Everyone's eyes bugged out when we strolled in, me looking like I'd been run over by a semi, of course.

"Max!" Dylan hurried over, his eyes wider than anyone elses's. "You got hurt? What happened to you?" That last question was directed at Fang, with an accusing tone. Like, You let her get hurt?

I shook him off, as the rest of my beloved flock came to crowd around me, asking us where we'd been. I opened my mouth, ready to spew some BS, when Dr. Gunka Bunka intervened.

"They went to go look for the serum, of course."

"Oh yeah!" Nudge said, looking at me excitedly. "Dr G-H told us there was a way to make sure you wouldn't die! Isn't that good?" she added anxiously, seeing my nervous face. Then she frowned as she processed the doc's words. "Wait, you went looking for it? You already knew about it?"

I didn't have to explain, because the good doctor did it for me! Happy dance! Not. "She was thinking to double cross me," he said. "But, luckily, I am more intelligent than the average sloth-" I seethed- "and I made sure that the serum is in a secure place."

"So it was never there in the first place." I said, feeling about to explode. He nodded his confirmation. I felt like punching him, but luckily my self-restraint had gone a long ways. I turned away. "You booked rooms?" I asked everyone. "Because I'm bone-tired."
~~~

I'd answered everyone's questions, and now I lay in the hotel room by myself. My flock (minus Fang, and Dylan if you wanted to include him) had gone out for dinner, but I was sooo not hungry for food. I was much more hungry for another one of Fang's kisses.

I turned onto my stomach, feeling angry with myself and him. What was his issue anyway? Man, this must be like what he'd felt like when I'd been blowing him off. Plus, the whole trip had been a complete waste of time. I now had exactly one day until my expiration date, and I was likely screwed. Unless I did that with Dylan.

Speaking of the devil, there was a knock on the door. "It's me, Dylan," he called gently.

"Come in," I muttered, pulling a pillow on top of my head. I had a migraine. Excellent.

My heart nearly stopped beating when I felt a feather-light touch stroke down my spine, between my wings, and then diverted to brush down my hip, to my leg. My body tingled where he touched it. Then, calmly, as if he did this all the time, Dylan lay down beside me, looking intently into my tomato-red face. He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything.

A moment later, I said, "So why do you think they brain-washed Angel?" Just to get him to stop staring at me like that. Honest to god, it was unnerving. Plus, it was making me feel kind of warm.

His eyes got less intense, which was a relief. "I think they were planning to use her as one of their puppets. To do that, they had to make sure she was on their side. So they wiped her memory, and if I hadn't gotten to her, they would have probably started doing some serious brainwashing."

"Huh," I said, mind whirring. "Well, as long as she's okay. I guess I just have to enjoy her innocence before she regains her memories. She will regain them, won't she?" I added anxiously. "You're totally sure she will? How do you know?"

He shrugged, looking confused. "I... don't know how I know. I just do." Great. That cleared things up.

He suddenly put his hand on the curve of my hip. "But enough of that." He leaned in.

I couldn't speak. My heart was doing a rodeo in my chest, and for some reason I wanted to pull away but couldn't. He brought his lips, almost hesitantly, to mine. We kissed, him a little more enthusiastically than me.

He flipped us so he was on top of me. On the bed. Oh my freaking god. He was still kissing me, in that wonderful way that made me feel warm all over and not want to pull away. Our legs entangled. Our hands were around each other. The way he looked at me, the awe in his blue eyes, made me feel like a goddess. I didn't want this, I felt guilty, because I'd kissed Fang maybe twenty hours ago, but I couldn't get away.

His hands were doing a number on me, sliding on my face, in my hair, the buttons of my shirt...

My eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?" I exclaimed, pushing him, hard, off me. I looked down at my chest. Three of the buttons were undone.

He was breathing hard as he looked at me, eyes pleading. "Max. Please. We have to do this."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do what?" Even I could hear the anger in my voice.

"We have to... mate."

I couldn't believe he was saying this.

"You're a jerk."

He hung his head. "I'm sorry, Max. I shouldn't have done that. I should have asked you."

"Hell right," I snarled, getting in his face. I never remembered being this explosively angry at him before. "I don't want it. You're disgusting. Get away from me." I shoved him, hard, and he let me. He backed up a few steps, eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry," he said again, looking into my eyes now. And now I could tell: he hadn't been trying to take advantage of me. He genuinely wanted to help me, to make sure I didn't die. And he thought this was the only way.

I thought differently, I realized now. Dylan played by the rules, the rules everyone else set. I didn't. And that was what set us apart.

That was why- maybe- we could never really be together. Fang was more like me than he was.

"Get away from me," I repeated, turning away. "I don't want to see your face for a while." My voice sounded more tired than angry now.

And he did. "Okay, Max," he said softly, pain in his voice. "I will." Just like that, without arguing, I heard him jump out the window. I hoped he opened his wings.

A minute later, I walked briskly into the hall, needing to burn off my anger. Buttoning my shirt back up, so needing to be alone and just think and cry and work out my feelings.

As I was doing up the last button, I got pulled into another room. "Hey-!" I stopped when I realized it was Fang. He looked... expressionless, as usual. It was maddening.

"What?" I said, irritated and totally fed up. With guys in general.

He shrugged. "You looked upset." Great. So he wanted to talk now, did he?

"Yeah, and you know why I'm upset?" I spat at him. "Because of, partly, Dylan. But that ain't all, my friend." I put as much scorn into that word as I could. "Because of you, because you blew me off after you freaking kissed me, and I thought that was my job. You're the one that used to want to be with me. I used to be the one in denial. And now the roles are freaking reversed!"

He seemed unstirred by my speech. "We can't be together. It was an accident."

"An accident?" I echoed, feeling near tears. "How was bending down and kissing me an accident? You better explain. Right now." I crossed my arms, waiting.

He sighed, looking away. "We can't be together, I just told you. You've seen how the flock reacts when we are. When we were." I flinched. "We were more focused on each other. So it shouldn't happen." He paused.

I was unsure of what he was trying to say to me. "So... you still like me?" The question sounded childish, even to me, and I blushed.

His eyes showed a hint of amusement. "I don't dislike you," he said, just to keep me guessing. I kept my mouth shut. Luckily, he kept talking. "But that doesn't mean I can throw my responsibilities down and be with you. Neither can you. So you have to stop 'liking' me."

"I can't ever stop liking you," I replied, my voice suddenly husky. He looked vaguely surprised my change of tone. I shook myself out of it before he got the wrong idea. "Okay. So I'm expected to sacrifice my happiness- for the last day I have left- for the flock? When I've only got day left?" I hated the pleading in my voice.

He looked down at me, without pity; that's what it looked like, at least. "If you've only got one day left, what's the point of it?" was his answer, and he brushed past me and out of the room, leaving me staring out the window. Jerk.

I rubbed my neck. Now I remembered the date, and what it was. It was the day that, a year ago, my mom had been kidnapped by Mr. Chu and his goons. That also meant it was the day Fang and I had gotten together- and I hadn't blown him off. If we were still together, tomorrow, my deathday, would have been our one year anniversary.

The world has a sick sense of humor.

REVIEW GUYZ ONLY A COUPLE CHAPTERS LEFT! :D