Fortunately for Brooklyn, he hadn't suffered any serious sickness other than a mild cold, thanks to the much better treatment and living situation he now had. Hudson had him stay in bed for the next few nights. He and Broadway making sure Brooklyn was kept warm, drank liquids and took his meds.

Brooklyn continued to keep his blanket, holding it tight in his hands while napping. Fox happened across him holding it one day, and requested gently to Brooklyn that she could get him a better one if he preferred than holding that dirty old rag.

Brooklyn had shaken his head, gripping his blanket protectively to his chest. This was his blanket he found, he wouldn't let anyone throw it away.

Fox sighed then offered to clean it, which Brooklyn then reluctantly agreed to her offer. His eyes begged her pleadingly not to throw it away. She couldn't help but smile.

"I won't, dear, trust me." she said softly, taking it out with her.

Brooklyn lay in bed while Fox cleaned his blanket, anxiety and stress without it radiating in his veins. He still feared trusting others other than Hudson and Bronx, and didn't want to be taken advantage of again.

In the laundry room, Fox made sure that she cleaned the blanket thoroughly so that germs would be killed and not make Brooklyn sicker from touching it.

Once it was done and dried out, Fox came back with the blanket. Brooklyn looked up, worry in his eyes, but then recognized his blanket, now all clean and a beautiful blue. Fox handed it to the red gargoyle, who took it back rather quickly, sighing as he kept it close to him.

Fox sighed herself, unhappy at seeing the once confident and proud Second so distressed and anxious now. But then, he did something that surprised her.

"T-thank you," Brooklyn whispered in a quiet and hoarse voice, gazing at her with gratefulness. Her heart fluttered with joy at this small sign.

"It was my pleasure, Brooklyn," Fox replied, before leaving him to rest.

....

After a week of being kept put in his bed and forced to eat, Brooklyn was deemed well enough to be out of bed again. But he still didn't want to venture anywhere other than to his corner, while still holding his comfort blanket, which felt much softer now that it was fresh and clean.

Brooklyn sniffled, drying his eyes with it, wondering still why his clan was even bothering at all with him. Sure, Hudson did say he didn't belong in the trash, but it still didn't ease his other worries. He doubted now that Goliath would continue to let him be the Second.

Bronx was with Brooklyn by then, nuzzling his side. Brook trembled, petting the gar-dog shakily, happy that he could be with Bronx again.

"Bronx," he whispered hoarsely, tears coming down. Bronx's ears perked up at the sound of his voice.

"I'm j-just so scared. W-what if I never rec-recover? I-I feel like I'll have to leave them just to relieve them of me!" he whimpered, hugging his knees. Brook knew it was okay for him to speak his mind to Bronx, for a gar-dog wasn't so judgmental. Bronx whined, shaking his head. He didn't want Brooklyn to leave their family. He wished he could say comforting words and give him advice.

Brooklyn cried even more at the idea of being out on his own, and not being able to fit in anymore with the others, hugging Bronx tightly and his blanket. Bronx gave him comforting licks on his cheek and cuddled around him as if to say, "Everything will be okay."

...

Broadway made Brooklyn's usual chicken noodle soup, feeling doubts now if his brother's mentality would ever improve. Angela paced, eyeing Brooklyn's bedroom. She then decided she wanted to be the one who delivered his food.

"Broadway? Would-would it be okay if I took him his food this time?" she asked softly, tears in her eyes. The aqua gargoyle looked a little unsure about it, but the way his mate looked at him made him give in.

"I guess it's fine. Just be gentle with him," he said, readying the tray with the medicine and giving it to her.

Angela knocked on the door, then heard Brooklyn frantically going to his corner. Taking a breath, she stepped in.

Brooklyn was hiding in the corner as usual, with his wings over his body, whimpering softly, peeking out at Angela.

"Hi," she said gently, setting down his tray. But Brooklyn wouldn't touch it without Hudson, body acting shaky, holding his stomach, and pressing into the corner.

Angela sat down, but made sure she wasn't super close because his mentality was still unstable.

"Please, Brooklyn, none of us are going to hurt you. We all still love you." she tried first.

Brooklyn put his face in his hands. He didn't believe her. He still believed the rest of them were just Thailog's men trying to mess with him.

Angela tried some more, getting closer, but making sure not to violate his space. Her eyes were wet with concern, seeing Brook holding his hands and wings over his stomach protectively. "I really miss being around you, Brooklyn. I know that when I say I love you isn't the kind you wanted, but we're a family, and family doesn't shut each other out when we try to help."

She then boldly took his hand carefully. Brook tensed up, but her touch was gentle. He glanced at her with a despondent gaze, and Angela tried a smile.

"Perhaps, whenever you get better, maybe... maybe I can go out with you somewhere, like a movie or oh! A rock concert! You like those, right? I would really love to do all that again with you," she then suggested.

Brooklyn trembled, pulling his hand away, and hiding himself again. This sounded too good to be real. He wanted them to stop tricking him again.

Angela frowned in disappointment from his response, standing up, and slowly leaving Brooklyn with his soup and medicine and closed his door. She sighed heavily, going on her way out, feeling desperation to make Brooklyn talk to them again rising in her core, going out to the balcony.

"Angela? Where are you off to?" Goliath's voice came from inside. She jumped a bit when turning around.

"I'm going to get some air, and see someone. I'll be back later," she informed him.

Goliath nodded. "Be careful out there, Daughter," he murmured. He did trust her, but after what happened to Brooklyn, Goliath felt rather protective of the rest of his clan to not end up like him.

Angela smiled a little before going on her way. She was glad Goliath didn't probe her about her destination, which was her mother, Demona's place.

I'm sure Mother would show sympathy, but I doubt it. It is worth trying, though, she thought, getting close to her destination.

...

Demona was sitting in her chair after a busy day at Nightstone Unlimited, resting and wondering what kind of fun with the clan she could do. But then she heard flapping of wings, turning in surprise to see Angela landing with a distressed look on her face.

"Daughter? Why are you here?" Demona asked, getting up to see her. Despite Angela living with the Manhattan Clan and against her, Demona was always happy to see her.

"I-It's Brooklyn," she said miserably. Demona frowned at the mention of him.

"I wish nothing to do with Brooklyn," she snapped, looking away. But Angela took hold of Demona's arm.

"Please, Mother. Thailog had kidnapped him and made him suffer greatly, just hear me out about it!" Angela exclaimed.

Demona froze at the mention of her second ex-mate, and the fact that he'd tortured Brooklyn. "What did he do to torture him?" she asked, curiosity in her tone.

Angela felt herself getting ill again as she remembered the shackle. "H-he broke his spirit, Mother. Thailog had beaten him down into being afraid of us and especially of Father, because they look and sound alike. And Thailog even tried breaking him by putting on shackles. One had spikes that delivered pain from a remote. The spikes were also embedded deep in his stomach too." she explained. "The doctor had to do surgery to get it off of him and patch him up that night."

Demona didn't know what to say. She knew what Thailog had been capable of, but this felt like a low blow for him to do something like this to a young gargoyle. Her eyes narrowed again, hands clenched.

She then spoke. "I wish to see the results of my ex-mate's abuse on your Second for myself," Demona requested. Angela at first was unsure.

"As long as you don't bring him further harm, Mother. Brooklyn had also suffered severe mentality abuse, too." she said. Demona nodded, and the two flew back to the Eyrie Building.

....

Goliath awaited his daughter's return, unaware of the company coming with her. He squinted his eyes at the sight of a familiar gargoyle flying with Angela.

He growled, seeing Demona land.

"Demona! Why have you come?" he roared. Angela went up to Goliath, eyes pleading.

"Father, listen, she only wants to see Brooklyn—!"

Goliath shook his head. "You shouldn't have told her, Daughter. Brooklyn wouldn't enjoy her presence."

Demona gazed at Goliath with her own pleading look in her face. "I wish to not bring him any harm. What Thailog did, I want to know what scars Brooklyn earned."

Goliath frowned, but could then see honesty in his ex-mate's gaze. As long as they were careful, perhaps one visit could be okay.

He led her into the castle and to Brooklyn's room. The rest of the clan looked pretty mad at her being here, but Goliath told them she wasn't going to do anything bad.

Angela then guided Demona to the room and she opened the door carefully.

Brooklyn had an arm around Bronx and gripped his blanket tightly when Bronx growled all of a sudden. Jumping, he turned around to see he was growling at an intruder, and it was her. Had she come to finish what Thailog, her ex-mate had done? He couldn't take anymore pain! He still remembered the hallucination of her handing him to Thailog too.

Demona just couldn't believe her eyes at the sight of the once cocky Brooklyn now reduced to whoever it was before her. He looked absolutely miserable, hurt and lost. Bronx standing near him protectively and growling, Brooklyn curling up into a small ball from her presence. Angela made sure to let Bronx know she wasn't going to hurt him.

Thailog... what have you been doing to him? She thought, staring down at the terror-crazed Brooklyn and feeling something new; it was pity. Pity for her enemy. Brooklyn didn't deserve this treatment from her former mate.

Demona reached to place a careful hand on Brooklyn's shoulder, but he scuttled away like a terrified hatchling, eyes animalistically round in utter fear.

"I didn't come to bring you more harm, Brooklyn. I only wanted to see what my daughter was talking about," Demona said carefully, face with concern in it. Brooklyn began crying, hiding his face with his blanket. He still didn't trust Demona. Why did people who wanted to hurt him have to keep being around him? He just wanted to be left alone.

"Please... go... away..." Brooklyn sobbed into his blanket.

Demona knew that she wasn't going to be able to help him because she had tried to hurt or kill him one too many times. He would never trust her for help. She looked back at Angela, who also had a sad look on her face.

"There may be no helping him, Angela. Whatever Thailog did to harm him as bad as this, he sure did a good job of it." Demona admitted.

"We won't give up on him, Mother. No matter what. He's a member of our clan, always." Angela declared.

There wasn't anything that Demona could do. She left right after, Angela leaving the room with her to see her off. It was when the door shut that Brooklyn unhid his face from his blanket. Bronx also gave him a nuzzle to let him know it was safe.

"Thanks for... protecting me... Bronx." he said with a small smile, tho tears trailed from his eyes.

Bronx whined, getting his head petted by his red master.

....

Out in the halls, the clan met Angela and Demona on their way out.

"How was he?" Lex asked. He had a feeling he knew what the answer was.

"He is severely traumatized. Whatever happened in Thailog's custody, he probably wanted to make sure that he saw himself as hopeless." Demona declared. "He doesn't want help."

"You mean he doesn't want your help!" Broadway snarled.

Angela glared at her mate, but he did have a point. She knew her mother couldn't help the Second.

"You are welcome to come see me anytime, Angela." Demona said and left right after.

"You knew she wouldn't be able to help him, Angela. He's too scared of her at this point. She's harmed him one too many times, just like Thailog." Goliath said.

"I know. I had just needed another female to talk to. She just wanted to see what I was talking about. She knows Thailog just as well as we do." Angela explained.

"I will go and see to the lad. Did he eat his dinner?" Hudson asked.

"No." Angela had seen the soup untouched in the room while they had been in there.

"It's probably cold by now." Lex said.

"I'll warm it up for him if it's cold. I'll go with ya, Hudson." Broadway said.

Hudson and Broadway made their way back to Brooklyn's room and knocked, making the red one cringe in the corner. He tucked his head into the blanket again.

The door opened. "Brooklyn, are yeh alright, Lad?" It was Hudson's voice.

Brooklyn unhid his face from the blanket. "I don't want to see Demona again!" he sobbed.

Hudson came over and held the scared young one. Broadway hated seeing his brother like this. Would he ever get over this? He went over to check on the food, and it was cold. He picked it up and went to go warm it up.

Hudson just held Brooklyn until Broadway came back. Now, he felt a little better.

"You need to eat and take yur medicine, lad. We need ya with us again." Hudson coaxed.

Brooklyn reluctantly ate as long as Hudson was with him.

Broadway sat on the bed a good distance away. He watched as his brother ate his food finally. He also took his medicine. He wanted Brooklyn to trust him too. For now, this was as good as it got. Then he spoke up, "Brooklyn," Hudson and Brook glanced over at him. "If you ever feel like you want something else to eat, I'd be happy to make it for you. You're still my brother, and want you to get better." Broadway said gently.

"Mighty thoughtful of you, Broadway." Hudson said.

Broadway got a little close, but only just to take the tray and bowl and glass out to the kitchen while Hudson kept Brooklyn from cowering in his corner again.

After the aqua gargoyle was gone, Brooklyn was still holding onto Hudson for comfort, but he spoke. "Why...?"

"Hmm? Why what, lad?" Hudson asked.

"Why... did it take you all so long to... come get me? Was I not... worthy enough to be looked for?" Brook looked up into the old one's eyes sadly.

"Of course we looked for yeh. Just Puck took a long time to be able to find ya." Hudson replied.

"He'll do anything to make trouble." Brooklyn said.

"It was with his help how we found yeh." Hudson stated. "But yeh can tell me anything. What did Thailog do to ya?"

Brooklyn really didn't want to talk about what the evil clone had done to him. "He... put me through... tests... to hurt me!" he sobbed, then nuzzled into Hudson's shirt further. The old one just rubbed his back to try to soothe him.

Well, that was a start to getting Brooklyn to admit something of what Thailog had done to him, but it didn't fully answer of what had been done, other than that shackle that he had been found in. It had been used to really hurt him physically, that had been obvious when they found him.

"I know he wanted to hurt yeh, but can you explain it more specific?" Hudson asked.

"Starved me... tortured me..." was all Brooklyn said, shaking weakly in Hudson's arms. Hudson then didn't ask anymore questions from that point if it still upsetted Brooklyn, it could wait until another time. He was starting to get somewhere with him though, if for a small moment. Hopefully, he would tell the whole story soon.