I sat, rubbing Nudge's back as she cried against my shoulder. Gazzy and Iggy had long since ran out of tears and now they just tried to get as close to me as possible. Everyone was inside the restaurant, a couple minutes before closing time, sitting quietly. Except Fang and Maya. I didn't know what they were doing; for all I knew, they could be having a hot make-out session outside. I shuddered at the thought. Fang had replaced his best friend, but he wouldn't replace his girlfriend.

Would he?

"Why don't you have some more soup, Iggy?" I coaxed. "It's probably getting cold."

Iggy mumbled something that sounded like "tastes like crap." The waiter walking by shot him a nasty look. But, as usual, it was wasted on him.

I took a sip of it, and it didn't taste all that bad. "The soup is good. Gazzy? Nudge?"

"I'd give up all the soup in the world for you not to die," Nudge declared, her voice muffled against my t-shirt.

"All the food in the world," added Gazzy. This was certainly something, coming from him. I didn't know what to say.

My thoughts drifted to my long flight today. I'd looked around the area and even a bit farther, hoping to see Dylan in a tree or something, safe and sound. I hadn't, and that worried me. I'd also bawled my eyes out on the trip, hating to see the flock in such pain. They were practically my children, and their mother had just told them she was checking out.

"So, like, you're going to die?" Ratchet said suddenly. Kate elbowed him. "Be sensitive!" she snapped. I spotted Fang and Maya enter the restaurant. Finally. Maya looked... I don't know. I couldn't quite decipher it.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to appear nonchalant. "But it'll be okay. Nobody needs me anymore." I said this more to my flock than to Fang and his group.

"That's not true at all," Iggy said. "You're just saying that. I can't believe this. Can anybody believe this?" He looked around as if he could see everyone. "Exactly."

"Max," Nudge sighed. "We love you. Please don't die."

I choked on the spoonful of soup I'd just gulped. I had to be strong, I reminded myself. "I'll try, Nudge. But I don't know."

There was a long silence, in which I peeked at Maya and Fang. Fang looked as if the conversation was physically paining him. Maya stared at the table for a long time, and finally she said, "I think the restaurant's closing. Shouldn't we go? Find some place to stay?"

Everyone muttered agreements. I didn't like the fact that Maya had just called the shot and added my own bit to make myself feel more leaderly. "Yes, we should."

Maya shot me a glare but said nothing. Everyone stood up, chairs scraping and money put on the table for the food. Fang left a tip for the waiter. We went outside, and it was cooler now.

Nobody said anything as we meandered around the town, looking for another inn. We were all too exhausted and miserable, me most of all since I'd caused it. But I still noticed the closeness between Maya and Fang. She was walking a little too close to him for my liking, their shoulders bumping from time to time.

And Fang didn't move away. I ground my teeth, clenching Nudge's hand. She looked up at me questioningly, but didn't comment. I couldn't believe this. I was going to die, and Fang was moving in on my clone? He didn't hate me that much, did he, that he would knowingly try and hurt me like that? Did he even know that he was hurting me?

Because it hurt. A lot. No matter how I tried to deny it. It was like every time I saw Maya and Fang together my heart was breaking all over again. I felt tears stinging my eyes and pushed them back, hating how weepy and fragile I was these days.

While I was trying to figure out Fang's relationship with Maya, we rounded a street corner and nearly bumped into someone.

Dylan. And you wouldn't believe who was with him.

Dr. Gunther-Hagen.

That was enough to make my jaw drop. But you wouldn't believe who was trotting beside him.

Angel.

I'm not going to be able to update tomorrow so I thought I'd give you another chapter to chew on. And yes, you will find out why and how Angel was with Dylan and what happened with Dylan at the Doomsday facility in Utah.

R & R!