Pregnancy-is-a-bitch. Just saying…I would know. Trust me. Its soo not fun, hormones and cravings. It drives the guys insane, but it's totally worth it…'cos in the end you have a little miracle. The amazing thing is that it's all yours. That makes it all worth while. Or so I thought…
2 am. That's when the crying starts… and suddenly you want to roll over and bury your head in the sheets and never come back up. And that's when I start to push, poke, and prod Fang into getting up. Because I sure as hell am not doing it. I gave birth, no way am I getting up too.
"Evil woman." He mutters as he climbs out of the bed and leaves the warmth behind in the folds of the sheets. Leaving him standing in his baggy black boxers, ha-ha. That's what you get for not wearing clothes to bed. Even if he does look really hot, but oh well. I sighed as he left the room and soon the crying had stopped. Thank god! I said. No, thank Fang. The voice said. Yes, sadly it is still with us…
Fang reentered the room, holding our little miracle. Our baby girl. She blinked her big black eyes up at her daddy tiredly, her small chubby hands clutching the air. And sometimes catching a long strand of Fangs hair. He smiled down at her as she threaded his hair through her fingers. And I almost cried. He was such a good father. That was part of the reason that I loved him.
He is a great father…better than I was. The voice said, it sounded weary. And I smiled. Don't sweat it Jeb. I didn't need a father, I only needed Fang. I laughed as she grabbed one of Fangs midnight feathers, and looked at it really closely, tilting it in the diffused light from the moon. She smiled, Fangs famous smiles, as she saw the breathtaking glint of purple.
"Aren't Daddy's feathers pretty, Emily?" I asked. She looked at me and giggled. Her sweet rose petal lips lifting in a beautiful smile. She's beautiful Maximum. I only regret that I wasn't there, to see you smile like that… Jeb was my father, not a dad. But that was okay with me. And it would have to be okay with him too. Did that mean that I didn't love him? No. I would always love Jeb. But it could never be the same. Ever. I understand, I love you Maximum. His voice faded away.
Fang slowly opened his wings till they were spread fully, filling the whole room. I shifted so that I sat directly opposite him and let my wings slowly unfold from my back. Emily watched in wonder as my wings spread from my back. When the stopped a foot short of Fangs, she smiled and clapped in joy. The air ringing with the sound of her giggles. She looked at our wings and got a look of concentration on her small round face. She was only 10 months old. And she wouldn't be able to open her wings, I had but that was when we were in a lab, and I was under pressure. So…
I watched in amazement as she unfolded her wings. They were a perfect blend of me and Fang. On her wing shoulders her feathers were a soft downy tan, which faded into mahogany, that was speckled with white, and at the edges were Fangs beautiful black feathers. I gasped in amazement. They were perfect, just like her. Her black eyes shone as she stretched them to there full length and compared them to ours. She smiled brightly as she saw the similarities.
"Aww!" echoed from the hallway, I looked up and smiled as I saw the flock and my mom and Ella standing in the hall. I waved them in and looked back to my baby. She was playing with her secondary feathers, her smile growing by the minute. The flock watched as she looked from me to Fang. Her head wobbling as she moved it too fast. I saw Nudge run her hands over her pregnant belly and watching in adoration. Iggy wrapped his arms around her from behind, and kissed her cheek. Angel and Gazzy leaned against one another and talked quietly…My mom and Ella leaned against the wall and smiled through tears, I guess that seeing me with my own is…shocking at best. It had all happened so fast. Fang and I had been together for about a year, when suddenly I was getting morning sickness, mood-swings, and bizarre food cravings. When I had taken the test I was home alone…
Flashback
I held the pregnancy test with a shaking hand, this thing held my future. This little stick that I was supposed to pee on, would tell me if I was holding a child. And that thought scared the shit out of me.
What would I do? Would Fang be happy? What would my mom think? I was only 18…and Fang hadn't even popped the question yet! Oh god! What was I supposed to do! I know that Itex is gone and everything, but…
I don't know, I mean could I handle being a real mom? I took care of Angel and Gazzy, but could I do that again? I was close to breaking down a lot, but Fang always held me up. Would he want anything to do with me?
My watch beeped and I looked down at the little stick that determined the rest of my life. I held my breath, I didn't know what I hoped to be on that tiny little screen…but when I looked a tiny black cross stared up at me declaring that for the next 18 years I was responsible for another small bird kid.
I sat on the couch in the living room, staring at that little black cross. A strange feeling was growing in my chest. I had no idea what it was. But I had a feeling that I would find out real soon.
I don't know how long I sat there, just staring at the test. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. But when the door swung open, and Ella, my mom, Nudge, and Angel came in the door laughing and carrying bags from various shops. It took a while for them to notice me, just sitting there. Just staring at the test in my hand…
I heard a muffled thump as Angel dropped her bags; she stared at me looking shocked her 10 year old face filled with wonder. She kneeled in front of me and held me for a moment. By this time Nudge had noticed the test in my hand, and gently pulled it from my grip her big brown eyes got even bigger as she took in the little black cross. She looked from me to the test and back again. Ella looked scared as she saw my face, so blank and empty…but inside my chest was exploding, I kept quiet.
My mom came and sat beside me, and whispered "How far along?" I snapped my head around to see her and said nothing. Her face showed me that she was so happy…Angel still hadn't let go of me and I slowly wrapped my arms around her small form and buried my head in her blonde curls. I was…I don't know. We all stood in the living room crying, hugging and not talking…long enough that the guys came home…
Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy came in the door slapping high fives and covered in soot, Iggy was still holding a piece of something that looked suspiciously like my new alarm clock. Gazzy stopped in the middle of the floor causing Iggy to crash into him from behind, "Hey! What's with you?" Iggy asked angrily, Gazzy looked between me and Angel then Me and Fang. I still said nothing.
I slowly climbed to my feet, and walked on numb legs over to Fang. Ignoring the fact that he was covered in soot and sweat, I threw my arms around him. "What's going on?" he asked me. I didn't say any thing. I heard Nudge climb to her feet and slowly walk over to us.
I looked up as she reached us. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth and shook her head, her eyes filled with tears of joy. She handed him the test and went over to Iggy, I looked at his face as he read the test.
His mouth dropped, and his eyes widened. He looked down at me and I nodded. So quickly that I didn't know what had just happened he was twirling me around in the air, laughing and smiling. The huge smile that I had been holding back filled my face, and I laughed as tears streamed down my face.
"Max is pregnant!"
Flashback end
That day so long ago had been the start of a new life. Me and Fang had gotten married but stayed in the same house, shortly after Iggy and Nudge got together and are engaged. Angel got her first boyfriend and Gazzy is dating a girl from school. Ella and a boy from school are together. And my mom and Jeb are 'talking' I'm soo sure!
But that doesn't matter because my family is all here and all happy. I'm happy.
"Ohh!" I looked up at Nudge. She looked around in a slight panic. "My water broke."