Seeing Her

Fang woke up to his phone ringing at four in the morning. Rolling out of his bed, he tried focusing on trying to find the object that was making so much noise. Before his hand enclosed over the plastic, rectangle that vibrated against his end table, it stopped.

Fang opened his eyes and stared at the screen. One missed call- no kidding, he thought still half-asleep. He flipped open the screen, thinking maybe it was Iggy in another tight situation where he was left at a gas station down town in a chicken suit (long story). Instead, to his surprise, Max's number was there in front of him as well as the message saying he had a new voice mail.

Within two quick pounding of the keys, Fang pressed his phone against his ear as he listened to the ring. Then, "You have one new message. Today at 4:25 a.m." Fang listened to the beep and waited like an addict waits for the drug dealer to weigh the drugs.

Her voice was there in his ear, echoing off the walls of his mind. Geez, did he have a problem with the way he hung all over her words as if without them, he would die. She wanted to see him- at the pier. To him, it felt perfect and right. Something about her at the pier made his heart speed up as if long ago, the pier had been important for them. Of course, that was ridiculous because they had only met about two months ago.

Quickly, he changed into a black tee shirt and jeans. He thought about the summer, the half-school year before, when he sort of thought about what others would think about him in all the black. Being the silent type and all, he still didn't want people thinking he was emo. Around Max there was no second thought, no doubt, of all of the people in the world- he could be himself around her.

Then, he jumped into his car and turned on the radio, after a shower and getting changed, it was 4:45. He would be at the pier at five and he would make sure to find her. His hands were tight on the steering wheel with the anticipation that he would see her again. She had barely spoken to him in the last week, even after he broke up with Brigid. It was his own fault though and he knew that- he should have dumped his girlfriend before he ever kissed Max. At least maybe she would let him explain- he didn't want to kiss anyone BUT her.

He pulled into a parking lot right off the pier and then stepped onto the wooden dock. He saw her instantly. Her brown waves catching the breeze, dressed in a black cami and blue plaid pajama pants. She made casual look so elegant, beautiful amazing. Was it wrong that his heart beat so fast and hard for her? Should anyone be allowed to feel so strongly?

Then he saw what he had seen in dreams before- the tawny wings on her back. Her back was prominently facing him now but he could picture the strong, battle stare from her dark brown eyes and her beautiful lips pressed into a firm line. The way she leaned against the railing of the pier told him she was scared, serious, alert, ready to fight.

Must be the name- Maximum Ride.

That's who she was in four syllables.

That was her soul right there in her name.

"Max?" She turned to face him. Her cheeks were partially flushed. His eyes caught the blood on her pants. He wanted to ask what had happened. Why did she want to talk to him? More words. But it didn't matter, just seeing her there reminded him all over again the billion reasons why he loved her. Seeing her also brought up the other million explanations about loving Max that he couldn't remember.

They talked but Fang eventually gave in. He pulled her to him, pressing his lips firmly against hers as if he had been living in the desert and she was his first taste of water. His tongue traced her lips they kissed and he felt her bottom lip quiver with excitement. A pulse, one as strong as their in time hearts, raced through him as he placed his hands just underneath her wings. His skin felt warm and comforted as if he had never lived before until this moment.

Then, two monster robots came at them, saying her name. Max stood in front of him and protected him. He glared at the robots- he should've been protecting her. But then, with easy grace, Max easily defeated them. Fang stared down at the pieces- just as he remembered in his dreams. Max was surprised, he could tell, that he was handling this so well.

"…why we can't be together." She simply stated. Before Fang could even protest, there was a gunshot ringing through his ears. Then a great pain in his shoulder. Her arms grabbed him and Fang barely stayed conscience as he felt himself take flight in her arms. Flying didn't feel new or remarkable, he had flown before- he knew it as well as he knew himself. Max holding on to him though was strange being in the air. He was amazed she could even hold him. But the way his arms tingled and ached, he knew he had held her before in the same way she was holding him now.

Finally, Fang gave into the soft pound of Max's frantic heart.

He found heaven.

Ugh- he thought, even in death he was seeing Max kiss Sam, the wiener. But this time, the scene is different than the image his mind came up with. This was more of a memory. She had on a windbreaker, Fang was looking down. He tightened his grip on the curtain he had pulled back to stare. Max couldn't be with Sam, she was suppose to be with him- FANG. But he knew deep down it was his own fault for kissing that stupid red-headed Lisa girl at school.

Fang stares at her, she is in a room about to drop into the ocean to go save her baby, her Angel. He stares at her as she whispers, "Go on. Try to stop me. I dare you." Instead he takes a moment to look her up and down. Graceful curves, strong muscles arms and legs, brown hair lightly touching her cheek. Her lips were pressed in a hard line and her eyes a cold, determined stare. MAX…was the only word he could find in his entire moment for a second.

"I was just going to say be careful," Fang responded, taking a step towards her and pushing her hair aside so he could hold her cheek for a quick moment. Eventually, he dropped his hand. She wouldn't like him doing that with the flock watching. "And—that I've got your back."

Her eyes went wide as she thought. Before he knew it, Max had closed the space between them. Suddenly, she was kissing him with her arms wrapped around his neck. Fang was startled for a moment before responding back by using his arms to pull her closer against his body. In harmony they kissed.

He felt her reluctance in her lips when she stopped the kiss. He wanted to pull her back but when she stared up at him, he knew that there was something she had to do. She had to save Angel. "Gotta go," she whispered, her voice the most beautiful notes in the world.

Fang couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, hurry back." He couldn't help but think of kissing her like that again…one million more times if he had anything to say about it. She seemed slightly shocked because for once he let down his barriers and showed her all he was thinking about…her. He memorized her, in case the kiss was the last as he knew she felt it could be. But he knew her better than she knew herself. She was Maximum Ride, if anyone could make it- it was her.

"Max?" Fang pulled her against him. She stared at him, the flock was sleeping in their rooms. They had been living with Dr. Martinez for a few weeks. For awhile, they hadn't been hunted so they were perfectly safe. He held her cheeks as he leaned against a wall. She was leaning against him.

"Mmm?" She asked, speechless and shocked to be so close. For the past few days it had strictly been hand holding underneath the table. Both of them didn't want criticism from the rest of the flock.

"Do you love me?" He felt it was a cheesy line, beyond cheesy, but he had to ask. He had to hear her say it.

"What do you think?" She stood up on her toes so that she could kiss him. He bent his head down and pressed back. She tasted sweet like ice cream, which reminded him of their date on the pier. They would have to do something like that again. A date…sounded so normal.

Finally when she pulled away, she smiled and whispered, "Of course I love you." She didn't run, she wasn't embarrassed, and she was serious. Fang knew it then it was real. Max and him, there was no more hiding or running from this. There was no turning back and he liked the idea of that. No one would ever separate them again.

"I love you too," he replied before kissing her again.

Little did he know, that they would be separated again.

Two days later, the M-Geeks attacked.

They were captured.

Then their memories erased before they could escape.

Only Angel and Gazzy managed to run away.

Fang opened his eyes to a bright light. He panicked by the smell that reminded him of the school. He sat up straight only to feel the IV tugging at his arm and the tube on his nose. Hands pressed into his shoulder into the bed, "Before you rip your IV out, you idiot." His eyes adjusted to focus on the face.

Seeing her, Fang suddenly relaxed and heard the beeping of the heart machine calm down along with his heart. He groaned in pain. Her hand was on his shoulder and it was very sore. He heard her gasp and suddenly, she was holding him anymore. He couldn't feel her touch. "Sorry," she murmured.

Her hand went to his. He instantly grabbed her fingers to make sure she didn't stop holding him. He felt more alive now that he had her hand in his. She was real. She was back. He remembered it all. Fang stared at the familiar brown hair and eyes, firm beautiful mouth that he had kissed and said that she loved him. The girl he had known not for two months but for his entire life- since he was in a cage beside her. The only one who he could call his best friend, the savior of the world, mother of the flock, and love of his life.

"Max," he whispered.

He knew instantly what this meant now that he remembered.

Their lives weren't normal anymore.

And it didn't matter to him.

He had something else now that was more important.

"I love you."