A/N: (squeals!) I got reviews! I got reviews! OMGOMGOMG. Sorry. You're probably thinking; hyperactive much? Well, I've never written a fanfic before, so this is very exciting for me :-) Okay, I should probably write the story, huh? :-& Oh, and I'm not Stephenie Meyer, neither am I James Patterson. I don't know how often you have to do that, though. . .

MAX POV

When I woke up I had a headache. It wasn't a headache caused by a certain voice (ahem) or from having to worry about taking care of the flock. It wasn't even the type of headache you get from listening to Nudge ramble for twelve solid hours. It was just. . .a headache.

Then I remembered what had happened.

"Ah!" I yelled, and shot out of bed. Huh? Bed? I landed on the floor. Ouch. Where was I? I was in a bedroom.

Obviously, Fang would never have brought me to a hospital, so I must been in a hotel or something. Or something. I rose unsteadily to my feet. I was wearing the weirdest clothing. Before my Brain Attack, I'd had on jeans and a-shirt. Now I was wearing a miniskirt and a flimsy top. What the heck?

I opened the door of the bedroom and peered out. I was in a hallway of some sorts. I cocked my head, listening to voices.

"Looks like our patient is awake," A low purr of a voice chuckled. I shivered. They could only be talking about me. But how could they know I was awake? My hands curled into fists.

I walked carefully down the staircase and into a. . .kitchen? The flock was sitting around a table, eating mountains of food. Around the kitchen stood nine extremely beautiful people. I remembered most of them from school.

"Max! You're awake!" Nudge squealed, jumping up to me. I was suddenly encircled in a flock hug.

"Thanks, guys," I said, pushing them away. Then Fang hugged me close, whispering in my ear, "Don't ever do that again. Ever."

"Um. . .okay. . ." I whispered back.

"Max, there's something you have to know about the Cullens," Angel said, looking at me, pretty serious for a ten-year old.

I patted her on the head. "Uh-huh? What is it, sweetie?"

"They're vampires." Angel said.

Wo. Wasn't expecting that. I looked around at the Cullens, shrugged. I was feeling very relaxed for some reason, like, "so, they're vampires. Who cares?"

"Stop that!" Alice insisted, staring at the younger blond boy. "Let her feel what she wants to feel!"

The boy shrugged. Instantly, the feeling of calmness left me, and I was all tense and adrenaline-y again. I glared at them. "Vampires? That's the weirdest thing I've heard all day."

"Max, it's okay," Nudge said. "You've been asleep for three days and they didn't suck your blood not once and Carlisle here he totally made you better but sorry we told them about us, I hope you don't mind, but anyway, they know that we're avian-human hybrids and stuff, and Fang was in control and everything even when your expiration date showed up on your neck. . "

I gawked at her. "What?" My brain was scrambling. "Um. . expiration date."

Fang looked me in the eye. The other kids were sitting down and eating, but he stood up next to me. "Your expiration date."

I froze.

My expiration date? We'd always lived in dread of it. . .if I was gone, who would take care of the flock? I was going to die? "How much time do I have?" I asked, my voice surprisingly calm.

"You're not going to die, Max," That boy, Edward, said calmly. I glanced at him, frowning.

"Another mind-reader!" Angel chirped. I wanted to groan. A mind-reading vampire? That was just perfect. I just gritted my teeth, sighed , and shook my head. "I'm going to die," I turned to Fang. "You'll be in charge, okay? How much time do I have?"

"You're not going to die, Max," Fang insisted.

I sighed. "Fang, you know what happened to Ari? That's what's going to happen to me. I'm just. . .sorry that. . ." My throat closed. I wanted to say, very badly that I was sorry that we could never be together. But I couldn't. I couldn't do that to him now. Not when I was going to die.

"You're not going to die because I'm going to get rid of the pre-programmed expiration date," An all-too-familiar voice said. I turned, a snarl on my face.

"Yeah? What are you doing here, Jeb?"