Disclaimer: I own nothing. Though I wish I did.

AN: I don't have any excuse as to why I haven't updated in so long, but I do hope that you can forgive me.

FPOV.

You would have thought by now that I would be used to having only two hours sleep, but I guess not. My eyes feel like sandpaper and my head feels like it's going to explode.

I couldn't have slept better even if I'd wanted to at the time, to tell the truth I didn't want to close my eyes for fear that Max would disappear. I knew it was silly, but honestly I don't know what I'd do without her again. So it was safe to say I was playing the protector and I refused to fall asleep before Max did. This plan did though have its perks, she kissed me many times in attempt to try and sway me and even though it robbed me momentarily of the ability to think, somehow I managed to remain adamant.

The moment Max gave in and closed her eyes a little part of me relaxed, she was sleeping in my arms and that meant that no harm could come to her. But then came the worry and the nerves, don't get me wrong I'm good at hiding my emotions but hell I do feel them and sometimes I swear I feel ten times more intensely than most. I knew that there was such a slim chance this plan would actually succeed, I mean we didn't even know if there was a door that we could escape out of.

So with these thoughts swirling repetitively around in my brain, I managed to fall asleep. It felt like two seconds later that I felt Max's hand gently shaking my shoulder. I knew that I needed to be alert, today was the day we were going to escape and finally free and together. There was a nagging feeling in my gut that was making itself more prominent by the second and this worried me, normally I knew this meant that something bad was going to happen, but today I had no idea what it was going to happen. So in an effort to calm myself and not to worry the others, I grabbed Max by the waist and pulled her into me. I didn't give her chance to complain, not that she would have, as I placed my lips gently onto hers. Though after a few seconds gentle didn't seem to be enough for either of us, as if we both felt that something was going to happen, as the kiss became more desperate and at the same time passionate, it was almost like our Goodbye, though not a proper one a just in case.

"I love you" I whispered against her lips. I knew if I as saying goodbye I was going to say it properly.

As always Max knew it too. "I'll always love you baby" she told me, her lips grazing the shell of my ear. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to write this stuff down and turn it into a poem, but I couldn't and that killed me. I knew that I may never get to feel this again, the true warmth that flowed through my body when Max told me that she really did love me. The feeling of being invincible, that I could do anything as long as Max was by my side. I was brought out of my thoughts by a jolt of electricity running through my cheek, though not in a bad way, it was just max, she placed her palm around my cheek as a gesture of comfort and an attempt to calm me a little, I guess I was making the rest of the flock a little tense, I'd be lying if I told you it had no effect, because it did, Max always did.

It's going to be okay Fang, I just know it is, you and Max together are indestructible, she would never leave you for anything, she's just as dependant on you as you are on her. Angel's voice ghosted through my mind and was gone before I could thank her.

So I peeked over the top of the Max's head and what I saw made my heart beat just a little faster and my determination to escape increase tenfold. Angel was sitting in Gazzy's lap and they appeared to be having some kind of silent conversation. She met my gaze and I mouthed a silent thank you to her. She merely smiled and gave me a small nod.

What really had my attention was Iggy and Nudge, they were stood over in the far corner, Iggy had nudge pressed lightly against the wall and they were just staring at each other, as if to remember every detail of the other. What surprised me and I think Nudge too was when Iggy bent his head slightly and pressed the lightest of kisses on Nudge's lips. One which she quickly made a little less gentle, as she melted into his embrace.

I didn't realise that Max to had noticed what was going on. I looked down and met her eyes; they were full of emotion, love being the most prominent. Though they were quickly developing a hard edge and I could feel her determination and will to survive growing stronger. I looked her over again as she whispered in my ear. "We're going to make it out of here I promise you baby, it's just us against the world."

I could feel my own mask cementing its place on my face and Max gently kissed the end of my nose.

She pulled out of my arms then and I immediately felt empty, but I knew if I wanted to feel her again I was going to have to fight for it, and fight I would.

Less than two seconds later Max dashed to stand directly in front of where the door would open, sinking low into a crouch, it wasn't long until the rest of us had copied her position.

Moments later the door swung open and we pounced. Like a team of the most well trained assassins we leapt at the unsuspecting erasers. Before I could blink Iggy, Gazzy and Angel had two on the floor and it didn't look like it would take long for them to finish them off.

Nudge was holding her own against a third, it wasn't until a fist caught the edge of my jaw that I snapped out of it. Saliva dripping from the ends of his teeth the eraser snarled at me and I saw red, these were the monsters that had damaged and starved my Max and no way were they going to get away with that. I had him pinned up against the wall in less than a second as I swung my leg around and my foot connected with the side of his face. I wasn't going to stop there though, I refused to pause until this guy was as good as dead. Raining punches down on his face I brought me knee to his stomach effectively knocking him to the floor. Squeezing both my hands around his neck I didn't stop until he had blacked out, I knew he wouldn't be back up for a while.

I spun round and glanced at Iggy he was helping Nudge with the third from earlier and he look pretty worn out, he wouldn't last long. Gazzy and Angel were taking care of the two on the floor. I looked to the left and my heart sank, my red haze cleared only to be replaced by a white hot one instead, we had left Max to fight Mike, no one had noticed. It was a pretty even fight but still I remembered the things Max had told us he had put her through, there was no way I was leaving her to fight him alone.

I knew that going for the obvious kill would distract and maybe harm Max, so I snuck around the back of him. I knew that Max had seen me and I didn't even need to check she knew my plan, it was a skill we had perfected years previous.

Entirely focused on Max, Mike didn't even sense my arrival, I grabbed him by the waist my arms locking around his so that he had no room to move. Before he could even attempt to shrug me off Max delivered a kick to his face so hard, that he was knocked out cold.

The flock were waiting for us by the door that had been left wide open. None of us had time to think twice as Max ran out, all we could do was follow and quickly at that. I had known she was a fast runner, but not this fast.

Seconds later and alarm was blaring, just like in the movies, red lights were flashing and workers were scurrying around in a panic, though none of us stopped.

We spun around one last corner and came face to face with a huge door, which led straight outside. Of course the door was locked but it only took. One strong kick from Iggy and then a back up one from Max and me to shatter the glass pane.

Angel, Gazzy, Iggy and Nudge were through the door like a shot and hovering in the sky just waiting for us. I jumped through holding Max's hand to pull her through as well, when I heard a voice that made my heart stop.

"Come on Maxie, you know you don't want to leave me here, I love you and I treat you well, you aren't guaranteed food or protection like mine anywhere else. You know what'll happen Maxie, if we catch you we won't kill you, we'll just kill your friends and lover boy here. Come on baby, nobody loves you like I do."

I felt Max tense as her hand slipped from mine. She looked into my eyes, her brown ones swirling with emotion, love, hate, devotion, longing. I love you she mouthed at me as she jumped back through the glass straight into Mike's arms.

Right then my heart shattered. I screamed. She had chosen him over me. My angel had left me for a monster. I knew it was too good to be true that she loved me clearly she didn't.

She does love you Fang she said she...

I cut Angel off with a growl so menacing I scared even myself. "I don't want you to make excuses for her Angel. She's made her choice and that's that. Let's move."

Fang no wait please she hasn't le...

"SHUT UP" I growled. Then I took to the skies, I didn't look back, if the flock didn't follow right then I wouldn't have cared. But being loyal like always, they did. I flew for about ten minutes before the pain became too much. I stopped and landed on a small ledge jutting out of a cliff that led to a cave. I had no idea where we were but right then I really didn't care. All I knew was that Max had betrayed us, said she loved us and left.

NO FANG SHE DIDN'T, LISTEN TO ME I PROMISE YOU IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

"Of course it's what I think Angel." I screamed at her "I'm not stupid. Do not try and cover for her. Face it she didn't want us, didn't love us and blatantly didn't need us, like we did her. She left us for that monster, who tortured and almost raped her, telling her he loved her. She's not the same Max we used to know, that Max wouldn't have done that. Just let her go, we don't need someone like that. I swear to you she's not worth it."

The flock was silent, though none of them were looking at me. They were all staring behind me, I didn't know what could honestly have been that interesting.

Until I turned around again and my heart didn't break, this time it shattered. There was my angel standing on the edge of the ledge her long hair flowing behind her in the wind the light shining down on her making her look just like a goddess. Except that she looked broken, silent tears were cascading down her face, gently caressing her cheeks. Her eyes that were usually so full of emotion were just full of so much sadness. She looked exhausted like somebody who had been fighting for so long, they just couldn't fight anymore. She looked hopeless.

Upon seeing her like this I too broke down. Before I could even control it my body let out a strangled sob and my hand reached towards her.

It dawned on me then. I was a monster. She had told me she loved me and she meant it and yet I was so weak and insecure that I doubted her, told the flock she was a liar. Mike's words rang through my mind. If we catch you we won't kill you, we'll just kill your friends and lover boy here... Max hadn't left because she wanted him, she had left to protect us to save our lives. That was it, I couldn't keep in the emotions any longer, and it was as if a floodgate had opened in my body. My body shook and for the first time in a long time, I cried, I mean really really cried.

I stared at Max through my tears, willing her to see how sorry I was. I hoped she could see how much I loved her, I knew it was written all over my face.

I'm so sorry baby I mouthed at her, not trusting my voice. I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean a word of what I said I love you.

Gently my Angel shook her head. And before I could breath she took a small step backwards and pushed her body over the ledge.

She didn't open her wings as I expected. She just shut her eyes and let herself fall...

AN: so there you go.

Review please, I'd love to know what you thought.

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