Hey guys. This is chapter 3 of my new story. I would like to give a special thanks to every person that reviewed, every review was special to me and they've all lit up my day, which I needed.

Thanks to the super awesome people that reviewed, I love you.

Random Fact of the chapter: I listen to music all the time, music is my life.

Onwards.

Max's POV.

The days passed relatively quickly after that. I was healing slowly and was still in a lot of pain, but I think things were looking up. Fang and I were getting closer, and spent most days alone together while Iggy worked.

Like today.

It had been a couple of days since Fang saved me, and it was about 11 in the morning. Iggy had left for work before we woke up, and we didn't know what to do, so we went up to the roof, as always.

When we were up there, instead of sitting down on the edge like I usually did, I just stood up, adjusting my crutches.

"Wanna see how fast I can go?" I said, smirking at Fang, squinting slightly from the amount of sun in my eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is that the best idea, considering we're on the roof?" He said, taking on an amused tone.

"Yeah." I said in a "duh." Tone.

He motioned with his hand for me to get going.

I braced myself and took long strides with my crutches, going really fast. I was to the other side of the roof in seconds, and back to Fang in only a few more.

"Not bad." He said, smiling. I loved that smile.

I sat down in our usual spot on the edge of the roof, tired out now. Since I almost died I really can't use that much energy. Iggy would probably kill me if he knew that I'd strained myself like that only a couple of days after I almost died.

The city was beautiful, bathed in the golden morning light.

Flashback.

Jeb stood closer to me, looking down. I could smell his breath, and the rancid odour of alcohol was all I could smell.

"What did you say to me?"

I lifted my chin. "I said I hated you."

He raised his hand, a beer bottle in it, smashing it over my head.

End of flashback.

I shivered, remembering a short fragment of that horrible day

Fang put an arm around me. "Cold?" He said.

I shook my head. "Just….. remembering. The day we were kicked out."

He didn't look at me, staring ahead at the view.

"I remember sometimes. I remember all the horrible things my mum did, the things she said. I can't help it. It gets worse when I go to sleep."

I nodded. I always had nightmares about my past, like I was half able to block them out in the day, the during the night time they reigned free.

"Same here." Was all I said.

I saw Fang turn to look at me out of the corner of my eye, and I looked up at him.

He was unbearably handsome, the morning light making his midnight black hair shine. I had a sudden urge to run my hands through it, it looked so soft.

I don't know who started it, but all of a sudden our mouths collided in a sudden kiss.

My hands wound up into his hair, and his down onto the small of my back.

It was furious and passionate, full of longing. Then it was over.

I think it was Fang who pulled away, and I felt a snap, like an elastic band breaking.

We looked at each other for a few seconds, and then away.

We looked out at the city, neither of us talking for a while. The silence was tipped with something I couldn't quite identify.

I didn't know whether to break the silence or not, and I kept sneaking little looks at Fang. Oh god. He probably doesn't like me back. I probably just ruined our friendship.

"When did you dye your hair?" Fang suddenly asked. I looked at him questioningly. "I keep forgetting to ask. When did you dye streaks in?" He said, picking up a strand of one of my blonde streaks.

"I didn't. They're natural. It probably looks weird considering that my hair is so dark, but I didn't do them. My whole family has weird hair, Iggy's red tips are natural also."

He smiled. "It suits you."

It was later that night, and Iggy was back from work. We were eating a little microwave meal, and we were sitting up on the roof. I know, we go up there all the time, but it's nice. If you were us, you probably would too.

We were chatting randomly, just having stupid conversations and playing would you rather.

"Would you rather-" I said. "Have a pepperoni nose or a fishtail chin?"

"Nose." Iggy said quickly.

Fang nodded. "A fishtail chin would be so weird."

"Would you rather have a year's supply of bacon or dinner with Morgan Freeman?" Iggy said.

I moaned. "Oh my god, that's so hard!"

I thought for a while. I really couldn't decide. They were both too awesome.

I shrugged, but due to my recent stab wound, only one shoulder moved, while the other sort of twitched and sent pain down my arm.

"But after a while you might get bored of bacon." I pointed out. "I think Morgan Freeman."

Fang nodded. "Yeah."

I finished my food first and set my plate aside still hungry.

Fang finished soon after me and asked if I wanted seconds. I nodded and he went off to go get more.

It was just Iggy and I. We hadn't really had any proper alone time since Fang started staying here.

"Max?" Iggy said.

"mmhmm?"

"Why did you go to that fight?"

I looked down. "We needed the money."

"How long? How long have you been risking your life like this?"

"A while."

He made a sort of tutting noise. "Max, just… did you think I would be fine if you died? Did you think I wouldn't care?"

I looked into the distance. "I thought- I thought that you might be a little upset but you'd get over in soon and get on with your life."

"Why did you think that Max? I've been taking care of you for years, did you think that I considered it as a job? I would be destroyed if you were gone!"

I stayed silent.

"Wait, the money I've been finding for ages, was that- was that you?"

I nodded meekly.

Iggy pulled me into a hug, putting his chin on my head.

Flashback.

Jeb raised the bottle, smashing it over my head.

I gasped, recoiling, and then my sight went red as pure rage ran through me. I lunged forward and punched Jeb in the face, as hard as I could.

He shouted in anger and pain, and stumbled back, hitting the kitchen counter. He opened one of the drawers and fumbled through, pulling out a huge carving knife, rage flashing in his eyes.

He strode forwards and slammed me back into the wall, holding the knife to my neck.

"I'll do it!" He said. His voice rose into a shout. "I'll do it!"

End of flashback.

Iggy hugged me tighter, making the horrible flashback go away.

"I keep remembering the day it happened- the day Jeb kicked us out."

"I know Max, I know." He said, rubbing my back, his voice comforting, soothing my pain.

After a short while we pulled apart and continued to stare into the beautiful sunset, the light shining off the top of the buildings.

"Don't do anything like that ever again."

I didn't say anything, I couldn't make that kind of promise.

"Max?"

"I can't make that kind of promise, Ig. I might have to one day. But I won't if there's no need."

He seemed half satisfied with that answer, looking away, a muscle in his jaw jumping.

We headed downstairs after we were done, ready to crash.

I was exhausted, to be truthful with you.

Fang and Iggy were talking, they'd become pretty good friends, and I just face planted onto my mattress on the floor, weakly pulling the covers so that the covered half of me, and fell asleep straight away.

"I'll do it!" His voice rose into a shout. "I'll do it!"

I raised my knee and kicked him in the stomach. Hard.

He growled and grabbed my shoulders, flipping me around and slamming my face into the wall with a blinding impact.

Then, all of sudden, I felt his knife plunge into my back, next to my shoulder, not deep enough to kill, just to maim. He proceeded to drag the knife across my back, all the way to my hip. I screamed, tears dripping down my face.

He flipped me around to face him again and raised his knife. I closed my eyes, tears pouring down my face, ready for more unbearable pain, but it didn't come.

I opened my eyes to see Iggy pinning Jeb onto the ground, trying to grab the knife out of his hands. I slid to the floor, wanting to help, but still in shock of what Jeb just did.

Iggy managed to grab the knife out of Jeb's flailing hands, chucking it away, to the other side of the room.

He stood up, kicking Jeb in the side, hard.

Jeb moaned and curled into a ball.

Iggy kneeled in front of me.

"Oh god Max, it's ok, it's ok, it's fine, turn around, let me see what he did."

I was blinded by tears, and I roughly stood up, turning around so that Iggy could see what Jeb had done.

"oh my god, Max, oh my god!" Iggy voice became anger filled, and I saw him turn around to go kick Jeb's ass, but he wasn't on the floor where he had been.

I looked around. "Iggy!" I shouted as Jeb picked up the knife, lunging towards us.

He saw and grabbed me quickly, yanking me out of the way.

Iggy started running, dragging me behind. I was stumbling, tears in my eyes, blinded by the pain.

"C'mon Max!" Iggy tugged me, and I picked up the speed a bit, but when we got to the front door, Jeb was already there, standing in front of it, a manic grin on his face.

We froze in place, skidding slowly to stop.

I was half hiding behind Iggy, and he was shielding me with his body.

"Iggy." Jeb said. "Iggy, you were always my favourite. Just give me the girl, and you can stay here. You can live a long, happy life. I'll send you to the best universities, and buy you anything you want. You're such a g-"

"Shut up!" Iggy shouted, cutting off Jeb. "Just shut. Up! There's no way in hell I'm staying with you, you're a dangerous physco, and you're not fit to have children! If mum was still alive, she would be so disgusted. She's probably glad that she's gone!"

Jeb's face crashed down. "Iggy, please. Just give me Max, then you can do what you want."

Iggy shook his head. "Fuck off."

Jeb snarled and lunged viciously at us, but we both dodged his flailing knife, darting towards the door. Iggy threw it open quickly, and we started running out, but Jeb grabbed my shirt, tugging me back in.

"Iggy!" I shouted as Jeb started dragging me back into the house.

He jumped back in and started whaling on Jeb, but he didn't let go, raising the knife to my throat.

"Stop! I'll do it!" He said, and Iggy froze dead in place. There were a few seconds of silence, and then I put my head down and bit Jeb's hand as hard as I could, my jaw aching. He yelled and dropped me, kicking me in the ribs viciously. Iggy dragged me up and we continued running.

"I hate you, Max!" Jeb screamed, the scream echoing in my ears as we ran.

I bolted upright, tears rolling down my face, my breathing fast.

"Max?" I heard a soft voice and looked around to see Fang crouching beside me.

"Nightmare?"

I shook my head. "More like a bad memory."

Fang nodded, understanding what I was going through.

He opened his arms and I crashed into them, still crying silently, the tears going all over the shoulder of Fang's shirt.

I was broken, and as Fang held me while I cried, I could feel him fixing me.

The next day, we all went out. Iggy didn't have work, and I think we all needed new clothes and stuff. He had enough money to provide, which he joked about constantly. I could tell that he was watching me like a hawk, and would sit me down and get me home the second I showed any kind of fatigue.

This is where my great acting skills come into use. I'm not showing any signs of weakness whatsoever.

We got a new pair of shoes for me, because my current (only pair) of trainers literally had holes everywhere.

After literally the most boring time over, we were done shopping. We hadn't actually got that much, we didn't have much money, just the basic necessities.

We were wandering around, just chatting and stuff, not really wanting to go home because it was boring, when my whole world collapsed.

I saw somebody walking down on the opposite side of the street, going past over us. It was a man, tall ish, hunched against the wind, hands stuffed in pockets.

I caught sight of his face, and it was like a rug being pulled out from underneath me. I stopped immediately, making Iggy and Fang stop too, I'd been walking (or going along on my crutches, whatever.) between them.

I leaned against a wall quickly for support, or I would've collapsed. My stomach churned and my head swam.

"What is it, Max?" Iggy said, looking distressed.

I raised a shaking hand to point at the figure receding into the distance.

"Iggy, It's him." I said. My voice shook and trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"Who, Max?" Iggy asked, but I saw in his eyes that he knew already.

My voice was filled with sorrow and despair, hate and rage all at the same time.

"Jeb."

I felt like it was a good place to end it here, I know it's short, please don't kill me. Don't forget to review guys, every review means the world to me, literally.

Fly on.

-Raven.