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When Gabe and I entered the front door to see an anxious Charles bouncing on the couch, dressed for a day out. He jumps up an tackles my waist in a hug. "Hey, kid. Ready to go?"
"Yes, yes, yes! How soon can we leave?" he asked eagerly.
I laughed a bit. "Let me tell Momma and Daddy and Igs and Ella that we're leaving then we'll blow this joint. Sound good?" He nodded enthusiastically and chanted 'yeah' over and over again. I knocked on Max's bedroom door. Fang opened the door. I hugged him and glanced at Max, half asleep on the bed. "Hey, Dad. I'm gonna be heading out with Charles soon and wanted to say bye."
"Have fun," Max called, using a propped up elbow for support.
"And stay safe," Fang added. I nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek with another tight hug, doing the same to the Invincible Max, who was barely keeping her drooping eyes open at this point.
"Y'all too. Stay safe and don't let the others leave the house without one of you adults, please?" They nodded. I smiled and left the room to head to Iggy's room. Ella answered the door, looking so much better than she did this morning. "Hey, Ella. Feeling better." she nodded and pulled me in for a hug.
"Thanks for earlier, sweetheart. Iggy nearly had a heart attack when he thought no one was going to keep me company while he got me something to drink." I smiled again.
"He look so desperate when I crossed him in the hall while I was doing rounds." I look past her shoulder to see Iggy walking up and wrapping his arms around her.
He kissed Ella's neck as she placed her arms over his on her stomach. "Is there something wrong with loving my wife?" he asked dramatically. "I call blasphemy! BLASPHEMY!" I rolled my eyes.
"I'm rolling my eyes Iggy." He stuck out his tongue at me then rested his lips against the crook of Ella's neck. "Anyways, I came over here to tell the two of you I'm taking Charles out for a trip to town and I'll probably be gone for the day."
"Alex!" an impatient Charles yelled from the living room. "Hurry! It's almost 8:30!"
"JUST A MINUTE! A-n-y-WAY! Stay safe and don't let anyone leave the house without one of you four accompanying them. I've got a bad vibe and I don't want to test my senses." they both nodded and I left with a goodbye. "JOHN, KALLEY, EMILY, GABE! I'M GOING OUT WITH CHARLES! DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT A PARENT'S ACCOMPANYING YOU!" A chorus of 'yes' and 'yes'm's were thrown back.
I grabbed Charles' hand as we walked out the door. "Where do you want to go, buddy?" He was silent for a moment as we took off, pondering the decisions.
"Well, we could go over to Mandeville and hang out at the Lake Front, or we could go over to New Orleans and explore. We've only hung around the zoo and aquarium. What do you think?" he asked with a sparkle of excitement in his eyes.
I ran over options in my brain. "Hmmmm... I think... We should spend a bit past the morning at the Lake Front, then go to New Orleans for lunch and dinner. I know over a bit before one part of the shore on the Mandeville side there's a mini-water park where you can run through fountain spouts- one of my favorite parts."
"Uh huh! 'Member when Momma took me n' Emmy n' Gabe to the Front while Dad n' you n' John n' Kay out to New Orleans for a big big BIG evening u'cuz Elly and Igster wanted time alone?" I laughed a bit at his drowsy talk.
"Yeah. Still a bit tired?" He nodded sheepishly. "It's okay, the water will do a good job of waking you up. I bet you were up half the night excited over today," I challenged, changing course a few degrees, closing in on the empty shore.
"Don't tell Ella! She talked to me at, like, midnight 'cuz I was goin' all derp all over everything...and I was keeping Iggy up..." I laugh.
"Way to go, kid!" I replied sarcastically. "Alright, let's land, but be careful. The sand'll make it hard to land." He nodded and we angled for a perfect landing. He stumbled a bit while halting, but did well altogether.
"Awe, man, I messed up! How did you do that?" I ruffled his hair.
"Stick your heels in. You were counting on solid ground, but this is unleveled and moves under your feet." His eyes lit up when I ushered him closer to the water.
"We can go in!" he asked gleefully.
I nodded. " 'Course, but don't get stung by anything."
" 'Kay!"
And that's what we did all morning. We went swimming and watched as people fished, getting out only a few times to check out the mini water park. Charles made up games and we acted like pirates, stealing 'loot' from the sand. The laughter emanating from our chests was filled with love and pure joy as we teased each other about our pirate slang. I let Charles talk and talk about the bombs he made with Gabe, Iggy, and Gazzy. He told me how he thought 'Uncles Igs' was brave and funny, how he loved 'Uncle Gasbasket' for his jokes and bomb help, how 'Aunt Nudge' was cool because she gave him toys and candy, how he didn't trust 'Devil Ange' because of her betrayals years ago, how he thought 'Aunt Ellie' was amazing except 'when she scolds me for being excited about you taking me on a big girl trip,' and how he loved Mom and Dad because they were the 'bestest and most loving Mom and Dad in the world.' It was my pleasure and job to listen and agree or disagree. I told him about when he was an itty bitty baby gurgling and rolling around only a few months old.
"Okay, okay, kiddo, it's about 1:30 now. Wanna go get lunch in the big N.O.?"
"Totally! Yesyesyesyesyesyes! New Orleans, get ready!" he shouted at nothing. I pulled him in for a wet brother-sister hug. We moved into a space between two near houses and hoisted ourselves into the air with our wings. We flew across the causeway with laughs coming from either of us at random moments.
Charles was acting like a seven year old instead of nine, but I was glad for that because it meant he still had an innocence to hold onto. Our afternoon was spent eating a lot from street venders, exploring the French Quarter, looking at Graffitied walls, avoiding large crowds, and making fun of people or objects surrounding us. There were so many different weird clothing styles and hair styles and piercing styles.
"Please!" Charles begged repeatedly.
"No! You can't get a piercing. No! You can't get a tattoo. No! You are not allowed to steal clothes from Hot Topic!"
"But Iggy got an ear piercing while he was in New York and Max and the Flock stole clothes all the time at my age and Fang and Max let me get stick on tattoos! How different is a real one?!" he tried to reason.
"A) Iggy didn't get permission from Max. B) The Flock was on the run at the time with nothing. You can't compare this with that. C) Stick on tattoos are STICK ON and real ones are inked in with NEEDLES. Need I go on?" He shook his head vigorously, his eyes grown wide at the mention of needles. "Thank you... Where to next? It's almost 7pm. Wanna go home yet? We have to leave before dark, so we can go now or wait another half hour."
"Well, I'm pooped all over again and might just pass out if we do more stuff, so let's leave now." I nodded and picked him up when he stumbled and tripped over a crack.
"Yeah. We're certainly leaving now," I said with a raised eyebrow. We took off in an alley and were home in about half an hour. "Guys?" I called, entering the house. "Guys, we're back now!"
A crying Kalley, a shocked Ella, a beat up Iggy, and a limping John ran up to us, yelling about Erasers and passing out and the School. "Slow down! Tell me what happened from the top."
Iggy was he first one to be composed enough to speak understandably, even if his words were thick. "About half an hour ago Erasers attacked the house, as you predicted." My eyes widened and I bit back a gasp. "We all put up a fight, but we were outnumbered easily. They took the entire Flock except me. A-Ari was there, along with. Bunch of others. Whitecoats accompanied the Erasers, but stood to the side. Emily is passed out in your room, the only one except John's. We can't get him to come out and I can't get the lock picked. None of us can. He'll respond but won't come out." Anger lot like a fire in my chest.
"I'll get him out of his damn room. But before I do... Have you tried busting down the door?" They nodded, not to my surprise. "Well, then let's see how well this works," I muttered, signaling them to stay put as I silently walked down the hall way. Without warning, I slammed my shoulder into his door-HARD. It swung open, broken off and holding on by one hinge, to reveal a pissed-to-kingdomcome pacing. He wasn't even phased, like he was expecting it. John dint even bother to look up. My anger piqued to a dangerous level.
"What the FUCK do you think you are doing!" I yelled loudly at him. John looked up, startled to see me standing there. "Don't give me that goddamn look! The other kids and Ella and Iggy? Did you think of then while you were cooped up in here wallowing in self-pity and worry! They were scared SHITLESS and I find you IN YOUR BEDROOM PACING LIKE A FUCKING SCHOOL STUDENT THINKING UP AN ESSAY! What the hell were you THINKING? GOT YOUR ASS OUT THERE AND HELP THE FUCKING KIDS PACK UP!" I stormed out before he could get out a word and looked to the kids.
"Iggy," I called as I entered the room. He look to my general direction. "What do you think about going to get the others? Rescue mission?" He nodded. "Who?"
"You and I need to go. We need to have someone here with Ella or she has to cone with."
"Nuh uh. No way. Ella will not be put in danger. She can fight, but not hold her own against Erasers."
He nodded and thought a but more. "John has to come," he brought up, almost like an afterthought. "We should take Emily for her resoucefulness. Kalley would be good for getting Ella safe. We aren't staying ere any longer. Charles could stay for bombs and he's already exhausted..."
"Sounds good, but we need to move out ASAP and we have to have a meetup point."
"Damn," he cursed. "We can't split up. When Angel was taken, Max tried to split us up, but it only put us on even more danger. We can't risk that again. We need to bring Ella too, even if she camps out in our hideout." I nodded, hating the idea of him being right on this.
"Okay. Get the kid pack. We leave with the sun."
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A/N:::: Heeeeeeey... I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I finally got some reviews. I love critiques. R&R, please. I want improvements, ideas.
PM me for one-shot or story ideas. This is going to be my only MR fanfic with OCs. I will write Fax, Eggy, Niggy, Nazzy, an others. I can do other fandoms as well. This invitation is not limited to Maximum Ride.
Thanks a bunch for baring with me. ^-^ Reviews appreciated. Will update ASAP.
Peace out,
Fandomsrule10