I guess nobody cares that Fang will die, 'cause no one bothered to review. Ah, whatever. Here's the next chapter. And no, Max doesn't appear yet.

Chapter One

Old Friends

Fang's expiration date deeply worried him. What if Max had already expired? It would make sense; she was four months older than him, why wouldn't she have died three months ago? No, he thought, I'd feel it.

He knew that if Max had died, the world would have felt much darker, and somehow, Fang would feel… strange. Maybe he wouldn't be able to breathe. Maybe he'd have a heart attack or stroke or something. He just knew that something would happen to let him know that Maximum Ride was no longer walking on the earth or flying in the earth's atmosphere, and was flying free in Heaven.

He felt nervous; he still hadn't gotten over the fact that he was going to die. When Angel had told them that he'd die "first and soon", his blood froze and his bones ached. Now he was going to die again, and this time, Max wouldn't be able to stop it. And that wasn't because he couldn't find her; it'd be because that wasn't in Max's power, especially if it was a deadly date on the back of his neck. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to tell her that he had an expiration date. How were you supposed to tell it to the person you loved? Oh, I'm gonna die because the whitecoats at the School gave me an expiration date, and it appeared on the back of my neck a couple days ago. I love you!

Right. That's how you break it to someone.

Fang looked outside the window at the dark gray sky. The rain pounded against the smooth pane window, and he thought how ironic it was that it was raining on the day he learned he would die. He sighed, accepting his death sentence.

Should he leave today or tomorrow to find Max? He glanced at the window and flinched. As much as it hurt him, it would have to be tomorrow, even if he wasn't completely sure how long his quest to find Max would take.

Hopefully, not long, a week at worst. He'd start at the most obvious place to find her: Dr. Martinez's house.

He couldn't sleep that night. Thunder still rumbled in the sky, and he was tossing and turning. At three in the morning, he gave up trying to sleep. Instead, he packed enough things to survive a couple days, as much as he could carry.

At six in the morning, he left. He wondered if he'd ever come back to his apartment, and knew he wouldn't. He was glad that he'd drunken all his milk before it expired. The word made him flinch. Expired. He was going to expire, just like milk. He kept going.

Arizona was at worst four hours away, so he poured on the speed. Max could fly at speeds of almost three hundred miles per hour. Fang could fly almost as quickly.

Time flew. Before Fang knew it, he was over Arizona, and he prepared to land. He wanted so much to see Max. He landed too quickly and had to run as fast as he could to slow down. Gradually his sprint became a slow jog, and he stopped, breathing fast.

The woods around Fang were familiar. He knew where he was. Dr. Martinez's house was near here. This is easy, thought Fang. Almost too easy.

He walked up to the house, heart suddenly pounding faster and harder, hands sweating. Six years it's been since he's seen Max. Six years. Gathering his courage, he knocked on the door.

"I'll get it, Mom!" yelled a voice from the inside.

The next thing Fang knew, a young woman about the age of eighteen or nineteen opened the door, staring at Fang. He recognized Ella Martinez, Max's half-sister. He immediately relaxed.

A smile of recognition played on Ella's lips. "Fang! What are you doing here?"

Before he had a chance to respond, Ella turned her head back and shouted, "Mom! An old friend's here! Come quick!"

"¿Quien es?" Dr. Martinez was speaking Spanish.

Ella gave Fang another smile before yelling back, "It's Fang!"

"What?" he heard Max's mother ask, and the sound of feet racing down the steps quickly followed the question.

Dr. Martinez was suddenly there, standing next to Ella. She smiled kindly at Fang. "Wow! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Hello, Fang."

"Hey," he nodded at her.

"Come in! I'm sure you want to know about Max, right?" Dr. Martinez grinned at him, gesturing for him to enter the house.

He followed Ella and her mother inside, and sat down on a couch.

"Yeah," he admitted, "I want to find out about Max. Where is she? What's she doing?"

Ella took a cookie from a platter of them on the coffee table, taking a bite and chewing it, obviously savoring the chocolate chips, the notes of vanilla.

"You're never too old for chocolate chip cookies," she stated before continuing, "Max doesn't live far from here. She visits often. Right now, she's in college, but she -and I, because I started college not long ago- are both on winter break."

Ella's eyes twinkled. She glanced at her mother before saying, "I'm in veterinary studies."

Fang took a cookie. He couldn't stand it anymore, especially with the chocolate aroma permeating from nodded while taking a bite of the delicious cookie.

"I could take you to her apartment," offered Ella.

He shook his head. "No thanks."

Dr. Martinez was studying him closely, while Ella was talking to him like she'd referred to him- an old friend. Her mother had questions in her eyes- the mark of a scientist mixed with the concern of a mother to a child.

"Is anything wrong, Fang?" she asked him.

Fang knew she could tell something was off on him; he was usually quiet, but not as quiet as this. He covered it up with one of his rare grins and said, "Nothing's wrong. I've just been dying to catch up with Max." He flinched inwardly at his poor choice of words. It wasn't funny to use that phrase anymore, not when it reminded him that his time was limited.

Dr. Martinez was obviously far from convinced, but she nodded, knowing there was nothing she could do to bring the information out of him. Ella's mom got up from her chair, grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled on an address. "I don't know if Max will be there that much, because it's winter vacation, but she'll most likely be at her apartment."

"Thanks." He said, reading the address. Now that was the mark of a doctor- bad handwriting. He had to squint to read it. He folded the paper, putting it in his pocket.

"I hope she's there," he muttered to himself. "I don't have any time to look for her all over the world."

"Why not, Fang?" Dr. Martinez frowned at him, having heard his quiet voice.

He cursed himself. She'd heard. Now he couldn't make something up to cover it… Why didn't he have Max's talent of lying? "Nothing," he murmured.

"Why?" pressed Dr. Martinez.

Fang briskly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

He was relieved Ella's mother didn't press farther, and just stood there, nodding. "Okay, Fang. Come back anytime, though."

"Sure," he said, exiting.

"Bye, Fang!" Ella yelled after him. "It was nice seeing you again!"

He was already at their front yard, and he unfurled his wings, soaring upward, and Ella's words trailed after him. Not too bad yet. He was going to find Max. He was sure of it now.

So Dr. Martinez knows something's up with Fang... he doesn't want to tell anybody yet. PLEASE REVIEW THIS TIME! Hugs are offered to those who review. :)

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