Catch and Release

Chapter 19

"I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

"Suck it up," Fang muttered as he lifted his edge of the couch with relative ease. It was still odd to him that after all he had been through, he had still retained a portion of his strength. It must have had to do with his immunity cells or something.

"Don't strain him, Fang," Max called out, making him want to flip her the bird more than ever.

"You can come take over for him if you want, you know. I would gladly allow it. You're probably stronger than him."

With that, suddenly Sebastian's side of the couch was elevated enough so that the two guys could heave the whole thing into the bed of Ella's pickup. Once it was in there, Fang just rubbed his hands together before closing the tailgate.

"You're sure it won't fly out?"

He just stared at Max, who had magically appeared at his side with Evan in her arms, the baby sleeping as usual. That was odd too, him being able to now call things usual. A few months ago, his usual would be slowly starving to death and dealing with being chained to walls. How quickly the times change.

"You know, Max, if you wanted to orcastrate this whole thing, you could have," he muttered as he went around to the driver's side.

"What'd you say, Fang?"

"I said that I'm not sure if it will or not. I ain't got nothing to tie it down with though, so we're screwed otherwise." Then, in a sneering way that he was almost sure that he had lost over the years, he added, "You could always have the boy sit on it, if it's that big of a deal to you."

"Why don't you shut up, fag…Fang."

Max raised an eyebrow at her nephew. "What did we talk about before, Sebastian?"

While they had that doozy of a conversation, Fang stuck his head in the back of the truck to check on Carter, who was still sitting in there, whining. She had been allowed out when they first showed up to get the couch, but then she had to go and act bad. How, exactly?

"Carter, stop crying," Fang pleaded, but he just got Lockheed thrown at him. "You're the one that kept trying to run out in the street. Not me. The only reason that you're stuck in here is because you misbehaved. I don't want you think that it's okay to run into the street by yourself. It's not. Alright?"

He dodged Robbie when he was thrown. "You know what? Just for that, you're not getting your toys back.

"No," she whined.

"Yes."

"No, Owl!"

He took a step away from the truck before looking to the girl's mother. "Max, are you guys ready yet?"

"You pay that guy for his couch?"

"No freaking duh," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"I said yes."

"Gee, Fang, recently, I sure have been hearing you say a lot more than you admit to."

"Maybe you should get your hearing checked."

"What?"

"I said let's go. I already paid. Hurry…please. Carter's having a meltdown." He got into the driver's seat. "I'll drive."

He watched in the review mirror as Max said a few more things to her half-sister's son as she closed to tailgate.

"Your mother needs to learn how to do things quickly."

"Shhh, Owl!" Carter spit at him. "Robbie! Lockheed! Now!"

"Fine, you big baby." He threw them back at her. "Just be quiet."

Once they were all in the car with the kids in the back, Max sprung her next destination on Fang.

"After we drop off the couch, since we're already out-"

"No."

That got him pinched.

"I thought we've talked about that before, Max?" He moved away from her. "And I am driving."

"Then don't act like a douche while you drive."

"Now who's saying things in front of the kids?"

"Shut up. I mean it. All I wanted was for you to go to the store with me. I need to go, okay? Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever."

The two of them hadn't really made up since the night before and the whole couch buying excursion hadn't really been a pleasurable one for any of the kids. Well, it had been Carter, before she got imprisoned to the truck, which pretty much killed everyone's mood. At least she hadn't woken Evan back up yet. He had been in a bad mood when Nudge dropped him off. Fang wasn't even sure why they were watching the boy, seeing as Nudge didn't work that day, but he had learned not to question Max on the trivial things. It never went well when he did.

Fang frowned as a noise from behind him started up. Glancing back at the boy he had been sentenced to babysit again, he found that he was now listening to his mp3 player at what had to be an unintelligible volume.

"I thought he was grounded?"

Max just shrugged, still too angry at Fang to speak outright with him. The jerk. Why did he have to turn everything into such a big deal? All she wanted to do was go to the stupid store. When did that ever matter?

"Loud," Carter started up again. As she was stuck in the middle of the back seat, she was the closest person to Seb. Beginning to pull on his arm, she pleaded with him to save all their hearing from his horrible, screeching music. "Loud. No, Seb. Loud. Loud. No, Seb."

"Stop it." He pushed her hands off as gently as he could. "Stop bothering me, Carter."

"Leave him alone, Carter," Max sighed, seemingly unaffected by the noise that his headphones were projecting on them all. In complete honesty, it was bothering her too, but she currently refused to side with Fang. On anything. Ever again. So there. In his face.

"Carter? He's the one with his music up so loud." That's a stretch, at the very least, calling that crap music. From what Fang could hear, it wasn't anything of the kind. "It sounds like he's listening to someone being tortured. She just wants him to turn it down. That's all."

"Shut up, Fang. You always side with her anyways."

"What? I'm the one that made her go stay in the truck!"

"Don't you yell at me."

"Don't you yell at me." He frowned over at her. "It's really hard to drive with you being so annoying."

"Oh, sure, I'm the annoying one."

"You are! I haven't even done anything to you today. At all. You're the one that wanted to come with me."

"Oh, please. You're the one that wanted me to go. You're the one who offered for me to go."

"Only because you have such a standstill, boring life that I knew that going to pick up a stupid piece of furniture would excite you."

"Coming from the guy who freaking rubs his wrist for fun? Who can't even take off his jacket for fear of showing himself? God, Fang, are you that narcissistic? Do you really think that anyone cares about you? Anyone at all? They don't. They really just don't."

"Is that how you really feel?"

"Might as well be. It's what you're going to think I feel, right? You always take whatever I say when we're fighting and act like it's my freaking mantra, as if all I ever do is insult and degrade you. Well guess what, Fang, I don't. I hardly ever do. You just choose to tune in at the moments that I'm mad at you and replay those in your memory."

"Maybe because they happen so frequently."

"They wouldn't if you could do anything for yourself. At all. You can't."

"I got this couch myself."

"Oh, yeah, but only with my approval." She leaned against the window. "Andy my sister's truck."

"I'd have gotten it without her stupid truck."

"I highly doubt that."

"I don't care what you doubt, Max."

"Good, then stop talking to me."

"You first!"

"Idiot."

"See? You just can't stop."

Rolling her eyes, she mouthed the word stupid before closing her eyes. Carter, now worn out from her crying, Seb's music, and listening to the two of them fighting, fell asleep in her car seat, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as her whining had been on the verge of waking Evan, who was still sleeping peacefully somehow.

"God," Fang mumbled to himself. "The things that must go on in Nudge's house for our fighting to lull him to sleep."

After the couch got all set in Fang's apartment, he told Seb that he would take him to Dr. Martinez's house, as she was home that day. He had had enough of the boy for the day and was sure the sentiment was returned. After dropping him off, Fang headed to the nearest grocery store. It wasn't until they pulled up that Max spoke.

"I don't want to go here."

Fang slumped forward slightly in his seat, before banging both his hands on the steering wheel. "You did all the whining, all that bitching so that I could take you to the place that you wanted to go. Now, here we are, at the place you wanted to go all along, but you won't even go in? Dang it, Max, why can't you just ever do what I need you to?"

"What you need me to?"

"Yes!"

"Well, Mr. Intelligence, if you had only asked me, I would have gladly informed you that I need to go to a specific store."

"A specific store."

"Yes. To pick up your TV for your stupid birthday."

Fang blinked, lifting up his head slightly. "What?"

"And I was going to have you think that I was picking it up for Mom, so that it would have been a surprise, next week, when we go over there, and everyone's there for your stupid birthday."

"My birthday?"

Max swallowed. "It's in the records."

"What records?"

"My mom…to get us legal citizenship, back before we were…taken, she needed to access some of our past records. That's why you're now allowed to vote, Fang. So thank her some time, huh?" She unbuckled her seat belt. "You know what though, Fang? Thank you. No, no, really, Fang, thank you. Thank you for taking me to this stupid store. I work there today anyways. So I'll just get out now and go, okay? Is that okay with you? Stupid jerk."

"Max-"

She still got out of the car.

"Max-"

He got the door slammed in his face. Fang just followed her in the truck as she walked up to the store. Finally, she stopped and opened the door again, slightly glad that he stopped at the right moment.

"What, Fang? What could you possibly want?"

With the straightest face he ever had, he simply told her, "How are you going to work if you're not in your work clothes?"

For a second, the two of them just stared at each other. Then a car that was trying to pull out honked at Fang, causing Max to quickly climb back into the car.

"You," she told him, trying to hide the smile on her face. "You, my good sir, are the biggest dork of all."

"So I've been told," he mumbled. Dork. Who the heck ever said that anymore? Probably an even bigger one. Still, he kept that little comment to himself, knowing that for the moment, everything was alright. Not perfect, far from it, but alright, and sometimes, that's all that matters.

"You can't let them know that I told you," Max said as the two of them settled out on his couch. She was now home from work. Well, not home, at Fang's place, but he was hoping that it would turn into the same thing. One day.

It was now nearing midnight, but Fang didn't have work until two. Angel was home already, apparently not having a good night out, and was his bed already, so Fang had to take the couch with Max. Carter was spending the night with Evan and Nudge, which had given Fang some time to clear his head and think.

"So a birthday party, huh?"

Max cuddled into his chest, the blanket he had draped over them not offering her the warmth a human body could.

"Yeah. It's just the Flock coming. That's what Angel's sticking around for now. After that, she will be out of your hair." Max leaned up, kissing under his chin. "Mmmm. This beard, it's growing on me."

Fang yawned a little bit. "Being able to sleep without a shirt on is growing on me."

"I love your chest," Max mumbled, kissing that too. "Mmmm. I missed it."

Running a hand down her head, he just watched as she traced a scar on his stomach. "I have to start getting ready for work soon."

"I know. I just want you to stay here, right here, for a little bit longer. Okay?" Max ran that tracing hand back up his chest. "Mmm. So are we good now? After earlier?"

"Yeah, I think so." Fang stared blankly up at the ceiling. "You know, since you guys are getting me a TV, I'm gonna have to start paying for cable or satellite or something."

"You can get something cheap, I'm sure. Whatever your apartment supports." Max sighed a little bit. "You know, Fang, you still owe me a kitchen table."

"I know." He nuzzled the top of her head. "I'll get to it. Soon. Carter deserves one."

"Carter deserves a lot of things."

"A lot," he agreed. "Of course, she also would deserve to have them taken away. A lot. When she's bad."

"She is that. Bad. A lot."

"Mmm." He shook his head slightly. "You know, they all told me that it wouldn't last."

"What wouldn't?"

"Me liking Carter."

"Who?"

"Everyone. All of the Flock. Your Mom. Ella."

"Those haters."

Fang snorted. "Is that what they are?"

"Yeah. Haters."

"Mmm." Letting out a long breath, he finally said, "I have to shower, Max."

"I'll miss you, while you're at work."

"You sure are tired, eh, Max?"

"Just in love."

"You take some of my medicine or something?" He kissed the top of her head before forcing his way out from under her. "I'll be in the shower. You stay out here and be stoned or drunk or whatever you are."

"In love, Fang," she mumbled, tightening the blanket around her with a yawn. "I'm in love."

Fang was quick with his shower and bathroom rituals so that he could get back to Max. It wasn't until he was ready to get dressed in his work clothes that he remembered he hadn't brought them in the restroom with him. Groaning, he wrapped the towel around his waist before heading to his bedroom, passing a sleeping Max on the couch.

"Why, Fang, this is so sudden," Angel said as he came into the bedroom, her still up on her laptop. "And with Max here and all. Unless…was this all part of your plan?"

"Shut up, Angel," he grumbled, almost moving to turn the light on, but then remembering his scars and deciding against it. "I'm getting my clothes."

"Well, don't mind me," she mumbled, standing and walking out of the room. "Me and my innocent eyes."

Closing the door behind her, Fang dropped his towel before turning on the light and going over to his closet. He took his time getting ready before going back out to find Max was still asleep and Angel was nowhere to be found. Groaning, he went over to Max and poked her shoulder.

"Mmmm?"

"Angel left. Go get in my bed. It's more comfy. I'm about to get gone, okay?"

"'kay." She leaned up some. "I'll miss you."

"Okay, crazy," he mumbled as he kissed her gently.

She had come over to his place like this, all out of it and in love with him. He wasn't sure what she was on or playing at, but he really didn't care like finding out. Plus, Carter was gone for the night anyway, so who was he to judge Max's actions? It had to be hard, you know, constantly having to be a mom and serious and in control. He was fine with her cutting lose…so long as she wasn't on serious drugs or something…yeah…

When Fang's birthday rolled around a few days later, Max took him out on a mock date, each knowing that they just had to stay gone for a few hours alone. The real reason that they were going out on a date was so that the others would have a believable excuse for taking Carter from Fang on his day off, knowing that she would likely spill the beans, no one realizing that Fang already knew that everyone was over at Dr. Martinez's house.

"This is some good ice cream."

Fang just stared at Max. "When can I go to my party?"

"You're supposed to be pretending you don't know about it, stupid." She spooned another bit of cookie dough ice cream into her mouth. "We're on a date. Pay attention to me."

Groaning, Fang took a bit of his cone. "I just-"

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Bite into ice cream? It kills my teeth," Max confided, clearly amazed.

"I guess I just don't have sensitive teeth."

"I've never noticed that before."

Fang smiled at her a little bit. "It's kind of funny, huh? I've known you longer than anyone and yet we're still learning things about each other."

"What have you learned about me?"

"That you're a drug addict."

She choked on a piece of cookie dough. "Excuse me?"

"You were on something last night."

She rolled her eyes. "I might have taken a few sips of wine after work with one of my coworkers before I came over."

"I didn't smell it on you."

"I ate a whole pack of tic-tacs."

"…Why?"

"I wasn't sure how you'd feel about me drinking."

"Better when I know you're doing it."

"Well, I know that day I introduced you to my friends, you-"

"I wasn't mad that they were drinking. I was mad because they were drinking at a kid's party. I was mad that they used a kid's party as a cover."

Max took another spoonful of ice cream. They were currently sitting in an ice cream parlor, hanging out for a little while longer. Max was supposed to get a text when it was time to take him back, but it had yet to come.

"So…Did you chip in for the TV?"

"Nope. It was all Mom, Nudge, and Ella."

"Ella?"

"Ella." Max rolled her eyes. "God. She only did it because Mom told her to."

"What did you buy me?" He finally got to the cone and began to eat it. "Huh?"

"You'll see." She smiled slightly. "Carter got you her own gift."

"Did she now?"

"Yep. She even worked for some of the money for it."

"Really?"

"Well, she helped Ella clean the other day and Mom around the office."

"How much did they give her?"

"Well, they each gave her five dollars."

"She spent all ten dollars on me?" Fang was in shock. He knew that Carter and him got along, but the thought that she spent that much on him was amazing.

"Well, it cost more than ten dollars, but yes."

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling you." She reached across the table and poked his chest. "You'll know pretty soon. She even helped wrap it."

Fang just stared. "Aren't I kind of old for birthday parties?"

"Well, yes, technically, but it's more of a chance for us all to be together again." They both looked off for a moment, but somehow ended up looking back at each other at the exact same moment. Soul mates didn't even begin to describe that feeling. "Besides, Fang, Carter will only be this small for a short while. She's gonna want to buy you things. Let her. It's cute."

"No, no, I'm glad she did. I'm just…surprised." He finished his ice cream and sighed a little bit. "You want some more?"

"Uh-uh." She flashed her phone at him. "Just got the text. Let's go."

By the time they got to Dr. Martinez's, Fang was beyond nervous. Before they went in, Max gave him a kiss, knowing that he didn't like being around so many people at once. After interlacing their fingers, she led him into the house.

Everyone was there, but Fang could only focus on Carter, who was in the middle of a meltdown. Ignoring all of his family, he immediately went to her aid.

"What happened?" He asked, letting go of Max as everyone yelled surprise, as if he was some sort of child that needed this sort of thing.

"Mean!" She pointed a finger at some woman who was standing next to the Gasman, though Fang had no idea who she was. "Mean."

Fang sighed softly as he lifted her into his arms. Then he looked to Valencia. "What happened?"

"Oh, Fang," she said in that dismissive tone she always used with him. "You know as well as I do that nothing happened. She whines about everything."

Nudge, who was still sitting on the couch, looked up at Fang and smiled. "Happy birthday."

Then he remembered his was supposed to be surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"Your birthday, of course." She went back to her phone. "Ooh, Kris."

"Nudge," he groaned. "Your texting. He can't hear you."

"I know. I wanted Ella to hear that. Hear that, Ella? I'm talking to Kris."

Ella, who had been holding Nudge's son, rolled her eyes. "Not now, Nudge."

"Jealous?"

"Do I look it?"

Fang glanced at Sebastian, who didn't really look pleased with the conversation, but quickly moved his eyes to Iggy and Gasman. Bouncing Carter in his arms as she calmed down some, he made his way over to his blind friend, as Max was taking Gazzy into her arms for a hug.

"Hey, Ig," Fang said, coming over there as Carter wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "So it's my birthday?"

"Guess so," he said as Fang patted his shoulder. "Sorry about Carter. The Gasman's girl made her upset."

Fang glanced over at the woman in question. "Didn't know that Gazzy had a girl."

"Does now. Even came down here for your party. Lucky you."

Fang could tell that Iggy wasn't too thrilled by this mystery girl, but that was nothing new. Iggy wasn't the kind that thrived on other guys getting girlfriends or happiness with a woman. Not that he was jealous of them or anything, because he wasn't. He just liked to get his own and not have to hear about other people's triumphs.

"Owl." Carter kissed his cheek. "Par'y fo' Owl."

"Yes. You threw me a birthday party. Good job."

"Goo' job!"

"Yep." He patted Iggy on the shoulder one more time before facing the Gasman. Max had now moved on to her sister and Nudge, which was fine. The guys were fine without her bothering them anyways.

"Hey, Gasman," Fang said as Carter began to whine to be set down. Once he did that, she ran off, apparently not wanting to be around Gazzy for some reason.

The other guy smiled, but seeing as he had his sight, Fang didn't pat him on the shoulder or anything like that.

"Hey, Fang. This is my girlfriend. Maria," he introduced the woman next to him. Fang did that quick once over that most guys do to girls, just to, you know, making sure that she's worthy of the Gasman. Seems like she was overly worthy, honestly. Then again, most women would be…

As the party moved outside, Fang somehow ended up with Carter in his arms again as she now refused to be put down. Everyone tried to take her from him and Seb even offered to go play with her, but she wouldn't be deterred. It was her Owl's birthday party, dang it. They were going to spend it together!

"Love Owl," she told him as he leaned against the deck railing. For it to be his party, he sure was having a shitty time.

"Can you sit up on my shoulders?"

"No." Carter snuggled into his arms. "No."

"Carter, my arms are tired."

"Owl lie. Owl set Car'er down."

"No. Never. Not if you don't want. Just let me put you up there, on my shoulders. Please?"

She thought about it silently for a moment before releasing his neck from her hold and wiggling. "Yes! Yes, Owl!"

Once he had her up there, Fang made sure that she was comfy before walking towards the table to get something to eat.

"For being blind, he sure is pretty good at grilling."

For a second, Fang feared that Maria was talking to him, but then he realized that she was speaking to Ella, who was also getting a burger.

"Oh please," she said dismissively as she took a glance at Carter, frowning when she saw her on Fang's shoulders. "He'll burn himself the second Gasman stops telling him to back up or that he's too close. And, Carter, are you sure you don't want down? You want a hotdog? Huh?"

She hit Fang in the head. "Yes! Hotdog!"

Fang groaned, handing one up to her. Maria frowned at the scene, but didn't comment on it as it wasn't her place.

"Carter, don't hit," Ella corrected, frowning. "Fang, do you want me to-"

"She's fine," he said, picking up his plate with chips on it. "It's my birthday. She's just excited."

"Owl," Carter said happily as she took a bite out of the hotdog. "Owl."

After walking away with his chips, Fang went out into the yard where Max was sitting with Angel in some lawn chairs.

"Hi, Fang," Angel said, cheerful as always. Fang kept any of his thoughts to himself though, knowing that he would soon be rid of her.

"You need me to go get another chair?" Max asked as Fang sat down on the ground, shifting Carter to his lap. She held the other half of his hotdog up to his mouth, but when he shook his head, she just shoved it in her own.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, offering Carter some of the chips. "So, um…who's this Maria chick?"

He could tell from the huge eye rolls he got from the two women that they had already formed their opinion of her, if it had not already been formed previously.

"It's not even important," Angel told him.

"He won't even know her number in another two months," Max assured as she took a sip from a beer can. When she saw Fang staring at it, she said, "It's just one. Besides, this isn't a kid's party."

"I didn't say anything." He opened his mouth when Carter held up a fist full of chips, allowing her to feed him. When he swallowed, he asked, "Am I thirty now, Max?"

"Uh, I think so. What did you put down on your driver's license as your date of birth?"

He shrugged. "Dr. Martinez got me the birth certificate and stuff. I didn't look into it."

"Thirty or twenty-nine. One or the other."

Carter ate one of the chips, giggling. "Owl. Owl par'y. P'esents, Mommy?"

"Soon, baby." She reached over and patted her on the head. "You know though, that they're only for Owl. You didn't get anything."

"Owl p'eaent. I gots."

"I know. You got Owl a present with your very own money, right?"

"Yes!" She looked up at Fang. "Owl?"

"Hmmm?"

She kissed under his chin, having to lean upwards. "Par'y."

"Yep. My party."

By the time presents rolled around, Fang was for sure that it was all the women's doing, having presents and cake and such. What guy has a literal birthday party? Like one without strippers and drinking? Still, he indulged them, if only because Carter was so excited about presents. There were really only one. The television. Everyone was so excited about it, but Fang was kind of over it by that point.

"Max," he whispered in her ear as he stood there, looking at the box. "Um…Where's Carter's gift?"

"Oh, Fang, I thought that me, you, and her could exchange gifts alone tonight. In private."

"…That bad, huh?"

She just kissed his cheek. "It makes it more personal. Besides, Everyone already knows what it is. They don't need to see you get it. And as for my gift, well, I want it to be just between us, after Carter goes to sleep."

Fang's eyes lit up, making her frown.

"It's not a blowjob, freak, so wipe that smirk off your face."

"I never even said-"

"Oh, but you thought it."

"…Well…"

He just got a shove.

"Okay," Max called out as she finally came into her bedroom with a poorly wrapped gift. It was obviously Carter's. "Who's ready for presents?"

"Owl, Owl!" Carter was pointing as she smiled wildly. They were already in bed in their night clothes, all ready for bedtime. First, though, it was finally present time. "Owl!"

"What is that?" He asked in a wondering tone, which just made Carter even more excited. "I wonder who it's from."

"Me, Owl! Me!"

"You?"

"Me!"

"That's your gift?"

"Yes!"

"To me?"

"Yes!"

He decided to try and leave her enthusiasm level where it was for fear she might pee herself. Pulling her into his lap, he criss-crossed his legs, watching Max as she came to get into bed with them.

"Robbie!" Carter picked him up off the bed from his spot next to Lockheed. "My present! Fo' Owl!"

Fang snuggled her to him. "I wonder what it is."

"'ook! 'ook!"

"Here you go, Fang," Max said, her smile almost as bright as her daughter. He wanted to kiss her then, but held back. "Open it."

Shifting Carter to fully sit down, he took the gift into his hands, staring at the green wrapping paper for a second before glancing at the girls in the room with him, each in turn. Max's brown eyes were so shinny that it was almost as cute as Carter's face, which was about the happiest he had ever seen. These were his girls, his only real girls, and they were happy for him. He was happy for them. He…loved them.

"Oh my God," he mumbled after he tore some of the green wrapping paper away. Just from that little bit, he could already tell what it was. Quickly, he began to rip more away. "Oh God!"

Max laughed a little bit. "Do you like it? Carter said you would."

"You got me a Nerf gun, Carter."

He stared at the gun for a minute. It wasn't one of those cheap ones either, oh no. It was one of those really cool ones that they show in the commercials. He had never gotten one, when he was a kid, for obvious reasons. Once, in the E-Shaped house, Jeb had bought him and Iggy some Super Soakers, but that was a different thing entirely. Super Soakers were great…during the summer. But winters in Colorado could be brutal and there was no use for them then. Besides, water guns make a mess. Nerf? Nerf's just freaking awesome.

"You remembered," he said, smiling down at Carter. "In the store? God, Carter. I love…" He paused, catching himself. "I love it. The gun. I love the gun. The present. Thank you. So much." He hugged her to him for a moment before looking at Max. "This is great."

"I bought another one, so that the two of you would each have one, but the other isn't as expensive."

"That's fine. Thank you. Both of you." He hugged Carter again before leaning over and kissing Max gently on the lips. "Look at her, Max. How happy she is to give something. Are you happy, Carter? Because I am."

She snuggled into his chest. "Owl!"

Then, with the hope back in his eyes, Fang asked Max, "Can we play with the-"

"Tomorrow morning."

"But, Max-"

"I mean it." She snatched it up before standing. "Carter needs to go to bed."

"Now?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes. Start story time. I'm gonna go put this up."

Fang looked down at Carter. "Your mommy is strict."

"Yep." Carter nuzzled into his chest. "Owl."

It took awhile to get Carter all calmed down again, but as soon as she was, Max and Fang left her in the bedroom before going into the living room so she could give him her gift.

"Fang, I put that in here so you would leave it alone."

"No," he said as they sat down on the couch. He had gotten his Nerf gun box and was beginning to take it out. "You wanted Carter to go to bed. She's is. So, I can play with it now."

She grabbed one of his hands, forcing him to stop toying with box. "Fang, please, concentrate on me for a moment, 'kay?"

He nodded a little bit, looking up at her. "Gift time?"

"Yep."

"Should I unzip now or-"

"You're about to ruin it."

"Got it," he mumbled, moving to lean back on the couch. "Okay. For real now. What did you get me?"

"It's kind of two things."

"Ready for them," he said as she reached over to the coffee table and picked up a folded piece of paper.

Slipping it into his hand, she just sat there, staring with a small smile. Slowly, Fang opened it.

"A phone number?"

"Yes."

"For who?"

Max looked off, taking a deep breath. "Maya."

"…What?"

"That's what you wanted, right?" She still wouldn't look at him. "I'm not saying freaking hookup with her, Fang, I'm saying…you guys were friends. And she might know where the rest of your team is. I'm sure you want to at least know how they're doing, huh?"

"That…This…" Slowly, he moved to hug her. "That takes a lot, Max, to be able to put aside-"

"Don't."

"But I am, Max. I am gonna brag about you a little bit." He kissed her head. "I know it had to take a lot out of you, considering."

"Yeah, well."

"I, um, I…love you, okay? I, just, do."

"Let's move on," Max said quickly.

"Um, yeah, okay. So you said there was something else?" Fang asked as he pocketed the number before moving to sit with his back against the couch again. Still, Max stayed facing him, her smile slowly coming back.

"Yep," she said, reaching behind the couch this time, retrieving a backpack. "Here you go."

"Gee, Max, uh…thanks."

"I didn't get you a backpack, idiot. You don't recognize it?"

"Recognize it?" Fang frowned, staring hard at the bag. "No, I…um…"

"It's yours, Fang."

"Mine?"

"Yours." She reached over, unzipping it to reveal the contents. "See? Your laptop, some of your journals, your-"

"Where the fuck did you get this?" Fang frowned, pulled his old laptop out and setting the bag aside. "Max-"

"I told you it'd be special."

"How?"

She groaned. "Jeb. When we went missing, apparently, all our stuff got taken by him or Mom or left to be thrown out when no one paid our rent. This ended up with Jeb and for some reason, he kept it and a few other things in a storage locker. I forgot about it until about a month ago." Nuzzling against his neck, she asked, "You like it?"

"I love it. It's so-" He stopped mid sentence, making a shocked face. Quickly thrusting the laptop in her hand, he picked the bag back up. "The photos."

"Photos?"

"Remember?" He opened a side pocket. "Here, turn on the light."

Max got up quickly to do as was asked of her. Then she came back, sitting right next to him now. "Oh, God. I remember."

In his hand, Fang held some old Polaroid photographs, taken as documentation by the School when they were children. He had acquired them after the world was saved from Jeb, who claimed to have held onto them, for memories. He figured that Fang and the others deserved the memories now and, as he was the only one of the Flock who would still talk to him, he ended up with them. No one, but he and Max had never seemed too interested in them, but even their interest faded after awhile. Not now though.

"We were so young then," Max whispered, staring at the one he was currently holding. It depicted Nudge, whose wings were being examined and measured. It was so…clinical and creepy. Creepy. When they were kids, examinations were just part of life. Now, they seemed like a bad horror flick with mad scientists and crazed medical students.

"What about the others?" Fang handed the photos to Max before picking his laptop back up. "Battery's probably dead. My charger should be in my bag."

Max replaced the photos to the bag before getting his charger out. "What are you doing now?"

"Logging on. It's where we saved all the, you know, new photos."

After Max plugged the laptop charger in, Fang went to work on logging in. It took him a moment to remember his old password, but once he did and was in, everything started coming back to him.

"This was the best gift ever," Fang mumbled to Max as they made it to his desktop. "Ever. I love you."

"I know. You've said." She cuddled against him. "Are you looking for the photos of when we were at that apartment? After the world-"

"Yes. I saved them all off that digital camera onto my laptop."

Kissing his jacket, she asked, "Do you remember how dumb you thought it all was? Taking photos? I'm the one who always made you be in them."

"I know, I know."

She felt her eyes start to drift close. "Do you work tonight?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, distracted. "It's only about eight though, right now."

"I know, I know. I just don't want you to forget or anything. That's all."

"I won't."

They sat there for hours, going through his laptop and bag, looking at old blog posts and things he had written down in those journals, which were mostly for drawing, as it turned out, neither ever really getting bored, just tired. When Max went to bed, Fang stayed out there for awhile, still going through his old stuff, amazed at what Max had done for him. Then, when he looked at the coffee table and saw that Nerf gun, he knew her daughter had done something just as special. These things were way more special than a silly phone number.

Did that mean he wasn't going to call Maya? No, of course not. It just meant the phone call would be just that. A call. Max still had contact with Dylan, after all. And it's not like Fang ever really had feelings for Maya anyways. It was more of an opportunity thing to begin with.

Sighing, Fang finally headed off to Max's bedroom too only to find both his girls asleep, cuddled up in the middle of the bed together. He just smiled as he got back into bed, on the other side of Carter as to box her in and keep her safe.

"I love you guys," he whispered, kissing Max's head before hugging Carter's sleeping form slightly. "So much."