Part 1: Surprises

Chapter 1: Nightmares Suck

MPOV

He and I stood a few feet from each other, not speaking.

Around us, the hawks, the very same ones we had learned from, so long ago now, flew in slow, lazy circles. They acted as if nothing was going on, nothing was about to happen.

But hawks can't keep track of time like humans or intelligent mutants. They only care about survival and their families.

Like I used to.

Like we used to.

The wind picked up, and threw some of my long hair into my face. I moved it away with a quick swipe of my hand.

He looked the same as I remembered him. But he was taller. Sadder. Like he had seen numerous battles and countless people die horrible, unspeakable deaths.

Which, of course, he had.

We both had.

As we stood there, the wind tossing our hair and ruffling our feathers, the hawks swooping and sweeping and soaring, I whispered a solitary word that was soon snatched away by the wind.

"Why?"

FPOV

I stood at the edge of the cliff. The Hawk's Cliff, as we'd come to call it.

As they had come to call it.

I held her letter in my hand, which was shaking so bad that I thought it would drop off into the canyon below.

I couldn't bring myself to comprehend what it said. I just couldn't accept it.

It read:

Dear Fang,

I'm sorry. There aren't enough words to describe how sorry I am. I'm sorry I cannot be there to see you again. I'm sorry that you have to read this. But you have to know. I can't live with myself knowing that you didn't know why I didn't come.

My expiration date appeared.

Today, right now, as I write this letter, I am dying. Today is my last day. I'm so, so sorry.

Let me tell you a secret: I wished that you would be here today. I know it was naïve to hope, even to think, that you would show up. But it was my secret wish. One that I carry to my grave.

In your last letter to me, you said how much you loved me. Now it's my turn.

I love you, Fang. I know that I should hate you for leaving me—the flock—but I just can't bring myself to hate you. I love you too much.

Remember when you were captured by Dr. G-H? Well, when you were "dead," I said that I loved you, and that I wished I could say it to your face. I was a coward not to. But now I have to, so you can know that I feel the same way you do.

Dylan has nothing on you, Fang. You're my perfect other half. My soul- mate. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. I love your hair, your eyes, and your smile. I love the way that you act suave, but on the inside you really do have emotions (ha-ha-ha!). I love how you cared for the flock as much as I did. You're like Iggy and Gazzy's brother. You were like a brother to Nudge, too. Angel once told me that you were like a father to her after Jeb left.

For my whole life, you were my best friend. For a while, you were like a brother to me. You were my second-in-command, my right-wing man, the only person I could trust besides myself. I can't remember when my feelings changed for you, but when they did I tried so hard not to love you. But as soon as I admitted to myself that I did, I fell for you so hard that there was no way that I'd ever recover.

You're as bad a cook and driver as I am, sometimes I like you better when you don't talk at all, and once I even wished that I'd never even met you. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you so, so much that I can't let you go. Even right now.

I wish that I could be there in ten years so I could ask you why you left me broken-hearted and the flock broken in ranks. I wish that I could see your face once more, kiss you one last time, and tell you I love you to your face. But I can't. You can't.

I wish that we could talk about this face-to-face, like we used to. I know we can't though. But maybe, someday, we'll figure all this out. We'll end all our doubts. We'll find a way to make things better. But that won't be for a long time.

Fang, I want you to do something for me. Go find a girl named Arianna Ride.

Arianna is our daughter, Fang. Do remember the night before Total and Akila's wedding? Well, I found out I was pregnant three months after you left.

You would love her! She looks just like you (concerning hair, eyes, and skin-tone). Her wings are a mix of yours and mine. Her attitude is entirely mine, though.

She was always asking about you. Who you were, what you looked like, where you were. But I always told her the same story: "You father was a kind man. You have his hair, eyes, and skin tone. And some of his wings. We met when we were too young to remember and were always best friends. He left before you were born and before I even knew I was pregnant with you. I'm not sure where he is, but I can tell you that in a few years you'll get to meet him. He promised." Then I would tell her about the note. I have it memorized.

Find her. Please. I told her to forgive you for leaving. She always said she would.

Good-bye, my love.

Forever yours,

Max

The pain was too much to bear. I couldn't accept the fact that on this day, ten years ago, ten years away from the day that she was supposed to meet me, she was breathing her last.

My heart was breaking. Out of my pain, I ran over to the edge of the cliff and dropped, my wings tucked in.

As I fell, I looked up at the endless blue sky and smiled. It was tinged with pink and red and gold from the setting sun. It was amazing to think that somewhere up there, Max was flying.

And soon, I would join her.

For eternity.