Hey again! Whoa! (Dodges pitchfork.) Okay, I know you guys are mad, bu- (Runs from flamethrower.) Was that really necessary? Now, as I was saying, I know you're mad, but I was on such a block it wasn't even funny! Last night, I was laying in bed, debating whether I should even continue or not, when I thought, "Hey. I've already dumped two stories. I had such good ideas for this story it wasn't even funny. I still have good ideas for this story. I am NOT dumping it! And that's that!" So now I am bound and determined to finish this dang story before the new Maximum Ride book comes out (in August), so I've got to get a move on. I WILL NOT QUIT!

Before you read:

IMPORTANT: GO BACK TO PREVIOUS CHAPTER AND REREAD THAT CHAPTER! I CHANGED IT, AND IT EFFECTS THIS CHAPTER GREATLY! GO READ, NOW!

Alright, time to move on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.

Angel. Wasn't. Dead?

The words kept repeating themselves inside my mind, causing me to freeze and fully grasp the meaning of that phrase. Angel's not dead. Angel's not dead. Angel, my baby, was not dead.

You could say it as many times as you want. It's still unbelievable.

And if it was coming from anyone but Jeb, I would have jumped for joy.

Be that is it did come from the devil's spawn, I turned to Jeb, asking the one question that I'm sure was on everyone's mind at the moment. "What?"

Jeb looked at me as if he were completely confused over my naïvity over the situation. "You mean you didn't know?" he asked, ringing his hands nervously.

"No, we did not know!" I exclaimed, immediately turning and walking right in front of him, standing eye level with him thanks to my unnatural height. I stared him down, my eyes demanding answers. "Now, answer me this one question, and if I find out you're lying, I swear to whatever higher power there is that I will kill you slowly with a rusty knife and chicken wire. Understood?"

Jeb gulped nervously, his Adam's apple rising and falling in his throat before nodding his understanding. "She's alive," he said, his voice shaky under my red-hot gaze.

I took a step back, unbelieving. My shock must have spread, because it seemed like a blast of wind hit all of us, the entire flock backing up in one step, each of their faces wanting to believe, but also not wanting to get their hopes up. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" I asked him, my voice hard.

Jeb had no answer at first, his gaze lingering over each and every one of us before he shrugged his shoulders. "Because you have to?" It was more of a question than I statement.

"Mom?" I asked, spinning to my mother, my eyes narrowing slightly.

Mom had been staring at Jeb, unmistakable rage in her eyes. Upon hearing me, though, she turned to me and raised her hands in a helpless gesture, looking totally lost during this whole exchange. "I don't know anything," she said, nodding to Jeb. "Remember, I don't remember anything but going to a large building in Hawaii. Everything else is Jeb's department, dear." She shrugged, a little too modestly.

I continued to stare at her, checking for honesty in her brown, Hispanic eyes. I noticed that since she had came here, she seemed different, less soft and more closed off. The glances she kept shooting at Jeb didn't help her case. I had no clue how to read her anymore, and that in itself worried me. Not just because I had to check for her honesty, but I had no clue which person she was anymore: the mother I once knew, or this person who seemed so full of rage?

Wearily, I turned and looked at Fang, who was staring at me with expressionless black eyes. I gave him a message through our eyes, showing him my own indecision on the matter, and he just shrugged, showing it was my call. I rolled my eyes, then looked at Dylan, who had seen our silent conversation and was frowning at us. I turned back to Jeb, ignoring both Dylan and Fang and everyone else. Gosh knows I really don't have time for this. "Change of plans," I told him in my leaderly way, knowing that through this my decision was final, and whatever happened hereafter was on my head. "You will stay, but you will also tell us everything. And I mean, everything. From the time you left to the time you went to whatever building Mom was talking about to the time you brushed your teeth at night. You will tell me details, issues, reports, whatever I want to hear. Or," I paused as I saw Jeb try to interrupt me, "you can leave right now, all alone, with no one to accompany you as you go wherever the heck you're called to. Capise?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

He hesitated a second longer, then nodded.

"Good." Turning to my mom, I repeated the same thing with her. "I know you don't remember everything, mom, but we need all the help we can get. You understand that, right?" She nodded. "Then you agree?"

Mom nodded, not even taking an extra breath between the question and her answer.

"Good." I turned to the flock, looking at Gazzy, who was staring at me, hope in his bright, blue eyes. This was it, and he knew it. This could be the turning point in our story. We could finally have Angel back in our possession. For good.

Unfortunately, this could also be one miserable joke that could backfire on us later.

Motioning him over, I patted his shoulder, letting him know to not get his hopes up too high, in case this will all just hurt us. He nodded, but I could still see the ray of hope, the almost impossible odds calculating inside of his head.

Turning, I headed for the door, opening it and letting the flock and Gang inside. Looking back, I saw that Jeb and Dr. Martinez were still behind, standing and staring at each other, a whole conversation in their eyes. Mom looked scolding while Jeb looked... Furious. And confused. Finally, I said, "You coming?" jolting them out of their silent battle. They quickly followed behind.

Time for an interrogation.

Alright, what did you think? Like? Hate? Eh? Please review!

P.S. Are you a fan of My Last Goodbye? I just updated that, too. So, if you wanna read that, too, there you go. :)