Okay, so I am really trying to finish this story. It's not that I want to end it, it's just that I have other things I wanna write. Like, I might do a story about Skye and Melody's childhoods and then another one about Charlotte Mullins (Fang and Elisabeth's mom for those of you who forgot.). We just have to see. So, this is where things start to get very interesting. You'll see.

I waited, face in the dirt, for a huge explosion, but none came. The only things that I heard were a bunch of murmuring and my own frantic heart beat. All of a sudden one of the experiments cried, "Dude! What's that stink?" That's when I smelled it.

"A stink bomb?" I asked, pulling myself up off the ground. Gazzy had already landed and was trying so hard to keep from laughing that tears were rolling down his face. He looked a little different from the last time I saw him. I noticed that he had facial hair.

"Of course, Mel." Angel chuckled as she helped Skye and Cory stand up. "We can't kill them. They are children after all." She looked the same as always, but there was a sadness in her blue eyes.

"Not to be rude or anything," Skye began, brushing dirt off his jacket. "but, if you can't kill them, then what kind of help are you going to be?"

"Moral support." said a voice from behind me. It almost made me burst into tears.

I whipped around and saw my dad standing there as tall as ever. My mother landed right behind him, every bit as beautiful as I remembered, and I ran towards them, pushing past the gagging experiments, not caring about anything except that I was with my parents again.

I tackled my father into a hug first. He let out a surprised breath, but hugged me back all the same. He smelled good, like home and love. He kissed the top of my head. "I missed you, Mel baby."

"We both did." Mom said, joining in on our little hug. We were a family again. I was so happy to see them. I almost forgot about the situation we were in. Almost.

"Okay, that's it!" one of the experiments yelled. "I'm tired of playin' games. Are we gonna do this or what?" The rest of them chimed in with agreeing comments.

I let go of my parents and walked over to the one who had made the comment. "Listen, I do not want to fight you." I told him. He was... huge for a bird kid. I mean, really. He sort of looked like Crabbe from Harry Potter.

"Yeah, right." he scoffed. "You expect me to believe that bullshit?" Then, he drew back his fist and punched me straight in the gut.

I fell to my knees and Skye ran towards the guy, barreling into him. They both fell on the ground and started wrestling. Skye managed to pin him down and then kept wailing him in the face. "Don't. Touch. Her. Again."

"Mel? Need help?" Cory asked, offering me a hand. I'd almost forgotten that he even existed. It was still so weird to see him with his wings out.

I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up with little effort. "Thanks." I said to him, truly thankful that he was on my side. For the moment anyway.

"Mel!" my mother yelled suddenly. "Watch out!"

I turned way too late. Some girl ran at me and knocked me in the side with a ton of force. I managed to stay on my feet and make a jab at her face. I missed, but managed to get a fist full of her hair and yank hard. She started scratching at me and I had to let go.

We were surrounded and, even though Max and Fang and Nudge finally showed up, the flock couldn't do anything to help us. The Gasman had a couple more stink bombs on him, but they didn't last too long.

I was down. I couldn't fight anymore. Experiments were closing in on me. My parents couldn't do anything except watch me die. Children, innocent children, were closing in for the kill. All so young. All so scared. All so confused. Just trying to have their own chance at life by taking mine.

I was hanging on to life by a thin thread, when all of a sudden something pulled me back in. It was a voice. A loud, familiar voice saying, "Everybody stop!"

And everyone did. I struggled to turn and see the face of the person who had just rescued me from certain death. It was Willow and she looked pissed. What had the fireflies told me? She'd have a choice to make.

"Why are you out here?" one of the experiments asked her. "We were doing just fine on our own." There were shouts of agreement.

"I'm here to ask you all a question." she began. She did not look all sad and depressed like she usually did. She looked... well, sort of like me. Confident. "Why are you trying to kill Melody?"

"Because Tanner said that she wanted to help the normal people." someone in the crowd said. "She wants to help the people that put us into cages, like the Director."

"That's not true." Willow said. "Melody hated the whitecoats just as much as any of us. She wants to help the good, innocent humans who have done nothing wrong to any of us."

"Tanner said they'd call us freaks and do terrible things to us. He said we have to rise against them. He said we were stronger than them. He said we shouldn't have to be told what to do."

The bird girl laughed. "And why should you listen to Tanner?" she asked them, walking up to me. She stuck out her hand and I warily took it. She pulled me onto my feet and then turned back to the crowd. "Has it occurred to you that you're all stronger than him? You shouldn't have to take orders from him either."

"But the normal humans-"

"Hey." I said, chiming in. "You're all mostly human. You have human emotions and human ideas and everything."

"So, what are you suggesting?" asked the experiment who had first attacked me.

"Stop fighting us." Skye said, walking over to us, followed by Cory. "Start helping us."

"Yeah." Cory told them. "Mel has to fight Tanner on her own. It's the way things have to be. But, you don't have to fight her."

"Why should we help you?" another experiment asked.

"Because we'll help you." Angel spoke up. "We may be able to get you all to go to a special school. One where you'll learn, have decent meals, and be treated kindly."

"You can really do all of that?"

"We can try." Max told them. "I know it's hard to trust us. Been there, done that. But we aren't the bad guys. That Tanner kid is. Think he won't treat you like crap?"

The experiments seemed to consider all of this. I hoped that they would listen to reason. I knew I couldn't try to fight them all again. I wasn't so sure that I had enough strength to go after Tanner.

"All right." said the guy who punched me in the stomach. I suppose they had elected him their speaker. "We're with you."

"Good." I said. Then, I turned to Willow. "Why are you helping us?" I asked her, curiously. "I thought you hated me."

She shook her head solemnly. "I'm helping you because I realized some things. Tanner is a jerk who only cares about himself."

Suddenly, I understood something. "You loved him, didn't you?" I asked her. "That's why you went over to the dark side."

She sighed. "No, I didn't love him. I thought I did, but I was wrong." I then saw her sneak a glance at Cory.

I smiled, knowing what had caused Willow to realize this. "Hey, you don't have to worry. He doesn't love me as anything more than a friend."

Willow turned a deep shade of red and stared down at the ground. "I have no idea who are you talking about."

I chuckled. "Okay, sure. If you say so. But, really. Cory and I are only best friends. He's like the brother I never had."

"You should probably go after Tanner." she told me, sneaking another glance at Cory. "I left him in the Director's old office."

I nodded. "Come on, Skye!" I yelled to my boyfriend. "We gotta go kick Tanner's butt." I knew the running was over. I had to end this.

Skye nodded. "I'm ready whenever you are." That was my guy. He was ready to face almost certain doom with me. When did I get so lucky?

"Be careful." my mom said to me, smiling sadly.

"We are so proud of you." Dad told me.

"You can do it!" Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel shouted in unison.

"Show him who's boss, Melody." Max said encouragingly. "You can totally take him down."

Of course, Uncle Fang was the last person to say something. "You are one tough girl, Mel. I am so glad you're my niece. Go and save the world."

I smiled, thankful that my family was there to support me. Just like the fireflies had said. I didn't even care how eerie it was. I was too happy.

Skye and I ran off towards the door back into the School. We ran down halls searching for the Director's office. I was determined to defeat Tanner for all of those experiments, for my family, for my friends, for myself, and for the world.

So, Willow is a good guy now. And she likes Cory. Interesting. So, next chapter is going to be the epic battle. I know you'll love it. So, see you next week.