A/N Hey, I'm sooo sorry this is so late. I know I'm like two weeks overdue, but I've been really sick recently and I missed a whole week of school, which means TONS of make-up work. Dx And I should be writing two different essays right now, and instead I'm writing this chapter for you guys (which is extra long, by the way, and contains a little bit of Fax :3).

But anyways, the chapter is here now! I hope you like it!

I don't own MR.

Chapter 4: Chocolate Chip Cookies

"MAAAAAAX OMG LOOK!"

Max winced as Nudge's high-pitched squeal hit her ears painfully. "Nudge. Inside voice. It's a pre-school skill."

"Yeah, but I skipped pre-school. Anyways, look!" She pushed a slip of paper into Max's hand, practically bouncing with excitement. "I told you that there was a clue in the last one!"

"You skipped pre-school and ninth grade?" Max exclaimed, before the paper in her hand caught her attention. It was another love note, and sure enough, it asked if she had caught the clue he had given her in the last note. Max grinned, Nudge's excitement level elevating hers. "Quick, get out the last note. Do you have it with you?"

"Psh. Of course I do!" She dug it out of her purse and showed it to Max. "I was reading it earlier this morning, and I think the clue is in this line: "Love is your patience, for those not as brilliant as you." He thinks I'm brilliant! Oh, and the year I was supposed to be in pre-school I just didn't go, so I'm only technically a grade above what I should be. Anyways, I think he's hinting at my tutoring, cuz, you know, I tutor other students after school, and I think he might be one of the kids I tutor-This is just like this book I read, where-"

Max cut her off, rolling her eyes and trying not to laugh. Nudge's train of thought was a thousand different places at once, at all times. "Okay, do you have a set amount of students that you tutor, or is it just whoever needs tutoring?"

"I have a set amount. Right now I'm tutoring Monica, Mackenzie, and Jacob on Mondays; Dylan, Kyle, and Jenna on Wednesdays; and Lissa, Ethan, and Chris on Fridays. We can probably check the girls off of the list."

Max nodded. "Okay, that leaves Jacob, Dylan, Kyle, Ethan and Chris. Jacob is dating Jenna, so that puts him off the list."

"So Dylan, Kyle, Ethan, and Chris are left."

"Yeah… Or, it could be someone you've tutored in the past, or just once or twice."

Nudge groaned. "But that's like, most of the eleventh grade, and half of the tenth! This is hopeless."

"What's hopeless?" A tenor voice came from directly behind the two girls.

Nudge and Max both jumped, startled, and spun around to see Iggy standing behind them with an evil grin on his face. "Don't-do-that!" Nudge said through clenched teeth. Iggy just laughed and repeated his question.

"So, what's hopeless?

Max looked at Nudge, leaving the decision of whether or not to tell him up to her. Nudge sighed. "I keep getting these notes from a secret admirer, and he left me a clue, something to do with my tutoring, but we can't figure out who it is."

Iggy's sightless eyes widened just slightly, but enough for Max to see. "Ah. I see." Was that jealousy she saw? It disappeared too quickly for Max to be sure.

Nudge nodded dejectedly, and Max made a mental note to talk to Iggy the next time she had a chance. But for now, the bell had rung, and it was time to go to class.

"Alright! Before you guys leave, I just want to remind you that your projects are due next Wednesday, which is a week from tomorrow! I'm sure you've all been working so hard on these projects, so I'm expecting excellent grades!"

Max glanced over at Fang, about to ask him when they were going to start working on their project (because they'd already wasted a whole week), but stopped when she saw what he was doing. He wasn't paying attention, that was for sure. Instead, he was drawing- a little girl, about six years old, wearing ragged, ripped up clothing and sporting a dark bruise on her cheek. Despite all that, she had an impish grin on her face. Max found herself staring at the picture, unsure of who it was but feeling as if she should know. The child seemed to be looking at someone that the drawing didn't show, maybe a co-conspirator. A brief image of the baby from her dream the night before last flashed through her mind. Angel…

Fang snapped his sketchbook shut and turned to peer at Max, an eyebrow raised in question. She blinked in surprise. "Sorry, I just didn't know you could draw like that, you're really good, but I was going to ask when we were going to start working on our project, and-"

She closed her mouth, internally grimacing at her word vomit. She sounded like Nudge.

A smirk started in the corner of his mouth, but it quickly disappeared and he pulled out a piece of paper. He scribbled something onto it, and then passed it to her.

How about after school, my house?

Oddly enough, her heartbeat picked up a bit before she realized that he meant to work on the project. What am I thinking? I can't have…feelings…for him! I've never even heard his voice! She inwardly scolded herself and looked up, nodding. He studied her curiously for a few seconds before turning to face the front.

Though she would never admit it, to anyone, Max was looking to working on this project.

"Any updates on the subjects?

"Yes and no, sir. We believe that Subject A.G.E#0002 may be…reacquiring, for lack of a better word, his abilities."

"Already? But… that's not supposed to happen yet. How have you come to this conclusion?"

"Well sir, it's not exactly a conclusion yet, because we're not quite sure. But he does seem to be showing signs."

"Well… keep an eye on it. We'll bring in reinforcements if the need arises."

"Yes sir."

For once in her life, Max was speechless. That did not happen very often. As in, ever.

She'd never pegged Fang as a rich kid, though. Though she'd never actually thought about it, she now realized that she'd assumed he'd had a hard life. Obviously, she was mistaken.

They didn't happen very often either.

She watched as Fang smirked at her wide-eyed expression. She looked up, and her jaw dropped. The ceiling was a mirror! How flipping-awesomely-cool was that?!

She scanned the rest of the room, trying not to stare. They were standing in the foyer, unless she was mistaken. Pronounced fwa-yey. Because it was French.

The floor was marble, and she could just imagine how fun it would be to sock-slide across it-no, bad Max, be civilized. A grand staircase led up to the second floor, and a crystal chandelier hung from the mirrored(!) ceiling. And Max was pretty sure that the statue in the corner was made of gold.

"Holy fudge man…What do your parents do for a living? Is your dad like, the vice-president or something?"

Fang just shook his head and rolled his eyes, flipping his black hair arrogantly before motioning for her to follow him. She did so, feeling a bit like a lost puppy.

They entered the living room. Max was happy to see that the couches were not leather, as she'd expected them to be. Leather was extremely uncomfortable. These people were rich and smart.

A pretty blonde lady looked up as they walked in. Surprise registered on her face as she saw Max standing there. Max cleared her throat at the awkward silence that filled the room.

Since Fang was obviously not going to introduce her, Max decided to take the initiative. She stepped forward. "Um… hi. I'm Max, Fang's friend. I'm guessing that you're his mother?"

She seemed to hesitate, almost as if she was unsure of the answer, before slowly nodding her head. "Yes… you can call me Mrs. Allgood. Oh! Are you here to work on the History project?"

"Yeah, I'm Fang's partner."

Mr. Allgood nodded, and the awkward silence returned. Then she seemed to brighten. "Are you two hungry?"

Max smiled. "Ma'am, I'm always hungry."

She laughed, a bright, real laugh. Max liked her already. "Of course you are. Ale-ahem, Fang is the same way. What would you like?"

Fang "spoke" up. Or rather, signed. A few brief hand gestures, and Mrs. Allgood was nodding. She turned back to Max. "You like chocolate chip cookies?"

Max nodded her head vigorously. "I could live off of them. And that's not a joke."

There was that laugh again. Fang's mother nodded and turned towards the kitchen. "Alright then. You two get all set up, and I'll start on the cookies."

She disappeared through a door, and Max immediately rounded on Fang. "You know sign language?"

He nodded, once. Typical.

"Why didn't you tell me that? I know sign language!"

He looked surprised, and then signed something to her. How do you know sign language?

My mother taught me. Her brother was deaf, which is why she knew, and she thought it was a good skill to teach us.

Your mother is a smart woman.

Max nodded and smiled, before frowning as something occurred to her. "Hey… how did you know that I love chocolate chip cookies?"

Fang frowned, and then shrugged. You must have told me, he signed to her.

Max shook her head. "I don't remember telling you."

Maybe you forgot.

She looked doubtful. "Yeah… maybe."

A/N And there you go! So, it was more one-sided Fax, but hey. Fax is Fax :P

Rec for today is: Moments by ivyflightislistening

Review? Maybe? :D