A/N: I know, I know. It's been a long while :s I finally got around to this, and I actually LOVE this chapter. It's one of my favorites. Anyway, I have sad news for everyone. This story is coming to a close soon. There will be one more chapter and then an epilogue. I love all of you who have had faith in this story! The reviews keep me going.

Enjoy.

Fang

When I woke up, the first thing I thought of was Dylan. I could feel the warmth of the sunlight on my face and decided it was probably early morning. I sat up, stretching myself out and rubbing at my eyes. My wings were sore, which probably meant I had slept on my back. So I stretched them out, too.

I was looking forward to the day. I had only my clothes to pack up, really, so I cleaned up the hotel room and crammed my things into a bag. When I checked my phone, it said 12:06 pm. I had slept way in, unusual for me. I rubbed at my eyes again and raked a hand through my hair, realizing that it felt absolutely disgusting. How long had it been since I showered? I shuddered, went into the bathroom, stripped my clothes off, and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water trickle down my body.

Scrubbing ferociously down my body, I started thinking about the flock. That was when I discovered how nervous I was about it. They'd think I was the same old Fang...right? I bit my lip, rinsing myself off and moving my hands up to cleanse my hair. What if they thought I had changed in the past month? I shooed all of the thoughts away, reminding myself that it was unhealthy to think that way.

Besides, I had been with the flock forever. They'd embrace small changes...I hoped.

After I got out of the shower, I dried myself off and threw my clothes back on. I shook my hair out, hoping it would dry a little before I left. Probably not. Humming to myself, I dialed Dylan's number and waited for him to answer. "Hello!" he chirped after the third ring. My breath caught in my throat. Hearing his voice caused any of my prior worries to fly away. There was an awkward silence from me, being lost in my thoughts. I felt embarrassed when he asked, "Fang? Are you there, babe?"

Babe.

It took a moment to process that, too.

No one had ever called me babe. I liked it.

More silence ensued.

"Faaannnnggg...?"

I blinked, shaking myself mentally. "Yeah, sorry, I'm here. I just...uhm...yeah..."

"Something wrong?" He sounded worried. It was adorable. I couldn't help but smile a little.

I sighed happily into the receiver, envisioning myself wrapping my arms around him and sharing my body heat. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm just kinda...sorta...nervous," I mumbled, fidgeting with my jeans pocket.

Dylan laughed, a sound that had been my soundtrack for the last few weeks. I wanted to hear it over and over. It was like your favorite song; no matter how many times you listened to it or heard it, you never got sick of it. "Why would you be nervous?"

I shrugged. "I'm just nervous. I don't really know why."

"C'mon babe, it'll be fine. Don't be nervous. The flock's actually really excited to see you. It's all I've heard about all morning. Just come home, alright?" He was so reassuring. I smiled a little wider.

"Okay. I'll see you in a few."

Dylan

When Fang landed on the ground, he stumbled awkwardly and curled his wings into his back. His hair was sticking out at a thousand odd angles, windblown. It looked like he had showered before he'd left and his hair hadn't been fully dry, causing it to look a little bit funny. "He's here!" shouted Nudge, practically flinging the door open and running out to him. Everyone else followed her, creating a circle around Fang, clinging to him and hugging him. I leaned against the doorframe and smiled.

I didn't see Max with the rest of the flock. "Max!" I shouted, hoping I'd yelled loud enough. "Fang's back!"

I waited a few seconds. No reply.

Curious, I strolled through the house, almost tripping on one of Angel's stuffed animals in the hallway. I stopped at Max's door and knocked. "Max?" All I got in reply was what sounded like a strangled sob. She was trying to say something, but I couldn't understand her. Worry filled my gut. "Max, what's wrong?" Another sob. "Max, I'm coming in."

The scene that was before me when I opened the door to Max's room was absolutely mortifying.

She was curled up in her bed, bawling her eyes out, a river of red flowing past her hands. "I'm sorry," she croaked, her voice raspy and her breathing uneven. Another sob escaped her. "Dylan, I'm so sorry." She was shaking.

I gulped, running to the bathroom and grabbing a towel. I rushed back into her room, closing the door and propping a chair up against it. "Max," I said calmly, pressing the towel to her raw forearms. It was hard not to squirm, what with all the blood. But I managed. "What are you doing?"

She shuddered, closing her eyes and gasping for breath. "I...just wanted it...to stop...didn't mean to cut...so deep." She practically convulsed with the way the next sob shook her. I forced myself to stay calm. I could not be angry, I could not be disgusted. I could not stress her out any more than she had already been stressed out. "Dont...know...what...I was thinking...can't just leave...my flock."

I held her face in one of my hands and kept the towel secured around her arms, brushing my thumb across her cheek. "Maximum Ride. You're stronger than this. You can make it through whatever's haunting you. Honey, you've got an entire life ahead of you. You're only seventeen. Things will get better. Can you explain to me why in the name of Charlie Sheen's prostitutes you would abuse yourself this way?" The strength in my voice shocked me. Here I was, holding a towel between my best friend's profusely bleeding arms, and my voice didn't so much as crack.

She took a deep breath and opened her sad brown eyes that used to smolder happily. Now they just looked plain, like mud. "Everyone else...is...so happy. But I'm...losing...everyone. Fang left. You almost left. Thought you hated...me." She gulped, sucking in another deep breath. "I didn't...mean to."

"Max, love, you might not have me or Fang anymore, but you've got the kids. Trust me, Maximum. It will get better with time. You've got to get out more and stop being holed up here. It's not healthy for you. Go see a movie by yourself or take Nudge or Angel with you. Hell, Max, take whoever you want with you. Just please...don't try this, not again. You're my best friend and I cannot afford to lose you. Now elevate your arms."

She nodded, lifting her arms up and lying on her back. A silence over the course of about six minutes ensued. "My arms are numb," Max said quietly after a while. I snapped out of whatever I was daydreaming. "Put them down and let me look."

She sat up and I helped her unwrap the towel from her arms. They were raw, the cuts wide and gaping. I gagged a little. "Oh my god, Max." Her sad eyes met mine.

"Go ahead, tell me how disgusting and pathetic I am. I'm weak, I know. I just couldn't take it anymore."

I shook my head, casting the towel aside. "No. You're one of the strongest people I know. You kind of have to be to deal with all of us birdkids freaks. It's just that...some days, we break. It's no big deal. It happens to everyone. This is just an obstacle you've got to overcome. And I know you can do it, Maximum. You're strong and capable."

She blushed, kissing my cheek. "Thank you, Dylan."

I shrugged. "Okay, now, I'm going to wrap your arms. Wear a long sleeved shirt or a sweatshirt so no one notices. This is going to stay between us, alright?" She nodded. I grabbed a roll of gauze from the nightstand where it was for emergency situations.

Max was silent as I wrapped her arms. When I was done, I hugged her tightly, crushing her to my chest. "You could have died today, Max. Don't ever scare me like that again."

She nodded, smiling the tiniest bit.

After she pulled on a sweatshirt, we headed out into the living room where the flock was lazing around. "Where's Fang?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gazzy answered me. "He's in his room. Probably waiting for you."

"He smells different, but in a good way. Did he start using cologne?" Iggy asked sarcastically, slinging an arm around Nudge as he sat down, sandwich in hand.

"I don't know, Iggy, did you just make yourself a sandwich?"

"...Yes."

"Then I suppose you've got your answer, huh?"

He grinned, taking another bite. Max quietly went and sat down next to Nudge and they began discussing who was hotter-Justin Bieber or Harry Styles. I blinked at them, shook my head, and turned around, going to Fang's room. I opened the door and there he was, sitting on the bed, with his laptop in front of him and a pair of glasses on.

"I didn't know you had glasses."

He looked up at me, smiled, and leapt off the bed, practically lunging at me and embracing me. "You were right," he said against my neck. "They didn't act weird."

I smiled, hugging him back and kissing his cheek. "I told you not to worry, babe."

He squeezed me tighter and kissed me on the mouth hard. It was an unspoken I missed you. I fell into the kiss immediately, closing the door behind me. My hands laced themselves into his soft, awkward-looking hair and his hands gripped my hips. We fell into the door, kissing fiercely.

His soft tongue flicked against my lips, making me groan. I opened my mouth and allowed his tongue to explore it as I did the same to him. He tasted like spearmint with just a hint of raspberries. My hands trailed down to his back right between his wings. I rubbed slow circles on his back as our tongues battled for dominance. He moaned loudly into my mouth, arching his body against mine. I groaned in return, one hand still rubbing circles on his back, the other creeping to the front of his jeans.

His hands were all over me, stroking my wings, yanking my hair, rubbing my chest. Right when I started rubbing his crotch, which was bulging impressively, he pulled his mouth away from mine, breathing heavily. "Dylan...," he moaned, bucking his hips involuntarily against my hand.

I bit my lip, ceasing the rubbing. "Fang?"

A low growl came from somewhere in his chest. "Why did you stop...?" He opened his eyes, which held mine, the intensity in them scorching me as if they were black flames. The air in the room suddenly felt thick, heavy.

Truthfully, I don't know why I stopped. I wanted him, more than I'd wanted anything in a long time. "Should I have kept on?" I asked teasingly, nipping his ear with my teeth. He moaned.

"I missed you...," he said. Clearly, I had stupefied him. "I missed you so much, Dylan..." He pulled me to the bed with him, placing his laptop on the bedside table. He then pinned me down so we were in the same position we'd been in the first time we'd kissed. "So much," he groaned, kissing my neck. The need was radiating off of him in rolls of steam.

Fang pressed his bulge against mine, purring quietly. Our hips grinded together and his hands were traveling down my chest. I loved him so much-

Knock, knock.

"Yes?" I called out, my voice a few pitches higher than what was considered normal.

Max's voice came through the door. "Can I see him? I haven't even gotten a chance to since he arrived."

Fang rolled off me, disappointment flashing behind his smoldering eyes and quickly turning to excitement. He was the one who answered the door. Max looked at him, then at me, then back at him, her eyes lingering at his crotch. I felt myself blush. "Did I interrupt something?"

My boyfriend blanched for a split second and then regained his composure. He shook his head.

Max shrugged and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Long time no see. You haven't changed," she noted with a smile.

Fang beamed at her. "I think I talk more now. Dylan never shuts up."

My face flushed more. "Hey!"

"Not that it's a bad thing," he added, winking at me. "Except he's not much of a talker in bed."

The atmosphere took an extremely awkward turn there. We'd both had sex with Max. And here Max was. And then there was Fang, making jokes about sleeping with me. It shouldn't have affected me as much as it did. I stiffened.

Max didn't seem to notice or care. "I'm sorry," she said to him.

He shrugged. "I got over it," he said, smiling imperceptibly.

Max smiled back. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go make the kids lunch. Ig's being lazy and won't do anything, so I'm left to my own devices."

"Stick with microwaveable mac 'n' cheese," Fang retorted as she walked out.

I let out a long breath.

Fang rolled onto his side, gazing at me, smiling like an idiot.

"I love you, Dylan," he said, gathering me into his arms.

"I love you, too, Fang."

Also, if you are a Mortal Instruments fan, check out my new Malec fic, please! :3 It's on my page. As always, R&Rs appreciated, I LOVE YOU ALL! -throws brownies-