Three Questions

Disclaimer: If I owned Maximum Ride, my name would be on the cover instead of James Patterson, plus you would know because if I did own Maximum Ride, there'd be a lot more Fax.

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Chapter 1: Three Questions

Max POV

"You looooooooooooooove me." Fang cooed mockingly.

I groaned in annoyance.

"You're never going to let me live that one down are you?"

Fang grinned mischievously an shook his head.

"Nope." He confirmed, popping his lips on the 'p'.

I rolled my eyes and turned over so that I was face down in the dirt. Me and the Flock were staying in another forest … again. I had just woken Fang up for watch and we were just sitting by the fire talking when he decided to be annoying.

"Goodnight, Fang." I said getting up, not wanting to hear any more quotes from the most embarrassing day of my life.

"'Night, Max." Fang replied.

As I closed my eyes, I let my mind wonder. And my mind decided to wonder to the one thing I really didn't want to think about. The most embarrassing day of my life.

Ever since the day I had to be doped up on Valium in order to remove the chip from my arm, Fang has been teasing me nonstop about what I had said.

I claimed it was because I was drugged. And it was true.

That's only partly true, Max, and you know it.

I mentally groaned and wondered if the Voice could hear it.

How is it only partly true, Voice? And it would be nice if you didn't talk to me in riddles this time.

Max, it's true that the Valium is what made you tell Fang you love him out loud. It's true that you were drugged when you said it. Right?

No freakin' DUH!!!! Thanks for stating the obvious. Tell me something I didn't think of already.

Okay, how about this. You haven't thought about if what you said was the truth.

What are you talking about?

What if you really do love Fang?

Of course I love Fang. I love everyone in the Flock.

No, no, no. Not that kind of love. Not family kind of love. True love. In love. Or, as you like to call it: 'Sappy love'.

That's not true.

Have you really thought about it?

Well, Voice, it's kinda hard to not think about it when you've got a six-year-old reading your mind and always telling you that you're in love with you're best-friend and you're best-friend is in love with you.

No, Max. I mean: Have you thought about it long and hard? Thinking about it for two seconds every five minutes and dismissing it repeatedly does not count as thinking about it long and hard.

No, I haven't because there is nothing to think about.

Just try it, Max. Think about it long and hard. Think about what Fang means to you. Think about what you would do if Fang were to leave you. Think about it.

Any other requests?

Nothing. Thank God for small favors.

And, just before you ask, yes. I did just have a conversation with a voice in my head. And, yes. I do respond to the voice in my head. Why? Because if I just kept quiet, then the voice would think that I like it putting in its two cents.

But, as crazy as it may be, I did as the voice told me to do. I thought about me and Fang.

Alright, first question. What does Fang mean to me?

Well … Fang is my brother. My best-friend. My right-wing man. My rock. My support. My strength.

Okay. Man, Fang is a lot of things to me.

Alright, second question. What would I do if Fang were to leave me.

Well … that would depend on how he left me.

1) Fang dies.

- I would be lost and confused and wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything. Over all, I'd probably kill myself if it wasn't for the Flock.

2) Fang decides to leave.

A) Because he found his family/parents.

-Same result as 1

B) Because he wanted to go his own way.

-Same result as 1

Okaaaaaaay. I guess it didn't depend on how he left me because either way I'm going to be lost and confused and would probably end up killing myself if it wasn't for the Flock.

Now, using these new-found pieces of knowledge, I asked myself the final and biggest question. Do I love Fang as more than a brother?

I thought, and thought, and thought, and … well … I wasn't really thinking. Denying would be a better term. So, lets repeat that correctly.

I denied, and denied, and denied, until I couldn't deny any longer. I admitted to myself that I loved Fang. As in true love. In love. The dang, stupid Sappy love.

Once I admitted this to myself, I felt as if some weight had been magically lifted from my shoulders. I found myself beginning to get drowsy.

The last thing I heard before I went off to La-La Land was the voice saying, Good job, Max.

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

Max POV

I woke up as soon as the sun was able to shine through the trees.

I did a head count and made sure that there were six Avian Americans and no threats.

Everything was fine.

I walked over to Iggy, who had taken the final watch, and tapped his hand twice to let him know that I was awake.

"Morning, Max." Iggy said.

"Morning, Ig." I replied, sitting next to him. I looked at Iggy and realized that he looked really tired.

"You look tired, Ig. You should go get some more sleep before we head out."

Iggy nodded. "Okay, Max."

He walked over to his spot and layed down, falling asleep almost instantly.

I watched the sunrise and listened as Fang woke up and Iggy woke up again, looking much better than he had earlier.

Iggy started breakfast while Fang and I woke up Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge.

The Nudge Channel started as soon as Nudge was awake. As soon as the Nudge Channel started, I blocked it out. Therefore I didn't remember everything that went on.

It was as if my body just went on auto-pilot. Like I was doing things without consciously thinking about doing them.

So when my body went off auto-pilot, we were in the sky. Fang was to my right and slightly behind me. Iggy was to his right and slightly behind him. Nudge was to my left and slightly behind me. Angel was to her left and slightly behind him. So we were in a V formation.

I looked back at Fang and realized that he was carrying Total, and he did not look to happy about it.

"Max?" Nudge asked

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Where are we going?"

I said the first place that came to mind, since I really didn't know.

"We're going to stay with my mom for a few nights." I replied.

The Flock cheered. Fang remained silent and expressionless, but that was nothing new so I didn't worry about it.

Soon we were landing in my mother's yard. Thank God Ella was at school, otherwise she would probably already be out here running over to us as if there was a cheetah after her and screaming bloody murder.

I knocked on the door and it opened within five minutes. My mom pulled me into a tight hugged and did the same with the rest of the Flock, but deciding against it with Fang.

We walked in and I was greeted with the heavenly scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed one of the cooler cookies of the plate.

My eyes rolled back in pleasure as I took a bite and savored the rest of the cookie.

I decided to take a shower just before Ella's bus dropped her off. I savored the shower like I did the cookie.

When I walked out of the shower the first thing I heard was a blood piercing scream. I turned to the left just in time to see Ella tackle me to the ground. Ella started talking so fast that I couldn't hear a single word that she said.

When I was finally able to pry Ella off of me, she dragged me downstairs so fast that I stumbled.

"How long are you staying?" Ella asked me.

Everyone turned their heads in my direction.

"What was that?" I asked, pretending to have bad hearing. "Sorry Ella, I think your scream broke my eardrums."

Ella smiled as everyone else laughed. Except Fang, but I saw amusement in his eyes that I know only I could see because only I knew him well enough to see it.

"No, seriously." Ella insisted. "How long are you staying?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I was thinking a few day. Three nights at the most unless something happens before then and we have to leave."

The Flock looked relieved that we weren't just going to stay here for one night then take off at the break of dawn like we normally do if we stay anywhere unless it was a hotel or a motel, in which case we have to wait until we're able to check out before we can take off.

Ella on the other hand pouted at the fact that we weren't staying longer. My mother looked as if it didn't affect her. She knew why we didn't stay for long visits and she was use to it. But I knew that she wished we could stay longer, or at least come over more often.

I wish we could too but, hey! When you've got a flock of 6 mutant kids and a mutant dog to take care of and a army of Erasers, Flyboys, M-Geeks, ect, ect, you do what you've got to do to make sure that everyone is safe.

We all knew where are rooms were, thanks to our previous visits, so after we finally ate enough food for dinner, we all headed to bed. Though I'm sure Angel and Nudge stayed up talking for a few hours. Iggy and Gazzy probably stayed up planning their next bomb or something.

I heard a door open and close, and I immediately went into defense mode. I stood, still as stone, for about five whole minutes just listening, before deciding that it was nothing. Some one might have had to go to the bathroom or something. I went back to sleep.

But just as I was about to doze off, I heard another door and close. I got up and walked outside my door. I walked down the hall and checked on Mom and Ella.

Fine.

Then I checked on Nudge and Angel. I poked my head in their room and saw two lumps, but heard no breathing. I went over to examine to two lumps and they were pillows. I started freaking out. What happened to-

"Max?"

I turned around and saw Nudge and Angel standing in the doorway. It took me a few moments to calm down.

"Max, what's wrong?"

"I heard doors opening and closing. I though I'd check it out. What are you two doing out of bed?" I replied.

"Well," Angel started to explain. "Me and Nudge were talking, you know? Then, after Nudge fell asleep, I realized that I was thirsty from talking, so I went downstairs to get some water …"

Then Nudge picked up where she left off, "And I heard her leave the room and decided to follow her because I wanted to tell here about the weirdest dream I had. It had all these-"

"Nudge, could you tell me in the morning?" I asked out of fear of having to go through a fully detailed story of Nudge's dream then never getting any sleep myself.

"Sure. Goodnight, Max."

"Good night, guys." I tucked them in and left the room.

I checked on Gazzy and Iggy next. They weren't there. I went downstairs, maybe they had gone to get bomb materials or something.

Sure enough, in the living room were Gazzy and Iggy, whispering frantically to each other and looking at an alarm clock that had it's wires sticking out in all directions.

I watched them for about five seconds, enjoying the fact that Iggy hadn't even heard me come downstairs, before clearing my throat and catching their attention.

"Oh … Hey, Max!" Gazzy said nervously, trying to hide the alarm clock behind his body.

"What's up, guys?" I asked casually, walking over to them.

"Nothing." They answered a little too quickly.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and the Gasman sighed, giving in. He handed over the alarm clock and placed in my waiting hand.

"Thank you." I said walking back to the stairs. "Goodnight, guys."

I heard a faint "Goodnight, Max." as I reached the top of the stairs.

I knew it would be pointless, but because I was just so paranoid … and because I like to watch him sleep, I decided to check on Fang.

I got a brief look of him dead asleep before he began to stir, having heard me since he was trained to wake at the first sound, smell, or feeling of anything dangerous.

I figured it was pointless to run back to my room and pretend I hadn't come, because he would just question me about it tomorrow. So, I quietly slipped in to his room, closing the door, as he woke up more quickly than the average human. Then again he wasn't an average human.

"Max?" He said in confusion.

"Hey." I said. He slid over on his bed to make room for me and I sat down, leaning against his headboard.

"What are you doing up?"

"I heard some doors being opened and closed."

"Did you consider the possibility that some one had to go to the bathroom?" He asked, slightly amused.

"Yes. That's why I listened for five whole minutes and went back to sleep when I didn't hear anything."

"Okay. So why are you up?" He asked again, now slightly amused and confused.

"Because it happened again."

He waited for me to continue, but I didn't.

"And …" He pressed.

"It turns out that Angel had gone downstairs to get some water and woken Nudge up in the process, so Nudge went downstairs to tell Angel about a dream she had that was apparently very weird. I stopped her before she could go into details."

"That's definitely good."

"Yeah. And the second door was because Gazzy and Iggy decided to collect some bomb materials from an alarm clock." I held up the object in question as proof.

Fang smirked.

"Want me to hide that for you?"

"Yes, please."

Fang took the alarm clock and stuffed it under his mattress.

"I'll do a better job in the morning." He assured me.

I grinned.

"I'm sure you will." I stood up and walked towards the door.

"Good night, Fang."

"Good night, Max."

I walked back to my bedroom and crawled under the covers of my bed. The red numerals on my alarm clock informed me that it was 10:30 p.m.

Without hesitation, I fell back into a deep, deep, deeeeeep sleep.

Chapter 3: Only Hope

Max POV

"Hello, Maxie." I felt a hand slap me awake.

I looked around, examining my surroundings. I was in a white room. Just white. No other color. Like Fang and his clothing -- just black -- except, with Fang, it actually worked.

I tried to sit up, but found myself chained to a bed. I looked around again and took in my surroundings a little more carefully. I was chained, spread eagle, to a white be. My left foot was chained to the left corner of the footboard, my left hand was chained to the left corner to the headboard, my right foot was chained to the right corner of the … well, you get the picture.

I struggled against my restraints, trying to break the chains from the headboard and footboard, but it just wasn't working.

Meanwhile, I heard someone laughing like a maniac. I looked up and realized that Ari was watching me with excitement, anticipation, and amusement throughout his face.

"Glad to see you're up. Long time, no see, eh Maxie?"

I felt my fists clench at the name 'Maxie' but I was still able to conjure up one of my famous sarcastic remarks.

"You know, that's exactly what I thought. So I decided to drop by and say hello and maybe, you know, do a little sight seeing. But … being chained to a bed kind of ruins my plans."

Ari grinned and he began to crawl up the bed until his body covered mine. I tried to back away from him as much as I could, which wasn't much.

"What kibble have you eaten lately, Dogbreath?" I asked wrinkling my nose in disgust.

Ari didn't answer, but just kept on grinning like the moron he is. I rolled my eyes like the sarcastic, smart-ass, Avian American I proudly am.

"So, are you going to explain to me why you decided to chain me to a bed rather than lock me up in a dog crate like you normally do?"

Once again, Ari didn't answer. At least he moved off me though and sat between my legs, still grinning like an idiot.

"Are you going to answer me?" I asked.

"Nope." Ari replied.

"Why not?"

This question only seemed to make Ari grin even more if that was possible. He reached up and grabbed my shirt.

"Because you're about to find out." And with that he ripped my shirt off and realization finally dawned on me and I struggled even more desperately against my restraints.

"Now, now, don't be like that, Maxie." Ari cooed at me mockingly as I failed to break free. Somehow, Ari had managed to make his cooing more annoying than Fang's. "We all know you want me. We all know you want this."

"Go back to Hell!" I spat furiously.

Ari just shook his head as he ripped my bra from my body. There was nothing I could do except curse, struggle, and hope and pray that this was just a nightmare.

But, having my luck, you never get that lucky. I just hoped that Angel and Nudge were not having to endure the same torture that I was at the moment.

I hoped and prayed that the rest of the Flock were still back at Dr. Martinez's house, safe and sound.

And I hoped that I would escape soon. That I would not live the rest of my life being a sex slave. Especially a sex slave to Ari.

I could only hope.

Chapter 4: Where is She?!

Fang's POV

I woke up and the first thing I did was reach under my mattress and hide the alarm clock that Max had given me last night in my underwear draw.

I then proceeded to walk downstairs at the smell of eggs and bacon. When I walked into the dining room the first thing I noticed was that everyone was here. Everyone, that is, except Max.

"Where's Max?" I asked immediately.

Everyone looked up as they looked around the dining room for Max. When they couldn't find her, we all scouted the house. The first place the Flock and I looked was her bedroom.

I walked in, and the covers on her bed were pulled back and the window was open, the curtains blowing in the morning breeze. There appeared to be no sign of struggle.

"Maybe she went out for a morning fly." I suggested, shrugging. It wouldn't be the first time Max did this.

The Flock nodded and headed back downstairs. I went to follow them, but just as I turned around something caught my eye.

"Hold on." I called and the Flock came back to the doorway.

I picked up the can like object, and looked at it confused. This can had no wrapping or logo like a store can and Max wouldn't leave trash just laying around. It looked like a bomb of some sort.

I handed it to Gazzy without a moment's hesitation. He held it up to his face like he was examining it. Moments later he gasped in shock and terror.

"What?" I asked automatically. "What is it?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like, what Ig and I like to call it, a Knock-Out Bomb. K.O.B. for short. Iggy? What do you think?" Gazzy handed the object to Iggy, who felt it carefully with his sensitive fingers and sniffed it.

Iggy nodded his confirmation, his unseeing eyes filled with shock and fear.

"It is, as you say, a Knock-Out Bomb."

Everyone, except Angel who was probably reading their minds for the answers, looked at the Bomb Master and his apprentice in confusion.

A few minutes later Angel's eyes took over the same emotions as Gazzy's and Iggy's.

"What? What is it? What's a Knock-Out Bomb?" I asked hurriedly.

"A Knock-Out Bomb," Iggy explained carefully, "Is a bomb filled with Knock-Out Gas. When the bomb 'explodes' , it does not make an explosion of any sort. Instead, it releases the amount on Knock-Out Gas it contains."

Angel continued. "It is possible that when Max left her room to check on everybody, the culprit put the Knock-Out Bomb in Max's room. Ten seconds after the Knock-Out Gas was released, the culprit would have exactly four hours before the effect wears off. Once the effect has worn off, the after effect takes place. The after affect puts Max into a deep sleep, therefore giving the culprit an extra two hours before Max wakes up."

"She was taken." I summarized. Shock and fear ran through my body.

We all just stood there for what seemed like hours before we all came back to our senses. I immediately snapped into action. We had to find Max. We had to do whatever it took for us to get her back. She was our leader, and we were not going to give up on her.

"Pack your things and get ready to go." I ordered in a firm voice. "We leave as soon as we eat breakfast."

The Flock nodded and headed off to their rooms. I took one more look at the K.O.B. before I chucked it out the window. But there was still one more important question that I needed to answer before we headed off. We didn't have the slightest clue that could tell us where she had been taken.

Where is she?!

I looked out of the window. I could see the can lying on the other side of the yard. But I saw something lying next to the can. A piece of paper.

I flew over to the other side of the yard and picked it up. There was writing on the paper. I read it very carefully and grinned.

I knew where to find Max.

Chapter 5: Escape

Max POV

I layed there on the bed helplessly, uselessly. Ari had just finished invading my body. I couldn't believe it. I had just lost my virginity to Ari.

"Damn dog boy." I cursed under my breath.

I was still chained to the white bed in the white room, except now I was naked for who walked in the room to see. Luckily, no one has entered or even opened the door since Ari was "finished" with me.

The sad thing was that the experience wasn't even slightly arousing me. I wasn't, as they say, "brought to the stars" once, unlike Ari …

I struggled, for the thousandth time, against my chains. No luck.

I had scratches all over my body from when Ari had invaded me. Some of them were still bleeding, but most of them were red, healing, and had stopped bleeding.

Though most of the scratches had stopped bleeding, my blood remained on the white blankets, as a mortifying, furious, constant reminder of what Ari had done to me just a few hours ago.

Suddenly, there was a crash that sounded as if half of the building was coming down. I struggled even harder against my chains. If that was one of Iggy's and the Gasmans's bombs, then the flock was here and I couldn't let the flock see me like this. So helpless, weak, and vulnerable.

I heard Fang shouting directions at the Flock.

"Kill the Erasers! Keep fighting, I'll get Max!"

Oh, no! I thought as I struggled even harder to break free. I especially couldn't let Fang see me like this!

"She's in the room, third door to your left at the hallway heading south!" I heard Angel tell Fang.

"Thanks, Angel."

I heard running footsteps down the hall and I started struggling even harder, probably giving myself more scars in the process. But it was no use. The chains weren't giving in and the doorknob had started to turn.

I heard a gasp and saw Fang standing in the doorway, staring at my position. I watched as shock, fear, and rage took place as the most dominant expressions on his face.

Five seconds later, Ari was smashing Fang into the wall.

"Hello, Freak." Ari snarled at Fang, holding him by his neck. I could see some keys dangling from his belt and I knew that those were the keys that would set me free.

"Did you like seeing your girlfriend all chained up like the little toy she is? Did you like seeing your girlfriend as my pretty, little fuck toy?" Ari continued. "Because that's what she is now. That's what she'll be for the rest of her life. Maybe, I'll let you watch. Would you like that? Would you like to see what I do to her--" Ari was cut off by his face meeting Fang's fist.

Fang saw the keys and ripped them from Ari's belt. He slit Ari's throat with one of the keys before running over to free me.

The moment I was free I went for my clothes. I didn't care that they were ripped, they were better than nothing.

But when I touched them, I noticed that the threads repaired themselves. A new power, cool.

I dressed in record timing, and Fang raised an eyebrow when he saw that my clothes weren't ripped.

I just shrugged. "New power, apparently."

He nodded and we ran out of the building, the Flock stopped fighting and ran after us when they realized that it was time to leave.

We flew away, and Fang handed me my bag of stuff. I realized that the whole Flock had packed up their stuff, and Fang had packed mine.

I smiled my thanks and flew on.

Free at last.

Chapter 6: What Bastard?

Fang POV

"Kill the Erasers!" I yelled at the Flock. "Keep fighting, I'll get Max!"

"She's in the room, third door to your left at the hallway heading south!" Angel told me. I headed for the south hall, running.

"Thanks, Angel." I started counting the doors on my left.

One … Two … Bingo!

I opened the door and gasped and froze at what I saw.

I saw Max, naked, lying on blood-stained white blanketed bed, struggling to break free of the chains that were keeping her in a spread eagle position. Now I had imagened the moment where I saw Max naked for the first time and, let me tell you, this is not how I pictured it.

Max stopped struggling at the sound of my gasp and stared at me wide eyed in mortification. I knew that she feared this.

She feared one of the Flock (mainly me) seeing her in a (as I knew she would put it) weak, helpless, vulnerable position. She didn't like being seen as a weak, helpless, vulnerable person. She was mortified at the fact that I had seen her as such in her mind that is.

But I knew her. She wasn't weak, helpless, or vulnerable. She was strong, independent, and stubborn. I knew what had happened to her. I knew she was forced into this.

I felt my expressionless mask fall and felt fear, rage, and shock show on my face. What bastard did this?

Next thing I know, the answer to my question has me pinned against the wall by my neck.

"Hello, Freak." Ari snarled at me. I felt the rage build up inside me.

"Did you like seeing your girlfriend all chained up like the little toy she is? Did you like seeing your girlfriend as my pretty, little fuck toy?" Ari continued. "Because that's what she is now. That's what she'll be for the rest of her life. Maybe, I'll let you watch. Would you like that? Would you like to see what I do to her--" I cut Ari off by introducing his face to my fist.

I beat Ari to the ground and saw a bunch of keys attached to his belt. Those were the keys to the chains that bound Max to the bed. I tore the keys from his belt. I grabbed one of the keys and slit his throat.

I then quickly made my way to free Max of her chains. The moment I freed her, I saw her run for her clothes, which were lying on the floor, ripped up.

I turned to watch Ari and the door to give her some privacy while she dressed. I heard her walk up behind me when she was done.

I turned around to see her fully dressed, her clothes not ripped. I raised and eyebrow at her questioningly. She just shrugged.

"New power, apparently." I nodded in understanding and we ran out of the building.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the rest of the Flock stop fighting and take after us when they realized it was time to go.

We jumped into the air and took off. When we were up in the air, I handed Max her bag that I had packed before we came. I saw her smile her thanks and we flew on.

It was sunset by the time Max decided on staying in a forest. We landed and set up camp. After dinner, we all (meaning me, Iggy, and Max) decided on watches. Max would take first watch (with much arguing on everyone's part) I would take second, and Iggy would take last.

I waited five minutes after Iggy and the kids were asleep before getting up and sitting next to Max, who was sitting in front of the fire, staring deep into the flames.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Nope." She answered.

I looked at her and insistently felt guilt over come me. I loved her so much. I loved her with my entire life and I couldn't protect her from something that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

I loved her, but she didn't love me. Sure, she kissed me on the beach, but that was probably because she thought I was dying. I've kissed her several times since then, but she's always ran away from me.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

I knew I would eventually get it out of her. I also knew that if I didn't get it out of her then she would start having nightmares. I couldn't let that happen, so I decided that I would start by explaining the Flock's side of the story.

"When I saw you hadn't come down to dinner we started looking for you straight away. Teh Flock and I went straight to your room. The bed was unmade and the window was open, so we thougt that you may have just went for a morning fly. But then I saw a metal object."

I paused for a minute, letting this all singk in. She ddn't say anything, just kept staring into the fire, so I continued.

"I handed it to Gazzy and, he and Iggy, bot determined that it was -- as they call it -- a Knock-Out Bomb. Basically a bomb that releases Knock-Out Gas when it 'explodes'." I showed her the metal can and she took it in her hands and looked at it closely.

"I picked t up, along with a piece of paper tat told us where you were. We packed up and left straight after breakfast." I waited for her to tell me her story, but instead she stood up and walked over to Iggy.

"Fang and I are going out for a fly." She told him. He nodded and took her place in front of the fire.

Max and I flew out and kept flying until we found a cave

We landed and I made a fire. We were going to be here for a while.

Chapter 7: I Wish

Max POV

I walked to the mouth of the cave and looked up at the stars and the moon as Fang made the fire. When he was done, he walked over to stand next to me.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well your going to talk about it. Even if I have to put Valium in your system to get it out of you."

"Why are you so ... so ... determined to get this out of me. It's nothing."

"Well ... if it's something you're so determined not to talk about, then it's not nothing."

"I don't want to talk about other things as well, but you've never threatened me with Valium when it comes to those."

I knew that Fang knew what things I was refering to. He sighed.

"Max ... those things aren't going to give you nightmares if you don't talk about it. This on the other hand, will. Max ... Ari just raped you! You have to talk about it wether you want to or not! And I'm not going to let you leave until you do talk about it."

I sighed. I knew it was no use arguing.

"I woke up, fully dressed, chained to a bed and Ari standing at the foot of the bed grinning like the moron he is. I asked him why I was chained to the bed twice but he didn't answer. I asked him why he wasn't answering and he said it was because I was about to find out. Then he ripped my shirt off, and I struggled even more. He told me not to be like that. That everyone knew that I wanted him. That I wanted this. Then he tore off my bra, then my pants and underwear. He started touching me."

I shuddered remembering the memory.

"I did my best to get away, but I couldn't. Those damn chains." I muttered under my breath.

"When he was 'finished' with me, he just left me.

"You know the rest." I finished, not looking at Fang. There were more things that I wanted to say, but I wasn't going to. Not in front of Fang at least.

"There's something else." Fang guessed correctly.

"It's just ... That's not how I wanted my first time to be."

"Well ... I imagine that no one wants to be raped for their first time."

"No, no, no. It's not that ... Well ... it is. But I was also talking more about the person. Ari wasn't who I wanted to be my first."

"I don't know someone who would want that dog to be their first. Did you already have someone in mind?"

"Yes." I said in a tone that signaled that the conversation was over.

I wish it was Fang. I wish Fang was my first, not Ari. Definitely not Ari.

Chapter 8: Who?

Fang POV

"There's something else." I guessed.

"It's just ... That's not how I wanted my first time to be." Max confirmed.

"Well ... I imagine that no one wants to be raped for their first time."

"No, no, no. It's not that ... Well ... it is. But I was also talking more about the person. Ari wasn't who I wanted to be my first."

"I don't know someone who would want that dog to be their first. Did you already have someone in mind?"

"Yes." Max replied in that tone that told me that the conversation wasn't going to go any further.

I sighed and walked back to the fire, sitting in front of it, and wondering who she wanted to be her first. Sam, maybe? Or was it one of those other boys that always flirted with her? As much as I wished it was, I guessed it probably wasn't me. Max is who I wanted to be my first, but she probably didn't want me to be hers.

We stayed there a few more hours before we flew back so that Iggy could get a few hours of sleep before it was his turn to watch. Max layed down next to Nudge and fell asleep quickly. I tapped Iggy's hand so and he went to sleep next to Gazzy. I sat in front of the fire thinking about my conversation with Max.

"You're wrong, you know." Angel said. I looked in surprise. I thought that she was a sleep!

"What are you talking about?" I asked pretending to be confused.

"She does wish that you were her first ... Whatever that is."

"No she doesn't, Angel." She runs away everytime I try to kiss her. I added in my thoughts.

"She loves you." Angel assured me.

"No, she doesn't. Did you not hear what I just thought?"

"I did, but you're wrong. She does love you. She just scared to take the risk."

"Risk?" I asked now genuinely confused.

"You've got to realize that if the School or Itex found out that you two were in a relationship, then that would put you in more danger. That if they found out that if your life alone was threatened, then she would gladly kill herself. You've got to realize that she doesn't yet realize how having a relationship with you could make her stronger and not weaker."

"What do I do, Angel?" I asked desperately.

"I've got a plan. But you might have to be a little forceful with her for it to work."

"Well ... Lets hear it first."

"Okay. First ..." And Angel went off explaining the plan, Fang hanging on to the six-year-old's every word. But somewhere in the subconciousness area of his mind, he was thinking with relief and joy

She wants me! She loves me!