Hi! I anyone's actually reading this story, holy wow! Thank you! R&R please, I want to know what people think or if you have any suggestions. Enjoy!

Summary: It's been eight years. Life is as perfect as can be. Max and Fang have two daughters. Nudge is getting married. But what will happen after Gazzy "falls" down the stairs? Or when Iggy almost gets shot? One thing is for sure: someone is after the flock.

Prologue:

Eight Years Ago

I could hardly breathe as soft music started and Angel began prancing toward me across the grass, scattering white rose petals all over the aisle with a huge ear-to-ear grin.

I flashed a crooked smile at her when she stopped in front of the altar and stepped to the side. She was wearing this cute little lacy white dress with a sash that was a dark pink color that I couldn't quite remember the name of… Magenta? Yeah, that was it. It was a magenta sash that tied into a bow in the back.

I looked up again to see the Gasman taking Nudge's arm and leading her down the aisle. Gazzy was looking all spiffed up in a black tux with an emerald green vest, black tie, and a white dress shirt. Nudge was wearing a long, silky-looking magenta dress with a one-shoulder strap of magenta fabric roses. She was carrying a bouquet of magenta and white wildflowers, which had a white ribbon tied around the stems. (And suddenly I'm saying magenta more than I ever have in my life.)

Iggy and Ella came next. They were wearing the same things as Gazzy and Nudge, and behind them were Total and Akila. Total had an emerald bow tie on and Akila was wearing a magenta collar studded with rhinestones.

When everyone had reached the altar and slit apart to stand on either die, the music changed and everyone stood up. My heart was beating a mile a minute––no, a hundred miles a minute. This was so crazy. I was only eighteen. We were only eighteen. I knew I shouldn't care––and actually, I didn't––but there was just that one worried voice in the back of my mind, listing all the things that could go wrong.

Before I could even comprehend what it was yelling at me, my entire brain went blank and my breath caught.

There she was. She was so beautiful it made my heart ache. Her wavy hair tumbled down her back and over her shoulders under a lacy white veil. I was glad she had kept it down; I loved her hair so much. Her dress was simple and something so totally Max that I almost laughed. Here we were, getting married, and even in a wedding dress she still looked like herself. I don't really know how to describe the dress (I'm a guy, I don't do these things) but it was lacy and really, super pretty. I remembered hearing her discuss it with Nudge, and she had described it as "an A-line Alita Graham with an Empire waist and a sweetheart neckline." I had no idea what that meant, but it sure was stunning. In Max's hands was a bouquet of multicolored wildflowers, mostly white and magenta, with a magenta ribbon around the stems. Her arm was linked with Jeb's and she had a huge smile on her face. The only makeup she wore was some blush (or was that natural?) and some sparkly gold eye shadow.

I felt a full-blown smile spread across my face at the sight of her, which almost surprised even me. I think she's the only person I've ever smiled at like that (except for Addison and Alice, but that's later).

Before I knew it, Max and I were standing together with our hands entwined.

"We are gathered here today…" the priest-guy began, and I totally tuned out. Max was looking at me with those big, gorgeous brown eyes that seemed to melt my heart. We stared at each other like that for the entire ceremony, until I subconsciously felt myself taking the gold-banded diamond wedding ring from the priest and then saying, "I do," as Max slid a plain gold band onto my finger.

I snapped out of my trance when Max said, "I do," and her voice cracked. I realized that her eyes were swimming with tears.

"You may kiss your bride."

With a soft smile, I gathered Max into my arms and bent my head down. She threw her arms around my neck and stood on her toes, and I spun her in a circle as we kissed.

We broke apart, laughing, and everyone clapped and cheered. I grabbed her hand and leaned close to her to whisper in her ear, "I love you, Max."

She looked at me with eyes full of emotion. "I love you, too."

Chapter 1:

A Different Life

I sat up in bed, startled awake as thunder shook the house.

My eyes found Fang's in the dim light. We both knew what was coming.

I peeled the covers back and jumped out of the bed, hurrying out the door and into the hallway just as I heard the cry of, "Mommy!"

"Addison!" I burst into the small bedroom and gathered my daughter into my arms.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's okay, shh." I held her shaking body, pulling her into my lap.

Her little six-year-old hands clutched the front of my t-shirt as another hand touched my shoulder.

"Fang, go check on Alice, please," I said, looking up at him. He nodded and opened the door next to the one I crouched in.

I rubbed Addie's back for a few more moments until Fang walked out of the other room, carrying Addie's eight-year-old sister Alice.

"Come on, let's go to our room," I murmured, standing up and resting Addie on my hip.

There was a quiet crackling noise as a bright flash of lightning filled the hallway, and I quickly covered Addie's ears when more thunder rumbled. She whimpered a bit and nestled closer to me.

"Okay, everyone in the bed," I called. After we had climbed in, I pulled the thick down-filled duvet over all of us.

I reached over to my nightstand and pulled two little iPod shuffles out, one pink and the other silver. Giving the pink one to Addison and the silver one to Alice, I found the little playlists I had made for thunderstorms and turned them on.

Our Alaskan Malamute/Scottie mix jumped onto the bed––one of the pups of Akila and Total––and curled up between the girls. She was about a year old and mostly resembled her mother but had all-black fur like Total and rather floppier, Scottie-like ears. The girls had named her Celeste after the white stuffed bear that they liked to play with when they visited Angel.

I sighed contentedly as I wrapped my arms around my two daughters. Even in this situation, with thunder and lightning surrounding us, I was insanely happy. I had been for eight years, almost straight. Being married to Fang was better than I ever could have imagined––and my daughters only made it better.

Alice was born soon after we got married. She had Fang's face, straight blonde hair, the slightest spattering of pale freckles on her nose, and dark eyes that looked black but were actually brown in sunlight. Addison looked more like me, with big brown eyes, softer features, and tanner skin. She had wavy black hair and a cute little freckle under her left eye. They both had hair that usually tumbled freely down their backs, unless it was in a ponytail. They didn't want it cut off and I couldn't bear to do it myself.

After Fang and I got married in Colorado, the whole flock moved to South Carolina, along with Ella, Dr. Martinez, and even Jeb. Everyone had pitched in and bought Fang and I a private island off the coast. An island! I could hardly believe it. And there was even a beautiful little beach house that was somehow modern but rustic at the same time.

Apparently, the island had been cheap because it wasn't safe to take a boat there and there wasn't any path to the coast from it. Obviously that wasn't a problem for us––what were wings good for if not flying? Alice's were raven-black like Fang's and Addie's were tawny/brown and white like mine.

I felt like we were in heaven every day. It was everything I wanted and more; I had my perfect family and nothing to bring me down.

It lasted for a long time. Eight years. But nothing is forever, and we had to be reminded of that the really hard way.