing what she was doing. Anne nodded to me and stepped forward. I was still on the floor, to screwed to move.

"You're alright now Tara darling. Get some rest, that's all you can do for now. You've been hurt. You too Fang. Max, I'll explain everything as best I can. Angel sweetie, do you trust me? Can you do that for a while?"

I saw Angel nod and I laid down next to Tara, who shuffled over a bit so my head was with hers on the bed. I wished I could she Max's face. Oh well, maybe next time. There wouldn't be a next time Fang, I told myself.

"But-" Anne held up a hand.

"They need rest Max."

"Yeah Max, doct-" Then I was out like a light. I didn't even finish my stupid, smartass comeback. I just closed my eyes. I heard Max and Angel talking before I fell even further in to sleep.

"Is he ok? Should we check him? What about Anne Walker?"

"Max, he's fine. He's asleep. Sleeping like a baby. Don't worry Max. And Anne Walker really means no harm. We'll find out the rest tomorrow."

"Tomorrow! I can't wait that long!"

Then nothing but sleep.

I woke in the morning fairly late with an arm across my face.

"Max, go away. Let me sleep. I'm tired." She didn't move. "Max! I'm serious. Ok, I'm wake, but you're not going to be." I sat up painfully and winced.

I looked around to see that there was no Max, or flock. What had happened to them? I heard Nudge taking in the distance. Phew, they were alright.

Then who's hand was resting on my stomach? I looked down and saw Tara. She was sprawled across me in a mess of arms and legs.

Some of them, I noticed, belonged to me. Oh shit, that didn't look good. That would explain the pain in my leg. The fact that Tara was lying on it. Ahh! I was figuring how to escape with out waking her when I heard a gasp behind me.

Oh oh. I was in for in now. I would be boiled alive and used for dinner, pegged up and made into a flag, used as a speed bump, used as a cone for Iggy to practice driving, used as a surfboard for Nudge's leisure, used as a-

"Fang?" I turned, horrified. I heard Angel stuff back a laugh. Oh boy.

"Yeah?" I asked, sounding more casual then I would have thought possible. The whole flock were there, standing there gawking at me. Even Mrs. Walker looked slightly amused.

Everyone but Max of course. Who would eat me for breakfast. Jazz sent a smirk my way.

"Boy are you in for it now!" Thank you Iggy for pointing out the oblivious. Max turned and glared at him.

"I'm glaring at you Iggy" Iggy laughed. Nothing like dicing with death so early on a Sunday morning.

"It's not early, and it's not Sunday. It's lunchtime, and it's Tuesday." The flock looked at Angel, puzzled. I was close wasn't I? Angel shook her head at me.

"Ok Angel, you can get out of my head now." She smiled at me, living up to her name. I'm glad. I could strangle her. She glared at me. I smiled back, innocently. Yeah right. Me? Innocent? Where?

"So, are you going to introduce us to your little….friend?" Max was angry. And today, Tuesday at lunchtime, I will die. My sense of realism astounds me sometimes.

"Uh, if you want." She looked at me.

"Well? I'm waiting."

"Her names Tara. She's our…" not a wise idea Fang. Do what to keep your fingers?

"Our what?"

"Age?" I whispered. I was digging myself a very nice, comfy grave. I saw she rolled her eyes.

"Max, I'm tired, hungry, tired, thirsty, tired and in pain. Pease, leave me alone."

I closed my eyes and I found myself wishing I was dead again. Or back in the hole. Which ever came first. Then just like in the hole, I opened them to find Tara staring down at me.

"Ahh!" I moved backwards on my butt, tripping over a root in the ground. My head hit the ground and I saw stars. I sat up holding my head. I sighed. This was going to be a longer day then I thought.

Max seemed taken back by my little speech. She hadn't said a word and didn't even laugh with the rest of the flock, at my expense. Tara shook her head at me. Then she did the most Max-ish thing she could have done.

She turned and stormed away, almost knocking over Gazzy who said to me:

"Wow, you've made her really angry." Thanks for the vote of confidence.

"You think?" Gazzy looked hurt at my angry tone of voice then frowned to himself. Maybe I was a little harsh of him. Not. I got up onto my feet, blood rush, stepped onto my sore leg and fell back down again.

Max head and turned, watching me. This was like learning to walk, all over again. Do you have any idea how annoying that is?

"Your really not ok are you?" She asked me, coming over. Jazz got on my other arm and they both pulled me up.

"Thanks," I muttered, looking at my shoes. Mrs. Walker handed me the crutches, which it I glared at hatefully, with great pleasure. I looked up to see Max had walked away so I had no choice but to use the stupid things. I felt too vulnerable when I used them.

"Max, wait up!" I hurried up to her when she didn't stop or turn around. I felt 7 pairs of eyes on my back.

"Hey! Max, come on, give me a break!" She stopped and turned, making me slam into her. I feel on my arse, hard. I seemed to be spending a lot of time on my arse nowadays.

"Oh, crap! Jeez Max!" She helped me up without a word and glared angrily at me.

"Spit it out." I was sick of this.

"What?" She was pretending to not know what I was taking about. Yeah, and that worked.

"This! What's. Wrong?" I flapped my arms around looking like some spastic trying to fly. Maybe I was?

"Fang, you should know! It's you! You're the problem!" Ok. Now what?

"What did I do?" I held up both hands in surrender. I grabbed my crutches, or 'hell sticks', as I liked to call them, just before they fell.

"What's with the girl? You tell me that you like me, and then you make out with me, then you go and do God only knows what with that girl!" She panted with the effort of yelling. I was stuck. What was I going to say to that? Oh dear God, help me. Please?

"Max! Stop being stupid! Nothing happened! Nothing. She saved my life! And Anne Walker did too! Max I swear." I lowered my voice so she wouldn't hear me. No hope of that. "I wouldn't hurt you. Ever." I realized she'd heard when I looked up. There were tears forming in her eyes. Oh damn. Stupid Fang, Stupid.

"Fang, you…hurt me every time you hurt yourself, every time you look at something in a skirt, every time we fight. You always hurting me. And you don't even notice!" So this is what Jazz was taking about. I sighed. "Fang, you're up and you're down! You bring me up, then you let me down again. You play with me like a chew toy! What am I supposed to do? I don't know! I thought you liked me! Do you? Do you even like me any more?" I felt tears well up. Oh God. That hurt Max! Your words stung! Happy! You hurt me! I stepped forwards, holding the crutches for support. I grabbed Max around the waist and pulled her into me. She tried to make me let go, but it was half-hearted. I kissed her just as she opened her mouth to say something.

Immediately she calmed down, even though I knew she wanted to push away. Max was funny like that. She still refused to kiss me back. I felt the tears run down her check as I kissed her, wishing her to kiss me back. Finally she pushed away. I didn't stop her, although I kept my hand firmly around her waist.

"Max, I like you a lot. Possibly to much for my own good. But you lead me on too! I used to kiss you and you'll kiss back, then fly off and hate me! What was I supposed to do!" She looked down at the ground, not meeting my eyes.

"I was confused!"

"So am I!" She looked up at me, tears running down her face. Suddenly she looked 3 years old. I pulled her closer, wiping away her tears. Who new I could be so compassionate. I sighed at her and she didn't meet my eye.

"Fang, look. I'm not doing this anymore."

"Doing what?" Now I really was confused.

"This. There's no 'you and me.' There never was and never will be, Ok? It's not working. Don't kiss me Fang, please." She pushed past me and ran back to the flock.

Then suddenly the tears came. I didn't even realize until I yelled out in frustration and found my voice broke. I rubbed my eyes and found the tears were pouring. Like, raining. I kicked something near by and suck to the ground, overwhelmed with pain, both physically and mentally. Man, this girl was killing me.

I sat and cried like the big baby, sissy, wuss I am for a long time. It was dark when I heard footsteps. I didn't say anything.

"Fang?" It was Jazz. I was kinda glad it was him, I didn't what the flock to see me like this. Crying, broken and hurt, lying in the dirt. Hey look, I'm a natural poet.