Seventeen.
Misako's POV.
Garmadon went to teach classes again that morning, leaving me alone with Wu on the Bounty. I felt afraid to speak to him, to say what I needed to say, but I knew what I had to do. Not for me, I kept reminding myself.
For my family. For Lloyd.
We sat together in silence for several moments before I finally got up my nerves. "Wu," I said, "I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About us."
"About...us?" he repeated. "There isn't an...us."
"Yes, I know. That's the point. That's what I needed to say." I looked down, suddenly aware of how very interesting my shoes were. "I know I said some things, when Garmadon was away. Some things maybe I shouldn't have. And I just need you to know that...well, all that's changed now. He is back now, and you can't ignore that."
"I have not ignored it, Misako," he replied, his voice calm. "I made mistakes too. There was a time when I thought you might have feelings for me as I do for you..."
"There was a time when I did," I interrupted. "But that was another time. It was another life. Heck, that was another me, another Misako who didn't have the Chosen One in her care. Who thought there was no hope of Garmadon becoming good again."
"No," he said. "There was never a you who had no hope for Garmadon. You always believed in him, even when he was at his darkest. That was one thing we shared - neither of us were willing to give up on the one we cared about the most. I didn't give up on my brother, and I didn't give up on you, ever."
"I'm glad," I said. "And it's because I cared so much for Garmadon that I can't desert him now, no matter what I might have felt when he was away. You can understand that, can't you?"
He nodded, then, gazing straight at me, he said, "And it's because I care so much for you that I am completely okay with that, no matter what I felt when he was gone. Or what I am still feeling now."
I finally looked back up at him, even smiled a little. "Thank you."
He smiled too. "I want you to be happy, Misako."
"Thank you," I whispered again.
Then, resolutely, I got up to leave. "I'm sorry, Misako," Wu said.
"Don't be," I replied. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me."
"Well, I'm still going to say it."
"As Lloyd would say, we're still cool, right?"
"As Jay would say, oh yeah, totally."
I smiled, and left.
(A/N: Have hope, Wusako fans. This story isn't over yet, you'll see.)