Author's Note: Thanks so much to all who reviewed and who said that they liked it. Thank you to: Flamingflie, praypray, Dreamer878, Sierra Jade Faerie, and MoonStarWithWings. Ha ha, I'm getting all mushy in the Author's Note but in the actual story I put Nudge through all kind of crap.

Disclaimer: I own diddly.

Taking Off: A Nudge Story

Chapter Two

I wanted to return to the Martinez house to find everyone in hysterics because they couldn't find me. I wanted for Max to welcome me with a hug and anxious glances. "I was so worried," she'd say, "you were gone for so long."

Even Fang would crack a smile in relief that I was all right.

Iggy would immediatley forget about whatever happened with Ella. He would sweep me in his arms and tell me how much he adored me.

But that was just fantasy, and the reality I flew into was completely different. Judging from the lack of frantic yelling, my absence hadn't even been noticed. I entered the hallway bracing myself to be grabbed by an anxious Flock member, but the hallway I walked into disappointed me. The hall mocked me, quiet except for a faint laughter. If they were all so worried, then they wouldn't be laughing. I tried not to think "If I mattered they wouldn't be laughing." Instead I pushed the thought far, far back in my mind and proceeded into the house.

I walked into the kitchen. I saw no Happy Birthday banners. It surprised me how much I expected to see some. It surprised me how much I was hurt when I didn't. Again I pushed at the bad thoughts from my mind, only they were so strongly rooted that they wouldn't leave. These dark feelings that were so attached to me only grew stronger when I saw Angel, Dr. Martinez, Ella and Max in aprons having a flour fight.

They'd been baking, obviously. I guessed that they were done with the actual mixing because the oven was turned on and flour flew with a gusto. No one was spared. Max's light hair was sprinkled with the white stuff, but she didn't seem bothered that she was a mess. Even when Ella took a fistful and dumped it on her, Max only laughed and recoiled with a handful of flour of her own.

It was a few minutes before someone noticed me. Even then it was Angel and she threw flour in my face. Lovely.

"Hey. What're you doing?" I asked.

Ella, Dr. Martinez and Max all gave me a look like they'd been caught in the act. Then they all shared a stealthy glance and laughed.

"Nothing," Max giggled.

She giggled. I had never heard Max giggle before. Max did not giggle. I giggled. I had giggling fits, even when nothing was funny. But Max was our fearless, strong leader and seeing her giggle, seeing her with her guard down just seemed wrong to me. The Nudge-Is-Mad-o-Meter rose a few points.

"We're making cookies, Nudge." Dr. Martinez smiled warmly.

I waited for someone to invite me to join. Or maybe Angel had already, in an odd way, invited me to join by throwing flour in my face. I saw some had spilled on the counter. I picked it up and threw it in Ella's face. Instead of throwing some back and starting another all out flour fight, Ella threw me an annoyed look.

Dr. Martinez cleared her throat and said, "We'd better get this cleaned up," in a kind of embarrassed way.

Max and Ella agreed. They both grabbed cloths and began to wipe up the mess they'd made.

My face felt hot. What the heck had I done that for? I made my exit. Once I was a safe distance away, I slapped my forehead. I don't know who I was more furious at. Me for believing they wanted me in their fight. Or themfor stopping the fun just as soon as I got there. Like they had an exclusive club and as soon as someone not in on the secret caught a glimpse of it, they had to stop immediately. I thought back to how stupid I was. How many times, Nudge? I asked myself. How many times do you have to make a complete fool of yourself in a day before you learn?

I tried to shake it off, but it was like every bad thing that had happened today had a Velcro attachment and wouldn't let go. I was left still thinking about it when I heard a loud bang from the backyard. I quickly concluded it was the Gasman and Iggy messing around with fireworks. No doubt half the house would be burned before this holiday was over with them in charge of explosives. I grinned in spite of my current mood and passed through the sliding door to the outside.

My foot wasn't one inch out of the doorway before I was bombarded with sparks, colors and the loud sputter that meant No Good.

"Gazzy," Fang warned.

At the crackle of the fireworks, I'd taken a giant leap backwards and landed on my tush. I picked myself up as I saw Iggy bound over to me.

His fingers brushed my wings which I hadn't bothered to tuck back in.

"Uh, Nudge?" Iggy asked. A blush appeared across his usually pale cheeks. For a brief moment I relished that he was blind because otherwise he would've seen the intense red I'd become.

"About-- about what you saw earlier," His fingers fidgeted nervously with the explosive in his hand, and he bit his lip, unsure how to phrase the words delicately enough.

"I won't tell Max," I said knowing what he was leading up to.

"Thanks," he answered grinning.

We stood there; the awkward silence couldn't have been more obvious to both of us.

"So... embarrassing, huh?" Iggy laughed nervously.

I knew Iggy was waiting for me to say something, to offer my blessing or maybe to tease him a little bit. But that wouldn't happen. How could I tease him playfully as though it didn't matter to me whether or not he and Ella became... whatever they were becoming? How could I act like I was okay with this? And offer my blessing? No way.

Iggy opened his mouth to say something, and I panicked on what it would be. To make the awkwardness end, or at least to make it so that I was able to run far, far away from it, I interrupted him and hurriedly said, "Don't blow yourself up. Bye," and made for an exit.

Why did I leave? I questioned myself, closing the sliding door. Maybe he was about to explain, maybe he was going to tell me that he and Ella had decided to call it quits. Maybe, but probably not.

I started for upstairs. My foot had just propelled me off the second stair when I met someone I had yet to encounter that day: Jeb. It wasn't like Jeb had ever paid me any special attention. His eyes had always been for Max, and he had never singled me out. Even so, as I walked past him on my way upstairs, the look of total indifference on his face hurt.

Indifference. Not "better off without you" but not "we desperatley need you" either. It's as though even if I disappeared, dropped off the edge of the Earth, nothing would change. It wouldn't be this great loss. I contemplated leaving. Just packing my one bag and heading off. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. Not yet. In my mind they still had one more chance to redeem themselves, one more chance to prove that I was still a part of their family. They had until midnight. When the whole world would scream "Happy New Year" if none of them screamed "Happy Birthday" I was taking off.

It's stupid, but before I learned to fly, I was deathly afraid of high places. It was always the fear that I'd fall, and plunge to my death. I was always made up excuses on why I would need to skip flying with the others, until they became so elaborate and see-through that Max had enough. Max told me that there was nothing to be afraid of. She even lifted me up with her wings and took me flying around. True, she couldn't lift me that high, but it was still what led me past my fears.

I'd never liked being alone with only my voice for company either. I preferred being with my flock talking nonstop. And although occasionally Iggy or Fang or somebody would tell me to but a cork in it (and other things not so G rated), my constant stream of chatter had become a Nudge trademark. I'd never realized how much I did talk until I stopped talking, and then I was quick to fill the silence.

So how crazy was it that I found myself sitting on the roof alone that night?

It was eleven o'clock. The party had officially started ages ago and by now the news that the New Year was one hour away had infected everyone with a buzz of happiness and anticipation. If my mood was different I'd be right there joining them. But instead I perched on the rooftop quietly observing each one of them.

Was this how Fang felt? He was quiet, too. Was this what quiet people did in their time, when they were in the company of not-so-quiet people? Did Fang observe people, noting the strange things that they did?

I'd been on the roof for nearly half and hour watching my Flock. Every one of them grinned happily, absorbing the zeal of the night's air into everything they did. Not one of their faces were mysterious or mischievous, the kind of face that one puts on before throwing a surprise birthday party for their sister. I know what you're thinking. You're staring at the pathetic girl on the roof who still holds onto lost strands of hope that her family hasn't forgotten her birthday. In fact, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it but part of the reason I was up on the roof was the fact that I was giving them a chance to set everything up. They couldn't very well set up a "surprise" party if I was there to supervise it, could they?

No matter how hard I tried to focus on everyone else, my eyes kept going back to Iggy. Or Iggy and Ella because whether I liked it or not they were a pair. Why had Iggy asked me not to tell Max? It was completely obvious that they were "together". What with their not-so-secret kiss behind the big tree...

I stayed up there until just before 12:00, just before the end of the old year, when I gave up all but the tiniest bit of hope. 11:59, I thought to myself seeing the big digital clock Jeb had set up. One more minute.

I landed by the food table taking note of the fact that there was nothing left. I smiled remembering how Gazzy had pigged out on those finger sandwiches and how Iggy had yelled at him to leave something for the rest of the world. God, I'd miss them when I... No. I couldn't think like that. I couldn't think that the Flock would forget. They still had one minute right? They could still save themselves.

The desperation I felt and the importance of this one minute made me want to fling my arms wide and scream that it was my birthday just so they'd say "Happy Birthday" when the clock hit 12:00. Then I'd tell myself that they didremember, with a little help. Or I'd give them hints. Not subtle ones, they obviously couldn't handle those. No. Maybe I'd spell "Nudge's Birthday Is Tonight" out with the jelly beans and then act surprised when someone pointed it out. "Isn't thata coincidence...?"

"You've been quiet,"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. How did he do that? I turned around and nearly fell in an effort to avoid crashing into the suddenly there birdkid. Fang had been working on his stealth tactics, apparently, because he'd been five centimeters away from me for who knows how long and I hadn't noticed.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, his dark eyes centered on me.

I've always thought Fang was a big sweetie at heart. I mean Max wouldn't have fallen in love with him if he wasn't, right? His eyes, even though they were a dark, almost black, brown, were soft and they made me want to confide in him. Actually, I wanted to hug him. I wanted to grab him and squeeze tightly. He noticed. Someone noticed. I wasn't so useless that nobody cared. Fang noticed. For a second I turned back into my bubbly self. I bounced, literally. An unexpected smile flashed across my face.

I shouldn't have smiled. Fang's look of concern turned to one of relief. "Good, you're smiling," he said. "For a minute there I thought something was wrong."

"No! There is! There is something wrong!" I wanted to yell. But before I could get a word out Ella shouted, "TEN!"

The Countdown. Crap. Shut up Ella, I wanted to say. Fang was onto it, Fang could figure it out. He just needed more time.

But suddenly it wasn't just Ella. Suddenly everyone joined in. Their voices were loud and I bet reached until the end of the great forest. Fang gave me a small smile and his voice was added with the others.

"SIX!"

In six seconds I would know.

"FIVE!"

It no longer mattered whether Fang had noticed my funk, in five seconds my decision would be made.

"FOUR!"

Suddenly I wanted to stop the world. I wanted to break the clock. I wanted Time to just freeze for a moment because this might actually be my last four seconds with my Flock.

"THREE!"

Because what if they didn't remember? And what if Fang noticing me feeling like crap was a fluke? What if they didn't really care? Three seconds. In three seconds I'd know.

"TWO!"

Two seconds. Just two seconds that were not nearly long enough. I wanted to spend forever with my Flock, two seconds wouldn't suffice.

"ONE!"

Well...?

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!"

All 8 people at the party wished the world a happy new year. Not one person wished me a happy birthday.

It was over. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't give them anymore time to fill the gaping hole that had appeared in the middle of my chest. The decision had been made. I was leaving the Flock.