Heya peoples! This is the story of Max and Iggy's life after the institution. It has been five years, and since then everything has changed! I hope you guys likey!
This story will be written from Iggy's perspective, and I am going to make one to go alongside it with Max's perspective on everything. Soon, I'll even add a story of what Fang and Fi are doing.
Hope you enjoy, xxxAbbeyDawn
Disclaimer: That damned James Patterson still won't sell the copyrights to me.
Chapter One
Losing It
I looked over at Max. Her eyes were shining with happiness as she gazed out at the backyard.
Yes. We have a backyard.
Jace and Abbey were running around in the back, tackling each other, and playing tag, all at the same time. Max smopthed her hand down her swollen belly.
"You know, when we were younger, I never thought that we'd have a house," Max said, still watching our children. I took the few steps left over to her and swept her hair back from her face.
"Well, do you know, that when we were younger, I never thought I'd end up with someone as beautiful as you?" I asked, wrapping my arm around her. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and turned back to the stove.
"Daddy! Daddy!" The door slammed open and Abbey ran in. She grabbed my legs and wrapped her skinny little arms around them tightly. I wobbled from the pressure.
"What is it, hon?" I asked, picking up the pot. I shuffled to the sink slowly and slid the lid halfway off and tilted it, letting the water pour out. Abbey watched the steam rise.
"Brother hit me!" She cried out, pointing at his leg. I set down the pot.
"Go ask Mommy, she'll help you," I told her, gently shaking her loose. Cold air from outside drifted in.
"Jace! Dinner!" Max shouted out the door, holding it open for him. "And get that mud off of you," she said. I smiled, remembering.
When Abbey and Jace had been little, littler than they were now, Max and I had struggled with them. We were two kids that hadn't been raised, except for Jeb. He did a pretty good job of it too, but he hadn't raised us when we were little babies. We had been too little to care and pay attention, and this was where it had gotten us now.
"What's for dinner, Daddy?" I heard Jace call out from the bathroom.
"Pork chops, broccoli, and- Max, what else?" I asked, turning towards my wife. She smiled at me.
"How about applesauce and mangos?" She suggested. I relayed it to Jace.
"But Daddy, I don't like broccoli!" Jace answered. Max walked to the bathroom, her footsteps awkward. This was another pregnancy, yes, but this time it was triplets instead of twins.
I laughed inwardly at the sight. I smiled, too, because I loved her. I loved the way she groaned when i tried to wake her up in the mornings, and the way that when I tried again, she would punch me.
It was my Max.
I set the table, ruffling Abbey's hair as I passed her. She protested, brushing my hand away with a giggle.
Max was carrying Jace to the table. She set him down on the ground and he ran to take up his seat on the opposite of his twin.
Max took the pork chops, dropping them onto my plate with her fingertips. I set the broccoli pot down in the middle of the table. Some habits are hard to break. We still have days, that when Jace and Abbey are away, that we go outside, build a fire, and have soup.
"Daddy, if you don't like broccoli, then why do you make us eat it?" Jace asked innocently. I was stumped by that one.
"Eat," I told him, to distract him from the fact that he had won. Max laughed and Jace grumbled.
After dinner, applesauce was all over the table, the walls, and our faces. Max and I were wiping our twin's faces clean when there was a bang on the door.
"I'm heeere!" A voice called out.
"Auntie Angel!!!" The kids shrieked. Max laughed as they ran to the door, hurriedly wiping their faces. I dropped my rag and stood, helping Max. She put her hand in the middle of her back to keep herself steady.
Angel walked in, let in by the kids. She grinned at Max and laughed, tossing her hair back rom her shoulder. "How far now?" She asked, patting Max's stomach lightly.
"One or two months left," Max answered with a grin. She hugged Angel and rested her hand on her belly. "I can't wait!" She said nervously, with a tinge of excitement in her voice.
"Aiieee!" Angel screamed out when Abbey grabbed her from behind. She reached down behind her to smooth Abbey's hair. "Don't scare me like that!"
Angel leaned in to whisper to us. "I'm glad I'm not having any anytime soon!"
Max looked at her protectively. "You better not! My little baby's still too young for it!" Angel rolled her eyes at her.
"Whatever," she said, and turned to me. "So, what's new, daddy-o?" Max glared at her and started to walk away. I kept her by me with my arm around her waist. She leaned into me, hugging me.
Max picked up my hand and set it on her belly. My eyes widened in surprise. "The babies are kicking," I said, and moved my hand over to the side so Angel could feel them too.
Max laughed and rubbed her belly. "They're loving all the attention," she murmured, looking up at me, her eyes glistening with tears. I wiped her eyes.
"Jesus, Max, you always cry about this! It's been almost five years!" Angel exclaimed, not thinking. Max looked at her meaningfully and she sighed, walking away. Her footsteps trailed out towards the living room.
"Sorry, Iggy. I just-" Max said, and her sentence was cut off by another short burst of tears.
"It's okay, Max. I do too. I do too," I said, rubbing her back. Back when we had been at the institution they had taken the babies. They had been weird, their bones at odd angles and missing arms or legs. They had given Max too many chemicals and tests, and then taken the malformed children.
We had heard their broken cries as their lives were cut off.
"Okay. I'm fine," Max said, catching her breath. I leaned down to peer into her face. I carefully wiped her tears away.
"You sure?"
Max nodded. I leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "Okay."
I led her out of the kitchen, holding her hand. She tightened her hold on my fingers for a moment before letting my hand drop. She looked at me gratefully and sat down next to Angel on the couch. Jace immediately clambered up onto her lap. He twisted her medium length hair in his fingers, twirling it around. She tilted her head down farther so he could reach more hair.
"What brings you here a week early?" Max asked Angel curiously. Her arms flew up, catching Jace before he fell and lifting him back up into a better position on her lap. Abbey crawled up to sit next to Angel, fiddling with her bracelet.
"I'll talk to you about it later," Angel said, looking at the twins. Max turned her head.
"Hey, Iggy. Angel's going to help me put the twins to bed, 'k?" Max told me. I nodded my head and headed back to our bedroom. I distantly heard the twins' protests and Angel and Max protesting right back.
I dug out the Tylenol from the drawer by the bed and shook out a pill, closing the drawer slowly and quietly. I walked softly to the bedroom, the carpeting cushioning my footsteps.
I turned the water on, letting a twickle of water come down. I swallowed the pill with a long chug of water. I glanced into the mirror above the sink and proved my suspicions true.
My blue eyes were becoming cloudy again.