Hello! So basically, I'm writing this story for StillFallingAngel as part of their challenge. It's an AU with no wings.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Pixie Lala XOXO

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride! James Patterson does!

Please note: The ages are different in this story.

Angel: 6

Gazzy: 7

Ella: 9

Nudge: 12

Iggy, Fang, and Max: 17 Max and Iggy are twins.

Also, please keep in mind that they're all adopted except for Max, Iggy, and Ella.

.oO0Oo.

"Nudge!" mom called as she began to drag her over-stuffed suitcase down the front stairs. "Can you grab the blue bag off of my bed for me?"

Nudge nodded as she bounded up the stairs to get the bag.

When mom got to the bottom of the stairs she handed me a slip of paper. There were a few phone numbers hastily scrawled across it.

"I'll be gone for three days," mom said as she handed Iggy a set of labeled keys. "You," she pointed to me. "And your brother," she pointed to Iggy. "Are in charge. Remember, no parties. Oh, and your grandmother will be here in two days to check on you guys."

Iggy groaned. "Grandma? Why is she coming? We're old enough to take care of ourselves."

Mom laughed. "Iggy, you're a hormonal seventeen year old. Just be happy I'm leaving you alone for more than 24 hours."

Nudge came running down the stairs and handed mom her bag. "Here you go."

Mom kissed Nudge's forehead. "Thanks sweetie," she opened the door and put her blue bag over her shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. Bye!"

The five of us stood on the front porch and waved as mom's taxi sped off down the street. The moment the taxi turned the corner at the end of the street we all dispersed, off to do our own things.

Angel and Gazzy raced to the living room and started to fight over the TV remote.

"I'm calling Theresa!" shouted Nudge as she charged to her bedroom, phone in hand.

Ella grabbed her sketch journal and sat down at the kitchen table with her colored pencils amd got to work on a drawing.

"So, what should we do?" I asked Iggy.

"Hmm?" Iggy turned in my general direction. "I don't know," he said dismissively. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty AM, on the dot," I replied. "Why?"

Iggy nodded, completely ignoring my question, and went to go sit down on the couch. "He should be here soon."

"He?" I asked.

"Yeah. I invited a friend to help us survive looking after the kids," Iggy brushed it off as if it it wasn't a .

"Well, who did you invite?"

Iggy shrugged. "Does it matter?"

I groaned and threw my hands in the air. This was hopeless. Taking a deep breath, I trudged up the stairs to my room and tried to calm myself down. So what if Iggy had invited someone without my permission? We were in this together and we would need all the help we could get. My 72 hours of freedom had started and the clock was ticking fast. I grabbed my ipod, thinking that maybe I could at least get a little rest before having to head downstairs again to check on everyone. Mom had left the six of us alone before, just not for three whole days.

I was halfway through my playlist and almost half asleep when the sound of the doorbell startled me out of my reverie. Standing at the very top of the staircase, I was able to lean over the railing to get a look at who was at the door.

Iggy shuffled to the door and opened it. I'm pretty sure I almost screamed when I saw who was at the door.

Fang Ride.

.oO0Oo.

I had to hide. Or run away. Anything but go downstairs and see that obsidian-haired boy that was standing in my living room, conversing with my brother.

You see, Fang and I had an interesting relantionship. We had been best friends as kids. Then he moved away when we were ten and everything changed. About a year ago I found out that he was moving back into town. What I didn't find out was that he was moving back into town with his girlfriend, Lisa.

I grabbed a clump of my unruly hair and scrunched it up between my fingers. What was I supposed to do? Squeezing my eyes tight, I tried to think of a way to avoid the inevitably awkward situation that was going to occur downstairs if I couldn't get my butt down there and deal with it.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. Running my fingers through my hair, I started slowly creeping down the stairs. The front door was only a few feet away from the bottom of the stairs. Piece of cake, if I was quiet enough. Halfway to the door, a low and all too familiar voice made me stop dead in my tracks.

"Max, it's nice of you to join us."