Welcome Lynn

"This can't be happening". I looked at Fang and about clawed his eyes out. It was our own fault, but I still felt I needed someone to blame. At age 25 I was pregnant with my first and only child, courtesy of Fang. He was as shocked as I was. I figured it out 6 months into my pregnancy.

Earlier that day

It was as normal of a day as it gets when you are only 97% human (AN/ she's one percent fish*remember the gills). Gazzy and Iggy were doing something hopefully not destructive. Angel and Nudge were playing with Total and Akila's puppies. My mom was reading a book, and Fang and I were sitting on the coach holding hands while I held my hand over my stomach wanting to bang my head on a wall.

Lately I had been getting these absolutely awful stomach aches. Also I had gained 10 pounds in the last six months. It was especially odd since I only weigh 100 pounds thanks to that quirky 2% of me that is bird. I got up and said "hey guys I'm going to lay down in my room I don't feel good. They barely glanced at me and I walked to my room. Instead of heading to my room I raced to the bathroom and started throwing up, it was the worst feeling ever and I had no clue why I kept feeling so nausea and sick.

I felt so pathetic and vulnerable and after a while I could no longer hold myself up so I just slumped to the ground. I kept holding my stomach wanting to cry out in pain. As I clutched my stomach it felt as something was moving. I started to panic and called out to my mom. She came racing in to see me lying on a fetal position on the floor. "Max we have to take you to my office to see what's wrong", I wanted to scream out NO because doctors' offices and other medical buildings bring back bad childhood memories, but all that came out were some jumbled out swear words. Fang came rushing in and picked me up off the ground and put me in my mom's car. I said to fang "I love you" but I felt more like mush.

I was worried about the rest of the flock on the drive to my mom's office but the pain in my abdomen kept butting in. Fang stroked my forehead and I fell asleep. I woke with a jolt to find myself at my mom's vet office. Ironic considering I'm 2% bird and 1% fish but let's not focus on that. I slowly wobbled in using fang as support and soon I was lying on an operating table. My mom asked me where the pain was and I muttered something unintelligible about my stomach. Let's stop for a moment to ponder "why was I not breaking out in a cold sweat, and cussing fang out?" well lets congratulate that awful stomach pain.

Back to what was going on. My mom asked me to bring my shirt up a little bit and she put ultrasound cream on my abdomen then my mom turned to the monitor to see what was going on in my stomach. I looked over at my mom and Fang to see both of their faces turn ghost white. "What's wrong"? I looked at them both nervously and my mom slowly turned at me. "Max…." She started off then ended. "What?" I asked impatiently. "It seems as though you are….pregnant".

"This can't be happening". Slowly it all came back to me. I was just frustrated, I about leapt off the cold metal table to claw Fang's eyes out. It was both our faults, but I still needed someone to blame. Fang was stone quiet, and at the worst time possible as well. I could he was just as shocked as I was. My mom continued "By the looks of it as well you are about 6 months in already". That doesn't make sense I thought to myself. I don't look pregnant. "That means you already know the gender". I looked at Fang finally having spoken out. "Well yes and Max you're having a girl". Then all of a sudden I did something I never do. I started to cry.

I was so weak. I glanced down at my hand to see the beautiful wedding ring Fang had given me almost a year earlier when we got married. Then I looked at the first real gift Fang had given me. A ring I had gotten from him on my 15th birthday. I realized it was okay to be frustrated but I wanted to know something really important. "Does she have wings?" My mom looked at me and nodded, and I could see Fang's shoulders relax and I let out my breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

After that I just wanted to go home. When we finally got home I was flocked (Ha-ha no pun intended) by the flock. Angel asked "Max what happened, are you okay?" Nudge asked "Max please tell me it's not anything bad". I let out a breath and explained "The reason I've not been feeling good lately is that I'm….." I trailed off unsure. Then Angel's eyes went wide in her head and I sent her a thought "let me tell them". Fang cut in "She's 6 months pregnant with our daughter".

The flock looked at us as if we just told them we were going back to the School. They all looked dumbfounded then Nudge was the first to break the silence "!" She seemed more excited than us. Then everybody broke out into a nervous yet excited chatter. Iggy looked at Fang and wiggled his eyebrows. "good job Fang" Iggy whispered into Fang's ear, and I smacked him upside the head. Fang just gave a cocky grin and he got punched. "Geez Max, hormonal much?. I gave him a look that said "I will kill you in your sleep" and I walked to mine and Fang's room.

I plopped on mine and Fang's bed and gave him an extremely dirty look when he walked in. "Max I swear I never intended..." I cut him off "Fang we have a daughter that we have to take care of now and we still have to worry about the evil scientist who still want to take us apart and having a daughter will be suicide!" I didn't want to bring someone into the world when I knew being one of us would be extremely dangerous. I looked at Fang solemnly then laid my head in his lap and for the second time today… I started to cry. After a while I don't remember what happened I just dozed off with Fang stroking my head. One of the last things I heard him say before I fell asleep was "I'm so sorry", and I felt something wet land on my shoulder.

2 months later

"Max open this one next, it's from Angel and I". Yet another present was pushed in my hands as I could barely handle this entire girly overload. This was the 15th gift I had opened and there were only 6 people at my baby shower, not counting Total and Akila. I had opened everything from binkies and bottles to diapers and wipies. It was baby overload. I had finally started to look like I was pregnant…. It looked like I was 5 months pregnant when really I was about 8 months pushing 9 months.

When I was opening a very original baby outfit with precut slits in the back, it made me realize what type of world mine and Fang's daughter would be living in. Then I broke out of my trance when we heard a knock at the door. "I got it!" Angel shouted out then on her way over she stopped. "It's Dylan" she sounded extremely confused and then I realized something nobody can know about the eighth bird kid not counting Maya (let's not get into that story).

"Flock pull down all baby shower stuff and hide my presents", let me tell you fastest I've ever seen them do anything involving cleaning. I pulled off the ridiculous bow hat Nudge and Angel made me wear, and I flopped on the couch and pulled a blanket over me to hide my growing stomach. The flock dispersed and did what they do best…. Lie through their teeth.

Angel opened the door and my heart momentarily stopped. It was my supposed other half Dylan. I looked over at Fang to see his eyes go dark, and that's saying something when his eyes are almost black. "Dylan what are you doing here" Fang asked through gritted teeth. Dylan gave me that lost puppy dog look and replied "Nudge had told me Max wasn't doing well so I wanted to see if she was okay". "Oh I'm fine really, nothing to worry about". Then a thought hit me, Dylan didn't know I was married to Fang, and it made sense when I saw Dylan's color leave his face when he caught glimpse of my hand.

Instantly I felt guilty but I pushed that out of my brain. "Dylan so nice for coming but I'm going to lie down". I made a huge effort to turn quickly when I got up and hurried out of the room to hide my stomach. "Dylan thanks for coming so BYE!" and out of the corner of my eye I saw Angel practically shove Dylan out the door. I thought hard in my mind "thank you", knowing Angel would hear and I heard "your welcome now come back to your baby shower".

3 weeks later

Life had gone on as usual, and Angel, my Mom, and Nudge were getting almost unbearable. They were all so excited that any day my daughter would be born. I was more nervous than anything, and Fang, well I could tell he was very nervous as well. Angel came over to me and asked "Max would I be your and Fang's daughter's aunt?", and just then I saw that little baby I had practically raised and taught to fly.

I remembered all the times she wanted to be flock leader but in the end she would come back to us. That six year old little girl was now 18 and she looked the same but so much older. It hit me now how the flock had matured and grown up with exception of Gazzy and Iggy they are older but not so mature. They had all grown up so much but they were still my favorite goofballs. "Of course Angel, there was no doubt in my mind".

She smiled sweetly and walked to the kitchen. I followed her out when all of a sudden I about passed out. "Gazzy!" we all groaned in unison. Iggy almost ran into a wall because of the awful stench. I tried to hide a laugh as I held my breath which I can do for quite a while then Nudge opened the back door to let in some non-tainted air. I sat on the couch next to Fang when all of a sudden I felt this awful pain in my stomach. I've dealt with some pretty bad injuries and stuff but this was all new.

"Max you okay?" then it hit him, and Angel must have read our minds (no joke) and yelled out "DR. MARTIENEZ!" My mom came rushing in and lead me to my room and told me to lie down. She ordered everybody out except Fang. "Gazzy go get me my stuff." "Angel get me a warm cloth". I was panicking and the pain grew even more. Next thing I knew there was a needle in my arm and everything seemed to slow.

3 hours later

There were not words to describe how I felt holding the warm little bundle in my arms. She was so small and innocent. She had Fang's eyes and my hair, and her wings…. They were so beautiful they looked like mine but they had black in her primary feathers. "What do you want to name her?" I broke out of my trance as Fang tapped my shoulder. "Fang I think the perfect name for her would be Adrenalynn".

Fang gave me one of his rare Fang smiles as he lifted her out of my arms. He cradled her gently and whispered to her "welcome to the world Adrenalynn Ride". All of a sudden the door burst open and four overly excited bird kids came running in. I held up a hand and they shut their mouths and froze. Nudge asked slowly "Max, Fang can I hold her?" Fang gently put Adrenalynn in Nudge's arms and Adrenalynn emitted a small coo. "Max, Fang we should call her Lynn for short", Angel looked at us and we couldn't think of a more perfect thing to call her.

9 months later

Life couldn't have been more perfect. The flock was care free flying above our heads doing things normal bird kids do. Fang and I were sitting bellow them on a hill with Lynn babbling happily while flapping her small little wings. She whapped Fang in the face and I couldn't help but laugh at the look of his face. "Max I think we did a pretty good job". I smiled at him sweetly and pecked him on the cheek. Lynn then started flapping her wings wildly and was almost airborne. She cooed and then tucked her wings in and motioned for Fang to set her down. She closed her eyes and within minutes was snoring softly. "Fang I love you", "Max I love you too". He leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips. I wish I could freeze this moment. Where life was truly perfect.