Hey there beautiful people! I really hope you are all still with me. I know this chapter is long overdue, but in my defense, I did warn you that updates would be slow this week because of basketball and finals! I, in fact, do have a social life also, and there were a few parties that I had to hit up! Pleaseee forgive me? Anyway…. I still don't know what "flaming" is? From that review I asked you guys about? Yeah. It'd be nice to know. On the bright side…. I survived the end of the world today! Whoooo! (insert sarcasm)

On with the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW! I'll love you FOREVER, I promise!

KarleeRay

My moods are swinging back and forth in the hour that I return home. One minute I'm hyperventilating, leaning over the toilet as if everything I've ever eaten is going to come rushing out, and the next minute I'm cold, guarded, and completely and utterly numb. My brain can't seem to make sense of anything. Everything seems foreign…. Or maybe it's that everything seems familiar…a little too familiar. Death was always something that we were confronted with back when we were on the run. It was a constant. Thinking that death went away just because the flock wasn't on the run anymore, was a stupid judgment on my part. Regardless, I'm having insane flashbacks… Fang lying on the beach after Ari sliced his side wide open, Ari in the sewer tunnel, neck cork screwed at an awkward angle, constantly swollen eyes, blood, broken bones, punching, kicking, choking, fighting with a rage intense enough to blow anyone away.

I stand in the bathroom, splashing freezing cold water on my face in an attempt to get a grip. Man up, Max. Death is a part of life. You, of all people, should know that.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm aware that the others should be home from school in about an hour, but every thought that surfaces in my brain slides out of my grasp before I can examine it.

I walk, mutely, down the hallway to my room, and throw myself face down on my bed. My guards are up, all of my walls stand at attention, trying to protect my fragile emotional state.

Honestly, I have no idea how long I lied there, unmoving, but it must have been awhile because I hear the front door open, and my raptor hearing can make out the sounds of my family's footsteps. There is silence, though, instead of the normal flock chatter. The footsteps I hear are heavy and dragged out. They are the footsteps of people carrying a burden. I know, then, that Trent must have called one of them, worried about me when he should be worried about himself.

I should get up, go greet them, let them know I'm okay….that everything's okay. Though, it almost feels like if I move, I'll shatter, and I can't have that. The need to be strong overcomes me. There's a reason I'm the leader of my flock. I will not break.

Taking refuge in the numb feeling that has clouded over my brain, I stand slowly and march purposefully down the stairs. I am Maximum Ride. I am invincible. NOTHING can touch me.

Surprisingly, I pull an easy smile out from behind my back and slap it into place, amazing even myself at my ability to hide what I feel. I stride into the kitchen where the flock and Ella are gathered rummaging up something to eat for their after school snack. There had been light conversation, but the moment I step into the room, everything goes silent.

The silence is tense, everyone afraid to say the wrong thing. I stare at them blankly, and then pull out that handy dandy smile of mine.

"Something wrong?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders and brushing past them to the refrigerator. I stick my head inside because I feel my smile faltering. Take a moment, Max. Deep breaths. You know you can do this. You could lie to anyone.

"Ooooh bacon," I croon, reaching for the package meat. "Ig, you up for cooking?"

I look at him expectantly, watching him hesitate.

"Yes or no?" I snap, losing my patience. Couldn't they all see that I was fine?

"Sure Max," Iggy says slowly and pries the bacon from my clenched fists.

My jaw clenches as I survey the rest of the silent room. "What is with you guys?" I demand, angrily. "God, you act like someone died or something!" I instantly regret my word choice. My mask fails just slightly before I am able to put it back on. However, the smile refuses to return. I'm blank.

I look up to see everyone watching me carefully. Nudge and Ella's eyes water as they gaze at me, while Angel and Gazzy both wear expressions full of sympathy. Iggy has his back turned to me, but his body language is easy for me to read. His muscles are taught, tense. Finally, I turn for one second to meet the eyes of the person whose opinion matters most to me. Fang's expression is completely blank. I search his eyes for some clue as to what he's feeling, but I can find nothing. His clenched jaw is the only clue in that he feels anything.

"Stop," I say, tightly. "Stop! I'm fine. See? I'm fine!"

None of them look surprised that I snapped at them, and that makes me feel guilty. "So how was everyone's day?" I ask, lightly, smile returning to my lips.

Finally, they seem to understand that what I need is for them to act normal, and I hear a chorus of 'boring's.

"I told him I would beat him up if he doesn't stop messing with Nudge," Gazzy tells me, and if the circumstances were normal I would have cracked up. Instead, I smirk softly at him. "And I will too. I'm not scared of him! I don't care if he's bigger than me, I bet I can fight way better than him…. Plus, he's human," Gazzy continues, saying the word as if it has the plague.

"I bet you could too, Gaz," I agree. Now, I know what you're thinking. Bad Max! You shouldn't encourage violence. True, but you see, the problem is that if someone doesn't take care of this kid, then I will have to and well let's face it…. Things will get a lot uglier if I intervene. Plus, why not let Gaz have some fun?

Iggy sets a loaded plate of bacon in front of me, and I instantly dig in. After a few pieces though, reality creeps back up on me, and I feel sick. Pushing the plate away from me, I stand and give everyone a big smile. "I'm tired. I'll be in my room if you need me."

With that, I turn and trudge up to my room, flopping down on my bed. I think I actually did fall asleep for a while… or maybe I was just really out of it…. Either way, the sound of my door opening snaps me back to awareness. I glance up to see Fang shutting the door behind him. Acting on instinct, I sit up and grin. "Hi."

His eyes dart over to me. "Stop. You don't have to do that with me," He snaps. "You don't have to do that with anyone actually, you're just too hard headed to realize it."

I swallow hard as he sits down on the bed beside me. My walls are up, unintentionally….. old habits die hard.

"Go away. I don't want to talk to you," I tell him, sharply.

He merely stares at me before shrugging. "I don't care."

My jaw clenches as I start to get angry. I stand and furiously push him off the bed. "Get out," I growl, pushing him again, hard, right in the chest. He stumbles back a step but otherwise stands his ground.

"Why are you doing this? Just leave!" I snarl, and before I know it I am aiming a punch straight at his chest. "Leave, Fang! I don't want to talk to you!" My hands come up to push him again, but he snatches them midair, holding them to his chest. I struggle against him, wanting him to let me go.

"Max. Stop this," He murmurs, keeping his cool despite my outburst.

I want to. Can't. My body moves at its own accord, taking out pent up aggression.

Finally, though, Fang has enough of being my punching bag. He catches me by the waist and backs me up roughly into the wall. "You know you don't have to hide from me." He says, softly, looking into my eyes. I turn my head away from him, refusing to let him see me break down. Fang roughly reaches out and grabs my chin, forcing me to look back at him. "I'm here," He whispers, simply.

I take a shaky breath, giving up. "I don't want to talk about it."

"We don't have to talk," He murmurs, clutching me into his chest. "We don't have to talk."

I nod weakly into his chest, and he surprises me by picking me up. My legs wrap around his waist, my head on his shoulder. Fang stays there for a while, rocking me like a baby, before walking us over to the bed and lying us down. I instantly curl into him, not realizing how bad I needed him until this moment. He holds me fiercely, as if trying to protect me, and keeps true to his word by saying nothing, which is exactly what I needed.

We stayed there, lying in silence for what seemed like forever. I took to listening to Fang's even breathing, and then was graced with sleep.