A/N: OMG I'm sooooooooo sorry guys! I was busy last week but now I'm updating! Thanks for the reviews guys! You guys really do make me feel so happy! Woohoo! I'm sick by the way so I'm a bit out of it. On with the story!
Disclaimer: Don't own Maximum Ride…want to own Fang…you know what I'm talking about.
Fang POV-
Later, everyone went to sleep except for me and Iggy.
"Hey Ig? I'm gonna fly for a bit so you get first watch." I whispered.
"Ok." Then I took off.
Max POV-
Behind me, Ari was using his enormous strength to literally toss smaller mutants over his head into the mosh pit of death that made up the castle courtyard. He saw me snap a Flyboy's back, and he spun to do the same. The Flyboy managed to catch Ari with a hard punch under his jaw, and I saw his head jerk upward.
Roaring with fury, Ari righted himself and lunged at his attacker...only to sink to his knees slowly, a puzzled look on his face.
"Cover me!" I shouted at Nudge, Angel, and Total, and sprang to Ari's side.
I grabbed him under one arm and tried to help him stand. I couldn't get him up.
"Max?" he said, sounding confused.
"You hurt? You get shot? Where?" I demanded.
He looked down at his shirt and jacket. There were no spreading rosettes of blood. He shook his head. "I just..."
He glanced up at me, and there he was- seven-year-old Ari, the little kid who used to follow me around. I saw him there clearly in those eyes.
"I just... Oh, Max," Ari said, and them he slumped against me, eyes still open, weight so heavy on me that I fell to my knees next to him. I stared at his face, shook his shoulder.
"Ari!" I said. "Ari! Come on, snap out of it! Please Ari?"
All around us, the battle thrashed on, but Ari was silent.
"Ari?" Horrified, I pressed two fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse.
Ari's time had come. He had expired.
Right here, right now, in my arms.
Then, I woke up.
Iggy POV-
I was sitting there waiting for Fang to come back so that I could sleep when I heard a small cry coming from Max's direction. She was sniffling and crying, but why?
"Max?" I asked, "Are you ok?"
I heard more sniffling then someone running towards me and throwing themselves at me.
"Bad-hiccup-dream. Bad bad-hiccup-dream." she cried.
"Shhhhhhhh. It's ok Max. What was your dream about?" I asked curiously.
"Fighting. Boy. Died. In my arms!" she wailed the last part.
I was happy and horrified at the same time. I was happy because she was having a memory, but horrified because that memory must have been Ari dying. But which time? Wow that's an awful question.
"What exactly happened?" I asked softly.
She sniffled and said, "Ari was fighting, and then I saw him fall to his knees." she sniffled some more, "I ran over to him and held him, but then he died!"
"It's ok Max." I soothed. It must have been when they were at Germany.
"Was it a memory?" she asked quietly.
I didn't answer for a long time until finally, "Yes."
She cried even harder until she fell asleep on my lap. I could hear her sucking her thumb. Aaaaawwwww.
Damn. She has me wrapped around her little finger.
Fang POV-
Poor Max. How are we supposed to get her memories back? She barely trusts us. Maybe Dr. M can help.
I flew back to find the biggest surprise of my life. Max was asleep in Iggy's LAP!
"IGGY!" I yelled, "What are you doing?"
"Shut up! You'll wake up everyone!" he yell-whispered.
"I don't care! What is Max doing in your lap!"
"She had a nightmare and YOU weren't here to comfort her, so I did!" By now everyone was awake including Max. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, her cute little mouth forming a small O. She looked around sleepily. That calmed me down a bit.
"What was it about?" I asked gritting my teeth.
"It was a memory. In Germany." Iggy said gravely. Angel gasped.
"That's awful! That's the worst possible first memory she could have!" Angel said tears forming in her eyes.
"What was it?" I asked worried.
"Ari." was all that Iggy said.
"Oh." I said intelligently. I walked over to Max and bent down to her level.
"Are you alright?" I asked softly. She nodded her head.
"Iggy is nice." she said quietly. I cracked a smile.
"When he wants to be." I shrugged. She smiled.
"Well I think we can all head to Dr. Martinez now." I said, "Unless Iggy wants to sleep."
"Nah, that's alright. I can sleep when I get there." Iggy said. So we took off.
Max POV-
I still don't know who these people are, but they're nice. They don't hurt me.
Ofcourse.Wewouldneverhurtyou.(ItalicsmeansAngelistalkingmentally)
My eyes widened. What was that?
Heheheit'smesilly,Angel.
I shrieked. How is she doing that?
Icantalktoyouinyourmind.Isthatbad?She sounded confused.
"Stop!" I yelled.
"Max what's wrong?" asked Fang worriedly.
YesMax,what'swrong?
"Shut up shut up! Stop doing that!" I screamed grabbing my head.
"Max are you alright?" asked Iggy.
Maxcalmdown.
I shook my head furiously.
"SHUT UP! Stay away from me you freak!" I yelled hysterically.
Angel looked hurt but I didn't care. I started to fly away.
"Max come back!" Fang said.
"No!" I yelled back. Then I flew away as fast as I could.
Fang POV-
"I'm sorry Fang." Angel suddenly said, "I didn't know she'd react this way."
"What'd you do?" I asked furiously.
"I talked to her in her head." she said upset.
I sighed. "It's ok Angel. I'll go after her."
I flew in the direction that I saw her go. Several feet ahead I could see a small shape head toward some caves. I followed it into a smallish cave. I found Max huddled in the back shaking.
"Max?" I asked softly.
"Get away!" she yelled.
"I'm not leaving." I said, "I'm sorry about what happened. Angel didn't think it would upset you."
"Why'd she do it?" she asked her voice shaking.
"That's normal for her. She does it all the time for us and she assumed you wouldn't mind." I said.
"Oh."
"Are you alright now? Do you want to go back?" I asked.
"I guess so." she sniffled, stood up, and walked over to me. I was about to take off when I felt a slight tug on my jeans. I looked down.
"Fang?" Max asked softly.
"Yes?" I said. She looked down.
"Does...does your flock have," she looked up at me with so much hope in her eyes, "a mama?"
The questioned stunned me. Why would she ask about that?
"Uh yeah. Actually we have two." I smiled.
"Are we visiting them?" she asked with the hope still in her eyes.
"One of them. The other was taken by the School so we're trying to figure out how to get her back."
"Oh. Will I get to meet both of them?"
"Yes." I said smiling...she had no idea. Then we took off for the flock. Max had a brighter smile than before which made me happy.
"Will you tell me about the one in the School?" she asked quietly.
I smiled again.
"Sure. She was very brave and stubborn. She's the one who raised us and took care of us at the cost of her. She sacrificed for us a lot, but she loved us." I said.
"She sounds nice."
"She can be...when she isn't yelling at us to get our lazy butts up or get moving."
She giggled. I grinned. We got back to the flock and headed towards Arizona. Max fell asleep on the way so I was carrying her when we arrived. When we landed, she woke up and from Angel's smile I could guess that she was literally bouncing up and down inside.
She is. It's really funny.
I smirked. Then we walked to the door and rang the doorbell.
Ella opened the door.
"Hey guys! How's it been!" She looked around and got a confused look on her face, "Where's Max?"
I pointed to the little girl peeking out from behind my leg.
"Right here."
A/N: Annnnnnnnnndddddd….another cliffhanger. Wow, if I was a reader, I'd be kind of pissed because I hate cliffhangers, but that's what makes a story interesting. Anyways, sorry about not posting but I'm sick right now and I kind of blew it off today so yeah….bye! Review!
Love,
Browniesarethebest