For those of you who wanted a slightly less sappy ending, I wrote an alternate ending. The first paragraph is from the first version, to show you where this fits in. Hope you like it.

The door closes lightly behind him. I half expected him to slam it. Suddenly, I feel devastated. Did he really just leave me? Tears spill from my eyes. It took us so long to finally get together. Am I willing to let him go now? I start to open a window, to fly into the sky. I can't do it. Despite my misgivings, I just can't do it.

Dammit, he's just being difficult. Any minute now he'll come back through that door. I wait, but he doesn't come back. So that's how it is then. I dash my tears away. Why is he so stubborn? I wait some more, getting more and more angry. I don't move. I just stand staring at the door because, if I turn, if I move, it becomes real. I will not go after him. I can't go after him. If I give up now, it'll really be over.

Pain slices through my heart with every second. It finally hits me. He really left. Fang is not coming back. I refuse to shed any more tears. I want to rage. I want to cry, but I don't. I can't. I'm Maximum Ride. I keep the pain and hurt locked up inside. I'll use it as fuel to take down some bad guys, and I won't let anyone see how much I'm hurting. I won't share the agony. Fang was the one I usually opened up to. So much for that.

Finally, I start to turn away. It's just too painful to stand here anymore.

"Dammit, Maximum." I hear a voice say. Fang. I think. He called me Maximum. I'm definitely in for it. Fang never calls me by my full name.

"You're so fucking stubborn," he says. He gives a humorless laugh and runs a hand through his hair. I turn around to face him fully as he closes the door. I keep my eyes cold as ice, the steel walls firm around my heart. I don't want to hope. Maybe he just came back for his stuff.

"Max…" He sighs again. I can see that he's frustrated, waiting for me to speak. I remain silent. I'm a genius at the silent treatment. He sits on the couch which I'm still standing in front of. He looks up at me. "What now?"

"Why are you here?" I bite out. "I thought you were leaving."

"I thought you were leaving," he retorts. I don't answer. I don't meet his eyes. "We can't go on like this," he adds. I still don't answer. We stay in a tense silence for a while.

"Why are you here?!" I finally burst. He stands angrily.

"Why do you think I'm here?!" He's shouting too. "I'm here because I promised I wouldn't leave you again. I'm here because I couldn't make myself go past the end of the street. I'm here because you're so fucking beautiful that I'll never be able to see anyone else but you. I'm here because it's always been you, and you're too much of an idiot to realize it! I'm here because-"

"I get it," I say. My voice is soft now, and I hold up a hand to stop his tirade. I can't process everything that he just said. I can't remember the last time he said so much at once.

"Why are you here?" he says, defeated. His shoulders slump. His voice is low. I don't think he's really expecting an answer.

"I'm here because I can't make myself leave you," I say, looking straight into his eyes. I love his eyes. "And I guess I'm here because I'd rather fight with you every day, than live a perfectly peaceful lifetime without you which, you know, wouldn't happen anyway. I'd probably get attacked within the week." It's probably the sappiest thing I've ever said. Well, except for the last bit. Fang smiles and my immediate setting becomes a lot brighter.

"No more fighting?" I say. He gives me a look. "You're right." I laugh. That will never happen. "Less fighting?"

"Maybe." He smiles. "Friends?" He raises an eyebrow and hold out a pinky. I chuckle.

"Yea, I can live with that." I hook my pinky though his. This is apparently not enough for him though because ea few seconds later I find myself under assault from his lips. Yea, I think we're going to be alright, Fang and me.

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