Not What You Expected

You're probably sick of me running away.

To be honest, so was I.

But I wasn't flying away this time. I was just getting away from the flock except for

Fang…can you come with me? I stretched my wings out and dropped down into air. I felt the great feeling of the wind guiding me along as I simply glided down. I heard the flapping of wings rushing to catch up with me.

Max…but his thoughts trailed off. He was lost for words, even in his mind. I couldn't blame him, not really. I mean, he was waiting to see how I was going to react to Brigid's news but at the moment, I didn't know exactly what I felt. I just had to talk to Fang.

I lead him to the top of another building far enough away from the balcony that the flock couldn't see us and Angel couldn't hear us. For a few minutes, I stood with my back facing Fang. The thoughts were rushing so fast that I couldn't understand my own between Fang.

What…

Listen…

Going…

Me…

All of a sudden, hands were on my shoulders and Fang was turning me around. He was clearly frustrated with all the confusion of the thoughts rushing around. He pressed his lips against mine knowing perfectly well that was how to shut me up. Ugh, I hate that he had that kind of control over me.

One of his hands took mine and led it up to his neck. He had my fingers press against a something sticking out through the fabric of his shirt. Slowly, with the tips of my fingers, I felt the circle and pressed in the center hole. I observed the perfect shape until I hit a single bump on the outside. Fang pressed his lips against mine while my hand went to the back of his neck. My thumb went past the hem of his shirt to lift the warm thin chain. As we kissed, I felt the chain and lifted it over the collar. I grabbed the circle in my palm and held so hard that I knew it would indent into my skin.

Don't think too much into Max…it was…nothing…it was stupid. I pulled back from our kiss to steal a glance at what he considered nothing. The silver band met at a small blue jewel. It was similar to Angel's eye color.

If this is nothing than I want to know what is something for you. I reached around to where the clasp of the necklace was. The thing about the ring was I could tell that it wasn't expensive and it wasn't exactly perfect but, if it was from Fang than it was good enough.

I wasn't going to propose marriage exactly… He rested his forehead against mine. I was still busy trying to undo the clasp. When I finally got it, the chain fell from his neck to the ground and I held the ring. I turned it over and over.

What exactly are you proposing then?

Just to never break up like we did before. That always bothered me, when I left. I always felt that you were waiting for me to leave again. I just…if you wanted it…to prove that there won't be any more breaking up. We don't ever need marriage Max. I just wanted a promise.

To never leave? He nodded his head instead of answering. So, we're going to be together forever and to make sure of that, all I have to do is place this ring on my finger. Again, he nodded. "Well," I whispered allowing myself to speak now, "I think I can handle that." I went to place the ring on my finger when Fang's hands stopped. I stared at him. Oh right…I guess we could do it the normal way.

Thank you, he smiled. He took the ring from my fingers. One of his hands held my left while the other placed the ring on the ring finger (now I see why they call it that). I lifted my fingers about. It didn't feel strange at all to have it there.

"So…forever. Are you sure? You're going to be stuck with me- Maximum Ride. Not only can I chase after you, but I can fly after you and kick your butt." He laughed. "And I can pull your pants down during a game of touch football. If I were you, I don't know if I could handle being with someone like that forever."

"Can you handle being with someone who barely talks?"

"Well, I can read your mind now and you're very talkative there. No secrets from me anymore."

Fang tucked a piece of strand hair behind my ear. "Like we ever had secrets. Now stop arguing Max. I'm trying to enjoy the moment." He leaned down and shared one kiss with me. My arms wrapped around his neck while he pulled me closer to him by the waist.

I backed away from the kiss but I stayed in his grasp. "So, what do you suggest we do…about Brigid I mean?" I took one of his hands in mine and stood by his side to stare out over the edge of the building.

"Leave her there, fly off, find an island. You know that." He smiled at me. I was wondering when he started smiling like that so much. He saw my hesitation and shrugged, "But it's never that simple." I squeezed his hand.

"Let's go back, I have an idea." On the fly back, I flew over Fang so that we could hold hands. His grip was loose so that his fingers could play with the ring on my hand. "I bet you thought I would say no," I told him as we drew closer to the balcony.

"Yeah, can you blame me?" He asked casually. Although he still spoke with no emotion, I was just fine to hear his voice. His eyes darted up to me, again no emotion, but he was choosing to look at me- Maximum Ride. I smiled at him to show him that I could not in fact blame him.

We landed on the balcony. "Oh good, you didn't kill him," Iggy joked from the railing. Everyone seemed for the most part exactly where they were. Angel was back outside as well.

"Nudge brought me back out after you left," Angel replied simply.

"Max! Is that a ring…oh it's so pretty and not traditional for an engagement ring but it's so you. Can I be a bridesmaid? Angel can be flower girl. Total can be the ring dog. Gazzy can be groomsman. Iggy should sooo be the priest and get you guys married." I rolled my eyes, cause that is what I wanted. A kid my age cracking jokes in between "I do and you may kiss the bride". Not that I'm thinking about getting married for real. Ugh, I don't want to explain myself.

"Guys, let's just focus on Brigid here." I turned my attention to her. She seemed a bit scared knowing her idea hadn't really worked at all but just stored time. Unless that was what she wanted… "Listen Brigid, I never liked you but I'm going to give you a chance. Tell me what they want with the flock, where we can find them, and I will let you go. Don't tell me and I'll leave you tied up on this porch where you can hope somebody finds you."

I know, it was harsh and I wasn't sure if I could really go through with it but I had on my serious poker face so Brigid couldn't tell. Brigid's large, scared eyes searched around my flock looking for some help. She turned to Fang the longest but when he didn't even move a hair, she sighed in loss. She knew she had no other options but the ones I presented her with.

"Fine- the whole experiment was to separate the flock first of all and to test connections beyond the mind. Plus, with your memory gone, it made continuing with our work a lot easier. You can find Ella and the rest of them just at the border line between New York and Connecticut. Can you please let me go?" Brigid struggled a bit on the jump rope we had tied her in.

I exchanged a looked between Fang. I knew in that look without reading his mind that we were thinking the same thing. "Tell us exactly where Brigid."

Brigid opened her mouth to speak but Angel was already speaking. "I've got it Max, let's go." I went and untied Brigid's jump rope. She stared at me, probably waiting for a punch in the face. How I would've loved to do that…but I've grown up.

I held my fist in the air to see her flinch. I smiled, that was good enough except… "Brigid?" She looked up at me. "What did I ever do to you?" I dropped my fist. She stared at me, I could feel my flock waiting.

"You didn't take me with you," she stood up straighter. She could see the questions rushing through my mind right there on my face. "When you guys left with Jeb, when you were kids…I was a few cages away from you guys. I was a smart experiment, that's why I graduated so fast. After you left, I was given a "normal" life for them to study. But I always wondered what made you so special to be taken but the rest of us had to stay behind? Ella, Ari, me…you don't understand Max. You may have gotten away, but most of us never did. We hated you for that." Brigid turned away from me and entered Fang's apartment to make her exit. I never expected that.

"Max?" Fang called out to me.

I stood there watching her figure walk towards the front door.

"Let's go," a hand enclosed over mine on the right and another smaller hand was in my left.

The door opened to the hall showing light into the darkened room.

"We'll make things right," Fang whispered and that was what I had no choice but to believe in.

We all jumped over the ledge and began to fly away. I searched for her red hair in the crowd.

I saw for once the reason to hate me...

It wasn't a pretty sight.

Sorry my updates haven't been super fast. I almost made this the last chapter and would've started a second story but I want to keep this just one. Looking at it now, I see how long it is. Another story would've been too hard. But don't worry, I've got Maximum Ride: Alternate which I'm making a longer story, What I Saw will be medium sized, and Truth I'll update when I can to be a two-shot.

If you don't know what I'm talking about:

Alternate is a what-if MR in which Jeb chose to take Ari over Fang. So, now Ari is living with the flock as a normal kid and Fang is their enemy.

What I Saw is when Iggy, with the help of Jeb, gets the power to see through others eyes.

Truth is at the moment a one-shot on what happens when Max plays Truth or Dare with the flock while Fang is away.

You guys are the best readers and reviewers ever. I never expected my story to do so well. I figured, once Regenesis is done and you still want to read some of my work than here it is. Thank you so much.

Flying off the deep end,

Flyerac1029