I would like to thank my 3 reviewers! :)

PaRaMOrE-0394, thank you for reviewing twice! ^_^

musikfreak61692, thanks for being the first to review! ^_^

And Bex B. & Friends, thanks for the fun review! ^_^

I don't like to demand reviews before posting another chapter. Some people just like to hop on and read stories. And that's just fine with me. But special thanks to my 3 reviewers who wanted to send some encouragement! =D

I'll continue ranting after the chapter...

Okay, onto the story!

Enjoy!

=D

CHAPTER 11

Fang POV

I asked if Max wanted to talk, but all she did was shrug. I immediately knew she had a million things going on in her head. Like the other night in the cave, I felt like the world had fallen on my shoulders. I quickly realized that it had actually fallen on Max's shoulders. She didn't need to carry it alone, though. I was there to help her. And so was the flock.

After that, I acted on impulse. I shifted slightly to face her. Then, I placed a hand on the back of her neck and laid the other lightly on her cheek. Her breath caught in her chest when I turned her face to mine to kiss her.

She was very tense when our lips met, but she relaxed after a moment. I was about to pull away to explain myself before she took off like she had in the past, but I didn't get the chance.

Max's hands slowly found my face, as if to keep me from moving, and she tilted her head slightly so we could kiss better. Not what I was expecting.

My hands slid slowly down her back, and I puller her closer.

The moment seemed to last forever. And I would've been just fine if it did. Of course, it didn't.

Max tensed up again and pulled away abruptly, both of us breathing raggedly. There was the Max I knew.

"Max, wait!" I stated, a slight panic in my voice, before she could even try to stand up. "I'm sorry! Don't run! Please!"

Max POV

Just as it had in the past, my brain shorted out once Fang's lips found mine. I was glad it did, though. All of my worries seemed like they were melting away, so I relaxed. It felt a lot like the Valium incident, only I wasn't drugged this time and this was a hundred times better.

One thing sparked in my mind, and that was that I couldn't let this moment end yet. I slowly reached my hands up to his face and gently held him in place, slightly tilting my head.

I started getting dizzy again. It was getting frustrating, but I finally remembered to breathe through my nose.

I tried to keep from shivering when I felt his hands slowly sliding down my back. He pulled me closer, and my heart raced faster. The moment was perfect! I didn't want it to end, but I knew it would have to sooner or later.

Unfortunately, I knew I would have to be the one to stop this. My muscles tensed, and I quickly pulled away.

We were both breathing heavily from lack of oxygen. I stared into his eyes and contemplated running, but something inside forced me to stay. I didn't have it in me to run from him anymore.

"Max, wait! I'm sorry!" Fang began talking quickly. He was expecting me to run, too. "Don't run! Please!"

"Fang, I..." I stuttered, trying to tell him I wasn't running. I hated not being able to find the right words.

"I'm sorry!" he continued. "I shouldn't have done that. I know. It was rude of me to just do that to you! But I had to…I wanted...no. I needed to show you that you aren't in this alone. You don't have to carry the world by yourself! I'm here for you! I can help you!"

Whoa! When you get him started on talking, he just keeps going.

"Fang, stop," I said in almost a whisper. "First, I'm not running this time. Second, I know you want to help, but I just…I…"

I let out a sigh and stared at my sneakers. All of my instincts continued to shout at me to run away, but I just couldn't do that to Fang. Not again.

"I need to figure things out on my own, first," I started again, not looking at him. Sharing feelings is so annoying.

Finally, I stood up and said, "We should get some rest. We have a flight to make in the morning."

"Yea," he said, barely audible, and stood up. "Night, Max."

"Night, Fang," I replied and we both slipped back into the windows we came through.

Fang POV

"Fang, I…" she stammered.

I couldn't let her get away again.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that. I know. It was rude of me to just do that to you! But I had to…I wanted...no. I needed to show you that you aren't in this alone. You don't have to carry the world by yourself! I'm here for you! I can help you!"

"Fang, stop," she said just above a whisper. "First, I'm not running this time. Second, I know you want to help, but I just…I…"

She wasn't going to run again. Or so she said. That eased my worries a little bit.

Then, she stared at her sneakers with great interest, her muscles still tensed.

"I need to figure things out on my own, first," she said.

She stood up, and I thought she was about to snap her wings out and take off.

"We should get some rest. We have a flight to make in the morning," she sighed.

Once again, we avoided talking about what actually happened, but at least she wasn't running.

"Yea," I whispered as I stood up next to her. "Night, Max."

"Night, Fang."

She slipped back through Ella's window as I entered Iggy and the Gasman's room. I went back to my bed on the couch and went over things in my head again…

Max didn't run away after I kissed her this time. Maybe there was still hope for us yet…

So, as I was saying before the chapter, I'm not going to wait for so many reviews before posting another chapter. Writing, for me, is about the joy of writing, so that's why I'm here.
If you don't feel like reviewing, then whatevs. That's fine with me.
If you want to leave me a review, then I thank you wholeheartedly! :)

Yea, sorry for babbling. I just get on the rolls sometimes.