January 9, 2013

OH GEEZ, DIARY-

Baby is like coming now and we're driving to the hospital! Delanie actually had the "decency" to ask what I would do if the baby had two heads! I wish he was here.

Mother to be (very soon),

Maximum Ride

January 10, 2013

Oh hey Diary, long time no write,

Sorry it took so long but I always sucked with doing something every single day that didn't involved staying alive and taking care of my flock but I guess now's a good time to try and start up again. As you can probably guess, I was getting ready for the baby with the "help" of Delanie who considered black curtains perfectly acceptable for a child's room. She kept me company so I didn't reject her idea too harshly.

You would be happy to know that on January 10, 2013 at 3:21 A.M., I gave birth to Nick Ride with the help of my newest best friend screaming the entire time, "Max, this is totally disgusting down here- like Nightmare on Elm Street is less blood and guts. Breath- In and Out- can't pass out." Then, when she offered me her hand to squeeze I heard the line, "Can someone get me some painkillers? You will not believe how badly this hurts." Of course, Delanie's heart is in the right place so, you know how it is.

I called my mother as soon as it happened (calling her on her cell and never her house phone so that none of the flock answered). She was coming in tomorrow to meet her new grandson- my son. Wow, I will probably never get use to saying that- in a good way of course.

Delanie was chilling in a not very comfortable hospital chair staring at the television watching a British reality show, which I found quite a shocker that England even had that. (I thought watching other people suffer by jumping on moving cars and eating bugs was an American thing). Nick was in my arms, cooing and giggling in an odd baby language that I'm pretty sure only Delanie got because as soon as Nick started crying, she looked over at me and said, "He's tired."

Leaning to my right, as Delanie got up to help, we placed him in the plastic crib that let me stare at him the entire time, which was a good thing because I honestly couldn't take my eyes off of him. I loved him so much and not because he was mine but because of the other half of his DNA that belonged to someone else. Although he didn't open his eyes up now, I had seen them earlier, dark as night, just like the fuzz of hair on top of his hair that complemented his olive toned skin. Not a speck of Max in him, except his black wings had speckles of tan in them.

We were waiting for my mom to come, here we were. Delanie was taking a bite of a snickers bar, her legs over the arm of the plastic chair and her blue hair slicked back into a pony tail. Just then, there was a knock on the door and a doctor stepped in. Of course, being here was setting my nerves to sky rocket (but one look over at his child and I was calm again). The white coat lady though, with bright red hair (you can see how I am hating this) was shy and nervous as she said, "Ms. Ride, we were wondering if we could have some samples from you…or the baby."

"Excuse me?" Normally, this situation would've called for me to say something and I almost did with my mouth hanging open as Delanie filled the silence. The doctor turned her attention over to my friend, "I'm sorry but this child was born not even for a full day and you can't have the respect to leave a mother and her baby alone?" Delanie stood up and was staring at the doctor with a stare that would almost make me cringe had I never lived through the life I had. "If you ever mutter a word like that again, I will hurt you. This is Maximum Ride here- she saved the world. You owe her your life." Cue in my blushing and the doctor's scared face as she shuffled out the door and you've got the nicest thing I've ever heard said about me- like ever.

Delanie turned to look at me, "The nerve of some people! I mean honestly, you'd think that woman won the Nobel Prize or something with the way she talked to you- as if she knew better about what to do with your own blood than she did. She wasn't even part of the staff that delivered Nick. You never did mention the reason behind the name?"

I shrugged, "Who's to say I had a reason?"

Delanie snorted as she sat back down. She lifted the remote up to change the channel as she spoke, "It's you. You always have a plan…a reason…a purpose." I bit my lip and shrugged- she had me on that one.

I fiddled with the blankets edge, my entire lower body sore from giving birth, but my heart racing with excitement that I was now a mother to the most beautiful child in the world. "Well, once- when we had to hide our names, his name was Nick- the father, I mean."

"Oh, I see, I guess that makes sense," Delanie concluded. "He's hungry," she nodded over to the plastic crib. At that instant, Nick began to cry. I lifted my eyes from my son to her as she stood up to pick him up and bring him to me.

"How did you do it?" I asked while I held Nick in my arms, rocking him to postpone his crying. Delanie shrugged. "You're a wizard or something. You English people always are." Delanie laughed.

"Nah, if I was a witch, I'd be making some love potions," then she sighed, "God knows I need them." Blinking back away from her fantasy, she smiled at me, the curve of her lip ring moving too, "I'll see you around Max. Have fun boob feeding." Then, she was walking out the door as I began to feed him.

Adapting, like I do best, to motherhood,

Maximum Ride

January 12, 2013

Diary. . .

Mom came to visit and it didn't turn out how I planned. Oh god…you won't believe what happened…here it is for you to "read".

A knock came at my door early morning and I opened my eyes. Nick was sound asleep in his crib and as it was, I barely got any sleep because I had been busy watching him take his small breaths and his little black wings (with tan speckles) twitching. I don't know how but every minute that passed, I loved him more.

There in front of me, stood my mother dressed in what she had worn on the plan, suffering most likely from jet lag. Her black hair was in a messy ponytail and there were bags underneath her eyes. "Max," she said with a smile.

"Mom," I whispered, leaning back on the pillow as I slowly sat up. "How are you?" She was by my side instantly, opposite of where Nick was. She held my face.

"I'm fine. You looked exhausted…but I must say, for someone who just gave birth you're beautiful." I rolled my eyes. "All right, you don't look your best but it's still true and I'm not saying that just because you're my daughter. Where is he?"

I stared over at Nick, still fast asleep, and smiled. "He's quite all the time, like his father, unless he's hungry. Mom, meet Nick Ride. You can go ahead and hold him if you'd like." My mother made it around my bed and went to pick Nick up. He enjoyed being held, whether it was by me or Delanie or even my mom now, as he wiggled a bit in his sleep to get in a comfortable position.

"He's beautiful…" my mother sighed and stared at him. "My grandson and everything about him is perfect. He's just like his father." Then, my mother's eyes turned to me to make sure she hadn't crossed a line.

I smiled, "You're right. Although, Delanie pointed out that most newborns look like their father because during ancient time it served as a connection for the father to know that the child is his." Delanie in all her strangeness was studying human nature like classes in college between her job delivering her food and now, hanging out with me.

"Max, while you were away, I've been thinking about how we're going to get you and the baby home…without the flock thinking Nick is yours." I winced, trying to remember this was the best idea to keep everyone safe. My mother seemed she was having a hard time going on, "And- well, I have to take him with me and you can come back in a month or two."

My heart dropped off a cliff and exploded. "Wait? What?"

"As soon as Nick is old enough to go on a plane, I will bring him with me home and tell the flock that Jeb found him, he was the offspring of two Itex experiments with wings who got their expiration dates and died. We've been finding lots of others- experiments, I mean- and the flock will believe me. I'll block Angel from hearing my thoughts. I have been since you left."

"NO!" I screamed. "You can't take him! He's mine! A month away from you? Why can't I just come with you?" I was sitting up and reaching my hands out for my son. For the time being, my mother gave in and handed him over. He was a pretty heavy sleeper at the moment but only because he woke up if anyone moved a fraction of an inch during the night. Still, if he woke up, he wouldn't cry.

"Honey, you want to see the flock again right?" The extra hormones were making tears fall down from my face. I nodded my head. "And you want Nick to be with us, right?" Again, I stared at my son and nodded my head. "Then, you have to go through with this plan. The flock won't believe in coincidences that you would arrive the same day as a child and it's not like none of them can do math. You were sick for two months, left, and then around ten months later come back around the same time that I bring a child with wings home who looks just like his father?"

I was silent, listening, watching my son wrinkle his nose as a tear fell on his cheek. I held him close, our fast beating hearts in complete time. "Max, you can come home a month later and they'll think nothing of it. They may have suspicions but no proof. For the happiness of you, your son, and his father, Max, you have to do this the right way. Do you understand?"

Nick suddenly opened his eyes, his dark familiar eyes that made me want to cry and so I did. In that look, it was as if he knew what we were talking about…all right, I'm exaggerating but I bet he knew I was upset. "Mom, I can't let him go. You see who he is…Nick's all I have of him now."

"I see and I understand Max, but know that you'll see him again," her voice sounded so rational and right but I didn't want to give in.

"Nick knows I'm his mother though. He knows. What's going to happen when I'm not there?" I sniffled and rubbed my nose and wet cheeks.

"Max, it's for the best, remember? I'll show him your picture every day if that helps and you can come home in two weeks…how's that?" Two weeks, fourteen days, already it was too much and too long even with my son there in my hands.

"I get to come home-home with you on the plane. We say goodbye at the city outside the town where we live where I'll get an apartment. Between those fourteen days, you'll take Nick to the doctor and stop to visit me as well. Can you promise me that?"

My mother nodded her head, "Fine Max, that's just fine." Then, she was standing by the side of my bed again, lightly touching Nick's small hand that was a fist underneath his chin, "He really is perfect Max." She leaned down to kiss my forehead and then smoothed my hair. "For now, it's just us- and that girl with the blue hair who's outside your room probably listening in on this conversation."

Just then Delanie stepped in on cue and shut the door behind you. "You Westerners always did know how to have drama." Her eyes shifted over to me and she gave me a smile, "Always wanted to visit the "Land of the Free"," she actually did the whole air quotes thing, "Mind if I come with you? I can't leave this little bugger alone. I speak his language…or so Max told me. Plus, I am excellent at delivering food." My mother laughed.

"Well, yes," my mother began. "Although, you look like you're old enough to be in college."

"I am, but my parents have been encouraging me to go see the world. I know shocking, parents protesting the educational path- so, maybe I'll rent a place in that city Max, you stay there with me while you're undercover. Then, I can visit you and Nick or vice versa while you go on being a mother and I meet hot American boys."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you would jump on a plane with a girl with wings, her son, and her human mother to go to America, but I still am. Must be the pregnancy hormones that my body is trying to flood out," I stated. Nick was yawning and that caught my attention but I could still hear the voices.

"Honestly, Max, you're a good friend and I'm going to use that as an excuse to get what I really want- an excuse to get out of the country. Hope you don't mind," Delanie then saw my mother. "Delanie Everwood," she held out her hand, "Max's friend and now, you're plane buddy. I come with witty banters, an English accent, and electric blue hair. Nice to meet you." My mother shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," she replied with a laugh. I smiled but I was still aware of this plan- the plan that would send me back home to the family I had deserted. There, I would have to pretend that my son was just an experiment that had no one to take care of him. I would have to pretend that I left for no reason, when in reality it was to give birth to a baby. Diary- none of that seems like a good idea. It feels so wrong to be doing this, but I knew, deep down, to protect everyone in this situation, it was the best. My mother was right. But once we're back in America (Delanie as a carry on), how will I survive fourteen days without my son?

Dreading a nearby future of two weeks of pain,

Maximum Ride.


All right, so this is a long one and they shouldn't get longer than this, I promise but this worked the best. Does anyone know when a baby is allowed on a plane? AND THANKS! I got the 30 reviews I wanted! Yeah! You guys are great. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Enjoy this chapter then please let me know and I will post sometime tomorrow! I promise with all my heart (unless of course some bad occurance occurs and I have no control over it).

Jammin' to The Beatles,

flyerac1029