He switched off the computer.

Honestly, he really didn't want to. After that long of a time not talking to her, he wanted the rest of the flock to leave. He wanted to carry on a nice conversation with her, catching up on what he missed. But that would have to wait until tomorrow, he supposed.

"She's not going to bring me a French girl, is she?" Iggy sighed. Fang rolled his eyes in response.

"Of course she is, Iggy. You just wait and see, I'm sure her name is Slapintheface."

"Is that French?" Gazzy said, while chewing on his nails.

No one answered him. Iggy just looked at Fang, not amused.

Imagine if we never lied

Imagine if we never tried

To be something we're not

We forgot how it feels to be tight

To be close, to be real.

He closed up the laptop and they walked out of the Starbucks with smiles on their faces. Why not? They had everything right now. Itex was dead, Max and the rest of the flock was joining them, and they just might be able to start a new life together. Maybe even do what Fang said and settle down.

Fang sighed. Every time he thought of telling Max about settling down again, he thought about what happened in the cave. Of course, only adolescent teen hybrids thought about such dilemmas. Most teen boys got their first real kiss at Homecoming game. Most teen boys really couldn't care less who it was with, either.

But it mattered to Fang.

I miss you

And I wish you were here

I stopped breathing

When you said you don't care anymore

They were close to North Carolina, anyway. If they were going to meet Max there, then they were going to fly fast. Motioning for a U and A, they took to the sky, wings full in the sun.

It felt good to have his wings spread out like this. The last time he had used his wings was when he was beating up those stupid Flyboys. Of course, Flyboys didn't have any mercy on whether or not your wings felt good. All they cared about was your termination.

He was glad they were all gone. With another jolt of his heart, he realized they would never be chased by anything again. That made him happy.

Max, Max, Max...he couldn't go a minute without thinking about her, could he? All of his thoughts went back to her, all of his actions were meant for her.

You're caught up in your plastic lies

Changing right before my eyes...a chameleon

I used to know you like the back of my mind

And that part of you died

A few cliché songs popped in his head, all written by young kids who had normal crushes on normal girls. Max wasn't normal by any means, and neither was he. They were mutants, for god's sake.

Fang didn't even know who his parents were. Sometimes (and although it was a ludicrous thought) he wondered whether the white coats made him for her. It did make sense, after all. He was six months younger than her to the date, almost like he was considered an after thought. She was a girl, he was a boy. They grew up liking each other. Could it be more set-up?

He laughed to himself as he flew. It was a stupid notion. They just wanted to make another freaking hybrid. They wanted to expand their super race. His name wasn't even considered. He was called by an experiment number.

I miss you

And I wish you were here

I stopped breathing

When you said you don't care anymore

And I'm scared...

He was terrified of that place. The smells, the way they tortured him. The white coats liked him the best, you know. They thought he was stronger than the rest, and they were right. He had supreme strength, including the ability to wipe seven Erasers off the face of the planet in one fight when he was only eight years old. They considered that impressive.

He hardly saw Max when they were in those crates. The times he did, he'd stare at her. Something in her brown eyes told him he could hold on just a little longer. Each time he saw them, he got another month in his life. It was like drinking an elixir.

When they got out of that horrid place and they were in Jeb's car, Max was terrified. He chuckled at the memory. Her eyes were wide in terror as she looked back at the place they had been at for their entire lives. He only did one thing to comfort her.

He held her hand and told her with his eyes that it was all going to be alright.

Don't, don't... leave me alone

I'm home having nothing

Standing on the corner in the pouring rain

Got to find a drug that will keep me sane...

Like you...

They landed with a shower of sand. He could hear Iggy shake out his wings, cooling them off. Fang let his own dangle behind his back. He took an apple out of his pack and took a bite.

He was always saving her. He always had her back, always was her right hand man. She depended on him.

And he depended on her. One memory from when they were little snuck into his mind. He smirked. He had a fever when he was eleven, and he went into Max's room and asked her to take a look.

"Go see Jeb," she had said. "He can get you medicine."

"I don't want to see Jeb," he had complained. "He doesn't do anything. He just gives me icky tasting stuff. You always make me feel better."

I see you from a distance

I remember all of those instances

When you smile, when you laugh, when you crash

When I'm there to catch you when you fall...

"Where are they?" Iggy sighed dramatically.

"Chill, dude, she's only five minutes late." Fang did get a little worried, though. He couldn't help it; it was instinct.

Then he saw her flying on the horizon, with two smaller figures behind her. As they got closer, he could see Total in Angel's arms.

No sooner had he seen them, they had touched down. He saw her check her watch before he stepped out of the shadow of the trees.

"You're late."

She tuned to see him, and her entire face lit up. Racing towards him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and stood there for what seemed like an eternity.

It felt amazing.

I miss you

And I wish you were here

I stopped breathing

When you said you don't care anymore

"Don't you ever leave me again," she mumbled. He barely caught the words.

His next sentence tripped out of his lips. "I won't," he said, emotion flooding his words. "I won't. Not ever."

Just like that, his world was complete again.

So tell me that you're doing fine

I still remember every time

And everyone I know would say

That you were always part of me

And I miss you like you'd never know

And I miss you like you'd never know...

---

And it's finally done. :3 Took me about an hour to finish. I really don't own any part of Maximum Ride at all.

The song is "I Miss You" by The Summer Obsession. They're on the book's soundtrack. I picked a song that wasn't on it, though. "This is Where You Belong" is one of my favorite albums. Check it out. ;)

See you. :D