Eighteen

Max POV

I led the way, listening to the rush of wind past my ears, and the sad silence amongst my family. I would glance back occasionally and make sure that everyone was still with me. It had been a long time since I had seen them all in this state. Even Nudge, my constant motormouth, was quiet as she watched the ground move by. Gazzy flew next to her. His normally bright blue eyes were dull and tired, his small frame struggling to maintain the pace. Angel was on my right side and looked slightly better. She and Fang were better off than us because they had managed to stay out of the school until the very end. Fang flew steadily on my left, his wings standing out against the solid white sky.

It was snowing lightly, and the frigid air at this altitude chilled me to the bone. I was leading us to the closest spot of civilization I could find, that way I could call my mom. I had a plan forming in my mind on how to find Iggy, but I knew that the younger kids wouldn't do well with it. I heard Gazzy cough behind me and I looked back at him.

"Doing ok?" I asked, slowing my wingbeats down until I coasted next to him. He nodded, but he was really struggling to stay airborne. His wings looked like two slabs of steel he could barely move.

"We should camp for the night." Fang said next to me. I looked at him, his dark eyes looking exhausted too. "We can find your mom in the morning."

"We need to find her as soon as possible." I said, my chest tightening as frustration built inside of me. He nodded, his black hair full of small snow flurries.

"They need to rest, Max." His voice was soft but tired. I sighed, hating that he was right, as usual. I scanned the white forest below us, knowing that the night would be cold unless we found proper shelter. Angel's wing tip brushed mine and I glanced up at her. Her blonde curls were damp with melted snow and she was shivering. A wave of dizziness moved over me and I blinked to get by it.

A few minutes later I dipped one wing against the freezing air and began our descent. I had spotted a small hill with a moderately sized cave with large trees surrounding the area. It would be ideal cover from the elements for one night. I backbeat my wings to land, not realizing just how sore they were, and clumsily touched down. I heard scuffling footsteps and turned to see Angel and Gazzy landing hard. Nudge and Fang were last. Gazzy looked at the cave and around at the trees heavy with snow above our heads. Fang began scoping for firewood with Nudge and I had Angel scan the cave for any possible life.

"There. His name is Zeke." She pointed up at the cave ceiling with a small smile on her face. I trained my eyes on the spot and saw a small, brown ball clinging to the rock. A bat.

"Well, Zeke is welcome to stay." I sighed tiredly, not realizing just how whipped I was. I guess being held captive in a dome for a week and some change with no food can really do a number on you.

"How are you and Fang going to find Iggy?" Angel asked. I paused and looked at her, knowing that she had once again invaded personal privacy. Gazzy looked up at us with a concerned look.

"You and Fang, as in not us?" He sounded defeated. I sighed and rubbed my forehead as Fang came in with an armful of semi wet logs. Nudge was behind him with an equally sized load.

"What's going on?" She asked once she dropped the logs. Fang was stacking them along the wall.

"Ok, I guess since it's out now, we can fine tune it." I said and began working on a fire ring. I knew Fang was listening even though he continued to work. "Fang and I are going to find Iggy. You guys are staying with my mom until we get back."

"What? Iggy is part of our family, and we should all be a part of it." Nudge's motormouth had been sparked. "How can you just leave us behind, after all this time? We just got back together!"

"This isn't fair." Gazzy had his thin arms crossed over an equally thin chest. Fang was now standing next to Angel.

"It's what is best for everyone. I know that we all are in pretty rough shape, and you guys need the rest." I set a few logs into the ring. Fang got to work on lighting them.

"We aren't useless or weak." Nudge continued. I looked up at her angry, tear filled, chocolate eyes.

"I'm protecting you. I promise, this is the best way. I can't have any more of my family at risk."

"Max is right." Fang finally said. He breathed onto a small flame as it creeped up the side of a log. "We'll find Iggy and bring him home. If we aren't back in a couple weeks, then you can start looking."

"A week." Gazzy frowned, putting on his best strong look. I shot Fang a look but he ignored it.

"Fine." I said and brushed the snow from the entrance of the cave. The fire's light cast shadows along the walls and lit up the interior. It was already much warmer inside than the icy conditions we just flew through. The topic was dropped much faster than I had anticipated, but I guessed it was due to everyone's sheer exhaustion. We'd be talking about this again at moms.

I sat in front of the fire and watched as Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel piled together, falling asleep almost as soon as they hit the ground. The wind had stopped outside, along with the snow, and now the sky was clear and dark. Stars sparkled overhead with the moon. Fang stoked the fire and added a new log.

"They are going to come find us in a week?" I asked him, still fuming. His dark eyes met mine for a moment and then back to the fire. The coals crackled and popped, small sparks fluttering through the air.

"You have to meet them halfway." He said and slowly lay out on the dusty ground. He rubbed his feathers into the silt and stretched his arms over his head. His shirt rode up and flashed his stomach and painfully obvious ribs. "You can't expect them to sit idly while we go rescue Ig."

"Why not?"

"Stress, worry, a number of things." He rolled onto his side, leaning his head on his arm. The fires light danced in his eyes as he watched it.

"They'll be in danger if they go flying out to find us. Especially by themselves." I argued, glaring at him. He blinked slowly, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"You won't be able to protect them forever, Max. One day, they need to learn how to take care of themselves." Fang said and lifted one wing, fanning the black feathers over his side like a blanket. His eyes closed finally and let out a tired sigh.

"It's my job." I was feeling the exhaustion too. I lay down on my side and watched the fire flicker over the logs. Fang didn't respond, already asleep. I watched him breath, his side slowly rising and falling. I had been so worried for him and Angel while we were in the dome. I didn't know if the Erasers had found them as well or if they had been killed. But like Iggy had reassured me, Fang hadn't let anything happen to them. He was strong, and knew how to handle his own. There couldn't have been anyone better to be with Angel. Even so, it was rare to see Fang so exhausted, and I feared what they had done to him in the school in such little time.

I woke up from Fang's light touch on my shoulder. I jumped up, looking around us out of force of habit. The kids were still asleep in their pile and Fang was moving over to them to wake them as well. I peered out the entrance of the cave and saw the sun slowly rising above the snowy mountains. It's soft, pink rays delicately reflected off the icicles hanging in the trees and the fresh snow on the ground. The fire was still smoldering nicely and had kept the cave warm all through the frozen night.

"We should get going." I announced as soon as Nudge was finally picking herself up off the ground. The sooner we got to moms, the sooner Fang and I could start our mission. So, one by one, we took off. It was hard to do in our weakened state, and Gazzy even had to try several times. His weak wings just couldn't generate the lift he needed. Once we were finally airborne, I left it up to Fang, who said that he and Angel had rested in a town close by.

I felt like we had been flying for hours already. I flew in the back, making sure that Gazzy and Nudge were keeping steady. Fang and Angel were in front, talking quietly. Just when I thought I would be forced to have us land for a break, I began seeing the small lines in the earth of roads. Houses began to dot the landscape and I felt a new drive ignite in my chest.

"We're almost there guys." I called out as Fang began to dip down towards a remote area. I just needed to find a phone, and hope that mom was able to answer. We touched down roughly in a dense patch of trees just outside the town and carefully made our way inside. Fang led the way, having been here before. Angel held his hand as she watched people, mentally scanning them as they walked by.

"Mom?" I asked again, holding the cold phone to my ear. I stood by the payphone with Fang behind me. The kids stood by, waiting anxiously.

"Max? Oh my god, is it really you?" Mom was frantic on the other line. I couldn't help but smile and I was shocked as I began to tear up. "Fang and Angel found you guys? All of you?"

"Yes, they did." I looked at Fang as he watched me carefully through strands of his dark hair. He turned to watch an old man pass by. "They saved us. But we have a new problem."

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to come get us. We can't fly any further." I admitted, my breath catching. I hated our weakness but new it was a reality. There was a pause on her end.

"Where are you? I can be there as soon as I can." She said, sounding hurried. I heard the door slam in the background.

"A small town called Becket. It's in California."

"I know where it is. Don't worry. Just sit tight, I'm about 6 hours away by car." She said quickly.

"Please hurry." I said and mom laughed.

"I'll be as fast as I can, without crashing again of course."

"Again?" I froze, the past tense usage of 'crash' jolting through me like electricity. There was another pause.

"I'm assuming Fang didn't tell you. But it's ok, really. Nothing to worry about, honey. I'll be there soon. Be visible when I get there. Love you."

"Love you too." And the line went dead. I put the phone back on its hook and turned to look at Fang.

"What does she mean by 'crash'?" I demanded and he looked over at Angel.

"It's a long story." He said and Angel walked up to us.

"We have six hours. Start talking."

Valencia POV

I arrived in Becket 45 minutes sooner than I expected, partly due to my constant speeding. I drove carefully through the slush covered street now, looking for the kids. I knew they'd be tucked away somewhere safe but now I had to find them without a phone. I scanned the sidewalks hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

'Turn left.' Angel's voice resonated in my mind. I blinked in surprise but obeyed quickly. I drove on just a little ways longer before I finally spotted them walking out from behind a building. I pulled over instantly and opened the doors.

"Oh, Max." I said, hugging her tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Same." She breathed, letting me go. That's when I realized that there were only 5.

"Where is Iggy?" I asked nervously, as Fang and Max exchanged looks.

"That's what we need your help for."

Two hours later, and Max had finished explaining everything that had happened in the past several weeks. It was a lot to take in. The kids were asleep in the back seats, Nudge leaning against Fang's shoulder. Max sat in the front with me. A glance in the rear view mirror showed that even Fang had passed out.

"I can't believe Jeb would do something like that." I whispered, feeling tears pricking in my eyes. No wonder they all looked like skin and bones.

"I'm worried about Gazzy the most, he seems to be the most affected." Max said and I nodded. It was because he was the smallest, the youngest. Angel faired better only because she hadn't been exposed to the same trauma. "Fang is concerning me as well."

"Why?" I asked and I looked through the mirror once again, seeing him still asleep.

"He's never this tired. Something just doesn't feel right."

"I'll look over everyone, don't worry." I reassured her and she smiled.

"So, Fang told me about the crash. How you almost died."

"It wasn't that dramatic." I smiled. "I only lost consciousness briefly."

"That's still serious." Max wasn't playing and I sighed.

"Angel's arm was fractured, Fang had a serious concussion. They left shortly before I was discharged from the hospital to find you." I said and she nodded. "And I'm so glad they did."

"He should have told me." Max sighed, rubbing her head.

"There wasn't any need to, Max. He was making sure that Angel stayed safe, and was trying to find you. I'm sure that dealing with winter at its worst also didn't help." I tried to reassure her but she glanced back at Fang again.

"I know." She said finally and leaned against the seat, closing her eyes.

"Get some rest. I'll wake you when we get there." I turned on the heat and she nodded absentmindedly. I hoped that Iggy wasn't suffering in the meantime. Fang and Max both wanted to go out after him but leave the kids with me. Of course the kids had hated this plan, but I could understand why Max wanted to do it this way. I'd give everyone a thorough examination at home and have them rest for the night. I'm sure a hot shower, clean clothes, and a proper meal would benefit everyone.