Chappy number 10! double digits now. you guys are pretty lucky I'm updating cause it was depressing the number views I got on the last chapter... anyway enjoy the read, I made this one an extra long one :)

Chapter 10 :

Fang P.O.V

When I woke up the sunlight was still streaming in through the blinds but it wasn't that warm orangey glowing type light just before sunset, but more of a bright in your face good morning light (you know what I mean). It was then I realized it was the next day! Nic's and I had slept for more than twelve hours. Geeeeez, we had definitely slept in. My slight movements stirred Nicky as well, and as her dopey eyes fluttered open she grinned, all remnants of yesterdays hiccup erased. Without warning she squealed,

"Race ya", and bolted for the door and down to the kitchen, and because I decided I didn't need a rep anymore I chased after her, obviously letting her win as I was a nice parent and all. A parent… that was just weird.

As we both came to a screaming halt just before the kitchen island we looked up, only to be greeted with two pairs of raised eyebrows and an oblivious Iggy who continued flipping pancakes.

"Mornin' you two", okay maybe Iggy wasn't so oblivious.

"Hello," Nicky greeted as I lifted her up onto a chair and poured her a glass of OJ, which she then proceeded to sniff before taking a massive gulp, almost spewing it everywhere when assaulted with the sour taste. Oops. We all then fell into a comfortable silence and went about our breakfast routine until the Nudge channel decided it was time for the 9am news,

"So why Nicky? What was Max's great plan there?" To be honest it was a good question, I had actually wandered it myself.

"Umm… it was after umm…", she looked up at me.

"It's okay." I said while smiling.

"Umm okay. It was after daddy," she stated simply, because that made sooo much sense. Um, no!

'What? But Fang's name is, well Fang?"

"Yes Gazzy, thank you for the reminder," I said sarcastically.

"I know that," Nicky whined.

"It's after his fake human name. The one you give to the police and stuff. I remember mummy said it was Fnick or something?" And then I realized what she was talking about, and obviously so did the rest of the flock because the three of them cracked up at the reminder of Fnick.

"Awww, well that's cute Max naming you after your dad", Nudge cooed after she was done laughing.

"Yea, I have more names too," she said proudly.

"Really? What are they?" I asked.

"My full name is Nicky Estella Arianna Izzy Petite Ride." We all just stared at her. Mouths wide. Like you would have thought we were TRYING to catch flies. But seriously, was Max drugged when she came up with those names?

"Why? Just why Max? What about just Nicky Ride, or was that just too simple for you; you just had to go turn our child's name into a tongue twister didn't you?" I thought. Nicky was obviously being nosy cause she giggled after that.

"Why so many names?" Igg pried.

"Well, Izzy is a combination of Iggy and Gazzy," they both grinned, making themselves look like complete IZZiots (see what I did there?)!

"Then, Petite is after aunt Angel, Arianna is after uncle Ari and Estella is after aunty Nudge" she finished.

"Wait, what? How?" Nudge stammered perplexed.

"Mummy said Estella means star in Spanish, and she said that you always were a 'rising star', so I guess it just describes you," Nick said, shrugging.

"Well that's nice of Max... But I've kinda accepted that's not gonna happen, so I guess we can forget about the 'rising star' thing."

Gazzy gave her a supportive smile and she received similar looks from both Nick and I – but who really surprised me was Iggy. He has moved away from the stove (ditching the already burnt pancake), and enveloped Nudge in his arms. There was a small stunned silence, which was written on all of our faces, but of course Iggy couldn't see them.

"Nudge you can still be whatever you want. Honestly," Iggs said stepping back towards the stove.

"Umm… yeah sure. Whatever you say Igg's," Nudge answered, still looking a little shell-shocked. Iggy had been doing things like that recently, well not with Gaz or I – but definitely with Nudge and it was getting weird. I would have to keep an eye on them.

"Iggy is right Nudge, I mean Max has a kid. The Maximum Ride became a parent at the ripe age of what like 16? And she dragged Fang down that road with her", Gazzy chortled. I scowled at Gazzy for the last bit, pouring all my evil thoughts into this one glare.

"Anyways, what I'm saying is that if Max and Fang can be PARENTS, then you can be anything, the sky is the limit; literally.

"Have you guys been watching Oprah again, because I told you that was weird," Nudge giggled before giving both Iggy and the Gasman grateful looks.

"May I interject here guys," Iggy asked. We all looked up expectantly before we once again noticed he was blind and Nudge grunted to let him know to continue.

"Well, while you have all being talking about how Oprah is weird, the sky is Nudge's limit and OMG Fang and Max are parents no one except the BLIND GUY noticed that around 5 minutes ago Nicky left!"

My eyes narrowed to the seat next to me and to my horror Igg's was right, Nicky was gone…

So I officially sucked as a dad, in the past 24 hours I have managed to not only make my daughter cry but also lose her even when she was sitting right next to me!

"Don't kill me Max, please", I thought to myself as I dashed out into the garden whilst the other three scoured the house. I whipped out my wings and took to the sky, deciding that finding her would be easier from the air. But just as I was making my second, desperate, round of the grounds Gazzy called out that they had found her and I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"Where is she?" I demanded as I came to a skidding halt in the entry hall.

"Calm down dude, she's upstairs in the attic, but you might wanna get up there fast."

"What? Why? What happened? Oh God what did Iggy do?" I cried out as I hurled myself up the steps - this whole running around the house because of my daughter thing was becoming old very fast. I didn't hang around for Gazzy's response but my trained hearing did pick up on his muttering, something along the lines of,

"Geez, and we thought Max would be the paranoid parent." That brought a smile to my face, which quickly faded as I reached the attic door, which was barricaded by Iggy and Nudge.

"Guys move out the way!"

"Ummm, Fang I don't think you wanna go in there…"

"Ughhh, Iggy would you just move out of the way it's fine trust me".

"Fang just hold on! I have no idea what you could do anyway," Nudge said and then moved Iggy and her out of the way so that Gazzy and I could see what all the fuss was about. Gazzy next to me sucked in air and said,

"Okaaaaay, maybe you had a right to be paranoid." Incasing the whole attic room was this blue tinted force-field thing (I guess you could call it), and at its centre sat Nick, crumpled in on herself. Through the blue haze I think I could see photos scattered around her. I put my hand out to test the force field but at the last second Nudge grabbed my hand.

"We already tried that, well Iggy already tried that and it didn't go so well", she inclined her head towards Iggy's hand, which he was cradling against his chest.

"Well what are we supposed to do then?" I could hear the frustration and angst building in my voice as I watched my daughter, sobbing in a pathetic heap on the floor.

"We are just going to have to wait it out, she's not in danger or pain, she's just upset. Come on you two downstairs with me, Fang you stay up here with her okay?" I nodded and watched Nudge lead the guys downstairs.

"Ok Max some guidance right now would be great. What the heck is going on, our daughter is surrounded by a [insert swear word of your choice] force field, I don't know any birds that can do that! Well, granted I don't know any birds that can read minds, control metal or breathe under water but that is beside the point! What am I supposed to do?"

"Dad?" a weak voiced called out inside my head.

"Holy sh… schnauzer Nicky? What is going on?" It was such a strange experience communicating through my mind, Angel and Max used to do it all the time - it almost felt like an invasion, as if someone was trying to cram themselves into the little remaining space inside my head.

"Mummy didn't mention this in the note, this is why the whitecoats never tortured me cause this scared them… I scared them", I could feel her sadness as she sobbed flowing through me, as if we were linked. It was heartbreaking.

"Hey, I'm not scared Nic's. Just worried about you, can't you stop this", I was trying to be gentle and reassuring but I wasn't sure if I was concealing my inner freak out very well.

"It stops when I calm down, this thing is tied to my emotions. The whitecoats think it is triggered by emotional dis… distress or something like that."

"Ummm… okay. So what is upsetting you?"

"I… ruined you and… mummies… and everybody's li…lifes." The waves of guilt and sorrow flooding through her and into me lead to tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"Hun what are you talking about, you didn't do anything, it was The School, and whitecoats and those bloody erasers. Nothing is your fault!"

"But it is. If it wasn't for me mummy would never have been captured, she was forced to leave you so they could make me, you didn't even get to say goodbye…" I was about to respond when I heard a small cry and turned to see Nudge sobbing into Iggy's shoulder whilst both the boys had somber faces, both also tear stained. Gazzy came over and sat next to me and put his hand over mine. I gave him a quizzical look but all he said was,

"We heard everything between you two, close your eyes and watch." And with that Gazzy's memories flowed through his hands into my head where both Nick and I could see the memory Gazzy wanted to share with us.

What I saw shocked me. It was the same memory that ran through my head a dozen times a day. It was Max and I's final goodbye. There stood Jeb, and then there was Max and I. Max's forehead was pressed against mine, both of us had tears tracks on our faces. I listened to Max's speech where she told me she loved me, and how she had to go. The memory ended with Max kissing me on the lips and then walking away with Jeb.

"See Nicky, it was never your fault that Max left, it was those bastards who took her from us, never blame yourself. She may not have been able to say goodbye to everyone but that was never her choice…". With those last comforting words from Gazzy the force field dissipated and as I glanced into the attic there lay Nicky, pain written all over her face. I also saw the pictures scattered on the floor, they were ones of the flock, the very few times when we were safe and happy. My eyes were drawn to one of Max and I, her arms slung around my neck, we both looked so happy.

'God Max I miss you."

Then I turned to Gazzy,

"You saw, how? Everyone was knocked out?" Gaz shook his head,

"I was paralyzed but they hadn't managed to knock me out. So I saw you and Max, I never forgot it. I thought Nic's needed to see it, so she remembered who's really responsible for all of this. We all hurt Fang, you need to remember that." There were tears openly falling down his face, I was about to put my hand on his shoulder when he got up and quickly made his way down the stairs and locked himself in his room; not before slapping the door theatrically loud. Now I had two problems.

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