Triple Threat by St. Fang of Boredom

So, I'm sitting here, two days (by the time I actually finished the chapter, more than 2 days had gone by, FYI) after posting the last chapter of Double Date, a fic I never intended to write.

And now I'm considering writing the sequel to it, another fic I never intended to write.

My best bet, I think, is to just start writing and see how the sequel comes out. If it comes out well enough, I'll post it.

But...I'm iffy...You see, I know how Risa, Fang, and Embry ended up after DD. Of course I do, I'm the writer! And the predicaments they get into after are...Interesting...

Fang: When you say that, I get scared.

Me: You should be... Though I don't know. Maybe, by the end of this writing experiment, I'll have changed some of the scarier parts. Who knows? We'll see.

Fang: Knowing you, you'll just make it worse.

Me: Oh, distinct possibility, Fangles dear. :D

Disclaimer Deja Vu: I believe I said in Double Date that I owned neither Twilight or MR, but just in case you forgot, I don't. And Fang here's just a captive.

Fang: Yeah...Save me?

Me: Fat chance.

Fang: Damn.

Me: So, without further ado, welcome to...

Triple Threat

Risa's POV

When you're in love, it's like you've got blinders on.

The rest of the world is just a blur around you. The object, or objects of your affection are the only things that you can focus on. They are steady, constant. Your center, your anchor.

That's the only way I can find to describe my life after returning home from Forks.

We tried to just settle back down into the same lives we'd had before, but things had changed too much. We each got our respective jobs back, mine at Goldie's Bookstore, Fang at the Pet Store, and Embry as the mall security guard. But our apartment had suddenly become too small for us cross-country travellers. I finally bit the bullet and splurged with my mom's well-invested money and got a house in the suburbs. It wasn't anything too big, just a modest family-sized home with a kitchen, living area, finished basement, three bedrooms, a dining room, garage, and back porch with nice little fenced-in backyard.

Ok, so it was some pretty nice digs. Heck, if I'm gonna spend that much money, I'm going to get something worthwhile!

It was just the kind of home the three of us (plus our dog, Bo) needed.

Besides, our landlord back at the apartment was getting pissed about the parking we were taking up with our R.V. always sitting outside.

It also came in handy for when Nudge and Seth came to visit, which was pretty often for two people who live on the other side of the country. I suspect they'd like to come out to live with us, but Seth's mom wasn't about ready to let him out yet, and Nudge wouldn't leave Forks and her temporary home with the Cullens without him.

I also used some of my saved-up money to start taking some courses at the community college. I loved working at Goldie's, but one of these days I was going to need a larger income, so I might as well be ready to get it. I had a tough time choosing which classes to take and eventually ended up majoring in Library Science, while taking an L.N.A. class on the side. Your friendly neighborhood C.P.R. certified Librarian, that's me!

Though the boys have expressed varying degrees of interest in following me down the road to higher education, I haven't been able to talk either of them into taking any classes just yet. But I'm not giving up...

Speaking of the boys, things have never been more...Interesting around here with those two.

Somehow, they'd come to an... Agreement. A silent agreement. It was never discussed, nothing was recorded. But the agreement stood. Fang would accept the fact that Embry had imprinted on him as long as Embry did nothing towards Fang that... Suggested anything more than friends. And they would both allow the other to date me.

Yeah, like our situation wasn't messed-up enough.

But, even as messed-up as the three of us were, it all clicked.

We were a triple threat, us against the world! Unstoppable, unbelievable, unforgettable.

The thing was, ever since we returned from our trip to Forks, we'd kept our blinders on a little to tight. We were living for the moment, the future.

The future is important, of course. The past is unchangable, you can't live in it.

But it can come back to visit you.

If we had been paying more attention, we would've seen it sneaking up on us, but we were too high up on Cloud Nine to notice until it was on our front doorstep.

"They say all is fair in love and war, but Risa, let me tell you, sometimes love is a war." My mom's famous quote came back to haunt me again.

Our love was going to be a war for the second time, but the problem is, this time, the battle lines are blurred.

Me: A little update on their lives and...Forshadowing...Mwahaha...

Fang: Cryptic much?

Me: It's one of those 'It'll all make sense later in the story' things.

Fang: And you think this sequel's gonna work out?

Me: You know what? Yeah. I'm gonna do it. I believe in myself!

Fang: You do?

Me: Oh, yeah. I BELIEVE! Damn it, where's Chaka Khan and Clay Aiken when you need them?

Fang: You have got to stop watching Phineas and Ferb.

Me: NEVER!

Fang: -headdesk-

R&R?

P.S. So, I know at the beginning I said I was writing this two days after finishing Double Date. Well, you can now tell how long it took me to decide to post this thing, huh?

Me: So, I've started getting into the habit of writing A/Ns after writing the chapter, which is different for me, but hey, it works. Anyway, because of this, I now know I should put up a warning.

Note: Unlike with Double Date, which was rated M for safety, but then knocked down to T when it was written, I definetely think Triple Threat will stay rated M, and for a reason. Maybe you'll get an idea after reading this chapter...

Fang: ...Do I want to know where this is going?

Me: Probably not. It goes under that area of conversation where you get tongue-tied and start coming up with codenames for things...

Fang: Oh, God...

Risa's POV

If you've ever wondered what it was like for Harry Potter and his gang to be trapped in the Devil's Snare, just sleep in a bed with Fang and Embry. Between the two of them, it takes me a good ten minutes every morning just to disentangle myself from their grasps.

This morning was no different. An arm over here, a wing over there. Some legs, a head, a torso. It was a darn good thing I'd invested in an air conditioner for our bedroom, or Fang and I would die in the heat coming off of Bry's body.

Bit by bit, I dislodged myself from the boy's tangled web, not wanting to have to wake those two up yet. I had class this morning, so I needed to be up a bit earlier than these two. As soon as I was free, I made sure to move any of Fang's free limbs away from Embry. The number one way to start the morning off on the wrong foot was to have Fang wake up too close to Bry. Fang would wake up and try to get away from Embry so fast that he'd end up rolling out of bed and onto the floor. Then Bry would be up asking if he was ok, and Fang would get snippy and...It just wasn't worth it. It was amazing enough the two could sleep in the same bed these days.

Which is about all we did in bed. Sleep. It was something I usually contemplated every morning as I went through my morning bathroom routine. When I first started dating Fang, intimacy didn't go beyond kissing. And when I was living with both Fang and Embry, before the truce, anything beyond kissing usually started a fight. Now there was this issue of that, if I wanted to go...Farther, I'd have to pick one or the other to be the first. If I picked Embry, Fang would get pissed. If I picked Fang, Embry would dutifully step aside, no matter if it hurt him at all, and let Fang have the spot, but then Fang starts feeling guilty that Bry's stepping aside for him and backs off.

And the three of us at the same time? That wouldn't end pretty...

So I had basically resigned myself to a life of celibacy. I might as well start looking into adoption agencies for children. It was frustrating, at times. I live with two of the most perfect (in my opinion) guys on the planet. They're both charming, attentive, good-looking...Scratch that, sexy, and they know just what to do and say to get me in the mood. But the mood is all we get to. I was nineteen now, almost twenty, and after dating and living with these guys since I was seventeen, I'd like to, I don't know, step it up a notch?

I tried not to let it bother me too much. Just in the morning, when I'm distangling myself, sometimes...I'd rather not be distangled. I got all my thoughts out in the bathroom, getting dressed and turning the air conditioner off before heading downstairs to start breakfast. It was usually not long after the AC was turned off that Fang would wake up and get himself away from Bry. Embry was soon to follow, and by the time they were up and dressed, breakfast would be done.

I made my way downstairs and into our kitchen. After living in our tiny apartment for so long, this kitchen had taken some getting used to. It was huge; even had room for one of those fancy islands in the middle. We had our kitchen table right by a long window that looked out onto the street. There was a short wall that seperated the kitchen from the living room. You could walk around the wall from either side and be in the living room. One way brought you closer to the front door, the other closer to the stairs.

I walked into the living room and flipped the T.V. on the news station, waking Bo up from his slumber on the couch. He jumped up and ran for the garage stairs, pacing in front of them. The one weird thing about the set-up of the house was that you had to walk through the living room to get to the stairs that led to the attached garage. It made stopping the boys from tracking dirt all over the nice living room carpet that much harder, but I managed.

"Don't you want breakfast first, boy?" I asked him. He ran for the kitchen, obviously liking that idea much better. I walked to the back of the kitchen and opened up the door to the basement and grabbing a can of dog food from the shelves on either side of the door. There were three doors that led to our basement in the house; one from the kitchen, one from the garage, and one that led to the backyard. The basement had three rooms, all finished, plus a bathroom. Sometimes, I considered renting it out as an apartment with use of our kitchen, but Fang and Embry always talked me out of it. I didn't fight them on the subject, I already knew why; they were hoping Nudge and Seth would move in when they could.

I fixed up Bo's breakfast and started up a huge pan of scrambled eggs. The boy's appetites hadn't changed much. They would each eat a pan full of eggs, plus cereal and toast. I usually threw some fruit in their cereal, too. These guys would learn to eat healthy if it killed them.

Just as I was setting their plates on the table, I heard their footsteps thundering down the stairs.

"Damn it, is the Kentucky Derby running through here again?" I said as they walked in. "I thought I told them to stop."

Fang smiled, shaking his head at my joke. "Morning, Risa." He said, landing a soft peck on my cheek.

"Morning, love." Embry said, getting a peck on my other side.

"Aw, damn, Bry. Bo ate your breakfast again." Fang said, jokingly. pointing to Bo's now empty food dish.

Embry rolled his eyes, but a small smile played at his lips. "Fang, you use that joke almost every morning. Don't you think it's getting old?"

Fang shrugged. "I'm still enjoying it."

I got my own breakfast, a simple bowl of Rice Crispies with bananas, and watched my two boys, smiling. They still made jokes about each other, but neither of them meant it anymore; it was all in fun. After living with these two at each other's throats for so long, it was nice to see them on friendly terms.

After fully soaking in that peaceful morning moment, I leisurely made my way into the living room, wanting to catch a bit of the weather before heading off to school. Miss News Channel Girl was talking about a robbery over in New York. Obviously, it had started as a petty theft at Macy's, but then the guy ran for it. The chase spanned over half the state and into Vermont. The robber was driving one of those hybrid cars, so no worries about running out of gas too soon. I doubt the cops would've bothered to chase him so far if he hadn't been endangering the public and possibly driving drunk. I waited through the story, just wanting to get to the weather already.

Finally, the reporter cut to a new story. I might've given up and left right then if I hadn't caught the first sentence.

"And, in other news, Max and her Flock are on the move again."

I froze, listening. Out in the kitchen, the sounds of silverware clinking against plates and bowls had died. The boys were listening as well.

"Maximum Ride has been spotted in New York, where she is meeting with a group of top environmental scientists to discuss actions that can be taken to improve air and water qualities in big cities, such as New York City."

I almost rolled my eyes, and I was sure Fang was. This was nothing new. Most news involving the Flock these days was Captain Planet-like stuff. Save the trees, wipe your ass with an owl. Not that I'm against taking care of the planet; you'll never see me littering or polluting without just cause, but I was getting sick of having the planet's environmental state shoved in my face all the time.

Not to mention it drove Fang nuts these days.

"So, has she come up with a plan to plug up cow's butts so their farts won't pollute the earth yet?" Fang yelled from the kitchen.

"Shush." I called back, still listening to the news program.

"The concern of many 'Flock Followers' these days, though, is the group's depleting numbers. Fang dropped off the face of the earth almost three years ago now, and Nudge has been missing for months, almost a year herself. Though fans continue to search, it seems that the Flock has put forth no search efforts for either of them, leading most to believe that the two left on their own, and possibly on less-than-friendly terms. This, of course, is all speculation, as none of the Flock or those close to them have divulged any information on there two Flock member's disappearances."

So Fang was still MIA to the rest of the world. Fine by me. Fine by all of us.

"The Flock will be staying in New York City for the next week, then will be taking a short hiatus, we've been told. A deserved vacation, I'm sure. These kids could use the break."

"Yeah, being Wonder Woman must really be some drag for her." I heard Fang say. I just shook my head, taking my bowl back to the kitchen. Fang could get pretty harsh about this stuff with Max, but I had a feeling it was more him responding to being hurt than any actual hatred. Fang would never say it, but Max's choice to pick saving the world over him had cut him deep, not just relationship-wise, but as a friend and family member as well.

"Hurry up and eat, boys, or you'll be late for work." I tossed my dishes in the dishwasher and grabbed my coat out of the closet by the stairs and headed for the garage. "I'm heading to class, so I'll see you tonight after work."

"See ya, Risa!" Embry yelled after me.

"Have a good day!" Fang added.

"And play nice with the other students!" Embry called.

"Don't give the teachers any trouble, or we'll be right down!" Fang yelled.

I shook my head, laughing. Those two were pips.

Fang: I don't like where Risa's thoughts are going.

Me: Funny, whenever I try to think like Risa to write this story, I start to-

Fang: -covers ears- I DON'T WANNA KNOW! I DON'T WANNA KNOW! I DON'T WANNA KNOW!

Me: Jeez, ok...Calm, Fangles...

R&R? Or cover your ears and scream like Fang, whatever floats your boat...

Me: Ok, short chapter, I know. But it's a good one, a necessary one.

Fang: Please don't let it be something gross.

Me: No, it's a shocker.

Fang: Really?

Me: Actually, no, but it's still necessary.

Fang: -facepalm-

Fang's POV

"I don't get this."

"What is it?" I asked, leaning over on the couch to look over her shouder. Risa had been working on homework from college for a couple hours now, only stopping for a snack and moving from the kitchen to the living room. Looking over her shoulder, all I saw was a bunch of numbers and lines.

"Algebra." She said with as much disdain as she could muster.

"Ugh, forget that. Yo, Bry!" I called Embry out of the kitchen. "Algebra homework, man. Your area."

Embry sauntered into the room and sat on the couch, on the other side of Risa. He gave me a smile before helping Risa with her homework. I just gave him a nod. This was officially the weirdest relationship on the planet. Embry and I had some unwritten ground rules. They may not have ever actually been discussed, but they were clear.

1. Embry was not to breathe on me. Ever.

2. I would accept Embry as a friend. And that is where we would stay. And he was to treat me as a friend only.

3. If he broke these rules, there would be war.

So far, everything had been going fine. I had a feeling it was the imprinting thing again. Embry was to be whatever I needed him to be for me. I needed him to be my friend, and my friend he was. Sure, he was the friend that was also dating my girlfriend, but I could deal. I didn't have a choice.

I tried to go back to my book, but I just wasn't into it anymore. Watching Embry helping Risa out was far too distracting. When it came to history, geography, civics, I was her guy. I had a good bit of science stuff down, too. And she never needed help in English. But math? Embry had his shining moment. I knew I didn't need to, but I ended up keeping an eye on the two anyway. You never know, they may come across a problem involving two bird-kids flying at each other at a certain velocity and need my help.

Embry knew just how to explain a math problem so that Risa would understand, deftly picking the problem apart and giving an explanation for each piece. I, on the other hand, listened to everything he said and only heard gibberish. Obviously, when it came to math, Risa, Embry, and I thought on totally different wavelengths.

And I couldn't understand theirs.

It probably shouldn't bother me. Of course it shouldn't. So what if Embry had been born to be Risa's perfect soul mate? So what if that kinda made me the accidental tag-along boyfriend? That didn't change anything.

At least, I coud usually convince myself it didn't.

I needed a distraction from my thoughts, so I got up and went out to the kitchen. After pawing through the cupboards and fridge, I was able to make up some crackers and cheese to eat. I just started to turn to go back to the living room when I spotted to sad-looking brown eyes watching me.

"Hungry, Bo?" I asked our dog.

Bo's eyes widened and his tail began to thump on the hardwood floor. I searched through the fridge again and came up with a couple slices of bologna.

"Catch, boy." I say, throwing him a piece of the first slice.

He caught it in midair, had it swallowed in one gulp, and was already begging for more.

Bo and I played a game of 'Catch the Bologna' for a while as I ate my crackers. I found myself thinking about Nudge and Seth. They were supposed to be visiting soon. I honestly couldn't wait to have someone to fly with again who didn't require carrying. And Seth was a good kid. I was ready for them to show up today.

A noise outside startled me from my thoughts. I looked around towards the window, but didn't see a thing. Throwing what was left of the bologna to Bo, I started to walk towards the window to see what was out there. Before I could get there, however, the doorbell rang.

Oh. Just someone at the door. I quickly tucked my wings in, throwing a jacket of Bry's that had been on the back of a chair over me, yelling "I'll get it!" to the two math students in the front room.

I prepared myself to either sign for one of Risa's packages or send an overzealous religion nut on their way and opened the door. But the greeting I'd had in mind froze in my throat when I saw who was on the other side.

Mocha-colored eyes gazed directly into mine, framed by dirty blonde/brownish hair. Seconds ticked by that felt like hours, the shock slowly settling around us.

"Fang?" She asked, finally breaking the deafening silence.

I took a deep breathe, finding my voice again.

"Max."

Me: Maximum Ride returns!

Fang: -looks around-

Me: In the fic, Fangles.

Fang: ...Damn.

Me: Now I'm debating if I should post this now or wait. Hmmm...

Fang: Oh, post it. Get my soon-to-come humiliation over with.

Me: Can't you look on the bright side?

Fang: With you? Never.

Me: -sigh-

R&R?

SHHH! Everyone be very quiet, or you might scare it away. Very rare specimen we've found here.

Fang: What is this endangered species?

Me: An Update...

Fang: Crikey! What species?

Me: A Triple Threat Update! Very rare indeed, mate.

Fang: What should we do? Capture it?

Me: Nah, I suppose we should try and read it.

Fang: Be careful, it could be dangerous.

Me: Don't worry, I'm a highly trained professional.

Risa's POV

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

I was beginning to really hate that clock. The silence around us was dense, suffocating. You would think the ticking clock would cut through the tension, but instead, it managed to make it pulse with each tock.

The silence needed breaking.

"So... You're the Flock! Well, what's left of you..." I trailed off, Nudge's absense apparent. "Heard a lot about you guys."

"You and the rest of the world." Max stated. Her eyes were attempting to bore holes into Fang, who was propped up in a corner, trying to look at anything but his former Flock.

Embry and I were still on the couch, while the Flock sat across from us. Max was in the big easy chair, Iggy was standing behind it, and the younger ones plus Total were on the floor.

I didn't like the way Bry was watching the Flock. Or the way he was sitting. He was positioned in case he had to jump up and protect Fang, if need be.

I did NOT want a confrontation in my living room. There were breakable things in here. Like me, for instance.

"What brings you guys here, anyway?" I asked.

"Fang, we're here for you." Max said, completely ignoring me.

Excuse me, bitch. This is MY house. My name's first on the title. Ignore me again and I'll forget my manners and sick my werewolf boyfriend on you.

"Too bad." Fang said, finally looking at her. His glare was piercing. "I'm busy all week. If you had called ahead, maybe I could've taken the night off, got reservations at that Mexican place..."

"Fang!" Max snapped, cutting off his lovely little strand of sarcasm. "We need you, we need your help. I haven't spent months looking for tips and tracking you down to give up now."

"Alright, well, if you want, there's a now hotel two blocks from here. Go stay the night and you can give up tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, I've had a long day living my life, so I'm going to bed." Before anyone could say a word, Fang was gone, heading up the stairs, Bo close at his heels.

Max glared after him for a moment, then slammed her fist on the arm of her chair, sighing. "He is so stubborn!"

"You're telling me..." I heard Embry mutter. I bet I could guess what memory he was thinking of...

I saw Max shoot him a glare and decided to jump in before the shit hit the fan.

"Do you guys have a place to stay for the night?" I asked the group.

Max opened her mouth to answer, but someone else beat her to it.

"Nope." Angel said. "We don't really have any money with us to stay at a hotel. We were gonna sleep in some trees. Do you have any trees in your backyard?"

"We have this huge Oak-" Embry started to say, but I cut him off with a glare.

"We have a small apartment in the basement." I told them. "Make yourselves at home the best you can, I insist. You have access to our kitchen as well. There should be a couple frozen pizzas in the freezer."

Max looked ready to refuse my offer, but Angel shot her a glance. The stared at each other for a short moment, probably having a mind-to-mind battle. I had almost forgotten Angel could read minds. I'd have to be careful where I let my mind wander around that girl.

"Fine." Max finally said, standing up. "Where is this apartment?"

I lead them both downstairs and quickly showed them around. I could tell Max wanted some alone time with her Flock, plus the younger two were tired. Not to mention Iggy was starting to creep me out. Despite his blindness, he could lock onto someone as soon as he heard their voice. As soon as I opened my mouth, his eyes were on me. He had been practically glaring at Fang earlier. I remembered Nudge mentioning that Max and Iggy got together after Fang left. Maybe Iggy wasn't as keen on the idea of hunting down her ex-boyfriend as she was.

I made up a couple pizzas for the group then left them alone in the apartment while I went upstairs with Embry.

"Well, that went...Interestingly." I commented, throwing myself into a kitchen chair.

"The tension in the room was suffocating." Embry agreed, sitting next to me. "I didn't like the way Iggy or Max looked at Fang."

"Iggy looked creepily murderous." I said.

"And Max was... Confusing." Embry added. "I was watching her most of the time, and closely. She'd go from pissed to almost hurt at the drop of a hat. I think she still has feelings for him, but is pissed that he left."

Disturbing thought. "Well, Fang gave her the cold shoulder. He's not going anywhere with her. The poor girl will just have to settle with her creepy blind guy."

"Yeah..." Embry was looking downward, fiddling with a placemat on the table.

I took his hand in mine. "Don't worry, Embry. We're a trio. Always will be. Fang knows that, he loves us."

"Loves you." Bry answered, not looking up. "He puts up with me."

"He loves you, Bry." I told him. "He loves you in his own way. Maybe he doesn't realize it sometimes, but he does." I gave his hand a squeeze. "Don't worry about a thing, baby."

He sighed, finally looking up at me. "I'll try to relax, Risa. You're probably right."

"Of course I am." I said, smiling. "We're talking about Fang, after all."

"Yeah..." Embry still sounded down, but at least he was on the road to optimism.

"I'd like to know exactly why she 'needs' Fang back." I pointed out. "I doubt she's begging for his return just because she misses him. Something must have come up. But what?"

"Saving the world junk, no doubt." Embry said, rolling his eyes.

I started to nod in agreement, but yawned instead. Embry managed a small smile.

"Head up to bed, Risa. Make sure Fang's ok. I'll bring up some sandwiches for dinner. And some popcorn. And a good movie." He gave me a small hug. "We all need a de-stress moment."

"Agreed." I said, dragging myself to my feet.

As I walked past our basement door, I heard voices, low and inaudible, mumuring together downstairs.

The voice of plotting.

Just when I thought we'd finally settled into something normal...

Me: RUN! RUN! RUN! IT'S ATTACKING!

Fang: WHAT DID YOU DO?

Me: ADDED TOO MUCH TENSION TO THE UPDATE! IT'S HAVING A TANTRUM!

CameraMan: I WANT A NEW JOB!

R&R&RUN!

Me: Ha! That's three updates! Go me!

Fang: I can't believe I surived watching New Moon so you could write this.

Me: What was wrong with New Moon?

Fang: Do the Quileutes EVER wear shirts?

Me: :D

Fang: -facepalm-

Risa's POV

I heard that someone once wrote a book about how he supposedly spent twenty-three minutes in Hell.

I don't know how true his story is, and I'm not going to try to say, but either way, I think I've got a sequel for him.

Three Days in Living Hell.

Three Days. The Flock had been here for three days. They had mostly stayed in the basement apartment, leaving to get food and to go our to fly and such. Sometimes, Max would come up, asking to talk to Fang, but he was always at work.

Or in the shower.

Or in bed.

Or taking a short trip to Zimbabwe.

Anywhere but available.

I was getting sick of the various stares and glares of the Flock members. I was getting sick of Embry's protective attitude. I was getting sick of never seeing Fang.

Something needed to happen.

Talking to Bry didn't help much. We just seemed to always go back to Bry's worries that Fang would leave us. I'd almost say he was happy Fang wouldn't talk to them.

When I did get to talk to Fang, he seemed intent on ignoring the fact that the Flock was even here. If I tried to broach the subject, he just shut down, I couldn't get through.

Max wouldn't give me the time of day. Iggy seemed equally unreachable. Total just complained about the food. And Gazzy, in his loyalty to Iggy, wouldn't get too talkative.

That left Angel.

I got my chance one morning before class, when the girl had crawled out of bed on a search for Lucky Charms.

"So..." I said, pouring us two bowls of magical deiciousness. "I'd just-"

"Like to know why we're here?" Angel said, taking her bowl.

"I forget, you read minds in your spare time." I said, picking up my own bowl. Obviously, neither of us were big fans of milk in our cereal...

She shrugged. "It's a gift. So, maybe we can make a deal..."

How old is this girl again? Why am I making deals with a blonde little child? Oh, yeah, I need to. "What kind of deal?"

"I know you know where Nudge is." Angel said. "I want you to call her and get her to come here."

"What, trying to put the Flock back together again?" I asked. "This isn't Humpty Dumpty. You guys had your great fall and you don't even have any horses and men to try to pick up the pieces."

"Can't blame us for trying." Angel said. "Besides, we have a right to at least see her. And Fang."

"If they want." I added.

"You going to agree to the deal or not?"

I thought about it, and it was honestly an easy deal. Seth and Nudge had been planning on coming soon, anyway. I could just call them and tell them it was a good time. Besides, it'd be nice to have some back-up. "Deal."

Angel nodded, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs. "First off, our official reasoning for needing Fang back is really quite simple. People are asking for him, he's part of our public image. As silly as that might sound, with what we do now, getting and keeping the public's attention is important."

"So he's your attention-grabber."

"In a way." Angel answered. "We head off for Europe in four months. We were hoping we could talk Fang into coming. And Nudge now, too."

"What about your unofficial reasoning?" I asked.

Angel sighed, taking another bite of cereal. "Max hasn't exactly completely gotten over Fang..."

I rolled my eyes. "Figured."

"I think she's kinda hoping-"

"To get him back?" I asked. "Whatever... Hey, how does Iggy feel about all this?"

"Have you seen the look on his face lately?" Angel asked in reply.

"Understood." I said, shuddering at the memory of Iggy and his creepy, sightless eyes on me. "So, anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Angel smiled. A look crossed her face that I'd never seen on a child her age before. "Not at the moment. Maybe I'll remember more later. Bet Nudge will help me think when she gets here..." She got up, dropping her empty bowl in the sink. "Well, goodnight!"

"'Night..." I said, watching her head through the apartment door. That little girl was too creepy for words, but she was currently on my side. I'd just have to learn to live with it.

Sighing, I picked up my phone and searched for Nudge in my contacts.

It was time to get the ball rolling. We needed Max out.

Me: And the story moves forward...

Fang: -yawn-

Me: -.- It gets interesting later...

Fang: No, Saint. It's past midnight, I'm exausted from today, and we have to get up at 7 a.m.

Me: Oh, yeah...

Fang: And our homework is still unfinished...

Me: Heh... Oh...

Fang: Say goodnight, Saint.

Me: Goodnight, Saint!

Fang: -facepalm-

R&R?

Me: There's an update in the house tonight!

Fang: Everybody just have a good time!

Me: 'Cause this chapter'll make you lose your mind!

Fang: Everybody just... READ THAT!

Embry's POV

"I swear to God, Risa, no matter how hard you stare at the clock, time won't move any faster..."

"Well, it's worth a shot, isn't it?" She asked me, arms crossed across her chest. Nudge and Seth were supposed to be here any minute, and the entire house was on pins and needles waiting for them.

I just shrugged and looked over at Fang. He hadn't said a word in half an hour; just sat there, arms crossed, staring at the floor. I knew he had to be deep in thought or something, because he had yet to complain about my arm resting on the back of his chair. Fang was not usually interested in anything that coud even be misconstrued as PDA, and would normally be scooting away from me by now, telling me to go snuggle up to my chew toy or something.

But I couldn't help it. The minute the Flock had entered the kitchen to wait with us, both my arms had suddenly grown tired and needed to rest on the backs of the nearest chairs, which happened to be occupied by Fang and Risa. Besides, it didn't hurt to remind Max where Fang lived now. And would continue to live.

The Flock had been avoiding looking our way since they had arrived, but suddenly Max, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at me. I just glared back at her, hoping to intimidate her enough that she'd look away.

Instead, she felt the horrible need to open her mouth. "What are they to you, your posessions?"

"What?" I snapped at her. I felt Fang and Risa jump slightly next to me.

"You're just sitting there, hanging on them, like you're their guard dog or something." Max said. "Could you lay off a bit?"

"I'll lay off when they tell me to, Miss Priss." I told her. "Or when I don't feel like I need to..."

"What? It's not like we're going to kidnap Fang in the middle of the night." Iggy said.

"I'd like to see you try..." I told him, holding back laughter. I could break that kid like a twig.

"We don't force people to stay with us." Max said.

"Neither do we." I told her. "We also don't chase them down and try to badger them into coming back when they do leave."

"We're just trying to-"

"Max, shut up."

Fang's voice nearly made me jump out of my seat. I'd almost forgotten he was sitting there.

"Excuse me?" She asked Fang, sounding unimpressed.

"I said shut up." Fang said. "I just want Nudge and Seth to get here so you can talk to them, realize this whole plan is pointless and leave. And I'd like it done with as little comment from you as possible."

Max's glare shifted to Fang, who held it steadily with his own. "You're such an asshole sometimes."

"And you seem to thrive on drama lately." Fang said.

"And you all have a horrible lack of ability in paying attention."

We all turned towards the door to see Nudge walking in, Seth close behind her.

"Hey there, strangers. Long time, no see." He said to us. "And the Flock. Hi."

"Nudge!" Angel cried out, running towards her old friend.

"Angel! Oh my gosh, hi!" She gave the younger girl a hug. "How have you guys been?" She asked the group. "Still off saving the world and such?"

"We're still doing what needs to be done." Max said. I didn't like the way she said it. An accusatory tone had leaked into her words.

"Sounds like a blast..." Nudge said, with just a hint of sarcasm. So she was on to Max's intentions. "Oh, hey, guys, this is Seth. Seth, the Flock."

Seth gave a small wave. "Hi there."

"Hi Seth, I'm Angel." The little girl said, smiling sweetly up at him. "And this is my brother Gazzy, and Iggy, Total, and Max." She gestured to each of them in turn.

"Nice to meet all of you." Seth said, nodding.

"You guys feeling snubbed yet?" Risa asked Fang and I loudly. "I suppose being in mortal danger together just doesn't build the lasting friendships it used to..."

"Carisa Coates, please." Nudge said, racing over to give Risa, then I and then Fang each a quick hug. "I've missed you guys so much! Sure, it's been great in Forks, and Seth and I hang with the Pack all the time, and the Cullens are great, but I've been dying to see you all again! You know, Jake has actually mellowed out a bit. At least he and Quil have stopped sticking their noses in other people's business. Especially after I started calling them 'The Pack Gossips' and stuff like that. Figured that would put them in their place. Oh, and Alice sent you guys some new clothes! And-"

"New clothes?" Risa asked, rolling her eyes and, thankfully, cutting off the endless stream of words. "Typical Alice."

Max chose that moment to clear her throat, turning the attention back to her.

"It's nice that you guys are enjoying your little reunion and all, but the rest of us would love to know what the heck you're talking about!" She snapped.

Nudge looked back to us. "I'm guessing you haven't told them much."

Risa shook her head. "We haven't really had much time for socialization."

"Oh, we've had plenty of time." Max said. "Just the person we want to socialize with seems to be competely uninterested."

"You've got that right." Fang muttered, looking up to the ceiling.

I could tell by the look on Nudge's and Seth's faces that the tension in the room was finally seeping under their skin. "Well, it seems like we have a bit of clearing up to do..."

Max leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms. "Well, spill."

Nudge looked at Fang, obviously hoping for some back-up, but his eyes seemed to have glued their gaze to the ceiling.

"It'd, uh, be easiest to start off at... The beginning." Nudge commented.

"I think she means Fang meeting Risa." Seth added unhelpfully.

As I watched Fang, waiting for a reaction, I saw his eyes slowly slide to me before flicking back to the ceiling. Why was he looking at me? Well, the simple answer was that he'd be looking at Risa if I wasn't in the way. But no matter whose gaze he really wanted to catch, I knew the meaning behind that look immediately.

Get me out of here.

I looked back towards the Flock, clearing my throat. "Once upon a time, there was this beautiful... Gorgeous... Sexy girl named Risa."

Risa rolled her eyes, shooting me a look. "Oh my God, Bry, really?"

I ignored her. "One day, this beautiful girl was walking through a park when an evil villain known as The Skateboarder made an attempt on her life, knocking her to the ground."

The Flock were all staring at me like I was nuts now. Risa had rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, obviously looking for whatever Fang had lost up there. Nudge and Seth looked like they were on the verge of laughter.

"But then a knight in shining armour, known only as Nick, rescued the fair maiden from certain destruction. Though he asked for nothing in return, she gave him a token of her apprieciation; her number."

"No big deal. I gave it to Lancelot the week before after he slayed Smaug for me." Risa said sarcastically.

"Of course, like in all good fairy tales, true love and romance and all that mushy stuff followed. She even found out the knight's true name, Fang. And he showed her his amazing wings. Everything was going swimmingly until one night..."

"She pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep?" Iggy asked sarcastically.

"No, she-"

"She ate a poisoned apple?" Asked Angel.

"No, actually-"

"Her fairy godmother appeared?" Asked Seth.

"Dude, seriously-"

"She was turned into a swan?" Gazzy asked.

"Obviously not. She-"

"She was captured by a horrible beast?" Nudge asked.

"Closer, but-"

"She kissed a frog?" Max asked.

"OK, GUYS, REALLY!" I snapped. "She was attacked by a horrible troupe of bandits. It was the dead of night and all hope seemed lost. Her knight was far away and could not come to save her. But there was someone else who could..."

"Robin Hood?" Angel asked.

"A werewolf." I said, trying to sound as creepy as possible. From the looks on everyone's faces, I don't think it was a success. "Though still in human form, he had great strength. Muscular, and handsome as well. With great hair. And a superior sense of humor."

"And so modest, too!" Risa exclaimed, faking a swoon.

"He chased the bandits away, saving the girl. But, as he turned to face her, the magic of his kind came upon him and he fell in love with her instantly."

"Ok, this is getting stupid." Max said. "What the heck are you going on about?"

"Allow me to demonstrate." Seth said, stepping towards the far side of the room. He began to take off his shirt.

"He's going to strip?" Max asked, sounding mildly shocked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first, too." Risa said. "Would've been nice, but not quite."

"Without further ado..." Seth said. And then proceeded to phase right there in our kitchen.

"Watch the trash can!" Risa told him, just as Seth nearly missed it with his wagging tail.

The Flock stared in shock. "What...?" Max said, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"We're shapeshifters." I explained. "Part of the magic of our tribe, the Quileutes. We start turning into wolves, we're extremely hot-blooded, we can self-heal almost instantly, oh, and we have this knack for falling in love at first sight, known as imprinting. And I happened to have imprinted on Risa."

"And I'm with Seth." Nudge said, walking over to give her boyfriend a scratch behind the ears.

"So anyway, of course the werewolf tried to win over the girl, showing her what he really was, confessing his undying love, and though he had her for awhile, part of her heart still resided with her knight, Fang. So the three were left in the most interesting of love triangles. Two boys in love with the same girl and one girl in love with them both."

"So, let me get this straight." Max said, raising a hand to stop me. "Risa was dating Fang. You met Risa and fell in love with her instantly because you're some kind of magical wolf-thing. But Risa... Dated you both?"

"I have some decision-making issues." Risa commented.

"So... You can't choose?" Max asked. Risa just shook her head in response.

"Well, choose Embry. He's the one who, like, seems to have to love you or whatever." Max said.

All three of us flinched. Seth whined.

"Touchy topic." Nudge said, her tone a warning.

Max shrugged. "Just being practical. But whatever. So how does this little relationship work out? And can we stop with the fairytale story-style. We get it."

"Well... We just all... Live together." I said. Ditching my epic story-telling theme made me lose momentum.

Max rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"Kinda like a weird version of Three's Company." Risa added. "Only less annoying."

"Sounds like a fun relationship." Max said sarcastically. "You guys just sit around and play house."

Risa's eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond, which worried me. It wasn't easy to render Risa speechless.

Max noticed the hesitation, and continued. "But seriously, how can this relationship even work? Fang, I can't honestly expect you're ok with sharing your girl with another guy. And don't give me a bunch of 'we're in love' bullcrap. You 'loved' me, too, but you still took off."

Fang's reaction almost matched Risa's. Eye-narrowing and silence. I was starting to get nervous. Was anyone gonna give this bitch a verbal punch to the face?

"So why on Earth, don't you just go find yourself a girl who isn't so greedy?" Max asked.

"Risa isn't greedy." I nearly growled through my speech. "Why are your ideas of love so narrow-minded? Only one guy and one girl per relationship, just like society says, right? 'Cause it could never work another way. A girl can't love two people without being greedy. A guy can't not be jealous without being stupid. You're full of it."

"There's still no way this can work." I jumped slightly at Iggy's voice. I was beginning to think he was mute as well as blind, with how little he talked around us. "You honestly expect us to believe Risa basically carries on two relationships in the same house and you guys never get jealous of each other or wish she'd pick one of you already? You're ok with living like this?"

"We've worked out our differences." I said, wasting a glare in his direction.

"How the Hell can you work out differences like this?" Iggy snapped.

"Well, I went and imprinted on him, too." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I didn't have to look to know what sort of horrified glare Fang was now sending my way.

"You... What?" Max asked, sounding confused.

"Isn't imprinting the thing that makes you, like... fall in love..." Iggy trailed off.

"Well, it's more like, really... Uhh... Love is a broad term. You can love someone romantically. In a family way. As a friend. As an obsessive stalker..." I was backpedaling, trying to fix this before Fang blew his top at me.

"Explain, please." Max said.

"When one of us imprints on someone, we love them, but we love them... In the way they need us to love them." I explained, choosing my phrasing carefully. "We are what our imprints need us to be. Friend, brother, protector, lover."

I paused, but the Flock just stared back at me, so I figured I needed to go on.

"The theory is, well, I imprinted on Risa like I was supposed to, but when she refused to let go of Fang, my... Powers allowed me to become attached to him as well so Risa wouldn't have to choose..." I said.

"So... All Risa needs to do is break up with Fang, you're silly imprint thing will go away and Fang can go find a real relationship." Max said.

I suppose this was the point where I was supposed to be rendered speechless, but I planned to give Max a challenge. "No. This is the part where you stop squatting in our basement, go back to wherever you came from, and keep your nose out of other people's business." I told her, forcing myself to stay seated and in human form. I was getting the strong urge to lunge forward and see if I could bite her and give her rabies just through sheer willpower. "I don't care what my reasons for imprinting on Fang were, it doesn't just go away. I stand by both him and Risa until my dying breath. We clear?"

Max just nodded, but held my glare with her own. "What if one of them told you to leave. If they said they didn't want you anymore. Would you back off?"

I paused, but only for a moment. I knew where she was heading, but I couldn't answer any other way. "Yes. If they asked me to, I would go."

"Well, then I guess I've heard all I need to." Max got up, and the other members of the Flock followed. "We'll be in the basement. See you for dinner, maybe." They left quickly, only Angel looking back once.

Dead silence wafted through the kitchen.

"That could've gone better." Risa finally said.

"Yeah, Bry, thanks a bunch." Fang snapped, jolting out of his chair to stand and face me. "Thanks for explaining your little 'problem' with me to the Flock."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I just... Said it. Besides, who cares what they think? It's the truth."

"Yeah, I'm truthfully the extra boyfriend." Fang said. He wasn't meeting my eyes anymore. He wasn't looking at anyone.

"That's not true, Fang." I told him.

"Fang-" Risa started to say, standing up and reaching towards him, but Fang turned, heading upstairs. Bo whined and followed him.

Risa fell back into her chair. "Shit."

"My sentiments, exactly." I replied. "Epic shit."

"Well, I know one thing." Nudge said. "Seth and I arrived just in time. I'm going out to grab our bags and Seth and I will take the guest room." She smiled our way. "Don't worry. I've dealt with Max before. We'll fix this."

As Nudge went outside, Seth trotting at her heels, Risa pulled herself out of her chair.

"I'm going to go try to talk to Fang." She said. She patted me on the arm before heading up the stairs after Fang.

The guy who should have had her.

The guy who should have had happiness.

The guy who didn't deserve to be treated like this, to have to feel like this.

Her Fang.

Our Fang.

I had to fix this. For all of us.

Me: I better get some rave reviews here. Chapter full of angst, mushy love, and a touch of humor, PLUS a duet by Fang and I! Could it get any better?

Fang: You could've brought food.

Me: -sets out platter of cookies and milk- FOR OUR REVIEWERS!

Fang: You could've given out party favors.

Me: -glares- -sighs- -hands out toy herrings that squeak- ALSO FOR OUR REVIEWERS!

Fang: You could update more often.

Me: ...You really need to just shut up.

R&R&Enjoy your gifts?

Me: It's so weird. I have two chapters for other fics sitting around, half-finished because I hit writer's block with them. I decide to try and start writing for this one, just to see. I have it finished in a day.

Fang: Impressive.

Me: Surprising. But good for all of you, lovely readers. You get a chapter!

Fang: Lovely... Was really hoping the sequel to the fic where you have me locking lips with a dog would die.

Me: Sorry, Fang. Not all Christmas wishes come true.

Fang: -.-

Risa's POV

To say the atmosphere of the household was uncomfortable would be like saying Antarctica was 'a little on the cool side'.

For a full week, it was like constantly walking on eggshells. Embry and Fang weren't on speaking terms. I had to jump between reminding Fang that he wasn't an extra anything, but a valued part of our family and telling Embry not to feel bad as Fang would be speaking to him again soon. I had to admit, I could see why Fang had been so upset by the comments. It really did make him look like he was just sort of a spare part in the relationship. And, after living the life of an unwanted experiment, followed by becoming second-best to his ex-girlfriend's 'save the world' cause, I doubted that was a place Fang was comfortable with being in. But he wasn't just an extra. Bry and I needed him. The three of us were family.

How dare Max try to take that away from us.

And, yes, then there was the Flock. We didn't actually see them much. Bry, Fang, and I would go off to our jobs or school each day. The Flock would do their own thing. When we got home, we'd hear them down in the apartment, but they never actually came up. And we didn't dare go down.

Poor Nudge and Seth ended up being the middlemen around the house. They relayed information between the Flock and us and, sometimes, between Fang and Embry, if need be. Nudge had told me she had tried again to explain to Max how our relationship worked and how she needed to leave things be, but she refused to listen.

It was getting to the point where I was uncomfortable being in my own house. I hadn't felt like this since I lived with my aunt.

I decided, at the end of this stressful week, that it was time to call a family meeting.

"I will have order! Wolf-people and bird-people alike!"

"I'm all ears, Risa. I swear, I'll be quiet. Promise. Not a peep. Not a word. Quiet as a mouse. You just go ahead and say what you need to say and-" Then, Nudge was silenced. Seth had caught my subtle nod and put a hand over her mouth.

It was just the five of us at the family meeting around the kitchen table. Me, Nudge, Seth, Embry, and Fang. I hadn't bothered inviting the Flock. Like they'd show up, anyway.

"I can't live like this anymore." I announced, deciding to get right to the point. "I'm uncomfortable in my own house! I need Max and her followers to leave and stop trying to disrupt my family's life!"

Embry, I noticed, was nodding in agreement, while Nudge and Seth were watching me, Seth's hand still clasped over his girlfriend's mouth. Fang, though, was looking down at the table, arms crossed, his wings sort of wrapped around his shoulders, like he was trying to ignore the world.

"Fang?" I asked gently. I didn't know how he was going to react to anything lately, and I was hoping to finally get something positive, to start getting my old Fang back. Because this new, sullen Fang was starting to scare me.

What if what Max had said had really gotten to him?

Fang sighed, looking up a bit, but still not really meeting my eyes. "I'd love to get them out. But Max isn't going to just stop bothering me. She wants me back, and not just as her boyfriend. I was her second-in-command. She wants me for publicity. She wants me to help her handle things. She wants me to swoop in and fix all of her problems for her. I know Max, she's not that hard to read."

"Yeah, neither are you. Something else is bothering you." I told him. "Did you really let her words get to you? Do you really think you're the 'spare boyfriend' around here?"

All eyes were on Fang now, nervous, I could tell. Nudge's were wide, Seth's eyebrow was raised. Embry, who had his arms crossed, his hands were gripping his arms tightly, fearful of the answer. I knew the attention would make Fang uncomfortable, but it couldn't be helped.

Finally, Fang looked up, locking his dark eyes with mine. "You tell me."

I nodded once. "I have, and I'll tell you again. I love you, Fang. I love you and Embry equally. We work as a family and I need you here for it to feel like a family."

"You really think the three of us work?" Fang asked. He was only looking at me. I think he knew how much Embry wouldn't want to hear this, how much he'd want to say something, but by ignoring him, Fang was sending him a strong 'butt out' signal. Bry would know that he wanted to hear this from me.

And he doesn't think we work together?

"Yes. I do. We get along great. Embry has the things he's good at, but so do you. You're one of only a few people who can match my sarcastic wit. The only guy I've ever known who gets my tastes in music. You're the only person, when I ask you to taste test my cooking, who will be honest if it sucks or not. Yes, Bry, I know you lie." I said, turning to Embry for only a second before locking eyes again with Fang. "You've got this tough exterior, but you can be so surprisingly caring. You're quiet when I need peace, you listen when I need to talk, you never judge or fly off the handle, no matter what the problem may be. You keep me centered, Fang. You keep this whole household centered. Without you, it'd be chaos. Face it, if it was just Embry and I, things would be a mess here. He brings out a more chaotic side to me, which is good, but it needs to be reigned in at times. It needs your calm, your logic." I took a deep breath before continued, surprised at what I was blurting out of my mouth. I wasn't even thinking it, the words just came straight from my mind. Or maybe my heart. "I can't believe that Embry's imprinting on you was just for me. It was meant to be this way, Fang. We wouldn't work without you. If I hadn't been on a date with you that night, Embry and I would've never met. You're a part of this family, not an extra. An essential."

The room was silent. Even Bo, sitting nearby on the floor, didn't so much as breathe heavily. I didn't dare break eye contact with Fang. I couldn't look at anyone else right now. I needed to see my words sink in. I needed him to believe.

Fang eyes searched mine for what seemed like forever before he finally broke contact with me, looking down at the table again. His arms uncrossed and he ran a hand through his hair, sighing again. I watched his every move, hoping that this reaction meant what I thought it did.

"So then... What are the plans to get her off my back?" He asked, finally looking up. I doubted that my little impromptu speech had chased away all of his doubts so easily, but it had convinced him enough to decide to give the three of us a chance and get Max out of our hair. That was all I needed.

"Well, she doesn't seem to want to be convinced that Fang's not interested." Nudge said, Seth finally allowing her to speak. "No matter what anyone says, she fights it."

"Perfect picture of denial." Seth added.

"Fang, do you have any ideas?" Embry asked Fang gently. Fang had barely even acknowledged Bry's existence all week. Answering a question from him would be a huge step right now.

Fang seemed to hesitate for a moment, but ultimately decided to take that one big step. "Maybe... I could try talking to her again. Just Max and I this time. I mean, we used to be best friends. Maybe she'll listen to me."

"You'll definitely be better at explaining things than I was." Embry said. He didn't have to explain for all of us to know what he was referring to.

And then, for the first time in a week, Fang looked right at him. "Ya think, Bry?" It was a sarcastic comment, but not a cruel one. Just Fang, calling Bry out for stating the obvious, as usual.

There was hope for my boys yet.

We wrapped up our conversation quickly after that. Not much more to say except that, if this plan didn't work, we'd just have to talk again. Seth and Nudge announced they were heading to bed as soon as we were done. I headed off to catch the evening news and was pleased to have both Fang and Embry join me on the couch, one on each side of me. For the first time in a week, I felt perfectly comfortable again.

Things were really beginning to look good for us.

"Looks like your favorite weatherman got a new bad toupee." Fang commented. The weatherman on this station was constantly changing his wigs, making it painfully obvious that he wore one. The three of us had ongoing jokes about the poor man.

"I see he's gone blonde again." Embry added. "I rather liked him as a ginger."

Fang shook his head. "Nah. Can't trust a redhead, they're trouble." He shot me a small smirk and I smiled back, remembering his stories of Lissa and Brigid.

"You would say that." I replied, giving him a playful shove.

Just then, the TV cut to a new 'Breaking News' story. We all went quiet, wondering if it would actually be 'breaking news' or if the news station was just announcing something that would be trivial to us, like the President giving a small speech or a new law passed in another country. Breaking news to one was barely news to another.

"Just a few hours ago, the Coalition to Stop the Madness, or CSM, welcomed a rogue group of the hybrids known as 'Erasers' into their headquarters. These Erasers, human-wolf hybrids, have claimed to want to assist the CSM and Flock with bringing down their creators. They have agreed to peace talks with CSM officials as well as the hybrids known as 'The Flock' to see if such an alliance is possible. We'll have more news on this turn of events as it comes in."

The three of us stared silently at the screen, even after it switched back to our formally ginger weatherman.

"That's what she wants me for." Fang said quietly. "She wants me to help make nice with these Erasers."

Fang's POV

"MAX!"

I started yelling as I made my way down the stairs. Risa and Embry had been following me, trying to stop me, right up until I screamed out her name. From there, the two of them just stood at the top of the stairs, watching, realizing there was no turning back now.

She knew I was coming.

"Finally, took you a whole week." Max said when I reached the bottom of the stairs. She was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, eyes on the small TV we kept in the apartment. The other Flock members were behind me, in the small kitchen area. I'd barely even glanced at them. My eyes were locked on the she-witch herself.

"When were you going to tell me?!" I demanded.

"I thought I already told you that you're a complete jerk." She muttered, glancing at me only for a second before returning her attention to the TV.

I stormed over and stood right in front of that distraction, arms crossed. "I mean about the Erasers."

She gave me this completely worn-out look for a moment before grabbing the remote and reaching around me to turn the TV off. "So, guess they finally announced it on the news, huh? Tell me, have they officially arrived yet? Mom was supposed to call me when they did, but she's been having trouble reaching me lately. You get crappy service around here, Fang."

Like I cared about our cell phone service right now.

"I don't want to be part of this anymore, Max. I don't want to be a member of your little 'save the world brigade. I just want to be left alone." I told her. "I'm not having peace talks with freaking Erasers. This is your problem, you handle it."

"Do you really not care about us anymore at all?" Max asked. "We were- Are your family. We grew up in cages together, escaped together, raised each other. But lately, that means nothing to you. You can't even crawl out of hiding long enough to help us deal with a few Erasers?"

"You guys have been dealing with your own problems just fine." I informed her. "I case you haven't noticed. And when I get involved, I always seem to get dragged in farther than I want to go."

"We need you." Max said, her voice demanding. That same take-charge tone I'd heard nearly every day growing up.

But I wasn't a kid anymore. And neither was she. "No, you don't." I turned, heading back for the stairs, figuring I could tell Risa and Embry they were free to kick them out in the morning and get our house back.

"Jeb's gonna be there, too."

I stopped, finally noticing the rest of the Flock in the kitchen. Mainly Angel, perched on top of the counter, blue eyes locked on me.

"Jeb's gonna be there." She said again. "And he's said he wants to see you."

Me: Oooo... And the plot... Well, it wasn't very thick to begin with. At least we're getting somewhere.

Fang: You're just making this up again, aren't you?

Me: No! Not exactly! I know how it's gonna end, how the three of them end up! It's just all the middle stuff that gets muddled and sometimes I have better ideas...

Fang: Yep. Just making it up as you go along...

Me: I'd like to see you do better.

Fang: There'd be a lot less lip-locking, first of all.

Me: It's already worse.

Fang: -eyeroll- Says you, Ms. St. Marie.

Me: I love being called that. :P

Fang: Beckers.

Me: That? Not so much.

R&R?