Flock Bonding

A.J. clung on to Fang- to my surprise. I mean- come on. I'm the loving, maternal, leader of this flock. Why was the emotionless always dressed in black (because I won't go as far to call him emo), his choice. Instead of complaining, I sat in the sand watching the rest of the flock and Mela play.

Iggy and Gazzy were discussing the use of salt water in explosives (although I'm not sure if that would even work but I'm not the bomb builder here). Nudge was praising Mela's hair by braiding it while the little girl dipped her feet into the edge. Angel sat beside Mela, telling her the important things.

"Don't get Max mad- never, ever. She's the leader, she tells you what to do, not the other way around. You always clean up after yourself." Mela nodded, her dark eyes wide with understanding.

Fang held A.J. while sitting next to me. The boy's small legs dangled over one of Fang's arms while Fang's other arm held A.J.'s back. Then, A.J. rested his check against Fang's black tee shirt and whimpered. He missed his mom- or so I assumed because I haven't heard a word from him yet.

"Are you dating Iggy?" Mela suddenly asked Nudge. I suddenly realized how she had the same name as an old friend of the flock. She had wings too. Brigid had killed her. I saw Nudge blush a bit. The young three-year-old had said it loud enough that Iggy had stopped talking and was staring at Nudge. He too had a deep blush.

"No," Nudge answered too quickly (in my opinion). "He's dating Max's sister Ella. What's your last name Mela?" But the young girl stood up and ran over towards Gazzy. She stood up straight and then circled him, inspecting him.

"You want to play?" She asked lightly. I turned my attention again towards Fang who was whispering something. He was speaking into A.J. ears and the little boy listened. I watched as A.J. nodded his head and then, adjusted how he was sitting so he could wrap his arms around Fang's next.

Fang eyes went to me, while his hand patted the young boy's back. I heard a few sniffled, not like the full on crying that we had witnessed before. Suddenly, I heard Fang whisper, "Would you like to see Max? She smells good and is a very nice hugger." I smiled lightly to watch as A.J. nodded his head. Fang passed him over towards me, A.J. hung his head low as if embarrassed that he was acting like a child.

Fang scooted closer to me and let me lean against him. I stared at A.J., "You're a handsome young man." I told him. "You could play with the flock and your sister? See, they aren't hurting her. We're family A.J., we'll protect." I wondered if it was too soon to say that I loved this little boy already just as if he had always been with the flock. Mela as well, even though she reminded me a bit of a younger Angel.

A.J. sat in my lap so he could face the flock. His brown hair was in front of his face. His little hand reached out and could only manage to wrap around my finger. Mela was laughing as the flock and her began a came of tag in the water. She apparently didn't mind getting her clothes wet. I would have to ask Nudge to make some of Gazzy's and Angel's clothes smaller for A.J. and Mela to wear.

Fang kissed my neck and whispered, "You think we can handle this?" I shrugged, hadn't I done this already before? Gazzy and Angel seemed pretty well out. Hopefully, these kids parents weren't dead. I was wishing that they could have their family again instead of being like us- parentless flock (although I technically had my parents).

Angel ran up to me, dripping wet, she stared at A.J. in my lap. "Do you want to play?" She offered a hand but A.J. just turned towards me and covered his face. Angel's smile disappeared for a moment, "I'm sorry."

Scary girl. Leave me with Max. Let me be alone with Fang and Max. I want Mommy and Daddy.I heard the faint voice in my head, it was light and syrupy. I felt Fang's breath on my neck and knew he had heard it too. I stared down at A.J. who was now distracting himself by twirling a piece of my hair around his finger like he had seen me do.

"Angel, why don't you go play? He's a little shy." I stared at him, as if he didn't realize I had heard his thoughts.

A.J.? Is that you buddy? I felt him jump in shock and tug on my hair.

A.J., it's all right. See? Max and I can both hear you. It's all right, it's normal. Do you hear the rest of the flock? Fang placed a hand on the boy's brown haired head. I saw now the way the little boy's mouth was in a set fixed line. When he wasn't a child, he probably wouldn't show a single trace of being scared or crying, maybe even to the extreme and not show any emotion at all.

Never heard anyone but Mommy and Daddy before. Mela too but she's super smart and talks like she knows it all. She doesn't. Why did A.J. hear us? Was Fang and I's powers getting stronger- past the connection we shared between ourselves. Was I going to have to watch what I think now around A.J.?

I ruffled his feathers a bit. I felt the sorrow he felt when he realized his parents weren't around again. Fang noticed as well. Iggy came up to us, "I'm going off to make dinner and give Ella a call. I'll see you." Then, he patted Fang on the shoulder.

Mela walked towards us now as well staring at her brother, "A.J. I know your scared but I promise, they'll take care of us." I saw what A.J. meant. Mela talked like an adult. She called her parents Mom and Dad whereas he called them Mommy and Daddy. Then she looked at me and tilted her head, "I can kind of see why you're staying with Fang and Max A.J., but you know it isn't probable." Then, she walked back towards Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel who were all flying above the water. Mela took off and flew alongside them.

***

Later at night, Mela and A.J. lay sleeping on the bed Fang and I shared. I stood by the window, the pale moon shining through staring at them. I was still trying to get over the fact that they were now with the flock. They were so little- as small as Angle had been.

"Don't worry, we can handle it," Fang replied, placing hands on my shoulder. His thumbs pressed into the pulse at the base of my neck. I shut my eyes and leaned into his hold. I hoped he was right. But then again, it was hard with the flock as it is.

Iggy was unusually moody at supper.

Nudge was talking too much and still hallucinating.

Gazzy was getting moody about to enter his pre-teens.

Angel was still trying to prove she was powerful, even without her powers.

Fang and I were in love, trying not to let it ruin how we took care of the flock.

Reading my thoughts, Fang turned me around to face him. "We'll do this Max. We always make it through in the end." The way I felt his heartbeat and his dark eyes staring right at me- how could I not believe him.

"Are you sure?" I asked, trying to flip a strand of hair out of my face by moving my head. Fang laughed, noticing the failed attempt, and pushed it aside with his hand. "We don't know anything about them, and sure, they're just kids but so is Angel and Gazzy- who could read our minds and copy voices." Fang smiled at the memories, he knew I had a point.

"Max, we made it through that." He kissed me on the forehead. "Now, we're together, we can handle anything." He tasted like mint and I was enjoying him the plaid pants and no tee shirt combo. Unfortunately, he was moved to the couch and I was going to sleep on the floor in the room to watch the kids. We said our goodbye in a long kiss.

Just then, both Mela and A.J. woke up screaming from nightmares.

"Mommy!" Mela reached out to me.

"Daddy!" A.J. called to Fang.

We reached out to them, knowing they were too scared to realize the truth.