This chapter takes place a week after the previous one.

In the timeline of this story, we're approaching Hallowe'en (or Day of the Departed in Ninjago). I have a costume for Abby in mind, but if you have any other suggestions, please tell me in a comment.

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Chapter 20 (Jay)

Six years ago, the day of the funeral, Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk

I enter my old room and, with a little sigh, quietly close the door behind me. I drop my bag on the ground before I throw myself onto my freshly made bed, burying my face in my pillow.

It smells like home.

I really wish that I could stay for longer than just one night, but I'm not going to risk my so-called friends turning up here, wanting to talk to me.

This may sound very un-Jay-like, but just for once, I feel that talking is not going to solve anything.

But if I'm going to get away for a bit, I need to make sure I have everything I'll need. I sit up on my bed and reach for my bag,

Luckily, it is already packed, and even mostly with clean clothes. I unzip it to take out only a few pieces of dirty laundry that I've brought for my mum to wash. My dirty – and rather smelly – gi has stayed back at school.

Unfortunately, I don't have anything to fill up the space. Most of my belongings are still at the school, but I guess they'll have to stay there. There isn't really anything there anyway that cannot be replaced, except maybe for my beloved old teddy bear, Mr Cuddlywoomps, and the tool box that my parents gave for for my fifteenth birthday, a few months before I left home and eventually became a Ninja.

There is still something though that I actually need to leave behind me.

From my bag, I take my wallet. I open it and remove the picture of Nya and I which was taken on our second date. As I look at it, I briefly consider tearing it into pieces, just like she has shattered my heart. But... I just cannot bring myself to do it.

I get up and slowly walk over to my desk. It still doesn't take me very long, for the room is tiny. I plop down into the swivel chair and open the drawer.

Inside, there is a huge mess of pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers (which are probably all dried out by now) all jumbled together – exactly the way I left it when I moved out.

I take one last look at the picture, before I carefully slide it under my stationary collection. With a sigh, I close the drawer and rejoin my parents in the sitting room.

Present Day, Saturday late morning, Temple of Airjitzu

After I have parked my metallic blue racer – as I was driving on my own again today, I could take my favourite sports car, I just had to send the registration number to Nya – at the usual coordinates and grabbed my bag from the boot, I create my Elemental Dragon to fly up to the temple island.

I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my old friends and especially with my little girl.

During the week, I wasn't able to leave early (or even on time) to meet Abby or Nya outside of school. As today is the first day of the mid-term break, we've had a rather busy time at school, finishing up for the holidays.

But luckily, it has been a peaceful week for Ninjago in general, so that Nya was able to collect our daughter early from school herself. Abby has still continued to visit me in my workshop though; even when I had to correct some tests, she would just sit there next to me and draw. And, as true Walkers, we are both able to talk and work at the same time.

And I've used my lonely evenings rather well: I've spent a lot of time outside in the garden surrounding my mansion, practicing summoning my dragon; yet I wouldn't dare flying inside the city limits. After all, I am a civilian now, and I wouldn't want my – friendly but rather nosy – neighbours to get suspicious. And the flying part has never been a problem anyway.

I have to say, being up in the air again just feels amazing.

Still, I'm taking the almost direct way up, as I can spot Nya waiting for me by the edge. And I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for flying during the rest of the weekend.

Although tomorrow, we're having a busy day ahead of us. Cole, Seliel, Nya and I are taking our children to Mega Monster Amusement Park. I haven't been there in ages, so I'm kinda excited for this trip.

On my dragon, I pass through the elemental shield surrounding the floating island.

"Looking good." Nya compliments me.

She's said these words to me before, when we were battling the Serpentine in their underground lair. My response back then was a dreamy 'You look great too.'

And while I definitely still feel that way, I fear it would be too soon to say it out loud, so instead I reply: "Thanks. I've had a great teacher."

And, feeling more confident than before, I hop off my dragon and dispel it mid-air.

Nya playfully rolls her eyes. "Show-off." She teases me, as she gives me a quick hug and places a chaste kiss on my cheek. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you, too." I return the gesture, before I glance around. "Where is everybody?"

"Kai and Skylor are in town, shopping for the baby." Nya answers as we walk inside. "Sure, there's plenty of stuff still from Abby and the twins, but they got some gift cards for the baby shower and want to use them on a few nice new things for their little boy." She smiles at me. "The baby sleeping bag and matching bunny comforter you gave them are really cute."

"Can't take credit for that." I reply, blushing slightly. "It was a very nice sales assistant who's picked them for me."

"Well, that means that you've picked the right shop." She gently nudges me in the side.

"I-I guess so." I shrug.

"Anyway, the others are in their rooms, probably freshening up just enjoying their time off after our morning training session. You will see everyone for lunch, but first, I'm gonna show you to your room." Nya takes my hand and leads me up the stairs. "Our guest rooms are on the second floor. They only have shared bathrooms, but you're the only one up there this weekend." She says apologetically.

"No problem." I assure her. 

The first time I was here, I've only been to the first floor, where all the Ninja and their families have their (en-suite) rooms.

"Where's Abby?" I enquire as we reach the first floor. I was surprised (and honestly a bit disappointed) not to find her waiting for me with Nya.

Nya stops. "She's in her room." She sighs, pointing at the closed door right next to the staircase. "We-we had a little argument earlier, and she's still upset with me..."

"What happened?" I want to know. I just can't imagine this cute and happy little girl being in a bad mood.

Nya looks down. "A Ninja's headquarter just isn't the best home for a child to grown up at." She states in a low voice.

"Nya..."

"She never used to mind but now, her friends at school are talking about play dates and sleepovers and going trick-or-treating for the Day of the Departed. But things like that just don't work out here. And, as much as I would love to, I can't even take her into town for Hallowe'en. It's a very important date for Cole, so he and Sel are always spending it together with his dad and the twins. And Kai doesn't want to leave Skylor on her own, so it's Lloyd, Zane, PIX and me who will be on call..."

"Why don't you and Abby come to my place?" I suggest. "It's a good area, my neighbours are very generous. And if Ninja duty calls, you can just leave her with me. As long as we're at home, I don't mind watching her on my own."

Having gotten to know her better, I probably would be fine even taking her somewhere without Nya, but I really enjoy spending time with both 'my' girls.

"And even if not, you're more than welcome to stay overnight, so you don't want to drive back late at night. I have plenty of guest rooms." I wink at her. "And they're all en-suite."

And, since I moved in, only two of them have ever been used.

"That sounds great." She says. "Although, considering her behaviour this morning, I'm not sure if Abby deserves it..."

"You've said it yourself, it's not always easy for her." I remind my ex-girlfriend.

"I guess you're right." She agrees. "If we have the opportunity to give her a piece of a more normal life, we should take it."

"I'm sure that Abby wouldn't choose a normal life over what you are giving her." I try to cheer her up. "And I promise, me and my 'normal life' will never get between you and Abby."

"Thanks." Nya gives me a weak smile. "But I know that this is not gonna work out forever."

"Hey." I cup her face with my hand and gently run my thumb over her cheek. "Let's worry about that some other time, okay?"

"Okay." Nya nods. "For now, let's go talk to her about Hallowe'en."

She steps towards the blue-painted door and knocks.

"Who's there?" Abby's voice asks from the other side.

"It's me, sweetheart." Nya answers softly. "And your dad's here, too."

No reply.

"He's had an idea." Nya continues but I correct her: "We've had an idea."

"What is it?" Abby's curiosity is piqued.

"Can we come in, please."

"O-kay."

Nya opens the door, and we enter the room. Abby is sitting on her bed, cuddling one of her many soft toys.

"What's your idea?" She repeats.

"Jay's invited us to his place for Day of the Departed, so if you want, you can go trick-or-treating there, and then we can stay at his place." Nya explains.

Abby's face lights up. "Weally?"

"Of course." I nod. "And if your mummy has to go and save Ninjago once again, you think you're gonna be fine staying with me?"

"Yay." She jumps up and wraps her short arms around Nya and I. "Love you."

"We love you too, sweetie." Nya brushes her hands through Abby's tousled hair. "Do you now want to come out and help me show daddy his room?"

Instead of replying verbally, Abby lets go of us and zooms out of the door and up the stairs.

"It's here." She bounces up and down in front of one of the doors. "This is your woom. I helped mummy pwepare it yeste'day."

"Abby's picked the bedsheets for you." Nya explains as she opens the door.

It is a small room (although still more spacious than the one at Sensei Wu's Academy) with a single bed, a little wardrobe and a drawer chest. I am not surprised to find everything has been nicely fitted out in different shades of blue, from bedsheets to towels and even a dark blue dog plushie sitting on the pillow.

"You like it?" Abby looks at me expectantly.

"I love it." I smile at her.

"Yay." She plops onto the bed and grabs the soft toy. "This is Woofie." She explains.

Nya points at a cardboard box sitting on the floor in a corner. 

"When you didn't come back after... you know, we put all your things into a box to store them. Cole got it from the attic this morning."

Ugh, attics. Not my favourite kind of place. And I bet the one in this building is haunted.

When I open the box, I find three framed pictures, neatly wrapped in tissue paper, sitting on top. I don't have to unwrap them to know what they are. There's one of our team after the Final Battle, the same one that my parents have on their wall. Another one shows mum and dad standing in front of the flashing junkyard sign. And finally, a portrait of Nya. I had taken the photo myself during one of our dates. It was a windy day, so her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her hair was a complete mess, but her chocolate eye were sparkling and I thought she looked absolutely stunning. Nya of course hated it, yet she still had it printed and framed as a gift for my birthday.

"Teddyyyyy." Abby's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Looks like she has discovered Mr Cuddlywoomps in the box.

"I got him when I was two." I tell her. "But if you want, you can have him." I've managed to survive the last six years without him.

"Thank youuu." She hugs the old bear. "I love him."

Taking the bear with her, she leaves and I hear her bouncing down the stairs to the first floor. "Unikitty." She yells. "I have a new fwiend for you."

I keep looking through my old things. There's my old gi, luckily it's been washed before being put away, as well as some regular clothes. Even the ugly sweater that I used to wear as a teacher, in a desperate attempt to make me look older and more respectable. Can't say it worked.

My toolbox is at the very bottom of the box. Of course, I have a new one now, but I've really missed this one. I open it to find it is rather empty.

I turn my head to look at Nya and see her blushing. "I may have borrowed a few bits and pieces." She admits. "They were a lot better than my own, and... they reminded me of those times that we worked together."

"No problem." I close the metal container. "Those things are to be used and not to sit around in a box for over six years. Just like Mr Cuddlywoomps."

And just like my feelings for Nya that I've so desperately suppressed for the past six years. For those vehemently refuse to stay locked away any further.