Did you miss me?

Fang: No

Me: No bacon for you

Fang: I—I mean, YES!

Me: Whatever, liar. I do not own Maximum Ride!

Max POV

Xander and I walked quietly towards the store. "Sooooooooo. Where are your parents?" I asked, trying to be casual.

"I don't have a real family."

"Do you have a fake one?"

"Yes"

I was silent for a minute. "Tell me about them."

"I work at the wild life sanctuary, and the animals there are my family. The wolves mainly. Do you want to see?" Now she was all fired up, happy to talk about something she obviously cared about. And, honestly, I was curious about this girl. She pulled a large photo out of the backpack she was caring. She flipped open the first page. The first picture, was of her surrounded by at least thirty wolves. Some of them were only what appeared to be a couple of days old, the others looking to be older.

"I take a group picture twice every year. So that I can get everyone. And when new pups are born, I take pictures of them right after their birth, just incase they don't survive long." She explained.

"How long have you been with the pack?" I asked.

"Five years. A lot of pictures." She started pointing to the wolves. "This is Storm. Leaf. Crystal, Serious, Angel….." I stopped listening. "OH!" I looked back at her. She was pointing wildly at a few wolves. "These are the wolves who adopted me! Mom, Silvereyes, Dad, Luka, Sis, Feather, Bro, Eli." She was smiling brightly. Okayyyyyy, Crazy. Weirdo. I continued to walk. I noticed a pendant around her neck. It was a black locket, with silver wings coming out of either side. "Whats that?"

She looked down at it.

"I've had it since I was born." Her face became sad, so I dropped the subject.

When we got to the store, I quickly picked up snacks. Then, I helped Xander pick out some clothes she would want, since the ones she had were torn and bloody. Finally, we headed home.

But this is my life, so it's not that simple. We rounded a coner for a short cut, going down an alley way. We took a wrong turn, and came to a dead end. "Crap." I turned around, to go back out, only to see the exit blocked by erasers. Erasers with guns. The cheating bastards. "Shit." I hissed under my breath. I stepped between Xander and them, making myself a blockade. "When I say go, turn and run at the wall. Just trust me. And do not freak out." My plan? I was going to follow a secong behind her, open my wings, grab her under her arms, kick off the wall, and be air born.

I turned around to see if she had followed my instructions, and was shocked. Instead of seeing Xander, there was a black wolf, the size of the werewolves from twilight, standing there, hair on end. Its teeth were pulled back in a snarl, revealing teeth like daggers. It wasn't attacking me, though. And then I noticed why. Around it was a black locket with silver wings. Xander. What the hell is going on?

Xander leapt over my head, and tore into the erasers, blood splattering the walls of the alley way. One's arm was ripped clean off, showing tissue and bone. I grimaced. Those teeth were deadly. I covered my eyes as she ripped of his head, with a blood curdling CRUNCH! I looked back, and the other was running away, literally screaming for its mother. And there was Xander, unharmed, covered in blood, but a human again.

"How?" I asked. She shrugged. "Why?"

"Well. I'm a mutant. That's how I knew I could trust you. I have wolf senses. I could smell it. I can also control the elements, earth, air, water, fire, lighting, I have wings, and I can talk to animals. I have other small powers, like breathing under water, but that's beside the point. The point is, I'm like you."

"How did you know I was a mutant?"

"You give off a certain smell." She said, as if it wasn't important. She open raven black wings, and took to the sky. "You coming?"

Xander POV

Max and I walked back to her house. I stopped on the side walk outside, mouth open. It was a gigantic masion, complete with marble pillars, and balconies. The house next to it looked exactly the same, only a little bit creamier in color. Max turned around, and seeing my face, explained. "My mom, and Ms. Amber are best friends. My mom is a famous vet, and Amber is a famous surgeon." I nodded. I looked quizzically at two balconies, on separate houses, only inches from each other. I pointed. "That's my room," Max said, pointing to the closest balcony, "and that's Fang's" She pointed to the far one. ((A/N: That's right ya'll, I'm cliché.)) She walked ahead of me into the house.

Whatcha think?

Fang: Where am I?

Me: You'll come later, don't complain.

Fang: Review! And send me bacon!