A/N: Holy crap. You must hate me. I honestly DON'T blame you. I'm horrible, I know. Flame me all you want. I really, REALLY suck at updating.

BUT: I will give you fifteen secrets since I suck. So I'll make up for it. Not really, but I'm trying. The story is alive again!!

Who are the secrets of, you ask? Why, Jeb, of course.

Please review. I love you. :D

One: Science had fascinated him from the time that he was nine. He used to take a magnifying glass and examine the lizards that slithered along in his backyard. It fascinated him, everything about it. How were things created? Why did they exist? Could they be changed?

One day, as he was watching the lizards, his favorite one suddenly froze and stared up at the sky for a split second, then rushed off into the undergrowth in the blink of an eye. Jeb jerked back, startled by the quick movement, and then glared up at the sky through his glasses at what had made the lizard run away.

A bird was circling overhead. It looked so graceful and dangerous at the same time that all Jeb could do was gape in awe.

It was then that he decided he wanted to be a scientist.

Two: He was always the nerdy kid in grade school. Short, pale, and four-eyed, Jeb was the butt of almost every joke that you could think of. 'Squirt', 'Midget', 'Loser', and 'Four-eyes' were all used so much against him that one kid even forgot that his name was Jeb.

"Hey, loser!" he shouted at him in the hallway one day. He shoved hard into him and sent Jeb's books flying. "Get out of my way!" Jeb's hands fluttered like pale spiders over the floor, attempting to gather his things as they were trampled over by the other students.

A tanned hand reached down into his line of vision and picked up his science book, presenting it to him. "Here, Jeb," said a kind voice.

He looked up cautiously, wondering who his savior was. His teacher had his book in hand, a small smile gracing her lips. "Thanks," he mumbled, looking down again as he took the book.

"Any time," she replied, straightening up. "Don't be late."

"I won't be," he promised, grinning childishly up at her.

That was his first love.

Three: He was convinced that he was going to marry Miss Hopkins. It didn't matter that she was old – seriously, she was like twenty something – but when he got older and bigger, it wouldn't matter. She'd love him back, and everything would be fine.

He could even forgive her for the fact that she taught English and not science, which was obviously his favorite subject. He raised his hand for every question that she asked, oblivious to the glares of the other students. He was going to be the best student ever for Miss Hopkins.

It was when he finally noticed the lone ring on her finger that he realized she loved someone more than him.

Four: He felt powerless, all the time. He hated it. He didn't have the guts to stand up for himself in school; he didn't have the power to make girls look at him with respect; he didn't have the power to do anything. He wanted to feel powerful, for a change. He wanted people to look at him with respect and whisper as he passed, "There he is…" He wanted a lot of things.

He didn't get all of them.

Five: More than anything, he just wanted to feel needed. More than even feeling powerful. He had no friends, so there wasn't anyone his own age that needed him. He had no pets – his mother was allergic – so there was no dog to look at him adoringly. His parents certainly didn't need him – they made that quite clear. They were always talking about how it was difficult to pay the bills, especially his father. It was 'harder with another mouth to feed', he would say, sending a pointed glance at Jeb.

Was that so much to ask? To just feel needed?

Six: When he finally hit puberty, things started to change. He wasn't exactly a football lineman or anything, but he did fill out a little. He became much taller. He even noticed one girl eyeing him in the hallway one day. He'd straightened up a little and puffed out his chest, feeling on top of the world.

It was probably his new found confidence that taught him to be persuasive. He could talk anyone into doing anything. Well, almost everyone. He could talk teachers into changing his grade, his parents into lending him extra money, employers into giving him a job.

Maybe Jebediah Batchelder was actually starting to be someone.

Seven: Fresh out of college, he met Valencia Alvarez, at the Itex orientation. She actually seemed to show some interest in him, and he attempted to impress her with all of his knowledge of genetics. She wanted to be a vet, he found. They talked for ages that first day, and became fast friends. It was almost as if he'd known her his whole life.

He couldn't help but admire everything about her – her dazzling smile, the way her eyes lit up when something interested her, her care for animals. He faintly remembered the way he had felt about his teacher, and decided that this was much, much better.

It was real.

Eight: He doesn't want to admit that it was only a few words from Mark Federico that convinced him to give up his only daughter. He's too ashamed – how could he have been so easily manipulated?

Federico had cornered him after he and Val had agreed to produce Itex's newest pride and joy. "Batchelder!" he called, stopping Jeb's retreat down the hallway. Jeb turned, frowning.

"Yes?"

"Look," Federico continued, catching up to him. "I know you didn't even look at that contract." Jeb looked at the ground, slightly sheepish. He had known that was a bad idea. "No, no, that's fine," Federico backtracked. He clapped Jeb on the back. "Good man, Batchelder, good man. It's that kind of dedication that we need around here."

"Really?" Jeb asked, glancing up again and smiling.

"Of course!" Federico replied like it should have been obvious. "But there is something that you should know. Just don't tell Alvarez. She may back out."

Jeb hesitated, but then replied, "Alright."

"You're going to have to give up your daughter," Federico said. "You can't see her again once she's born, do you understand? Ever, unless you're chosen to help with the experiments."

Jeb visibly flinched at the word experiments, unable to cope with the idea of his future daughter being dissected, just like he'd done to other faceless experiments.

"Come on," Federico continued, seeing the flinch. "We need you."

Those three words convinced him. "Agreed," he said, sealing the future of his unborn child.

Nine: It was seeing his little girl for the first time that finally snapped him back down to earth. What was he doing? He couldn't just give up his little girl to some scientists who would perform all sorts of crazy things on her. She was his, and he was going to protect her the best that he could.

It was for that reason that he tried to stop Federico.

Val had still been in the hospital then – it had only been her second day. Jeb was determined – nothing was going to hurt his daughter. Nothing.

He cornered Federico in the hospital parking lot that day, as he was attempting to get into his car. "Federico!" he called, stopping the other man from starting the car. "Wait!"

Federico rolled down the window. "What?"

"Don't do this," Jeb pleaded. "Please don't do this. Don't take my daughter."

The other man rolled his eyes. "Batchelder. Please. We went over this, remember? About nine months ago? It's not yours anymore. It belongs to Itex now. Get used to it." He began to roll up the window again, but Jeb jerked open the door.

"What the-?" Federico exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Let my daughter go," Jeb repeated. He had never stood up for anything in his life. It might be a little late, but he'd be damned if he didn't start now.

Federico's eyes narrowed, and he stepped out of the car menacingly. "You can't have it back."

"She's not an it," Jeb replied stubbornly.

Without warning, Federico's fist came out and clocked Jeb across the jaw. Federico's ring cut him, opening a cut along his jaw line. "You know what, Batchelder?" Federico asked in a smug tone. "I'm feeling merciful. So I'll even ask the Director if she'll put you on this experiment. Just so you can watch it grow up. Okay?" Snickering at himself, Federico climbed back into the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Jeb just held a hand to his bleeding jaw, defeated.

Ten: It hurt to look at her.

He couldn't stand it – knowing that he helped to cause all of the misery that she went through. Though he got her out of some experiments, they were only minor, and the major ones were irrevocable. Watching her being returned to her cage day after day was the worst type of punishment he could imagine.

It was even worse than his last memory of Val – punishing him with her eyes, attempting to shield their child before she was taken away. She had had the right attitude, at least.

He didn't deserve either of them.

Eleven: He should have known that bringing another child into this world would be a mistake.

Ari – his son – shadowed him constantly as soon as he could walk. He looked up to his dad like no one else. Jeb loved that Ari saw him as a role model, but he also slightly regretted it. He had done things that weren't suitable for a parent.

He also felt guilty that he hadn't truly thought of himself as a parent until that moment.

Twelve: Priorities change. Now, the only thing he truly wants is forgiveness. But no matter what he does, it never seems to come.

Thirteen: Finally, after ten years, the solution came to him. God, he was an idiot. Why hadn't he seen it before?

The one way he could truly forgive himself – get her out of there. All of them – the human/avian hybrids. There were six total. Maybe, if he did that – raised them as his own – some of the guilt that constricted his lungs with each breath would be eased. Maybe.

Fourteen: Naturally, Val had been the first person he'd turned to when Ari had been taken away. He knew why his son of all people had been taken – it was punishment for letting the flock escape. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known that even if he tried to do something good, something else that he'd done would come back to haunt him. He shouldn't have raised Ari. He should have given him to his mother. He was an idiot.

But he had turned Val away, too. She didn't want to see his face anymore, and who could blame her? He had taken away her daughter and destroyed her life. That was his fault as well. She'd moved on – she had a daughter, and she was Dr. Martinez now, which meant she'd found a husband.

He should have known. He'd pushed everyone away in his life – his daughter, his son, even the one woman he loved – all without even trying.

He was a failure.

Fifteen: Max had turned out to be more than he ever could have hoped for. She was smart, strong, and caring, despite all that she had gone through. She was truly amazing. He didn't blame the other five for looking up to her, and he suspected it was something more than age that made her the leader.

But of course she was. After all, she lived up to her name. She was the best, the ultimate.

Maximum.

And she was his.

A/N: So. As I said. You may flame, because I deserve it.

But pretty please leave a review. =D