They stayed at the hotel that Maya and her parent’s runs.

  Rho: Thank you for letting us stay here.

  Maya: Don't worry about that, it was the least I could do.

  Rho nods.

  Maya: I'll let you guys to rest.

  She smiled and went out, closing the door. There were two rooms

  In one girls, in another boys.

  Boys.

  Nuri walks in.

  Rin: How is she?

  Nuri: Not good.

  Nuri lays on the bed.

  Nuri: She is trying to stay strong, but I am afraid she will again put herself in the denial mode.

  Nigel: Poor girl. She didn't deserved that.

  Nuri: If I ever see that son of a bitch again... I'll make him pay.

  He was so angry. Nigel was calmer but he felt sorry for her. Rin held his calm expression.

  Rin: It would be better for him to never show his face again.

  Silence.

  Nuri: He tricks his own daughter, and he leaves her again! Who does that? Who steals from his own daughter and leaves like that?!

  Nigel: Man who is either a very bad person, or just a lost soul.

  Nuri looks at him.

  Nuri: There is no excuse for this.

  Nigel: I just meant, we still don't know why he left.

  Rin looks at him. Nuri triggered and sits up.

  Nuri: I'll tell you why. Because he is a lousy father! There is no excuse other than that. Because no one who has any love in them, would ever do that to someone they love!

  Nuri snaps there, he is never angry like this. He is serious and angry. Rin looks at Nuri, knowing that he was talking about their dad leaving them… Nigel sits up.

  Nigel: Listen, I get it, but I also know that I would rather have a dad like that, where that is the worst he can do, because trust me, there are way worse people than that.

  Rin realizes that Nigel thinks about his dad.

  Nuri: So you are telling me that there is excuse for this? You are telling me that there is excuse for leaving your own kids? What is excuse for someone laying you your whole life and then they just leave? If there is an excuse for that fine, then give me example.

  Nigel looks at him, seeing the way he is

  Nigel: What if he left her not because he doesn't care for her, but he just doesn't know how to be a good father?

  Nuri laugh, but he is upset.

  Nuri: That is the good one! You still stay there and try! You never leave!

  Nigel: But wouldn't you want to know the reason?

  Nuri looks serious.

  Nuri: No, because it doesn't matter.

  Nigel: So you are telling me you would be ready to throw everything, not even knowing why? What that says about you? That you are giving up, just like that. I get it, she is hurt now, and she took a bold risk, but at least she tried, and now she knows.

  Nuri: And that proves my point, she would be happier if she didn't give him a chance.

  They look at each other. Nigel sights.

  Nigel: Listen man, I get it, I am just saying that I would be happy even if I had a half good father like that.

  Nuri sights and sits down. Thinking of his dad but saying nothing. Rin looks at both of them, saying nothing.

  Nuri: Having any father is better than having no one.

  Silence.

  Nigel: Sometimes it's the other way around.

  Silence

  Girls.

  Kaya is sitting near the window. Looking through it. She wanted some space.

  Ace: I knew we should be more careful. We should never left him alone.

  Ace angry, but Rho even though she feels sorry she is calm and cold, like always.

  Rho: It doesn't matter anymore.

  Ace sights, and calms down.

  Ace: I know... but, I can't hide my feeling of anger... I just can't...

  Rho: I know.

  Kaya looks at the window, Rikka comes to her.

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  Rikka: Hey Kays, I know you probably don't want to talk now, I mean, watching your father stole the ship you stole and wanted to give back must be tough. Now I see your reason for stealing.

  Kaya looks at her. And even smiles a bit even though she was hurt inside.

  Kaya: And what is yours?

  Rikka: What?

  Kaya: You know, your reason for stealing?

  Rikka: It's a classic story, I was poor and the orphan, I didn't have any choice than that.

  Kaya lights a cigarette.

  Kaya: You know what I hate the most?

  Rikka looks at her.

  Kaya: Hearing things like: ?you could try something else“, ?you should find a job!“ ?There is no excuse!“ I mean... does most people really don’t know how hard it is to make it somewhere, when you have nothing?

  Rikka lights cigarette too.

  Rikka: Yes... They are screaming at us, and not to the people who made us all like that.

  Kaya: Exactly! They are always pointing at ones with greatest hearts and soul, but the weakest. Instead of blaming the lion for killing, they are blaming a little rabbit that only tried to escape from it. That only wanted to live.

  Rikka nods.

  Rikka: It's nice to meet someone who finally gets it. You know, I wasn't sure at first will I come with you all or not. At first I didn't trust no one, but for some reason I only trusted you. Now I realize why I trusted you.

  Kaya: I hope you know you can trust them too.

  Rikka: Yes, I know that. And you helped me with that. Thank you.

  Kaya: No need.

  She smiles.

  Rikka: And also... I found this along our staff...

  She puts out the paper, letter.

  Rikka: Kai left it for you, I am not sure do you want it, but that is your choice.

  She looks at letter for a moment and then she reaches. And takes it.

  Kaya: Can I...

  Rikka stands up.

  Rikka: Of course, we are here if you need us.

  She goes to Rho and Ace

  Kaya looks at the letter and starts to reed. Tears dropping.

  Letter

  I know you hate me right now and you have every right to do so. but I couldn't tell you this in person, because, I am nothing but a coward. You deserve better, you deserve a family that can make you safe and happy, and I see that you have that now, which makes me very happy. Sorry I don't know how to be a father that you need, but I hope that one day I will learn and be the father you can look in the eyes. Don’t stop smiling, you deserve the best.

  Dad.

  She cries, tears falling on the letter, she buries her head in her knees.

  Kaya: You idiot... I could have helped you...

  She cries.

  Rikka comes to Ace and Rho.

  Rho: Oh God what did you do?

  Hears that Kaya cries even more. Rikka rolls her eyes.

  Rikka: I just gave her the letter from her dad.

  Ace: What letter? Did you wrote a fake letter?

  Rikka: No! Even I am not that crazy!

  Rho: He left her a letter?

  Rikka: Yeah... like a goodbye letter.

  Rho: I just hope she will be okay.

  Ace: She will, after I kill her dad.

  Rho: No one is going to kill anyone.

  Ace: oh fine... but I will beat him.

  Rho: I allow.

  Late at night.

  Kaya fell asleep as Rikka.

  Ace: I am glad she can sleep.

  Rho nods.

  Rho: We should have some sleep too.

  Ace nods.

  Ace: Yeah, you are probably right.

  She looked down, Rho observed her.

  Rho: Everything all right?

  Ace: Yeah I just… I am pissed you know. I feel like we could stop all of this and if I wasn’t so much occupied with my own bullshit I… I would recognize his intentions…and I…

  Rho: Do you always do that?

  Ace looks at her.

  Ace: Do what?

  Rho: Do you always have that need to carry someone’s else's baggage as your own?

  Ace stayed silent, thinking.

  Rho: I noticed you are doing that a lot lately, I mean don’t get me wrong, I understand that you are just trying to be a good friend and be there for everyone but it is okay to focus on yourself once in a while… if you don’t do that you will get lost. You will be the one carrying it all at the end, carrying their burden and yours. I know you are strong but if you are not ready to let someone else carry your burden as well, you need to think about how much you can take so it wouldn’t get to heavy over time, because if it gets to heavy for you, you will have no space for another burden, and it doesn’t matter if that burden is yours or someone else's.

  Rho talked calm, with emotions, not cold as usual.

  Rho: All I am saying, be a good friend to yourself as well.

  Ace listened every word, Rho was looking trough the window. Ace didn’t say anything, she remain silent but she understood.

  Guys

  Nuri sleeping.

  Nigel awake, at the balcony, smoking, Rin hears it and stands up. Nigel smokes doesn’t look behind but Rin is staying behind, he was silent.

  Nigel: Aren't you supposed to freeze my cigarette or something?

  He still doesn’t look at him, and Rin leans on the fence and takes a box of cigarette from his pocket, takes one and lights it. Nigel surprised.

  Nigel: Well I didn't see that coming. Since when do you smoke?

  Rin: I don't.

  He smokes.

  Nigel: For someone who doesn't smoke you smoke too well.

  He took a drag.

  Rin: There was only a few times in my life that I smoked a cigarette.

  Nigel: Few times? Then why do you even have them on you?

  Rin: Oh these? He looks at the box. I took those from Ace.

  Nigel: And she just let you to keep living?

  Rin laughs.

  Nigel: And the other day she wanted to fight me just because I accidentally took her beer instead of mine. She thought I was trying to stop her from drinking or something.

  Rin laughs.

  Rin: That is Ace.

  Nigel: Well, she goes easy on you.

  He keeps smoking.

  Rin: What do you mean?

  Nigel: I mean when anyone else messes up with her, she is not afraid to tell them off. She is one scary and crazy chick man. Yet you never stop to mess with her, and you are still alive. Congrats.

  Rin: I never noticed that.

  He smiles a bit and keeps smoking.

  Rin: You two seem to be a good friends?

  Nigel: Well I hope so, I didn't have a friend like that for a very, very long time.

  She thinks of his sister.

  Nigel: I know it doesn't seem like that, I guess I did bring her some problems along the way but, I do consider her a true friend, I don’t want to lose that.

  Rin: You should, she is a great friend.

  Nigel silent a bit.

  Nigel: Is Nuri asleep?

  Rin: Yes, he is.

  Nigel: So, lousy dad?

  Rin: Yeah, you could say that. What about you?

  Nigel only nods.

  Nigel: How are you dealing with that?

  They both look in front of them, at sky, not at each other. Rin takes another drag of his cigarette.

  Rin: I learned to accept it and to live with that.

  Nigel: And Nuri?

  Rin looks at Nuri.

  Rin: He is still learning.

  Nigel: Do you ever wonder why?

  Rin understood the question. He was always wondering why he left them.

  Remembers his dad leaving.

  Rin: I do.

  Silence

  Nigel: So, you only smoked few times ha? At what occasions?

  Rin thinks as he smokes.

  Rin: My first cigarette was when our mother died and I saw my father leaving us for the second time. My next cigarette was few months after that. That was first time I smoked in my room, and third cigarette is now.

  Nigel thinks.

  Nigel: Why now?

  Nigel still looks in front while smoking.

  Rin: I guess I got tired of smoking alone.

  Metaphor for struggling with something alone. Nigel understood, but he said nothing.

  Later that night

  Kaya woke up, it was around 3 in the morning. She slowly stood up, put on a sweater and walked outside. It was a full moon, stars shining bright, it was a bit chill. She was sitting on the beach, where their ship was before it got stolen by her dad. Her eyes were red from crying. She heard footsteps, she looked behind, it was Nuri with a blanket and a cup of tea.

  She looked at him, then looked away. He put a blanket around her and sat beside her. He gave her a cup of tea, she took it.

  Kaya: Thanks…

  Nuri: Don’t thank me.

  She took a sip.

  Nuri: I know it is a stupid question but how are you feeling?

  She took a cigarette and gave him one, and he lighted it with his power. She took a drag.

  Kaya: I don’t know Nuri… I feel… confused, lost, like nothing makes sense. I mean what was I expecting. This is not a first time I am sitting like this, left in the darkness again.

  Nuri: If he ever shows his face again I will…

  Kaya: No.

  He looked at her.

  Kaya: I am not angry Nuri, in some crazy way I even understand him.

  Nuri: How can you say that?

  Kaya: He is my father… and I know he is just lost, even more then me. I just wish he let me to be there for him… so we could go trough that together.

  Nuri: And what about him being there for you? You are too good…

  Kaya: Maybe, but I can’t help it… I would always welcome him with an open arms.

  They kept smoking.

  Nuri: I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.

  Kaya: That is a part of life, we all will get hurt sometimes and that is okay, because our strength is coming from there, from pain.

  There was silence for a bit. He was looking down.

  Kaya: Something is bothering you, I can tell. What is it?

  Nuri: No, Kaya we are not doing that again… You are the one who needs friend now…

  Kaya interrupted.

  Kaya: Nuri, you know damn well that I can’t be fine if I know something is bothering you. So speak.

  He sighs.

  Nuri: I heard Rin and Nigel talk at the balcony, they thought I was asleep but I couldn’t fall asleep. And I heard Rin says something… and I am not sure how to feel about it.

  Kaya: What did he say?

  Nuri put out his cigarette and looked at the sky.

  Nuri: He said he saw our dad when our mother died, and he never once mentioned that to me.

  Kaya’s eyes widen, and she felt bad for him.

  Kaya: Oh Nuri…

  Nuri: I just don’t understand why he kept that as a secret… Did he thought I couldn’t handle it? That I was soo weak, what? I just…

  He sighed.

  Nuri: He should have told me…

  She was quiet for a bit then she spoke.

  Kaya: I believe he has a good reason for that, maybe he just wanted to protect you…

  Nuri: I am not a kid anymore! I don’t need a protection! All I need is to be treated as equal, I mean, he is my father too, I desirve to know!

  He grabbed his head, he was close to crying. Kaya sat closer and hugged him.

  Kaya: You miss him, don’t you?

  Nuri looked at her, nodded and then he started to cry. She hugged him stronger, and she started to cry too.

  Rho wasn’t sleeping, she was just watching them from balcony. She had a medallion around her neck that was always hidden. She opened it, there was a picture of her parents, the only thing she had left from them. Then she looked at the sky. She heard noises, it was Rikka having nightmares, Ace was sleeping. Rho walked towards Rikka’s bed. Rikka looked scared and she was crying… Rho wasn’t sure what to do so she slowly moved her hand, she hesitated, she barley touched Rikka’s hand but then… Rikka grabbed her hand and she hold it tight. Rho felt strange but after she saw Rikka calming down, she calmed down as well. So Rho stayed beside her, being her friend in the shadows, just holding her hand so she could have a sweet dreams…