After a rough nights sleep, Max pushed herself out of bed. all night, she had had nightmares of old times in the School and about what has been happening. This was going to haunt her her until her dying day.
"Max, wake up." Angel said, running into the room.
Max was already sitting up, trying ti brush angry tangles out of her badly treated blond head. She looked up at Angel, and smiled, "Hey, Ange."
"How you feeling?" Angel asked, in a soft voice.
"Stressed, I couldn't sleep. You?" Max said, putting the brush down, and sighing deeply.
"I'm worried about Nudge... She was crying all night, and kept murmuring things and I couldn't tell what she was saying." Angel said, her blue eyes, looking at Max, fear glazing them over.
"She's fine. She's probably having nightmares. Do you know if she cut?" Max asked, patting the empty bed space beside her.
Angel smiled, and ran to the spot, hopping onto the bed and curling up next to Max. "Like your nightmares? I can't read her mind at all, it's blocked. But I don't think she's cut. If she has, she's hiding it quite well." Angel said, her head resting on Max's chest.
"Well, I guess it's good that she hasn't cut/ I told her to talk to me before she cuts, but she seamed to feel like a bother. Do you? Max asked, looking at Angel, petting her blond curls softly.
"Of course not!! She's my best friend. She's not a bother at all." Angel said, a light huff at the end of her sentence.
"Me neither. I just wish we could get through to her we could get Iggy to cook a buffet and we could all five talk to her."
"That sounds fun, but Nudge is Anorexic." Angel said softly. "She can hardly drink a glass without feeling full."
"I know. That'll make her feel bad. Let's just talk to her over breakfast." Max sighed, and looked at Angel. "How are you taking all of this?"
"It's making me stressed, but knowing that all of the flock is okay... makes me relax." Angel said softly, curling closer to Max.
"You're a born leader, you know. I mean, when I was your age, back at the School, when it was just Iggy, Fang, Nudge, and me, I always watched them, and would panic when I didn't know if they were okay. You're just like that. This is official, if I get hurt and can't be the leader, you can be the leader. With help of Fang." Max smiled as Angel giggled.
"Max?" Angel said, smiling softly.
"Hm?" Max responded, looking down at her.
"I love you." Angel whispered.
Max smiled a little. "Love you too. Let's get some rest, okay?"
"Okay." Angel, murmured, closing her eyes, trying to fall asleep.
Max knew she wouldn't be able to get anymore rest, so she just petting Angel, helping her get to sleep.
Angel was out like a light within seconds. She looked so small, and innocent when she slept.
Max watched Angel. She deserved so much better then this life. They all did. But Angel... she had grown up so fast, after all, she is only seven. But she acts as mature as Max. She never really had a childhood, just some childhood moments.
Angel rolled over in her sleep to notice that Max wasn't holding her anymore. "Max..." she murmured, pushing herself up. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times.
She rubbed her eyes and got up. She could smell bacon and sausage.
After many more seconds, she changed into one of Max's large T-shirts and started down the stairs.
"Hey, Angel." Iggy smiled, standing in the kitchen over a frying pan.
"Where's Max?" Angel asked, her voice groggy.
"In the living room." Iggy said, pointing to a random direction, that just happened to be the living room.
"'Kay! Thanks, Igs." Angel smiled, before hopping off towards the living room.
Angel stepped into the living room, to see Max leaning on the couch, staring out the window. Her eyes were glassed over.
"Max, is something wrong?" Angel asked, in a very seven year old voice.
"You know there always is." she murmured, her voice cracking at the end.
"What happened?" Angel murmured, in a very soft, careful voice.
"I got a call from mom." Max said softly.
"What could be bad about that?" Angel asked, sitting next to Max.
"She told me some bad news... Ella has cancer..." Max covered her eyes with her hands, to hide that she was crying.
"How long?" Angel asked softly.
"A month to four months." Max said, sniffing quietly.
"I'm sorry.." Angel hugged Max, trying to make her feel better.
"It's fine, things happen..." Max murmured, in a whisper so her voice wouldn't crack.
"But still..." Angel started, but Max cut her off.
"No, Angel. Not 'But still' this time. It's Ella. My sister is going to die. Think about how you would feel if you got told that Gazzy was going to die." Max said, her eyes tearing up, her cheeks flushed.
"I would feel depressed, and would be really upset." Angel said softly, trying to stay strong and not cry too.
"That's how I feel. I'm going to call Ella, and see if she's okay with me coming over." Max said, getting up to get the hand held phone.
"Okay." Angel murmured incoherently.
Max grabbed the phone and dialed her mom's number. After several rings, a quiet voice picked up, "Hello, the Martinez family, Ella speaking"
"Ella, I wanted to know if it was okay if I came over for a while?" Max said, in one long breath.
"Max? Well, I'm guessing Mom told you..." Ella said, her voice fading off.
"Yeah, why wouldn't she? I'm your sister." Max said, obviously confused.
"I told her not to tell you...." Ella said, in a soft voice.
"Why not!?" Max said, her words coming out a lot louder then she had intended.
"Well, you're so protective, and I knew that if you knew, then you'd fight tooth and nail to try to protect me." Ella said, "I'm sorry... I didn't meat to hurt your feelings."
"It's fine." Max murmured, her her hand was gripping the phone so tight that her knuckles were white.
"And if you wanna come over, I can ask mom." Ella disappeared for a second.
"She said yes." Ella said happily into the phone.
"Okay, I'll be over in about an hour. Maybe a little longer then that. I got to get everyone up and eat something..." Max trailed off, trying to disguise her voice to sound happy.
"Haha, okay. See you in a bit." Ella said, laughing into the phone.
"Alright, bye." Max hung up the phone and sighed.
When Max turned around to put the phone back on the receiver, Nudge was standing there with a note in her hand.
Max smiled, "Morning, Nudge."
"Mor..ning... Read.. This..." Nudge handed the note to Max.
"Okay...?" Max took the note, as Nudge disappeared into the kitchen. Max carefully unfolded the note, and began reading.
Hey, Max. I've been trying to write this forever. Well, I've found a way not to bleed out my pain. Biting. It hurts way worse then cutting, but there's hardly a risk of hurting myself. I know, I know, I shouldn't be hurting myself at all, but it's better right? And you can check my wrists if you want. They're bruised, but not cut. I feel really really proud of myself.
^_^ Nudge
Max studied the letter. Wow, Nudge really was working hard.
After a few more moments, Max turned and started to the kitchen. She needed to congratulate Nudge and she needed to eat.
Angel felt rather forgotten, though she understood. Max's sister was dying and she wanted to be with her. Angel wasn't resentful. She knew that worry about a sibling. Especially when they are near death.
Max walked into the kitchen and smiled at Nudge. "Good girl." she said, sweetly.
"Thanks." she said, taking the complement with no troubles.
Max smiled. "Iggy? Is breakfast ready yet?" she asked, her stomach talking for her.
"Almost. I had to work around eggs 'cuz we're all out." Iggy said. He smiled a little, before looking back down at the frying pan.
"Okay, thanks." Max grinned, and went to sit at the table.
"Max?" Angel suddenly piped up.
"Yes, sweety?" Max said, looking around, seeing Angel at the entrance of the kitchen.
"Is all of the Flock coming to Ella's, or are just you going?" she asked, her voice soft, sensitive.
"I think I should be the only one to go... But I know that Ella would like all of you to come." Max said.
"So...? Are we all going or not?" Angel said softly.
"Yes. All of us will go." Max said, a lining of disappointment very noticeable in her voice.
"Yay!" Angel smiled, and ran to hug Max. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. "I love you, Max."
"Love you too, Ange." Max said, hugging her back.
Moments after breakfast, Max was already rushing arund to get her shoes and windbreaker on. "C'mon, kids! Wel gotta go!" she said, her wings already revealing themselves.
"Okay!" Iggy said, coming into the room, with a smile plastered on his face.
"I'm ready!" Angel said, with Nudge two steps behind her.
Fang just walked into the room, with no confermation that he was ready, but Max knew him well.
Gazzy came a few seconds after, looking as though he just woke up. "What's up?" he said, yawning.
"We're about to leave. You wanna come?" Max wasn't going to give him a choice, but asked anyway.
"Yea." Gazzy yawned again, and stretched. "Let's go." he said, though he was still wearing his pajamas.
"Uh, Gaz?" Iggy said.
"Huh?" he said, looking over at Iggy.
"You're still in your P.J.s. I think you should go change. The air currents would be really cold in your P.J.s." Iggy said, staring right over Gazzy's head.
"Ugh.. Fine." Gazzy pouted a little, and started back to his room.
"Thanks, Igs. But how did you know he was wearing his pajamas?" Max said, her eye brow raising.
"I touched his shoulder. It was plaid. He doesn't have an plaid shirts." Iggy said, smiling.
"Hmm. Okay, then, Mister Smarty Pants." Max said shrugging it off. She stood there, staring at the hall that led to Gazzy's room. He needed to hurry. Max sucked in a big gulp of air, ready to yell for Gazzy, just as he showed up, his hair still a ratty mess, but he at least had real clothes on now.
"Okay, we gotta go." Max said, opening the door.
"Okay." The Flock all said, following her out the door.
They all flew to Dr. Martinez's house, landing in her front yard. Max held her breath as she walked up to the door, and knocked three times.
"Who's there?" Max heard her mother call.
"It's me." She said, hoping her mother would know who she meant.
"Oh, coming." Dr. Martinez called. Seconds later the door opened, and Max was greeted with a very tired version of her mother.
"Morning, Mom." Max said, smiling and going to hug her.
"Morning, sweety. I see you brought the Flock. What a surprise." Dr. Martinez smiled.
"Sorry, they have gone such a long time without me, I thought they wouldn't like me leave them home without me."
"I understand that.. You were quite close to death. I was pretty panicked myself." Dr. Martinez said. "You came for Ella, though, right? She's in the kitchen eating breakfast."
"Yea, thanks." Max said, smiling and passing her mom to get to the kitchen.
Each of the members of the Flcok paused to hug, and greet Dr. Martinez before retreating to the kitchen with Max.
