Happy Easter Peoples!

I really should be doing homework. I mean i have 5 days left of autumn holidays and I'm rrreeeaaalllyyy wasting my time. Oh well. Easter + Chocolate = Lazy Me.

Sigh. So This is my Easter Pressie you you guys. Of course, anouther post of this story is sooooooo much better than chocolate right? Right? Of course not. DUH! Nothing beats chocolate.

Soz, high on Pepsi Max. *Grins maniacly*

Fly On...

Heart of Diamond

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Fang: The Black Hawk

Chapter 29: Feeling the Pressure

Fang POV

I ran a hand over my face.

God, Max.

Iggy was pacing. Nudge was biting her nails, her knees drawn to her chest. Gazzy and Coco where sitting on the couch talking quietly. Louis, of course, was with Ella in Val's bedroom. Val was also with Ella.

Total was sitting by the window again. I wondered what he was thinking. I was sure he missed Angel.

Dragon was the only one who seemed happy. He was run around, licking all our faces, his tail wagging like mad. Not to mention that innocent goofy look on such a vicious and terrifying face.

I didn't fail to notice small spines growing from his back. I hadn't noticed them before.

Phoenix suddenly landed on my shoulder. I could tell she sensed what was going on. She eyed me, her intelligent eyes boring on mine. I sighed and scratched under her chin.

"I'm just worried about Max," I whispered.

Phoenix squawked and nuzzled her head into my neck. I smiled ever so slightly at the attempt of comfort.

Accalia wrapped her arms around my legs. Looked down at her and patted her between her ears.

"It's ok," I whispered smiling the most I could manage. I wasn't quite sure whether I was lying or not.

Accalia still looked at me with beady eyes. "Is Max going to be ok?" She whispered.

I knelt down in front of her. Accalia wasn't smiling. I breathed out. "Max... She's a little stressed at the moment Accalia... She... she has a lot of things on her mind."

How could you tell a 3 year old what's happening in the world?

Before I could say anything else I heard the wood creek from the stairs. I snapped my head to see Jeb walk into the room and stood up.

The whole flock looked at him. Jeb smiled sadly. "She'll be ok."

It wasn't 'she was ok' it was 'she'll be ok'.

Jeb looked at me. He held his hand out to Phoenix and to my surprise she jumped onto his wrist. Usually Phoenix hated to be handled by anyone apart from the flock.

Jeb nodded to me. "Go."

I looked at him carefully, before walking towards the stairs.

I jogged up them quickly and slowly turned to walk into room. Max was holding Indi. Of course Indi was giggling and clapping playing with Max's fingers. Max's smile was small, but calm.

It was then I knew I had to do something. It was then did I know that Dr. Mandock had to be stopped. Max was breaking apart and it was his entire fault.

Indi saw me and gave a squeal reaching out her hands. Max's eyes caught mine. I smiled and walked towards them.

Indi fluttered her wings as I drew closer. Max closed her eyes and lean against me.

Nothing was needed to be said.

"I forgave him," Max whispered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Jeb?"

Max nodded snuggling against me. We sat on the bed, sitting against the back of the bed. Indi was rolling around on the bed between us, sometimes on her back, sometimes on her stomach. She had a dummy in her mouth, but she was still humming a tuneless song that little chatterbox.

"I just, I don't know," She whispered. "It's hard, saving the world, trying to bring up Indi, trying... just everything."

"You try too hard, that what you do," I mumbled into her hair.

I almost felt Max smile. "I want everyone to be happy."

I hummed, breathing in her sent. Max sighed. "Dad had some news on the 'A' symbol."

I smiled. That was the first time I had ever heard Max call Jeb Dad. "And?"

Max angled her head towards me. "He said it meant Ark."

Ark.

Indi's hands erupted.

Max and I both scrambled to cover Indi's hands. Indi was thankfully lying on her back as the blue mushroom cloud filled the air. Once her hands were covered, the flame disappeared.

Indi burst into giggles, grinning under her dummy.

Max frowned. "No flames Indi."

Indi offcourse just fluttered her wings and mumbled something gibberish.

I looked at Max. "Ark? Like, Noah's Ark?"

Max sighed sitting up. "That's what I asked jeb."

I thought carefully. "That explains the oil."

She nodded. She looked around as if double checking no one was around. "I think its Dr. Mandock building an Ark."

I was shocked at her comment. "Dr. Mandock?"

Max nodded. "I've been thinking. What if he doesn't want Indi as a trophy? What if he wants to use her? For her to be part of the ark."

It made sense. Indi being a mother of a new race.

I shivered at the horrible thought. "Why would he be building an ark? Is he waiting for global warming to take over?"

Max frowned. "I think he's he knows something's coming. Like a tidal wave or something."

There was a silence.

"You think Dr. Mandock isn't human," I whispered.

Max shrugged. "That's one theory. Either that or he has some sort of experiment who can sense the future."

"You're rarely wrong," I mumbled pulling Indi onto my lap. She twisted around and slapped her palm on my mouth. I gripped her hand and lowered it.

"Or," Max whispered. "Or maybe he plans to create the end of the world… no wait that would have to be impossible."

I hummed. "But it makes sense that Dr. Mandock would be up to something like that."

"It... it just makes sense," Max whispered seeming a little lost for words.

I looked at her, she caught my gaze. "Fang..."

"Yeah?" I whispered.

Max's voice was quiet. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

Max took a deep breath. "Can you promise me that if I don't come back..."

I froze. "Max, no."

Max looked at me, pleading at me. "Promise me that you'll take care of Indi and the flock. Promise me you'll live on."

A life without Max isn't a life worth living.

"Max, you're not leaving me or Indi or this world," I said trying to keep my voice calm, but inside I was panicking like mad.

Max sighed. "Fang, I'm going to have to fight Dr. Mandock myself. I just know I am. I need to know that if I never make it back alive..."

"Stop," I said gripping her hand. I was afraid she'd run away. "You're not fighting Dr. Mandock. Especially not alone."

"Fang..."

"No Max, I'm not promising, because it's not going to get to that," I said flatly.

Max sighed and relaxed onto the bed. She had given up.

I wasn't promising. Max was never going to fight Dr. Mandock alone.

"Max?"

Both our heads looked towards the door. Gazzy's head pocked through the door along with Dragon's, except Dragon had his tongue hanging out.

Max smiled. "Yes Gazzy?"

Gazzy looked unsure. "Are you ok?"

Max laughed hesitantly. "Yes, Gaz."

Dragon bounded into the room and jumped straight onto the bed, his snout rubbing Indi's stomach. Indi burst into a series of baby giggles.

I rolled my eyes. Of course, Dragon was the puppy of the house.

Gazzy was closely followed by Coco, Iggy, Nudge and Total. Nudge sat beside Max and they talked softly together. I tuned out not wanting to interfere with girl talk.

Done that before. Not all that good for my ears.

Total walked up to me, in wolf form. He seemed to be in wolf form more than he was in terrier form. His large eyes looked up at me.

"Is she ok?" Total nodded to Max.

I sighed. "PTSD," I said barely audible, but to the point where only Total and Iggy could here. Posttraumatic stress disorder was the only thing I could think of.

Iggy snapped his blind gaze to me. Total nodded. "I thought so."

I was sitting up. It was 11:28.

Max was dead to the world beside me. Indi was in her cot. I couldn't sleep. Just couldn't no matter how much I tried I knew I couldn't get to sleep.

I couldn't stop thinking of what Max had said. She wanted to fight Dr. Mandock. She wanted me to take care of the flock if she dies. She wants me to raise Indi.

Alone.

I couldn't. I could never do that without Max.

Max had to live.

Max shifted beside me. I brushed her hair out her face.

I had to leave.

I had to find Dr. Mandock and bring him down.

I rest my head against the wall and closed my eyes. Leaving the world. Would it be that bad? Was heaven everything I ever hoped for? I was an Angel after all.

No of course not.

My heaven was everything in this room.

I bent down and kissed Max's forehead. "I love you," I whispered.

Max shifted but stayed asleep.

I stood up. I glanced over at where Indi was sleeping soundly. I closed my eyes briefly, praying silently.

I stepped closer and brushed my daughter's wings gently. "You take of you Mummy alright?"

Indi remained asleep her chest rising up and down smoothly.

I turned my head away, unable to take it anymore. I was leaving everything I've ever known behind.

Family, my life, my love...

Stop it Fang. You'll come back. You'll live.

I dressed quickly and silently. I picked up my crossbow leaning against the bedside table and clipped it onto my back. Buckling the belt around my waist, I glanced at Max.

She still hadn't moved.

I picked up my bag. It was already packed in case of emergencies.

This was an emergency.

I left the room quietly, taking at long last look of Max and Indi's cot. I sighed, already feeling my heart being left behind.

I closed the door and forced myself to walk down the stairs. I was careful with each step. Occasionally I winced as a couple of the steps creaked.

I walked straight to the kitchen. I opened the cupboard and pulled out some food. Choc-chip cookies, powder milk...

"What are you doing?"

I snapped my head to the stairs my heart jumping to my mouth. Iggy stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"Your packing," He said simply. "You're going after Dr. Mandock."

Oh no. "Iggy..."

"I'm coming with you," Iggy stated flatly.

I said nothing.

"You won't be able to use your powers without another flock member nearby," He pointed out.

I stared at him carefully. He was dead serious. I sighed. I knew I couldn't stop him. "Fine. Be quick."

Ig was gone in a flash.

I stared at my bag. Stop it Fang, you know you have to leave.

I picked up a pen and tore a piece of paper off the note pad beside the phone. I hesitated. What do I write? A hundred words?

No.

I wrote four words. Simple words. But I pulled the box out of my pocket and placed it beside the note.

"What did you write?" Iggy whispered as he walked over to me his bag swung over his shoulder. His hands felt for the note, but they reached the box first.

Iggy eyes widened. "Dude..."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. I know."

Iggy's hand ran over the box. "It's going to kill her."

I smiled softly. "And it's not going to kill Nudge?"

Iggy was silent.

"We're coming back," I whispered. "We are going to defeat Dr. Mandock and we are going to come back and live our lives."

Iggy sighed and put the box down. "I hope your right man."

"I know I'm right," I whispered.

I really should think before I speak.

I picked up a box of cookies and a tin of soup before handing it to Iggy. "Come on. We need to leave."

Iggy took the items, but paused. "Is this the right choice? I've been debating about this for the past hour."

I looked down at the box then back at Ig. "If I don't do this, I know Max is going to sacrifice herself to save the world. I can't live without her Ig. I'm not going to have her do something like that. I have to change the future."

Ig shoved the items into his pack. "What if you can't change the future? What if you take the place of Max?"

I hesitated. There was a quiet squawk. Phoenix landed lightly on the kitchen table. I smiled and scratched under her chin. Phoenix ruffled her feathers. I knew she couldn't come though.

I looked at Iggy. "Then I die knowing that I've saved her life."

xoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

So... What's in the box? I think it's kinda obvious... REVIEW!