#bergen_county

"Maybe she won't want to be your friend any more." Brutal, honest. "But maybe she will understand. There's only one way to find out."

"She has every reason not to want to be my friend anymore."

"Right. So it's up to her. The only thing that's for sure is that if you don't reach out, you're locking that in as certain."

"She can't be an accountant."

A grimace. "No. someone has to do it, but it would be a waste for her."

She rubs at her face. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I just..."

"I miss you, too, and I didn't.."

"If you're sorry, do something for me."

She actually looks at him.

"Stop apologizing. I'm here because I choose to be. Okay?"

"Someone will have to talk to this Dayana, too." A small, mirthless smirk. "Maybe me."

"I want to punch her into the pavement. So probably not me."

"Maybe both of us."

She swallows and nods.

"You don't need to be there to help her, you know. I think..." He considers. "If you had answered her letters, encouraged her, even from here. That would have been enough. She's not a child that needs protection. But she does need a friend."

"Don't start beating yourself up again. That's hindsight. But looking forward, right?"

"I missed her. A lot."

"It was so stupid, but I just... I don't know."

"I did a lot of stupid things."

"Yep. ...did you learn anything?"

Hesitantly, just above a whisper. "You came when I asked."

A small, thin smile. "Yeah."

Looking down, brows furrowed. "I was afraid to ask."

"And if I was being a better friend, I've have noticed something was wrong."

"You had a lot going on. And I thought... I dunno, I thought I was okay."

A beat. "I don't think I'm okay."

"...maybe you should talk to someone. Like.. a professional." He looks down for a moment. "After my mom died, I was mad at everyone. My dad. Myself. This whole country that didn't make sense. having someon to talk to? Someone who wasn't a part of any of it, but could just listen. ...it helped."

"Aren't they... banal? Dangerous? Most of the ones I went to when I was in care were pretty useless."

"I went through a few. Dad didn't know what else to do. It wasn't his fault. He had to work. ...then he met Anne Marie. It took my elementary teacher calling CPS, because... well, I wasn't behaving in school. Like.. just sitting there. Refusing to do anything. For all they knew, I was being abused at home or something.

I wouldn't talk to Ann Marie either. But she found a therapist. Kinain. One who knew how to listen, and spoke hanguk-eo... Korean."

"Were you - I mean, you're a sluagh, you don't like speaking up or attention..."

A small sigh. "I owe Anne Marie a lot. A lot of kithain might have just taken me away to some hold and called it a rescue."

He shakes his head. "No one hurt me. But Dad... he provided, you know? But he wasn't really... around."

"When you're little, you make up your own justifications. And it was all my fault."

"I... get... how kids make things their fault."

"Because there has to be a reason."

"Think about it, at least?"

She bites on her lip and nods.

"Thank you for putting up with me."

"Yeah. Ditto."

"You're my friend." A small smile, finding comfort in the truth of that staement.

"Yep. And you're mine. That means that May is both of our responsibility to help." Even if I DO think the second script was better... nah, no need to mention that.

"Chief said I shouldn't do it alone."

"Then we won't." Considering. "Sylvi? Jimmy?"

"Maybe. Maybe Lupe?"

"I... haven't been really good with Lupe, either."

"Would she understand..." Vague finger wiggle. "Fae stuff?"

A shrug. "She's been busy too, right? Wolf stuff. Saving the world, or whatever."

"Those prodigals have Martyr complexes. You'd understand."

"Yeah, she's, like, team leader? Pack leader?"

"But I don't think Lupe hurt May as badly as I did, so... so maybe that can help, like... bridge?"

"Yeah. Good thinking. We can start with her."

"You think Lovecraft or Quetz could, like, dump May's pills down the toilet?"