"She just can't move away like that, with a boy we barely know about."

"You took away her only chance of being happy, father."

"How can you know that?"

Suki heard the voices. Kambei was having a deep conversation with their parents. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Kai is half and half, just like Suki." Said Kambei. "They can understand each other because both their pasts have awful and full of tragedy."

Suki stood up, walked to her door, opened it a crack and leaned against the wall beside it to hear better. She let herself slide to the floor, since she was still half asleep to hold herself up. She felt the drowsiness start to vanish slowly when she blinked several times.

"Kai saved Suki because he loves her." Kambei said.

Suki frowned, a little confused.

"How do you know?" asked Kugamoro.

"Yeah, how do you know?" thought Suki.

"When Suki asked for permission to let me have Poipoider back, I talked to the guy. Gotta say, once he opens up, he's a totally different person. He's not cold, bitter and unfeeling; he's the total opposite. He told me all about how he felt about Suki, his little secret, and how he planned to take Suki to Russia…"

Suki's eyes widened. "He already knew!"

"Mother, Father, I know this is hard for you, but please let her go."

"No." Said Kazumi's voice. Suki noticed that her voice was quivering, like if she was crying. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

"Mother…"

"Kambei, how can you expect us to let her go like that? What about her school?"

"C'mon, I'm sure they have schools over there. Look at it this way; she will be learning another language."

"And her training?"

"Kai has a phoenix bit-beast too, remember? I'm sure that he'll know how to train Suki's Odeon."

"And her friends?"

"She can come visit. It's good because she'll come and stay with us too."

"But she's my little girl…" whispered Kazumi.

"Kai's at Tyson's place right now, preparing himself to leave whenever he's leaving. If she doesn't go, she'll probably not see him again. Let's not mention the places she would see if she went." Kambei paused then he continued. "And finding another guy like Kai… it's almost impossible…"

Suki neared her head to the door.

"It's time for you guys to let Suki spread her wings and fly out of the nest… literally…"

"But she's so young…"

"Dad, I know I'm here because I need my parents' guidance more than anything in this life to succeed. I'm sure Suki had great guiders to let her decide so soon. I need to mature; she doesn't. I bet she's even more mature than me. I'm sure that if she ever needs advice she'll call, or even better, visit us."

There was silence, with the exception of Kazumi's sobs. Then Kambei continued. "Think about it mom and dad. After a while, you learn the difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul. Sometimes you have to accept your defeats with your head up and eyes open."

Suki heard a chair slide against the floor; with that, she closed the door and jumped into her bed. She laid there, looking up at the ceiling; why was Kambei doing everything humanly possible to convince her parents? She heard someone stop outside her door. She covered herself up and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Her door opened, and she felt a presence inside the room, and then she heard a sigh.

"I did what I could." Said Kambei's voice. She felt his presence leave the room and when she heard the door close, she opened her eyes. Why was he helping her? She sat up and threw her legs over the beds edge. She settled her elbows on her knees and then grabbed her hair with both hands. What was going on? Why did Kai tell her brother? She stood up and walked to the door, yawning away the drowsiness that was still upon her. She opened the door and walked out into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw her parents sitting at the table. Her mother offered her breakfast and then when she was finished eating, her father spoke.

"I had a conversation with your brother right now."

"About?" asked Suki.

"He wishes for us to let you go with Kai to Russia."

Suki sat still, waiting for more.

"Now that your brother mentions it, I do believe you acted pretty mature last night. And now that I look back…"

"You had the right to be mad. I mean, I just tell you like…"

"Number one rule of the communication process, do not interrupt the speaker." Said Kugamoro.

Suki raised her eyebrows in amusement. She nodded for her father to continue.

"Sometimes, Suki, we adults do and think stupid things when we're scared. I didn't give you the chance to speak."

"What are you afraid of?" asked Suki.

"Loosing you forever." Said Kazumi.

Suki looked at her.

"I was afraid that if you left, you would forget about us."

"Mother, there is no way I'm forgetting my family. Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but that only makes this family closer, more united."

"I feel I never really got to know the real you. Specially now with that half and half thing you have going on." Said Kugamoro.

"Daddy, that half and half thing I have going on is only one thing in my life. If it was a mistake, I walked into it without asking you guys and I might as well regret it, but I don't. You have known me all along. That cute little girl, so mysterious, the little girl you raised, is still me. The fact that now I'm a half angel-demon-whatever doesn't mean I've changed. I'm still your little girl no matter how old I am. I may hate being babied, but deep inside, it's something I love so much because it shows how much you care for me."

"I know you want to go with Kai. But I'm giving you an opportunity to think about this. If you choose to leave, go ahead. If you stay, go ahead."

Suki stared at her father. Surprise couldn't be helped to show.

"We won't interfere. Think about it. If you need answers, they will be found in your heart. I'm off to work." He added, standing up. He was fully dressed in 15 minutes and then left. Kazumi started clearing the table. Suki stood up and went to the living room. She sat there, looking intently at the Grandfather Clock in the hallway. It read 11:30 am. She stood up again and headed for her brothers room.

"Come in." he said when she knocked.

"Hey." Said Suki.

"GOOD MORNING!" said Kambei, hugging his sister.

"Why did you ask our parents to let me go?" she asked.

Kambei looked at her for a moment before answering. "Cuz, we have to stick up for each other. If we don't, nobody else will."

"It worked." She said.

"It did? Wow, did that take some effort!"

"They want me to choose."

"I suppose you're here to say good bye."

"No. I still have to think about it."

"Why? I mean, you wanted to go, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but now… I don't know."

Kambei looked at her sister more intently. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"Yeah." She said. With that, she turned on her heals and headed for her room.

Closing the bedroom door behind her, she waited for the peace she always felt there to enfold her. She looked around her room. It was the first time she took a really good look at it since they moved in. How many times had the walls been coated with a fresh color of new paint? How many times had the carpet been changed? How many times had the furniture been changed? She closed her eyes, images of different rooms flowing through her mind; all those rooms that once belonged to her.

For years, that room had a special feeling to it, because it wasn't just any room, it was hers. She had grown from a kid to a young woman in that room. It knew all her secrets, all her fears, all her dreams. It had been the place where all her thoughts were free to run. But that day it was just a room. She didn't feel any magical feeling when she entered. And she didn't find the answers she needed in the pictures on her desk, or the row of stuffed animals that rested in a shelf near the ceiling. If you need answers, they will be found in your heart. Her father's words echoed in her mind.

How was she supposed to concentrate on finding answers if all she felt was confusion?

She laid in her bed, looking up at the ceiling. So much she and her family had gone through… and then there was Teletha and Yumiko. She and them had a special bond nobody else could understand. They would be hurt if she left.

Suddenly, she felt she needed to talk to Kai. She picked up the phone at the little night table by her bed and dialed Tyson's number. The phone rang several times before it was answered.

"Hello?" said a mans voice. It must be Ty's grandfather, she thought.

"Hello." She said. "Excuse me; are Tyson and his friends there?"

"Yes meam." Said Tyson's grandfather.

"May I speak to Kai please?"

"Just a second." She heard the phone being set down on a surface and then the old man having a yelled conversation with Tyson.

"TYSON! TELL KAI HE HAS A PHONE CALL!"

"HE PROBABLY HEARD YOU!"

"TELL HIM ANYWAY!"

Suki smiled. She began to laugh softly when she heard Tyson scream "KAI! GRANDPA SAIS YOU GOTTA PHONE CALL!"

She heard laughter on the other side; it was probably the rest of the Blade Breakers. Then the phone was picked up. "Hello?" it was Kai's voice.

"Hey, it's Suki." She said.

"Oh, hey, I was just going to call you."

"You were?"

"Yeah, listen. My grandfather wants me back by tomorrow morning." He said. "So I'm leaving tonight."

All of a sudden Suki felt a big amount of pressure sweep over her.

"Have you thought about my offer?" He whispered into the phone.

"Actually," she said, taking a deep breath, "That's what I called to talk to you about."