Wasn't that a fast update? Here's chapter two! Enjoy, and please, please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.

Btw Thank you to everyone who reviewed! =)

Chapter Two: Messages

"Tonight was so great, Nick."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Nick smiled at Lily. She brushed her hands through her hair.

"Would you…consider going on another date?" Nick asked.

Lily smiled. "Of course." She looked up into his eyes. Nick (Fang) leaned across the gear shift and kissed Lily full on the lips. She kissed back, putting her hands around his neck.

Too soon, they parted. "You're a good kisser," she whispered against his lips.

"I could say the same thing about you," said Fang, going back in for another kiss. She put her index finger against his lips, stopping him.

"Next time," said Lily.

Fang nodded. "Don't forget."

She laughed. "I won't. I promise." Lily looped her handbag around her shoulder and began to open the passenger door. She turned back, and looked at Fang mischievously.

"Maybe one more," she said, leaning in for another kiss.

XXX

After parking his Honda across the street from his apartment building, Fang took out the keys to his apartment and ran under the awning in the front of the building. He pulled his windbreaker around his shoulders a little tighter. He burst through the doors, and walked straight ahead towards the elevators.

"Hello, Nick." Fang's neighbor from across the hall, Bill, a thirty-year-old History teacher at an up-to-do public high school, nodded at him. Fang went to press the up button for the elevator, but it looked like Bill had already done that.

"Hey Bill."

"You look a little happy."

"I just had a date."

"Another one?"

"Yep."

"Jesus Nick, you've dated a lot of girls," Bill said a little wistfully.

Fang glanced at him. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"How come you…didn't take her home?" Bill wiggled his eyebrows. He was a creepy guy.

"Bill, I don't take home all the fucking girls I date." Truth be told, he'd taken home none of the girls he dated. Partially because they never lasted long, and partially because he felt like he would betray her. Max.

"Shit, I'm just kidding with you man. But, there must be something special about you." Bill wiggled his eyebrows again.

"Who knows, Bill, who knows." He half-smiled.

Oh, if only you knew, thought Fang.

XXX

Fang dropped his keys onto his small, rickety dinner table, and then dropped his windbreaker onto the floor. Fang sighed, and let his 14-foot jet black wings extend all the way to their full length.

Bill had been right; there was something special about him. You see, he wasn't completely human. He was 98% human, and 2% bird. He had wings, air sacs, hollow bones, and he had to eat more than the normal human being. Along with the rest of his former Flock, he had been brought up in a dog crate, constantly experimented on by whack–job scientists at a place called the School. Basically, he was a freak. A genetic freak.

Fang sat down at his couch, and picked up a book on his coffee table. He opened to page 42 of The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. It was one of the few good books Fang had read. And so far, Fang was enjoying it immensely.

But of course, reality had to set back in.

RIIING!

XXX

Fang decided to jump on a float at the ignorance parade, and at first thought that it was Lily calling. Fang jumped up from his couch, set down his book, and walked over to where his windbreaker lay. He fished around in his pockets until he found his cell phone, and sat down on the floor. He looked down at the screen.

It wasn't Lily.

Stomach churning, he pressed the call button. He knew this would be coming sooner or later…

"Hello?"

"Fang?"

Fang remained impassive. He wouldn't let his emotions show.

"Dr. Martinez."

"Yes. Hello again, Fang. Are you busy right now?"

"No."

"Well, Fang, we've contacted your parents. And-"

He heard a bang, then a yell in the background. Dr. Martinez told the person to stop, but the girl (it was too high-pitched to be a guy) kept talking to Dr. Martinez. Fang heard a scuffle on the other end of the call, as if someone was trying to take the phone away from Dr. Martinez.

"STOP!" she yelled.

"Dr. Martinez?" Fang asked.

"No! Don't talk to him!"

Fang's heart leapt. It couldn't be…

"Stop it! Let me have the phone!"

"Mom! Don't-"

"Maximum Ride! Stop it right now!"

Fang's heart leapt even faster.

It was Max.

And he couldn't help himself. "Max?"

XXX

Dr. Martinez yanked the phone from out of Max's limp hand, and set it on her desk. Max had her mouth hanging open slightly, and she had a far-off look in her eyes. She sat on the floor. She glanced up at the phone, then at her mother, and said, "Please Mom…"

"I have to. You know that, Max." Slowly, Valencia could see in her daughter's eyes that she was slowly receding back into herself; into pain and sadness. Just like she had done when Fang left the Flock, left her, three and a half years ago.

Valencia nodded at Max. "It'll be okay. I promise you."

Max shook her head. "He-"

"Dr. Martinez?" Fang's deep voice emanated from the phone. Max looked down at her feet.

"One second, Fang. I'm sorry." Dr. Martinez lowered her voice. "Max, go back to the Flock. Dessert should be ready by now."

Max looked up. Her face looked like it belonged to someone much older, not to an eighteen-year-old.

"Fine. But w-when-" Max sighed, then spoke again. "When he gets here, he better steer clear of me or else I'll rip his head off." With that, Valencia's daughter pushed herself off the wood-paneled floor, and walked towards the door of Dr. Martinez's office. She shut the door behind her with a bang.

Dr. Martinez sighed, and put her hands to her temples. She picked up the phone. "I'm so sorry about that Fang. There was a little-"

"That was Max."

Valencia paused before answering. "Yes."

"She doesn't want me to come."

Dr. Martinez sighed. "No. Sh-she doesn't."

Fang didn't answer for a few minutes. "I…I want…"

"You want to talk to Max?"

Fang didn't answer for a moment.

"Yes."

Valencia heard the door to her office open slightly. She heard whispers outside her door, then a smack. She got up, carrying her phone along with her, and opened the door. There stood the entire Flock; Angel, the youngest at 10-years-old, Gazzy, her biological brother, 12-years-old, Nudge, the chatty 15-year-old, Iggy, the blind 18-year-old, Dylan, the beautiful boy who was technically 3-years-old, but looked 18 as well, and Max, the leader, Dr. Martinez's gorgeous, headstrong daughter at 18-years-old.

Nudge spoke first. "We were just walking down the hall-"

"Are you sure you want to talk to Max, Fang?" As Max's mother, of course she knew that Max would never want to talk the boy who broke her heart, but at the same time, she pitied Fang, because even though he had left the Flock, he had thought he had left for the best. And, truth be told, he was right. And now, here he was, about to return to his former family who would undoubtedly not be ecstatic by his return. Who couldn't feel sorry for him?

The Flock (except for Iggy) looked at the phone, as if imagining it were actually Fang. Gazzy and Nudge looked mildly happy, Angel was impassive, Iggy looked slightly angry, Dylan looked furious, and Max looked both sad and irritated.

"Now that you asked, I'm not sure," said Fang. Valencia laughed, then glanced at Max. She was shaking her head slowly.

"Alright then. Well, we might as well talk about more, ah, important things." Valencia shut the door on the Flock, and walked back to her desk. Ignoring the banging on the door, she sat down at her desk and gazed down at the scattered mess of papers.

XXX

"Okay Fang. Are you ready?"

"Yes." He hadn't been more ready in his life.

"We contacted your parents, and, long story short, they'll be coming to the CSM headquarters. They'll be at the headquarters next Monday, in four days."

"Okay."

"So what you need to do is book a flight over here. I think this might be a little far for you to fly on your own."

Fang didn't answer.

"So, what you need to do is book a flight to Seattle, Washington. That's where the headquarters is. Try booking a flight to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport."

"Dr. Martinez, I think I can fly-"

"No Fang. You'd have to stop, and when you do you might be noticed. People might think you were a burglar."

"Dr. Martinez, really, I can fly there myself. I can blend in with my surroundings too, so no one would notice me stealing food or something."

"It would take you a few days to get here."

"Only three…or four."

"Fang, if it's an issue of money-"

"It might be. I'd have to check how much one seat costs."

Dr. Martinez didn't answer for a few moments. "If it's too much to pay, the CSM can write you a check. It's no problem."

"It would be easier for me to fly-"

"No, Fang." Her voice was beginning to get an exasperated and apprehensive tone to it.

Why was she so adamant about him not flying?

"Dr. Martinez…is there another reason why you're not letting me fly on my own?"

She didn't answer for a few minutes. Fang thought she had hung up when she said…

"Fang…just don't fly on your own. Please."

Max would've kept barreling her with questions. But Fang was different; he knew when to stop.

"Okay. I'll get on a plane."

Dr. Martinez sighed in relief. "Thank you, Fang. If…if you want, I'll explain when you get here."

Fang waited a moment before answering. "Alright."

"Good. So, you'll get on a flight on Sunday. I think that's the best. You'll be too jetlag if you fly on Monday to see your parents. And I'll arrange for a CSM representative to fly with you to Seattle. We have an office in New York."

Fang didn't complain. "Okay."

"You can stay at the headquarters. We have a few rooms-"

"For the Flock."

"Excuse me?"

"You mean you have a few rooms for the Flock. Only the Flock."

"We'll…we'll give you your own separate room, Fang."

"Yes."

"And…on Monday you'll meet your parents. And what happens from there is all up in the air."

Fang paused a few minutes before answering.

"Fang?"

"What do you mean, 'all up in the air'?"

"Well…if you decide to be with your parents, then you'll go with your parents. If you decide to stay on your own, you'll stay on your own. Or if you decide to stay with-"

"You know I can't stay with the Flock, Dr. Martinez."

There was silence on the other end for what felt like ten minutes. "Fang, we can't rule out-"

"Dr. Martinez," Fang brushed his fingers through his hair, "you know I can't stay with the Flock. If I stay with them…" He shut his eyes, remembering how just before, when he heard Max's voice, even though she was furious at him, he still wanted to talk to her. Still wanted to be with her. Still wanted…

"If I stay with them…it won't be good. Max will get distracted. My…anger at Dylan will cloud my thoughts. The Flock will feel alienated. Just like before. I can't stay. You know that, Dr. Martinez."

She didn't speak for a few moments. "Fang…you haven't been around recently. I doubt the media found out."

Fang's stomach churned. "What?"

She sighed. "You'll find out when you get here, Fang."

Fang felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle. "I'm still meeting my parents, right?"

"Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes! Of course! It's just…never mind, Fang. Just forget what I said. Be in Seattle next Sunday, okay? We'll arrange for a private car to pick you up at the airport."

"Sounds great."

"Okay Fang. I'll see you soon."

Fang thought of something at the last moment. "Hold on! Dr. Martinez…"

"Yes?"

"Are my parents…happy to meet me?"

"Yes Fang. They're very happy to finally meet you. Thrilled, actually."

He couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Dr. Martinez."

"You're welcome, Fang. I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

XXX

Fang got up off the floor, and walked back to the sofa. He picked up his book and continued reading.

He felt like he could fly to the moon.

How was it? The next chapter should be up soon!

P.S.: If any of you are in the mood to watch a Maximum Ride fanvideo, please go on my profile and check out mine. The link is there and everything. I'd really appreciate it =)

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