"You should surprise her, you know." She'd just left his side as he sat down in his maintanance bed. She'd turned her back to him and she folded her arms.

He looked at her a little perplexed at her request. The only surprises he was used to was to take the enemy by surprise. He knew that at one time, at least from the pieces and fragments that remained of his memory, he'd surprised those he cared about with gifts, or something he'd say, or an action he'd take. "What do you mean?"

"It's just a suggestion." Juli looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "She's been a little down lately, maybe… making her believe that you're staying behind because of her would brighten her spirits a little."

"But isn't that what I'm doing?" He furrowed his brow at her.

"She doesn't know that." Juli turned around to him fully now, and leaned against a counter in the room. "At least not yet."

"I see."

"So what are you going to do, Jr.?" MOMO asked, her arms full of her belongings as she crossed the room to drop them in a crate. She didn't have much, just a few articles of clothing, toiletries, some books Jr. had given her and several photographs she'd taken and drawings she made both at home and while on board the Elsa and the Durandal in the last year.

"Well, from the looks of it, I think we're going to try to look for this Lost Jerusalem." He said, crossing his arms. He was standing halfway between MOMO's bed and the crate laying on the floor. "It just makes the most sense, I think anyway." He watched as she pulled the pictures from the wall and piled them in her arms. She placed them on top of a stack of books, but he could tell it was a little too much for her to handle. "Let me help you with that!" He offered, but it was too late, the pile of photographs slid onto the floor in one swift movement.

"Oops!" MOMO exclaimed, setting the pile of books down into the crate. Jr. had kneeled down and picked up the mess. He handed them to her and she glanced down. On the top of a pile was a picture she'd taken of herself, her mother and Ziggy taken on Fifth Jerusalem. She was holding the camera herself and barely managed to fit everyone in the photo. It was silly but she liked it. Maybe she'd get someone to take another sometime soon. At that thought, her smile fell slightly. She realized that she had no idea where Ziggy was going to go.

"...So are you going to take Ziggy with you?" She asked. She knew he was technically being loaned to the Kukai Foundation.

"The old man?" Jr. laughed. "To be honest, I don't know. I just assumed he was going to stay with you, but… I guess if he wants to come along, I won't stop him."

"Yeah I guess so." MOMO placed the photos down into the crate. With that her packing was done. She looked around the women's quarters sadly, taking in the surroundings for the last time. "I'm… really going to miss you, Jr." MOMO said meekly.

"Hey." The URTV placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you too. But we still have some time left, so let's make the most of it, alright?"

MOMO wandered down the hallway toward the hangar. There was a party upstairs in the Elsa Bar. She'd spent the last hour there, but she knew something was missing. She'd excused herself, promising to return in a few minutes.

Her sensors confirmed her suspicions. He was down here in his maintanace chair, likely taking advantage of the peace and quiet. She'd not seen him in almost six hours. It had been shortly after they'd arrived on the Dammerung.

The young realian stood at the entrance to the room. He was sitting in his maintance bed and the lights were dimmed, casting heavy shadows on his features that were only highlighted by a light blue glow. She could tell on her sensors that he was most likely asleep, and she felt her heart sink. She stood at the threshold for a few moments before deciding to enter. She was determined to try to spend some time with him, even if he wasn't awake.

She remembered coming to visit him like this several times on the Elsa and the Durandal when she'd visit while living with her mother. She wouldn't do much, just sit beside him, sometimes read something on her connection gear. If he was awake they'd talk a little, never about much. For as long as she'd known him, he'd never been much of a talker. Though he always seemed willing to listen.

She sat down beside him on the floor and rested her head on the side of the machine. His human hand dangled above her. She felt exhausted, but his presence always seemed to calm her. Her eyelids were growing heavy and she felt herself drift off.

"MOMO." A deep familiar voice pulled her back into consciousness. She opened her eyes, remembering where she was. Her neck was aching, likely from the odd position she left herself in. "What are you doing down there?"

She groaned and looked up at him. He had an extremely faint look of amusement on his face. His eyebrow was slightly raised and he was frowning a little less than normal. She remembered the last time she'd seen him like this. She drew a picture of the two of them because she felt his small space on the Durandal could use a little sprucing up. She remembered the last time she visited, it was still hanging there. But it had likely become another part of Abel's Ark and was nothing more than particles floating through space at this point. Maybe she'd draw another one for him sometime.

"MOMO?" He pulled himself forward. "Is there something wrong?"

"No… No." She used the side of the chair to pull herself up and she stretched. "I'm fine. I just came down here to see how you were doing and I guess I fell asleep for a few minutes." She realized that there may not be a sometime, at least in the future. She wish she hadn't packed away her art supplies and taken them to the Dammerung. She didn't know if she'd have the chance to draw him another picture before they parted ways, that was, if that's what was going to happen. She didn't know.

"I… see." He could read the expression on her face as a look of sadness fell over her. "You can tell me if something is wrong."

"Ziggy." She spoke up, her hands tugged at the hem of her skirt, but she kept her head down. "I've been meanting to ask you since we arrived. Um.. what are you going to do now?"

He leaned back into the chair and stared straight forward, frowning pensively. "I don't… know."

"Mommy and I are staying behind on the Dammerung. Jr., Shion, Allen, Mary and Shelly and the Elsa crew are going to look for Lost Jerusalem." She looked up at him, and his line of vision met hers. "That leaves you." She took a step forward and placed a hand on the arm rest of his chair. "Jr. said you could come along if you wanted. But when I talked to Mommy she said wanted you to make the decision about where you wanted to go."

It was strange for him, being given the chance to make a decision about where he'd want to go. "I need some time to think about it." He said.

"A-alright." MOMO nodded. "I guess I'll see you later then." She turned around and returned toward the doorway, but she stopped in her tracks after crossing the distance halfway. She spun around to look at him. "Um… Everyone is up at the Elsa bar. We're having a little party tonight. I'd really love it if you could join us. If you want to, that is."

"Alright. I'll come along." He nodded, pushing himself up out of the seat. "I've gotten sufficient maintenance for the time being."

She clapped her hands together. "Oh! I'm so glad! It's not the same without you, you know!"

He nodded and joined her, walking behind her as she returned upstairs. Once the elevator doors opened, the sound of heavy music and voices could be heard. The smell of curry filled the air from hours before. Ziggy paused and gripped MOMO's shoulder.

"I think… I'll have to speak with Jr." He said.

"...Oh." MOMO looked at him from over her shoulder. "O-okay." Her shoulders slumped and her voice fell.

As the two entered the room, everyone looked toward them. Jr. laughed. "So the old man finally decided to join us!"

"Actually, I wanted to speak with you about something." Ziggy nodded toward MOMO. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Sure…" MOMO looked up at him and nodded before leaving her two friends behind. She looked around the room, and everyone was engaged in conversation except for her mother. Juli was seated in a booth by herself sipping a cup of tea and gazing out the window which had a full view of the city. MOMO approached her and sat down on the opposite seat.

"There you are." Juli smiled. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost."

"I just went to see how Ziggy was doing." MOMO responded. "Actually, I wanted to find out what he wanted to do. But I think he's decided." She glanced over toward him. He and Jr. were engaged in conversation. His arms were at first crossed and then he dropped them to his side. The realian was trying to carefully pick apart his body language.

"And what is that?" Her mother asked.

"I think he's going to stay with Jr." MOMO told her, her voice had become meek.

"Do you really think that's true?" Juli's brow raised.

"Well… I've thought about it. Ziggy said he doesn't know a lot about programming and everything that would need to go into building a new network. He likes to be where he feels useful. If Jr. and the others encountered anything on the way to find Lost Jerusalem he might be feel like he's more of use to them than with us…" Jr. had gestured toward them and then the two looked in their direction. MOMO quickly looked away and focused her attention on her hands. "I don't want him to leave us, Mommy. I'll have to say goodbye to everyone I care about and… and… I don't know what I'll do if I have to say goodbye to Ziggy. He's the first friend I ever made and..."

Juli reached across the table and placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. "MOMO." She said. "No matter what he decides to do, you'll have me by your side."

"Mommy." MOMO feigned a smile and looked up at her, gripping the side of her hand. She sniffed, and blinked back the slightest hint of tears that were forming her her eyes.

"But if you ask me…" Juli said nodding across the room. "I don't think that's the discussion they're having."

"Really? Do you think so?" She wiped at her eyes.

"Call it a hunch, but I'm pretty sure of it." She smiled in the cyborg's direction, and she made eye contact with him for a brief second. She could see the slight change in his expression at that moment from across the room.

"So that's it then." Jr. crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "That's what you've decided."

"Yes." Ziggy nodded.

"I know you'd make the right decision after all." He laughed, and then he grew serious. "Hey old man, promise me something, will ya?"

"What's that?"

Jr's voice grew soft and his posture changed ever so slightly. "Take care of them for me, will you?"

"I promise." Ziggy nodded. "I'll take care of them for as long as I am able to. I don't know how long that will be, but I will do my best."

"I made a promise to Sakura, and… I feel bad that I can't keep it. But" He looked over toward MOMO, who quickly looked away noticing they'd just made eye contact. "I know with you, They'll both be in good hands. I'm happy she'll have someone like you to look out for her. She's really fond of you, you know?"

"Yes. I know…" He frowned and then looked toward MOMO. He could feel his heart sink as he read the saddened expression on her face. She was probably thinking he was talking to Jr. about going to Lost Jerusalem and leaving MOMO behind. He knew this would probably happen, and he wondered if the end result would really be worth it.

"I'm pretty sure by that look on her face, Doctor Mizrahi's pretty fond of you too." Jr. elbowed the cyborg in the ribs. The look on Ziggy's face said otherwise, but the URTV knew he'd hit a soft spot. He laughed then. "Lighten up will ya?"

"I'll try."

"You'd better." Jr cocked an eyebrow at him and then chuckled. "I'm gonna miss having you around old man, even if you were a pain in my ass."

"Likewise." He glanced over toward Juli then, and noticed she was looking at him. There was something about the way that she smiled at him that way that dug at something deep within that couldn't quite put his finger on. He felt strangely uneasy, perhaps even a bit uncomfortable or even vulnerable and those weren't things he liked to feel.

"I'll make sure Captian Matthews and Tony help you move it later, okay?"

"Thank you." He nodded, before glancing toward them again.

"Go on, go have a good time. If you're even capable of it that is." He pushed him in the direction of MOMO and Juli.

With a barely audible groan from under his breath, he made his way across the room to the booth where Juli and MOMO were seated. He stood there for a moment and looked down at the two. MOMO was looking up at him, and he could clearly see that her eyes had become misty and a little red.. His brow softened and he placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling gulity that he didn't just outright tell her from the start. "I've decided what I'm going to do."

MOMO bit her lip in expectation of the worst. She folded her hands in her lap and tightly wrung her skirt. She could feel her heart pounding with anxiety.

"What's that, Jan?" Juli smiled at him, almost knowingly as if they had discussed this very thing previously. Maybe MOMO sensed it, or maybe she didn't.

"I had just asked Jr if it would be alright if…" He paused briefly, feeling MOMO's shoulder tense up. "He could make arrangements to help move my maintance bed to the Dammerung."

It took a second for the words to sink in, and when they finally did, her eyes opened wide. "Ziggy!" MOMO exclaimed wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so happy you'll be staying with us!"

He kneeled and lightly returned the embrace. "I'd made up my mind back when we were on Michtam. I decided if we made it out of there alive, I'd want to stay with you and your mother if I was given the option to decide."

"Then why did you act like you didn't know what you wanted to do?" MOMO pulled away and frowned at him.

"Your mother told me to do it." He frowned at her. "I was only following her orders."

"Mommy!" MOMO pouted at her mother from across the table.

He couldn't deny that he found humor in this situation, even though the act of expressing it was too foreign to him. MOMO moved aside and gestured for him to join. He didn't hesitate and he took a seat beside her. Although he didn't say much for the rest of the evening, he did make sure to spend some time with the others. He knew it might be the last time he'd see them. He realized that night how close all of these people had become. He wasn't sure if he could admit it, but he knew he would miss them.