This will probably be the last chapter - but if I get enough reviews I might add another, and you will NOT be disappointed with the other (If I post it!)!

I can't believe it's the end of 2010! Hope you had a great year, and a very happy New Year!

Journal NOT a Diary!

Max's Journal

December 31, 2010

"Max."

My eyes snapped open.

I had been sleeping on a park bench, so short my legs were hanging over the sides, putting even more strain on my back. The tough wood was practically crushing my back (and wing) muscles. Maybe the grass would have been a more comfortable choice. Needless to say, my sleep was horrible.

But I hauled myself up, my muscles complaining the whole time, and turned around. Fang was there, a smirk on his face. And standing next to him was - Mom.

"Where did you find her?" I asked, standing up and hobbling over.

"Roaming the streets in the outskirts of Vancouver," he said. "Didn't put up much of a cover."

Mom looked confused - the hypocrite. "Why would I need a cover?" she said. "The blast in my yard - I couldn't find my way back. And I wandered... where are we?"

I felt tears in my eyes. "Don't play innocent. I know your behind the terrorist attacks. You're little friends you sent to do your dirty work, they're dead. Along with the clone of Fang you probably sent to get to me. You should be ashamed of yourself." A tear escaped and cut like a knife down my cheek, the warm tear leaving a track on my face.

I saw a flash of pain in her eyes, I caught her. "Max, how could you think that? Honey, don't cry." She extended her arms for a hug and tried to catch me - I jumped away. Fang grabber her arm, just in case she tried to escape. "What are you talking about, dead."

"Give it up! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I hissed. Mom glared up at me.

"Maximum," she grumbled, "you know just as well as I do I would never do anything like that. I can't be ashamed of myself, I didn't do anything. You should be ashamed for even thinking I would do such things!" Her eyes widened, like she was trying (and failing) to strike a nerve or make me nervous.

I pulled out the note Ella found from my backpack. I couldn't look at it, or repeat what it said in my head. I just couldn't. "Then explain this." I held it in front of her face.

"Why were you snooping in my - someone else's trash?" Does she think I'm a moron?

I gave her the glare I gave to Iggy and Gazzy when the car 'magically' blew up. "I wasn't snooping through your trash. Ella found it when she went to get water and overheard you on the phone with your minions." She froze and glared at me.

"That little snitch!" she growled. "She knows she's not supposed to drink anything after eleven..." She froze and glanced up at us, realizing she was caught. "Fine, I sent the note. So what? You just now realized who it was?" She laughed.

I grabbed her arms and shoved her on the bench. "Tell. Me."

"If you'll let me go, I will!" she hissed. I hesitated to release her arms, but stood prepared if she tried to escape. "Just know that I wasn't always like this, and thats the truth. When you and Fang went to New York after the boys, Cindy showed up at our doorstep."

I hissed. Cindy did this, of course.

"She talked me into teaming with her, but I didn't say so in front of the kids. When they went to bed, I called her and told her I was in. She was already on her way to New York to go after you. I promise, I didn't tell her about New York! I don't know how she knew."

Too bad we didn't have time to interrogate Cindy before we killed her. "Why?" I asked. "What did she said that convinced you?"

Mom looked uncomfortable. "She said that if I didn't join her, she would kill both of you."

Fang's face was red. He threw down his backpack and clutched his head in his hands, stalking away from us. He punched the nearest tree he found and climbed up it.

"She didn't keep her promise," I said. "You joined her and she still tried to kill us, multiple times. And Fang's real family." Tears came in my eyes. "She actually did kill Analie!" I remembered the terror that came over me when I saw that Analie was dead. Everything seemed to fall apart at that moment.

"Fang's little sister?" she asked. I nodded. "I feel terrible. But anyway, after she came back and you killed her, those guys called me. I think you call them Scar and Dragon? But they called me, and said that since Cindy was dead, I would be their new leader. They said I had to do it or they'd kill everyone I loved."

I sighed, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "They didn't keep that, either."

"Yes, they did." I glanced up at her, meeting her eyes. Almost everyone in Mesa was dead, all her friends. "They didn't kill the people I loved most. Why do you think you all got away in the hospital shooting? They weren't trying to kill you, just to run you out."

"Do you know how many people you killed?" I shouted. "Thousands - millions of people!"

Mom wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. "I know!" She sounded like she was on the verge of a complete breakdown. "I was blinded - they blinded me. I didn't realize what I was doing. I didn't realize the impact it would have."

"How can you blow up a hospital or a town or a subway and not realize it would have a huge impact?"

"I don't know! I know it was wrong, I'll never do it again."

I glared at her. "Fine. One more question. In my dream, one of those guys called my Hilary."

"When I was young, I wanted my first daughter to be named Hilary. I wanted to name you Hilary. But Jeb wanted an egg to take in for those lousy experiment testings and didn't let me name you. Ella's dad named her, I still liked the name Hilary. It was what you're name would be of you were, well, without the wings."

So I was Hilary. "I still don't have to leave America, do I?"

"You already left America. This is Canada, remember? But no, you don't have to stay out. But you and Fang do have to come back with me."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not going back with you. Fang will agree. And I'm not letting Iggy or the kids go back with you, either. We'll go back to get them, but I can't trust you again. We're not staying with you anymore, and nothing you can say will change my mind."

"Then where will you go?"

I didn't hesitate or have to think to tell her. "Back to New York, with Fang's mother. She welcomed us back any time. And if she kicks us out, we've been on our own before. We'll survive." I glanced up at the tree Fang was in. Leaves rustled, but he didn't jump down.

"Fang can go to his family, but you need to come home. With me."

"No, the flock isn't splitting up again. As soon as we're done talking, Fang and I are going to go get the others, and we're doing to Mary Lou's home. And Ella, she can go wherever she wants." I didn't want violence against my mom, even if she was the worst mother in history.

"You and Ella will stay with me, young lady. The rest of the flock can live with Fang's mother if they want to, but you're staying where you belong."

"I don't belong in Mesa. I have a mission, in case you forgot." I didn't mention that I had forgotten, too. "To save the world. And I can't do it in Mesa, especially since it's been blown to bits by you yourself." I narrowed my eyes at her. The more she argued with me, the more I was sure that I was going to Mary Lou.

"Then we'll find somewhere else to live. We'll move to Pheniox."

"No. Nothing you can say will make me go back with you." I looked at the tree. "Fang! Come on, we're going to live with your mother." The leaves rustled again before he jumped down. Let's get out of here, I mouthed. He nodded and we spread our wings.

"Maximum Hilary Ride!" Mom hissed. She grabbed my foot and threw me on the ground. "Do not argue with me." She grabbed my wrist and jerked me up.

With one good tug I pulled my wrist from her grasp. She tried to grab me again, but I pushed her back. Way to hard. She hit her head on the bench and was knocked unconsious. Fang flew down and landed beside me. "Do it, Max. We can't let her on the loose again."

I nodded and, tears streaming down my cheeks, broke her neck before I could give it too much thought.

So we did go back to the hosptial, and all of us, even Ella, agreed to go to Mary Lou's. They were all feeling good enough for the flight, and Fang and Iggy carried Ella. Mary Lou was happy to take us in. Ella and I were put in Analie's old room.

It was just as she left it. Pink zebra-pattern wallpaper, a twin bed, a pink backpack thrown in a wooden chair in the corner waiting for a first-time use. Dolls were everywhere, and a bookshelf full of glass dolphins sat against the wall. Pictures of Analie were all over the walls, with some girls at what looked like a daycare center, her and Mary Lou, her on the beach.

There was a fram laying on her oak dresser. I picked it up and almost started crying. The back was gone from the frame, with the example picture still halfway out of it. Laying beside it was a picture of Fang and I side by side, Analie in front of us. She never got the chance to hang it up.

-Maximum