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Little brown eyes stared out the window at the swirls and swoops the small crystals were moving in as they swirled through the air. Small nose and pink lips pressed to the cold glass; chill going unnoticed, as the warm breath fogged up the glass. The small girl tore her face away and angrily wiped the glass free, then returned to watching the snow as it fell in the peaceful mountains of Colorado.
As the window was cleaned for the hundredth time that hour, she saw the figure trudging through the white and coming up the path. The brown eyes sparkled as the child cheered in happy delight. She abruptly turned around and jumped off the window seat, then went running out of the living room to the front door.
"Jeb! Jeb, you're home!"
Laughing heartily, but with a tint of sadness that the girl ignored, the man scooped her up and hugged her close. Then setting her down and greeting the other child that had shadowed the first into the room. The dark boy just nodded then starting again looking intently at the dishwater-blonde girl grinning broadly.
"Fang, Max, where's the rest of the Flock?"
"In the kitchen! Iggy's making cake!" Max crowed happily, then turned and raced to the aforementioned room.
"Iggy's cooking?" Jeb asked the small dark boy, Fang, who just blinked at him, and followed Max to the kitchen.
Jeb just smiled and shook his head sadly, then snuck into the living room and pulled off his bag. The room was of medium size and was decorated with various things. Pictures, of course, littered many, if not all, of the flat spaces in the room, and some of the larger ones were nailed to the brown walls. The two windows in the room faced East, one with a bench, and were large so that the sweeping landscape of the mountains could be clearly seen. The North wall was surprisingly devoid of decoration, just one large piece of some sort of artwork. Six feathers and seven small pictures all danced around one larger picture of seven people. The Feathers were white, grey-to-white, black, mocha-brown, light, almost blonde, brown, and, finally, a black-speckled medium brown one at the top. The smaller pictures were of six children ranging, when the pictures were taken, from baby to about eight or nine. The central shot had all of the children in it, along with the man that was staring so intently at it.
We all look so obliviously happy. The thought came before the man could stop it and he turned swiftly back to his bag, tears and sadness pushed back. Six packages came out in his hands, one blue, two red, one black and gold, one white and green, and one dark purple. All were of medium size, and wrapped precisely and accurately with care.
The tree they were put under was something to gape at. The fifteen-foot ceiling in the room allowed for a very tall tree, which was decorated thickly with anything and everything six children with too much time on their hands could make.
The angel on the top, though, was probably one of the strangest things in the room. Made of dried plants and flowers, some scorch marks here and there, and wings of real feather in mottled colors, reminiscent to those feathers on the wall, were on its back. All in all, it was not a very traditional angel, but then again, this family was always quite original.
Squeals of varying volume came from behind him, and he turned just in time to catch three children, one small stumbling figure not even a true child yet, more a toddler, and two children children that would be just barely old enough for school, if they went. He laughed again, part true delight and part utter torment and pain. All three little voices laughed and giggled with him, as did two of the three standing in the doorway, while the last of the children smiled happily and silently. All of a sudden the small wriggling bodies hugging him let go and almost simultaneously tried to dive for the wrapped presents.
"Now, now, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, you have to wait until tomorrow morning for those," Jeb said while scooping up the baby Angel and only a bit larger Gazzy, both whining profusely. Both, however paled in comparison to the words of the seven-year-old Nudge as she readily used her Channel and spouted every argument and complaint imaginable.
"You guys have go to get to bed, presents come in the morning."
"What about my cake?!"
The comment came from Iggy, the taller of the older three children. Shaggy strawberry blonde locks framed the face with the bright blue eyes, staring sightlessly in Jebís general direction.
Jeb gave the blind boy an unacknowledged look of exasperating, making Max giggle a bit, "Is it done yet, or soon at least? If so we can eat it for treat, and have the rest tomorrow for dessert too."
The look of pure happiness on the generally sad face made Jeb smile, he had originally been worried the boy would not last being blind, but he had taken it rather well after he had calmed down enough to understand what had happened to him.
"It only has five minutes left! There's also a special surprise that comes with it."
The smirk that came with the last remark was a bit worrying, considering how remarkably well pranks could be done without sight, Jeb did not doubt Iggy was capable of much more.
"Not a bad sort, I hope, right Iggy?" The stern face was wasted on the blue eyes, but the indignant look the ten-year-old gave him reassured him that, hopefully, no, no one would get humiliated or hurt.
"Well, lead on to the cake. I know Iím hungry." The nods of delight and inevitable word torrent from Nudge told him just how much they agreed with him.
All six small bodies immediately rushed back to the kitchen, but all staying behind Iggy so he could feel his way there more easily. The habit had been beaten into them by Max at some point when he had been getting supplies, and he did not, to this day, know what exactly had happened.
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The cake was actually very well-done, considering it was made by a blind boy. From what had been said, Iggy had actually done all the work. The other kids had just set the right stuff out so he knew where it was, and Fang read the recipe. Though from the mass of sugar encrusted frosting on top, Jeb gathered that Iggy had let the little ones decorate it.
Jeb had long since finished his one piece and was watching the children eat their third or fourth large helpings. That is, all but Iggy. Said avian was currently grinning like an idiot and holding some sort of spark in his blind eyes that looked suspiciously like mischief.
"Can I show everyone the surprise now?" Iggy asked almost too eagerly.
Jeb gave the ten-year-old a blank look, then acquiesced. "Sure, but no one, I repeat, no one, is to get hurt by this. Right Iggy?"
Iggy nodded ecstatically, then ordered Gazzy, his assistant, to go get the 'Little Boy', which did absolutely nothing to ease Jeb's stomach.
When Gazzy returned his solemnly handed over to the redhead a small thing that looked like a small, misshapen sphere. There were wires and things crisscrossing all over, and one small button on the top.
"Let's go outside. Everyone can see it better in the dark than in here," Iggy said softly.
Once outside, Iggy stepped a few feet away from everyone, flipped a small switch on the device, set it down and pressed the button. This was obviously Gazzyís signal, as the small four-year-old started to count down from his limit of five.
"Five… four… three… two… one!" The end of the 'one!' was even louder that Gazzy's shout as the small sphere suddenly exploded in a bright flash of orange and red fire, immediately melting quite a bit of snow.
Iggy and Gazzy both whooped and jumped up and down, the rest just stood speechless. Suddenly Angel started to giggle, Nudge started up her babbling, Max went over to start scolding Iggy, and Jeb and Fang just stood silently, though for entirely different reasons. Jeb was actually in shock, he hadn't though Iggyís fascination with fire would go very far, but now there was a dangerously mischievous pyro let loose unto the world. Not to mention the fact he was blind, and he had constructed a small bomb for Pete's sake with only the help of a four-year-old.
Fang, as usual, wasn't ruffled at all. The dark brown of his eyes was drawn to the fiery blonde that was now smacking Iggy on the back of the head and scolding him. Staring intently and obsessively, he did not seem at all bothered by the destruction and havoc that Iggy could wreak upon the world now.
"I would prefer those not be made around the house anymore," Jeb said once he found his voice. "I would like the house to stay on its feet."
Iggy's only reply was the impish retort of, "The house doesn't have feet." That one statement alone told Jeb he was not to be obeyed, and neither was Max by the looks of things.
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Even if they were al riled up, he did manage to get them all to bed, lights out as well. Closing Fang's door quietly he leaned against the wall as it hit him what he was about to do to these kids. And myself, he added.
Max's door was still open and her lamp still on. She was holding and reading a book that had to do with super heroes or something. Maybe Wonderwoman, he thought, but he was never to find out as it was quickly put away under her pillow as he sat down on her bed.
Jed looked down at Max as she tiredly tried to tuck herself in. Her honey-brown eyes were clouded over slightly with exhaustion, and the dishwater-blond hair was tangled but glowing slightly in the light of the lamp. The small arms reached out for a hug, and he chuckled lightly, pulling his small daughter to him and holding on tight.
"I'm going to leave for a little longer than usual tonight. I might be gone for over a week." He said gently into her hair, as he kissed he on the top of the head.
"I can take care of everyone! I'm ten already, almost a grown-up!" The reply just managed to pull a small sob from him, though Max missed it, and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He managed.
"Well, Iím glad about that because youíll need to be able to take care of everyone in the future."
"Really!?"
"Of course! Why, I bet you will even be the one to save the world." Jeb told her amazed face, "Just like a super hero"
The smile he got just deepened his sorrow, as brilliant as the white teeth were in the small face. She just half knocked him over with a happy cheer. He shushed her as he put her back under her covers. Max yawned, and he kissed her forehead.
"Goodnight Maximum, sweet dreams."
"G'night Jeb, see you when you get back." Jeb just finished tucking the small avian in and sat on the edge of the mattress. He clasped his hands and put his elbows to his knees, heaving a giant sigh as he stared at the sleeping girl.
"No," he said sadly. "No you won't."
The he got up and walked out through he doorway, sparing the ten-year-old one last glance before he silently shut the door and made his way to the kitchen. Shoulders sagging and eyes downcast, he finally let a couple of tears fall as he let our one dry sob. All of a sudden, his entire body seemed to jerk, and he swiped his face clean, standing straight up. The was he made his way to his bag and left the house, was quite, but had a stiff and businesslike manner to it. Closing the door behind him, he walked out into the snow. Never looking back.
What had gone unnoticed by anyone else, had been noticed by someone. The black hair and medium brown skin of an almost Mediterranean looking descent, encased the face of a boy with dark lashes and eyes, almost black, but brown, eyes. Those eyes were now wide and easily visible in the hallway, just outside his room. Wide with disbelief and shock. Then the kind, quiet eyes seemed to rage and scream fury and betrayal; understanding that was almost uncanny could be perceived in those eyes as to what Jeb had just gone and done. The dark eyes narrowed and his body grew tense, then he slunk back to bed. This was one secret that Max could never know, she would just shatter and break. No, this was one thing Fang would keep to himself for as long as he could keep it.
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The dark and the snow was suddenly too quiet as Fang jerked awake. Inside of his sleeping bag, the dark boy looked around nervously, no expression on his face. The only visible thing he could see was a dark figure sitting across the campfire, shoulders shaking only slightly. He sat up, body shivering as his naked torso was bared to the cold air. Grabbed a sweatshirt he pulled it over his head and got up, shoes still on in the sleeping bag.
As he walked over silently and sat down, the tall girl next to him jumped, "Don't do that Fang."
He frowned as he heard the usual response to his sneaking around, though it really wasnít he was just quiet. The demand lacked the fire and confidence it usually had, and that worried him almost more than the way Max still hadnít raised her head from her arms, tucked onto her raised knees. He slowly, cautiously, slid his arms around his leader and love. Any other time, he would have teased her for immediately leaning into him, but he then recalled what night it was and why he had had that particular dream, memory that night.
"He really did die that night, didn't he?" The whimper was so unlike the girl in his arms that he almost lost his composure. He cursed Jeb again in his mind for what he had done to this girl.
"I think he may have," he answered. "But I also think that you can manage without him." He pulled away slightly, and she looked up. Brown eyes wide, and blonde hair dusted with small snowflakes. "The Jeb we knew may have died that night years ago, but we still had, and have, each other. That's all we have, and all we'll ever need."
Her lips quivered, and her eyes swelled up as they tried to drown the brown there. The head just ducked back down again, but into his chest this time,as she threw her arms around him. Sobbing, finally trying to completely let go.
"I-I t-t-think y-y-y-youíre r-right." She gasped out between heaves and sobs, tears flowing. "J-j-jeb, h-h-he r-really i-i-is de-d-dead."
Fang just silently held the crying Max, knowing that was what she really needed right then. Though he did shift he onto his lap, his arms around he and her face pressed to his chest. He let go with one arm to snag the blanket she had been using previously, and wrapped it around them both, as the snow fell all around them.
The cracking of the fire behind them seemed unnaturally loud as they sat there, the flurry of snow and cold air blew all over, but did not seem to faze either avian. And,as the dark guardian looked down at the sleeping woman he was holding in his arms, tearstained face half-tucked into his chest, breathing deeply and slowly, body still shuddering. He slowly repeated what the small ten-year-old remembered Jeb saying to the very same girl, but with something extra added.
"I bet you will even save the world, Max, and I'll be here with you every step of the way. I'm never going to leave you again."
My very first story on Fan Fiction, so I hope it's okay. I generally just have stuff on Fiction Press because I don't usually write stuff that has already been written, so feedback would be nice. Please Review!!
The Flying Camster