Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, blah, blah , blah. But I do own my plot- so please respect it!

[So I forgot I had this on here, lol. Oops, ha ha, that's awkward... anyways. I'm going to write when I get ideas or when I get a break between school and work. Enjoy!]

Max POV

I told Fang as much I as could remember, which wasn't much at that. I never remembered how the nightmares started; all I knew was that I had to run from these grotesque monsters. I shivered at even the slightest thought of them. I had to leave everything, that included Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and Angle, and run for my life. We all did. I ended my story where I would always end up, safe in Fang's presence or arms -right after almost being torn to shreds by these... things. Fang looked dumbstruck, shocked and possibly a tiny bit angry. But he didn't say anything. "So?" I demanded, "You wanted to hear it. That's what I can remember."

Fang took his hands and rubbed his face. "Max, what the hell?" He sighed, "I just... I don't even..." He trailed off. Had I really been too detailed? He was the one who had wanted to know, it was his own darn fault. He got up from the couch and stared to pace. "Why didn't you talk to me sooner?" He was frazzled. "I don't want you to go through this alone." He walked over to where I was sitting and took my hands in his. "Max, you have to promise me," he shook my hands up and down, "promise me that you'll talk to me about this."

I scoffed, "Fang, these nightmares are not that bad in comparison. I mean they're fake." I looked into his eyes as I reassured him, "nothing is going to hurt me." He still did didn't seem satisfied. As I stood up, I slid my hands out of his grip and met him in an almost bone crushing hug. "I promise," I whispered into his neck or rather collarbone. With one more squeeze he released me, his tired eyes still looking down in worry. "I'll be fine," I promised again, "now go and get some actual sleep!"

I pushed a reluctant Fang out the door and got everything ready for my late shift at the cafe, Nudge was probably already there along with the other waiters and waitresses. I didn't have to start getting ready for another two hours, so I set up the stupid camera that the Doc had given me so they could study my sleep in a more "natural setting". Ugh, gag me with a spoon. Why did this have to happen to me? I fumbled and grumbled with the camera for an hour before I got it so it set in just the right place to record my sleeping habits. I still thought this was a weird idea, but hey, at least it beat being wired to machines while I slept. Geez, that was an experience I never wanted to go through again.

My shift went pretty normal, a few odd looks from Nudge but other than it seemed fine. Until I saw it again. But "it" I mean the perpetually grotesque things that haunted my nightmares whenever I closed my eyes. The first time I had seen it was out of the corner of my eye while I was serving food to a customer, I recognized it instantly and nearly dropped the plate of food that I was holding. I brushed it off as a side effect of the horrible night of sleep that had had the sleep center.

But now, during closing I saw it again. It was standing in the corner of the cafe, sharp mangled teeth bared in a menacing snarl. Everything seemed to stop dead it its track. Sounds grew muffled as the bucket I had been using to bus the last of the tables fell to the ground. I couldn't hear the plates shatter, all I could hear was my own heart beating fast with fright. I couldn't feel the shattered ceramic cutting in my hands as I fell backwards, all I could feel was breathe that was meant to become a scream stuck in my throat. I crawled back, sliding under the table of one of the booths. Iggy had left; Nudge was still in the back- I didn't know what to do. I hid my hands in my face and waited, terrified beyond belief. Then something grabbed my foot.

I let out a blood curdling scream as it dragged me from my position under the table, curling into a tight ball. I knew what these things did and I didn't want it to happen for really. As it let go of my foot, I prepared for the worst. I my eye where still closed- not wanting to see my impending doom. I grabbed my shoulders and shook. Drops of water started to hit my hands, wait it couldn't be raining inside, could it? I stopped screaming and removed my hands from my face, intent on punching this thing in the face, but I stopped short. It was Nudge, eyes red with tears streaming down her face.

"Max, god dam it Max," she cried, "it's me, it's just me." She pulled my now shaking form into a hug. "It's just me," she said in a soft tone. I started to cry along with her. I didn't need this; the nightmares had been enough of a struggle as it was. Now hallucinations? I didn't need this. As I stopped crying, we picked up what was left of the shatter plates and found all the silver ware that had been scattered across the café floor. Fang was right, what the hell was wrong with me?

Third Person towards Fang

Max was right, he need sleep. After she had pushed him out of her apartment, he had barely made it to the couch before collapsing. He had dosed off sometime after he had heard her fiddle with the camera that the Doc had given her. Max and technology certainly did not mix. But now he was wide awake. Nudge had called, but it didn't wake him, she left a voice mail saying that something had happened at the café. She had said it wasn't her place to tell him about it, but just to be careful with Max tonight. Max would be home any time now, but he would wait until morning to bug her about what had happened. She was still kind of touchy on the subject of what went on inside her head.

He heard the classic "ding" of the elevator reaching their floor, knowing it was Max. He heard her rush to her door, scrabbling for her keys. Whatever had happened at the café must have scared the crap out of her. Never had he known her to scrabble for keys or SLAM shut the door with such force. He was legitimately worried; after all, he had been the one that suggested that she get help. He shook his head as he made his way to his bedroom. "Please," he prayed quietly as he got into bed, "Please let her be alright."

There were no sounds coming from her apartment until late in the night. He assumed that she had gone to bed much much later than he had. Tonight was different, he woke up not to the screaming he was used to, but to muffed crying. He let her be, maybe she would wake herself up, like she did in the days before these nightmares got so bad. He took an extra pillow and shoved in under his head. He would be there if things started to go bad, he need to stay awake. He listened to her muffled crying through the wall of his bedroom, much like he had the night after her first really bad nightmare. All he could hear was her heart breaking sobs, until she suddenly stopped. Then there was a bang against the shared wall, a crash of breaking glass- which he knew was the vase at the end of her bed, and the sound of running feet.

As he jumped out of his bed, in nothing but a pair of sleep pants, he hear her outer door fly open and bang against the wall of the hallway. There was a hard pounding at his door.

"FANG OPEN THE DOOR!" Max screamed as she continued pounding from the other side, " FANG GOD DAM IT OPEN THE DOOR." He ran as fast as his legs could to his door and flung it open. There was Max, tear stained cheeks, bloody hands and quivering in her beat up old sleep shirt and shorts. She took one look at him and slumped to the ground. Fang dove to catch her before her head hit, pulling her into a bridal style carry and bring her inside. Then he set her on his couch, not caring about the stains her hands would leave and rushed to get the first aid kit.

What the hell had happen?!