Dentistry by nyanja14

Dentistry

By: Myrah

A/N: Okay, this takes place right after the second book, Maximum Ride: School's Out- Forever. If you haven't read it yet, then DON'T read this because it will so ruin it for you. Lots of spoilers. And it probably wouldn't make sense. This is my first fanfiction, so if it sucks, hey it was my first fanfiction!

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, Fang, Iggy, etc. I wish I did. Because then I would be James Patterson. And he's like, one of the best author's of all time. But I don't, so I'm not.

Okay, well here's my first chapter. It's short. All the chapters are short. But that complaining-of-Florida's-heat section? So true. I should know, I've lived here for nine years. SO HOT! But anyway, here we go.

Chapter One:

"Max? It's really hot, you know?"

I sighed, wiping sweat off my forehead. "Hot" didn't even begin to describe it. I mean, sure, I've flown directly below the sun in the baking heat of the Midwest, practically frying my wings off in the intense heat and exercise. But it didn't even come close to the wet, sticky humidity of simply waiting for Fang and the Gasman, visualizing shade or, even better, an AC down here in the Sunshine State. Really hot? You bet.

" I mean," Nudge continued, "I'm not complaining or anything but it feels like I'm melting. Like, the Wicked Witch on the Wizard of Oz. Only, she got splashed with water. We're standing around in the sun. But it's really hot. Like, sitting in an oven only more humid. Like-"

"-Nudge, it's Florida," Iggy interrupted, picking at his toasted, red arm. Having the fairest skin out of all of us, he got sunburned first and worst.

"Yeah, enough hot similes," Total grumbled, panting heavily. Angel offered him some of her water.

"But Max, we're just like, you know, waiting, right? For Fang and Gazzy to come back with food? So couldn't we maybe wait in a building, with air conditioning?" Nudge pointed to the strip mall visible from atop the hill we were on.

"Yes! I second that notion!" Total exclaimed, sitting up.

"Nudge, that sounds really great," I began. "But Fang and Gazzy think we'll be waiting for them here. If we run off, they won't know where to find us."

"We could watch for them through a window," Angel offered. "Then when we see them walking by, we can just go outside and get them."

"Please Max?" Nudge begged, shooting me the infamous Bambi eyes.

Dang it. "Okay," I gave in. Nudge and Angel cheered and Iggy and Total whooped. "But we'll have to keep a close watch for them."

"Right," Nudge said, already picking here way down the hill, hurrying to the buildings ahead us.

I grabbed Iggy hand and helped guide him down the steep, bushy hill, a sort of paranoid, foreboding feeling in my stomach. Something told me I was going to regret this.

A/N again: Wow, was that short or what? Okay, not much happened, but be patient and see! If you review, some action might come sooner, although, I can't promise you anything.

A/N: Okay, next chapter. Once again, SHORT! GASP! However the shortness of each chapter makes it easier to update quicker. (I'm a reeaallyy slow typer, and right now the story is just written in my Creative Writing journal.) But yeah, things pick up a bit faster after this chappie, so read and review. (BTW thanx to all the marvelous people who gave me reviews. You are the best.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or any of it's awesomeness. That makes me sad.

Well, here we go. Also, a little piece of info you may not known about the Capital Building has been sneaked in. Sneaked in? Who am I kidding… it's right down there… but it's true!

Chapter Two:

You may not know this, but in the Capital Building there are 100 statues, two for each state, of important people to that states history and current culture. I saw them when we went on a field trip there back in DC. And get this: among all the scientists, and politicians, and doctors is Willis Courrier, inventor of air conditioning, representing Florida.

Willis was put in there for a good reason.

"Aah! Now that's better," Total sighed, laying down on the cold linoleum floor. I shot the dog a "be quiet!" look and scanned the post office for possible Erasers. None here. Just some bored clerks, people in line holding packages, (also bored), and part of my flock, staring out the window for Fang and Gasman with our food and supplies. Well, not Iggy. He was leaning against the wall, enjoying the stiff, library-ish silence of a U.S. Postal Service Office. He and Total were in they're "blind person" get-up, Iggy with his sunglasses and Total wearing the "Guide Dog at Work" jacket, mostly so Total wouldn't get kicked out. But the clerks didn't really looked like they cared. Probably trying to save some of their sanity.

"Don't see 'em," Nudge muttered, hands pressed against the cool glass. "What's taking them so long?"

"Probably just long lines at Wal-Mart," I said, secretly worrying that they'd been attacked by Erasers or they'd done something wrong and rent-a-cop security guards had nabbed them or that-

"Excuse me," a woman said, brushing past as she walked through the entrance. I scooted away from the door I was blocking, glancing back at her, and then froze, my mouth dropping open.

No… it couldn't be…

A/N again: Wow, that's an evil cliffhanger. Well, if you remember the summary, it's probably pretty obvious, but if you haven't read the summary or if you forgot, MWA MWA MWA, I'm so demented! Review please, or else I'll use my impressive satanic powers and force you to do it. Yeah. Please?

A/N: Shortest chapter so far. REALLY SHORT. Deal with it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, blah, blah, blah. I do own Allison Raines. And who's she, you ask? Well, read on!

Chapter Three:

The woman looked maybe in her early thirties, with curly black hair and dark brown eyes. She had a slim figure and olive skin with a deep tan.

She looked just like Fang.

I studied her in shock, mentally comparing her to my best friend. They were so alike. Same face, same shaped mouth, same quiet confidence. Fang was taller than her, but that was probably genetic engineering at work. Other than that, they were perfectly identical.

It was like staring at Fang's older sister.

Or his mom.

It had to be her. They were so alike, and since Fang's mom had been a teenager when she had him, this woman would be just the right age.

Hold it, I told myself. According to the screwy, mixed-up files we'd found at the Institute, all of the flock's parents were in the DC area. No jumping to conclusions. I needed more proof.

I found it via express delivery mail.

In the corner of the package the woman held under her arm was her name and address:

Allison Raines

2478 Heron's Creek Road

Jacksonville, FL, 32210

Raines. According to the same screwy, mixed-up files, that was Fang's last name.

Allison Raines. Very possibly Fang's mother.

A/N again: Sheesh, done already. Told you it was short. Oh, and BTW, "Raines" has nothing to do with Fang's dark personality. Actually, I just pick up an old yearbook, flipped it open, jabbed some random person's picture, and used their last name. Thus, Allison Raines was born. REVIEW YOU FOOLS!

A/N: Okay, time for two more slow chapters. Boring yes, but I need them for bridging purposes. They're short anyway so don't complain. As for THE COMMERCIAL, I think we all know which one I'm talking about. If you don't… you will know soon. +shudder+ I hate that commercial! Anywho, we left off with Max discovering Fang's "mom". What will she do about it? We all know Max needs Fang… Also in this chapter, the good, old Voice drops in for a visit.

Disclaimer: I do not owe any of James Patterson's marvelous books. Well, I own them, but I didn't write them… you know what I mean. I do not own the shudder commercial either. Thank goodness for that.

Chapter Four:

"There they are!" Angel exclaimed, bring me back to reality. She pointed at Fang and the Gasman, waving, and they noticed her, changing direction towards us.

Crap. What to do, what to do? I had, very possibly, found one of Fang's parents, right here four feet away from me, and there was Fang outside. Should I tell Fang now, point her out to him, or should I wait, tell him later, take it slow.

Wait, I decided, memorizing the address. It wasn't like we couldn't scout her out later at her house.

"Max, you're being selfish," the Voice popped into my head, making me flinch a little.

No, I'm being… cautious. I defended. Look what happen with Iggy's parents. I don't want that to happen to Fang.

"Is that really it, Maximum?" the Voice asked, sounding philosophical. "Or are you just scared to lose Fang? Think about it."

Whatever, I thought, gritting my teeth.

I hurried the others out of the post office, lest Fang see Allison Raines, urging Total off the floor and back out into the sun.

When we reached them, Fang handed me a bag to carry and smirked. "Couldn't stand the heat?"

Rather than comment, I just shook my head and started walking, heading back up the hill. Fang frowned, obviously noticing how distracted I was, but didn't say anything. He probably thought I had a headache. Which, now that I think of it, I did. Stupid Voice…

"What took you guys so long?" Iggy asked, feeling through his bag to see what they'd got.

"Yeah, you guys were gone for, like, ever and we were just left out there boiling," Nudge said accusingly.

"Hey, you should have seen the lines!" Gasman said. "They were gi-mongous. Do you have any idea how busy Wal-Marts are?"

"At you two didn't get roasted," Total moaned. "Did you remember my flea medicine stuff?"

"Yeah, we got," Gasman answered, grabbing Iggy's arm before he stepped into a bush. "Canine Advantix. You know from that commercial with the puppy singing that annoying "Hello Mother, hello Father" jingle."

Inside, I cringed at the mention of parents.

"Annoying? I love that song!" Total said.

Fang snorted.

A/N again: AAAHHHHH! The commercial… now the song of hatred is stuck in my head again! AHHGGGGHHHH! NOOOOO! Anyway… it kind of starting trailing off at the end, so I just cut it off there. However, I need your, the public's, help. WHAT SHOULD FANG'S FIRST NAME BE? I was thinking either Hunter or Blake. Review and vote or make another suggestion. I kind of leaning toward Hunter because Blake is sooo cliché'. (Also, when I looked back into the good old yearbook that supplied the last name for inspiration, I found "Raines" again, and that kid's name was Hunter. Hello? Destiny!) But yeah, if you have a better suggestion, send me a review. And remember… IT'S COOL TO VOTE!

A/N: Okay, another short chapter and then things heat up. I promise the chapters will get longer after this one. Promise. This is just a quick bridge chapter, so nothing really happens, but it's tiny, so you guys can deal. Thanx to all the awesome people who gave me reviews so far, you guys are… awesome. Another big thanx to the people who voted. YOU CAN STILL VOTE. More on the name election at the end of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I am not James Patterson. Therefore, I do not own Maximum Ride. Happy?

Chapter Five:

We reached the top of the hill, away from the eyes of the townspeople below, and the others began to get ready for another flight.

"So Max, where are we going to go? I mean, we don't really have a set destination right now since we can't go back to the Itex headquarters and everything," Nudge babbled while she stuffed granola bars into her backpack.

"Actually…" I started and everyone immediately stopped packing, heads whipping around to look at me. "I was thinking… since we really don't have anywhere to go…"

Angel's eyes lit up. "Oh! Can we go back to Disney World?"

"Yeah!" Gasman exclaimed. "Or the beach?"

Definitely not the beach, nothing but trouble happens there.

"Well… I was really thinking that we just stay here," I finished. The siblings' faces fell.

"Why?" Iggy asked. "What's here?"

Oh, just one of the flock's dream come true. And my nightmare.

"Nothing, I know. It just feels…" I struggled for a believable explanation. "…really safe here. Just… safe. And I saw a good size cave just a little north of here. And the town's right there so we wouldn't have to worry about food. We could just- relax, take a break until we have a real plan."

Confused silence met my words.

"…it does feel kind of… safe here," Fang finally said and I inwardly thanked him. "It sounds okay with me if we just rest up for a while."

Slowly everyone else began to nod. Except for Total, he was scratching at some fleas.

"Okay then," I chirped, relieved. "That's settled."

The rest of the flock watched me as I began to unpack.

A/N again: Very short, very dull, yes. But it'll get better after this. Longer chapters are coming up, I swear! (Actually, the next chapter is one of my favorites. Yea! It's finally being posted!)

THE VOTE CONTINUES! What shall Fang's real name be? So far the vote stands Hunter-2, Blake-0. And one of the write-ins is NICK. Which, I've decided to add to the vote. (Fnick… +snicker+). So submit a review and vote! HUNTER, BLAKE, or NICK. Or, you can submit a suggestion and it too could be added to the election. If you've already voted, VOTE AGAIN. I don't really care if you cheat like that, as long as I get lots of review. IT'S COOL TO VOTE!

A/N: Finally, the chapters get longer! Well, they're really not that long, but compared to the chapters before this one, chapter six is a novel! This is one of my favorite chapters, mostly because I'm such a sap. But yeah, read it, love it, REVIEW IT. Or read it, hate it, and FLAME IT. I really don't care as long as I get the review. REMEMBER TO VOTE!

Chapter Six:

Later that night, when we'd finished setting up camp and everyone else was down and out, I stayed up and watched the dying fire, just thinking. I mean, I really didn't know what to do. Okay, I knew I had to tell Fang. I'd found his mom after all. But I didn't want to lose Fang. I couldn't lose Fang.

In the weak light, I stared down at my arm, rubbing the still fresh scars from when I'd, out of desperation, starting slicing it open to get the chip out. I'd totally lost it, and who had been there to yell at me and stopme and bandage me up? Fang. And when I'd burst into tears, to tired and sore to hide, who had been first to hold me and let me soak up their shirt? Fang. Fang had always been there.

Speaking of which…

"Hey."

I jumped up a little, startled, as Fang crouched down beside me, looking concerned. Guess I wasn't the only one awake.

"What's wrong?" he asked, watching me closely.

I sucked in a shuddering breath. "Nothing."

Of course, Fang knows me to well for that, right?

"Max, I'm not an idiot. You've been acting weird all day. You've barely said a word and you declared this town Happy Place, U.S.A. and made us stay. So what's wrong?"

I picked up a stick and jabbed the fire, sighing. Sometimes I so wished Fang didn't know me so well. It would make lying a whole lot easier. "I didn't want to tell you…"

Fang's dark eyes narrowed. "You didn't morph into Eraser Max, did you?"

I laughed hollowly. I wish. "No, nothing like that."

"So what?"

I turned away from him. "I think I may have found your mother."

Fang blinked. "What?"

I sniffed a little. "I think I found your mom."

Fang didn't say a thing.

The wind whistled into the cave ominously, making me shiver. Fang slowly spread his wings across us to block the wind. I sneaked a glance at him. Instead of his normal blank-slate expression, he looked tired but excited. And maybe just a little frightened. Here goes…

"At the post office," I began, threading my fingers worriedly. "I saw this woman. And she looked just- a lot like you. Dark hair, dark eyes, everything. And… on one of the packages. I saw her name. Allison Raines. Raines. Like, the files said your last name was. And I got her address… I really think she's your mother."

I looked up at Fang and he just stared at me, looking me straight in the eyes for the longest time. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time, like diving headfirst, plunging to the ground at 200 miles per hour. My stomach fluttered.

Finally, Fang broke the contact, examining the rocky cave floor. I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder, so scared that he would be mad at me for withholding life changing information.

Still not looking at me, Fang said "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

Only Fang knows what's bothering me most, only Fang will dare ask about it.

"Why do you think?" I choked. Suddenly, horribly, I felt tears rushing to my eyes. Oh no.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't- too late.

Fang pulled me into a gentle embrace, pressing me into his wiry shoulder, chin resting lightly on my head. His dark wings angled around us as I hugged him back. It just felt so… right. Warm. Safe.

Why does it make me feel like this? It wasn't like this when Iggy left. I was sad then, sure, but not like this.

Finally, I pulled back and Fang folded his wings in, looking embarrassed.

I knew exactly how he felt.

"So…" I said, rubbing my face with the back of my hand. "Do you want to check it out?"

"Of course. How could I not go?" Fang said.

I nodded, feeling so empty, so… old. "Okay. We'll go take a look tomorrow. I just hope this works out better than Iggy's did."

Fang stomped out what was left of the fire. "Yeah."

The understatement of the decade.

I laid down next to Angel and held out my fist. He stacked his and then we tapped. Like always. I tried not to think that by tomorrow, it could be Iggy's fist on top of mine, not Fang's.

Don't think about it.

"Goodnight Fang," I murmured, closing my eyes.

"Goodnight Max."

A/N again: Well, if you were paying attention, you now know where chapter five's title came from. I didn't make the titles until I'd written about half of chapter seven, so when I couldn't think of anything for chapter five, I just stole that. If you have no idea what the he-eck I'm talking about, then you aren't very observant.

The poll continues! Should Fang's real name be Hunter or Nick? I'm taking out Blake because everyone says that name sucks. I couldn't agree more. Submit a review and VOTE! Write-ins are, as always, appreciated.

A/N: I am really sorry this took so long to post. Okay, when compared to some people's standards, I update at lightspeed. But this took longer than usual, so sorry. I've been busy, that's the only excuse I have for you. Okay! Chapter seven! You know, this is actually the first chapter I "wrote". (I plan out entire novels word from word in my head before I actually put them to paper. So when I say "wrote" I mean, in my head.) The ending of this chapter occur to me in the shower one night and since I liked it, I figured out a story to lead up to it. Coolio. I'm finally here, posting the "first" chapter. SCORE! R and R please.

Chapter Seven:

The next morning during breakfast, I dropped the bombshell. Needless to say, everybody was amazed, slightly baffled that I'd waited an entire day before telling them, and, well, this a teeny bit jealous. But mostly amazed.

"Fang, that's so great!" Nudge squealed, giving him a hug. Fang smiled vaguely, looking embarrassed but happy, and peeled Nudge off of him.

"Thanks," he said, glancing at me. I looked away guiltily.

"It seems kind of unlikely though," Iggy muttered doubtfully. "I mean, you just magically saw my parents on the news, didn't you Max? And now you just happen to bump into Fang's mom at the post office? Too coincidental if you ask me."

"Who cares how it happened, all that matters is it happened. Right Max?" Nudge asked.

I nodded numbly.

"You're so lucky, Fang," the Gasman said wistfully.

Fang just smiled. That was twice. He had officially reached his smile quota for the day and it was still just past breakfast. Astounding, what suddenly having a mother could do to you.

I couldn't take it anymore. "Well, let's get this over with," I mumbled, standing up. I could feel Angel's eyes on the back of my head and knew she knew exactly what I was thinking. So I ran for it. Ran and took off for 4287 Heron's Creek Road.

When we all got there, we did a little basic recon. No lights, no sound, no car. No one home. So we sat up in a tree nearby, hiding and waiting for Allison Raines to make an appearance. And getting antsier by the minute.

"Where is she?" Nudge moaned, wiggling around on her branch. "My butt's going numb."

"Maybe she's at work," Iggy suggested, carving God knows what into the tree trunk with his penknife. "Some people do work, you know."

"It's Sunday," Gasman retorted. "Who goes to work on a Sunday?"

"Church then." Iggy said, pausing to feel his progress.

"It's two," Angel said quietly. "Past church time." Total had long ago fallen asleep in her lap and now she was stroking him softly.

"So where is she?" Nudge moaned again.

Fang and I were silent, his eyes fixed on the empty house, my eyes fixed on him. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, though from sweat or nervousness, I couldn't tell. He had a killer grip on his branch, squeezing so hard I was scared it was going to break. He barely seemed to be breathing.

"Fang," I whispered to him, while the others started a game of I Spy. His eyes flicked over to me distractedly.

"What?"

"Don't worry, she'll be here."

Fang smiled gratefully before returning his intense focus on the house again. That was three. He really was pushing it.

Finally, after what felt like days of waiting, a small, black car drove up the road and into the driveway below us. When Allison Raines steeped out of the car, Fang exactly gasped.

"She does look just like you, Fang," Gasman murmured.

"Really?" Iggy asked, annoyed. He couldn't see what the heck was going on after all.

"Yeah."

Allison walked up to her door and unlocked, unawares to the six, well five, kids watching her every movement. Then she disappeared inside.

Beside me, Fang craned his neck to see her through the window, a sad, hungry, happy, expression on his face, if that's possible. I could tell just by looking at him that he was sure it was his mom.

I'm losing him, I thought.

Bitter tears stung my eyes and I bit my lip, holding them in. I was not going to cry again today.

No good.

Suddenly, I pushed off the branch, making the whole tree sway, and leapt into the air, spreading my wings. Any random pedestrian below could've seen me. You know what? I didn't care.

I was losing him. Fang. He was leaving. One of the few people I cared about, grew up with, trusted with my life. Gone. Misery sunk down on my shoulders, bringing more unbidden tears. Misery… and… and fear. I mean, what would I do without Fang? I depended on him. I needed him. I-

"You love him."

Startled, I looked back, and there was Angel beside me, pumping her small, white wings to keep up.

I wiped my tears off with my arm. "Sweetie, I love all of you," I said, feeling just a tad defensive.

Angel looked back at the rest of the flock, taking off to join us. "I know. But you love him."

Love him? Hoe could I love Fang? He was practically family, my best friend in the entire world. Sure, I love Fang, but I didn't love Fang.

Did I?

"Don't worry," Angel continued, falling back a little to join her brother. "He loves you a lot too."

A/N: Yeah! I love this chapter. But something about the present/past tenses seemed screw up to me while I was writing it. If the tenses seem wrong to you too, tell me. POLL UPDATE! Current count stands: Hunter- 6, and Nick- 7. Some write-ins have been submitted, but I don't think I'll add any of them in. Of course, if you have a different idea, do tell. I love write-ins. Someone suggested Damian, which I would put in the vote, but it's the name of that kid in the Omen, and that would be kind of creepy. So, HUNTER or NICK? What shall Fang's name be? YOU ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.After this, you'll only have one more chance to vote, so submit while you still can!

A/N: Okay, chapter eight. Mostly a bridge chapter, but it's a sweet bridge chapter. Lots of sentimental mumbo-jumbo. In other words, pure fluff. Oh well. I like fluff. It's like… caramel coated cotton candy. Whoa! Look at the alliteration in that one! Anyway… it may take me a while to update after this chapter. Why, the curious reader asks. Because I shall be at camp with no forms of advanced technology at my disposal. Weep. Speaking of readers, Dentistry has gottenover 1000 hits! That's pretty good, considering it's only been up for like, less than a month. Thanx! And a special thanx to my reviewers/voters. Oh! THIS CHAPTER IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO VOTE! SO VOTE! AGAIN!

Disclaimer: Ah! I think I forgot this last time! SORRY! I do not own Maximum Ride! There.

Chapter Eight:

What?

Fang didn't love me! I mean, sheesh, the guy barely shows emotion at all. And that time, way back, at the beach when I'd… let's say accidentally kissed him, he'd acted all mortified and shocked. And let's not forget the red-haired wonder, Lissa! Fang couldn't love me. Angel must've read his mind wrong or, hey! Maybe she was just saying that to make me feel better. Or maybe she didn't mean it that way. Whatever it was, Fang didn't love me.

"Max, love isn't all just hugs and kisses and holding hands. Think about the other time at the beach," the Voice interrupted me mid-rant.

"I'd rather not," I mumbled to myself. That was definitely not my finest hour.

"Max…"

Okay, okay. When the Voice had driven me to a point of insanity and I'd started ripping my arm open with a broken shell to get the chip out, (OUCH!) Fang had been… angry… and really, really scared. And when I'd started crying he… just like all the other times…

"You alright?"

"What's wrong?"

"Anne's never going to take your place, Max."

"You'll be okay. I promise."

"Max…"

"Max?"

"Max!"

"You almost gave me a heart attack. When I saw you and all that blood…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't do it again."

"I won't."

Oh my God.

"You see, Maximum? You said it yourself last night. Fang's always been there. Iggy's not the blind one, you are."

Well, what difference does it make? I thought angrily. He's still leaving! Him liking me doesn't change anything! If it ever had, then maybe I'd have notice before now! I'm still losing Fang.

"That may be, but Max you can still stop it."

"How?" I screamed.

"How what?" Fang said, flying up beside me.

"Just… nothing," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Is it the Voice?"

I nodded. My eyes were still salty with tears, so I wiped them away on my sleeve.

"Are you okay?" Fang asked, worry written all over his face, which was a miraculous breakthrough for him. All because of me. Man, am I blind. He probably thought I was going to go cut myself up again. Which I wasn't.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he pressed.

"I'm fine!" I shouted. His concern was just making me feel worse. How could I not have noticed?

Fang didn't say anything.

Then I realized that I'd yelled at him. "…Sorry…"

Fang nodded, wind whipping through his hair, a blank look on his face. He was retreating back into himself, becoming silent Fang, annoying-one-word-answers Fang, face-like-a-rock Fang. God. How horrible am I to make him miserable when he just saw his mother for the first time in his entire life? Some friend I am. I tried again. "I'm sorry. I'm just… really frustrated. I'm sorry I screamed at you, but I really don't want to talk about, okay? And I'm not going to go all cutter again. I promised, remember? Thanks for worrying about me, though."

Fang nodded again, but he wasn't so tense, so I knew he wasn't going to shut himself up.

He flew in silence for a bit. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, just… a mutual agreement that we didn't need to talk. Yeah. Like that. But I don't really like silences of any kind, so I decided to try to start a new conversation.

"Well…" I began. Fang looked over at me with a slight smirk. He knew I couldn't stay quiet for too long. I'm no Nudge, but not talking bothers me. "What do you think?"

He didn't need to ask what I meant. "She really does look like me…" he said, adjusting his flight meticulously to avoid the upturned eyes of a pedestrian below.

"Do you think she's your mom?"

Fang took a long time to reply. He never liked to get his hopes up. Fang hated getting hurt like that. "…Yeah…" he answered eventually. He thought for a while and then suddenly started chuckling.

"What?"

"Just think. My name would be Fang Raines."

I smiled. "It is kind of catchy. Sounds like a comic book superhero name." I spotted our cave and started landing. "Of course, Fang isn't your real name."

"What makes you say that?" Fang grinned. I laughed as my feet touched ground and I folded my wings. He landed beside me. Somehow, Fang always managed to make me feel better.

"But…" Fang's grin faded into a serious expression. He looked back at the rest of the flock, just a little behind us. "What should I do?"

I didn't need to ask what he meant.

"Fang, it's your life. I can't decide for you." I wish I could. "Do you want to go meet her?"

"Yeah! But-" he stopped as Iggy and Nudge landed behind us.

"Fang, this is so awesome!" Nudge squealed again, giving Fang another hug. Fang did his usual unmovable statue hug reaction, and she quickly let him go. "When are you going to go see her?"

Fang didn't answer, just looked at me.

Nudge frowned. "You are going to go see her, aren't you?"

"I want to, yeah," Fang sighed. "But it's just… you know, the wings…"

"Don't worry, my folks loved my wings," Iggy said sarcastically, voice so bitter it made me wince.

"Iggy…" I began tersely, but then Angel and Gasman landed. I really did not want to have a fight in front of the younger kids.

I sighed heavily, shaking my head, and sent Iggy a dagger glance that was completely pointless. Sometimes I so wished he wasn't blind.

Knowing my frustration, Fang smiled at me. Usually, when Fang actually smiled, it made my day brighter. But now, it just pained me, like a dull toothache in the back of my mouth.

What am I going to do without Fang?

A/N again: Cool little fact here: As I write this, I actually HAVE a toothache. It hurts like CRAP! This story has a weird title, I know. DENTISTRY. Truth is, I couldn't think of a title, except for that one. But hey, it makes sense. The story IS about Max having "Fang" "removed" from her life. Huh, huh, you get it? Whatever. I hope no one got confused by all the italicized stuff in this chapter. The italicized stuff with no quotations, is Max thinking. The stuff with quotations is the Voice. And that really spaced out italicized section was a three-second flashback. Yes, all those quotes can be found in either the first or second book. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO VOTE ON FANG'S NAME! The winning name shall be announced next chapter! VOTE TWICE, VOTE TEN TIMES I DON'T CARE! JUST VOTE! HUNTER OR NICK?

A/N: Well, I'm back. Just want to say thanx for all the support, reviews, and reads. (You wouldn't believe how many hits this story has gotten. And it hasn't even been up for a month!) Well, as you all know, this is the chapter when Fang's true name shall be announced. The poll has ended with 9 votes Hunter and 18 votes Nick, according to my odd way of counting votes. BUT WAIT! That isn't the end! I asked several outsider people who have never read the book which name they preferred and any other suggestions. Then, I contemplated the issue over three collective hours of biking, 30 miles, and 3 CDs I listened to while biking. (I bike a LOT, like 5 miles a night. And always after midnight cause no one else is out then.) Anyway, after much thinking, I have decided. But I won't tell you here! Read on! And, of course, REVIEW! If you do, I shall post again much faster.

Chapter Nine:

We landed as a group, all touching down in the cover of the small woods near Allison Raines house. After another uncomfortable night, Fang was finally going to meet his mom- and possibly move out of our lives forever. Not that I care- right?

Yeah. Right.

Most of the time, Fang was Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected. But now he was too nervous to hide his nervousness, positively twitching beside me as we approached the house. When we reached the driveway and saw the little black car lying in wait for us, we knew it was time.

Pulling me aside, Fang whispered in my ear, "Max, I'm… I'm scared."

I reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. Fang was never scared, or at least never admitted to it. Fighting bloodthirsty wolf mutants more than twice his size? No problem. Talking to his mother? Complete emotional meltdown.

Standing tip-toe to reached his ear, I whispered back, "I'll tell you what I told Iggy: if you weren't I'd know you were nuts."

Fang grinned weakly and nodded, turning to face the rest of the flock. "Well… let's get this over with." He walked up to the door, rang the bell, and immediately lost his nerve, scurrying to hide behind Iggy.

A moment later, Allison Raines answered the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked, looking suspiciously at the troop of tall kids, plus one unusually silent dog, standing in her entranceway. Which would be us.

"Ms. Raines?" I said, just to check. After all, maybe she'd been mailing someone else's packages and this was all just one huge, terrible, glorious mistake. It was possible, wasn't it?

"That's Dr. Raines," she corrected.

"Sorry, Doctor," I quickly amended. Doctor? Oh no…

Then it struck me that I had no idea what to say. Well, congratulations, I found your lost son for you, and guess what? He's my best friend in the entire world, whom according to a six-year old I love, though I'm still not entirely sure about that, so thanks for snatching him away form me, you jerk! Somehow, I didn't think that would cut it.

"Hi, I'm Max… Smith. You don't know me, but I believe I know something about you." I started.

Allison Raines nodded slowly, obviously wondering where the he-eck this was going. I totally sympathized.

"When you were a teenager… I don't know how or why, but you got pregnant."

The angry shock on her face was a clear enough sign that this was not what she had been expecting when she opened the door.

"You were probably just a little older than me, but you went ahead and waited the nine months. And had a baby boy."

The doctor seemed ready to rip me apart. I guessed this was probably a pretty emotional memory so her. Too bad.

"But… the doctors told you he had died and you never saw him again."

"I hate to interrupt your lovely retelling of my life story," Dr. Raines interjected, her voice as icy as Fang's when he was angry. "But may I ask if you have a point?"

"Yes, I do." I reached behind Iggy and pulled Fang in front of me. "I think this is your son."

Fang stood trembling beside me, eyes locked on the ground.

For three scary seconds, Allison looked as though she were about to lunge at me in rage. But then she glanced over at Fang- and couldn't stop staring at him. As she examined him, her expression shifted form angry to confusion to… amazement.

"Oh my God…" she murmured, raising a hand to touch Fang's face, as though to convince herself that he was real. Fang finally looked up, with an astonished smile to match his mom's.

Allison looked past him at the rest of us. "Please come in, all of you."

After a moment's hesitation, we all filed in and sat slowly on the couch and chairs. Total jumped up into Angel's lap.

Dr. Raines still couldn't take her eyes off of Fang. "I was going to call you Hunter…" she sighed sadly.

Hunter. It suited Fang somehow.

"Hunter Nicholas Raines," she continued.

Total suddenly snorted. Iggy smirked and mouthed, "Fnick,." Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel all smiled. I, however, frowned disapprovingly. Angel? Kick Iggy for me I thought. I thump on my left confirmed that she had heard.

Luckily, Allison seemed not to notice. "But I don't understand. If Hunter's not dead, then what happened that night?" She looked to me for the answers I really did not feel like giving.

I'd been dreading this question. "It's a really long… strange story…"

Allison stared at me stubbornly, just like Fang always did. "I spent a really long time thinking my only son was dead."

"I know," I said cautiously. "But we've all had… unusual lives and we can't really tell you much until we know for sure that we can trust you."

The doctor looked livid, chewing her bottom lip. "Look. This is my son. I think I can be trusted."

"No."

Everyone turned, surprised, towards Fang. "Sorry, but we don't… can't trust anyone we just met."

Dr. Raines mouth hung open, kind of shocked and sad. Then she closed it. "Fine. What to I have to do to get you guys to trust me?"

Fang shot me a look and I knew what he wanted me to ask in that creepy way of ours. "You say you are a doctor. What of?"

Allison shrugged. "I'm a dentist."

For a moment, everything was deathly silent. Then Iggy and Gazzy started to laugh. Nudge and Angel joined in with giggles. Total chucked, then quickly shut his mouth to maintain his normal dog cover. Even Fang looked amused at the irony of it.

"What?" Dr. Raines demanded, looking offended.

"…Sorry." I swallowed a smile. "It's just Hunter…well, we call him Fang."

For a second, Dr. Raines didn't seem to get it, then her mouth quirked into a grin. "That is a rather… odd coincidence," she admitted.

If you think that's odd, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Okay. What next? I glanced at Fang and he returned it hauntingly. I knew he was telling me something, but for once I had know clue what. What did he want me to ask her? Then it hit me: that night a gazillion years ago when we'd first got wind of the fact that we might have real parents.

"A teenager, jeez. She was probably a crack addict or something."

"Maybe not. Maybe she was a nice kid who just made a mistake."

He wanted me to ask her that? Was he insane? That had to be the single most private part of her life and he wanted me to dig it up!

Fang continued to stare at me darkly, so I sighed and cleared my throat. "Uh, Dr. Raines… how did you- er… become pregnant? As a teenager?"

Her answer, when it came, was steely and cold as ice. "I was raped," she said flatly.

I winced. Yeah, she was definitely mad at me. Happy now Fang? "I'm sorry…" I said, soft and sincere. I meant it too.

Allison shook her head. "Anything else?" she asked. Her voice still had an angry chill too it.

I thought rapidly. I was not "listening" to what Fang "said" anymore about question suggestions. Saying the first thing that popped into my head, I blurted as seriously as possible, "Do you like birds?"

Dr. Raines blinked. Okay, I had to admit that that question was a little off sounding, but if Fang was going to be living with her, then the question was all sorts of relevant.

"They're… pretty. I like them okay. Except for pigeons. Always pooping on my car…" she trailed off and frowned. "Sorry, but what does that got to do with anything?"

"Everything," I answered. I sneaked a glance at Angel and she nodded. Nothing suspicious. We could trust Dr. Allison Raines.

Okay. Let's go. "You asked what really happened that night. Obviously F-Hunter-" I corrected myself. Great. Fhunter. That was even worse than Fnick. "-didn't die." I finished and then took a deep breath. I had never spilt the entire enchilada of beans. Iggy had talked to his parents and I hadn't told Ella and her mother everything. This was huge. "What really happened was he was kidnapped. By doctors."

Fang's mom gaped at me.

"We all were," Nudge said suddenly.

A really loooooong silence followed.

Finally, Dr. Raines sputtered out, "Why?"

Fang's hand found mine and squeezed it. He knew what was coming and he was nervous. I squeezed his hand back reassuringly.

"They needed him… us, for test subjects. Guinea pigs for some ground breaking experiments they wanted to try out."

Allison looked slightly outraged. "But human testing is against the law without consent!"

I shrugged. "The whitecoats don't really care about breaking the law. And it's possible the government gave them permission."

Dr. Raines looked at us allwith obvious pity. "What… what did they do to you?"

Fang was practically crushing my hand now.

I ignored her question. "Dr. Raines… are you sure Fang is Hunter?"

"Yes! Of course."

"Would you love him no matter- no matter what he's like?"

Allison's eyes settled on Fang agained. "How could I not? He's my only child. I… I may not have known him until now, but I already know I love him."

I glanced at Angel again. She nodded. The doctor wasn't lying.

"Okay," I said. The tension in the room was mounting to incredible heights. "Fang… show her."

Fang reluctantly stood up and took off his windbreaker. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he slowly spread his wings.

A/N again: HA HA HA! I feel so evil! I LUV cliffys. Except when I have to read them and then wait forever for the next part. Which is what ya'll shall do! MWA MWA MWA!

As for the name. Before you get all pouting and say "BUT NICK WON THE VOTE!", let me tell you, I thought really HARD about it. I decided to compromise. And all the people I asked said Hunter Nicholas sounded better than Nicholas Hunter. If you disagree, too bad, my story. But there will be some mention of the infamous Fnick in the next chapter, I promise.

Wow, I got to say, I think that was the best chapter ending I ever wrote. Well, whatever. I know the vote's over, but please review. I makes me feel appreciated and loved. If I get at least four for this chapter, I shall hurry up with Chapter Ten. If not, then I shall be lazy. REVIEW NOW SLAVES!

A/N: Chapter Ten is here. This chapter was the hardest to write. Mostly because I was hit with a wave of Writer's Block. I finally managed to choke it out over 37 miles of solid biking at one in the morning. While listening to The Mixed CD of Utter Randomness. It is my all time favorite CD to listen to when I'm stuck because it cheers me up with it's weirdness. My sister's best friend made it. 23 songs that range from Bennie & the Jets, classical piano, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Purple People Eater, My Humps, and my all time favorite song ever, Sunday, Bloody Sunday. It's just so great, and it helped me finally write down this flippin' chapter. I'm still not satisfied with it, but… oh well. Sorry to all the people who are mad about Fang's name+cough cough x Step on Me x+. As for the people who complain my chapters are too short… I agree with you. I promise this chapter shall be long. Ish. Longish.

Chapter Ten:

Whatever Allison Raines had been expecting, it wasn't this.

With an almost dazed expression, she stood up and held out a trembling hand. She tentatively touched his dark feathers and traced the outline of one of his hollow wing bones. Her mouth literally hung open.

"Can… can you…?" she stammered out, feeling the feathers again.

Fang opened his eyes. "Fly? Yeah."

"You're a… a…" the dentist finally became aware that her mouth was open and quickly closed it.

"Human-avian hybrid? Genetically engineered mutant? Freak? Trust me, I know," Fang's voice was flat and cold. With a sudden whoosh, he tucked his huge wings back in. "And if you have a problem with that, then I'm gone and we can both forget this ever happened." Fang crossed his arms. He put up a good act, but I could see his every emotion written in the way he stood, the way all his muscles were tense, the way his eyes were just a little red. Fang sounded like he didn't care, but I knew Allison's response would mean the world to him.

An evil, little chunk of my soul hoped that the dentist would shriek, runaway, and reject him. Sure, Fang would probably be emotionally scarred for the rest of his life, (however long that would be), but at least he'd still be with me.

However, the rest of my soul scolded the other evil, little chunk. Bad chunk-of-Max's-sorry-soul! Fang is our best friend! You should want what's best for him. You should be hoping Dr. Raines will understand, not scream.

Well, neither of those happened.

Instead, Allison Raines hugged Fang with tears glittering in her eyes.

"…Hunter… I could never forget you. I never did," she murmured, little droplets leaking from under her lids. Talk about your Kodak moment.

And get this: Fang hugged her back.

Let me stress this point: Fang never, never, never hugged anyone. Except for me. And that was only when no one else was around or it was an emergency. Plus, he'd known me, what, fourteen years? How long had he known this woman? Fourteen minutes.

That toothache pain started up again, worse than ever before.

"And I never want to lose you again," Dr. Raines continued in a nasal tone. "Never. The first time was hard enough."

Was I totally losing it, or was Fang on the verge of tears? I had to admit, I'd never seen Fang cry before. Not even when we were little kids, still stuck at the School. The fact that a single tear was streaking it's way down his cheek now made me want to cry. Nudge and Angel already were.

"Fang has feelings too, Max. You of all people should know that," the Voice interrupted.

Shut it, I thought. This is definitely not a good time.

Suprisingly, the Voice didn't comment further.

"And I know this is sudden, and we've just barely met, but…" Fang's mom pulled away to look at him. "I want you to come live with me. If you'd like."

I bit my lip. Here it comes.

"I know you're… different… and probably not used to having a mom. I'm not used to having a son. But I know we can make it work. I want to be part of life before it's too late. If you'll let me." Dr. Raines took his hands pleadingly, looking so sincere and hopeful, that for a heartbeat, I actually wanted Fang to say yes. Just for a heartbeat.

C'mon Fang, say something! I couldn't take the suspense much longer. I just wanted this to be over before I joined in with the tear fest. Jeezums, our lives had practically turned into a soap opera.

Fang slowly glanced with dark, weary eyes at each member of the flock, his "family", and then at Allison Raines, his mother. I swear, for that long, terrible moment, everyone in the room held their breath.

Fang shrugged self-consciously, uncomfortable in the center of attention. "I… I need to think about it," he mumbled finally, staring at the ground.

Dr. Raines looked a bit disappointed, but then her expression cleared. "Of course," she said soothingly. "I know this must be a hard decision for you." She looked past him at the rest of us. "You're all welcome to stay until things are settled. But- uh… who are you?"

"I'm Angel," Angel supplied brightly. "I'm six. That's my brother, Gazzy." She pointed across Iggy at the Gasman.

Dr. Raines looked quizzically at the two blonde kids, so clearly identical, and then at the rest of us, all mix-matched.

"We're the only siblings," Gasman added unnecessarily.

"My name's Total," the dog piped up from Angel's lap. I smiled when Allison literally jumped at his voice.

"The… the dog can… talk?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah. I can jump really high too. Pretty cool, huh?" Total grinned wickedly and wagged his tail.

"I'm Nudge," Nudge butted in. I was amazed that she'd been so quiet so far. Thay had to be a record. "My real name's Monique. I think I'm from Arizona, but I'm not sure. Have you ever been out West?"

"I was born in Texas… but I haven't been there since I was little. We moved to Florida just before I turned five." Dr. Raines said slowly.

"Oh. So you've been here almost your whole life? How can you stand the heat? Can you remember what Texas was like, 'cause I've never-"

"People call me Iggy," Iggy interrupted. Thank God. "And before you ask, yeah, I'm blind."

Fang's mom seemed to suddenly notice how Iggy didn't look around or meet your eyes. "I'm sorry. For how long…?"

"Since I was three." Iggy shifted uncomfortably. I knew Iggy didn't like pity so I heroically saved him from further questioning.

"I'm Maximum." I said. "But everyone just calls me Max."

Allison looked at Fang, who had sat back down beside me. "And you're Fang. Do I want to know where you picked that up?"

Fang, Iggy, and I all grinned simultaneously. Back at the School up till he was about four, Fang had a nasty habit of biting whitecoats. Some of the scientists started calling him "Fangs" and it stuck. You may have noticed the plural ending. Well, Fang was originally Fangs, but when Nudge was brought to the School, she had a lisp. (Can you believe that?) She couldn't say his name properly and he decided Fang sounded cooler anyway, so he dropped the "s".

"No, you don't," Fang replied finally.

"Do you… would you prefer if I called you Fang instead of Hunter?" Dr. Raines asked.

"Call him Fnick," Iggy said. Instantly, Nudge, Gazzy, Total, and Angel burst out laughing. I glared at them all disapprovingly, while trying to hold in my own laughter. Since my death glare was wasted on Iggy, I reached around Angel and whacked him on the head.

The dentist looked hopelessly confused. "What?"

Fang rolled his eyes. "That would be nice," he said, raising his voice over the remaining snorts and giggles. "But it doesn't matter much to me."

A full minute of uncomfortable silence followed.

"Uh… any more question?" I asked.

"Are the rest of you… do you all have…?" Allison waved her hand in a vague flapping motion.

"Yeah, we're all human-avian hybrids. Except for Total." I answered knowingly. "And most of us have… special gifts too." All of us except Fang actually. Why was that?

"Fang has his own talents. He'll find them when he needs them."

Thank you for that wonderful insight, Voice, I thought sarcastically.

(Sorry, A/N here. Before any of y'all get excited, no Fang doesn't find his power in this story. However, in my other Max Ride fanfic, A Little Place Called Home, Fang does find his ability later on in that story. And no, it's not invisibility. Gosh, I hate that cliché. Anyway, A/N over.)

"I'm sorry, but you still haven't answered my first question. What happened?" Fang's mom said, interrupting my private, insane conversation.

I sighed. This could take a while. "You want our life story?"

"It's not exactly peachy," Iggy warned.

Dr. Raines put a stubborn face on, so reminiscent of Fang's. "I need to know."

So we told her. Everything.

Well, not everything. We didn't really go into detail about our lives at the School. Or all of the Eraser fights. And we edited out certain events. Such as all that drama at the beach, (both times), and the things the younger kids didn't know about. Like Eraser Max. Fang and I did most of the story-telling, with Nudge jumping in randomly to elaborate on things and the others reminding us about things we'd forgotten. In the space of about two hours, the epic tale of six bird-kids' lives, (revised for the faint of heart), was laid out and examined for the first time by an outsider.

She took it pretty well. Actually, she did cry at some parts. And when we were done, she sat quietly for a while and all she could say was, "Wow."

After that she cooked dinner for us. It wasn't half-bad. Okay, it was awesome. Even better than our resident chef Iggy's cooking. And way better than Anne's. But the best part was just having someone cook for us again. Almost like a mom. Well, she was a mom.

Then she taught us all how to play gin rummy. Which Angel excelled at thanks to her powers. We had to kick her out of the game after she beat us all miserably for the fifth time in a row.

And we all talked some more. About us. About her. Allison Raines told us her life story, though it wasn't nearly as exciting as ours. But we all listened gladly anyway. We didn't really know what a normal person's life was like until then, seeing as how you can't trust everything you learn from television.

By the end of the day, I had to admit it. I liked Dr. Raines. She was kind, funny, smart, and just reminded me so much of Fang. It was pretty obvious he like the dentist a lot too. I couldn't have picked a better mom for him. Plus, she seemed to understand that Fang couldn't be treated like a normal teenager because he wasn't. "I don't really know how to raise kids anyway," she'd scoffed.

Allison Raines really was the perfect parent for him. I couldn't have been happier for Fang.

And I couldn't have been more miserable for myself.

Did I love Fang? Yes.

Did I love Fang? …Maybe.

I knew Fang loved me. But did I feel the same way? I couldn't just leave it up in the air, much as I wanted to. I had to decide. Because Fang could very possibly be gone from my life soon.

Which was why, at two o' clock in the morning, I couldn't get to sleep.

Nudge was snoring on my right- not even quiet when she's dreaming- and Angel was cuddled up with Total on my left. Allison had set up us girls in one of the guest rooms and the guys in another. There was a bed, but we couldn't decide who should get it, so all three of us ended up on the floor. Usually, I have no problem crashing on the ground, but then again, usually I wasn't plagued my thoughts such as, "This could be Fang's room," or "Crap. What am I going to do without Fang?"

So I laid on my back, watching the fan overhead fight a losing battle against Florida's humidity. By the time I'd actually counted it spin around a thousand times, I decided there was no way I was getting to bed and slid out of my sleeping bed as silently as human- mutantly possible. I padded out to the living room and automatically started pacing.

Okay. Seriously now. Did I love Fang? Yes. No. Maybe? Alright, Fang is, (I'll admit it), totally hot and whenever he smiled it made me blush like one of those anime schoolgirls. So was it just a crush? Just a physical attraction that I would get over eventually?

"Max, you've got to think deeper than that."

SHUT UP! I mentally hissed at the Voice.

Though it was sort of good advice. Deeper. Right.

The idea of Fang leaving hurt like hell, but it hurt pretty bad when Iggy left too. I thought and worried a lot about him, but not anymore than the rest of the flock really.

"Sure Max. You keep telling yourself that."

Fine! I worry about Fang more, but only because he's always getting hurs so bad!

"And why does he always get hurt so bad? Because he's watching out for you!"

I know, I know! Just- be quiet!

I paced the living room again furiously, wringing out my hands like a wet towel. Yes, it was true I depended on Fang. He was the person I could always go to when life got too hard, the one I could always trust to catch me should I fall. But you could do the same with your best friend, couldn't you?

Then again, I did kiss him that one time at the beach. Mostly because I'd been so worried. But was that it? I worried about the others all the time too, but I didn't go around kissing them. Of course, they never got beaten to a pulp because they were protecting me, like Fang had.

ARGH! I kicked the couch in frustration. Okay, fine, I give up. You have my permission to talk now Voice. Got any enlightenment for me?

"Sorry Max. I'm in your head, not your heart. You're on your own this time."

Typical! What was the point of having an annoying, chatty voice in your head if it couldn't help you out when you needed it too?

"Well, maybe not some much on your own…"

What? I paused my furniture abuse for a moment. What's that supposed to mean?

"You'll see in a second. I wouldn't kicked that couch anymore though. He might think you've lost it for real this time."

Huh?

"Can't sleep?"

I spun around at the new voice behind me. And, of course, it was Fang. Crap. I really hoped he didn't see me putting dents in his mom's sofa. He'd probably cart me off to the funny farm.

"No," I sighed.

"Why not? Is the Voice bugging you again?"

How did he do that? "Sort of. But really I was just... thinking." Lying to Fang was pointless. I ran my hand distractedly through my hair. Please don't ask what about. Please, please, please…

"Okay…" Fang said. Thank you! "But- uh… why were you kicking the couch?"

Shoot. "The thinking wasn't going to well." Though his face was as perfectly impassive as always, Fang's eyes shone with concern. For me. I looked away.

Which only made him more worried. Moving across the room quieter than I could ever hope to manage, he gently pulled me down onto the sofa beside him. Fang's hand didn't leave my arm, and I couldn't help but blush. Man, was I a cream puff these days.

"Max, are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you'd learned by now not to bother lying to me."

"I have. I am in perfect health. Don't even have a headache."

Fang rolled his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Alright! I'm not alright. Happy?"

"No, not really."

I exhaled tiredly. "Just drop it, please?"

Fang didn't say anything. I usually hate silence, but Fang's silence wasn't silent. Okay, I guess that makes no sense. What I mean to say is, even when Fang's not talking, he's still saying a thousand things. You just have to listen. So, since this silence wasn't uncomfortable, I was perfectly content to just sit and watch the VCR flash 12:00.

Then Fang's slid slowly down my arm and laced his fingers through mine. My blush brightened till I was sure I was glowing like a sparkler, but I didn't pull away. Fang was rarely like this, so… open, so… close, so… intimate, though I never thought I'd get a chance to apply that word to Fang. It was… nice.

So I just relaxed with my eyes closed, soaking in the moment. Go with the flow. The Voice really did have some decent advice. Occasionally. When it wasn't speaking in riddles.

Of course, good things aren't meant to last. At least, not in my life.

"Max?" Fang said softly.

"Yeah?" I asked, reluctantly opening my eyes. Darn. Moment ruined.

"I've been thinking too. About… you know, where I should go from here."

I nodded numbly. The million dollar question.

"And I thought about it a lot. I really did. And I… I made my decision." Fang turned to look at me, but I didn't meet his eyes.

My mind went into total chaos, screaming so many different thoughts, that none of them were distinguishable, except a rising chant of Oh God, oh God, oh God. I swear, my heart was racing a hundred miles a minute, but my breath stood still. Oh, God, please…!

"Max…" Fang said, and something in his voice forced me to look into those dark eyes. He squeezed my hand gently and whispered, "I want to stay."

A/N: MWA, MWA, MWA! I feel so evil! And you know what? It feels good. I don't really have anything to say other than that. Except that if anyone says this chapter was too short, I'm going to scream. Hit that purple/blue/whatever button down there and submit a review! There's just a bit more to go. But it might take a while to update because I'm not sure how I want to end it yet. Well, I have a vague idea. Whatever. Review please! I'm trying to hit at least 60 reviews on this story! Hurry, because Dentistry is coming to a close! Oh, I can't wait to post the next chapter. But I'll have to write it first.

A/N: Ugh. I hate this chapter. HATE THIS CHAPTER. I don't even know why… I just… do. Then again, I hate almost everything I write. So whatever. This is chapter… eleven? Yeah. Chapter eleven. Last chapter. Aren't you guys excited? Well, I won't hold you up any longer. Let's blow this taco stand. Oh, and if anyone says Fang sounds kind of OOC in this chapter, I know. But really, how romantic would any scene be if Fang stayed totally in character? Sheesh.

Disclaimer: I've been doing a really bad job remembering these, haven't I? Oh well. I don't own Max Ride.

Chapter Eleven:

"I want to stay."

My heart stopped. For me, time stood still, condensed into one horrible, nightmare-ish moment. Oh God. Voice, please tell me this is just a bad dream… or some sick test, or that this is a clone Fang! Anything but this.

The Voice sounded stern when it answered me. "Max, no, you are dreaming. This is not a test, it's life. And I assure, none of the whitecoats are interested in making another Fang."

No, no, no! I'd lost Fang. He was gone. I felt like someone had chopped off my wings, leaving a gaping, bloody, wound exposed to the wind. Not Fang…

Harsh, bitter tears sprang from my eyes and I looked away from him, just barely hearing what Fang was saying.

"It's not like I can't visit… and I just feel like it's where I belong," he said slowly. "And… I really think it's best for everybody. Including you." Fang turned to look at me and instantly noticed my silent weeping. "Max, what's wrong?"

I couldn't talk, just shook my head and pulled my hand away to wipe my tears. On any other day, I would've tried to stop crying. Not tonight. Let Fang see how much he was making me hurt. It didn't matter anymore.

"…Max…" Fang hugged me against him, led my face to his shoulder with a gentle hand. He rubbed my back between my wings just the way he knew I liked. God. Why did he have to be so soothing? "If this is about you not having parents, I promise-"

"Me?" I jerked away from him, my tears mixed with a little anger. "God, Fang, this is about you!"

Fang stared at me with total incomprehension, which only infuriated me more. All the raging thoughts and feelings I'd been storing up the past few days came gushing out in a great tsunami of ranting.

"I want you to be happy, I do! I wish the entire flock could be happy! But I need to be happy sometimes too! I need someone to listen to me vent, to comfort me, to make sure I don't fall! I can't do this all by myself!"

"Max-"

"I know this sounds really selfish, and it is, but I can't let you go! I depend on you, Fang! I have no idea what I'd do without you! You're the only person I can trust with what matters most!"

"Max-"

"Without you, I'm missing a huge piece of me. You complete me. Do you know how much I'll miss you? How much I'll hurt? Fang, you're my best friend in the entire world. God, I love you!"

"Maximum!"

I blinked. Fang never called me Maximum. No one did. In fact, the last time Fang had used my full name was when we were three and he'd said, "Maximum? That's too long. How about just Max?" Hearing all seven letters come out of his mouth was enough to make me shut up.

"Max…" He reached up and grabbed my wrist to pull me back onto the couch, and only then did I realize I'd stood up. "Max," he said again. "When I said 'stay' I meant with the flock. With you. Not Allison."

I sat there and let that sink in. I felt a surge of happiness. I wasn't losing Fang. He didn't want to leave. Then I remembered what I'd said. Crap. I'd said that? The happiness deserted me as quickly as it'd came, and all it left behind was the feeling of absolute stupidity.

"Oh."

Fang's expression was an odd one. He seemed to be fighting back laughter. But there was something else there, something I couldn't quite put my finger one. Astonishment? Delight?

But then it was gone. Fang wrapped his arms round me and rested his chin lightly atop my head. He gave me a feel moment to feel like an idiot, then whispered, "Did you mean it?"

Had I?

"Don't kid yourself."

"Yeah," I murmured to his shirt.

Fang moved his chin so I could look him in the eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. Fang swept my hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ears. He then leaned his forehead against mine before saying I never thought I'd hear him say. To anyone.

"I love you too, Max. I love you a lot."

"I know." I automatically, mentally kicked myself. Stop saying every little thing that crosses your mind!

Fang sat back a little. "You know?"

"Angel told me," I mumbled. I tried to look away, but couldn't. Fang's gaze was… captivating somehow. "…I didn't believe her at first. But… the Voice made me think about it and I decided it was… kind of obvious."

"Obvious?" Fang laughed. "Gee, thanks. I only spent six years trying to hide it."

Huh? "Six years?"

Fang shook his head in an almost bemused way. "Max, I've had a crush on you since I was eight."

I almost said "Oh" again, but managed to catch myself. But that minor victory didn't prevent me from feeling incredibly blind, naïve, and just plain foolish. Six years? How could I not have noticed? I wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything. All I could do was just feel like a total ditz.

Fang picked up on how I felt automatically. "Max," he sighed. "I work hard to hide things. It consumes almost my entire day. Our lives are difficult enough without having to deal with other stuff getting in the way. And bottling up is just so much easier." Fang moved forward till his face was just inches from mine. "But Max," he said, enveloping my hands with his. "I don't want to hide this anymore."

Then he kissed me.

Very gently at first. He paused to see if I'd stop him, (yeah, like that's going to happen), and then went deeper and firmer, pulling me closer to his body. I kissed him back, moving my arms up onto his and toying with his hair. It was so tender and warm and… perfect? Heavenly? I don't even have the vocabulary to describe it. Maybe no one does. Oh God, kissing.

It was probably the best ten seconds of my life.

"Can you guys keep it down?"

We jumped back instantly, turning to look at the speaker. A tall, pale frame stood in hallway, one hand on the wall. Iggy. Stupid, horrible, intrusive… wonderful, blind Iggy! I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I was rarely so glad that Iggy was sightless. This was one of those times.

"Sorry Ig. I didn't realize we were being loud," I apologized.

"Whatever. Use your inside-same-house-as-guy-with-sensitive-ears voices. I'm trying to sleep."

"Sorry," I said again. "We will." Now please go!

Iggy's grumpy expression transformed into a smirk. "And don't think you're off the hook. I know exactly what you to are up to out here."

My face heated with mortification. Why did this kid have to have such good hearing? Glancing over at Fang, I saw he was blushing faintly too.

Ig wasn't done with us yet. "All I can say is, Fang? Good job man. Max…" He shook his head disapprovingly. "I thought you had higher standards…"

Fang chucked one of the overstuffed couch pillows at Iggy, but he just ducked and laughed. Still shaking his head, he made his way back down the hallway where the boys were sleeping. He was almost to the door before I remembered something.

"Iggy," I called out as quietly as I could. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

Iggy cackled evilly and opened the bedroom door without answering. He closed it, but not before I heard him mutter something that sounded a lot like, "About time."

I sighed and turned back to Fang, who, despite being busted, was stilling grinning. "Do you think he'll tell?

Fang shook his head. "Iggy can keep secrets. He knows when to keep his mouth shut." He ran his hand slowly through my hair. "But we'll have to tell the flock eventually, Max." His hand stopped at my cheek and he leaned in close.

"Eventually," I agreed, before our lips met again and a current of pleasure pulled me under. The absolute bliss washed away all the worries and pleas that had ravaged my spirit before. And although I knew that tomorrow we'd bring bad news to Dr. Allison Raines, that we'd have to move on from here and save the world someday, and that my life would never be anywhere close to easy, I forgot about all that. Right now, there was only one prayer on my mind:

Please God, let this one last longer than the first.

THE END

…or is it?

A/N again: I just realized that I used "God" a whole lot this chapter. Too bad. Well, this is it. Ta ta. For my parting words, thank you section, and news about upcoming stuff, go to the next "chapter". If you don't care, go anyway. It took me a while to write. But before you click that arrow button, click the lovely blue/purple/whatever button and SEND ME A REVIEW!

A/N: Well guys, it's been one incredible, indescribable, maximum ride. This was my first fanfic EVER. I'd never even thought about writing one until this one came out. And Dentistry did WAY better than I expected. Dentistry has the most reviews of all the stories under the Maximum Ride category! This makes me very proud, because 1) This was my first fanfic (as I just said) and 2) This story has been up just over a month and beated some stories that have been up for quite a while. Thanks to all the people who made that possible! I tried to get all my reviewers up on the list and if I screwed up your name, sorry, sorry, sorry!

People Who Review Once

Nashumai

ForLoveorForMoney

shimmyshimmy93

paintedblue47

flamingfox5150

Quill and Saber

Joskers

HogwartsChick9

Outcast

Aozora-Passion

KieraLee

Fire-Ember-Leigh

Lessien-Elensar

Akina Darkheart

EdwardAddict

gigi2008

BlackGothFaerie

BadCatMeow

twilight xx3

Dirty Thoughts of Bliss

narjy x x x

Raven-4ever

cloud64

siriusgal240

KasperLassie

People Who Reviewed Twice

AstronomyGeek

Tolkienologist

PenInHand

ffgirlmoonie

People Who Reviewed 3-4 Times

KelleyFitzgerald

indigowolf

Paksennarion

Jewel Tanka

Ashley-Lampost

People Who Reviewed 5+

x Step on Me x- You were first to review, made the now famous "Nick suggestion", (sorry that I had to override that and use Hunter), and yes, I have read 1, 2, Max is Coming For You and 3, 4, Broken and Torn. I love them. I'm really bad about reviewing, and I can't remember if I reviewed, (I have a really bad memory), but they are really good, please update soon. And for pete's sake, I'm not mad at you. I never was. I just can't be mad at people. So stop apologizing!

Yascarocks- Just wanted to ask- what's with the name? I like it, but I have no idea what it's supposed to mean… whatever. You were second to review and you know, second is the best. And you seem to have the odd habit of reviewing several times in a small amount of time. I think in this one section, it's just your reviews in this little row…

superfreak9201- Your review are always short and sweet. Like an icecream cone. But mostly short. Whatever, it's the thought that counts. I just love seeing that review count go up. Thnak ya.

Da Jitter Bug- Yes! I've read your stories. All of them, I think. I can't remember whatever or not I reviewed, but they are good. Keep it up. Also, you get special appreciate for being the only person to PM me. Thanks!

Thank you to everyone! If I messed anything up and if I'm missing someone, sorry, sorry, sorry a thousand times. This took me a long time to do because they were so many reviewers and I type really slow. I appreciate all of you very much. This list was based off of the reviews I had before posting the last chapter. So, if you just sent a review, it won't move you anywhere on the list. But I love you anyway.

Let's see, upcoming stories… I don't know. It depends. I have a lot of ideas, it all depends on which one starts screaming at me to write it. Of course, A Little Place Called Home is one of my stories. Yet another MaxFang tale. What can I say, I love Faxness. They are so cute. Pretty much everything I write for this site revolves around that. But I'm getting off track. A Little Place Called Home. Read it. Now. I'm working on Chapter Two as we… er… speak. Yes. Speak.

If you have any ideas for me, I do take requests, so long as I like the idea and have the time. So if there is something you want me to write for you, (unless it's a homework assignment, then forget it), send me a review about it. Or a PM.

I have a request. I can't write songfics. Don't know why. Just can't. Could someone please, please, please write a songfic for me using the song "Fly From the Inside" by Shinedown ? I love that song. And it's so fitting for Max. If you've never heard of it, here's the lyrics:

Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders
Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders
On my shoulders
All alone I pierce the chain
And on and on the sting remains
And dying eyes consume me now
The voice inside screams out loud

Chorus:
I am focused on what I am after
The key to the next open chapter
Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky
Long live that day that I decided to fly from the inside

Every day a new deception
Pick your scene and take direction
And on and on I search to connect
But I don't wear a mask and I have no regrets

I am focused on what I am after
The key to the next open chapter

Chorus

I can't escape the pain
I can't control the rage
Sometimes I think that I'm gonna go insane
I'm not against what's right
I'm not for what's wrong
I'm just making my way and I'm gone

Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders

Chorus x2

If you've never heard it, listen to it. It is… dynamic. Awesome. Coolness. If anyone could write a good songfic for me, I'll love you forever. That's "Fly From the Inside" by Shinedown.

Well, I've got to go. Kinda hafta post the last chapter of Dentistry. Send me a review! My new goal is 100. Hey, it's possible. REVIEW!

Peace out. Myrah has left the building.