This is a phenomenon you may never wittenence again. I updated in just a day! I'll be updating more regular now, so hopeful I can progress more into the plot. This chapter is more of filler, but anybody who was confused about Max's attack may want to pay special attention.

"You all right?"

"Do I look like I'm all right?" I snapped back. Fang grimaced slightly, turning to look back at the road. Somehow, we hadn't run into a pole yet, though it took a bit of swerving to not hit some grandma. The rest of the Flock sat in the back, completely zonked. Earlier, Angel had given us a report that though Kate was freaking out, nobody had thrown themselves out the window yet. "Great, now I feel guilty," I stated, frowning at Fang. He just stared amusingly out at the road.

"God, you're annoying," I growled out.

"And you're grumpy," he snickered, still grinning out the windshield. Despite my efforts to stay mad, I couldn't help but smile. Slightly.

"Sorry," I said quietly. "It's just a lot to take in. First I find out I have another sister, who I'm still not entirely sure is my half or full sister. Then I start hearing arguments in my brain? I mean, it's ok to fight with yourself, but when I lose to myself, you realize you're definitely on the train to Loonyville."

Fang gave one of his rare I-Understand smiles. Usually it the You-Know-I'm-Right smiles. "Don't sweat it."

"Thanks." I glanced at the rearview mirror to make sure Logan was still following. Not that I really expected them to try to run. They had some ounce of intelligence. If you know the Flock, you're bound to get captured some time without protection. "So what do you thinks happening?" I asked softly.

He looked conflicted before finally admitting, "I honestly don't know." I must have looked irritated, because he sighed loudly. "What exactly happened when you passed out?"

My eyebrows furrowed with concentration, trying to remember what did happen. "There were voices arguing in my head. Kind of like The Voice, but tons at once, telling me to run away and leave, to forget the others. And these pictures and maps kept popping up." When Fang gave me a look, I sighed. "Yeah, I know it sounds crazy."

"Completely bonkers," he concluded. "But it makes sense. Jeb said that it was some type of back up, in case you didn't follow the plans they had for you."

"So I'm a puppet. Great. Just great."

"At least you're not dead."

"I'm loving the optimism."

Aren't you?"

Shaking my head in exasperation, I turned around to check on the Flock. It was good we were all so thin or else we wouldn't have fit. Both Angel and Nudge were fast asleep, leaning toward each other like they had been talking about the latest trends and celebrity gossip. Gazzy sat fast asleep behind them, his cheek pressed tight against the window. Iggy was next to Gazzy with his earbuds in his ears and his sightless eyes closed. I smiled at them before turning back around.

"You know they're not completely human," Fang managed to say casually, his dark eyes studying me for a reaction. I just sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not sure about Logan, but since he's been so close to Alex and Jeb, he's probably the same." To be quite frank, it worried me. What did Jen, Alex, and Logan have to deal with? Was Kate the same? "Do you think they know?"

"No," he replied simply. When he turned into an intersection, I realized with a gulp that we had just passed a sign proclaiming that we had just entered Phoenix, Arizona. The silence following made me understand that the conversation was over.

"I'm glad we had this little heart-to-heart."

"Whatever you say."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Alex's POV

"Ring the door bell!"

"You know what?" I decided, "You go ahead." Nervous energy had coursed through me the whole drive here, causing Kate to yell at me even more. In the end, both our mouths were duck taped shut, only to be ripped off unceremoniously by Jen. I stepped back to let Max up to the plate. Max rung the bell, and we all stood there anxiously waiting. A couple of seconds later, the door was opened by a girl around thirteen. She had long shiny dark brown hair that any girl would die for, including me with all my crazy dirty blond hair, and brown eyes. She seemed like the most down to earth person I'd ever meet until she started squealing like Nudge at a shoe sale.

"OMG! Max! Mom's going to be so excited! Not that I'm not, but she's been worried about you," the girl yelled.

"Hey Ella," Max said, am amused expression on her face. "Where is Mom?"

Ella's face fell slightly. "She's in the kitchen. Why? None of you are hurt, are you?"

"No," Max told her, "we just have some news." At that, everybody started filing through the door. Ella moved aside, and when she saw me and my friends, she only gave us a curious glance before turning to close and lock the door.

Every step closer brought me closer to hyperventilating. Sensing my nerves, Logan grabbed my hand and gave me a smile. I gave a small smile back, and followed the rest of the group through the doorway.

A tall woman stood at the oven taking out a sheet of cookies, which, for the record, smelled like heaven. She looked like her daughter with short brown hair and hazel eyes. I stared breathlessly at her while she gave our group a kind grin. "Hey guys," she chirped, setting the tray down on the cooling rack. Then she came over and hugged Max. "How's saving the world, honey," she asked cheerfully. "It's been pretty dull around here. Ella and I have just been getting ready for the wedding."

"It's been all right," Max replied, actually beaming at her mother. She gestured to my friends and I. "This is Alex, Kate, Logan, and Jen. We just ran into them recently."

"Ah," Dr. Martinez said. "Are you like Max, too?"

It took me a while before I finally realized that she was talking to me. Quickly trying to compose myself, I stuttered out, "No, I mean, Ye-No, actually-." Completely freaking out I blurted out, "She kidnapped us at a CVS in Flagstaff!"

Max groaned and the boys chuckled. I blushed in embarrassment. Dr. Martinez froze a moment, and then smiled warmly at me. She grabbed a cooled cookie from the tray and handed it to me. The rest of the Flock and my friends took that as an invitation to grab some for themselves. Ella led us into another room with tan couches set around a glass coffee table. A TV flickered to life to the right and everyone found a spot on the couches or shaggy carpet. I took a spot at the end of a couch and took a bite into the still warm cookie. Chocolatey goodness exploded in my mouth and to my embarrassment I moaned.

Max smirked and stretched out at Fang's feet. "Yeah, Mom's cookies have that effect on people." I nodded argeeingly, still wolfing down the cookie and going for another on the plate.

After a few minutes of watching the colorful images move across the TV screen, Ella broke the silence. "So how exactly did Max kidnap you?"

Shrugging, I kept chewing the gooey cookie to keep me calm. After gulping down a bite, and I responded with, "ask Jen here. Last thing I remember is recognizing Max."

Dr. Martinez glanced curiously at me. How do you know Max?"

"I don't."

Both Martinez's looked thoroughly confused, but I just ignored that.

Max turned toward her mom. "Better question is, do you recognize Alex?"

Dr. Martinez gazed at Max with puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

My eyes meant Dr. Martinez's. I could have run. I could've left this all behind, the confusion, the fights for my life. But I didn't know what was going to happen. If I had known that the battles coming would not only test me physically, but would bring me so close to edge it would bring a grown man to tears, I may not have taken a step on the bridge. But I did. So, I said the truth.

"I'm your daughter."

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