Aw, I miss writing this story. But I love the ending, and so will you. Or else! Kay? Great. Talk to you later!

Chapter Forty-One

Max

"He did what!"

Iggy and Nudge stood in front of me, looking guilty.

"I told you we shouldn't have told her," Nudge mumbled to Iggy. Iggy pinched up his face.

"I can't believe this!" I continued, ignoring them. "I can't believe he did it again!" I turned to Iggy, my eyes narrowed at him. "Tell me exactly what he told you."

"He said he was going to investigate Jeb's non-death," he explained. That idiot.

"Max, you aren't too…upset, are you?" Nudge asked. I sighed at looked up at her.

"It's okay, sweetie. I just don't understand why he decided that he could leave me now, within a month of my due date."

"It's because he's an idiot," Iggy threw in. I glared at him.

"Be that as it may," my mom said as she came in the room, "he still thinks he has a responsibility to the world, and he's trying to fulfil his own duties."

"Whether or not that includes his duties to the flock and to Max," Nudge added. My mom nodded solemnly.

"Exactly," she agreed. She cleared her face into a serene smile. "But that's okay. Everything will go on according to plan."

"Right," I agreed. I wasn't going to let Fang ruin my life. I was just going to go on with my life. I looked at my mom. "Can we have Mexican for dinner?"

"Sure thing, hon," my mom said, grinning. I guess she was pleased that I wasn't letting this get to me. "Do you want home-made or take out?"

"Take-out," I decided. It was better. Plus I didn't have to deal with the whole cooking meat issue.

That was pretty much my whole night. I ate my Mexican food and went to bed. But, just as I put my head on the pillow, the phone rang. I picked it up off the cradle on my bedside.

"Hello?" I said, forgetting to check the caller ID.

"Max?" a wonderfully familiar voice said. "Max. I'm so glad it's you." He paused for a second before adding, "Well, I guess I'm just really glad it's not Iggy."

"Where the hell are you?" I demanded.

"California," he explained simply. "I couldn't wait any longer to find out what was up with Jeb."

"Did you find anything yet?"

He paused for a minute before answering, "No."

"Oh," I said. "When are you coming home?"

"As soon as I find something out," he said. "I promise I'll be back before you have the baby."

I nodded. "Okay," I said.

"You sound tired," he noted. His statement made me yawn, emphasizing his point.

"I was just going to bed," I told him.

"Oh. I guess you should sleep then."

"That'd be nice, yes."

"Okay, then. Bye, Max."

"Bye."

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

The phone clicked and I hit the off button. I put the phone on my side table, flicked off the light, and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.