I sure hope you guys learneed your lesson. Four reviews! Two whole weeks and only four reviews! Jeez! I waited this long to see if anyone would cave, but appearently not! Thanks to all of you guys who reviewed: ArtemisandApollorock26, NewHampshireMan155, PurpleTea88, and storyteller1425.

I'm starting the countdown to Fang's expiration.

I'm not sure if I like this chapter.

Chapter Four

Ari

Ten Days until Expiration Date

"Fang, I'm really sorry." Max's husky voice reached his ears, and Fang blinked uncomprehendingly.

The night was beautiful; the sky was deep, dark, and clear, with the stars twinkling brilliantly with their white wisps of light. The wind stirred the tree tops, making them sway gently, as if they were nodding like they understood what Max was trying to say. An owl hooted far in the distance, cutting the night air with its lonely cry, as if searching for a friend.

"Fang, I can't do this anymore," she sighed. "Running around in circles, pulling me in and pushing me out. I'm sorry. But you aren't right for me."

He narrowed his eyes, heart pounding as he was beginning to realize what Max was saying. "What do you mean?"

"I love Dylan," she blurted.

It took a moment before Fang could speak again. "W-what?"

"I'm really very sorry," she sighed, her chocolate eyes overflowing with regret as she gazed at Fang.

"Max-" he tried to say, but she shook her head.

"We can still be friends," she tried.

It was Fang's turn to shake his head. "You know how I feel about Dylan, and-" he stepped closer to her, his face inches away from hers. His heart pounded harder, and he stared at her lips longingly, wanting so much to kiss her but knowing it could never happen. Never again. "How I feel about you. You know very well I can't be around if you're with Dylan. I'm sorry too. Because I guess this is goodbye."

Max's eyes filled with tears, and she nodded ruefully. "I guess."

I don't want to go, Fang thought. Not now, not ever. But I have to.

Max turned, and, deliberately not looking at him, ran off before snapping out her wings and soaring upward, so graceful, beautiful, and strong that it made Fang catch his breath. The beauty of the dark night paled in comparison to Max's flying.

"No," he whispered, the unbearable pain of parting stabbing his heart like a bloody knife. "No. Please, no."

"NO!" Fang jolted awake, heart racing harder than it had ever been in his life. The dream had seemed so real, it felt so real, he thought it was actually happening- Max was leaving him forever. Vision blurry, he blinked sleep out of his eyes and muttered, "W-what?"

He could make out Max, leaning over him, looking concerned. "Are you okay? You seemed like you were having a nightmare, so I woke you up. Hope you don't mind."

"Yeah," he said, staring at her, and his surroundings. He wasn't in the woods. It wasn't nighttime. It was just a dream. He shook his head. "It freaked me out, just 'cause it felt so real."

"Well, it's obviously not real," she rolled her eyes.

"Unless this is the dream." Fang said seriously, and Max laughed.

"I highly doubt that. What was it about?"

Fang shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It won't happen. Not anymore."

Max looked at him questioningly, but left the matter alone. "Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll stay, don't worry."

He nodded wearily and closed his eyes, pulling Max close to him, feeling her head rest on his chest. It wasn't long until they were both back asleep.

The next time he woke, Max was already dressed. The television was on, and a finished bowl of cereal sat on the coffee table. Another bowl, sat next to it, full of cereal. A gallon of milk lay next to it.

The bright sunlight from the window made him blink, and he straightened as he saw Max staring intently at him. He met her gaze steadily, but she broke eye contact, her cheeks beginning to redden with embarrassment. "Sorry. It's like you said; it's weird to see you again after so long."

"No, it's okay," he soothed, but Max busied herself with pouring milk in the cereal bowl and stuck a spoon in it, deliberately not looking at him.

"Here," she said, "That's for you, and no, I don't work in the cereal factory or milked the cow, 'kay?"

He smiled at her joke and stuck the spoonful of cereal in his mouth, munching on it. He scooped another spoonful, this time sticking it in Max's mouth. She glared at him as she chewed it.

Once Fang had finished, he took a shower and came out feeling refreshed. He made sure to cover the back of his neck where the expiration date was. He knew he had to tell her, but not right now. He had to find the right moment.

Max was waiting for him, watching TV. Looking up as he came in, she said, "I have to visit my mom later. She says she's gonna put up the Christmas tree, and she's inviting the flock over."

Fang nodded and asked, "When is she expecting you?"

"Like at eight," she replied, stretching, "So we can still do something. All of the flock members are on winter break."

He thought for a moment. Of course he knew the perfect way to tell Max, he just wasn't sure if it was the best idea. He made his mind. "Come on, Max, I want to take you someplace."

Max's eyebrows shot up in interest, and she picked up the remote control to turn off the TV. "Where?"

"I'll show you," he said briskly, leading the way out of the apartment. Max rolled her eyes and followed him, grabbing the keys to the apartment and locking the door.

When they were outside, Fang found a secret place to take off, Max not far behind.

Max's hair streamed behind her as they flew, her sun-streaks catching the bright light of the sun, making it shine. Fang loved her hair. They didn't talk much, but Fang knew where he wanted to go, and soon he was losing altitude gradually, Max next to him.

He landed in thick woods, running, jogging, then walking to a stop as he saw the grave. This was what he'd wanted to show Max. Ari's grave.

Max's eyes had a flicker of recognition as she walked up to him, and she glanced from Ari's grave to Fang and back.

"How many times have you visited Ari since he died?" Fang asked softly.

Max bit her lip, probably to keep from crying. She looked guilt-stricken and sorrowful. "Actually, never."

Fang wasn't surprised. He hadn't visited Ari in years either. Sure, he'd hated Max's half-brother for a lot of the time he knew him, but in the end, Fang had found it in his heart to forgive Ari. It was too bad he was dead before Fang forgave him.

He remembered when Ari when he was a happy-go-lucky little kid in the School, following Jeb around, eyes wide whenever he saw the flock. He'd admired them, freaky wings and all. Then Jeb had taken them away, and what happened? The psychos at the School had made sweet, gentle little Ari into a bloodthirsty, dangerous murderer.

And then he'd turned good. Fang hadn't believed him. But in the end he realized Ari, though brainwashed by the whitecoats, he did have a mind of his own. He could think for himself, unlike any other Eraser Fang had met. All the others had just tried to kill him and the flock.

Ari had been a good guy.

He watched as Max knelt down and touched the ground where he was buried underneath. "Oh, Ari," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry."

Fang put his hand on Max's shoulder. She slowly glanced up at him, eyes swimming with unspilled tears.

"I know you cared about him. He was your brother."

She didn't say anything, but looked back at Ari's grave. He didn't have a tombstone, but a tree near his grave was carved with his name and a few special words to him:

Rest in Peace

Ari Batchelder

Son of Jeb Batchelder

Brother of Maximum Ride

Beloved Friend of the Flock

Fang knew that when he expired, he wanted to be buried right here, next to Ari.

He waited patiently for Max to be ready to leave. Fang didn't want to rush her. She'd barely been given enough time to grieve at Ari's funeral. She wasn't saying anything, but she was bent on her knees, crying.

Fang knelt down next to her, wrapping his arms around her to embrace her, comforting her as best he could. He felt her hot tears drip on his shoulder. It was so familiar, this situation, and he held himself back from kissing her.

Eventually Max stopped crying, and Fang loosed his hold around her. She backed away and wiped the tears with the back of her hands. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Perfect. It was just the question he was waiting for. He struggled to find the right words. You don't just blurt it out. You can't just say "I have an expiration date and I'm gonna die in a few days". These sort of things needed careful explanation.

But he just stared at Max. He just couldn't say the words he needed to say.

"I wanted you to see Ari again," he said instead, and mentally kicked himself. Why couldn't he just say the words? This was almost as bad as saying the words "I love you" to her.

Fang was such a wuss. At least, that's what Max would say if she knew.

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You know, you guys are so hard to squeeze reviews from, I've decided I will not update until I get AT LEAST eight reviews. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't LOVE more than the minimum. So I beg, PLEASE REVIEW! Do it for Japan!

~Coqui's Song