Okay peoples. This is Chappie number two. I hope you read it, and review. Tell me! You know you want to push the little purple button!

Disclaimer: James Patterson. I envy you.

Chapter Two

Telling Max

I stared at Max as I carefully crawled into bed. She was sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb her at this time of night.

"Mmm. Iggy?" She muttered through the sleep.

"Shh. It's okay. Just go back to sleep," I told her. She shifted, pulling herself up into a sitting position and switching on the light.

"Iggy? Why are you so late?" Max asked, rubbing her eyes for a second. She yawned and then looked at me with alert eyes. I sat next to her for a second, debating on whether I should tell her the truth or not.

Max read me, calling me out on it. "The truth, please. If you will."

I nodded slowly.

"Max?" I asked, unnecessarily.

"Yeah?" She said, looking at me, a concerned expression on her face now.

"Have you noticed anything…different?"

"Well, you're a father, incredibly more mature, and we have a house. Does that count?" She said, looking down at my fingers. I was wringing my hands nervously. She set her palm down on my hands, stilling them. She closed her fingers over mine, grasping my fingers tightly. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to say it, let it all out, and I heard Angel's voice outside the doorway.

"You aren't cheating on her, are you?" She called out, and then I heard the slap of her hand over her mouth.

"Shut up and go away!" I yelled at her, hoping the twins wouldn't wake. They were pretty solid sleepers, but you just never know with children.

After a few long moments I heard Angel's voice again.

"Well? Are you?"

I stood, walking over to the door quietly. I opened it with a snap and Angel fell down, her hands still up in the air as if pressed to the door. She looked up at me apologetically and stood, brushing herself off.

"I'll just go then!" She huffed, and turned away from my death glare.

I closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed next to Max again. She looked at me and picked up my hands again, listening.

"I- do you remember when I did that magic and got my sight?" I asked, nervously. Max nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"Well, um. I think the magic is wearing off," I said, watching her face.

"Which means…?" Max prompted, waving her hand for me to continue.

"I'm going blind again."

Max's jaw fell. She closed it hurriedly and I heard Angel's distant cry of "HE SAID WHAT!??"

Max and I both called out for Angel to shut up. Max settled back against the headboard, staring at the wall. I looked at her for a few seconds before moving closer. She leaned forward and I sat behind her, pulling her up onto my lap.

I tangled our fingers together and brushed her hair away with my other hand.

"What do we do now? What do we tell the children?" Max wondered, her voice barely a whisper. "Will your eyes last long enough to see these ones?" She asked, rubbing her stomach. I rested my other hand on top of hers, pressing down on it.

"I guess we just enjoy the time I have left with sight," I answered. "We can't tell them about the magic, and I have no idea how long they'll last."

Max thought a moment. I rested my head on her shoulder and peeked over it at her swollen belly. It looked even bigger from the back than it did the front.

I felt Max's fingers tracing lazy circles up from my fingertips to my elbow, and back again. She let out her breath in one huge sigh.

"There's one person who we know that can help," Max said tentatively.

"That's a long way for me to go," I told her, my voice soft. Her hair ruffled.

"Us."

"No."

"Uh-huh."

"No."

"Yes," Max insisted, her voice getting louder.

"NO."

"Yeah."

"No!"

Max turned her head to look at me over her shoulder. "Yes," She stated simply.

"Max. You're pregnant. You won't-" She cut me off.

"If you're going to loose your sight either way, I want you to see me one last time," she said, her voice soft and sad.

I thought about it for a second.

"How are we going to get the kids to keep up?" I asked with a sigh, giving in. I wouldn't make Max go through all that sitting at home, biting her fingers, wondering when I'll get home, if ever, and whether I had my sight or not.

"Angel could help us," Max suggested. Distantly I heard Angel's whoop of excitement.

"Shut up Angel!" We called out in unison.

"Okay. So she agrees. How are we going to get there? Washington is a long way, and I don't think we can fly all the way up there from Texas with twins and triplets on our backs," I said, looking up at the ceiling.

I counted the stars one by one, all one hundred and thirty-two of them, four times over, waiting for Max to speak.

"Can we decide as we go?" She asked, tilting her head back so she could see my face. I kissed her forehead.

"Do you want to stop off at your mother's? Let the children visit their grandma?" I suggested, half hoping she didn't hear me. Her reply shocked me.

"Yes. Let's do that," Max said decisively, nodding. " I want to see her, too."

Angel whined. We ignored her.

"You sure?" I asked, looking back up at the glow-in-the-dark stars glued to the ceiling.

Max nodded again. Her breathing slowed, and I pulled the covers up as high as I could from behind and underneath her, giving her belly one last pat before covering it.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding one of her hands. I rubbed it gently, kissing the back of it. I stared at my Max.

This could be my last glimpse of her. Or tomorrow night it could. I could even lose the rest of my sight during the middle of the day, in front of the kids.

I bit my lip.

I took a deep breath and calmed my thoughts, reordering in my head all the images. Max, Jace and Abbey, Angel, Gazzy, Fang, and the whole family together. I pasted Nudge onto it, ignoring the slight pain I felt.

Nudge had never made it out of there.

Dead, or alive.