I think my jaw might have been touching the ground. Everyone was silent, just staring at each other.

Ignoring Dr. Scary completely, I turned to Dylan, feeling slightly suspicious. "Dylan? Is this... Angel? My Angel? Not, like, a clone or something?" My voice sounded weak, and I mentally cursed it.

His smile could have lit up the whole world. "It is. It's her. But- "

I was already hurrying toward her, all suspicion gone out the window. "I thought you were dead!" I exclaimed, embracing her tightly, and I heard my flock crowd around us, all trying to simultaneously trying to hug her. I started to cry as I spoke. "But you're alive, and -"

"Who are you?" Angel asked abruptly.

We pulled back to to look at her. Her baby blue eyes were curious, naive, and innocent. Like a seven year old.

"-her memory's been wiped," Dylan finished. I don't know what he saw on my face but he added quickly, "but the damage isn't permanent, not yet. We'll get her back."

Sadly, that was all I needed for reassurance. "Angel," I whispered into her hair as the others reached out around me, trying to touch Angel, to see if she were real. "I can't believe it."

"Who are you?" Angel asked again. This brought about a pang in my chest, but I cleared my throat and said, "I'm Max."

"I want to talk to her!" Gazzy howled. "She's my sister!"

I got out of the way, partly because of the flock's eagerness to see Angel and partly because it hurt to look at her, not knowing who I was. I turned to Dylan instead.

"And you found her!" Right then it didn't matter how, because the point was that he had. What I did next was uncalled for. And I would mentally slap myself for doing it for weeks and weeks after.

I grabbed Dylan and kissed him. Right on the lips. He responded, kissing me back in that sweet way of his. I didn't feel any sort of romantic attraction to him at that moment; I was simply immensely happy, and wanting to express it, and he'd been the person closest to me. So he got it.

It could have as easily been Fang, then, noted my Voice. I ignored it, but the mention of Fang made me realize that he was here. Watching this.

Feeling guilty for God knows why, I broke off the kiss a second after I'd started it, coughing, and went back to Angel, who for once was acting like a seven year old, looking shy and uncertain. Dr. Hunka Bunka was watching me with interest, and I felt my cheeks burn. He probably thought me and Dylan were well on the way to... mating. Ick.

"So you're Max," Angel said slowly, pointing to Maya. "Is that short for Maxine?" I felt like a was being stabbed with a white-hot piece of metal.

Maya looked repulsed. "No way. I'm Maya. That's Max," she added pointing at me.

"And it's short for Maximum. My name is Maximum Ride," I said weakly.

She smiled at me, a big toothy grin that made me want to break down. "That's a cool name. I like it. You're twins, then?" I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it.

Meanwhile, Gazzy was outraged. "You don't remember me? I'm your brother!"

Angel looked surprised. "I don't remember much. My oldest memory is waking up in a... room. I've never left that room until now." She looked around in wonder. "If you're my brother, does that mean you have wings?"

Gazzy looked heartbroken. I pulled him to my chest and stroked his hair. "Yeah, we have wings," I said. Yes! My voice was steady.

"You all do?"

"No," Iggy said. "I do, and Max, and Gaz, and Nudge, and Fang, and... Maya."

We all kind of stood in silence for a minute, thinking. I was overjoyed to have Angel back, but troubled by her disappeared memory, plus Dr. Frankenstein's sudden appearance. I crossed my arms. "Let's find a motel. Then you three are going to tell us everything."

Dylan shrugged, unconcerned. I noticed the doctor was standing really close to him. Probably he thought that if one of us tried to attack him, Dylan would protect him or something.

"Let's go, then," I said, giving Fang a meaningful look that said keep an eye on Dr. G-H. He nodded.

I know what you're thinking. OMGMAXWHY'DYOUKISSDYLAN,ESPECIALLYINFRONTOFFANG. You're probably also doubting my claims that this is a fax story. You may possibly want to kill me. Allow me to explain- I think that JP is going to have Max w/Dylan before she goes w/Fang in the last book. That's my prediction. So, I'm trying to make my story realistic, something that JP would write.. does that make sense? Anyway. Just review the chapter!