Chapter 14: Go Time.

Max POV

I woke up just like every other day, only today was different because I was being reunited with my real family. I was all happy and bouncy but people just played it off as the hormones. I took a shower, put on some clean clothes, ate some more, cleaned around, and did everything to keep from exploding with excitement. Ari came in when I was watching TV and sat down carefully.

"Everything is in place I will come get you at 7. Ok?" He whispered.

"Ok." I said, I looked at the clock and it said 5:30. OMB! What am I supposed to do for and hour and a half? I filled them with boredom and adrenalin. Finally the time came. I tried to be casual and did a pretty good job. He came in with a wheelchair and a grin; he told me the plan one last time. We are going to the garden, then we will be 'attacked', they will steal me, and Ari will come after us but never return. My lucky day, Rosetta is in the garden. She can come with us, and I motioned for her to come quickly.

"Rosetta!" I squilled.

"Yes?" She said and gave me a hug.

"We're getting out. In a few minutes we're getting busted out. Please stay near and come with us." I pleaded.

"Of course!" She replied.

When we got out there I searched the sky over and over. I saw them coming, but I looked away so it wouldn't be obvious. I could finally see them with my super awesome vision. Then they were swooping down and I was grabbed up by Fang. I instantly clung around his neck and kissed his face insanely, and he didn't fight against it as long as I didn't get in his way. I inhaled his sweet aroma of the woods. I looked at Iggy, he was wearing some cute little glasses that fit his personality.

"Fang." I said simply.

"MAX!" I heard the flock shout.

"Everyone!" I laughingly said back. We flew until we were far enough to take a break. I didn't need it, because I can't fly. Everyone instantly collapsed in a hug all around me. I was crying my eyes out. We didn't even talk, we just held each other.

"I mi-missed you all s-so mu-much." I stuttered through tears.

"Us to." Gazzy replied.

"Who is your girl friend?" Nudge asked.

"Oh. Sorry, this is Rosetta. We met her in New York, remember?" I asked.

"Yeah." Everyone replied and this time everyone was in on the hug, even Ari. We sat there once again in silence (besides tears and sobs) hugging each other.

"Let's get home." I said in a soft voice to avoid crying.

"Come on." Fang said and picked me up. They flew for 15 minutes, and then Fang made this irreplaceable face and asked me a question.

"Max, why are you wet?"

"What?" I said and checked myself and sure enough I was wet then I felt it, the first contraction. I screamed in unbearable pain.

"Angel! Where's the nearest hospital?" Fang demanded. She closed her eyes and listened intently.

"One mile straight." She said and came out of her trance.

"Guess we better fly fast." Iggy replied. I tried my best not to squirm and jerk but it hurt so bad, I was crying and horrified. Fang whispered and tried to use soothing words while I tried to seriously refrain from cussing everything that moved. We arrived, Ari and Rosetta stayed with the kids while Iggy and Fang carried me away.

"How long has it been since her water broke?" A nurse asked as they laid me down on a bed.

"Twenty minutes at least." Fang answered as he put my hair in a quick bun.

"And this is her first child?" She asked.

"Of course." Iggy replied while Fang was trying to calm me down.

"Does she want pain medication?" The nurse asked.

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK?" I said and popped up then fell backward in pain again. Fang sat on one side of me and Iggy on the other. This meant a lot to me, even though at the time I didn't show it. I had gone through excruciating pain before, but nothing quite like this. Every 5 to 7 minutes I would scream on horrifying pain.

"WHERE ARE THEY WITH THE FREAKING PAIN MEDICATION!" I yelled.

"They're coming." Fang said and continued to rub my hand with his thumb. They arrived in the following minutes with it and I had a few words to share with them that weren't so friendly. After a long while of just sitting there the actual doctor came in. Thank God it was a woman.

"So, what have we got here?" She tried to joke.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK!" I half screamed-half yelled. She put her hair up in a ponytail, and whispered something under her breath.

"Let's get you ready." She said, came over, adjusted my pillows, and did some different things. I saw her name tag said: Lisa. Then she took a seat at the end of the bed, propped my legs up, and pulled a mini table up with some tools on it.

"Ok. Take some deep breaths. In through your mouth, out through your nose." Lisa instructed. I did this little exercise and calmed down a little but quickly flared up.

"Have you smoked, drinked, do drugs, or have you done anything that might harm your baby?" Lisa asked.

"No." Fang replied for me since I was screaming at the current contraction.

"Have you had any complications during your pregnancy?" She asked.

"Like what?" I growled through gritted teeth.

"Never mind. Looks like we can begin." Lisa said.

"I've been ready for... 2 hours while you've been…CHIT CHATTING!" I said and screamed once more.

"Ok. Breath. Now when you feel the next contraction, push." She instructed and highered my legs where I couldn't see her anymore.

"Ow! Ow! Owieeee!" I cried and screamed as I gave my first push. I gripped Fang's and Iggy's hands so hard that I could feel their blood pumping through them. This is why I loved my family so much, they are always there for me, no matter what the circumstance. I looked dazzlingly at them, but they weren't sure what to do so they just stood there looking at each other then down at me.

"Good job. Now wait for the next one." Lisa said. This carried on for hours. Many tears and many words were shared. I got to a point where I thought I was actually dying, like literally dying. Not to mention my broke back.

"Please, just make it stop." I pleaded to anyone who would listen.

"Shh. It's going to be ok." Iggy said and he pushed back some stray hairs and wiped my forehead. Fang sat there trying to not cry along with me. I got through another hour. Fang kissed my hand then laid his head against the bed and began to mumble under his breath. I listened while I was waiting on the next one to come along and I realized he's praying. Fang praying? I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. We had been here I guess a little over 11 hours and I read somewhere that first time deliveries lasted at least 13 hours. Now they had let the rest of the family come in for last hour of the delivery, at least everyone that was awake. Which of course, the only one awake was Nudge.

"The head is visible. That's good news; it means we're almost done." Lisa said.

"A head. That's nice." Fang said to cheer me up.

"Agreed." Nudge chimed in then laughed.

"Yes." I said breathlessly. I went on a little more. Fang put a cold wash rag on my forehead and it felt wonderful. Ig just petted my hair and kept talking to me. When I lifted my hand to pull my shirt from around my neck (because it felt like it was choking me) I saw how bad my hands were shaking, and it was so involuntary.

"Three, two, one, and now," Lisa instructed but my body is so worn out that it was useless," Come on, Max, don't give up. One more push and the head will be out." I did my best and kept trying. They injected me with this stuff that's supposed to increase the power of my contractions, and when it got to where it was going, I shot straight up (into a sitting position), screamed and I held it out for nearly 7 seconds straight, once again Fang's and Iggy's hands were there to reassure me that everything's going to be ok. I was crying so badly. Then, my baby's cry.

"Good girl, Max. Wait a minute." She said. I knew she was clearing the airway for my baby.

"You're doing great. Now three good pushes and we'll be done." She told me.

"Wait, wait." I begged in tears.

"Ok." Lisa replied. I took a mini break to catch my breath. Fang was instructing me to breathe in through my nose and out though my mouth.

"Three, two, one, and now...now...," She directed me," Now give me a really big final one...now." And I followed her instructions with one last scream. It's over.

"It's all over now. Shh. Everything going to be alright, Max. I'm so proud of you." Iggy said and grabbed a dry rag then wiped away my sweat while Fang went to see about the baby. I barely saw Nudge take the first picture of the baby, Fang was holding him, which made me happy.

"He kind of reminds me of a grub worm." Nudge said as she turned her head sideways curiously.

"Let me see him." Iggy said with outstretched arms. Fang ever so gently placed him in Iggy's arms then Ig turned to me.

"Wow. You made one handsome boy. Would you like to see him, Momma?" Iggy asked.

"Yes," I said and reached for him with shaky hands as he gently passed him to me, "Yes, I did." Nudge crept quietly to where she could get a decent picture of me with him he was all cleaned up and wrapped in a cute baby blue blanket. I traced my index finger along his nose and jaw bone. Then, the most magical thing happened, he wrapped his hand around my finger. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

"What is his name?" Lisa asked.

"Figgy Orlando Ride." I said.

"Well, Figgy Orlando Ride, born on February 14th, 2011, at 8:45 a.m., weighs 7.5 pounds, and 20 inches long." She said as she handed a paper with all the information on it.

"Lisa." I asked timidly.

"Yes, Dear?" She said as she was beginning to leave.

"Thanks. I owe you everything in the world." I said.

"No, you don't owe me anything. You owe that baby everything. It was my pleasure. That's why I chose this job." She said and smiled then left. Soon the room was cleared and I was put on a clean bed. Little by little my family began to trickle in, but as soon as they made eye contact with one of us we immediately put a finger over our mouths to hush them. I gave him to Fang and rolled over and fell almost instantly to sleep. No one could blame me; I was up for nearly 20 hours and 12 hours was down right strenuous.

I woke to find everyone asleep (on either mats, or the couch, or the other bed) but Ari who was holding the baby. I laid there and watched him as he looked at Figgy with amazement. He had him cradled up in his right arm while the other supported the baby's head. He randomly looked up at me and saw that I was awake and stood up to bring him to me.

"It's hard to believe someone so good looking is related to me." He whispered gesturing toward the baby. I took Fig from Ari, laid back and stared endlessly at him.

"Couldn't have done it better, Sis." He joked quietly. I scooted over painfully and told him to sit with me on the bed. He didn't refuse, just lightly sat down and wrapped his arm around me and placed the other under my arms that were supporting my baby.

"What's it like being an uncle?" I teased.

"Well, I guess it's kind of great. What about you? What's it like to be a real mom?" He asked.

"The best thing in the whole wide world. I couldn't ask for more than this moment, to be here with my family and friends. This is all I've ever wanted." I said. When I looked around the room I saw Fang smile sheepishly, he's totally busted, he's not asleep.

"I wonder when I can get out of here." I asked and gently began to rock back and forth with Fig.

"I can ask the doctor if you want." Ari said.

"If it's not to much trouble." I replied.

"It's not." He gently slid off the bed and out of the room. Fang sat up, stretched, and took Ari's place on the bed.

"Can I?" He asked and nodded toward Figgy. I slowly passed him to Fang, and he began to coo the baby.

"You are going to be a heart stealer; every girl is going to want to date you." He said and bounced him very lightly in his arms. Everyone slowly began to wake up and gather around us.

"They said that they are going to come in and check you out to see if everything's ok, then they will let you leave." Ari reported.

"Let's get a group picture, when the nurse comes in she can take it." Nudge suggested.

"Sounds cool." Gazzy said. We sat around and talked about a little bit of everything, but mostly about the baby.

"Max, are you ok? You look pale." Rosetta asked.

"I-I feel kind o-of woozy." I said and suddenly the room seemed to spin. I mean, I had been queasy but I thought it was because I had just given birth. I pulled the cover off of me so I could stand up but under the blanket was a sea of blood; I saw that and passed out.

"Iggy! Here, take the baby!" I heard Fang shout from my. Then he hit the call button and sent the nurses in a tizzy with all his yelling.

"She has excessive bleeding, People!" I heard one nurse scream to the rest of his team. They put an oxygen mask over my mouth and nose and that's the last thing I remember. I must've been out for hours, because when I woke up Fang was asleep beside me in a chair, holding my hand with both of his. I hated that I was causing all this trouble for everyone. This whole thing was making me seem weak, and what in the world is that annoying beeping sound. I slipped my hand from Fang's to support me, and turned around to see that there was a heart monitor behind me. I on accident woke up Fang when I took my hand from his, I knew this because when I turned back he was staring at me. I didn't even have time to explain myself before Fang was in my face kissing me gently on the lips.

"I was so scared." He said and began to cry. I hugged him and scooted over so he could sit with me.

"I'm ok now." I comforted him.

"They said that you lost so much blood that it could've killed you." He said and let me lay back on him then he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"I will never leave you or the flock or my baby alone in this horrible world." I somehow managed a mini laugh then clenched my stomach.

"No strenuous activities," Fang said and got up to go get a bag, "You've had one busy Valentine's Day. So I thought you might want these." He handed me a mini box of chocolates and a teddy bear holding a heart, and on the heart it said 'You'll be in my heart'.

"Aw. That's the song I sing to Fig. Wait, speaking of, where is he?" I asked and laid my gifts on the table and snuggled back on Fang.

"In the nursery and as for everyone else they were told to go home, but I stayed behind."

"Thanks. When can I go home?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, there isn't another episode."

"I'll try to avoid it then." I gave a half smile. Then I curled up even closer to Fang and he pulled the covers up to my shoulders. For the first time in along time, it felt like home. I slowly drifted to sleep and gave a little thanks to God for everything he had done for me today.