A small Fax chapter, some more action next chapter or two, I hope you enjoy even if it is shorter than normal.

2

The next morning we ate at the hotel restaurant, a nice place mostly full of old queens. Angel was drinking a big cup of coffee which earned some odd glances from a few old ladies. I heard one of them comment on young kids these days as they shuffled past, looking for a table.

"Gazzy," I said and The Gasman looked up from his cereal. "I think it's safe to say you're nine. And Iggy, we're six months apart so in two months you'll be fifteen." I caught Angel's eyes.

"I want to be seven," She said.

"I'm pretty sure you already are." I said. "I think you turned seven very recently." Fang was giving me an odd look. "What?" I asked him.

He looked down at his food, "I didn't know you were handing out birthdays is all." He commented. I was confused but I saw him trying not to smile and I smiled too.

"How's the blog going?" I asked him.

"Here we go again," Iggy said as Fang said: "Good, I got an interesting letter,"

"What?" Fang and I both asked him, facing him. Then I looked away, blushing. Fang didn't back down. "So what does that mean?"

"You guys always start going off into your own little talking world filled with blogs and, when you think no one is looking, alone time. I've picked up on a few moments, one involving a dock and Max flying away." Iggy looked pretty pleased with himself. I was blushing, looking down at my own plate but Fang got angry.

"That's eavesdropping, Iggy!" he said. "And it's personal."

"Yeah cause it's a huge secret you guys like each other," Gazzy said. And that set off a huge argument. It was so embarrassing that everyone thought Fang and I were together. So what, we've kissed a few times. Did it matter that much?

Nudge started clapping and talking nonstop, Gazzy and Iggy were snickering; Fang was yelling at them to stay out of it, Akila started barking and Angel and Total were whispering to each other. This was so embarrassing!

"Check, please." I said weakly to a startled looking waiter.

"Certainly, um is everything ok over here?" He asked, gesturing. Over here meant at our table. Everybody in the joint was staring at us, I saw some angry old people grumble and stand up to leave.



"Everything's fine," I said. "Nick just, um, stole an egg from Jeff." I said, gesturing to the now semi-wrestling Iggy and Fang. Then I realized just how not fine everything was. Nudge was facing me, still chattering, Fang and Iggy were fighting, Gazzy was laughing and um…passing gas, and Angel was talking to a dog. I wasn't even sure if they allowed dogs in the theater but it was a little too late to find out now. "STOP!" I shouted to everyone. "Come on! Mom's waiting in the car anyway!" Then I marched out of the restaurant, not even checking to see if they were following me or not.

The thing I hated most about this situation was how it started, Fang and I getting too over defensive about our relationship. The sad thing was I think I did like him. We have kissed a few times and I always chickened out about talking about it. Then I saw him kissing that girl at school, Lissa, and I was not happy. Then Bridget came along and that made me furious. He got equally jealous when I kissed Sam, always calling him the possible traitor.

But I didn't want to show my emotions to him or anyone else, it made me vulnerable. Not to mention if we broke up it might result in another flock break up, and I couldn't afford to lose even one of my family.

I checked out of the hotel and wordlessly exited, waiting for my family to notice I was gone. It took another five minutes before they exited. "This is why I don't like taking you kids out," I said jokingly. "Your father and I will talk to you later,"

"Fang already talked to us," Iggy said.

I launched a back kick at him, catching him the ribs. "Oops," I said, grinning. "Come on guys, let's go." I said. And we took off.