Fang POV (three months later):

The first few months were pure hell. Max sunk into a trance like state, Iggy wrecked a good few rooms with his violent response to the immense grief, Gaz and Angel cried every night and fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms as if afraid one of them would disappear. Me, well I went into a kinda state of self-hate and depression that only the flock noticed. I didn't talk for a whole two months, well less than usual. I'm kind over that stage now but I still know her death was partially my fault.

We couldn't even have a damn funeral because the demons took her body far away. We, the flock, had a memorial service; I guess you can call it that, in a meadow filled with flowers and daisies, which she loved. It was- well it's just too painful think or even talk about. We just said- No, don't go there... Don't even think about those few days.

Dr. Martinez had sold the house within about three weeks; it caused us all too much pain. We now lived in Virginia where we all still were heartbroken but Iggy hadn't smashed any walls in the week so far and we were all slowly and painfully healing. Jeb was called away for a work thing the day after the 'incident' which I thought was a tad suspicious but we had already had a discussion between ourselves and we couldn't really do anything about it anyway since he'd already gone. But still, it got me thinking some nights...

We were all sitting down to dinner one day in silence. Silence Nudge would have filled. Sadness hung over us all as we ate gloomily, not making eye contact until Dr. Martinez broke the news too us.

'Now guys, I know this has been hard for you loosing Nudge but I think it may be time to move on with life... I've enrolled you all in a new school –don't worry it's not the one you went to with Anne- and you start on Monday with Ella. Your uniforms are upstairs and, um, there's pie for dessert...?'

Every head snapped around to face her immediately, only Ella's remained fixed on her plate with a guilty expression; so she had been in on this.

'Wh-what did you just say?' Iggy asked in disbelief.

I slammed my palms down flat on the table, rising up to tower above everyone else who was sitting down in shock, or in Dr. Martinez's situation, fear at the sight of me at my scariest. She and Ella had never really seen me properly mad, but oh, was she going to get it now for trying to erase Nudge from our lives. 'Did you seriously just suggest we forget Nudge?' I whispered in a deadly voice. 'Because I swear to goodness if you did I'm walking out that door and never coming back.' I was giving her my death-glare as Nudge used to call it. I knew I was over-reacting but I was too far gone. All the anger and anguish I kept pent up over the last months was all coming out at once.

'I-I-I-I didn't m-mean to s-say that F-Fang...' Dr. Martinez was now petrified of me. Good. 'B-but when people die it's sad, b-but we also need to learn to m-move on...?'

I could feel Max glancing between me and her mother, predicting whether the situation was going to end in violence. Iggy was standing beside me, eyes equally as full of fury as mine. The kids were holding each other's hands but their eyes told the story of whose 'side' they were on. Mine. Ella was trembling looking at me with fear.

I could hear a part of me yelling out to shut up and sit back down, but I was too far gone now. Even if I had stopped I knew Ig would have finished it off. My eyes were now truly in scary-Fang mode. My hands were in tight fists and my teeth were tightly clenched. It felt good to be scary and threatening again even if it was to my almost-girlfriend/best friend's real mom who had taken us into her house even though she had practically no idea about any one of us and fed us, clothed us, and well.... generally looked after us even though we were probably putting her in a terribly dangerous position.

Oh crap... When you put it like that I sounded like a terrible person. Damn.

Anyway I was seeing red and full of adrenaline and anger. For a few minutes Dr. Martinez and I had a staring battle. My eyes were murderous and full of raw emotion not showed on my face, hers full of actual fear.

Max laid a gentle hand on my shoulder, indicating for me to back down and walk away before anyone got hurt. By anyone she meant her mom. I punched the table hard; left a hole actually, threw a chair across the room and stalked out the door nearly knocking it off its hinges.

'Need to think.' Were the only words that left my lips as I launched myself into the air. I didn't care if anyone heard me, I was leaving for a few hours or however long it took to calm down and let it all out.

Please come back soon... Don't leave forever. A timid voice cut through my anger and grief like a knife. I needed to sort think some things through and only return to the house when I was sure I wouldn't hurt Dr. Martinez.

I promise Ange, I just gotta do some... stuff.

I have trust issues with people to say the least. Even though I've known Max's mom for about a year and yeah, I like and respect her but I don't fully trust her. I don't open up to anyone except Max and sometimes the rest of the flock. Things had changed since 'that night'. We needed to get away from everything and become just The Flock again.

Since the night they took Nudge away from us, we haven't been alone for a whole day without Dr. Martinez, Ella or any other fully human stressing us, well mainly me (remember that trust 'issue'). I realise Dr. M just assumed we were ready too fast but I reacted and just kinda blew my top... Grrr my damn emotions.

I was calm in the air but when I touched the bark of that unfortunate tree somewhere in a far away forest, I exploded. Again. This time my outburst was physical. I screamed aloud, swore, cursed about everyone I knew and then some- Let's just say that for a few hours that tree became my punch bag.

I punched the poor tree over and over until when I looked down at my hands all I could see was a sea of blood. But I was still too numb. I needed to really feel the pain and know what was real in my life. How I got from punching a tree to discovering my philosophy, I have no idea. But somehow I managed to.

My body still wasn't feeling the pain yet so I kept at it for another couple of hours. At last I had to stop, defeated. My clothes were covered in my blood and I felt kind of faint. I didn't have the energy or will to try so I let my body fall to the ground... Turned out the drop was much longer than I expected, not that I cared. The more physical pain I caused unto myself, the less mental pain I could hope to feel.

I simply just fell asleep then. When I woke up I was covered in leaves and my clothes crackled with dried blood from last night as I got up. A quick inspection showed my stupidity in not stopping my tree-punching last night. I wouldn't be able to use my hands for bout a day and a half now. Damn. The entire surface of my hands and up my arms had been severely scratched and by the looks of it I need serious stitches like everywhere. Not that I would get them though; obviously. No one was getting near me with a needle of any sort.

I rolled my shoulders and prepared to take off. I guessed I had to go back to the others eventually. Jumping into the air I felt the whole of my body groan and protest in pain.

Note to self: rethink decisions involving punching trees, sleeping on forest floors after purposely falling out of said trees and walking out on dinner and pie more clearly next time.

To be honest I didn't go straight back. I stayed in the forest for most of the day gaining the courage to go back and face my family after my, uh, breakdown the previous night. When it started getting dark I forced myself into the air and began the journey home.

It was around two in the morning when I reached the house. I hovered outside my window for ages and finally flitted over to Max's window when I couldn't figure out how to open the window from the outside without smashing it in. I rapped, painfully, three times on her window with the drawn curtains and waited for her to wake.

She was surprisingly quick in opening the window which made me think she had been staying up, waiting for me. Her gasp of horror when she saw my bloodied clothes and limp, torn up hands made me smirk a bit.

She practically dragged me inside and forced me down on the bed, silently as to not wake the others. It didn't work and soon the rest of the flock were gathered round me, hugging me and in Ig's case smacking me upside the head saying, 'Dude! I thought punching inanimate objects and purposely breaking my hands was my job!'

I cracked a half grin at that, Iggy's hands had been constantly bandaged for weeks after that night because he kept punching holes in walls and making his hand wounds open up again. Every day the cuts on his hands would heal somewhat and then he would angry or the sadness would get hold of him and he'd be off punching and fighting walls again.

I noticed his right fist was bandaged, again. Iggy, Iggy, Iggy. I would have to ask Max what happened last night, I thought to myself.

Dr. Martinez hovered in the hallway and Ella stayed at the door, both afraid I would snap again. After Max was done a fussing, giving Iggy direction on how to bandage my hands and telling me to 'Shut up, sit down and let us fix your damnit hands!' I walked slowly to where Dr. M sat on the chair in the hall.

She stood up, body tense. I opened my mouth and said...

Hey guys! Wow, this week was a really good cause I got a lot of nice reviews from you guys! Thanks to:
- lunareclipse3
- stripedpolkadots
- Dibs On Fang He's So Hot
- Constant-Rae-of-Sunshine
- 'sorry I didn't log in'
You guys are the best!

I got some people saying the story was kinda depressing... Sorry! This chapter is too but I've planned some humour in the next chapter – preview: *Max* 'I decided to make them all breakfast to cheer them up....... damn it! I was going to make them breakfast whether the food liked it or not! '

Also you guys were wondering 'bout the possible Niggy that may come. I'm still not sure where I'm going with that so PLEASE review and tell me what you think about that...

And finally, to any new people.... PLEASE REVIEW! If i get more reviews than last week this week I'll post an early chapter on, possibly, Thursday.

So you know what to do, press that review button!

Peace out fanfictioners!