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Chapter 9

A loud clap of thunder woke me up. I looked at Fang, who was now sitting up.

"Wh-"

"Three, two, one."

"Daddy!"

There was a banging on the bedroom door. One of them was crying and the other was yelling. Fang got up, opening the bedroom door. Tyler stood there, crying. Tabitha held onto his leg. Fang picked Tyler up in one arm, Tabitha in the other.

"Why are you crying Ty?" Fang kissed his head. "It's okay."

Tyler laid his head on Fang's shoulder as Fang walked over to the bed. He sat Tabitha down on the bed, still holding Tyler. Tabitha laid down next to me as Fang walked out of the room, still carrying Tyler. When he came back, Tyler was sniffling, holding Bear. Fang then sat him down on the bed before laying down. Tyler cuddled against Fang, going back to sleep. Tabitha eventually did too.

"So they're scared of thunder storms?"

Fang shook his head. "Tyler is, not Tabby."

"But she-"

"She gets jealous if Tyler stays in here with me and not her, or else she would just have gone back to sleep."

It was weird, watching Tyler sleep like that. He always acted like he didn't like Fang that much. Fang sighed, closing his eyes.

"Night Max."

"Night."


It was still raining when we woke up. Did I say raining? I meant pouring. That was not a good sign. Opening my eyes, I saw that Tyler and Tabitha were on the bed, talking to Fang.

"No." Tyler said, seeming upset.

"Yes." Tabitha answered.

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Y-"

"Tabitha, leave him alone. If he says that he wasn't scared, then he wasn't."

Tabitha giggled. "Go see Nub now?"

Fang sighed, looking at the clock. "It's only seven Tabby."

Tyler looked at Fang. "Hungy."

"Of course you are." Fang rolled his eyes before looking at me. "Morning Max."

"Hi!" Tabitha looked at me, smiling.

"Hey." I smiled at her.

"Max hungy?"

"Yeah Tyler."

Tyler looked at his dad. "Max hungy, me hungy. Daddy make foo."

Fang yawned. "Later Ty."

"Foo!"

"I said later!"

Tyler hugged his teddy bear to his chest, kissing its head. I sighed. "Fang, you did not need to yell at him."

"It made him listen, didn't it?"

"Still." I glared at Fang. "Maybe if you weren't so mean to him, he wouldn't say that he hates you."

Fang gave me a very pointed look. "I am not having this conversation with you."

"Why not?"

"For starters, you've been here, what, a week? Secondly, it's none of your business." Clearly, I had hit a nerve with Fang but frankly, I didn't care. He is a lot nicer to Tabitha than Tyler.

"Whatever." I stood up, Tyler following me. Tabitha moved closer to Fang. I picked Tyler up and carried him out of the room.

"Max mean to Daddy." Tyler told me as I carried him into the kitchen.

"I was not. I was sticking up for you." I sat him and Bear down on the counter. "You're hungry?"

Tyler nodded. "Yes!"

"Okay…is cereal okay?"

Tyler whispered something to his bear before nodding. "Yes."

"Alright." I remembered that Tyler like Lucky Charms so I went ahead and poured him a bowl, no milk. I poured me some too, though I had milk. Tyler smiled at me.

"Max?"

I looked to see Iggy now standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Morning Iggy."

"Morning." He yawned. "You want me to make you guys something to eat?"

I looked at Tyler. "No. I've got it under control."


"You'll look very pretty when they're done Tabby." Nudge told her. "If you just sit still."

Tabitha looked at me. "Max no paint nails?"

"Nope." I smiled at her. "But I'm sure yours will look very beautiful."

Tyler made a gagging noise. I looked at him but he was just making faces at Total, who had flown down here to visit for Thanksgiving. Apparently he and Akila are way past done. She doesn't see eye to eye with him, as he put it. I told him that's probably because she's a lot bigger than him but he didn't find that to be very funny. Now he lives with some guys that take in dogs or something. Apparently, not even my mom wanted to keep him…

"Come 'ere Toto."

"For the last time, you annoying little brat, my name is Total! If you can't say right, don't even try to."

Tyler tackled the poor Scottie. "Toto!"

"Tyler, don't hurt him." I said.

"Oh, after I've broken my hip, you care?"

"He did not tackle you that hard." Nudge said, not looking up from Tabitha's fingernails. They were going to alternate between pink and purple, Tabitha's favorite colors.

"I don't still have feelings for Max!"

Sighing, I listened as Ella and Mathew continued their conversation. I could hear them from all the way in her bedroom.

"Was she the one that you were telling me broke your heart or not? That's all I want to know."

Silence. Wow, another guys I've messed up. Iggy's right, I do get around. Not that I'm bragging…

"Yes, okay? I loved her."

"Why?"

"She's…I don't know. I just do-did. I did. Not anymore. Clearly she doesn't want me back!"

"And if she did?"

"Hey." Fang said to Nudge as he walked into the living room. He and I hadn't really spoken since this morning. I'm sorry but he really is kind of mean to Tyler. At the least, he favors Tabitha more.

"Hey."

"Hi Daddy!"

"Tabitha, quit moving."

Tabitha giggled. "Sowy."

"Hi baby." Fang kissed her head. He then sat down next to me, looking at Tyler. "Hey buddy."

"Hate Daddy." Tyler mumbled while trying to pull his teddy bear from Total's mouth. "Stop!"

"Total, spit it out." I ordered.

Total pulled one more time before letting it go, causing Tyler to fall backwards. "Well tell him to leave me alone!"

"Hate Toto!" Tyler yelled.

"Come here Tyler."

Tyler walked over to me and I sat him in my lap. "Is Bear okay?"

The two year old shook his head. "Him hurt."

"Where?"

He pointed to the filthy things leg. "Dere."

I kissed its leg, though I swear that I probably have some sort of disease from it. "All better?"

Tyler giggled. "Yes."

"Good." I kissed his head and noticed that Fang had been watching us. Looking at him, I asked, "What?"

"Nothing." He looked away.

"There! All done!"

"Yea!"

"Tabby, remember, they have to dry." Nudge said. "So you still have to be still, okay?"

Tabitha nodded. "Okay Nub."

Tyler smiled at me. "Max?"

"What Tyler?"

"Me sleepy." He hugged Bear to him tighter. "Max sleepy?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Home? Nap?"

"No Tyler." I shook my head. "We're waiting for Gasman and Angel, remember?"

Tyler made a gagging noise again. "Gas smell. Angel mean. Home?"

"No Tyler." Fang said, giving him a look. "So stop asking, okay?"

"Max!" Tyler cuddled against me. "Daddy mean."

"Yeah, he is." I looked at Fang but he wasn't looking at me. Whatever.

"Pay now?"

"No Tabitha." Nudge said. "Now, while we wait, we might as well do your toes! If you want."

"Yes!"

"Okay." Nudge smiled. "Then we'll do your hair!"

"Max do hair." Tabitha argued.

Nudge gave me a look. "I'll do it though."

Tabitha seemed confused but she still nodded, giggling a little. "Oh a!"

"Max?"

"What Tyler?"

"Why you no pain-t-ed you nails?"

"I don't like to."

"Why?" Tyler asked. "Daddy say day make Tabby pretty. Max no pretty?"

"I am, I guess. But I don't like nail polish."

"Hm." He looked around. "Nap time now?"

"Fang, Tyler wants to take a nap."

Fang looked at me, then Tyler. "Then go to sleep buddy."

"Seep home."

Fang sighed. "We'll go home later. Besides, once Angel and Gazzy get here, we get food."

Tyler's eyes lit up. "Max?"

"What?"

"Hungy."

"Thanks Fang."


"What is your problem?"

Fang glared at me. "You."

"What did I do?"

Fang huffed. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Tyler is my son. Let me take care of him, okay?"

All this because Tabitha threw a toy at Tyler and he threw his back at her. Guess who Fang yelled at. Now guess who took up for him. Yep. That's why Fang and I are now standing outside, Fang clearly pissed off. I don't think I've seen him this made, except that night he told me to shut the fuck up. Actually, I think this even tops that.

"You're being mean to him, Fang. Tabitha threw something first but you yelled at him!"

Fang glared at me, hard. "Look, these are my kids. Don't tell me what the fuck to do."

"Well maybe if you weren't so mean to Tyler all the time, I wouldn't even speak about it!"

"Max, I mean it, you are so pissing me off."

"So?"

"Max-"

"Tabitha does whatever she wants but the second Tyler yells back at what she does, you get on him."

"Max, whether you under stand or not, I know what's best for my kids, you don't."

"You don't treat them fairly!"

"How would you know? You haven't even been here ten days!"

"I know injustice Fang."

Fang took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and looked at the sky. He reached out for me after a moment, grabbing my hands. He ran his thumbs over the back of my hands. Looking into his eyes, I saw how tired he was and I almost felt bad. Almost…

"Max, look, I know you think that you know what you're talking about but you don't. You just haven't been here long enough too. Tyler pisses me off easily, probably more often than Tabitha, but she makes me mad too, trust me."

"Still, today you-"

"I'm tired, Max. After you went back to sleep last night, Tyler woke up three more times." Fang sighed, continuing to stroke my hands. "Tyler's fine. Just shut up about it and tonight I'll go to sleep early and be fine tomorrow. Okay?"

"I guess…"

Fang pulled on my hands, bringing me into a hug. He held on for a while , kissing my forehead. I let him for a second before gently pushing him away from me.

"If you make him cry though, it's all out war." I warned.

Fang laughed. "Deal."


"Hi!" Tabitha ran up to them as they opened the door. "Hi!"

Tyler, who was in my arms, moaned. "Max."

"Shh, we'll eat soon."

As I stood, Tyler moaned and laid his head on my shoulder. Apparently, he really didn't like Angel and Gasman. Angel was hugging Nudge while Gasman was being hugged my mother, though he clearly didn't like it. A woman, who I decided was their mother smiled at me when she noticed me looking at her. I quickly adverted my sight to Tabitha, who was trying to get someone to pick her up. An eight year old boy stood next to Gazzy. I went out on a limb and picked him to be their brother. I think I'm a pretty awesome guesser. Yeah…

"Hey Fang." Angel hugged him, eyeing me. I choose not to look at her. She's what? Twelve now?

"Home?" Tyler mumbled against my shoulder.

"Nope." I kissed his head.

A short man, who, let me guess, was their father, stood next to the eight year old, seeming out of place. Honestly, I think they all were. Things are just too…different now. I should have never come back.

"That Max." Tabitha told the woman, who had been the one to pick her up, finally.

How is it that everyone has to look at a person when you hear their name? Why?

"Hi Max." Gasman greeted. At least he seemed okay with me being here. He even smiled a little.

"Hi." I smiled back, waiting for Angel to say something, anything. But she ignored me, instead focusing her attention on Ella, who walked into the room with Mathew.

"Hey guys." Ella said, hugging them. "This is Mathew."

He gave a smile wave. I rolled my eyes, shifting Tyler to my other hip.

"Hi." The woman smiled at him.

Have I mentioned that I already hate her?

At least she didn't leave us.

My eyes went directly to Angel. Without thinking, I spoke. "Leave? No, just sold you."

Shit. I always do the stupidest thing. They were all looking at me again. Damn. Tyler leaned up to my ear.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I go potty."


Fang broke the kiss, pulling me down on top of him. He smiled at me. "Max."

"What?"

Pulling the covers up around us, Fang yawned. "I'm tired. Let's go to sleep now."

Sleep? He thought that I got this far to go to sleep. "Nope."

I pulled his head back to me. Fang ran his hands through my hair, his sigh soundless. Grabbing his arm, I pulled away, moving so that I was on my back next to him. I tugged at his arm for a second before he realized what I wanted and got on top of me.

"Max."

"Fang." I smiled. "Come on…you can do all the work this time."

Fang just looked at me. I sighed, pulling his head back down to mine. Eventually things did escalate, not that it was great, but hey.