Hey guys sorry this has taken so long to come to you but Spring Break 2012 hit and you know what that means! Beach time baby!

Shoutouts: MaximumX, iluvbooks, AnikaandAj, carly, Angie Jeanne!

Chapter 11 Sorrow

(Total Pov.)

Total was sitting in the love seat when it happened. He'd been talking to Akila, showing her magazines with wedding pictures, when suddenly she raised her head and stiffened. Automatically he froze, and the sound of wing beats met his ears as he cocked his head.

He frowned, they sounded fast.

Total got up as Akila gave a short growl and ran towards the window. "What's going on?" Ella asked. She'd been sitting on the couch pretending to watch TV but was now standing at the window beside them. Total looked up at her but before he could say anything the sound of running footsteps met his ears and he turned towards the door just before it was slung open and the Flock ran inside.

Total didn't know what to think. They were bruised, bloody, and crying. Tears streaked down their dirty faces making tracks in the grit and their bodies were shaking. "What's going on?" Total asked, just as his eyes landed on the body laying limp in Fang's arms.

It was Max.

In the next instant, a horrible wail echoed through the house. Total couldn't force his eyes from Max's bloodied body to look, but he needn't see to know who was making that cry, it was Doctor Martinez.

She ran across the room, and looked down at her daughter who lay in Fang's arms. Her hands fluttered uselessly above her daughter's body, her brown eyes wide and face pale. Fang just looked down at Max, as the Flock stared at the ground in shock.

"What happened?" John asked, as he came in to the room. Then he saw Max's body and his face turned green. Immediately he ran to the phone but was stopped as a hand clamped down over his.

It was Jeb.

John's face turned red and he growled, "Let go."

"No," Jeb replied, his eyes locked on John's face. John looked back at him incredulously and then over his shoulder. "We have to call 911. Maybe she can be saved."

"You know they would have taken her to a hospital if she weren't already dead."

"That's your daughter you're talking about!"

"I know."

Jeb gave John one long, last look, then walked slowly over to where Doctor Martinez and the Flock were still staring at Max's body. "Valencia-," he started, and Max's mom jerked her head at him, her eyes full of tears. "We should have the body taken."

"Taken?" she murmured, her voice thick and confused.

Total frowned, there was urgency in Jeb's voice.

Jeb shifted his feet uneasily. "To have it prepared, for the funeral." At 'funeral' everyone in the room tensed. "But, what if she's still alive? Shouldn't we check? Take her to a hospital. Or to my office! John, start the car."

"Valencia." Jeb said her name several times as the doctor murmured about things she would need to bring. Finally she looked up at him and Jeb gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"She's gone."

(Fang Pov.)

Fang sat at the kitchen table, the now cold cup of coffee emitting pleasing aromas in front of him as he starred numbly into it's brown depth. What had he done?

The Flock sat around him, but Fang hardly noticed, he was so lost in thought. Max was gone. Max is gone. Max was never coming back.

Memories strove to replay in his mind, but Fang was too numb to let them. Instead he sat with his hands in his lap, his head bowed, and tears hanging from his lashes. Fang had only ever cried once before. It was the day after he'd met Max. One tear, one single, little tear, had fallen when he woke up that morning and saw she'd been moved into the crate next to him. She'd still been asleep, she didn't even see it. Up until then Fang had been proud he'd hidden it from her, but now he wished she'd known, that way she could have understood how much she meant to him.

She'll never know now, he thought.

Regret washed over him. How could he have let this happen. He'd been there, right there! Fang was so mad at himself, but anyone watching him wouldn't have seen it. Fang was always quiet, but now he was deadly silent.

(Iggy Pov.)

The sound of the five bullets replayed again and again in his mind. Bang! Angel letting out a cry, Max moaning in pain. Bang! Gazzy whimpering, Max letting out a cry. Bang! Bang! He and Nudge letting out grunts as Max shoved them to the ground and cried out in agony. Bang! Fang and Max hitting the ground together, but not a sound uttered from either.

Iggy shivered and winced as he heard each shot again and again; and then Max's voice, weak, pained, struggling. Never before had he heard such a thing, especially not from Max; and now that was how he would hear her, forever.

(Nudge Pov.)

Nudge kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, fiddling with her bracelet, twirling her locks, plucking at the fine hairs on her arms. Her head hurt, her ears were ringing as if they still heard those awful gun shots. Her cheek burned from where she'd hit the floor after Max pushed her down to take that bullet. Oh why did she have to take that bullet?

Nudge could still see it. The wild look in Brigid's eyes as she turned the gun on her and Iggy. Nudge had been petrified. She hadn't even been able to open her mouth. Like so many other times it wouldn't have done her any good. Why did she talk so much anyway? It hadn't helped save Max in the end.

What was the point?

(Gazzy Pov.)

Gazzy stood by the back door, his arms crossed over his chest, picking at the scrape on his elbow. His hand had been reset and bandaged, but he kept trying to flex his fingers. The pain felt good, it distracted him from his thoughts. Like how he'd just stood there when the mutants came. He let Fang push him behind him, safe beside Nudge and Angel. He should have stood his ground and stared the mutants down, like Max, Fang and Iggy.

What then about Brigid? When that gun leveled with him, Gazzy froze. Why didn't I do something, anything? Gazzy thought, wincing as his hand ached. He pressed it against the door.

I'm a coward, he thought, then punched the door.

(Angel Pov.)

"You re-broke it. I'll have to set it again." Doctor Martinez said, her voice still shaky as she looked over Gazzy's hand. Angel looked on from a few feet away, but even her spot next to the TV (which was turned up considerably) did nothing to mute the voices that were crying in everyone's heads.

I should have helped her! Fang was yelling again.

Bang! A bullet meant for me, thought Iggy.

I should have never opened my mouth, Nudge.

I deserve the pain, I'm a coward, Gazzy.

This is a tragedy, Total.

Blood, pain, loss, bad, Akila.

I only just met her, how can she be gone? Ella.

This isn't happening, this isn't happening, I can't lose her, not my baby. Doctor Martinez.

This is a terrible loss, John.

Angel's own thoughts? Lost in the sea of drowning voices.

(Max Pov.)

Why can't I hear them anymore? I was there, we were flying, we went to my mom's house, I heard the Flock crying, heard her and my sister and Total crying, then I heard John and Jeb talking. Then Jeb talking to my mom about taking me to get me ready for the funeral.

Why was I going to a funeral?

I was in a car, that much was certain, but I had no idea where I was going. The funeral part confused me. Who's funeral was I supposed to be going to; and why wasn't I getting ready at my mom's house, with the Flock?

I tried to think of who might have died, but my thoughts were short and spaced. Concentrating was hard, it was a struggle to even manage a coherent thought let alone rationalize with so little information.

One thing was certain, though. We were slowing down.

(Jeb Pov.)

Jeb choked back a sob, and pressed his foot to the brake as gently as he could. The car slowed down, and he wiped at his eyes which were full of tears. Glancing in the rear view mirror he choked back another string of sobs. For what he was about to do, he must be strong.

He would not lose his only daughter.

The light turned green, but as he moved to accelerate there was a flash and the sound of brakes squealing as headlights flashed over the front of the car, blinding him.

In the next instant he was surrounded on all sides. Jeb raised his hands to cover his eyes but looked at the window as a shadowy figure tapped on the glass. Slowly Jeb rolled down the window halfway. "Who are you?" he asked, fearing the worse.

The figure was silent, but when Jeb glanced down at the gas pedal it shook it's head. The meaning was clear, Jeb wasn't going anywhere.

"What do you want?" Jeb asked, and this time the figure said, "Unlock the door."

"Why? What do you want? Who are you?"

"Doctor Batchelder, if you do not open the door, we will force it open and take you hostage. Do I make myself clear?"

Jeb stared at the man for a moment, then nodded. "Good, unlock the door." Jeb pressed the button. Immediately his door was flung open and Jeb was drug out of the car before being thrown into the back of a van.

"Wait! My daughter!" Jeb cried but in the next instant an even larger man dressed in black hopped into the van, Max in his arms.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Jeb howled and reached for his daughter but was snatched back by two men also in black. Jeb glared at them but they shook their heads; and as the man holding Max sat down, he moved her so that she lay on what looked like a metal bed on the floor.

Jeb's eyes widened and his suspicions where confirmed when after a few minutes the van doors were opened and he was ushered out. He turned, watching as Max was rolled past him, and followed as she was rushed inside what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

Inside, the smell of antiseptic burned.

There were corridors set up, and as he walked by men and women in white lab coats looked on in surprise. Jeb was surprised too, he recognized a few of their faces.

Jeb's surprise was cut short however when he pushed through two sliding doors after Max and entered what looked like an operating room. Bright lights shown down from above and the white walls and floors shown blindingly. A metal table draped in a white cloth lay before him underneath the light and beside that table was a smaller one with several shiny silver instruments on it.

Next to the instruments, stood a man in a green plastic suit. At seeing Max, he immediately ordered she be hooked up to the heart monitors and placed on the table. At seeing Jeb, the man's eyes widened and he immediately strode over. "Doctor Batchelder," he said, sticking out his hand which was encased in a plastic glove.

Jeb numbly shook the man's hand, his eyes were still on Max. "Sir can I just say it is an honor to meet you? Because it truly is. I've read several of your papers on recumbent DNA. Fascinating, I must say. Truly remarkable how you could perceive so much from your time in the field. Tell me, was it tough roughing it with the experiments?"

The scientist elbowed Jeb, he hardly noticed but did look down at the man. "Can you save her?"

"Well I'll give it my best try. No guarantees though, but let's take a look shall we?"

The man laughed, then walked over to Max where he began looking over the wounds. He frowned, then glanced at the monitors which were flat. "Well, by all appearances we are too late. Will you look at all these bullet holes? I've never had one this torn up brought to me before. Guess they normally just let them bleed out, don't give it the chance. This one they probably should have done the same."

"Please, isn't there something you can do?" Jeb begged, his eyes pleading.

The man glanced at him but shook his head. "No, I'm afraid it's heart has long since quit beating. Best to have it burned, we can arrange that, if it please you."

"She's not an 'it' she's a she and she's my daughter and if you value your life you will save her!" Jeb threatened, his eyes blazing.

The doctor looked at him incredulously. "Listen, Doctor Batchelder, I would try but there really is no point. Her body has been damaged too much. I can tell here that the lungs are gone, and that she has lost too much blood. There really is no point. Even if we could resuscitate her what sort of life would that be and for how long? It, I mean she, is gone."

"No," Jeb whispered, his voice cracking. He sank to his knees.

"Listen, friend, if you'd like, we will arrange to have it's, I mean her, body removed. It will be quick, we have a crematoriam all set up."

"No, no I must have a body to show her family. They won't believe she is dead unless they see one."

"This one's so torn up though. Not really decent for public I say."

"I must."

"Why not take a clone?"

"What?"

The scientist frowned as Jeb stared at him.

"Well, doctor, as I'm sure, or I was sure, that you know, we have the capabilities to clone, and quite rapidly too."

"No I, I mean, of course, of course I am aware. I just did not know you were cloning my daughter." Jeb's mind was racing. He wasn't sure why he'd been let in here to begin with. Whoever was in charge of this place must have wanted him here though. Otherwise they would have taken Max's body and killed him already.

"Well yes, of course! In fact we have six clones all prepped and ready. They are spread out, of course, but we just so happen to have one here readily available. One quick serum, and she'll be out like a light. Would that suffice?"

Jeb winced inwardly, but kept his outward appearance indifferent. He hated to see another experiment, child, killed simply for his convenience, but he still believed there was a chance Max could be saved, and the only way he could continue to work on her was for her family to see her buried; and a clone would work.

When Jeb nodded, the Doctor bowed and said, "Excellent, I'll have clone 4 prepped immediately."

"Thank you." Jeb said, his voice low, numb. The Doctor frowned and glanced back down at Max's body. "I truly am sorry about her, but these things happen." and with that he patted Jeb's back and left the room.

Jeb listened to him go then moved to stand beside the table where his daughter lay limply. Her eyes were closed and her face relaxed, so much so that Jeb believed he had never seen her so peaceful looking, except when she used to fall asleep in his lap.

A tear skimmed down his cheek but Jeb couldn't find the will to push it away, he was too numb.

Gently Jeb picked up one of Max's hands and placed it on her chest, then the other. He looked around for something to place in her hands, some flowers, perhaps, but he saw nothing but the shiny instruments that hadn't even been touched.

Jeb's eyes narrowed