Yeah, I know I said every Sunday, but it was killing me. So I bargained with myself. If I finished the chapter I was working on, I could post this one. Don't expect me to not succumb to my own desires a lot. I'll probably have posted three more by the week's end.

Don't count on it, though. ;)

Please enjoy chapter two! A story about a story which I do not own (Unfortunate, I know). While I'm here, I also don't own any other brand names mentioned in here. Just FYI.

Chapter Two

Max

My mom and Jeb had decided that we'd recovered enough, so they packed up and left to live their own happy little lives without us. Chalk up two more under people who've ever abandoned me when I needed them. That makes, what? Four?

"I love you, hunny," Mom had said before she'd left. "But, Jeb and I think that you're okay enough to take care of yourself."

"And the flock," I'd added. She nodded glumly.

"Yes, and the flock," she'd repeated. She gave us one last smile before she climbed into the car and she and Jeb drove away. Don't get me wrong, I was glad to have Jeb out of my life again, but I liked having my mom around. She was the only person—besides Fang—who had ever really understood me.

She assured me that I could always call. I might have, if I didn't believe that every phone in the world was bugged by evil scientist who were trying to kill me or test on me or whatever.

Dylan walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You know," he said, "no matter what anyone else decides, I'll always be there for you." I nodded and sniffed quietly. God, I was turning into such a sap.

"Me, too," Nudge added.

"Count me in," Gazzy said, grinning.

"I'm in, too," Iggy said. Angel just touched my elbow and said nothing.

"I love you guys," I said. We all went back into the house.

I was trying to get the kids back on the homeschooling wagon. It was really hard to stay on track when I was thinking about Fang, wondering where he was, if he was okay.

"He'll be fine, Max," Angel said. "He's tough. He knows how to take care of himself."

"Yeah, I know," I said. I just wished I did.