Catch and Release

Chapter 21

When Fang first woke up, he found that he was in his own bed, Max snuggled up next to him, crushing his right wing in the process, but apparently it hadn't bothered him enough in the night to awaken him. So what had?

Turning his head, he saw that his cell phone had somehow wound up next to them on the bed. Picking it up, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Owl? Owl dere?"

"Carter?"

"Owl? Owl?"

"What?" He sat up, making Max roll in her sleep, off his wings.

"Owl?"

"It's Fang. I mean Owl. I mean, it's me, Carter. Where are you?"

"Owl! Hi."

"Whose phone are you calling from?"

"Owl? Come? Owl come get Car'er? Owl?"

"Carter-"

"Owl come."

It was then, listening closely, that Fang could hear Nudge in the background, prompting the little girl. Groaning, he asked, "Carter? Can you put Nudge on? Please?"

It took a second for Carter to realize what he wanted, but eventually the phone got to Nudge.

"Why did you give her the phone?"

"She wanted to talk to you. She's worried."

"About?"

"She was sleeping when Max dropped her off. She woke up over here, when she had fallen asleep with you. It scared her."

Fang glanced over at Max to find her still sleeping, at some point having found the time to get dressed, probably while he was passed out. Sighing, Fang told Nudge that he would be there soon before hanging up.

To avoid waking Max, Fang got up slowly and dressed silently before leaving the apartment. After what they did last night, Fang wanted nothing to do with Max, not at the moment. He wasn't sure where they were going to progress now that it they had done…that.

"Owl."

Fang lifted Carter into his arms the second she and Nudge answered the door. "Hi."

She sneezed, but he just let her rub her nose into his shirt. "Sick. No Owl. Sad."

"I'm sorry. Mommy and I had to do something." Fang looked to Nudge. "Did Max drop her off with anything?"

"Just this," she said, handing him Robbie. "She was in a rush, said she'd be back, that you needed her or something."

Mumbling a thanks, Fang took Robbie before carrying Carter out of the building. Luckily, Fang had taken Max's car, so he didn't have to walk her home in the cold. As he was buckling Carter in, she began to have a coughing fit, which upset him.

"Owl," she began to whine. "Owl."

"My poor baby." Fang laid his head against Carter's staring at her. "Let me get you home to Mommy, huh?"

"Owl baby?" She sniffled, her nose running. Fang moved back slightly, grabbing the tissue box that Max had sitting on the center console.

"Yes, my baby." Fang took a tissue and held it to her nose, wiping it for the toddler. "Owl's baby."

Carter giggled a little bit, though Fang could tell that she still didn't feel well. "Baby owl."

"You know what a baby owl is called, Carter?" Fang finished buckling her in before handing her Robbie. "An owlet. Is that what you are?" He leaned his forehead against hers again. "I have to drive now, my little owlet. We'll be to my house soon."

"Owl nest? Nest, Owl?"

"Nest," he told her before closing the door and getting in the driver's seat. "Nest."

When they got to the apartment, Fang heard his shower running and knew that Max was in there. Sighing, he almost took Carter to his bedroom, to let her sleep some more, before remembering what had happened the previous night.

"You sleep out here," Fang said, wrapping Carter up in the blanket that he kept on his couch before heading to get her some pillows.

"Owl?" She looked up at him. "Owl?"

"You want me to lay there with you?" Fang's stomach growled them, making him frown. "Let me get something to eat real fast, huh? Then I can."

While he was in the kitchen, Max came out of the bathroom. Not knowing that her daughter was in the living room, she immediately headed in there with him.

"Mmmm."

Fang was mid bite into his sandwich when Max wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Max?"

She just kissed his back, leaning into him for a moment. "Turn around."

He did as asked, though he didn't put his sandwich down. Max just smiled, staring at his face.

"Why did you leave?"

Fang took in the fact that she was wearing one of his shirts and, after a quick glance at her breasts, no bra. As for anything else, he could tell she wasn't wearing any shorts or jeans, but he couldn't tell if she had on any underwear, as his shirt covered that part of her up. He sure hoped not…until he looked into the living room and saw Carter peeking over the back of the couch at them?

"I went and got Carter."

Max made a shocked face before turning and see her daughter. "Oh, baby. Did Mommy not come back for you?"

Carter just stared at Max for a second before coughing. "Owl."

"Come here." Max rushed over to her daughter, lifting her into her arms. Fang took another bite of his sandwich, just watching this. "Oh, poor baby. Fang?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can you go to my apartment? Get her some toys, her diaper bag, and some clothes?"

"What?"

"Well, we're staying over here today, aren't we?"

Fang took another bite of his sandwich, thinking. "Sure. Work?"

"I have it in the afternoon." Max kissed her baby's head. "Speaking of, what happened to work last night?"

"Off day," he told her as he finished his sandwich. "I'll go now. I've been using your car. You left your keys on the-"

"It's fine, Fang." Max grimaced as Carter began to cough again. "Bring her medicine too, huh?"

"No," Carter whined, leaning into her mother. "No, Mommy. No, Owl."

Coming over to them, Fang leaned down, rubbing his head against Carter's. "Shhh. I'll be right back, huh? Owlet?"

Carter reached out and patted Fang's nose. "Owl."

"Go now, Fang," Max said, bouncing her daughter slightly. "Don't forget to get her a change of clothes."

Fang kissed Max's head, shocking both of them, before leaving. He was quick over at Max's place, wanting to get back to the two of them as soon as possible. When he arrived back, Carter was crying loudly, upset because she felt so nasty. Fang suggested that they give her a bath, that maybe she'd feel more comfy then.

"Comfy?" Max questioned as Fang ran the bathwater. Carter, who was standing at his feet, whining, kept rubbing against him for some reason.

Fang glanced at Max and allowed himself to smirk slightly as he remembered him saying that to her, when he first showed her his apartment.

"Well, you know," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Hey, uh, Carter, come here. You're gonna take a bath, huh?"

"No! No bath!" She spit at Fang. "Owl bath! No Car'er bath!"

"Stop it," he groaned. "Max, can you bathe her? I don't want to fight her."

Max ran a hand down Carter's head. "Yeah, sure."

Fang quickly exited the bathroom, not wanting to be around for the meltdown. He was only in the other room for a second or two when he heard Carter calling for her ducky. Sigh. He knew he forgot something.

By the time bath time was finished, Carter was just whimpering and shivery, her fever apparently broken and leaving her cold.

"Owl," Carter whined as Max carried her into living room, quickly setting her down on his chest. "Brrr."

He quickly wrapped her up in a blanket, sitting up slightly. "Why is she cold? I thought she has a fever?"

"You can get cold with a fever," Max told him before nodding at his television. "You got cable yet?"

"No, but Dr. Martinez game me a VCR and some videos of Carter's," Fang said as the little girl huddled against him. "I haven't figured out how to hook it up yet though. The VCR is in the second room and so are the tapes if you want-'

"I can do it," Max said as Fang laid back down, closing his eyes. "Maybe I'll buy you a DVD player, huh?"

"No way. I'm VHS all the way. I'm bringing it back you know," Fang informed her jokingly, shocked that he was able to get over the night before.

"That'll be hard, considering that even DVDs are starting to become obsolete."

"What?"

"Everyone has Blu-Ray now."

"Bah." Fang looked down at Carter, who was staring up at him with wide eyes. 'What's wrong, Owlet?"

"Brrr. Brrr, Owl."

He opened his wings before wrapping her up in them. "My poor owlet."

"What did you just call her?" Max asked as she came back into the room, carrying the box of VHS tapes and the player.

"Owlet," Fang muttered, embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject. "Can you hand me some of her stuffed animals? I think they'll make her feel better."

Max gave him Robbie, Lockheed, and a few others before getting to work on setting up the VHS player.

"Are you sleepy?" Fang asked as Carter cuddled her toys. "Or thirsty? Shouldn't you drink, Max, if you're sick?"

"Stay hydrated, yes. I'll get her something in a second. Do you have any juice?"

"Yeah. I always buy juice boxes for her." He stroked Carter's head. "Are you okay now, Holden?"

"No." She rubbed her nose into his shirt. "No."

"I need to buy some tissues, huh?" Fang let out a long breath. "Hey, Max? How's setting up going?"

"I'm working on it," she grumbled while Fang just smirked softly. "You know, most guys like to set up the electronics, for themselves and their girlfriends."

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Max," he said as Carter moved up on his chest, holding Robbie up to him. After planting a kiss on the bear like she wanted, he told her mother, "I'm not most guys."

"Mommy?"

"Shhh. I'm just gonna wash Fang's sheets," Max said as she came through the living room, his bedding in her hands. "Owl's gonna stay here with you and watch the Teletubbies."

"Actually-"

"Oh no, Fang, you're gonna stay here and watch these tapes. I can do the laundry."

"I wouldn't want you to think that I'm be chauvinistic by making you do laundry," Fang told her.

He honestly just couldn't stand another episode of Carter's show. It made him want to ram his head into a wall. It was so boring. And annoying. And repetitive. He knew that the only reason Max was offering to wash his sheets was because she wanted out too. It wasn't fair. If Fang had only known the tortures of only having little kid tapes, he'd have never agreed to taking the old VHS player from Valencia.

"No, no. You two are so comfy on the couch, aren't you? I wouldn't want to ruin that."

Carter looked up at Fang before back at the TV. "Lala. Noo noo."

Fang just glanced at the television again before shutting his eyes. "This show gives me a headache."

"My poor Fang," Max said as she continued out the door. "Have fun."

After Max was gone, Carter made Fang remove his wings from around her, allowing her to sit up, though she stayed on his stomach, her stuffed animals all around her. She let out a loud yawn before looking at Fang.

"No s'eep, Owl. P'ay."

"Play?" He watched her as she jumped down from his chest. "What do you wanna play? I've got some of your blocks here, if you want those. But don't tire yourself out, Carter. If you don't feel well-"

"P'ay!"

"Okay, okay, fine." He slowly got up, most of her stuffed animals falling to the floor. "Let me get the blocks."

He had to go to the spare bedroom to get the box of blocks, quickly returning to find Carter had crawled back up the couch, snuggling into the pillows there.

"I thought you wanted to play?"

"No. No, Owl." She sniffled. "Owl play."

"What?"

"Owl play."

"You wanna watch me play?" He groaned, setting the box down in front of the couch. "Carter, I don't want to play."

"Owl play!"

Fang only grunted as he sat down on the floor and dumped the blocks out. "What do you want me to do, Carter? Build?"

"Yes."

"Fine." He quickly stacked five blocks on top of one another. "There. I built a tower. Happy?"

"Owl," she whined. "Owl."

"What? I did what you wanted, didn't I?"

"No. Owl play. Owl." When she started her whimpers, Fang conceded, beginning to create things with the blocks. He did this until Max came back, who quickly asked what he was doing.

"She wants me to play, since she can't."

"Poor Carter." Max went over to her daughter and ran a hand through her hair. "Poor baby."

"Owlwet."

"Owl's wet?" Max looked at Fang.

"Owlwet."

"She's trying to say Owlet," Fang muttered. "It's, uh, a baby owl."

"Is it? How do you know that?"

"Just one of those random facts."

"So…If she's an owlet, what does that make…her to…you?"

"It's all relative," Fang said, coughing slightly. "Anyways, Carter, can I stop playing now?"

She just whined. "Mommy."

"What?"

"Hung'y."

"You are?" Max looked to Fang. "What are you making us, Owl?"

"Do you guys want mac'n'chee-"

"No," Max said quickly before Carter could say anything. "Do you have soup? Carter should have soup."

"I don't have any."

"Well-"

"I'll go buy her a few cans."

"Fang, you don't-"

"I do." He stood up, quickly closing the distance between him and his two girls. Patting Carter's head, he said, "I'll get you some soup, huh? Just for you."

"Owl baby?"

"Owl's baby." Then, for possibly the first time ever, Fang kissed Carter's head. "I'll be back."

"'kay. Take the car."

"I will."

Fang figured that it would just be a quick trip the corner store, but of course, nothing was ever quick in his life.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

Sebastian only glanced over at the car that pulled up next to him with its window rolled down. It wasn't until he recognized Fang that he rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be minding your own business?"

Little brat. Fang quickly rolled his window back up as the light he was stopped at changed. Whatever. Sebastian wasn't his problem anyways.

It was on his way home from the store that he really did have to deal with the boy again. Once again, Fang was sitting at a light when suddenly his passenger side door was flung open and the boy shot himself in side.

"The fuck, Seb-"

"Drive. Drive."

Fang frowned as he looked in his review mirror and saw another group of boys after the one in his car. "My God, why do you keep hanging out with these guys?"

Seb just huddled down in the car. "Drive, old man. Drive."

"You know that I can't keep getting you out of-"

"Just drive!"

Finally the light changed, but it didn't really matter, as the boys were nowhere to be seen now.

"How do you always get into shit? Huh?"

Sebastian popped back up, quickly buckling his seat belt. "I'm a very crafty person."

Fang just groaned. "You know, I have a sick baby at home. I don't have time to deal with you."

"Is Aunt Max over at your place?"

"Y-"

"Then take me there."

"What? No. Carter is sick at home and-"

"Look, old man, I've already skipped school."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"So, you might as well take me there, to face the music. The only other option is to drop me at home, alone, where I'll just do more damage."

"Or I could take you to your grandmother's work."

For a moment, Seb panicked. His mother? No problem. Nudge? Bring her on. Max? Not even a threat. But his grandmother, Valencia, she had no qualms about popping him in the mouth or back of the head.

Then, he thought of the perfect defense.

"You really want to bother my grandmother with this? Huh? After all she's done for you, saved you, you're gonna burden her with me?"

Fang's face was set. "Fine. You can come to my place, but you will not bother Carter. She has the flu, alright? You're gonna sit there and be quiet. You got it?"

"Whatever, gramps."

Gritting his teeth, Fang continued on to his place, taking Seb up when they got there.

"Seb!" Carter was currently on the couch, watching what looked like Barney now.

"It's a weekday," Max said, frowning as Fang came into the apartment. "What are you doing with him, Fang?"

"I found him, out and about, so I brought him here." Fang went into the kitchen. "You want chicken noodle, Carter? Or tomato?"

"Chicken noodle," Max told him before looking at her nephew. "Why aren't you in school?"

"I didn't feel like going today."

"Does your mom know?"

"No."

Max groaned as Carter jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen. "Carter, sweetie, come lay down."

"No!" She hugged Fang's leg. "Hi, Owl."

"Hi." He smiled down at her as he opened the can of soup. "Can you go lay down on the couch? So Mommy can care for you?"

"Actually, Fang, I need to go put those sheets in the dryer," Max said, walking towards the door. "Come on, Sebastian. We need to talk."

Groaning, the boy followed along behind her, leaving Fang alone with Carter once more.

"Seb?"

"He'll be back," Fang assured the girl as he put a pot with the soup on the stove. "Hey, Carter, are you feeling better?"

She just head butted Fang's leg.

"I'll take that as a no."

"So…about last night."

"What about it?"

"Max."

She sighed a little bit. Currently, her and Fang were talking over the phone, as he was at his place while she was back at home. He was busy getting ready for work, but had the phone on speaker as he walked around the room, getting ready.

"What is there to say about it, Fang? I liked what we did, if that's what you mean. I plan on doing that again."

"Oh, I know you do."

"What's that supposed to mean? You got yours too, you know."

"I know." He let out a content sigh. "I…loved it. You, uh, jerking me-"

"God, Fang, do you have to make everything awkward?"

He swallowed some of his pills before answering. "No, but I was just thanking you."

Max groaned. "You can really annoy me sometimes."

"What?" Fang shook his head. "I think we should do that every night. Every day too. Maybe substitute it for lunch. Whatever floats your boat."

"You are so much haughtier over the phone."

"I'm hotter?"

"Haughtier."

"I don't know what that means, but then again, I doubt you really do." He let out a breath. "Is Carter sleeping okay?"

"Yep. In her own bed even."

"Poor baby. I hate that she's sick."

"Me too." He heard Max shift on her bed before speaking again. "So…Owlet?"

Fang coughed. "Yeah, well, you know."

"It's a baby owl, right?"

"Right."

"And you're Owl."

"I am."

"So…?"

"So what?"

"Are you calling her your-"

"I'm not calling her anything other than Owlet. She likes it."

"She likes anything you do. Besides punish her. Even then, she at least listens to you." Max let out a long sigh. "So, anyways what are you planning to do for Thanksgiving?"

"That jerking thing would be nice."

"Ha, Fang. Now seriously, what?"

"I was being serious. As for my morning and afternoon activities, whatever you and Holden do."

"We're gonna go over to Mom's."

"Then I'll go too."

"Good. I, uh, have to make something. A desert."

"Oh." Fang thought of all the deserts Max had made over the years. Though they were few, their success rate wasn't very high, if not all together nonexistent

"So, I was wondering…if you wanted to bake with me? And Carter. Or whatever. Only if you want."

"Of course." He cleared his throat. "We can bake a pie. Or cake. Or both. Or something."

"Carter likes baking."

"That's because Carter likes eating."

"She does," the toddler's mother agreed. "I hope she feels better soon. Every time she coughs I think about…"

"You think about what?"

"About…" Max sighed a little bit. "When I had her, she was very sick. I mean, I was sick too, so of course she was. They weren't feeding me. I couldn't feed her. She would cough and cough…I thought she would die, Fang."

Fang swallowed hard as he went back over to his phone, switching it from speaker back to normal as he lifted it to his ear.

"Well, all that matters is that she didn't, huh? That we all finally get to be together and…love each other."

"You love her, Fang?"

Again, he had to swallow. "I-I think so. I'm not sure. I've never, you know, loved a little kid in that way before."

"The Flock."

"That was different. I've never thought of any of them as…mine."

"Is she though? Yours?"

Fang let out a breath as he sat down on the end of his bed. "When I first found out that I wasn't, you know, her father, it bothered me. I know it did you too. But, ultimately, if not me, then who? Someone has to be it and none of those…bastards ever can be. I can though. And I want to. If you want me to."

"If I want you to be her father?"

"Her dad," he corrected, breathless.

Max was silent for a moment or two before saying, "That wouldn't be up to me, Fang."

What? "Then who?"

"Carter."

"Carter," he repeated.

"Yes."

"So I have to ask Carter-"

"If you can be her father."

"Dad."

"Same thing."

"No," he said with a shake of his head even though he knew that she couldn't see. "Not the same thing."

"How are they different?"

"Jeb? Jeb is your father. But as far as a dad goes, you don't have one. Dr. Martinez? She's your mother and your mom."

"So what about you?"

"What abot me?"

"You're fatherless and motherless?"

"No," he said, letting out a breath. "I have a father and mother. I just don't know them. I never had a mom or dad though."

Max paused. "Anyways, you'd have to ask her. I can't make her decisions for her."

"I think…I think that I should wait. Until me and you are more permanent."

"As in?"

"I just don't want to, you know, mess something up. I don't want to screw her up."

"How could you?"

"Max, every time I even question you, you ban her from seeing me."

"I do n-"

"Twice. I've been here only a few months and you've already done it twice."

"For good reason."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Fang just groaned. "My only point is, Max, that if we don't work, out, I can't tell that girl that I'm gonna be there if I'm not. She's gone through the same Hell we did. Albeit, she won't remember it, but still."

"Actually," Max began as he heard her take a sip of something, probably a soda. "I don't want her to remember most of this."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're gonna do this, be her dad, then it's best if it happens soon, while she's young. Then she'll just always remember you as having been there."

"I haven't thought that much into it."

"I know. You like this pace, right? Of how things are? Because I do."

"Me too."

Max laughed slightly. "I should let you go. So you can get to work."

"Yeah." Fang cleared his throat again. "Alright."

"I'll see you later, Fang."

"You too."

After he hung up, Fang just laid around for awhile before taking off.

"How am I gonna ask Carter to be her dad?" Fang mumbled as he locked his apartment door behind him. "I have a hard enough time asking her what she wants to eat."

"Freeze!"

"Ow, Fang! You freaking hit my eye!"

There Fang was, jumping around the corner of Max's apartment, holding up his Nerf gun. Grimacing as he looked at his girlfriend's face, he saw that she really was injured.

"Sorry," he said, quickly coming over to her, shutting the front door. "Here, sit down. I'll get you some ice."

"Fang, you-"

"Shhh. Keep it down. Carter's sleeping."

It was the next day and Fang had set up random soda cans around the living room and kitchen, for target practice. When he heard Max turn the key in the door, of course he couldn't resist the urge to attack her. Of course.

It took Fang a full ten minutes of apologizing before Max agreed to laid down on the couch with him.

"How was work?" Fang asked as Max settled into him, the swelling in her eye all, but gone.

"Good. How was the baby?"

"Alright. She's still sick, but at least she's sleeping more."

"Mmm. I'll go check on her in a few minutes." Max yawned a little. "My neck's tight."

"You wanna go lay down in bed? I could-"

"No." Max popped her head to one side. "I'm fine. I'd rather you not hurt me for the rest of the day."

Fang just made a face. "I said sorry."

"I know."

"Well, what more do you want?"

"Nothing, Fang. Forget I spoke."

Sighing, Fang looked back at Carter's bedroom. "When should I give her medicine again?"

"When's the last time you did it?"

"Noon."

"Mmmm, not yet." Max glanced around the room. "And what the heck is up with all these soda cans?"

"…Let me get you something to eat. You hungry?" Fang jumped up. "Thirsty?"

"Fang-"

"Pizza? You want some cold pizza?"

Sighing, Max gave up before giving in. "Yeah, sure, but heat mine up."

When Fang came back with a plate full of pizza, he sat it in his girlfriend's lap before sitting next to her once more.

"So you work again today?" Fang asked.

"Nope."

"Good. We can spend the rest of the day together."

"More like we can spend the rest of the day caring for Carter," Max corrected as she gave Fang her crust. "So you like your Nerf gun?"

"I love it."

"I can tell."

"I love my laptop too though," Fang assured her. "Very much."

"What about that phone number?"

Fang scratched the back of his head. "I called her. Once. It was…alright. Awkward though."

"Hmmm."

"Max, you said that you wouldn't-"

"I gave you the freaking number, didn't I, Fang? I'm not going to scold you."

"I know that you're a silent seether sometimes."

"Oh, shut up." She got up then, giving him the plate of pizza. "I'm gonna go check on my baby."

"Please don't wake her up. Please. It took forever to get her down."

"I won't, calm down."

Fang settled out on the couch while waiting for Max, flipping through the channels to find something interesting. So of course he landed on bass fishing. Of course.

"What are you watching?" Max asked as she came back to join him, molding easily into his body.

"Fishing."

"Because…?"

"Because, Max, you're paying for this channel. I'm gonna get my good money out of it."

"You mean my good money."

"Exactly."

Max nuzzled under his arm. "Did you put on deodorant?"

"Erm…I'm gonna go with no, but that was a few hours ago, so I really don't remember."

Letting out a long breath, she said, "Maybe you should, I don't know, start keeping some stuff…here? In cases like this? Where you have horrible body odor?"

Fang glanced down at her before taking a bite of pizza. "Yeah, I'll do that."

Needless to say, Fang ended up with his wish of, well, getting with Max once again, as somehow they wound up in Max's bedroom. That was after, of course, feeding Carter dinner and bathing her before putting her down once more.

"Do I need condoms for this?" Fang asked as Max pushed him down into the bed, laughing at his question.

"Do you have them on you?"

"I have one in my wallet."

"Ew. Only guys that plan on hooking up with random women do that."

Fang just stared at Max.

"I am not a random."

"Good, because I really actually don't."

"We're not doing that anyways," Max said as she pushed his shirt up slowly, kissing his flat stomach as she went. Fang quickly moved to lift his arms up, allowing her to pull it over his head. When it was gone, she immediately attached her lips to his. "Like you said, there's always other things."

Fang just smiled at her as she started her descent back down. "Those things?"

"Hmmmm?"

Fang nodded down, causing Max to look back up at him, eyes posed for a roll.

"What do you think?"

"Here's to hoping."

So after what Fang really wanted didn't get done, although a form of it did, Max settled down to sleep, claiming that she worked in the morning.

"Don't leave though. Until you have to."

Fang nuzzled her neck as they settled down into the bed. "Until I have to."

It was easy for Max to fall asleep, but Fang, used to sleeping all snug in his hoodie and jeans, found that laying around, nude, with dried sweat making you nasty, was not enjoyable. So, about an hour into it, when he heard Carter make the escape from her room, Fang took a deep breath before getting up and pulling his boxers and then his jeans.

"What's wrong?" Fang asked as he walked into the living room, Carter already waiting. He had left her bedroom door cracked, in case she needed them. He knew that she couldn't open doors yet, as she wasn't tall enough, and didn't want her to be calling for them, but them not hear her.

"Mommy."

"Mommy's sleeping," Fang whispered as he closed the bedroom door behind him. "Does your tummy hurt? Your throat? You thirsty? Gotta go potty?"

"No." She shook her head before running over to him, hugging his leg. "Owl."

"Shhh, Owlet." He rubbed a hand down the back of her dark hair before lifting her into his arms. It was then that Fang remembered he didn't have his shirt on, showing the little girl his scars for the first time. She didn't seem concerned and, seeing as it was so dark, neither was he.

"Come on," he whispered as he carried her into her bedroom. "Let's get back to bed, huh, Carter? Let's go sleep."

"S'eep."

As he took her in there, Fang finally worked up the courage to ask something that had been bothering him.

"Hey, Carter?"

She just moaned.

"Do you…know what a dad is?"

"Mmmhmm." She nodded up at him.

"What?"

"A boy mommy."

Fang stared down at her. 'Yeah. I guess that's a good description."

"Mmmhmm."

"You know, a daddy just kind of takes care of you. And he, uh, loves you."

"Like Mommy."

"Exactly like Mommy." Fang sat down on her bed, keeping the little girl in his lap. "So can I ask you something else?"

"Yes!" She nuzzled Fang's chest. "Yes, Owl."

"Can I…Do you…want me to be your daddy?"

Carter stared up at him for a second before jumping out of his lap, onto the bed. "No."

In all the scenarios that Fang had run through his head, getting a flat no was never one of them. "No?"

"No." She cuddled into her pillows before looking back at him. "No, Owl."

"Why not?"

"Owl no daddy," she told him. "Owl is Owl."

"But I could be both. Your daddy and your owl."

"No!" She spit at him. Why did Owl always have to argue? It was so annoying. "No, Owl."

"But-"

"No!" She finally laid down. "S'eep."

Groaning, Fang laid down on his back, wings opened as Carter climbed onto his chest. "Well, get up here, I guess."

Carter finally noticed his arms, which she had been banned from seeing since forever. Then she noticed his chest, which had always been hidden from the little girl.

"Owl?" She then began to poke his stomach. "Ows."

Fang's breath caught. "Carter-"

"Hurt?" She kissed his stomach, like Mommy did when she had an owie. But there were so many! She couldn't possibly kiss them all. "Owl?"

"No, Carter," he sighed. "They don't."

How did Owl get so hurt? Had he fallen off something? Jumped out of someone's arms? Taunted a kitty-cat one to many times? These things had all led to her getting hurt before, but she couldn't think of Owl doing any of those things. And even if he did, that couldn't have made him get so many owies. Could it?

She leaned over, kissing one of his arms now. "Sowy. Sowy, Owl."

"It's not your fault, Holden." He reached out, patting her face. "Huh? It's not. I got hurt a lot, before I knew you. Now I'm all better. Because I have you. Okay?"

She snuggled into his chest. "Owl."

Shaking his head, he wrapped his wings around her, sighing. "Hey, Carter?"

"Owl," she yawned.

"How come…how come you don't want me to be your dad?"

Mainly because…why would she? A daddy was just a boy mommy. And regular, girl mommy was bad enough. Don't get her wrong, she loved her mommy. Mommy was the best. That being said…Owl was better.

Owl was just like her. He played games like her, he got bossed around by grownups like her, he hated vegetables like her, he liked ice cream like her. Why would she trade in Owl for a boy mommy? That would be crazy.

"No."

"That doesn't answer my question."

She just closed her eyes. "Nigh-nigh, Owl."

Sighing loudly one last time, Fang ran a hand down her head. "Night-night, Carter."