(Ok guys, FAXNESS chapter for ya here and baby-talk. Then we get some action later. Then suspense. Then more FAXNESS. But we're talking some major chapters til then. BUT! I already have 'after Max has the baby' written ;) )

MAX POX

It was about 6pm and I looked down at the sparse vegetation below us that shouldn't really be called vegetation at all. We were flying back to my Mom's house cause Fang wanted her to 'check things out'. I rolled my eyes at the memory of that conversation. It was probably the first time he had gotten worried and pleading looking.

Of course, I knew he'd deny it ever happening.

Now how did the whole flying thing work when your as hugely pregnant as I am? Well I'll tell you. You yell a lot, until your boyfriend gives in with poor grace. Well and a bruised shin where you kick him…but let's not get into that right now.

Even though we'd only been flying for about an hour, my stomach was hurting for resisting gravity and my wings were aching from the extra weight I was carrying.

Fang, who's been watching me like a hawk, noticed.

How clever, Max. Fang a hawk. You're quite the wit. I ignored the Voice, not even thinking up a response in my head.

"Guys, we're calling it a night!" Fang had to yell over the wind to get the attention of the Flock, but they heard and immediately slowed down to let us catch up.

"Town back about 20 miles and you're Mom's is about another hour so our safest bet is the town," Iggy said when we came to a stop.

"Let's just sleep here." I looked down at the ground where there was a formation of rocks that made a little shelter.

"Max, that's crazy." I looked up at Fang and saw a look of patience. But it was wearing thin. "You're 4 months pregnant. The last time we saw your mom she said with the rate you're developing, you'd be able to deliver at 5 months. That's one freaking month, Max. Rocks in a desert isn't a very good idea. I'll carry you of you can't…"

I let his voice trail off into the back of my head as I started to descend to the rocks. I heard his protests but ignored him anyway, determined to tough it out after weeks of comfy hotels.

* * *

Fang wasn't happy. We had lit a fire and were seated around it, digging through our backpacks for our food. Fang was choosing to ignore me, only looking at me long enough to shrug his jacket off and give it to me, before sitting on the opposite of the fire.

I knew he thought I was just being difficult, but really. I was fine and he was being unnecessarily mean. I stood up slowly and walked to sit down next to him. He moved a little to the left but I was just as stubborn as he is, so I followed.

After a couple of minutes, he let out a deep breath, releasing all of his tension and let his arm come around me.

"I win." I grinned up at him and he scowled back. He couldn't stay mad at me anymore. Not that he was ever really good at it in the first place.

Suddenly, feeling very tired and very pregnant, I shifted to the ground, laying my head in Fang's lap and propping my legs up on the rock in front of me. His hand came up and smoothed my hair down into a semi-tame position before resting it on top of my belly.

I was partly asleep when I heard him whisper, "I'll take watch, Ig. You go to sleep" and Iggy's whispered reply. I was relaxing back into sleep when a sudden thought struck me. I opened my eyes and saw Fang's eyes roaming the desert, while his hand maintained its soothing rubbing motion.

My voice, when I spoke my thought, came out as a whisper: "What do you want to name it?"

___________

FANG'S POV

I scanned the desert, but my focus was mainly on the hand on Max's stomach. Every once in a while, I felt a tiny kick and I tried to figure out if that had been an elbow or hand or what.

Another nudge.

That definitely felt like a f-

"What do you want to name it?" I dropped my eyes to Max and found hers open wide.

"I don't know…what about you?" She seemed to deliberate for a moment before grinning devilishly. "You get to pick her name."

I was momentarily shocked by her eagerness and let it slide that she insisted the baby was a 'her'.

"Why? A name is a powerful thing and she's gonna be stuck with it for the rest of her life." It suddenly struck me just how truly important it was and I swallowed hard. She smiled at me, her brown eyes sparkling.

"That's why I want you to pick it," she said, still smiling. "You're her daddy." The name struck me, and I grasped that it was true. I was this baby's daddy. This baby, whether it be boy, girl, or bird, was mine.

"But you're her mom," I said, coming back to the conversation. She shook her head stubbornly and pulled my face down closer to hers.

She whispered the next words in my ear: "But that's just it. If there's one thing that's stronger than a mom's love for her daughter, it's a dad's love." Then her warm lips found mine. I kissed her back, gently moving my arms to around her waist and pulled her into a more upright position to deepen the kiss. Her arms wound around my neck and mine circled her waist, my hands resting on the small of her back.

She pulled away a few seconds later, only to lay her head on my chest, her legs curled around mine as she was halfway in my lap. She smiled up at me. "So pick." Her voice was teasing yet demanding. "And I don't want to hear another word about it until it's done."

The demanding tone was gone completely now, and she smiled up at me before laying her head down and closing her eyes. She was out in seconds.

I woke Iggy up a few hours later and fell almost instantly asleep as well, laying on the hard ground and pulling Max across my chest, off of the cold and hard dirt. She didn't even move, only sighed contentedly and stayed asleep. I smiled wryly. My last thought before drifting off into dreamland was, she won't be waking up for a while.

But I was wrong.

When I woke up, it was completely dark.

And Max was gone.

(Ooooh cliffy. MWAHAHAHAHA!!! Sorry. R&R please. Won't post more until I get some good reviews.)

Matty**