3rd Chapter…
Chapter Four….
This chapter is dedicated to all of my readers (thanks guys!!) not that I have many. But 'the bad speller' thank you. Couldn't send you a reply to your review. That made my morning!! I feel loved!! –Izzy And Chloe Sparks!! Thanks a lot!! I feel loved!!
When they landed in an alley, they heard protests coming from the front of the clinic. Child like voices, adult voices, and teen voices, all sounding angry.
"Click, click," The adults say.
"Bang, bang," the adolescents sang.
"Check the baby's heart beat!" The children sang. Walking around them, Max opened the glass door. An old man grabbed her wrist, holding her back.
"Do you know what they do when they abort a pregnancy? They-" Iggy, some how knowing the man grabbed her arm, stopped and removed the mans grip.
"Excuse me?" She asked in shock. The man pointed to a sign. It read: free check ups, pregnancy tests, and abortions. "Oh, I'm just getting a test…" She said with feeling. The man smiled at her as she walked in. The first thing she noticed was all the pinks and pastel blues. EW.
The clinic was cozy, had a small lobby and was filled with parents, expecting mothers, and sobbing teenagers. Well, most of the teenagers were sobbing. One girl with cherry red hair and a pretty face sat with a boy with dirty blonde hair and they were smiling. The girl fingered a small ring on her finger. They must have gotten engaged when they found out. Max smiled at every one and sat down in between Iggy and a woman holding a toddler. The little girl in her lap looked to be about two years old and was adorable. She wasn't Angel adorable- she had darker features. Long black hair, big, bright brown eyes; slightly Latino skin.
"What's her name?" Max asked, unable to stop her self. The woman looked up in surprise.
"What? Oh she's Denyesa." The woman smiled, running her fingers through Denyesa's thick hair.
"She's adorable." Max commented. The happy mother nodded.
"Adorable yes; sweet, no. She likes trouble." She laughed.
"Well, aren't most kids like that?" Max asked, remembering Gazzy and Angel at two.
"Yes, I believe they are. I'm Sandra," she smiled.
"I'm Max, and this is my brother Jeff." Max grinned, seeing Iggy choke and hide his laugh.
"Oh, brother? I thought he was your husband. I'm sorry." Sandra giggled, as did Max. Denyesa pointed to the toys and looked up all wide eyed at her mother.
"Pwease? Can I pway Mommy?" She asked, sounding the words out slowly.
"Okay, just don't hurt the little boys." The little girl slid off her mothers lap and teetered to the toy chest in the middle of the room. Max gave Sandra a quizzical look. The little boys looked to be about four years old…"She likes to play rough and likes to protect her toys." Sandra laughed.
"Hmm…sounds like someone I know." Iggy remarked, making Max elbow him smoothly.
"How sweet! Do we have to sign in?" Max asked suddenly, looking at the front desk.
"Only if you've never been here before. They ask what you're allergic to and what not- normal stuff." Sandra smiled encouragingly. Max nodded and walked to the desk.
"Hello, can I help you??" The blonde woman asked pleasantly.
"Uh, yes I need to sign in?" It sounded weak even to her.
"Okay, have you ever been here before?"
"No."
"Alright, take this and fill it out. When you're done, bring it up here and I'll see what we can do." The lady smiled brightly, handing her a clipboard.
Twenty minutes later the clerk called her up. Every one paused, except the men and the babies, to look at her when her name was called. Iggy stayed seated while Max walked up to the door, feeling everyone's eyes on her. As the nurse closed the door, whispers started flying at top speed. 'Oh, well…' She thought, shrugging and following the nurse. They came to a room that had a chair in one corner, wall paper with angels on it, and clouds, and a bed that looked comfortable.
"Okay, Miss Ride-"
"It's Mrs. Ride," Max corrected with a smile.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ride, it says that you're here for a test. Now, we need to know what you plan to do if it's positive. Adoption, you can keep it, or get an abortion. It's your choice." The nurse, Jenny by her name tag, smiled. Adoption was out of the question- the baby may have wings. Abortion…No.
"If it's positive, we'll keep it. Do you do births here?" Max asked, looking around and deciding that she liked it here.
"We have the supplies and the space, but most people got o the hospital or a church." Jenny smiled, but her eyes were slightly sad.
"I like it here. If it's positive, I want to have it here. Do you mind if I ask a question? I know you're the doctor and you're supposed to ask questions, but I'm curious." She smiled.
"Go ahead, you're the patient. Plus, I'm only your nurse." Jenny smiled.
"Okay, well how do you guys afford all of THIS? I mean, because you're a free association, and all." Max finished awkwardly, feeling still dizzier.
"Oh, Mrs. Ride." Jenny giggled. "We get donations all the time. Thank goth or we'd be nowhere!" They laughed for a moment before just staring.
"You can call me Max. So, I come here for check ups and stuff?"
"If it's positive, then yes."
"Let's get this over with then."
Thirty minutes later Max came back out of the room very pale. Her hands were cold, so was her nose. The room got quiet except for the angry shouts from outside. The red haired girl walked up to her with a slight smile.
"You're Max Ride, right?" She asked in a soft voice.
"Uh…yeah." Max replied, still too wary to speak in full sentences.
"Uh, did you ever model for Sweet Fashion magazines? " She asked.
"Yeah, I used to. Why?" Max blushed when every girl in the room GASPED, Sandra included.
"You're the best! We all decided that I would ask if you could sign some things for us."
"Uh…sure…I'm not THAT important, though." Max whispered. She signed twenty five pictures. TWENTY. FIVE. And Denyesa started crying when Sandra started to walk out with her.
"What's wrong?" Max asked, following with Iggy.
"The protesters- they scare her." Sandra whispered, picking the child up. Max's cold fists clenched. She pulled out her badge and walked outside.
"Okay everyone! Clear out! I will arrest if I have to!" She yelled. They got quiet.
"No!" Some one called. They started chanting variations of no. Flipping out her cell phone, she called Adam.
"Max? I thought you were home sick today. What's up?" He asked.
"I need some hand cuffs, and some agents dressed as officers at the clinic on 279 Brushhill court. We have to clear it out. Protestors won't let us out. Woman and their kids are being kept inside." She growled.
"You got it, Max. Three minutes tops. What are you doing at the pregnancy clinic?" She hung up.
"IF you don't move, we'll have to use force!" Max warned. Iggy nodded, and his arms tensed. "Go back in and tell Sandra that it'll be a few minutes, but to wait." She told him. He nodded and backed into the clinic. Right on cue seven white cars pulled up and Adam, Lilly, Jane, Ambra, Kevin, Ben, Dawn, and Bruce got out. They waved to her and rushed up.
"Okay, you want them out?" Bruce asked, flexing his almost over sized muscles.
"Yes, they are keeping those women in the clinic. Their children are scared to come out because of them." Max said, eyes hard and lips set.
"Okay, everyone clear out, or we'll bring you into the station!" Ben called, pulling out his badge and trying not to laugh. Station? What a joke...Max thought, shaking her dizzy head.
It took only an hour to clear everyone out. Denyesa had hugged Max around the legs and made her smile so widely it had hurt. Sandra thanked her and they exchanged numbers to keep in touch.
"So, Max, what are you doing here?" Adam asked. Iggy put his hand on Max's shoulder, 'looking' down at her.
"Sorry, Ad-man, I'll, well I've got to go. Thank you- wait! You didn't tell Fang, right?" She gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.
"No, but…should I?" His voice had lowered, he was looking at Iggy speculatively.
"He's looking at me right? I knew it. I'm her brother." Iggy grinned.
"We gotta go, Iggy. Thank you, Adam." Adam smiled at her, eyes warm. She jumped into the air. Iggy turned to Adam.
"It's easy to be protective of her, isn't it?" He asked; Adam nodded.
"Yeah," he said after realizing Iggy was blind.
"Imagine how Fang must feel." He laughed before jumping into the air.
At home Max lay down on the couch and Iggy sat at the edge of the couch, head in his hands. "Max?" He asked, "The test?" He was speaking quietly. Max looked up drowsily, half asleep, but hands still cold and shaking.
"Positive." Her throat was dry, but his hearing caught it.
"I'm gonna be an uncle." He said happily.
"Don't tell Fang. I'll call you after he finds out. Bye, Iggy." She muttered, falling asleep.
ZXXXXXSDALKFJ;LSKACRYPTICMESSAGE,CANYOUSEEIT? ZLJFSLFJDLKFSDFJJFSDF;S
She woke up to someone picking her up, moving her. She blurrily opened her eyes, trying to see who it was.
"Omega?" She asked. Max blinked and was set down.
"Sorry, Maximum. Fang asked me to check up on you." Omega beamed down at her. The only reason he'd actually come to them was because he didn't know how to handle freedom. So Fang and Max set him up with an apartment and a job. Which he kept quite well. No lates what so ever.
"Oh, well I'm-" Omega cut her off.
"Carrying a baby?" He asked quietly. Max shot him a look.
"I was going to say fine, but that's true, too. How do you know?" Max asked, expression confused.
"I do not know. I can just tell. It's going to be a-" Max held her hands up.
"Stop! I don't want to know. Tell me after like six months. That's a…unique…power…skill whatever thingy." She smiled at him and he grinned.
"Okay. I presume you don't want me to tell Fang?" He smiled knowingly.
"I'll tell him. Thank you." She said. Lucifer trotted in and started growling loudly at Omega. The dog jumped on the couch and lay on Max's legs, still growling.
"Okay, well good bye, Maximum. I'll see you soon."
"Bye, 'Mega." She said, falling asleep.
Fang got home at midnight, dropped his keys four times, and had to push Lucifer off of him, not to mention hitting his head multiple times trying to get into the door. He put food in the dog bowl.
"S'okay, boy. Just me. Where's Max, huh?" The dog barked- strangely –towards the living room. On the couch in blankets was Max, fast asleep. He gently picked her up and started carrying her to their room. He brushed her hair out of her face. When he laid her down on the bed, she started muttering, obviously having a nightmare.
"Max, wake up, it's just a dream. Calm down, honey." He shook her slightly and waited while she opened her bright brown eyes. When she saw him, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him.
"Fang, Fang, Fang." She whispered.
"Max, I thought you were sick." He said, looking around. The bed was still made and none of the curtains were closed.
"I wasn't sick." She said quietly. He picked her up and held her close.
"Really? Well, what's up then?" He asked, something had to be wrong if she doubted her own sickness- she had been throwing up a LOT.
"I'm…prgslnt." She mumbled. Fangs eye brows pulled together. What had she said?
"You're what?" He asked. Max buried her head in his chest. She took a deep and shaky breath.
"I'm pregnant." Time seemed to freeze as he took in the words. Pregnant. With a baby. His baby.
"…Really?" His voice was delighted, but he didn't care. Amazing.
"Yes!" Max said, her face glowing now that she showed him.
"Oh, Max!" He grinned, spinning her around. "For…how long?"
"Probably a few weeks." She shrugged. His hear was racing; old adrenaline rush? No, this was definitely new. "Fang, let's call the flock."
"And your mo- Mom." He smiled at her.
"NO! They'll want to throw a baby shower!" Max gasped, falling onto the bed in mock disgust. Fang should have guessed- her face was glowing. 'Some husband I am…' He thought, wrinkling his nose.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ONE MONTH INTO PREGNANCY XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"C'mon Max, it's cute." Fang said, looking at her stomach. It most certainly was not cute.
"Fang! I have a baby pouch!" She cried, falling to her knees.
"Max, it's cute." He pulled her up and kissed her lips.
"But, Fang…" She sniffed. He ducked his head to see her face.
"What? What is it?"
"I'm hungry." She said, all crying stopped. She saw the confusion on his face, but paid no attention. Max was already having mild mood swings and she forever had a craving for food.
"Okay, I'll cook a cake." He offered, taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen.
When Fang had finished the cake and put a piece on her plate, she looked up at him like he was some sort of freak with eight eyes and a bottle nose.
"Dude, I'm going to need more than that." He lifted his eye brow, took her plate and came back with a larger piece. "Thank you." Sh smiled and stabbed her fork into the cake. As she took a bite, a thought crossed her mind.
"Fang, get me the ketchup!!" She said, grinning.
"You're eating chocolate cake." He raised a dark eye brow.
"Don't question me, damn it!" She slammed her hand down on the table. Fang blinked and got the ketchup. (A/N: please excuse the non-seriousness of the next few COUGHlotsCOUGH chapters.) Max giggled girlishly and smothered her delicious chocolate cake in the red sauce. (BTW- I HATE ketchup.) Fang watched with disgust in his onyx eyes, but he kept his mouth shut.
That night when Fang finally began to fall asleep, he heard Max mumble something. Of course, he began to worry, so he listened- barely conscious.
"Fang?" She whispered, voice unbearably sweet. "Fang?" She repeated. Suddenly she was shaking his shoulder. "Fang?! FANG!!" She growled.
"What?" He grumbled, getting out of bed.
"Well, since your up, could you get me some beef jerky and some Reddi- whip?": She asked sweetly.
"What?" He asked incredulously, though he should have expected it- she'd been eating strange things all day.
"Please?" She begged, crawling on to his side of the bed. She was only wearing one of his longer t-shirts. She looked gorgeous, with her eyes pleading that way it made her hard to say no to.
"Okay, anything else?" He sighed. She shook her head. He gave her a semi-convincing smile and walked to the bathroom. One look in the mirror told him that he wasn't looking as sexy as Max. He had circles under his eyes already; his hear was sticking up in places, and he…He looked fourteen again, only not as skinny or short.
When he got to the store, Fang walked back to the freezer section, looking for the Reddi-whip. His cell phone buzzed and he tensed up.
"Hello?" He answered thickly.
"You should get a lot of Reddi-whip…and possibly twenty four beef jerky's." Max said. He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Okay, baby, I love you."
"Bring the whipped cream." She hung up.
When Fang got home, Max was sitting in a recliner, tapping her fingers with her left foot under her right. Lucifer lay at her feet. Traitor…
"What took you?" She asked very quietly. Fang shrugged, adapting to her mood swings. "I hope you bought extra if you want some- you ain't getting any of mine!" She said, greedily taking the bag. Fang sauntered to the bedroom, then turned back around. He kissed Max's forehead, then headed to the bedroom. He fell on the bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Fang slept for a full ten minutes, or so it felt like, before Max was waking him up again. "Fang? Fang, I'm cold." She said, and he could feel the shudders going through her. He held perfectly still…until Max's glacial foot touched his leg. He jumped and got out of bed to turn the heat on. He started to get dressed for work, not bothering to go back into the room. He heard the alarm clock go off and groaned. But Max must have turned it off, then got up. She skipped around him, then grabbed the home phone. Fang saw her dial Iggy's number.
"Hi, Iggy. Can you come over?" She asked. "No, Fang has to work and I'm…going to be lonely." She muttered. "Okay! See you soon."
Then she hugged Fang around the waist, snuggling close to him. He sighed and hugged her back. Of course he was excited about getting to be a dad, but Max was…moody, to say the least.
"I'm sorry you didn't get much sleep." She whispered.
"S'okay. Just get some rest and don't go too far. I don't want you to get hurt."
Fang left the house an hour late, but it was okay. At work everyone always asked how Max was doing so he didn't miss much.
"How's her maternity leave treating you?" Adam asked. Fang felt his right eye twitch as he looked up at his boss.
"Don't worry, I had four kids. You'll get used to it." Fang chocked on his Pepsi and his eyes started burning. He looked up at the speaker and saw it was Bruce. Him? With kids?
"You have kids?" He asked.
"Yeah, the best thing to do now is to buy a bunch of weird foods and fill your fridge and cabinets. And of course, don't argue or let the fridge get empty. Or close to it."
"Why?" Fang asked, thinking way too hard about this.
"They get strange food urges. Bananas and ice cream in syrup? Or pizza with chocolate sauce?" Bruce asked, raising an eye brow.
"No, first it was cake with ketchup, then it was whipped cream with beef jerky!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2 Months into pregnancy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"FANG! GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM NOW!" Max yelled, pounding on the door. Fang hurriedly unlocked it and moved. You could tell for sure that she was pregnant now. He almost laughed as he got out of the bathroom. She wouldn't put her own clothes on- she only wear Fang's sweat pants and t-shirts. Personally, he thought it was cute, her having a tiny stomach, but Max seemed to disagree.
"Fang," Max said as he came out of the bathroom, "can you turn the heat up? And I want some parsnips. With ice cream. Lots and lots of parsnips." She said this with a smile as she sat on the couch.
"Okay, Max…but why parsnips?" He asked curiously. When did she ever try parsnips?
"That is none of your concern." She said very quietly.
When he came back Max was asleep on the couch, the TV was on and there was a frosting can in her hand. Fang turned the TV off, turned the heat up with the remote, and took the frosting.
"That is mine." She snapped, grabbing at it.
"Go to sleep, honey." He said. Fang covered her with a small blanket and went to walk away, but Max's serene face made him stop.
"Stay out here." She murmured. So Fang sat down.
Max fell asleep with her head resting on his chest. Then he fell asleep under her. Hopefully she'd start acting normal again. He wondered –vaguely, in his sleep- whether it would be a girl or a boy. And what if the baby had wings? It would be cool to teach her- or him- to fly. Learning had been cool, but teaching was way better.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX MINI-"FAX" ALERT…Dream state…XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Fang- aged eleven- got the hang of flying right away. Iggy had a rough start, but go tit soon enough. Max didn't get it as quickly as she'd liked, but she didn't give up. Long after Jeb and everyone else had gone to sleep, Max was outside trying to teach herself to fly. Fang heard her and appeared behind her on the roof. He'd startled her, making her fall off the roof. He caught her- and got decked in the jaw.
"You should start on the ground." He'd whispered. She shook her head, laughing.
"How am I supposed to learn from the GROUND? Mother birds kick their kids out to learn how to fly…and Jeb helped you from the roof." She sighed. Fang put his hand on hers.
"I learned from the ground." He chuckled. Max shook her head, blonde hair flying from its tie.
No, you didn't I saw you today, you got it from the roof. Right away, too. It looked ah-mazing." She cried, looking up at him with wide, admiring eyes. He'd felt a burst of pride, though not knowing what it was at the time- it was a first.
'Ouch.' He'd thought, flinching. 'OOPS.' Fang had reached for her, but she moved away.
"I didn't mean it that way." He said, dropping his arms.
What? It's okay, you're a boy and you have a boy best friend. My goth, it's because I'm a girl! Fine." She jumped off the house, landed on her feet, and stalked off towards the forest.
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"Fang? Fang, honey, you have to go to work. Maybe you should take some days off." Fang awoke to the bitter smell of coffee. He sat up, looking around. The clock in the wall said 7:45. One hour late.
"Max, you shouldn't drink coffee." He said, rubbing his eyes and stretching his wings. He walked into the kitchen. Max stood in the middle, wearing one of her own shirts and some of his sweat pants. The baby belly was extraordinarily cute. Unbearably cute. He hugged her from behind, loving the way her wings rubbed against his chest.
"Hey, who says you're my doctor?" She asked, pulling away.
"No one, but it's just bad for you." Fang replied, dumping the mug. He looked into the fridge, until Max elbowed him out of the way and bent down, grabbing a stack of food.
"Are you going to cook THAT?" he asked, eyeing it. Most of it was not good plain, or coupled with something.
"I'm cooking eggs and cheese." She sighed. "For you." Obviously; the rest was most likely for her. The pile consisted of chocolate milk, mustard, ham, salami, pretzels, salt, and yogurt. Fang hid his disgust and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the office, waiting. It rang twice before someone answered.
"Hello, Fang. Uh…why don't you take the day off? You know, spend some time with Max?" Adam asked, sounding breathless. In the back ground a younger voice was speaking.
"Sir! He deserves to know! They're our best-"
"Hush, Brian. I'll tell them. You just go." Adam snapped.