Ze Epilogue. So random thing of the day: Somehow (which is really crazy and I have NO idea how) I'm going to become the next Hitler and kill all the Catholics. Dunno how that's gonna happen, I'm a Catholic after all. And this was all brought up by the question: If you COULD vote, would you vote for Obama or Clinton?

I'll let you find the lyrics on your own... It's very late, I have a four hour test tomorrow... someone save me before I die... of boredom.

Challengers for the past two chapters! Count them! Two! (chapter ten will be released at the end of the chapter.)

Chapter 11 Challengers: Anony: Right on the money! free-birds fly at midnight: No, I didn't even know 30 Seconds To Mars had that song but thanks for trying!

Please enjoy the final chapter to 30 Seconds


Epilogue: Was It A Dream?


"Nick!" Max called, running down the hill after a boy with jet-black hair. "Nick! Slow down!" Her voice was frantic.

"But Mama! I wanna see him! I wanna see Uncle!" The young boy with pale skin turned around to stare with pouted blue and brown eyes. He watched his mother stop dead in her tracks as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Come on, Mama!" He called, knowing to break her from her trance. She began running again, this time to scoop her boy into her arms.

"What flowers do we have today for Uncle?" Max asked, hugging her boy close to her, a smile on her face.

"Zinnia's, yellow tulips, Sweetpea's, and Viscaria's!" The young boy chirped. Max laughed at his joy. Fang's voice was that sweet when he was young, she could see him in her own son… and she wondered if her son would turn out the same way.

"Tell me what they mean again, I think I've forgotten." Max smiled. She didn't forget, after all, she was the one who taught him the language of flowers.

"Zinnia's a daily remembrance, that's why you always bring them, remember?" Max nodded. "Yellow tulips are for a hopeless love, 'cause we all love him but he doesn't know… um… What's Sweetpea again?"

"Goodbye." Her voice was light enough to surprise Iggy who was walking in silence beside them. "It means thank you for a lovely time and I'll miss you."

"Right! And, and, and, Viscaria's are… um…"

"Will you dance with me?" Iggy stopped and held out a hand.

"Yes! That's exactly what it means!" Max smiled blissfully, continuing the walk. Iggy frowned and the boy's face became troubled.

"Don't you want to dance with Papa?" He asked.

"Of course I do but we can't stop, we're almost there. Run along now, I'll catch up in no time." She set him down and the boy took off running, the flowers cradled in his arms. She turned to Iggy, a sad expression on her face. "If it's not too much to ask can Nick's first visit with… him… be just with me?" Iggy knew the question was coming so it didn't surprise him.

"I'm surprised you didn't stop me sooner." Iggy smiled kindly at his wife. Of course he wasn't upset, he knew the shards were still there and though she didn't hurt as much when she was first dropped into his arms, there were still many things that belonged to Fang. "I'll meet you back at the house." Max nodded as Iggy gave her a kiss goodbye.

If this is a dream, Max felt tears at the edge of her thoughts; I'd surely hate it. If I wake up and the past ten years were a lie… if we were back in that room where we were told everything we did was just a dream… I'd die. If I found out he was still alive… I'd die inside…

"Mama!" The young boy whined and Max hurried to catch up, a smile on her lips. "This place is right, right?" He pointed to the marked grave, neatly kept as to not let wildlife overrun it.

"Yes." Max replied.

And the tears spilled.

"Mama! Mama! Are you okay? Mama?" Max fell to her knees, her face in her hands, after her son set down the flowers on top of the grave and he came running to her, attempting to wrap his arms around his mother.

A hand reached for her, a familiar young hand, battered and bruised from an Eraser battle, it shined clearly in the May sun. Her tears slowed as her eyes widened. The hand was not pale like the last time she saw it. She lifted her eyes and felt a tug on her shirt, as her son mumbled, "Isn't that Uncle, Mama?" One hand fell to her lap as another reached out tentatively towards the glowing hand as her wide eyes drank in the features that should have changed in the past ten years.

Max remembered the familiar warmth, the calloused hands, and the cool gaze he seemed to always keep. They were exactly the same. The cool dark eyes smiled as his expression remained still. The minuscule emotions, she remembered them all!

"Don't tell me this is a dream! Don't tell me you're trying to wake me up!" Max began sobbing. "I don't want this to be a dream! It's too late! It's too late!" How could she say she was happy with the life without him? Yes she missed him but she was happy. Suddenly the hand pulled her and his strong warm arms enveloped her, even if he was a bit shorter than her, holding her tightly as if never wanting to let go. Max looked up, seeing the eyes of her first love and seeing the absolute truth. This was no dream.

Max pulled away, the warmth lingering on her body and noticed the flower in his hand, a Viscaria. He tucked it with her hair, just behind the ear, the smile still inside his eyes. He held out his hand once again, how could she refuse?

And they danced. To an outsider, she'd be dancing with the wind; to Max and her son, he was there dancing with his love. They pulled away after the imaginary song and Fang knelt in front of the young boy, a small smile crept to his lips.

One hand was on the boy's head and the other held flowers which came out of nowhere. Pink carnations, striped carnations, Cyclamens, purple hyacinths, and roses of all colors, all in a beautiful bouquet. His face turned to Max for a few moments, with a gaze that said 'goodbye and thank you' like Sweetpea, and turned back to face the boy knowing the boy's name well. He placed the bouquet in the boy's hand and kissed his forehead, disappearing in the dazzling sun.

"Mama, Mama!" Max gazed at her son with stunned eyes before shaking herself from her stupor. She bent over, curious of what he had to say. "He told me to give these to you, he told me he'd always be here for us. Mama, he's our guardian angel!"

"Yes!" Max laughed, the bouquet in one hand as she held her son's in the other, "He most certainly is!"


Angel frowned for the billionth time that night. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Max asked, the frown was bothersome.

"It's really quiet." Angel mumbled. "I can't hear him anymore…" Her clear blue eyes lit up in alarm, staring in fear at Max. "I can't hear him anymore!"

"Hear who?" Max asked as calmly as possible though her voice was trembling. He couldn't have, could he? "Hear who, Angel? I need to know. Is it…" Max gulped, "Fang?"

"Yes, Mama?" Max's gaze turned suddenly to the living room to the little boy looking over the couch, both of his eyes a dark brown color but filled with a smile and curiosity. Max's eyes widened at the realization her son's eyes used to be different colors, one was blue and the other a light hazel brown. And now they were dark brown, almost pitch black. It was Fang's childish face staring back at her. The smile in his eyes belonged to Fang… and the other, to her son.

Yes, Fang. Angel's voice echoed through Max's mind. Angel was looking downcast at her lap, watching herself twiddle her fingers.

"Nothing Nick, it's nothing. I'll be back, just a little night flight." Max shakily stood up, accidentally knocking over a bar stool only to have Angel catch it moments later but Max was already gone, all Angel ever knew was hearing the rustle of Max's wings.


Iggy tugged his son back into his arms, tickling him and listening to the blissful giggles. Max can't bring herself to call him by his name just yet, Iggy noticed, she named him but she can only call him 'Nick' for now. He's only five years old but he answers to both names, he's happy about who he's named after, his uncle, the undefeatable superhero Fang.

She's probably using super speed, Iggy thought to himself as he carried his son through the dark hall, the boy sleeping soundly. Tucking Fang under the covers he smiled towards the sound of the heartbeat. "That's your heartbeat, Fang. I know you live in him. He's like your incarnation, you were just refusing to join. I'm thinking you're wondering how I know, aren't you? I haven't lost my touch, I still remember what you feel like, though I think it's your heartbeat that gives it all away. I know he looks like you, even if I can't see him. I'm expecting his wings to turn black soon, you know that. He's going to be your copy and yet not at all." Iggy spoke quietly to his son, brushing the jet-black hair from his face.

"How come you knew?" Max mumbled, suddenly in the doorway. "I watched him disappear and I didn't think anything of it. And now he's… our son. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"Max," Iggy shook his head, gesturing Max to come closer, "look at him, he'll look like Fang because he is Fang , but he's going to grow up differently. He'll never have to know the School, he'll never have to know a White Coat. Maybe this time around we'll see a Fang who doesn't have a poker face, he'll laugh freely. What matters is how we raise him, Max, he won't be exactly the same but there are some characteristics about him that won't change. He wants to watch over you, over us, in the closest way possible. He doesn't want to forget you, Max, but he had to say goodbye. He can no longer be the boy who betrayed us."

"… Yeah…" Max's gaze softened towards her son.

"Hey, Fang." Max sat down at the edge of the bed, calling her son his true name. "I have a little story to tell you." The boy, Fang, mumbled claiming he wanted to sleep. "I know, I know." Fang opened his eyes a little, his bleary black eyes held mild curiosity and anticipation. "There once was a boy who made his wings from wax, you know what his name was?"

"What?" Fang's mumbled reply came back, slipping into a dream while imagining him as the boy.

"Icarus." And the story began once again through the nothing it began from.


Did you know I began to cry? I began to cry writing this, of course it wasn't much since I was typing in plain view of my parents... Anyway, El Fin. I totally want to know what you guys think about this story over all. I'm curious 'cause I think this was an ideal ending.

Chapter 10 Challengers: O.o unlabled is the only winner of this challenge! As for Myrah, Anony, free-birds fly at midnight, and max ride girl all guessed it was.

Thank you guys for reading!

Adieu
Nightwing