Capri's Note: Okay, back for good. I've almost completed the story, and here's the next chapter. Short, I know. Next chapters will be longer. Promise. I'm very sorry to keep my readers waiting for over a year, I know how much that sucks. Review please, so I know how you like it. Thank you for those who are still reading.

Chapter Twelve

The flock settled in on the couch and on the floor, taking a minute to relax after their rather large meal. Max rested her head on the back of the couch with Angel in her lap, taking full advantage of the resting time she was given before Fang debriefed them on what would happen the next morning. He was currently upstairs with Iggy, getting supplies together and deciding on whether or not weapons were needed. Iggy was still angry with him, so he was getting more and more agitated the more time he spent alone with him.

"I think you and I should at least carry pistols." Fang said, looking over his selection.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Iggy snorted. While he was fascinated with guns and had surprisingly good aim, he still believed in using his natural fighting skills, despite the fact that he hadn't been in a good fight in four years. "We can handle it without guns."

"I really don't think you understand how powerful these guys are." Fang shook his head and sat down.

"But you do, because you were once in league with them, right? So of course you'd naturally know how they fight, how they kill, and all that fluffy good stuff."

"Don't start, Iggy." Fang turned his focus back to the weapons in front of him.

"Was it worth it?" He crossed his arms and took a step towards Fang in an alpha male gesture.

"What?"

"Seeing how we are, seeing how she is now; was it worth it?"

"Iggy, stop." Fang warned.

He pushed on. "Does it feel good when you see how broken she is, knowing that you're to blame?

"Shut up, Iggy."

"It's all your fault, Fang," Iggy seethed. "It will always be your fault, and there's nothing you can do to fix it."

Before he could continue, Fang launched himself into Iggy, sending them both sailing to the ground below. They came down with a thud right by the kitchen. The sound startled the flock, who were all gathered a few feet away.

Fang didn't take a moment to catch his breath before his fist flew into Iggy's face. Iggy staggered back, and came back with a punch to Fang's gut. Fists and kicks flew. The two brothers wailed on each other with no mercy. Fang threw himself at Iggy after kicking him in the chest and they crashed right through the door. Iggy picked himself up from the dirt and threw his arm around Fang's neck. His knee flew up, colliding violently with Fang's face. He socked him right in the jaw, causing Fang to fly backwards.

Max was outside by this point, trying to break them up.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" She grabbed Iggy by the shirt and yanked him off of Fang. "One minute you're upstairs working on getting our supplies ready and the next you're beating the crap out of each other? Seriously guys?"

The two didn't say anything. Iggy's chest was heaving up and down as he struggled to catch his breath. Fang wiped the blood from his lip as he got up. He didn't look at Max as he turned away.

"Iggy, could you give us a minute?" She watched Fang stalk off toward where the SUV was parked.

"Max-"

"Don't." She snapped. "Go inside." She watched his back until it disappeared through the door before going after Fang.

His bloody hands supported his weight on the SUV's hood while he caught his breath. Max quietly pulled herself up on the hood and watched him.

He muttered something under his breath and pushed himself backward, running his hands through his hair.

"Pardon?"

"It's all my fault." He stood with his hands on his hips.

"I doubt that, you and Iggy both think that things can be solved with violence sometimes."

"I'm not talking about the fight, Max."

"I don't follow…"

"This!" He gestured wildly between them. "Everything!"

"Fang-"

"I'm very aware how bad I messed up, alright? You guys don't need to keep reminding me. I know I deserve it, but god it'd be nice to just feel like it's forgotten for two damn minutes. I know it's not the same, I see that. I see you and I see what we once were and I know that will never be the same. That, above all, is something I really wish I could change."

She wasn't sure if it was her desire just to shut him up, or something else that pushed her to do it, but before he could continue she threw herself at him. He staggered back when her lips hit his. The shock wore off in less than a second and he glued himself to her. She kissed him hard, like she was kissing him for the first time, and he reciprocated in every way. Her hands gripped his shirt while his entangled themselves in her hair, pulling her even closer.

Then, as quickly as it happened it was over. Max pulled away and walked back inside, leaving Fang gasping for air. He waited a minute before following her. When he entered his safe house he caught her eye across the room. She sent him a fraction of a smile and went to bed, once again leaving him breathless and confused.

Max jerked upright in bed after a nightmare. Not wanting to try and sleep after that, she got up. She crept out of bed and slowly made her way out into the kitchen, where she found Fang standing in the darkness.

"Fang?" She touched his arm.

"Something's not right." He was staring at the door.

"What's not right?"

"Do you not notice how dark it is?" he gestured around. The only light in the barn was the moonlight streaming in from a window above them.

"Um…it's night time." She quirked an eyebrow even though he couldn't see it.

"The lights are off."

"Uh, again, it's night time. That's usually what people do at night is turn off the lights."

"Max," he turned to look into what he hoped was her face. "I'm aware of that. But I never leave it dark in here. I always have emergency lights on that run on a separate generator than the rest of the place. Nothing is on. Nothing will come on."

"Maybe the generators just need gas, it's nothing to freak out about."

"They don't need gas, Max. They were full when I checked them when we arrived, and I only ever turn them off by hand. They're off, and I haven't touched them and I doubt any of you have."

"Max!"

They both whirled around, ready to fight. Gazzy raced up to them. Panic was all over his features.

"Gazzy, what's wrong?"

"The rest of the flock, they're gone!" Max's heart stopped as he went on. "I was laying in bed because I couldn't sleep, so I went to wake up Iggy and he was gone and so was everyone else and-"

"Gazzy, slow down." Fang put his hands on his shoulders. "Did you hear anything? Anything at all?"

"No, nothing! Just-"

Before he could finish, an explosion knocked them off of their feet.

Everything was a blur. Sounds, flashing lights, everything. Max felt every one of her limbs groan in protest as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Something was holding her down. She panicked. She pried at the beam that had pinned her legs down. She blinked several times and looked around. The safe house was on fire and barely standing. Struggling against the beam, she frantically scanned the barn until her eyes landed on Fang's limp form a few feet from her. She couldn't see Gazzy amongst the rubble.

"Fang!" She called, finally managing to pull herself free. She quickly crawled toward him and dusted off his face. He moaned when she smacked him in the face in an effort to wake him.

He blinked a few times and shot upright. "Max, we gotta go." He yanked her to her feet. "Where's Gazzy?"

"I don't know, I don't see him anywhere." She coughed against the smoke and shielded her eyes from the heat of the fire surrounding them. "What happened?"

He froze when he heard voices nearing the barely standing door. "They're here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the debris and quickly shoved her behind him in the darkest corner he could find behind a still intact wall.

"Find her!" The voice made Max's stomach churn. It was the Shadow she had a run in with at the library. "I know she's here. I can smell her."

Max gripped Fang's arm. The Shadows ripped through the debris on their search. Max noticed a hole in the wall behind them and pulled Fang towards it. When they emerged on the other side, coughing from the growing smoke, Max went still. In the distance she could see her entire flock, bound at the limbs and gagged, being thrown into a large black van. The van sped off down the gravel road.

Something within her ignited. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and she took off after it, pumping her legs as fast as she could. She could feel Fang following close behind and that feeling of safety made her run even faster, knowing he was right there with her. Her wings twitched against her back. It was one thing to mess with her, but she was tired of seeing her family get hurt.

Her wings snapped open and she launched into the night sky. Maximum Ride was back. And this time, she had no intention of leaving.

Reviews, please! More to come.