Hey, everyone. If you haven't read the full version of Chapter 8 yet, click back, because I added a lot more to it.
Wow. I've never had to mark a multiple-chapter story Complete before. It's... weird. Uh-oh. Getting sentimental...
Before you start reading this last little chapter, I would like to sincerely thank all of you for taking the time to read and your patience and all of the incredible reviews. It really means the world to me. I'm so glad that a lot of you enjoyed this, and I hope to hear again from all of you in the future.
And to think, this was only supposed to be a two or three-shot. Haha, oops.
Now enjoy the final chapter of All I Really Want.
Fang and Max entered the cavern, immediately spotting the kids tucked into their sleeping spots and Iggy leaning against a wall opposite them. They all turned toward the entrance as Fang and Max approached, outlined in moonlight against the darkness of the cavern.
Max thought, Wow, they're actually all settled in and not bouncing off the cavern walls or trying to attack each other with flying cards.
Iggy told us to behave. He thought it would help you forget to be angry at him, Angel told Max, sitting up quietly as to not disturb Total in his sleep. He was out cold, though, so they could have brought all of Times Square into the cavern without waking him up.
Well, you can tell him it's forgiven and forgotten, Max replied.
Will do, Angel said with a grin, turning to Iggy as Nudge and Gazzy also sat up.
Gazzy rubbed his eyes, wondering if they were playing tricks on him.
He said uncertainly, "Why are you guys so shiny?"
Nudge asked, "Are you guys… wet?"
Fang and Max exchanged a humored glance, raising the flock's suspicions.
"Just a little," Max joked with a small laugh.
"Um… why?" Nudge asked, stretching out the word 'why' to indicate her extreme curiosity.
"Small accident," Fang offered.
Max didn't add anything to it, leaving the too-tired-to-interrogate flock to wonder about the possibilities as their eyelids threatened to shut.
"Thanks for taking charge, Igs," Max said, moving to him and giving him a small, one-armed hug, further indicating her forgiveness.
As she pulled away, he pulled her back in, giving her a trademark sappy hug.
"Now this is so much nicer than you beating me up," he said as he squished her hard.
"Iggy, let go of me," she said, not making the effort to struggle against the hug.
"So short," he said, lifting his chin up over her head.
Max couldn't help but let out a short laugh as she returned the hug, earning her release.
"Okay, you all go ahead to sleep, we've got flying to do in the morning," Max said, crossing over to the kids to say goodnight.
Angel's eyes lit up as Max pulled Celeste out of her jacket and handed her to Angel.
"Thanks, Max," Angel said, hugging Celeste tightly to her chest.
Fang looked at the bear, remembering how Angel thought she could communicate with it. He knew Celeste was just a toy, but as he remembered Celeste squished in between himself and Max, he thought at Celeste, Not a word about that to Angel, Bear.
The kids all laid back down, very ready to be swept away by sleep. Iggy leaned back up against the wall opposite the kids and slid down to the ground, shutting his eyes as soon as he was sitting.
"My watch," Max told Fang after the others had fallen asleep.
"Yes, Queen Max."
"I'm going to kill you."
"No you aren't."
"Don't be so sure."
"I will be."
Max paused to smirk. "Good."
Nudge woke up to the sound of Angel's voice in her head. She guessed it was about five in the morning as she opened her eyes and then squeezed them back shut.
Hey, Nudge. Nudge, wake up.
Yeah, Angel?
You know how Max and Fang have been looking really exhausted all the time lately?
Yeah, what about it?
Look at them now.
Nudge reopened her eyes, glancing first at Iggy, who was on watch by the cavern entrance, facing outward. She then looked at the two of them, sitting up side by side on the opposite wall.
They looked different. Nudge mused over it; they looked more awake than they had in the longest time, even though they were sleeping. Something had happened to them that the others didn't know about.
That's what I was thinking, Angel said, reading Nudge's thoughts.
What do you think it is?
I don't know, Angel admitted.
You think it's because of the New Year?
Maybe a little bit of it, but I think there's something more, something bigger.
Like what?
Before Angel could respond, Max made a small noise in her sleep, shifting around a bit and frowning. Iggy turned around toward the noise, and the girls pretended they were asleep in case he could tell they were awake by their breathing. As soon as he was assured that it was just Max and nothing to worry about, he turned back around.
Nudge. Nudge, look!
Max made another strained noise and moved around a little, and Nudge opened her eyes once again to see Max's hand slowly drift over to Fang's.
Is she awake, Angel?
You think Max would do that if she was awake?
Good point, Nudge said as they both watched curiously.
Then, to their further amazement, Fang's fingers somehow intertwined with Max's, and the frown immediately slipped off Max's face, leaving her expressionless.
Is Fang awake?! He has to be awake; there's no way he's not awake, Nudge said, marveling at the spectacle before her.
He's out, Nudge, Angel said, almost not believing it herself.
Oh wow.
The girls looked at each other and then down at the pendant hanging from Nudge's neck.
They then broke out into stifled giggles, shaking and developing tears in their eyes.
Angel, what's going on? Iggy thought, hoping Angel would hear and respond.
Angel gulped back a laugh as she looked back and forth between Fang and Max and the two little stars holding hands on the tip of the moon.
No one besides the two of them knew the reason for the fits of giggles that they had been directing at Fang and Max since Christmas.
"Look, Little Max and Little Fang," Angel whispered to the two stars. "You look just like the real Max and Fang."
Nudge snorted. "They would so kill us if they knew we named the stars that."
"But they'll never know, will they?" Angel said with a grin.
Nudge shook her head, feeling silly and hopeful and awed and anxious and happy all at the same time.
"Nope. Never."
Again, thank you all so much for everything. I hoped you all liked the bonus chapter. (But if you didn't, you can always just pretend this chapter never happened.)
Don't forget to review one last time and add me to your alerts if you'd like to see more of my writing.
I'll see you guys around. ;)
Love,
-Skye Maxwell
