Chapter 7

So, I bet you're expecting some long conversation of questions and answers. Well- that didn't happen. Instead, the flock came in through the back porch, each carrying about two pizzas. Even Total had a bag in his mouth when he landed.

Of course, my nerves were freaking out, my heart was banging against my ribs in a not pleasant way, and colorful words jumped through my head. Max, Fang's voice lightly danced in my head, Calm down before you scare them.

My eyes rested on Mela and A.J. They were clearly frightened by the way I was acting. A.J. especially was hiding himself into the folds of Fang's tee-shirt. Wings, his wings, were a mix of Fang's and I's with tawny browns and blacks. He had my hair and my stubborn chin. Mela, she might as well be Fang if he was a girl with the same black hair and wings. The new haircut and brave face she put on made the similarity even more obvious. How did this happen? I don't' recall giving birth three years ago- when I was still living in the "E" house. The next time I saw Nudge's mom I had some serious questions for her.

Cheese, pepperoni, whatever else on a pizza that smells so good came into the kitchen. "Max! You missed it! Iggy tried flirting with this girl and she completely rejected him." I looked over at Iggy who hung his head in defeat as Gazzy told the story.

"Why are you flirting with other girls? Did you and Ella break up?" Iggy just narrowed his yees. Warning me to drop it. "Oh," I answered a bit too quickly, picking up on it. "Guys, grab a box and go outside to eat. It's too nice. I have to call my mom." No one questioned me, save Fang of course. With them gone, I turned to the phone.

Fang was right behind me. He was the only one who I would allow to be involved in this. I dialed and waited three rings before my mother picked up. "Max? What's going on?"

"Mom, at the School, did Jeb ever mention collecting sex cells from the flock?" Fang's hand reached to mine and held it protectively.

"No, he did mention once you and Fang started dating that you should be careful." I bet she was confused as to why these questions were being asked but I couldn't even risk asking her. "He said that you were called 000001 because you were never meant to reproduce. Instead, he made your clone, Max II, unable to have children. He wanted you, as his real daughter, to have an option." Hmm, how many dads would do that?

"So, I wasn't supposed to have offspring ever?" Fang's hand squeezed mine.

"No, but you can. Jeb broke a lot of rules for you. But be careful Max, if you're pregnant and Brigid finds out she'll do something about it to hurt you. Are you…pregnant?" My mother whispered the last question.

"No," I answered. We always used protection, Fang and I. Suddenly now, I was a mother of two though. "Are you sure they didn't collect the cells though?"

"Max, I wouldn't know. Jeb never mentioned it. The School didn't know you could reproduce so how were they supposed to collect your eggs? Is everything all right?" Not with all the questions now present because of what my mother had just told me.

"Everything's fine, bye mom." Then, after she said her goodbye, I hung up. My brain rattling with questions. "They can't be experiments."

"Max," suddenly Nudge stepped forward. "I think I know where we can get some information."

In five minutes, we stood in front of a secret room I never knew existed. Nudge stood in front of Fang and I. She was not surprised at all. "How did you know about this place?" I asked, stepping in. The entire room was like a safe haven in case the home was attacked. Food that never expired on the walls, a computer, an emergency phone, and documents splayed out on a desk. I went to them first.

"My mom told me about them," Nudge replied. So that's what the woman had said to be before. I picked up a folder, only to watch as a thin paper fell to the ground. It was covered in Jeb's writings. I picked it up.

June 5, 2004

Dear Max,

I was warned today that you would be in this very room four years from now. Just recently, I have left you and the flock at our safe house. I am busy preparing this new one for you. But apparently, I never come back. I'm sorry, I don't know why this happened.

You're wondering now why you can reproduce and who the Mela and A.J. are. I have met them- they seem like your children all right but I can't explain how they have come into your lives. I honestly don't know.

They are NOT experiments. The School never collected sex cells from you. They never wanted you to reproduce in case of problems (the baby resulted in your death). Instead, they made Nudge and Angel able have children (they didn't want to lose you- their star experiment). I made it though so you could have kids instead of Max II.

The reason, in fact, that I made you escape from the School is that you were coming of the age where puberty hit. If the School noticed your period or chest growing, they would've taken you from me and then done experiments. I took the rest of the flock because I knew you wouldn't leave without them. Remember when you made me take Fang (I'm glad that you did now of course).

Mela and A.J. are the result of your DNA and Fang's becoming one. I don't know why though they are here now- approximately eight years before they are born. They won't explain but maybe the School invented a time machine and that's how they got here. But I can't explain then how they are there with you. I know it may seem confusing right now but you should talk to Nudge's mom. She has the answers.

Congratulations, enjoy the real form of motherhood,

Jeb

So it was definite, Fang and I had children…

But where were they from?

Did he say they were born eight years from that date?

That would make me twenty, which I wasn't.

Were Mela and A.J. from the future?