Summary: A series of some clichéd, some normal, oneshots. Plenty of FAX and EGGY to go around – you can't spell cliché without FAX. Okay, you can, but you get my point.

Rating: T

A/N: originally, I didn't have a sequel planned, but since so many people got the wrong idea – thinking Fang was gone for good – I decided to clear things up.

My bus's tires caught fire and I had to walk home. This is the second time it's happened. My life is so normal…

Disclaimer: The earth is round. The sun shines. The sky is blue. Sumo wrestlers are fat. Hotel pillows are fluffy. I am not James Patterson.

Chapter Three: Recovered

It wasn't easy for me to pick myself up off the floor after Fang walked out of the room, but that was what I did.

"Max?" came Nudge's scared voice. "Are you okay?"

No I'm not okay! I wanted to scream. I don't have wings and Fang just walked out on me! But I kept my calm and said in an even voice, "Yes honey, I'm alright."

Tears burned the backs of my eyes, begging for release, but I stayed resolute. I couldn't crumble. Not here, anyway. Not in front of Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy.

Gazzy came up from behind me and hugged me tightly. "It's gonna be okay, Max," he said, his voice clogged with tears, "I promise. We- we can carry you if we have to, we won't mind!"

It broke my heart that he was comforting me when it was so clear he was on the verge of bawling. I turned around so it became a proper hug. "Thanks little man, that means a lot to me."

"What are you gonna do about Fang?" he looked up at me with round, scared eyes.

"He just needed time to mull it over," I reassured him, though I wasn't so sure. "I'll go get him now and he'll tell you himself that it okay, alright?"

He nodded and gave me one last squeeze before letting go.

Angel's room was my first stop. I knocked softly, more out politeness than anything else – she would have sensed me coming.

Come in, she said in my head. I slipped inside and plopped down on her pink bed. She was laying on her side, hugging Celeste closely to her. "Ange? Are you okay?"

I'm fine.

I sighed and reached over to stroke her curls. "Angel, it's just my wings. I'm not dying, right?"

When there was no answer, verbal or otherwise, I continued. "I mean, maybe we could, like, go back to Itex and I dunno, force the scientists to graft some different wings onto my back or something." Even to my own ears the idea sounded ridiculous.

It is ridiculous.

"Who knows, maybe we could start living a normal life or something. Like, actually go to school and stuff. Come on, Angel, try to see the bright side!"

"Max," she finally said, rolling over to look at me, "your wings are gone, and you're telling me to see the bright side of things?"

"Get that sarcasm from me?" I asked playfully, but she just stared at me. "Okay, fine. So my wings are gone. We'll get by somehow, we always have before!"

"You had wings before, Max." Her voice was small.

I patted her hair one last time before standing up. "Yeah, I had wings before, but it wasn't the wings that go us out of bad stuff was it? It was my brain, and one other thing."

Us.

"Yup, us, and that's what we'll make do with for now!"

Iggy and Gazzy are trying to invent mechanical wings that you could wear. Its not gonna work.

"That's sweet of them," I said with a smile, "But I better go find Fang now." I pecked her cheek and was almost out the door when I remembered something. "Angel-"

He's in the woods, about 150 meters in.

"Thanks, sweetie."

I hurried to my room and through open the window. One foot was on the ledge before I realized, duh, you cant jump. You don't have wings, moron.

My throat hurt as I took my foot away. Of course I couldn't go out the window. I couldn't fly. Duh. That was why I was in this big mess…

Stepping out the front door and staring at the trees, I realized just how far away they actually were. It didn't even take 30 seconds by air, but by the time I reached the woods at least five minutes had gone by. It took another three to get past the thick undergrowth clogging the outskirts.

Finally, though, I was in.

I didn't bother calling for Fang as I walked; the leaves and twigs under my feet were warning enough.

I finally found him, ten minutes later, perched on a fallen log. This made me hide a smile – it meant he'd known I was coming, and chosen his seating accordingly. I clambered onto a mossy spot next to him, and sighed loudly to get his attention.

"Fang," I began, and then got stuck. What was I supposed to say? Quit pouting, because it's going to be okay? But it wasn't going to be okay, and we both knew it. "Fang," I tried again, "Fang, just listen, okay? I'm still me. I'm still Max, Maximum Ride, with my washed out brown hair and tree-trunk brown eyes. Still me, with my hatred of all things frilly. Still my Converse-clad self. Still pig-headed. Still pushy, annoying, bossy me. So…" When I looked at him, he hadn't moved.

"So deal with it already, moron!" I yelled in frustration. "I don't have wings anymore, so what! You cant sit around and stare at stupid caterpillars all day!"

For the first time, I saw something in his eyes flicker.

And without warning, he suddenly swung around and leaned so close that I could feel his breath. My heart sped up in a totally stupid way, the way Nudge's Seventeen's said it would.

"Yeah, I know, Max," he said, and then he was kissing me.

The space between us and the fact that we were sitting precariously on a rotting log made it quite difficult to stay together, something Fang realized quickly. Smoothly, without breaking our contact, he slid both of us off the log so we were up against each other on the leaf-strewn ground.

His lips were wind-chapped but soft; his hands, gently holding my face, rough with calluses.

We pulled apart what seemed like an eternity later, breathing heavier than we should have been.

"What-" I had to take a breath, "-was that all about?"

He cracked a smile. "You saying you didn't like it?" Part of me was relieved that his usual arrogance hadn't disappeared when he went all moody; the other half just wanted to punch him.

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just wondering what brought it on." I turned towards the trees in front of us, acting for all the world like our little make-out session had absolutely no effect on me.

He shrugged. "Just felt like you needed some support."

I turned on him incredulously. "I needed some support? Because I was totally the one who ran away when I heard the news! No, actually, I wasn't! That was you, if you recall. I was the one who bravely came and told my family first thing!"

"And that," said Fang triumphantly, "is why I kissed you."

"Because I told you guys?"

"Because you're right. You're still you, and you just proved it. Arguing with me to show that you aren't wrong, it's so you. So Max."

I stared at him. "So… you don't care? That I don't have wings? That I'm a freak, only this time a different kind?"

He put his arm around me. I was tempted to make some sarcastic comment about this being like a chick flick, but it felt too good to give up.

"No, Max, you're not a freak. You never have been. And I don't care that you don't have wings, as long as you always stay Max." His half-smile only made me love him more.

"Great. So that means you'll be the one carrying me everywhere, right?" His eyes widened.

"Um. Yeah, sure…"

I laughed and leaned into him. "Kidding. We'll figure something out. Maybe I can get a hang glider and have you pull me everywhere…"

His hands were gently massaging circles in my empty back, and though it felt odd, it was nice too.

"We'll get through this," I repeated, and Fang murmured in consent. My eyes closed as the muscles in my back loosened and I relaxed.

Everything would get worked out in due time, but for now, I was happy with sitting on the soft pine needles and letting Fang lull me to sleep.

x-x-x-x-x-x-O-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: +collapses on bed in exhaustion+ Do you have any IDEA how hard that little romance scene was on me? I cant write romance, I just cant. It takes everything out of me. So please, people, cheer me up and tell me it was worth my time with a review?