Gasp! My All Hail The Heartbreaker contest is coming to a close soon! I'm just letting you know because I'm anxious to read them all :D Okay so news in my life. School ends June 6th, I'm virtually failing one of my classes and no, unfortunately I didn't make Drum Major. I'm a director's lap dog basically. The last day of school all three librarians/director's assistance are cleaning out the library room and giving it a complete scrub down. Scary.

Challengers! Each of you receive a cookie! Thank you: Bubble Blower, railcgun, O' Future Ruler Maria Larry, Makmay04

Create A Chain

Chapter 11

Remembering Sunday

Forgive me I'm trying to find
My calling, I'm calling at night
I don't mean to be a bother but
Have you seen this girl?

Does she not notice? Angel thought as she sat up slowly. She sat on her knees, stroking Total's head gently. Of course she wouldn't notice, Angel thought bitterly. Did they have any idea how much she hated it? How much she hated everything?

Could they imagine all their thoughts pouring into her at all times, like a raging flood she couldn't shut off. It hurt, twelve years she suffered and those years she still hadn't adjusted.

Silent tears fell down her cheeks. Could they imagine these feelings? The doubt she had within herself? She never knew which emotions were hers so she just took everything with a smile.

But her heart burned. It burned the way Iggy's was right now. Angel could feel his sorrow, his anger, and his love. The burning hurt and his thoughts made it worse. Angel tried to ignore the dreams the flock were having, if only for a moment, just stay away.

"Angel?" Total's voice was soft. "Another nightmare?"

"Yeah." Angel lied. There was so much love around her… it burned so much… so much love that would never be recognized… so much love that would remain one sided… and so much love shared among everyone, the love of a family. Can my heart stand this much love? Isn't it still too small? Angel thought quietly to herself as she lay back down in her sleeping bag. Will this burning ever cease?

"Hey, Dad." I was miles away from the flock as I greeted Jeb. "I've come down with something, I don't really know what it is but I won't be able to go to that meeting in Europe… Do you think it's possible for someone to go in my place and for me to still have the time off I requested for the meetings?"

"Of course." I could imagine him smiling on the other line. "Get well soon."

"I will." I faked a cough. "Bye."

Two months. Jeb listened to the meager howls of the experiments as he sat pondering at his desk. Two months before the contract would be broken for that was how much time she asked off. He knew she was going to request it, after all, he had planned everything. He smiled to himself, oh the technicalities.

"Where'd you go?" Gazzy asked in a panicked voice. Gazzy… the first one up, what was wrong here? "I thought you went back!"

"No." I laughed, "Never again." I helped Gazzy rekindle the fire. "So why are you up so early? The sun's barely risen."

"I've been taking your shift so it felt weird to be sleeping in. Besides it's been a long time, you don't know how everything works. Not to mention, you've changed."

"Changed…" I repeated. How much have I changed? Gazzy's expression told he wasn't going to say. "But you've changed too. What's with the fancy outfit?"

"Oh, this thing? It's my bomb outfit!" Gazzy grinned. "It's sleeveless so I won't accidentally light my sleeves on fire, the boots are steel toed and the pants have hidden compartments! I have goggles so it doesn't hurt my eyes," He pointed to the goggles around his neck. "and some fireproof gloves Fang managed to get me."

"But they're fingerless."

"You can't feel the circuitry through gloves well." Gazzy continued to grin.

"Gazzy, the bomb expert, how did I not see that one coming?" I rolled my eyes but smiled.

"So…" Gazzy began, "Married…"

"Yeah," I laughed quietly, "married…"

"You could have at least invited us!"

"Hey! Don't pin this on me! That was a 'do now, think later' moment!"

"That's what she said." Gazzy snickered.

"Gazzy!" I rolled my eyes.

Laughter… the thought tasted sweet on Angel's lips. Everyone was waking up to their laugher. She could feel Nudge's excited emotions, the relief from Fang and Iggy, the happiness from Gazzy, the sleepiness of Total, and the joy – the freedom – of Max. Angel wondered, which one of these emotions were hers?

"Gazzy, I told you to help me cook not to make the fire bigger!" I laughed.

"But if we make the fire bigger we can cook more stuff!" Gazzy argued as he threw in another small bomb. A small explosion occurred and I felt the ground tremble slightly.

"Wake everyone up, with this big of a fire we can make everyone help." I smiled. As Gazzy ran to the other side of the clearing I found Fang already beside me. "Good morning." I smiled as I skewered three hot dogs and set it over the flame.

"Morning." Fang pecked my lips before grabbing a skewer of his own.

"What's that smell?" Iggy complained as he walked toward the fire. He stretched out his long limbs and his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Gazzy attempted to cook scrambled eggs." I grinned at the remnants of egg surrounding the campfire.

"It wasn't me!" Gazzy yelled from the edge of the forest where Angel slept.

"Yeah, 'cause I'd totally put a bomb in a pan of eggs, right." I yelled back, rolling my eyes. "Angel sweetie, it's time to get up."

"I know." Her gentle voice carried over the camp. Nudge was sitting up now, rubbing her eyes and taking in her surroundings.

"'ha's burnin'?" Nudge yawned.

"Gazzy's eggs." Iggy replied simply.

"I told you! It wasn't me!" Gazzy was heading back, Total lagging behind him.

"That's what she said!" I called back, a grin on my features.

Can you hear me? Jeb processed his thoughts to a being of the age of fourteen. In truth she was only two years old but that didn't matter, in a couple of weeks she'd be twenty, the same age as his daughter. I'll give you memories. Jeb whispered the thoughts. From now on, you are Max II.

I hear you. The child replied as she curled into a ball as she floated into a tube of liquid. What are memories?

You'll find out soon…

"She's back you know." Angel whispered to Fang as they flew over busy cities.

"I know." Fang narrowed his eyes, knowing what was coming.

"Then why that nightmare? You've had every night for the past few months."

"I know." Fang repeated, feeling Max's delight and the laughter she held on the inside. She missed flying.

"You would think having her back would change it."

"Yeah." Fang mumbled.

"Max, I'm hungry!" Nudge called out.

"Oh! Could we, Max? I saw a place to eat just a couple of minutes ago, can we go please?" Max looked back at Angel and saw her puppy dog eyes.

"I suppose." Max sighed, her sigh of vague annoyance was dwarfed by the smile of happiness on her features.

"It's raining." Fang mumbled as he held out a hand, standing at the edge of a railing. The rain was cold like ice but it didn't matter, he was searching for someone. The railing was black and the sky gray as his feet pounded against the bleached white pavement.

The rain pounded against the pavement as if following. Where was he going? Fang vaguely knew.

Standing in front of the apartments above the shops, the dark windows of apartments reminded him that it was night. He took a deep breath, ready to use his voice for the longest time in years.

"Forgive me, I'm trying to find my calling," yellow lights turned on within the box like apartments, "I'm calling at night! I don't mean to be a bother but" Fang pulled out a large photograph and showed it to the people looking out their windows as he sang as loudly as he could, "have you seen this girl?" A few faces shook their heads, others nodded, and more just watched in amazement.

"She's been running through my dreams," Fang's voice was pleading, "driving me crazy it seems, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

The faceless people continued to stare down at him. "She moved away." A voice yelled from the apartment next to hers. Fang cringed at the small words. Was that why it was raining? The rain poured harder and Fang could no longer see in front of him, just the sound of rain and the sight of gray.

"I'm not coming back, I've done something so terrible and I'm terrified to speak with you. You'd expect that from me! I'm mixed up! I'll be blunt! Now the rain is washing you out of my hair and out of my mind! Keeping an eye on the world so many thousands of feet off the ground! I'm over you now, I'm at home in the clouds, towering over your head!" Max seemed to be yelling through the deafening rain.

Fang fell to his knees at her words. The ultimate rejection. He knew she was trying to keep the flock safe but he couldn't tell if she was lying. Those words burned.

The rain lightened little by little until a drizzle graced Fang's face. Fang looked up with a sigh, running a hand through his ran soaked hair. "I guess I'll go home now." He muttered, standing up and walking once more down the bleach white pavement.

He reached a puddle only a few feet away from him as he came to a realization. There was no home for him back with the flock… The only place he could call home was wherever Max was…

Another dream… Angel eyes opened slowly. He shouldn't worry, she thought to herself as she watched Fang sleep beside Max, he's married to her and I know she's not going anywhere. She won't leave us.

Angel sighed quietly, slightly annoyed at Fang, he needs to stop listening to that song. Maybe listen to some good songs from Hannah Montana or something… Angel laughed quietly to herself, Fang dancing to Hannah Montana, that would be funny, wouldn't it?

So don't forget, The All Hail The Heartbreaker contest ends June 6th! The song brought to you today from Create A Chain is Remembering Sunday by All Time Low. So random fact of the day: When people say 'good luck' to me bad things happen. When they say 'best of luck' good things happen. When they don't say anything at all even better things happen. My life existence is weird.

Adieu
Nightwing