The flock and I ended up separating. After Dr. Hans suggested that I reproduce, I wasn't really the same old me. I was out there, wanting any type of contact. I turned eighteen right after Fang did and to celebrate, we had sex. It was great and we were amazing together. We were the ideal couple, until shortly after we had sex I learned about the surprise I was then carrying. I left the flock about a month after that, and have been alone ever since.
I was in Montana, upstate in a humongous estate. The only person that knew where we were was Jeb. He sent me money and kept my place hidden from the rest of the flock. I was alone with Tyler and Ronnie. Ronnie changed her name when she was four months old, because she preferred that over Veronica, she thought it was too girly. Tyler's name has been the same, she preferred that name too. I was glad they approved of the name's I had given them.
We walked down the living area in Walmart. We needed new sheets, since Ty set them on fire. I loved them, but they had evil minds if they tried. They aged fast, well their brains did. They were smarter than me even, that wasn't hard to beat. I picked up black ones, looking at them slightly before I threw them in the cart. Ty had zebra sheets and Ronnie had colored zebra. Ty loved black and Ronnie loved anything neon. They seem so different, yet they are exactly alike. They had Fang's wings and his eyes, and a mix of our hair colors. They did have my skin tone though. We picked up the rest of the things on our list and headed towards the check out.
We stopped at the clothes section, I never got my way. They were picking things out, when they came in. Ty came up to me. "That guy is watching you." I looked at her curiously. I turned towards the large entrance, the flock stood there. My mouth almost hit the floor.
"Come on, let's go."
"Mommy, I want to get more clothes." I looked at Ronnie, they may be very intelligent, but they still were only four. "Please?"
"No, we need to go now." She pouted, until she read my mind. She hustled it to the cart. We went into the checkout, them handing everything and loading the cart. I kept a watch on the flock. Fang, god why did he have to be so beautiful? He looked way better now, okay way hotter now. He had longer black hair that hid his face, he had more muscles. They were slender, but they were still there.
"Mommy, they are looking at you, the blonde is trying to read your mind." Ty whispered at me. The girl checking us out just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Mommy, they know." I looked back at them, they held confusion in their faces. They looked at me a little more, Angel focusing on my mind. Shit, shit, shit we have to hurry.
"Ty, you need to wait with Ronnie." She nodded and they took the cart, walking over by the exit. I pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Jeb's number.
"Hello?"
"Jeb, I thought you said you would keep us hidden." I growled, keeping an eye on the flock and my baby girls.
"Fang has the right to know."
"If I wanted Fang to know, I would have told him." I hated he sent them for us. "Call, tell them I'm not here anymore."
"Max, no. You have to tell them sooner or later."
"I will not tell them. I don't have too."
"What did Fang do to you?"
"Nothing, he didn't do anything."
"Then why did you leave?"
"You know why."
"Fang doesn't deserve this."
"I know he doesn't. You don't think I kno-"
"Mommy?" I looked down to Ronnie.
"What baby?"
"Ty went to talk to the weird kids."
"Go stand by the cart, get her back over there." I pinched the bridge of my nose, a way for me to relieve stress. She ran off. "Jeb, I have to go. Stop up sometime." I hung up and walked over to where Ronnie was tapping her foot impatiently. "Come on." We walked over to Ty.
"Mommy, mommy." I looked at her.
"What baby?" my voice had changed into a more feminine voice over the years. One made from child care.
"These people are like us." I looked at the flock again.
"What do you mean baby?" she pulled me a little closer.
"They have wings like us, the blonde one can read minds, like us." I looked down at her.
"Baby, we have to go. We have to get home." I started pulling her away, she held her stance. I picked her up over my shoulder. "I'm sorry, my daughter has a little bit of an exaggerated mind." I smiled at them sweetly, avoiding their gazes. I started to walk away, Ronnie in tow.
"Max." I froze, turning slightly.
"Ty, go with Ronnie. Leave the cart. Fifty two fourteen." She looked at me shocked. That was our way of saying, get out now.
"Mommy, they know you."
"No, they don't." they looked at me seriously. "Just go." They ran out of the store, turning the corner. They took off. I turned to the flock.
"Max." I looked at Iggy. I smiled to myself.
"Hello." They all examined me. Nudge ran right to me hugging me.
"Where did you fucking go?" I looked at her, shocked.
"Don't use that language with me." She laughed, but still hugged me none the less. I hugged her back. "We've been everywhere."
"About the we part, who were they." Fang asked.
I looked at him, my breath hitching in the back of my throat. I swallowed. "They are my daughters."
"Whose?"
"Mine and…" I ended on a really quiet voice, none of them hearing me. I looked at Dylan. "I thought you would have left."
"Nope." I laughed a little.
"Whose are they?" I looked at Gazzy.
"Hey Gasman, how are you?" he looked at me, like, Don't bullshit me. I smiled at him brightly.
"Fine, but you aren't answering me."
"Fang's." I murmured. They all registered the answer. Fang looked pissed, he never shows many emotions, but when he does mmm.
"That was inappropriate." Angel said. I looked at her, embarrassed. "You shouldn't think like that." I rolled my eyes.
"I have to get back to my children." I turned to walk away, until Fang grabbed me. I looked down at his hand. "Let go of me." I ordered.
"You are flock leader anymore, I am."
"Well, I am the leader of me. Let go. Leave and don't come back." His eyes were on fire. I gulped, not backing down.
"I have a right." I laughed.
"Is that why it took you four and a half years to find me?" he winced a little at that blow.
"I spent those years looking, and then Angel and I visited Jeb. He got an email from you three days ago. A picture of you and our children and I saw it." He hadn't released my arm yet, and I gotta say that sparks were erupting inside of me. "We made him tell us."
"I don't care, I didn't want you to find us. Let go." I ordered more harshly. He let go of me, letting his arm drop. My feelings dimmed from the electricity I felt a second ago, damn how can I just see him and want to hop into- shit. Angel stop reading my mind.
"But that was interesting."
"I have to go." I stormed off with my cart, heading towards the monster SUV we had. I loaded the back, knowing they had followed me. Angel, I know you're still listening, so listen closely. If I see any of you when I get home, I will load my gun and go birdie hunting.
"That isn't very polite to offer to shoot your family." I jumped at the sudden voice. I turned to Angel.
"I don't care." I got into the vehicle and stormed off. I had a lead foot when it came to these kinds of things. I was up in the mountain in about a half hour. I parked my vehicle in the lower stone garage. I grabbed the bags, letting my sixteen foot wingspan spread out from under my leather jacket. I flew up, letting my wings feel the familiar breeze through the feathers. I landed up on the mountain ledge. I walked up the porch stairs into the living area. "Ty, Ronnie." I called. I set down the bags.
"Mommy?" they bounded out of their rooms.
"Go put away your new things." The buzzer rang. They rushed off with their bags. "Hello?"
"Buzz us up." I sighed at Jeb's barking voice.
"Yeah, yeah." I buzzed the gate. We had a giant gate on the main road that you needed to get up here. I flew back down to get the rest of the bags. The drive up to the house would take at least fifteen minutes, so I had time. I quickly got back up to the house. I laid all my bags in my room and waited for Jeb to get u- WE? Who the hell was he bringing up here? I sighed, going to the kitchen. I decided to mix up a batch of my mom's chocolate chip cookies. I was just putting the first batch in the oven when my doorbell rang.
I set the timer, walking to the front door. I opened it to Jeb. "I didn't expect you to come today." He laughed, giving me a polite hug. I smiled and led him in. "What did you mean by 'we'?" I turned to him once we got in the kitchen.
"I ran into some people at the bottom of the hill." I looked at him questioningly. "The flock wanted to see you."
"I told them I didn't want to see them again."
"Why?"
"They aren't part of my life anymore." I just couldn't deal with them again.
"They want to be. Max, you have to be open to them. They are your family."
"No, Ella and mom are my family and you are too even."
"Max." he sounded strained, as if hoping I would agree.
"No Jeb, is mom and Ella with you?" he nodded.
"I will only let them see you if you let them see you." I sighed. I wanted to see mom and Ella a lot, but was that really worth it?
"Fine, but I don't want Angel talking to the girls." He sighed, one of those sighs saying he thought I was being rude.
"Okay, let me go get them." I nodded, letting him leave. I heard a ding. I walked over taking out my cookies, setting the next batch in the oven. I repeated the same routine. I rubbed my eyes, attempting to rub away the stress.
"Girls." I called, they flew out of their rooms. I looked at them both as they landed in front of me. "You aren't allowed to fly in the house, if you want to fly we will go outside." They rolled their eyes. "The flock, grandpa, grandma, and Auntie Ella are coming. I want you to avoid talking to Angel and Fang."
"Why?" They asked in unison.
"Please, just do it for me." They nodded.
"They are coming." I put my finger to my mouth, signaling them to be quiet. They walked over to the cookies, taking one to munch on. I heard Jeb approach.
"MAX!" Ella squealed. She attacked me hugging me harshly. "Where the hell have you been bitch?"
"Mommy, Auntie Ella just said bitch." I looked down at my daughters.
"Ella language please. Also, Ty no bad language." Ella retreated to her mom. They all lined up. "Ronnie, Tyler I would like you to meet everyone." I started at the end of the line. "As you two already know Grandpa Jeb, Grandma Valencia, and Auntie Ella. All direct family, then my family." We moved to the flock. "Iggy and Gasman."
"They are the pyrotechnics?" they asked in unison.
"Yes." Gazzy grinned, I laughed. "Nudge and Angel."
"The talkative little sister and the mind reader and mind forcer." I nodded, their eyes glinted as they understood.
"Total and Dylan." They looked at Total confusedly.
"Total and we met a long time ago. He is an expieriment gone wrong, but we love him and he's awesome."
"Isn't he a dog?"
"That isn't a very kind word." Total grumbled. I laughed at the shock written in the twins faces.
"Dylan is a newer member." They nodded, knowing the story of him. I didn't look at Fang. "This is Fang." They looked him over. He was under speculation. I was so hoping they wouldn't put anything together. I avoided Fangs gaze, it made me feel so warm.
"What are their names?" Fang asked. I looked right at him, my mistake. I got lost in the depth of those dark pits.
"Tyler Rae and Ronnie Nibble." I heard a chuckle, I glared at Nudge. DING, DING, DING. "Shit." I ran to the oven taking out the last batch. I turned off the oven. "Okay, now to my question."
"How about mine first?" Fang asked.
"Okay."
"Why did you leave?" I looked into the endless depths that were his eyes.
"I was pregnant. I didn't want them growing up like we did. I wanted them to go to public school, to have people bully them, not poke and prod them. I didn't want that for them, so I left."
"Not a good answer." I sighed. I looked down at the girls. "Go and fly."
"Okay Mama." I nodded; they beat it out the door. I looked back at the flock.
"You would have enjoyed watching our children going through the trouble we did? Watching the scientists plant kill dates in on them." He flinched. "You wouldn't have left and I wouldn't have let you, you're the only one I trust to leave the flock with. Angel is evil, Nudge has ADD, and Iggy." He glared at me. "No offense, but your blind. Gazzy and he together would have blown them up. You are the only one mature enough."
"I may be blin-"
"Iggy, you are brilliant beyond words can speak, but that doesn't make up for the fact the SCIENTISTS ruined your eyes." Iggy looked sad. "Iggy, because of this you are stronger than us all, not to mention that you have so much talent, you may be blind, but you see better than all of us." He still looked sad. "Sorry." My direct family, were out on the porch while we all fought.
"I'm not evil." Angel argued.
"Yes you are. Tyler even sensed it. She told me you were working your way into my mind at the store." She looked away.
"I won't ever be your little Angel again will I?" my eyes searched hers.
"I have two little angels, MY real two little Angels."
"What about me?" Nudge had been quiet.
"You guys." I groaned. I walked over to the counter, putting the cookies into the cookie jar. "I love you all, so much. It was the best thing for me to do. I had to leave, to protect my babies."
"Will they even get to know me? I am their father after all."
"Fang." I sighed. I looked at him. "They don't know about you." He looked away, anger in his eyes. "I think it's time you le-"
"Mommy, is it true?" I turned to the kitchen door, where the twins stood. I tried to approach them, but they only backed away. "Mommy?"
"Baby." Ty glared at me. "Yes."
"You're going to just kick him out? Not even give us a chance at a real family? Do you know what the kids call us?" I shook my head. "Rape babies, that or they call us daddy's little creature." I flinched.
"I'm sorry, but it was my decision."
"No, it was ours." I looked at them straight.
"VERONICA AND TYLER, YOU WILL GO TO YOUR ROOMS AND STAY OUT OF THIS, IT WAS MY CHOICE."
"Max, they have a right to know me." I looked at Fang.
"Tyler room now, Ronnie basement now." They looked at me testing me. "You better get your asses out of this room, or else."
"Or else what?"
"I will lock you in the cages." Their eyes widened. I promised myself I would never really lock them up. They went down the stairs.
"Isn't that bad parenting?" Nudge asked.
"I wouldn't really lock them up, they just needed a threat." She shook her head in disappointment.
"Max, can I talk to you?" I nodded. I led him out the back door, to the back porch. "Let's fly?"
"Sure." We flung ourselves off the stairs. I let my wings fly out from under my jacket. I haven't let the twins watch me fly, anyone since I have left. It was a thing I kept between Fang and I. The last flight I took, going to him, then from him, forever. I led him over to a nearby tree. It was huge, sturdy. I landed on a branch lower than him, standing so we were almost face to face. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You left me." He was showing true emotions, something I barely saw from him.
"I know." He met my eyes, his were filled with the same emotion I was feeling, love, and lust. I still wanted him, a lot. "I didn't want to, but a part of me wanted to make sure that they could grow up, that they could have a real life, one out of our life. Out of the one we went through. Don't you want that." I ended up whispering.
"I want a lot of things. I want to be part of their lives, can't you give me that?"
"Yes." He smiled, slightly. He tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. His hand stayed on my face, lingering. His large warm hand, cupped my face easily. My skin tingled. He moved closer, our lips almost touching. "Fang, please."