I apologize for the long wait. I didn't really know what I wanted for this chapter, but I think I got it right. :)

That next morning was hard on all of us. I know that we were all thinking of the same thing, but none of us dared to mention it.

"Come on, Ig," Max said, nudging me with her toe and walking away.

I reached out for my backpack and followed her. Though I felt so heavy with anger and disappointment, I still managed to take to the sky with the rest of them.

"We'll get to Seattle in about 4 hours, I think," Fang said from above me.

4 hours. That wasn't soon enough. But I kept my mouth shut. I knew that complaining wouldn't help us get there faster.

The flock flew in an unnatural silence. Only the wind rushing past our ears could be heard as we flew on high over a city. If you're wondering, I knew that because it stunk like smog, and it was a little more difficult to breathe. (Smart blind kid, I am)

I barely noticed when three of the others were suddenly ahead of us. I tilted my head for a moment, and sure enough, I recognized the large swooping of Fang's wings to my right.

"Ig? We need to talk," he said.

I still didn't fully trust Fang, not after he ratted us out to Itex. But Nudge seemed to trust him, so I was going to try as well.

"About?" I asked, my voice low and raspy from lack of speaking to anyone that day.

"You know what about," Fang replied. I shrugged.

"Then there's nothing that I want to say-"

"Just listen, then." Fang interuppted. "I know this is difficult for you. Hell, it's difficult on all of us. Angel was sobbing for a good chunk of the night. Gazzy's on the verge of tears, which is just wrong. Max is pretending to be strong about it but-" He paused, then his voice got softer. "I know she's crying inside too."

My head turned to face Fang's. If this was some sort of pep talk it wasn't worried.

"Anyways," he continued. "I know you're struggling. I just- think we need to put a strong front up. For the kids, you know?"

"Not everyone's an emotionless ass like you, Fang," I said, my anger flaring, then I flinched once I realized what I had said.

There was a long pause, and I knew he was resisting the urge to yell at me. "Look, Iggy, I'm just saying that Gazzy and Angel need us to be strong. They're scared, and with you turning into a flying zombie isn't all that comforting. Nudge is going to be okay. We're going to be there in a few hours, and we're going to bust her out of there, and get as far away as we can."

"I can't believe I let them take her. I was right there. I could've stopped them. I should've-" My voice started fading into the wind.

"There wasn't anything you could do. None of us were prepared for that. Don't blame yourself."

"But it was. Stop trying to make me feel better, Fang. All you're doing is lying to me."

"I know you just want to sulk in a corner or something, especially since it's-"

"Don't say it. It will just make me more angry." I wasn't even going to think about that.

I knew he had just shrugged. "Well, since it's 'that day', I know you feel bad about it. But we'll get there in no time."

I nodded once, but I still felt that terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"But can you maybe be strong? For Gazzy and Angel?"

"Sure," I mumbled, speeding up to catch with the others. "Just call me 'Mr. Stoic'."

We must have slowed down, because I couldn't hear them anymore. I tilted my head, wondering if perhaps they were above or below us.

"They're still a ways ahead yet," Fang said.

I nodded, but everything around me started fading away. I remembered this feeling all too well, and I knew what was going to happen next.

I looked down towards the long highway that stretched out below me. Tiny cars that looked like ants crawled along the road towards their individual destinations. Was this vision of something that was going to happen while we were flying?

I looked to my right, seeing the olive-skinned boy beside me, his face emotionless and statue-like. I turned my head to look ahead, seeing Angel, Max, and Gazzy about a mile ahead of us, nothing but three small flies against the intense blue that was the sky.

The smallest of the three suddenly dropped like a stone, a high-pitched scream heard even at this distance.

"Angel," I said, flying as fast as I could towards her. I wished that I could be as fast as Max, and I would be there in a second, but I watched as she continued to fall down, down, and down.

"No!" I could hear Max screaming. "Angel!"

I swooped downwards, and my eyes experienced one of the most gruesome sights I had ever seen.

Angel's frail body smacked against the ground, a burst of bright red exploding in every which way. Her whole back was twisted in an unnatural way, and she lay perfectly still with blank eyes.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Oh my God, Angel.

I was jolted back into reality, my sight gone once more.

"Angel!" I said, snapping out of my grief and flying as fast as I could after the three ahead.

"Ig, what the hell?" Fang called from behind me, but I didn't stop.

I could hear their talking, and I knew that I was a hundred feet away or so.

As if on cue, Angel began screaming bloody murder, falling out of the sky.

"Angel," I said, diving down after her. Her scream became louder and louder as I got closer to her. I reached out my arms, and pulled her body into my chest. I snapped out my wings, my muscles straining as gravity tried to bring us back to earth.

I held Angel's quivering body closer to me, as she continued to scream, and I knew she was in intense pain, though why that was, I didn't know yet. My brain throbbed, and I winced as she let out a pathetic cry.

I began to descend, unable to hear the others high above me. I could feel the pressure of the air around me lessening as I came closer to the ground. I pulled my wings all the way out to soften my landing, ending up on a soft grassy surface. I came down onto my knees, lowering Angel's body to the ground.

I let my fingertips roam over her head, then her arms and legs, searching for any injuries that she could have gotten. I checked her wings, and I found that her left one was fractured. But other than that, she appeared to be alright. Well, except for the screaming.

The sound of three bird kids landing behind me made my head snap up.

"Is she okay?" Max asked breathlessly, instantly at my side.

"Her wing is fractured," I replied. "No other injuries."

Max's breathing was quick and panicked. Gazzy came to my other side, watching his sister in silence, though I knew the alarms in his brain were exploding. Fang came around to the other side of Angel, and he was probably trying to help Angel stop screaming.

Max reached out, pulling Angel's head into her lap. "Shhh, baby, shhh," she whispered over and over.

I sat there in silence, confused and a bit breathless. Angel's screaming faded to whimpers, and slowly she seemed to regain control of her pain.

"What hurts, sweetheart?" Max asked.

"My wings," her tiny voice replied, heavy and shaky from crying.

"Both of them?" I asked. Only one of them was injured.

"Yes," she said. "I was just flying, and all of a sudden they hurt so bad that I couldn't flap anymore. I was falling and falling and I was so scared-"

"You're okay now, Ange," Gazzy piped up as she shuffled closer to her, probably grasping her tiny hand in his.

"Another vision, Iggy?" That was Fang.

"Uh huh," I replied.

"Well it's good that you caught her in time."

Well, duh.

"We need to find a place farther away from the highway. There's a valley just over there. We can stay there while Angel recovers."

"Sure," I replied, moving to pick up Angel.

She sniffled as I lifted her from the ground. "I can walk, Iggy."

"Nah. Don't want to take any chances," I said. Though it was really that I was so afraid I was going to lose her too that I needed to be reassured that her heart was still beating and her lungs were still breathing.

The air around me was getting colder as the sun began setting behind the hill. We were too close to the highway to start a fire, so we all gathered together to stay warm.

"We need to get going again," I blurted impatiently, and I could feel two pairs of eyes staring at me. I knew that both Gazzy and Angel were asleep already.

"You know we can't do that. Angel's not up for it. Whatever happened took a major toll on her," Max said.

"I'll carry her then. Come on, this is Nudge's life we're talking about!"

Fang's hard stare was practically bearing holes into my face.

"Iggy. Your vision said that she had at least two weeks. She's strong. She can last while Angel's recovering. She's no use to this mission with injured wings."

My fingers grasped the grass by my sides. "I can't. Just. Sit. Here." I ground out, keeping my voice low. "She's sitting there in that hell; today of all days!"

Max sighed. I was probably being selfish. I knew in the back of my mind that they were right. After all, Angel was my family too. And she had a fractured wing. We couldn't force her to keep moving. It was just so frustrating that these things were getting in my way.

Max's arm came around my shoulder, a gesture that was surprisingly comforting. I even surprised myself when my head lowered onto her shoulder, my eyes sightlessly staring into darkness.

It was strange that something as simple as a friend's presence could make your problems a little less overwhelming. I didn't even notice when my eyes slowly shut and I drifted off to sleep.

But just before I lost conscienceness, I managed to think one last thing:

'Happy Birthday, Nudge.'

Aww. :( Makes me all teary-eyed, it does.