A/N: Here's a slightly longer chapter…Warning: Will contain Faxness

"I Hope that it is clear to you now, just how serious we are Maximum." said Jeb cautiously approaching my side. I said nothing in return; I had cried all I could cry and my tears had long since ceased. I stood frozen and glaring wishing I had the power to burn straight through him with the strength of my gaze.

"Impressive, you're not even talking back anymore, maybe we should have thought of this sooner." Jeb said with a pondering look on his face. There was just nothing I had left to say to him.

"Oh and just to let you know, we let your flock go. We found them fighting erasers at the front entrance, and I made my orders clear; not to pursue. You should thank me, maximum, the erasers wanted to take them out." He finished, most likely hoping I would thank him. He had some nerve thinking I would so much as praise him ever again. I looked up and instead of thanking him, spit right in his face.

I received a few blows from my holding erasers in return; but it didn't matter. It was worth it, just to see the expression on Jebs face. He looked horrified for a second, but quickly recovered his resolve, wiping the spit away.

"I should have expected that, I suppose" he said. Man, his eerily calm resolve was infuriating! For once, I'd like him to snap, just completely lose it. Hmmm…- "you may take her back now" he said, nodding to my captors. At his command they flipped me over so I was face up and dragged me out of the room. I didn't struggle because I was exhausted from my relentless and useless efforts when they were torturing Fang (just thinking that made me feel sick to my stomach.), and I was still completely bound, and quite dizzy form the hits I'd taken minutes ago after spitting on Jeb. That felt so good by the way.

They stopped in front of one of the cells, opened the door and threw me in. I landed with my back to the wall, facing the door. I tried to get up, but I was still bound and my body was in a lot of pain; I definitely had a few broken bones. Fighting off my ribs violent protests, I flipped over to check out the rest of the cell, and to my surprise saw an unbound Fang lying against the wall. He was a bloody, black and blue mess, lying in a dirty heap on the floor. They had removed his tattered shirt when placing the electrodes on his skin, and I noticed that his once hard and chiseled stomach was now just a bloody broken mess. He shivered in his sleep and my heart broke once more. I slowly and difficulty made my way over to him, twisting, turning, and hopping on the cold floor.

"Fang…fang, wake up," I whispered, "I'm here now, Fang, it's over" I coaxed him, trying to wake him up. But it was no use, he was out cold. He shivered once again, his bare skin against the frozen floor. A few silent tears slipped out upon seeing his vulnerable form; it tore me apart. I felt like we were in some sort of third-world prison, instead of a genetics lab. He was lying on his side against the wall, his arms wrapped around his waist in order to preserve his body's natural warmth.

I scooted over to him, and sat up against the wall. I reached both my hands down (they were still tied together) and lifted his head into my lap. I brushed away the bangs covering his forehead and ran my hands through his hair. He immediately tensed at my touch, but relaxed almost just as quickly. We sat like this for a while; I just watching his heavy and forced breathing. Eventually my exhaustion caught up to me. Yawning I scooted out from underneath his head and lied down next to him. I pressed my body against his, enjoying the comfort I long missed, and hoping to warm him. I went to reach across his body and grab his hand but was stopped when I quickly realized I was still bound. Instead I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes snuggling closer, letting my last tears fall onto his hard chest, and said, "Good night Fang, I'm so sorry" and with that fell fast asleep.

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I woke up in the same position I had fallen asleep in next to Fang, except something was slightly different…his arms were around me. I was so warm and comfortable here next to him, that I didn't want to move, but all the same reluctantly lifted my head. I looked up to meet Fangs open eyes.

"Fang! You're awake!" I screeched jumping a little.

"Ah, don't jump please." He rasped.

"Oh, sorry" I whispered lying my head back down. "How do you feel?" I asked into his chest.

He just groaned in response, and then said, "I just woke up." I looked up again and saw that he was about to say something more and laid my head back down. "When I woke up," he continued, "I saw you lying here, and I thought I was dreaming again…I thought I was dead." I looked up and saw the sad, hopeless look in his eyes, and wanted to cry – again.

"Fang-" I said in a feeble voice, but was cut off before I could finish.

"Hold on a second, are you still tied up?" he asked looking down at my hands.

"Yeah, the erasers didn't bother to untie me." I replied in an angry tone.

"Let's get you untied first" he said. Good idea, these binds were really beginning to cut into me. I rolled away from his side and got up balancing on my knees, and he let out a grunt.

"Sorry" I whispered.

"It's fine" he said while attempting to prop himself up on his elbows. He took in a sharp breath and fell back on his back.

"Ok, not the best idea." He groaned.

"Hold on" I said, and scooted up next to his side. "If you could just untie my hands, I could help you up." By the look on his face I could tell he hated the prospect that he was so weak, but he sucked it up and reached up and began untying my hands. After a few struggled moments and couple sharp breaths of pain, my hands were untied.

"Thanx" I said, as he laid his hands back down and closed his eyes, I suppose attempting to harbor his pain.

I reached down and untied the leftover straps on my waist, and the ones around my ankles. My wrists, ankles, and waist were all purple and raw from where the straps had been, but nothing too serious. I reached under my sweatshirt to my back to untie my wings but couldn't reach the straps.

"Fang," I said turning to him, "do you think you can untie my wings?" I asked.

He nodded his head and opened his eyes. He propped himself on his elbows again in another attempt to get up. He gasped again but this time stayed up. I walked behind him and hooked my hands under his arms bending down. With a little help from him I lifted him upright and sat him against the wall.

He let out a shaky breath I didn't know he'd been holding and said, "thanx"

"No problem" I replied. I took off my sweatshirt and sat beside him with my back to him in my tank top. He reached up and began unbinding my wings. I closed my eyes letting the full force of his soft touch sooth my troubled mind. He tapped my shoulder when he was done and I turned around to face him.

"Fang…" I began again, "I'm so sorry" I said looking down, not meeting his penetrating gaze.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Max." he said. "You have no control over what the white coats do. Don't you dare blame yourself." He said forcefully.

"It is my fault, Fang! They took you because of me! They tor-…tortured you because of me!" I shouted, tears now cascading down my face. A little more quietly I said, "You could have just said yes."

"Said yes?!" he was now shouting too, "Max, I could never hand you over to the white coats! I couldn't live with myself if I had said yes!" he said lifting my chin to meet his eyes.

"Fang, don't you see? You only said no, because of the guilt you'd feel…you can't let guilt rule you if anything ever happened to me." I retorted, fresh tears still falling.

"Yes, Max, I would feel guilty, immensely so. But worst of all, I'd be…I'd be heart broken max…I love you" he concluded wiping the tears off my face. That was the first time I'd heard those words come from his mouth, and it was so much different from when he mouthed them, or even whispered. Those three words sounded amazing coming from his lips; the lips of my angel. I felt a happiness beyond any happiness I'd felt before. Leave it to Fang to make you feel happy when you're sitting in a third-world type cell.

"You're so stupid sometimes, Fang" I said and with that I kissed him. I pressed my lips forcefully against his for a brief second, then leaned back looking him in the eyes and said, "And I, love you, Fang". He smiled one of those rare – apocalypse now – smiles, and I once again swooped in to close the gap between us. His lips met mine halfway and we were instantly drawn into the most passionate kiss. He reached his hands up against my cheeks and I threw my arms around his neck, running my hands through his hair. I pressed closer to him gently, careful to avoid any serious injury. Taking notice Fang brushed his tongue against my teeth demanding access, which I gladly provided and returned. We remained locked together, our tongues dancing around. I felt his warm hands brush the bare skin of my lower back, and shivered at the touch. He smiled against my lips, causing me to react by just deepening the kiss.

After what seemed like forever we finally broke apart, our foreheads touching, panting and gasping for air. I noticed his labored breathing, and decided a little too late that maybe that wasn't that best idea...oops, my bad..

"Sorry" I laughed.

"No complaints here, that was definitely worth it" he said, smiling. He then doubled over coughing, breaking the moment. When he sat back up I noticed fresh blood on the back of his hand.

"Oh my god, Fang, you're bleeding internally!" I shouted, grabbing his hand. Are you stupid Max? Of course he is, he was electrocuted - and more than once! I mentally scolded myself.

"I'm fine" he coughed.

"No you're not" I retorted, taking another look at him, he was a mess. "God I'm so stupid, let me get you cleaned up." I said ripping off a small piece of my tank top.

"Really Max, I'm fine" he tried.

"Shut up Fang, no offense, but you're a mess." I said. He quickly glanced over his body and his eyes widened a bit at the bloody sight he was. He said nothing more.

I started with his face, scrubbing and scraping as much blood and dirt off as I could. While I worked he closed his eyes (it probably hurt to have me scrubbing his swollen self, but I needed to patch him up) and I began asking him questions.

"Fang," I said, "What happened after they took you from the motel?" I asked. He opened his eyes and looked at my inquisitive face than closed them once again, took a deep breath and proceeded to answer my question.

"I woke up in a cage in a dark room, but I could hear a loud noise, and the room was moving and jolting a lot so I assumed I was in a jet or a helicopter." I could see the anger enter his face as it became tense at the mention of a cage. "They threw a dark sheet over the cage when we landed and carried me in here – the school." He took a deep breath, and I could tell the next part was difficult. "They strapped me to…to that chair, asked me every question they could think of that had to do with you. It was weird, Jeb wanted to learn how you were evolving. I guess he's trying to determine whether or not you can save the world or something." He said, opening his eyes. At the mention of that chair I stopped cleaning his face, but quickly restarted when he looked at me.

"What'd you say?" I asked keeping calm, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Nothing." What? Is he crazy?! And than I remembered back to when I first found Fang in his cell yesterday with the erasers. … "I think its time we taught you to take this seriously." At this he nodded to Fang's Erasers. Fang seemed to know what was about to happen and I saw true fear cross his face for about the first time – ever…That's why he was scared, he knew what was going to happen. He knew they would torture him again.

"Dammit Fang!" I said instantly becoming angry. "Why do you always have to play hero?!" I shouted.

"I don't always play hero, that's your job Max. You've been there for the flock and I more times than I can count." He retorted.

"Fang do you realize how many times you've saved me?" I said.

He pondered this for a moment, than smiled and said, "Almost as many times as you've saved me". What?!

"What?! Fang I nev-"

"Shut up Max" he sounded serious so I shut my mouth and left it that. How could I have possibly saved him? O well, he clearly wasn't going to tell me. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I started questioning him again.

"Fang, what happened after the chair?"

"They threw me in here"

"And?" I asked, knowing there was more to this.

"And…" he said keeping his eyes closed, "And then they took me back for round two." He finished. I was going to kill Jeb if it was the last thing I did, I thought, my anger flaring to alarming degrees.

"How could you stand it?" I whispered, knowing this was a stupid question but asking it all the same.

He kept his eyes closed then after a tense silence finally said, "You" and then nothing more. I grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers and kissed the back of it. We sat for a while in silence, and eventually his breathing became slow and steady although still a little raspy, and I noticed he was asleep. I took the opportunity to try and clean his stomach, wiping carefully around his broken ribs. I sat admiring his body, I didn't see him without a shirt often; when did he become so…manly? Never mind that Max, Focus! I thought, blushing to myself.

I pressed a little harder trying to wipe a clump of dried blood away, next to his rib, and heard him take in a sharp breath, waking up again.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry Fang" I said.

"Its ok…lets just take a brake." He whispered grabbing my waist and sliding down to lie on the floor. I curled up against his body keeping us warm, laying my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the top of my head.

"Fang?"

"Yeah?" he whispered drearily into my hair.

"What are they going to do with us? I mean, why are they just leaving us in here? This may sound strange, and its not that I'm complaining…but shouldn't they be experimenting on us or something?"

"I don't know Max." he said in a whisper that was barely inaudible. He was exhausted and for good reason. I grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers once again.

"I'm sorry Fang, I will get us out of here… go to sleep." I said

"Never be sorry Max." he whispered and then he fell asleep. I followed soon after while thinking of a plan to get back to our flock, and pondering what was to come when we wake up.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please review!