I flew high over the trees, not feeling like myself. Because I wasn't. I was made from someone else- and of all people, that someone else was Maya. I felt dirty and tainted. Horrible.

I spotted a river, and, twenty feet above, I folded in my wings and cannonballed into the rapid flowing water. I knew it wouldn't make me feel cleaner inside, but at the same time it was necessary, because I felt so dirty and wanted to feel like I could just wash it off.

I closed my eyes, quite contented, in the river. All was quiet, and I didn't have to think about the crap that was my life. My clone-ness. I drifted, curled up in a fetal position, in a weird mood, wishing more than anything that I couldn't breathe underwater.

Wishing I could die.

God, I was so out of it. My eyes opened under the water, and everything here was so dark and simple. All I could hear was the occasional swishing of water gently passing my ears, and all I could see was darkness. Nothing more. And it was so wonderful; because it held no reminder of the real world, the real world I wanted to leave... Maybe I could just stay here forever...

Without realizing it, I'd picked up a sharp rock from the riverbed. I had a brief blast from the past, when I'd tried to stab a chip out of my arm. This would be easier than that. It would be like falling asleep...

A hand closed around my leg and wrenched me out of the water.

It was a rude awakening. I gasped, my eyes wrenching open, my hands flailing, my hair drenched. I came to realize my surroundings; I was slumped on the riverbank and Fang hovered over me, wrestling the rock out of my grip. I let him take it, and watched, uninterested, as he hurled it back into the river.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted at me, looking furious.

I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I pushed him away and stood up, a little unsteady on my feet, and started to walk away. He grabbed my arm and swung me against a tree. I was pinned.

"What's wrong with you?" he snarled. "Are you a complete idiot?"

I trembled, like a big wuss. My eyes began to burn. His gaze softened very slightly. "Why would you try and stab yourself with a rock?" he questioned me with deadly calm. There was a long pause.

When I spoke, my tone was very matter-of-fact. "I'm not needed."

"Not needed?" I could tell by the subtle differences in tone that I'd shocked him. "Who told you that?"

"I don't need anyone to tell me that," I replied. "Because I'm disgusting. I'm her clone." I covered my face with my one free hand. I didn't want him to see me. I was so... gross.

"You're not disgusting." I was surprised by the ferocity of his tone, and looked up slowly. "You're the opposite of that." As if in a dream, he reached out and stroked a tress of my hair that had fallen in front of my eyes, and gently tucked it behind my ear. "And just because you look the same as Maya doesn't mean that you are her."

He didn't mention the fact that I'd made fun of Maya in the past. I was such a coward. I could dish it out, but I couldn't take it. "But I'm made out of her. That means... she's Max. I'm Maya. I shouldn't even be alive."

"No," he disagreed, his face ever closer to mine. "You're Max. That's who you are. You're different from Maya. Just because they took some of her DNA and expected to get a clone doesn't mean they were right. They got a whole new person, but they were too dumb to figure it out."

I shook my head, although I felt less sure. He continued. "Max, you're needed. The flock needs you." He paused. "I need you."

And there my world went, turning upside down- again. The shock was probably evident on my face, but he didn't say anything, just leaned in and kissed me. And it felt so right, being there with him- with one of my hands slowly slipping into his hair, and the other touching his face to make sure he was real- and he was kissing me, and I was kissing him, and it felt so right.

The kiss was long and sweet, our noses rubbing deliciously, our arms around each other. I was in heaven. It wasn't like last time, in the cave, when he'd kissed me out of anger of what I might have to do with Dylan. No, today it was something more, something deeper, that I could define but was afraid to think for what it might mean.

When we finally pulled away from each other, there was open affection on his face. This surprised me- he never, ever let his emotions show. But today he did. "Max," he said, staring straight into my eyes. His voice sent a chill down my spine. "I'm sorry."

I was pretty sure those words had never left his lips before. He'd never apologized to anyone, not that I knew of. I couldn't speak right then, and kept my mouth shut.

He didn't need to explain what he was sorry for. It was just another sign of our closeness that I could tell what he meant without him having to say it.

He was sorry he'd left. He was sorry he'd led me on, sorry that he'd hurt me. Sorry, and now...

He wanted me back?

It was too much happiness thrust upon me, especially when, five minutes ago, I was at rock bottom. I forgot all about that- I embraced him, pulling him to me, crying silently. And I kissed him. Once again, no words were exchanged, but he knew what I meant.

Forgiven.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Fax!

I'm now working on the last chapter(s). After that, there'll just be left the fax chapter. Review guys! You are awesome!