Max lay in bed. She barely had energy to move. Her bones felt as if a child could break them, like a bone China tea set.

Max heard Anne's footsteps entering the bed room. Anne placed a bowl of broth and a steaming mug of coffee on the bed stand. Then she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Max," she said gently. "I've brought something for you to drink."

Max's eyes opened in thin slits.

Anne put her arm around Max's neck and lifted her up to a sitting position. "I have to feed you, Max. I can't let you go on like this."

Max's eyes opened slightly wider. "Anne?"

"Yes, Max. I'm going to feed you broth, okay?"

Max couldn't remember where she was. She figured she was in a crazy dream in which the despicable Anne was actually trying to mother her. Max wondered what the Voice would say about that.

"I'm really here, Max," Anne's gentle, clearly feminine voice assured her. "It's not a dream."

Anne lifted a spoon of beef broth to Max's lips. Max swallowed it. Her stomach wanted more. She tried to grab the spoon from Anne.

"I've got to make sure you go slowly at first. After I get a cup or so of broth in you, I'll let you drink your coffee. Okay?"

Max touched Anne's hand bringing the spoonful of broth to her mouth.

"Why are you doing this? Don't you want me to die?" Max's voice cracked over the memories of so many things that had gone wrong when the Flock lived with Anne.

Anne rested the side of her head against Max's forehead. "Max, none of us wants you to die. Why would we go to all this trouble if that's what we wanted?"

Max swallowed spoonful after spoonful of warm broth. She felt a little strength returning but her body was still frail, tiny, powerless.

Anne fluffed up pillows behind Max's back so that she could sit by herself. "I know how much you like coffee." She put the mug into Max's hands.

Max shook as she lifted the drink to her mouth. The exhausting effort paid off as the hot liquid smoothed down her throat.

Max lay against the pillows. "How long have I been here?"

"A few days. It's been almost a week since you left your Flock." Anne stood up.

"Are they safe?" Max asked, panic in her voice.

"They're not in any danger, Max. Jeb is still keeping watch over them, just to be sure." Anne left the room.

Max looked around. There was no school uniform, no books, nothing to remind her of what life had been like when the Flock lived together in the farm house with Anne. Max remembered Thanksgiving dinner with Anne and the Flock. Her stomach rumbled involuntarily.

The only thing in her room other than her bed was a new computer on the desk. She climbed out of the bed and walked slowly to the desk chair. She had to rest just from the effort of taking five steps across the room.

The screen lit up when Max bumped the mouse with her hand by accident. There wasn't any fancy desktop wallpaper. But the icons on the desktop looked like all the standard stuff on a PC.

Max opened an internet browser. It opened to Fang's blog.

Max read the entries slowly. She read comments left for Fang.

Fang had made a humorous comment about birds afraid of bird baths – and Max knew exactly what he really meant about Gazzy. Gazzy was obviously resisting taking baths. Fang blogged that he missed a close friend who went away. Max knew Fang meant her. Nudge blogged about fashion shows but she seemed to lack any spunk. There was no news of Angel. Apparently Iggy was moping – that's what Fang seemed to mean. There was no news of her Mom and Ella.

Suddenly Max recalled the image of Fang's shocked face when he saw her with Iggy.

Embarrassment flooded Max's face as she remembered the feelings she'd experienced under Iggy's touch. The memory sent a shiver of excitement through her. She regretted that residual reminder immediately.

During her reverie the screen updated. A new blog post from Fang appeared.

Yo!
There've been some wicked reports of UFMs (Unidentified Flying Mutants). Seen anything?
Fly on,
Fang

Max knew he was looking for her. She watched comments being added.

No flying Malamutes here.
- sal

Max wondered how much the blog fans really understood of the Flock's troubles with Itex.

Then she read another comment.

Canada geese left ginormous turds all over my back yard. Gross!
- goose turd detective

Max laughed out loud.

Anne brought in a tray of giant roast beef sandwiches, a big bag of chips, and a huge fruit salad.

As soon as Anne put the tray on the desk, Max started shoving the food into her mouth. Lucky for her, the recombinant-DNA body she had was capable of healing at light speed.

Max felt her energy returning. She even felt tingling in her fingers as the nutrients reached throughout her blood system.

She turned back to the computer screen and typed her own comment to Fang's blog:

Fang, UFM at large on sprawling 50 acre Virginia farm.
- FangzGRLyGRL

She hit the post button before she lost her nerve. Thirty seconds after her comment posted, the screen refreshed with another comment below hers.

MR, I'll be there tonight.
- Fang

Max's heart began to palpitate rapidly. She wondered if there was any hope that he would still love her. She turned to see Anne standing in the doorway, smiling.

"Of course he loves you, Max."

"How do you know everything I'm thinking?" Max asked angrily.

"I guess that's the bad part about all this, Max." Anne sat on the unmade bed across from Max. "You've been genetically engineered to carry on the human race, Max. Everything you've ever done has been recorded and studied to ensure success."

Max stared at Anne. "Success? So that's why I had to undergo all the tests!" She shouted venomously.

Anne looked into Max's eyes. "The tests weren't for you, Max."

Max threatened, "Quit the bull, Anne! I won't let you be all nice and mothering one minute and then turn into a lying bitch the next."

Anne continued to look into Max's eyes. "The tests were to see if your Flock was able to endure. If they could help you fulfill your mission."

"So now we're back to saving the world again?" Max restrained herself from leaping on top of Anne and crushing her bones into smithereens.

"You contain all genetic recombinant forms of diversity. At least what was known fourteen years ago."

"I do?" Max asked. "Me?"

Anne took hold of Max's hands. "You are capable of mothering a genetically diverse race, Max."

"Mothering? Like taking care of the Flock?"

Anne continued her earlier explanation. "While the human race is destroyed through wars, disease, natural disasters, and terrorism, you will survive. And after so much testing, we're confident that your Flock will survive along with you."

Max stared at Anne. "But after the Flock … you mean I'm supposed to have babies? That's how I'll save the world?"

Anne nodded. "None of your children will ever be alike, Max. You can morph into an Eraser because you know what an Eraser is. If you knew all the other experiments and genetic recombinations programmed into you, you could morph into any of those."

Max withdrew her hands from Anne's. "What if I say no?"

Anne spoke with sincere eyes. "If you choose not to save the world, we'll start again from scratch. We'll raise another female with strength and will power like yours. We'll develop a Flock to accompany her. And we'll provide her an opportunity to bond with a mate."

Max said, "That's disgusting."

Anne's smile left her face. "It's the only way to ensure the survival of our race, Max. There are enemies who want to stop this. They all have their reasons. Some are moral, some are religious, and some are greedy."

"Itex?" Max asked warily.

"They want to make humans dependent upon their organization. They make false promises that they can save people from everything destroying the earth. But in their attempt to gain world domination, they're some of the worst offenders of ecological terrorism and human rights violations." Anne stood.

"Where are you going?" Max asked hotly.

"I want to give you time alone. To think. You have decisions to make that I have no control over. No Voice can make you choose one way or another. Now it's all up to you. My work is done."

"Are you leaving?" Max panicked.

"No, Max. I won't leave you today. I'll stay with you as long as you need me." Anne walked out.

Max stared into her hands. A weight of responsibility heavier than Atlas' burden settled over her shoulders. She was glad Fang had promised to come. She couldn't face the future alone.

#####

Max perched on the roof top of the farm house. She let the chill of the evening air ruffle through her outstretched wings.

Waiting was hard. She wondered if Fang would change his mind. She began to imagine scenarios that would prevent him from leaving the Flock alone.

Max stared down at her nails which only had a few chips of nail polish left on them. They were beginning to look just like they had looked before manicure hell.

Then she heard heavy beating of wings and looked up to see Fang's massive wingspan lighting upon the roof.

She got up and ran into him. His body was hot. His wings were outstretched, releasing the heat of the evening flight.

Max felt Fang's arms encompass her. His lips rested in her hair.

She had no words. A lump in her throat prevented her from talking. Instead she gripped Fang fiercely. She clung to him. Every move he made she kept up with him.

Fang finally looked down at Max. His face lowered into hers for a reunion kiss. It started out sweet. It became passionate. It was wild, untame. Dangerous, even.

When they drew apart, Max saw him fold in his cooled wings. She led him through her bedroom window. The desk was filled with food.

"Did you make all this?" Fang said, stuffing bread into his mouth.

"Anne must have," Max answered. "She's been taking care of me since I got here."

Fang ate more than half of the food on the table. Max ate and laughed with him. It was like they'd been apart for a few hours. Everything felt normal with Fang near.

When he was full, she loosened his backpack and took off his jacket. Then she undid his belt and slipped his jeans off. She led him into her bed. "I think you need rest," she whispered. She massaged his scalp and ran her fingers through his hair.

In a short time he was asleep. Max was content lying next to him.