me: Now, Max is on her way to Iraq to save Fang!

Angel: So how are you going to make this lengthy?

Total: Or like Max Fang 4ever with like seventeen chapters?

me: I have a few ideas in mind...anyway, enjoy!

-line-

I stuffed my little suitcase into the already-stuffed luggage rack and sat in my seat, beside a man about my age reading a magazine. I looked at the picture Katrina gave me. The man looked up at me and smiled. "Oh, hello there."

I smiled. "Hi."

He winked. "Wanna split a hamburger?"

Split a hamburger? What? "No, I'm married."

His face dropped. Haha. Now I caught him off guard. "Oh, alright then. Where's your husband then?"

"He was fighting in Iraq. I got a letter from the war officials saying he died. He's not, I know it. I'm going to Iraq to look for him." My eyes dropped back to my children. "These are my kids." I gave him the frame. "The oldest one is Katrina, the little girl is Andie and the little boy Andrew."

"Andie and Andrew look like you."

"And Katrina looks like her daddy. She's...she's the only one of them who knows where I really am."

"I understand that. You wouldn't want little kids knowing you're going to save their dad they think is dead."

"They don't know about the letter, either. They think I'm visiting their uncle."

He nodded. "Oh." He averted his eyes. "My sister was killed. Her body will be shipped to America next week."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He held out his hand. "I'm Sam."

I froze. "Sam? You wouldn't happen to have gone to high school in Virgina, would you?" He frowned and nodded. "I'm Max."

He lifted his eyebrows. "Max? And I suppose you married -"

"Nick? Yeah. He's a good guy. More mature then he was in Virgina." I averted my eyes. We were both immature in Virgina. Have you ever noticed how 'immature' is 'i'm mature'? Or great, here we go with the immature-ness.

Sam chuckled. "I'd hope so. He got so worked up about us kissing on the front porch after he kissed Lissa." Well, I got worked up about-wait, how did he know that? I frowned. He didn't know Fang liked me, or that I sorta liked him, or how mad Fang got...

"Is there something you're not telling me, Sam? Something I should know?" He raised his eyebrows. "Like how you know anything about how Fang felt about the kiss? Because he didn't even know." That was a lie. Fang really shouldn't have a room with a window...

"He knew." I raised my eyebrows this time. Sam's face turned red. "I can tell when you lie. You're nose twiches."

No it doesn't. What's a believable lie? "My kids are staying with Arial while I'm gone. They love it there."

"With Arial? I'm surprised you trusted her with your kids. I mean I didn't know her that well, but-"

"Ha! That was a lie. They're staying with Ella." Sam blushed again. "Now how did you know that?" I chuckled. "It's not like you were stalking around the house or anything." Sam blushed harder. I grabbed the armrests and hoisted myself up. "You were! You little stalker!"

"Okay, look. My sister's car ran out of gas and I was just waiting for her to get it filled up."

"And you just happened to glance in a two-story window?" OO! BURN! Okay, immaturity again..

"I-that's complicated."

"Whatever, Stalker." I ordered some lunch while Sam got out of blush-mode.

"So, what's your plan for finding Nick?" he asked, changing the subject.

I froze. I hadn't thought of what would happen after I arrived in Iraq. "I really don't know. I'll just figure it out as it comes along." Fang knows how to live in the woods. All I had to do was find him. This would be so much easier if we still had our wings! Curse Itex!

"Good luck is all I can say. It's tough out there." Sam shot a last smile and laid back, putting on headphones on.

I sat back and took a deep breath. Sam was right. How was I supposed to gain war trust? But maybe if I...

-Katrina POV-

I landed on the balcony of Andie's room. It used to be my room, which was the only way I knew the balcony was there. Andie didn't let anyone in her room. I had to get out for a flight and come back to the house. Everyone thinks I'm our for a walk. Aunt Ella's was fun, but just...not here.

I used my house key to unlock the balcony door and let myself in. Andie's room was just as she left it, messy, stuffed animals all over the floor, bed unmade. But I slipped out of her room and down the hall, slipping in mine. TV remote on the bed, CD cases strown on the floor, boy band posters all over the walls. It was like standing in the room of a teenager whe had just died. Sad and alone.

But all I was focused on was a little white chest against the wall. I'd had it since I was a baby, and Mom told me there was something speciel inside it. She had the key to the lock. She showed it too me when I was about ten, right before she realized she was pregnant with the twins. Ever since, I had the key.

My fingers fumbled with the padlock, the key in my pocket. I stabled it and reached in my pocket for -

"Hey, you!" a voice yelled behind me. I jumped and turned. "Oh, sorry Katrina. I thought it was someone else." The boy stood in my doorway, his brown hair everywhere and his greeneyes laughing. He looked fimilar, but I didn't really recognize him.

I slowly stood up. "How do you know my name?"

He laughed. "You don't remember me? We met when we were like...five. Yeah, I get it now." He held out his hand. "I'm Omega."

"Then what are you doing in my house?" I asked, not shaking his hand.

"I'm the landlord, duh. The neighbors called, said you guys were out of town and someone was sneaking in the second floor balcony."

"Landlord?"

"Well, my father is the landlord. He's his...time is about to come. Then it will be mine!" Omega grinned. "He sent me here to see who was trying to break in."

"But I thought...Mom told me we bought this house. She didn't mention any landlord."

Omega rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Dad told me that. But you're renting it. It'll be yours in about a year, when you pay as much as it's worth."

"It's been sixteen years."

"Dad gave them a good deal."

I sighed. "Well, okay. It's me. See?" I turned a circle. "Now if I take something it won't be stealing, because it's mine. So can I get back to what I was doing." A thought dawned on me. "Wait, how do I know you're not a thief? You claim to be son of the landlord, but I've never heard of a landlord and it's been sixteen years."

Omega laughed. "I'm the landlord's son, trust me."

"Prove it." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Okay. You asked for it." He reached to his back pocket and I thought he was about to pull out a gun. But he pulled out a piece of paper and held it out. Explosive paper?

I took it, not taking my eyes off Omega's. I unfolded it and slowly looked at it. The deed to the house. "Yeah right," I said. "Anyone can forage a fake deed. It's on those weird shows all the time." I shoved it back at him. "I'm not convinced."

"You're demanding, aren't you?" He took out a cell phone and dialed a number. He gave it to me and I pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?" a voice asked.

"Yes, this is... Kim Marryweather. Are you the landlord for address 279 Banister Avenue?"

"I am."

"And your son...can you describe him?"

"About 5'9, brown hair, green eyes, oval face -"

"Thank you!" I slapped the phone closed and gave it back to Omega. "But you could have sat that up."

Omega groaned. "You're impossible!"

I shook my head and took out my own cell phone. I called Mom. "Hey, do we have a landlord? I've just heard rumors, and -"

"Yes, Katrina, we do. I was going to tell you, but with the whole your father thing I just didn't get a chance."

"Oh, well, who's the landlord?"

"Omega. You met his son, Omega Jr., when you were like five."

I frowned. "Brown hair, green eyes?"

"Yep."

"Thanks. Love you. Bye." I shut the phone. "Okay, so your the landlord's son. Move along."

Omega grinned again. "Told you. So as your landlord, I have right to know your cell phone number."

"You're not landlord yet, Omega Jr. You don't have to know my number."

He leaned against the door frame. "Then why don't you give it to me in case something comes up?"

"Is that supposed to be a pickup line?" He blushed and nodded. "Eh, I like cheesy pickup lines." I took out a slip of paper and grabbed a pen and wrote it down. "I'll give it to you if..." There were some many things I could get from a soon-to-be landlord. "You never use that line again. And me and my siblings are covered with this house until my mother comes back with my father."

"Deal."

I gave him the paper. "Now get out of my house before I make you." Omega smiled and walked out. I watched out my window until I saw him on the sidewalk, his hands empty except for the paper. "Sucker." I grinned. I gave him a fake phone number!

-line-

me: Haha! Two minor characters in one chapter! Omega and Sam!

Angel: They still rock.

Total: Yeah!

me: I know. That's why I wanted him in the chapter. And Sam I planned, Omega I didn't. He just popped up. But Sam's really a key to Max's plan later on in the story.

Angel: I want a look at Aunt Ella's!

Total: But I'm not there!

me: I'll give you a look at Ella's later! Now, to you reviewers, do what you do best! REVIEW!