DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! ALL THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE AMAZING JAMES PATTERSON!

I'll protect you

Ari ferociously threw Max into the room; it was cold, dark, and sound proof. Max was prepared to fight him off, she wasn't afraid of him. The door opened again and in walked Jeb, was he here to stop whatever Ari was up to? Or was he working with his son? The man in the white coat took a step inside and closed the door behind him, he looked over at Ari then at Max.

"Why the hell did the two of you trap me here?" she demanded.

"Because you're mine now!" Ari growled.

"Everyone in the world would kill over before I'd let that happen." Max chuckled.

"Ari I have to get back to work." Jeb said stepping out.

Max sat against the wall, she was tired of getting trapped by Ari. The guy wouldn't face facts, "If I'm anyone's I'm . . . Fang's." Max said in her mind.

Fang's P.O.V

Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Total, and I continued to look for Max. That bastard Ari took her again, when was he going to learn that Max hates him? I flapped my powerful black wings as my dark eyes scanned the area below, I clenched my jaw in frustration, I was hoping Max was alright.

No one's P.O.V

Max ran from the fully morphed eraser chasing her, the eraser had rage, frustration, and sadness all in his eyes. Lashing out his arm he managed to drag his claws against max's left arm, she let out a cry of pain then jumped away from him. The room she was trapped in was too small for her to spread her wings, and the room had no windows or skylights meaning no escape. "I won't let you trap me that easily!" she yelled charging at him.

Fang and the others landed on a beach for a rest, they'd been searching for over ten hours and still no sigh of max. Fang was away from the others trying to clear his thoughts; the image of max's face before she was captured filled his mind. She had tears in her eyes, her hand reached out to him, her lips calling his name, fear and pain in her eyes. In a fit of frustration he punched a nearby rock silently cursing at himself, he continued to punch the rock till he felt blood coat his knuckles. "You alright?" he heard a voice say. Turning around Fang saw Iggy standing behind him, Fang gave Iggy a nod as if he could see it.

"I let that bastard take her again." Fang choked trying to hold back his tears.

"It's alright Fang," the blind teenager said, putting his hand on Fang's shoulder. "We'll find her."

"I hope so." He responded.

Max sat there propped against the wall clenching her bleeding arm, she looked up at Ari who remained in eraser form. He had bruises and scratches on his body from where she'd hit him, but no bleeding wounds like she had. The eraser approached and took hold of her unwounded arm, Max narrowed her eyes and gave him a round house kick to the side. The eraser held his ground he only slightly moved from the impact, how had Ari gotten so strong? When he'd get one of Max's round house kicks he'd usually go crashing into something, caught off guard she was knocked out by a bash to the back of the head. She awoke thirty minutes later to find herself chained to the wall, her wrist held by steel chains along with her ankles. Ari was nowhere in sight meaning she could try and break out of her imprisonment, she pulled and forward to try and break the chains but it didn't work.

"Yo voice, can you give me some help here?" she asked aloud.

"Try looking for a key to the locks." The voice answered.

Max's eyes scanned the room but saw no keys, she was trapped down in a cold and dark room no one with her plus the fact she was wounded. She had tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to hold her injured arm, "Fang where the hell are you?" she sobbed.

The remaining flock members saw an abandon cabin from the sky; they folded their wings and landed nearby. They looked around for any sigh of Max or Air; Nudge saw something black sticking out of the bushes and went to investigate. "Fang, it's Ari's van!" she called. Fang and the others rushed over to her then saw the van, Fang knew now that Air and Max were defiantly here.

"You guys check the back of the van for Max, then bang up the van." Fang ordered.

"Why bang it up?" Gazzy asked.

"Because if Ari is inside then Max is most likely with him, and if he knows we're here he'll try to make a getaway." Fang explained.

"Mission accepted!" the younger kids said saluting.

"Iggy you're with me." Fang said charging to the cabin.

"Right." Iggy replied running after him.

Max was starving, parched, and still bleeding. "How long have I been down here?" she wondered. The door opened, hopping it was Fang she shot up and spoke his name, when she saw it was only Ari she dropped her head with disappointment. "Aww missing your little boyfriend are you?" he teased. Max would have connected her fist to his face if she weren't captured by the chains holding her, when Ari approached her she spit at him. Backing away from her spit Ari began growling in anger, lifting his clawed hand he slashed it across her face. Her head swiftly turned to the right then he heard her cry out as pain seared through her now bleeding cheek, Ari chuckled at her weakness he stood and left the room again.

Fang saw Ari walk out of one of the doors he assumed Max was inside, Fang turned to Iggy and explained the plan. Fang was going to sneak up behind Ari and knock him out, while Iggy was to go into the room and grab Max. Iggy nodded showing he understood the plan, then, it went into action Fang snuck up behind Ari when Iggy heard a 'ugh' he approached the door. He charged in and "Iggy…?" were the first words he heard, Max was alive but barely from how she sounded. He followed the sound of her groaning in pain then stopped when he felt something wet on his hand, blood.

"Fang she's bleeding, badly!" Iggy shouted.

"Get…Her….Out….Of…Here!" he heard Fang shout back between punches.

"Max you awake?" he asked turning back to Max.

"Ya… but… getting….really…. dizzy." She gasped.

"Don't worry Fang and I are gonna get you out of here." He assured.

"Fang…. Where is he?" she asked.

"Fighting Ari at the moment." Iggy responded unlocking her chains.

"Iggy tell Fang that I said he can do it, he can beat Ari." She muttered as she began to pass out.

"Max don't black out come on stay with me." He said slapping her cheeks to get her to stay up.

"Just tell Fang…. What I said." She said weakly.

"Fang! Hurry up Max is…. She's blacking out! And she said you can beat Ari!" Iggy shouted to Fang in a worried tone.

A yelp filled the air and Fang came rushing in, he was holding his shoulder and limping into the room. He crashed down next to Max, when he saw all of her blood on the floor he knew he had to get her wounds closed or she'd bleed to death. "Max! Max, come on wake up look at me with those stubborn beautiful eyes of yours, say my name with your beautiful voice. Didn't I tell you that you die when we die?" he said shaking her. She stirred showing she still had life in her; she dropped her head and clenched her arm. Fang took off his jacket and tied up her bleeding arm, and then he lifted her up and left with Iggy. Both boys finally got outside and reached the younger flock members, they all gasped in shock when they saw Max. They all took to the sky when they heard Ari coming out of the cabin; Fang flapped his black wings as he looked down at Max. She was breathing swiftly and holding her arm over Fang's jacket; she tensed and made a small shout. Angel came and flew closer next to Fang; she had a worried look on her face as her blue eyes went from Max and back to him.

"Is Max gonna be ok Fang?" she asked.

"Ya she'll be ok." He responded giving her a small smile.

"She's dreaming about you." Angel suddenly said.

"What?" Fang said with disbelief.

"I can hear her thoughts, she's calling you're name and running to you. But you keep getting farther and farther away from her, and then when she's closer Ari comes and grabs her. She calls out for you but you're hurt, lying on the ground bleeding. She escapes from him and runs to you, she cradles you're bleeding body in her arms telling you that she loves you and for you not to die." Angel explained.

Then the blond haired girl flew back further next to Gazzy and Iggy, Fang looked down at the girl in his arms. He'd always Loved Max but was just didn't have the courage to admit to it, Fang held her tighter and slowly moved his lips towards her. Finally locking them in a kiss, though, she didn't kiss back. The flock then landed and decided to rest for the night in a cave, everyone else was asleep Fang took first watch. His gaze still set on Max, had what Angel told him true? Did Max truly love him? He put his hand on Max's head, lightly ruffling her hair he hoped she'd wake up soon so that he could ask her about the dream. "Fang….Fang." he heard he mutter. He turned his head and looked at her, still sleeping. "Max, wake up." He whispered lightly shaking her. Max weakly opened her eyes and looked around holding her head, when she saw Fang she was so happy that she nearly jumped on him. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shirt, holding him tighter. Fang froze for a moment then ran his hand down her back to get her to calm down; he then wrapped his arms around her happy she was alive.

"Fang….I was so scared, Ari had me trapped down there and I felt helpless. I tried to fight him off but he put knocked me out then chained me up, the entire time I was there I was wondering how long he'd keep me there, or if I'd ever get to see you again." She sobbed.

"Shh it's alright Max, I'm here and I'll protect you won't let him hurt you, not again not ever." He told her.

"I was terrified because I didn't think I'd have the chance to tell you…" she paused.

"Tell me what Max?" he asked holding her out.

"T-That I….I l-ove you." She hesitated.

"I know you do, and I love you to." He replied holding her again.

Fang took two of his fingers and lifted Max's chin to where she was looking at him, he moved his lips towards her. To his surprise he saw Max doing the same, eventually they both locked lips. Fang's tongue knocked against her teeth wanting to enter, Max allowed him entry and so did he. Max threw her arms around his neck and he held her by the waist, their tongues wrapping around each other's both Max and Fang opened their eyes and peered at one another. Both pulled away in need of air, and then they started again Max felt Fang crack a smile as they kissed. Then Fang pulled away resting his forehead against hers, he gazed into her eyes and she gazed back.

"If we want to go further then we'll have to go somewhere else, away from the others." He said.

"Are we ready to go further?" Max wondered.

"I say yes." Fang chuckled giving her another kiss.

"Alright, should we wake them up or just leave?" She asked.

"I'll wake Ig, you wait for me outside." He whispered.

Max stood and quietly left the cave waiting outside for Fang, walking over to Iggy Fang lightly shook his side. Iggy opened his blind eyes and faced Fang; he stretched his arms and let out a yaw.

"What's up?" he asked sleepily scratching his back.

"Can't sleep, going out for a fly can you take over for me?" Fang informed him.

"On it, hey is Max up yet?" he wondered.

"No, she's still sleeping." He lied.

"Safe flyin'." Iggy said waving his hand and propping himself against a wall.

Fang walked out of the cave and walked over to Max, immediately embracing her and giving her a quick kiss.

"Does he suspect anything?" she asked pulling away.

"Not a thing, now let's go." He said jumping into the air.

"Right behind ya." She replied jumping into the air as well.

Max flew up next to him, she reached her hand out to him and he took her hand in his own. From inside the cave Iggy could hear the sound of both of them flapping their wings; a smirk appeared on his face. "It's about time those two got together." He chuckled. Both Max and Fang landed near a summer cabin, it was spring meaning the cabins were not in use, unfortunately this one was and they didn't book it. Fang swept Max off her feet carrying her bridal style, he kicked the door open and kicked it shut when he entered the cabin.