Awake

Chapter 10

Numb. He was numb. Everything was numb. Even his eyelids. Fang fought the numbness though as he forced his eyes to unclose themselves.

White. Everything was white. No, he wasn't blind. It was just that he was in a hospital room. A hospital. …No. No. Not a hospital. He wasn't in a hospital gown.

School. Fang was at a School.

Ignoring the pain that shot through his whole body as he began pulling tubes and the IV out of his body. This was bad, this was bad. Where was he? Was he him? He felt like him. Then where was Max? Did they have Max again?

His head continued to pound as Fang got off the bed. He was stark naked, but he didn't really care about that. He didn't time to worry about it. He had to get Max and get out of here. Max. Max. What was he forgetting? Something about Max…

"Carter," his breath tore through his throat as one of his stitches popped. It was a long one, running up his ribcage, but Fang didn't care. Carter. Of course. Carter. He had to get to Carter.

His head was on fire now as a stitch up there popped. He could feel the blood dripping down not only his side now, but also his head. What had they done to him? No, no, that didn't matter anymore. Neither did Max. He had to get to Carter. What would they do to his baby? He had to save his baby.

Where were all the guards? He shook his head as some blood dripped into his eyes. His head was burning, his side giving him a splitting pain. He heard some yelling then, but it wasn't his own. Not that he didn't feel the need to yell, because he did. He was just better trained than that. By Max, naturally. God, Max. What if they were…doing that again to her? How did they even get in a School? He couldn't remember.

"Fang!"

He ran smack into another guy, but that was no loss. Fang was going down anyways. He was losing so much blood. He was so weak. How could he save his girls when he was so weak?

The guy that he had run into though wasn't a guard. Or at least he wasn't buff, wasn't strong.

"Are you alright? Fang? Can you hear me?"

He just moaned as the man rolled him onto his back.

"Valencia! Randal! Batchelder! Come quick!" Back to Fang, the man said, "It's me. Newberg. Are you alright? Tell me, boy. Talk to me, boy. What were you doing?"

Batchelder? Valencia? He could accept Jeb being a trader, but Dr. Martinez? Fang closed his eyes. That's how he got caught then. Valencia Martinez, the person that was supposed to be his daughter's grandmother had turned them in to these people. He should have known; people never change. Ever.

"Carter," Fang mumbled as he passed out. Carter…

"-vitals are back up, I closed his stitches again, and apparently his leg is no longer broken. I was under the impression it was, but he seemed to be running just fine."

"Their bones heal fast," Fang heard Valencia mumble. "I just can't believe he was able to walk. Last time-"

"Last time was a year."

"Lucas you know that-"

"I know," he sighed. "He was saying that girl's name. Carter."

"He's scared. You said before something about him being panicked? He must think he's at a School or something."

"The boy isn't that cognitive."

"Maybe what Randal did worked."

"I doubt it." Newberg sighed. "We can't keep playing with his brain, Val."

"You said-"

"I'm just afraid of what the consequences will be."

"I know, Lucas, but-"

"On a first name basis now, are we?" A door opened in closed. "Hmmm?"

Valencia snorted. "What are you doing here, Jeb?"

"I heard the boy woke up. Am I not allowed to come check on him?" Then his shoes squeaking, Jeb walked closer to where Fang was laying. "And Valencia, I was under the impression you were dating someone? Does he know of…Lucas?"

"You listen here, Batchelder-"

"Leave him be, Luke," Valencia sighed. "This is about Fang."

"Now it is, yes," Jeb agreed. "After you've gotten your fun out of it."

"What is your problem, Jeb? Are you…jealous?"

"Most certainly not. You can fuck who you like," he said with an air of arrogance. "I got Max out of you and now she has had her own offspring. This is the best possible outcome."

"You are not touching the children."

"For now," he agreed with Valencia. "You know I-"

It was then that he touched Fang for the first time, moving to adjust one of the tubes going into the man's stomach. At the touch though, Fang's eyes flew up and he shot up, his wings also shooting out.

"Valencia," Jeb yelled as Fang grasped his hand, twisting it while crushing it. With his other hand, Fang began pulling all of the tubes out. This was getting repetitive. "He's-"

"Now, now, Fang, calm down. We're-"

Fang punched Newberg when he got too close, not caring who he was or what he had to say. He had to get to Carter. And Max. Carter and Max. His girls.

When Fang let him go, Jeb fell the ground, holding his hand. Fang had broken bones.

"Lucas!" Valencia tried to rush to Newberg's side, but Fang blocked her way. "Fang, you don't-"

"Carter." Fang didn't touch the woman because, no matter what she did, she was still that. A woman. A woman that he was kind of related to. Kind of. "Now."

"Fang, you don't get-"

"Now!"

"What's going on in here?" The door opened and Dex walked in. "Nudge told me to come get Jeb. He needs a ride to- What the-"

"Fang, no!" Valencia warpped a hand around his wrist. "Don't-"

"Fuck. Off." Fang shoved her to the ground before stalking over to Dex. He had no recollection of the man and had no problem with killing him too.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Dex dodged Fang's first punch. He had no desire to hurt Fang. None what so ever.

"He thinks he's at a School. You're not, Fang," Dr. Martinez insisted. "Don't you remember? Think, Fang. Please. Remember!"

When he tried to hit him again, Dex had no choice, but to grab the other man's arm. Twisting it behind his back, Dex easily brought Fang down. He might be his old self again, but he was still wasn't at full power.

"Don't hurt him, Dex," Valencia yelled. "He's confused. God. Where's Max? Or someone? He thinks that we're the enemy. Fang, you have to listen. You got hit by a car. Remember? Before that you saved Carter. Carter is okay. Thanks to you. Fang, you have to believe me. Please, believe me."

He just struggled as Dex flipped him onto his back, pressing his knee into the man's back. He wasn't strong enough for this. He just wanted to sleep. But he had to get to Max. Carter. Max. Carter.

"Isn't there some kind of sedative you can give him? Like in the movies?" Dex asked the vet. "Quickly? Please?"

It was Jeb though, who was still whining over his broken hand, that was able to shoot Fang up with something in a needle that knocked him out. Just as well. Fang would rest up. Come back stronger next time. These people, these Whitecoats wouldn't take him. They wouldn't take his girlfriend and her daughter. No, his daughter. Carter was his. And they couldn't have her.

He was covered in paper. He could feel it, on his chest, face, everywhere. It took him a moment to figure out what it was, but once he did, Fang opened his eyes.

"Here you go, Owl."

Then there was another one, this time put on his blanketed lower half.

"That one's a kitty-cat. I'll make you one of Grey Wind. You like Grey Wind?"

Fang just laid there, staring at the back of a piece of paper, not moving in the slightest. That sounded like Carter. It was unmistakably her voice…but…Carter didn't speak that well. Carter hardly spoke at all!

…More importantly, what did she know about dire wolves?

"I like him. He's nice. I miss him." She sniffled then. "Aunt Ella said he went to doggy heaven. Granny said doggies don't go to Heaven though."

That got him up. When he sat up, he was glad to find that this time he was at least in his jeans, so that when he threw the blanket off, he didn't freak Carter out. Well, he did, but not for an inappropriate reason.

Carter gasped as the pictures and blanket fell to the floor, her Owl standing there looking at her. For some reason, she knew that this was the real Owl. She didn't know how. She just knew. This wasn't that new Owl that was all baby like and stuff. This was Owl. Her Owl.

"O-"

"We have to get out of here." Fang was glad to find he was tubeless this time. Jumping up, he scooped Carter into his arms, struggling slightly. "When did you get so big?"

"I'm a big girl now, Owl. I'm in kindergarten."

"What?" He frowned. What had they done to him? Unless….was this really Carter?

"Carter, why do you call me Owl?"

She giggled, reaching up to trace his still stitched head. "'cause you have owies, silly."

This was Carter. Fang kissed her neck then, falling back on the bed. "Where are we? Why are you here? And why are you drawing me pictures?"

"Granny let me and Mommy come. So when you woke up you won't be bad no more." Carter frowned down at her papers that now scattered the floor. "You gotta pick those up, Owl."

"Oh, Carter," he sighed as he rested his forehead to hers. "What happened?"

"You went to get Davy's ball." She hit his chest then. "You're supposed to look where you're going, Owl. You're not very smart."

He closed his eyes. His head hurt. "Who's Davy?"

"Our baby, silly. He's my brother and your baby." Carter patted his chest now. "Mommy said I don't gotta go to school today so that I was here when you needed me. I missed you."

Fang kissed her then, on the head. "How long…how…"

Christmas. No, not Christmas. New Years? Something. Some holiday with snow. MLK day? What was it? The call. He remembered the call. Gasman. What did Gazzy do? He dropped her…no. He pushed her! No, not right either. Something. She hurt her head. She was sick. She was dying. She was-

"Owl, you are still a baby," Carter scolded as he started crying. "Aren't you happy to see me? How come you're so sad?"

She was gonna die. Fang had no choice. He had to save her. She was his baby. He didn't care what that stupid test said. She was his baby. She still is his baby. He wanted to kill himself anyways. He'd rather die for her than for his own selfishness. But then…then he did it. Right? What else/ There had to be more. Was that the end? It was.

…or was it?

"Do I have to get Mommy? She went to the potty. She said she'd be right back, but…" Carter trailed off as Fang continued to cry. "Are you hurt?"

It wasn't. There was more. He remembered suddenly, part of it. Evan. Angel. Ella. Seb. They were all there. Nudge too. Everything happened so quickly. It was all too quick. Now he was here. But where was-

"Max," he whimpered as Carter was taken from his arms. Opening his eyes, he found that she was right there, like she always was.

"Go to Granny's office," Max told Carter after depositing her on the ground. "Tell her he's up. Tell her he remembers."

But did he? Fang just reached out for Max, wanting her to pick him up like she had Carter. She didn't, of course, instead, just pulling him close and holding him. Slowly, Fang stood so that they could have a proper hug. Yeah, as if anything else in their lives were proper.

"Max."

"It'll be okay now. They told me," she sighed. "They told me you're right this time. Whatever he did to your mind, you're right."

"So much…gone."

"I know. That's the funny thing about time, Fang," she sighed as she kissed his shoulder blade. "It goes on without you, whether you're ready or not, whether you're in sync with it or not. A lot is gone, sure, but there's still so much. There's still-"

"Stop," he mumbled. "Talking."

"Sorry," she whispered, kissing his neck now. "Fang."

Closing his eyes, he whispered, "What happened to me?"

"This time? Or before?"

"Eveyrhing. I want to know everything."

"There will be time for that."

They both glanced to the door, Fang almost embarrassed to see Valencia standing there. Max though was more annoyed, per usual.

"Right now, Fang, you must rest. Lay down. You have got to stop moving so much. You have healing wounds, you know."

"How…long?"

"A month and a half," Valencia said. "Do you remember it now? July was just starting. It's August now."

"Carter-"

"She's in kindergarten now, isn't she?" She was talking to him like a kid, but that was what Fang needed at the moment. Slowly, he sat back down on the bed, shaking is head slightly.

"It hurts."

"What does?"

"My head."

Max reached out, stroking it. "It's had a lot of trauma over the past few years. Even more so recently."

He looked to Dr. Martinez. "What did you-"

"I am not a brain surgeon, Fang. Jeb and Randal though know much about it." She shook her head. "When you got hit by that car…when we were going to lose you anyways…I thought it best to try one last attempt. One last time."

"And it worked." Max smiled softly. "Fang."

He stared at her before back at her mother. "I don't…I can't remember a lot. Carter is-"

"Carter is okay. I think that's all that needs to be discussed for now. Don't you?" Valencia smiled then, that creepy one that always reminded him in the back of his mind that she was once evil, that that was the same smile she probably used back in the 80s and 90s as she sliced into kids, as she murdered children. Shaking his head, he looked to Max.

"Carter said…"

"Carter says a lot."

Again, he shook his head. "A baby. Do I…Do we…"

Max glanced at her mother. "We do. Yes. Nicky. Er, David. Whatever."

"I can't…I…can't…"

"Why don't you lie down, Fang? Hmmm?"

Valencia was next to him then, but she didn't touch him. There was something about the way she kept look at him, as if she pitied him. He convinced himself that it was just him, that he wasn't really seeing it. In reality though, what he was seeing wasn't pity for him, but rather for her. Whether or not she would ever mention it to anyone, Valencia had lost something by this Fang returning. She lost the other Fang. Her Fang. And that might have hurt worse than him never being himself again ever would have.

"She talks…a lot better now."

Max nodded slightly. "Yeah. Going to school helped that. The other kids helped that."

Fang looked down at the sleeping girl in his lap. "Do you…do you think that she'll be okay? With me? Or whatever? Everything that happened?"

"I think Carter's adjusted to more in her short life than most people ever will," Max said. "I also think though that when she wakes up in a few hours and find that you're still awake and still you, she'll be so ecstatic that she won't care."

"I…" He looked off. "Dr. Martinez said that I was different then."

"Do you remember? At all?"

"Not really, no."

"You were retarded."

"Hey-"

"No, Fang. Not in a mean way. In the real, actual sense of the word. You were mentally retarded." Max shrugged slightly. "At least it's over though, right?"

"What about Carter?"

"What about her?"

"What about what they did to her? To her brain?"

"They didn't do much to her, really," Max said. "It was hard after you first went under, of course, and she woke up without you. There were tears and meltdowns. Her speech had been screwed up too, but Mom worked with her through it. It was…it doesn't matter now, Fang. The past is over, through. I want to focus on now."

He stroked the back of Carter's head. It was night now and he was up once again, shocked to find Carter sleeping on his little cot with him. He liked her there though, big girl now or not. She was his. She had part of his body in her now, part of his brain. DNA test or no DNA test, she was Fang's forever and always.

"That man."

"What man?"

"The one that was here, before. He came in with Nudge when she came to see me. Who is he?"

"Dex?" Max crinkled her nose. "Nudge's new baby daddy."

"You mean she's-"

"I mean exactly what I said."

"Is he…better? Than the other?"

"I think so, yes."

"…Why are you blushing?"

Max looked off. Dex is hot. "Nothing. I'm not. Shut up."

Shaking his head, Fang looked down at the woman's daughter again. "It hurts my head, thinking of the past."

"Then don't."

"It's hard not to. I still remember her as…why is her hair so dark?"

"It's darkened as she got older."

"Mmmm."

"That happens sometimes to kids." Max cleared his throat. "It kind of makes her look like you, don't you think? When you keep your hair long?"

No. Not really. Not unless you thought all people with dark, long hair looked alike.

"Yeah, Max. Sure."

Swallowing, she leaned back in the chair she was sitting in. "I heard that you broke Jeb's hand."

"I thought-"

"I know what you thought. I don't really care. I'm just glad you did."

He did a sort of half laugh at that. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I am." She shook her head. "You know what he asked me? If now that he proved himself, now that he got you back to normal, if I would be willing to let him experiment on Nicky. That he only wanted to help him. Carter too, if I was willing, but really Nicky."

Fang's grip tightened around Carter, him now making sure she was as close to him as possible. "Did I like him? Our son? Carter said I was getting something for him when I ran into the street."

"No," Max admitted, shrugging. "I don't think you did. Maybe I don't know. I never saw you really bond with him. You were so focused on your videogames though."

"My videogames?"

She nodded. "Some old ones that Seb gave you. They're stupid, but you would sink hours into them."

"Really now?"

"Yeah." Max smiled for some reason, though she had an air of annoyance in her tone. "It was kind of cute, really. You were like a little kid. Funny, really."

Fang cleared his throat. "What about Iggy? And Gasman?"

"Oh, Gazzy won't ever show his face around you again."

"What?"

"After what happened to Carter…and then when you were willing to give up part of your…brain, Nudge yelled at him. She told him that he should have been the one to give up his body, that it was his fault. I called him when you first woke up, but…I'll try again, huh?"

"Yeah, sure. What about Iggy?"

Max smiled at him. "You asked me that before, when you were, you know, retarded."

"Max, I don't think people can say that word anymore."

"I'm using it in the correct way. Besides, it's just the two of us in the room. And Carter, but she's asleep."

Considering this, Fang finally just shook his head. "What did I ask about him?"

"How come he didn't see you."

"What did you tell me?"

"That I told him not to, that I was keeping him away. And I'm still going to. I don't want him here."

"Yeah, well, Max, you're gonna have to get over that."

Blinking, she started laughing. When Fang called her out on it, she said simply, "You really are back. Finally."

Fang didn't smile though as he laid back, holding Carter's head into his chest. "Finally."

"I'm missing a sleepover, just so you know."

Fang glanced over at Carter with a frown. "What?"

"It's Friday. I'm missin' a sleepover."

"With Jess and Ally?"

It was her turn to frown. "Who?"

"Your friends. Jess and Ally. From soccer."

She shook her head then. "They don't go to my school. I don't know them no more. And Jess is a boy. Ew."

"Yeah, ew."

"Boys are nasty," Carter told him, continuing to color.

Fang just stroked Evan's head. It was time for the little boy to go home, but none of the women had come to get him yet. A couple of days had passed, but they were still making Fang stay in the building, telling him that he was still unstable. He felt stable. He really wanted to go home too, but Max said no, that he had to wait until he was really ready. Whatever. At least they let the kids come visit him. That was always fun.

"They are," Fang agreed. "Very nasty."

She looked up at him suddenly. "You were a boy once too, huh, Owl?"

"I was."

"Were you nasty?"

"The nastiest."

"I don't like boys."

"Good."

Giggling, Carter said, "I told Granny that once. She asked me what I meant and I just said it again. Then she told me I had better like boys. I can't though. They're nasty."

"Mmmhmm."

"I like…Popsicles."

"Those are good."

"And hotdogs."

"Even better."

"And water balloons and water guns." She made an 'o' face. "Owl, when we get home, can we play with your gun?"

"Hmmm?"

"Nerd."

"Nerf."

Fang frowned as Dex came into the room. He had seen the other guy multiple times now, but yet to trust him. How could he trust him? He had knocked Nudge up. Again. Disgusting.

"Yeah," Carter said before glancing at Dexter. "Are you gonna take us home?"

"Just the little one. Your granny'll take you home."

Carter yawned slightly before going back to coloring while Dex just walked over to Fang, moving to take the little boy from him. Fang was reluctant to let him go, but knew he had to.

Evan whined as he woke up, quickly cuddling into Dex's arms. "No."

"You tired, Evan?" Dex smiled at the little boy before looking at Fang. "You feeling better, bud- er, Fang?"

"Yeah," he muttered, looking off.

Dex looked away too. Whatever they had shared before was as dead as Fang's old self. If they were ever going to have a relationship again, it would have to start fresh, when Fang was out of the hospital, when things were more normal. It would have to be from scratch and all new. While everyone else gained Fang back, Dex lost Fang and was going to have to learn to accept this one.

"Owl?"

It was just them in the room then and Carter was staring at him instead of coloring.

"Hmmm?"

"Grey Wind died."

"I don't know who that is, Carter."

"He was your doggie." She sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"I don't remember having a dog."

"Oh. Then I'm not sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "Great, Carter."

Slowly, she got up from her chair and, leaving her coloring stuff behind, rushed to get on his cot with him. Fang readily accepted her, hugging her tiny form to him like she was a little toddler again. She wasn't, of course, but Fang was having a hard time making that connection. To him, it felt like no time had passed at all. Yet so much had. So much.

"Mommy doesn't let me sleep in her bed no more. She said I'm a big girl now."

'You are," Fang mumbled, leaning down to kiss her head. "But it's okay if you sleep in bed with me."

"'cause you love me."

"Well, yeah, but so does Max."

"No."

"Carter."

"Fang."

"Owlet."

"Owl."

"Holden."

She lost it at that one. "I missed you, Owl. When you were…different. And when you weren't there. Can you stay this time? Stay normal? Stay with me?"

"Always," he promised. "But you have to agree to some stuff too."

"Like what?" She'd agree to anything if it meant keep Fang around.

"You have to be nice to your mom."

"Mmmm…I guess so."

"And listen to Dr. Martinez."

"Okay."

"And always think boys are nasty."

"They really are."

"I know."

Leaning up, Carter kissed his cheek. "I love you, Owl."

"You have to promise to do that from now on too."

"Kiss you?"

"No. Love me. You have to always love me. Even when you don't get your way or even when I'm making you mad. Okay?"

Duh. When wouldn't she love Fang? That seemed like a stupid thing to have to promise to do.

"Okay."

Fang knew though, that it wouldn't always be this simple. Still, better to be there for the hard stuff than nothing at all…right?

"So I hear you're going home soon."

"Hope so," Fang said, watching as Angel walked into the room. This was the first time he had seen her since he woke up. "Before you, you know, say anything, can you tell me what's gone on these past few months? I don't remember anything with you. Are we…alright with each other?"

"I'd like to think so," Angel said as she took a seat. "Mel and I broke up though."

"Oh. That…sucks. I guess."

"Yeah. I guess it does."

"So…are you still gay or whatever?"

She blinked. "Yes, Fang, I still like women if that's what you're asking."

"Oh. Well…oh."

She sighed slightly, staring at him. "Are you ever gonna tell me why that makes you so uncomfortable?"

"It doesn't."

"Fang."

"I don't know, okay? It just does. I really wish that you would stop doing it."

"Doing what? Dating? Have sex?"

"Being gay."

She frowned. "Are you serious right now?"

"Why can't one of us just be normal, huh? Huh? Why do you have to be a lesbian? Why does Nudge have to be a whore? Why does Ella have to be a prude? Why does Max have to be…whatever Max is? Huh? Huh?"

"Do you need me to get someone? Like, are you okay or-"

"I just want you to be normal, Angel."

"That's the thing though, Fang, this is normal now."

"Well, it's not for me, alright? The only time it's okay for two chicks to make out is when it's in a porn video."

"I don't know what I just walked into, but I'm honestly considering walking out."

Fang glanced up as Max came into the room. "Nothing. Just…nothing."

Sighing, Max went to sit on the edge of his bed. "Then what are the two of you talking about?"

"Your boyfriend's just being a freak. Like the only reason I should love another woman is so that he can get off."

"Yes. Exactly."

Max reached behind her and pinched his thigh. "Cut it out."

"I am still sick, you know."

"Yeah, I know." She rubbed the spot where she had just pinched him. "Anyways, Mom left for the night along with her little henchmen. It's just the three of us in here."

"Like a lock in," Angel said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"What about work?" Fang asked Max.

"I'm off tomorrow and Carter's with my sister, so I just thought…I didn't know you'd be here, Angel."

She made a face. "You guys weren't going to, like, have sex were you?"

Max blushed. "Well, no, I guess not."

"Me and you could always make out, Max. Since he likes that so much."

"Don't get kicked out, Angel," Max warned while Fang rolled his eyes. "I mean it."

"Whatever."

Slowly, Max moved to lay down on her side next to her boyfriend. The bed was hardly big enough and she had to snuggle back against him.

"It's so weird now," Max mumbled then, shutting her eyes. "It's all changed, so quickly. You weren't with me, then you were. Then Carter was sick, then you saved her. Then you were gone, then you came back. You were mentally ill, then you got hit by a car. And now you're you. Now you're awake. Now you're okay."

"I am," Fang agreed with her, running a hand down her side. "I'm okay."

"You're you again," Max sighed while Angel shifted in her chair. The older woman really had planned to just be alone with her boyfriend, so was compensating by pretending the girl wasn't there. It was easier with her eyes shut. "Well, the you that you were after we got out. You'll never be the real you again."

"And you will?" He snorted. "After everything that happened, Max, you've changed. You had to have. You thought that you were going to have to care for me, like a child, for the rest of your life. Didn't you? Huh? That alone has changed you."

"I'm always changing though," she sighed. "You're supposed to be Fang. My Fang. Normal, old Fang. My constant."

"I am your constant. I'll always be in your life. Always. Even when I'm in a coma, even when I can't care for myself, even when I'm in my own personal Hell. I'll be right there with you. Every step of the way."

"God, you guys make me want to vomit." Angel stood then. "You're right, Fang. I've never been in love. And if this is what it is, I never want to. This is disgusting. I'd have rather watched you guys have sex. The lock in was a fun idea, but I gotta jet. See you guys around."

Neither of them said anything to her, just watched her go. Then, as soon as they were alone, Max turned around so that she was facing him.

"Do you know how long I've been alone?"

Fang shook his head. "No."

"Since before Carter fell."

"What?"

"After she fell, you stopped taking your medicine and turned into…a monster. Then, when you sacrificed yourself for her, I never even knew if you'd ever wake up again. Then you did and you were…a boy. Now, finally, I'm with you again. You, you. I've missed you so much."

Fang laughed slightly. "I wish I could say the same, but I feel like I've been with you the whole time."

"I know you've gone through hell, but I feel like you got the better end of the deal."

"Considering you had to give birth to my son while dealing with a recently recovered daughter and a boyfriend in a coma, then yeah, I'd say you had it pretty tough."

"I've had it worse." She stroked his chest. "I did give birth to my rapist baby."

"Ooh, yeah, that one was a bad one."

He got a soft hit. "And what about you? You've dealt with shit too."

"If going through that means that I got to lay here right now, with you, knowing that soon I'll be at home with not only my daughter, but also the son that I'll finally get to meet, really meet, I would do it all again. I would take more beatings, more starvings, more experiments. All of it. Just for this. Just for what I'm going to get when I get out of here."

Reaching down, Max grasped the crotch of his jeans. "What would you go through for this?"

He closed his eyes as she moved to unzip his jeans. "Everything. Anything. …What exactly are you doing?"

"What exactly would you like?"

His eyes got big. "What exactly are you willing to do?"

She just stared at him. "I think I asked first."

"Are you willing to…?"

"Let's see. You saved my daughter and you nearly killed yourself trying to pick up a toy my son dropped. What do you think?"

Fang didn't think he had ever been gladder that Angel left. Ever.

"You ready, Fang? To get home?"

He nodded slightly, glancing out the car window. "You know I am."

Max smiled. "This is the same way we went down to put you under the first time. Then, when you woke up, we rode back this way. Now, here we are, riding in the backseat of Mom's car again. It's finally over."

"So we hope," Fang mumbled.

"Fang."

"Well, at least we get to be happy for awhile, huh?"

For some reason, Dr. Martinez looked up at the word huh, smiling at them in the review mirror. Neither noticed her though which only reiterated to her the fact that it truly was over. Her Fang was gone. Though, at least her daughter got her Fang back. They all couldn't have one, after all.

"Carter will be so excited for you to be home. She really is different now, Fang. I mean, she's still controlling and all, but she-"

"Yeah, I know. I've spent the past few weeks with her, Max."

"It's not the same. She's just so much older now. You know? I mean, yeah, you know, but-"

"You ramble," Fang grumbled, shaking his head. Then, to Dr. Martinez, he asked "What did they do to me? I mean really do to me?"

"Well," she began slowly. "You were hurt severely from when you got hit by the car. You had to go to a real hospital. It cost a hefty fine to cover this one up. The media was involved."

"Really?"

"It's big news when one of the bird kids gets hit by a car because he was chasing after a ball," Max told him. "Apparently."

"Anyways, once I was able to get you to that building and convince all of the men to help me out, Randal and Jeb set out to work on reconfiguring your brain. Then of course we had to work on the damage that had been done to the rest of your body. It was a lot. It was extensive. That car didn't just hit you. It ran over you. Luckily not your head though, or else you wouldn't be here."

"Let's talk about something else," Max said, her stomach churning at the thought of how the outcome could have been so different, so horrific. "What are you most excited about doing now, Fang?"

"Everything."

"Fang."

"Meeting David."

"Nicky."

"Whatever." He shook his head. "Not to mention getting to live with you full time again."

"Mmm. I missed you too."

"I know." Reaching over, he laid his hand on her thigh, squeezing slightly. "I just can't wait to be home Max. Before Carter, I wanted a boy. Then I got her and I just…I loved her. And I still do. I can't imagine loving another kid that much, but I will. I'm sure I will. I'll get to take care of you guys."

"You'll finally get to be a real daddy."

He glanced over at Max. "I already was a daddy."

Max shook her head slightly. "I did it, you know."

"Did what?"

"I changed the kids last names. Before Carter started school. I didn't want to deal with all the record changes if I did it after."

"Really? To what?"

"What do you think, stupid?" She looked at him then, smiling. "Caulfield. They have your last name."

"What about you?"

"I'm sorry," she said, holding up her hand to him. "Mom, do you see a ring on this finger? Fang?"

"No," he said slowly as her mother shook her head. Reaching, out Fang took her tiny hand into his bigger one. "But you will. Now that I'm awake, I'm going to focus on what's really important. My family. Then you'll be mine, David will be mine, and Carter will be mine."

Max leaned over the seat, pressing a kiss against Fang's lips. When she pulled away, she said simply, "Carter was always yours."

And done. Boom. Finished. Finally. It hasn't even been a year since I started Catch and Release, but it feels like forever. I loved this series and I love you guys for sticking through it. It changed so much through out the course of it, huh? I love Carter and I love Fang and I love them all and it'll be another one of those stories that I'll look back on and cringe as I read, but still be able to look at as good. Finished. Not to mention, I finished a series without killing off someone. I want props for that, guys. That took a lot out of me. Anyone who reads my stuff knows that. Especially Maximum Ride stuff.

Now that it's all done up though, I have nothing to do as far as Maximum Ride goes. I mean, yeah, I still have Lanterns, but none of you guys seem interested in that and I also still have Forsaken, but I'm the one that's not interested in that. Like at all. Then there's Bound, but if you're really holding out on that one, I applaud you, 'cause I'm certainly not. So I guess I'll be taking a Maximum Ride break for awhile. Work on some other stuff.

So that's it for now, but I will be back. I am not done with Maximum Ride. Not yet. At least I hope anyways. I hope I'll come back with something even better than Catch and Release/Awake and I hope you guys will check it out, whatever it may be.

I loved it, I loved all the feedback I got from this series. Until next time guys.