Catch and Release

Chapter 1

After another check of not only his breath, but also his hair, Fang finally made it out of the hotel. He was met with that same feeling of exposure he always got whenever he went somewhere. You don't get locked up for years on end without becoming at least somewhere of paranoid freak. Sighing a little bit, Fang continued down the road, headed towards the address Max had given him over the phone. After some customary questions to make sure that it wasn't some sort of trick and just another clone, of course.

When Fang got the apartment building, that nervous feeling was returning, turning his brain to mush. He hadn't seen her in years. Who was he to assume that she just wanted him waltz back into her life? God, her life. They were both at least twenty nine now. From what he had gathered, Max assumed Fang was dead. What if she's already moved on? …Has he moved on?

When he knocked on door, Fang almost turned and ran. He didn't though, if only because Max answered so quickly.

For a second, all they did was stare at each other. Fang felt his throat tighten up as her eyes searched his own, trying to figure out where to go.

"Fang?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled a little. "You went invisible."

God, did he? How long had he been standing still? It didn't feel like it had been that long, but you never know.

Before he could recover, Max was taking a step back. "Come in."

The second he stepped in, Fang knew for certain that it was his Max. Given the toys that littered the floor and couch where a bed was already made for someone to sleep on, he could tell that, even after all these years, Max hadn't even thought of cleaning for him. It made him smirk slightly. Then he realized the sheets on the couch were that of some cartoon character and the toys on the ground were for those of a young child.

"Come in," Max was saying again, stepping over a Scooby Doo doll. "Sorry, I was going to make coffee, but I'm out."

Ignoring this, Fang continued to look around, shutting the front door firmly behind him. Max was still talking, she did that when she got nervous, but Fang just cut her off.

"Max, do you have a kid?"

She stopped midsentence and looked at him. She had walked into the kitchen, which was connected to the living area they were in now. Staring at him, she slowly made her way back over.

"Well, yeah, Fang. No one told you? I thought you at least knew that much."

"That much?"

"That's why I got transferred buildings. That's partially why I escaped."

"Because you got a kid?"

"I got pregnant," she corrected, frowning. "They never-"

"No, I thought you were dead, remember?"

"Yeah, but I figured they at least told you that I got transferred."

"No."

They both stared for a moment.

"Is it…I mean…"

"Not an it, Fang."

"Well, is it?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

"Do you think that…me? Or…Jamie? Or a guard? Someone? Any idea at all?"

"No," she sighed, now looking away. Then she looked back at him. "Where are you staying?"

"What? Max, I think the more important problem-"

"The baby is not a problem. We've been doing fine without you, Fang. Don't think that you can just come back into my life decide-"

"Who said that I wanted back in your life?"

Max stared at him for a moment as Fang mentally bit his tongue. "Then why are you here?"

He shrugged, looking around. "I got out of the loony bin and figured that I should see all of you. You know, decide where I was going to stay and stuff."

"Loony bin? They locked you up when they freed you?"

"I know, huh?"

Max shook her head. "I was real messed up when I got out."

"I'd bet," he mumbled.

"Mom found me though and got me out of the place they were keeping me."

Fang nodded a little. "What about…it?"

"Oh, Mom had my baby," Max said, which still didn't clear up gender or paternity for him. "You should see all the medication they have me on though."

"I know what you mean," he said with a shake of his head.

"You never did tell me where you're staying."

"A, uh, hotel," Fang said. "Who, uh, sleeps the couch?"

"Hmmm?" Max frowned before following his gaze. "Oh, I set that up for you. I figured you'd want to stay with me, you know?"

"Oh, I didn't realize that was an option."

"Well, it is," she said, feeling very awkward over the whole situation. "I just figured…"

Fang scratched the back of his head. "Uh…I don't really know what to say."

"Me neither," she whispered, still just staring openly at him. "I thought you were dead too, you know? And then I had Carter…"

"Carter?" Fang smiled a little bit. A boy. He could do a boy. If Max wanted him to. If it was his. Or whatever.

"Yeah," Max said, swallowing a little bit. "Do you want to sit down?"

"I can."

"What?"

"I mean, yeah, sure." Fang headed over to the couch, but, being all nervous and stuff, accidentally tripped over one of the stuffed animals.

"Fang." Max rushed to help him up, but she wasn't quick enough.

"You fall down. Hurt Robbie."

Fang looked up and found himself coming face to face with a toddler. The little kid reached down and ran her hand across his forehead, tracing a scar.

"What?" He frowned at the long hair and purple shirt. A girl? Carter was a girl?

"Come here," Max said, quickly picking her up. Glancing towards one of the doors, Fang saw that it had been cracked open and the little girl had probably been playing in there, but come out when Fang arrived. "I'm sorry, Fang."

"I'm the one that fell," he mumbled when he was finally able to pull himself up. Carter was still frowning at him, her dark hair falling over her face, making her almost look demonic. Little kids always creeped Fang out, what with their too big heads and round, all seeing eyes. Shiver.

"Robbie," Carter said, pointing to the bear on the ground that he had tripped over.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I guess," Fang said, rubbing his hand down the back of his neck. Max bounced the girl a little bit.

"It's okay," she said, clearly still not missing the awkwardness in the air. "Carter, this is Fang. He's one of my friends. Can you say hi?"

"No." She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, turning away. "No."

Fang looked around. "Um, do you still talk to the others?"

"Enough to know that you've seen all of them before me, yes."

"Oh. That. It's just…I really didn't think that you were you, you know?" He looked around. "And I really needed to check on Nudge, Angel, and Gasman. Make sure that they were okay. That everything turned out alright while we were gone."

"They seem to have," she mumbled. "Nudge lives really close."

"I know. She has a kid too," Fang said, as if there was a chance Max didn't know. "A baby. I held it."

Max didn't seem interested in that. "Ella has son. He's eleven."

"That old?"

Max nodded a little bit, but didn't offer up anymore information on the subject. "Did you…it's Carter's lunch time."

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "What does she eat?"

"Ask her," Max said, smiling slightly. "You know she can talk."

"Okay." He cleared his throat again. "Hey, Carter?"

She moaned.

"Are you hungry?" Fang began to rub his wrist with his other hand, clearly nervous. He had to push up his jacket sleeve slightly to do so, which revealed some of his scars to Max's eyes. She tried not to look. "I could, uh, make you something. Would you want a sandwich?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "You'll make her lunch?"

He gave a slight nod. Then, trying to be the jokesters they once were, he said, "I have to be better at it than you, huh?"

"Robbie," Carter whispered again and Fang took the hint this time, bending down to pick up the teddy bear on the ground.

"Here," he said, holding it out. Guardedly, Carter turned to stare at him, reaching out slowly to take her toy. "Better?"

"Mac."

"What?"

"Mac!"

Fang looked to Max. "Huh?"

"She wants mac'n'cheese. She likes that."

"Oh." Fang went back to rubbing his wrist, almost feverishly now. "I could…I could make that. If you want me to, Max, Carter."

"Fang, you just go here."

"No, it's fine." He moved passed them, now going over to the little kitchen area. "You work?"

"I do."

"So…who watches, uh, Carter while you're at work?"

"Nudge, Mom, Ella."

"Ella lives near here?" He had seen Dr. Martinez. She had been the first one he had seen, as she was the one to help free him from the mental hospital. Just thinking about that place made Fang close his eyes and level out his breathing.

"Yep." Max followed behind him. "Carter, can you say thank you?"

She just cuddled her teddy to her. "No."

Max sat her down on the ground, going to get Fang the box of macaroni. "So…Iggy told me that he offered you a place to stay."

"I don't want to impose on any of them. All of them offered. Even little Angel, when I flew out to see her, in New York."

"She's not so little anymore," Max whispered, getting him the pot also.

"No," Fang agreed. "She's not."

"I…I've missed you. So much. I really thought that you were…"

"I've seen Dylan," Fang said suddenly.

"I have too. A lot."

"So that never-"

"You know it didn't, so don't ask about it."

Carter walked back into the living room, falling down next to some of her toys. Fang glanced over at her, trying to find any resemblance of one of the guards or Jamie, the director the School they had been held in. He could find none. None of him either.

"Did you have her while you were still in-"

"Yes," Max whispered, filling the pot with water. "I did."

"Oh." He sighed a little bit. "Sorry, I'm just-"

"It's a lot to take in," she agreed, holding in a breath. "They didn't tell you about-"

"None of them," he told her. "I'm kind of pissed, actually."

"That's a bad word," Max told him simply. "We don't use bad words. Carter repeats everything."

"She seems really…vocal." He glanced back over at her to find that the toddler was singing random words to herself that sounded to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

"I know, right?" Max sighed, leaning against one of the counters, watching him. "You really don't have to make-"

"I told her I would." He glanced over at Max. "Even if she doesn't like me."

"She gets nervous around other people. All people."

"Nervous isn't the word I would use, but sure."

She gave him a wry smile that brought him back a few years. "Jokes, he has jokes."

He looked away. "Anyways."

"Yeah, anyways."

"Mac'n'chesse, huh?" He started to stir the pot. "Jeb used to make us that."

"I remember." Max stared up at a spot on the ceiling. "Good ol' days, eh?"

"Definitely better than any I've had recently."

"I wish I knew that you were…Fang, I would have-"

"Same," he swallowed. "Anything for each other, huh?"

Neither spoke after that. Max went to go get Carter then, sitting down with her on the couch, the bowl of macaroni and cheese in her hand.

"I'm gonna buy you a table," Fang said randomly as he sat down too, with his own plate.

"There's no room."

"I'll get a small one."

"Fang-"

"I just think it's not right, her not having a table to eat at. We had a table to eat at, in the house in Colorado." He took a bite of food then, to shut himself up.

"Do you work?"

Fang shook his head. "I just got out of that…place. The mental hospital. Iggy said he'd help me get a job though, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to leave this town. I want to stay here with Nudge and you. And Carter."

"Fang…she might not be-"

"I know. It doesn't matter if she's mine." He wanted to just stop talking, but something forced him to go on. "She's yours though. That's what really matters."

That got him his first real smile from Max, which was about the best thing in the world.

By the time Fang got back to his hotel, he was more than ready to go to sleep. Plus he really wanted to get out of jacket. It was the dead of summer and he was burning up. He couldn't take it off though because he didn't want to freak Max out with the permanent chain marks that were now imprinted on his skin.

They had discussed Fang staying on the couch that night, but both were clearly uncomfortable with the idea. Agreeing that it wasn't for the best, Fang left, figuring that after all they had both been through, rushing into something wasn't the smartest idea. Nudge had told him that she would help him look for an apartment and he was sure Max would help too, once he told her that he was looking.

A baby… Max has a baby… Why didn't anyone tell him? Did they realize that it could be his? …Or did they know for sure it wasn't?

Shaking his head, Fang turned on all the lights before getting into bed. He had to sleep with all the lights on and always checked under the bed and in the closet for any enemies. Sure, he knew it was silly and childish, but he couldn't help it. Not after all that had happened…

He remembered the last time he saw Max, how they had starved her so much that she was basically dead. She looked dead. Haunting. She was all bones. He wasn't much better, but he didn't constantly have to stare at himself, only Max.

By that point all the others were gone too. Angel and Gazzy had never gone in with them, but at one point, when they were being transferred buildings, Fang was able to free Nudge. He told her to go, to leave them behind and never come back. She couldn't come back. There was no way that she could ever get all three of them out. By the time she did anyways, they would have all wasted away.

Iggy was a more complex story. He had been transferred buildings without them. Unlike the research facility Fang and Max were being held at, his was one of pure torture. Fang just assumed…even when he got out, he couldn't look, even he wanted to, as he was in the mental institution. He wouldn't have though, if he wasn't there. He would be too afraid of what he would find.

"It's okay," he whispered softly to himself as he laid down. They're all okay now. Him, Max, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel are all okay. Total had passed away of old age, but he was in a better place, so he was okay. Even Dylan was okay, though Fang really didn't care nor know anything about what had been going on with him. Still. He was okay and that's all that matters.

When I originally wrote the first chapter of Bound, it wasn't meant to be a story, but rather a prologue for one of two stories. Either this one or another one, where Max was completely unable to care for herself and Fang had to do it once they were free of the School or whatever. Currently that resembles Forsaken too much for me to do, so I chose this one. Of course now this has no connection to Bound, and when I post the last chapter of Bound you'll know why, so I've decided to just scrap the prologue idea. I don't think any of my stories have ever had one anyways.