Hey, guys. If you read Dark Side of Antarctica, you know that I'm sick. So I'm not really writing right now, but I'm gonna post this for you guys.

On DSOA, I wrote that I am not obsessed with Maximum Ride any more (that's how it goes with me; I'm obsessed with a show, book, movie, whatever for anywhere from two weeks to several months, then I find something else and boom, it's just gone. Kinda strange.), but I was going to finish the story for the readers. I forgot to mention that here, and someone who reads DSOA asked if I would finish this one, too. The answer is yes. In fact… this story has a sequel.

Fang woke with a start, the sunlight filling his eyes. He tried to sit up but stopped when he felt a tug on his shirt. When he looked down, he saw Devin looking up at him with his big black eyes and felt the familiar yet peculiar rush of affection. "Hey, buddy."

"Are you going away?" he asked, tears welling in his eyes.

"No," Fang said, quickly putting an arm around the boy. "I'm not going anywhere. Come on, don't cry."

The fact that Fang was cooing reassurances to a small child felt odd enough to him; he'd been careful not to act that way around--

Max.

Where was she? He looked around, only now realizing that she hadn't waken him up for watch. It was morning-- probably about eight. Even if Max had stayed up all night on watch, she would have come laid down with him and the kids by now.

A feeling of dread settled in Fang's chest. Something was very, very wrong here.

"Here," he whispered, gently nudging Devin off him. "I'm going to find Mommy, okay? I'll be right back. You two stay here."

Fang watched Devin cuddle up to Gracie, who was still sound asleep, before standing up. Before he headed out the door, though, he saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. When he looked over and picked it up, he saw it was a piece of paper with Max's messy handwriting on it, spelling out his name.

Oh, man.

With a shaking hand, he unfolded the paper and took in what he saw: less than half a page of words. At the bottom, it was signed, Love, Max.

For Max to sign anything with love, or to write a letter in the first place, something really bad had to be going on, Fang knew. With one big swallow, he started to read.

Fang,

I had to leave. Details aren't important, just know that because I left, you, the kids and the flock are safe. Stay there. They're not coming back for you.

You have to take care of everyone. It's your job now. And be the kids' dad, okay? They can't have their mom; they need you twice as much.

Love,

Max

Fang finished the letter and stared at the white blankness under Max's signature. He kept expecting more, but there was nothing else. This was the last thing he had of Max. Only these fifty or so words.

How could she, the person he would have died for, the one he loved with all his heart, leave him with just this stupid note to remember her by? Even if it was to protect them. Wherever she was, whoever she was fighting, he should be by her side, with her until the very end.

He had promised her that.

"Daddy?"

Fang looked down at Devin, who was standing up on the bed. Behind him, Gracie was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Did you find Mommy yet?" he asked, bouncing a little. Gracie stood up beside him, smiling and holding out her arms for her father to pick her up. Looking at them, the way they loved and trusted him, Fang's heart broke in half. They were so childlike and carefree in that moment, expecting their mother to come in the doorway any second. How could he possibly tell them they might never see her again?

"I didn't find Mommy," he said quietly, reaching out and drawing both of them into his arms like he'd seen Max do. "I don't know if I can find her."

"You lost Mommy?" Devin asked loudly. Over the kids' shoulders, Fang saw the rest of the flock stirring, starting to blink at the light filling their pupils. Before long, he'd have to tell them, too, and that might be even harder.

Although, as he looked into his son's worried, scared, accusative eyes, he decided that telling these two was pretty bad.

"Yes," he said, trying desperately to keep his voice from breaking, watching the kids' faces crumple. "I lost Mommy."

This was hard. Fang is always with the kids and Max, not very often alone with the kids, and Max is usually the one who gives the hugs and kisses and comfort. I think I pulled it off, though.

Thoughts?