Disclaimer: Same as before… I own nothing… not even my own hair… XD

P.S. TO: ALL REVEIWERS AND READERS

I apologize for all the darkness. -can't see, is blinded by dark- But chapter 2 was supposed to be the anchoring point. This story wont be so… ickeh from now on. Just regular gore. I suppose I just had to get all of that out of the way. XD OKAY! Enough rambling! Onto the story!

Canary: About time you angst obsessed witch!

Calamity: The anger… -.-

Can't Cry

Chapter Three: Try To Mend It

Max and Angel landed softly, only a few leaves stirring.

"What's going on?" Max asked softly. Gazzy and Nudge looked at each other, then to Iggy. Iggy sighed after a painful silence.

"Gasman, Nudge… go help Angel prepare the food. You guys can manage making a better fire, right?" Iggy said softly. They nodded and took Angel to the fire. Max turned to watch them retreat, confusion on her face.

"Ig? What's going on?" she repeated. Iggy sat down by Fang. Max did likewise.

"There's something I should have told you long ago… I was stupid to think he would listen…" Max touched Iggy's shoulder. He looked so ashamed.

"Iggy… Iggy, it's all right. Please tell me… what is wrong." Iggy sniffled, surprising Max with his teary-eyed-ness.

"Max… Fang's ill."

"Well, no duh. Not to sound harsh or anything, Ig… But we know that already." Iggy smiled a little, making Max feel better. Then, in a flash, his features were icy.

"Max… he's ill in more ways than one…" Max grew serious, feeling the weight of this topic as much as Iggy.

"Okay, Iggy. I'm listening."

-+-

Angel was sleeping soundly, her head resting on Nudge's stomach, and Total resting on Angel's stomach. Gazzy finally drifted off, his wings out and his body sprawled out, snoring.

Max stoked the fire, Iggy sitting across from her.

"Why are you still up?" she asked, tossing the stick aside. Iggy frowned.

"Same reason you are." She snorted, but didn't argue further.

A noise.

A stirring sound.

A cough.

Max and Iggy both looked in the direction of Fang's slumbering form, only he wasn't slumbering anymore. He sat up, rubbing his head. His eyes winced as he delicately touched the bandaged side of his head. A sour expression came upon his features as he turned to the side and spit.

Finally, he turned to face the light of the fire. He looked at Max, then Iggy, then Max again. He turned away, hurt in his eyes. The look of being ashamed.

After an eternity, Max had suddenly appeared by his side.

"Fang!" she said is a loud whisper. "Fang! Are you all right? Can I get you anything?" Fang looked at the ground with what looked like hatred then turned his eyes to Max. They grew soft instantly, causing Max's own eyes to well up.

"Water… please," he whispered. His voice was thick, rough, sore. Max nodded and ran back over to the fire. She returned with a bottle of water. Fang took it and swigged some of it in his mouth, spitting again. "Horrible taste…" he said quietly. He then took a few sips. "How long?" Max looked at the ground.

"Pretty much all day… you gave your head a good nock," she murmered. Her voice strained at the end, trying to push the memory away. Fang looked at her, seeming ashamed once more.

"Max… I'm… I had to. It was the only way to shut it out…" Max held up her hand.

"I understand… that," she said. He gave her a confused look.

"What do you…"

"Fang?" Max interrupted. "Iggy and Gazzy took care of you. Nudge wrapped your head. You were sick and stuff… and you yelled a lot… and since you were out…" She stopped. Fang turned his gaze to Iggy.

The strawberry blond boy sat there, his sightless eyes fixed upon the fire. He turned in Fang's direction, smiled, and went back to gazing at the fire.

Max had her knees huddled to her chest, trying to keep control of herself. Finally, she crawled forward to look Fang directly in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice urgent and hurt. Fang blinked a moment.

"Max… I didn't know I was going to drop out of the sky… I'm sorry…"

Slap.

Fang turned to face her again, his cheek now stinging. Iggy's head turned in their direction, silently listening. Max's face was red with anger and sadness.

"Not that! Why didn't you tell me about your arms?" she said, her voice sounding hurt. Fang's gaze just barely broke, a small sign of panic in his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, that small bit was enough.

"What… what about my arms?" he said, sounding a little too defensive for his liking. Max's nostrils flared.

"What about your arms?!" she shouted. Suddenly, she gripped his right forearm and gave it a nice squeeze. Fang crumpled beneath her grip, quietly crying out in pain. "This, Fang!" Max growled. She realized she was being a little cruel, but she had no tolerance for these kinds of things. Fang's face was covered in pain, silent whimpers escaping him.

"Max… please let go…" His voice was thick with pain. As if she just now realized what she was doing, Max let go, gasping. Fang cradled his arm, it shaking raggedly.

"F-fang… I…" Max stammered. He glanced up at her, hurt in his eyes. Shame. Anger. A hand landed softly on Fang's shoulder. Iggy.

"I'm sorry Fang. I had to. Nudge found out on her own. I couldn't' keep them in the dark forever," he said quietly. Fang jerked away from both of them, cradling his arm. A few specks of blood seeped through the sleeve.

"So… wait for the opportunity that I'm out… and tell everyone." Fang said, surprising both Iggy and Max.

"Fang. Nudge found out on her own. I didn't say anything to anyone. Besides." Now, it was Iggy's turn to be cold. "You broke our promise," he said. Fang's eyes widened.

"You…" He looked away from both of them. "Both of you… Max… You know?" Max said nothing, just glanced at Iggy. Iggy sighed.

"Fang… we're here to help you… You're not alone…" he said with almost too much care. Fang growled.

"Quit talking to me like I'm some sort of nutcase!" he said rather loudly. Max and Iggy were both stunned. Fang ignored their surprise.

"Fang… what do you expect? I didn't know if you were… going to do yourself in or… or…" Iggy couldn't finish. Fang growled again. Max spoke up this time.

"I don't understand, Fang… We… we've never done anything to get this stressed out… What is it?" she asked. Fang turned to face them now.

"Stressed? Stressed? Do myself… do myself in?" Despair was his emotion now. "I am not going to kill myself!" Fang shouted.

"Then why do this, Fang?" Max shouted back. Fang's face dropped, too embarrassed to look at either Max or Iggy.

"Max… let me talk to you for a minute…" Iggy said. Max looked at Fang, then Iggy. Fang simply turn back around, leaning against the tree, eyes closed. Max nodded. Fang needed some decent rest… non-forced.

Max left Fang, following Iggy to the other side of the fire. He sat down, motioning for her to sit next to him. Max obliged and sat, looking at Iggy. The sunrise was going to begin soon.

"Ig?" she said. He sighed.

"Max… Fang has been doing this… since before we left New York." Max's eyes grew. How could she not notice? Iggy read her thoughts.

"We never expected one of the flock to be this… beyond upset. Fang… I guess he never told you about his certain… trauma," he said. Max looked at Iggy.

"Trauma?" she asked. Iggy shook his head.

"I think… I think that's to blame for him being so… destructive. I personally don't believe in excuses… But he… God…"

"What happened, Iggy?" Max asked. Iggy shook his head again.

"No. If he wants you to know… he'll tell you," Iggy replied. Max frowned but said nothing.

-+-

Fang looked at something that finally caught his attention. It was Angel's bear Celeste, lying on the ground. He picked it up and wiped the dust off of it and picked out a few sticks. His stomach lurched as a bit of blood, probably from him, was splattered on the soft fur of the bear. He sighed and put the bear in the pocket of his jacket. He'd give it to Angel in the morning.

-+-

The sun rose high above their little campsite, shedding light upon the slumbering forms of the flock.

"Man! That's one bright sunrise…" the Gasman said. Nudge and Angel woke in creepy unison, Total yipping happily in Angel's arms.

Iggy prepared breakfast while Nudge started putting together backpacks.

"We almost ready to go?" Max asked. Everyone nodded, except for Fang. He stood a ways off, leaning against a tree, inspecting the claw marks from Ari. "Can you fly? Without a seizure or anything…" Max asked. A smile flickered across Fang's lips.

"Yeah," he answered. Max sighed. Then she remembered about what Iggy told her last night… Fang's trauma.

"Fang? I was wondering…" She didn't get the finish. A sound cut through the air, cutting off her words completely. A sound she's only heard once or twice.

The blood-curdling scream of Angel.