He didn't need daylight to run the longest, hardest trail. Scott knew these paths in the minutest detail and he pushed himself hard. Along the beach, looping back up through the jungle and up the roughest side of the volcano.

Slipped a few times – he wasn't dressed for running, and he knew that he'd be chucking his shirt and probably his pants away afterwards. Scott knew he really wasn't concentrating hard enough to be running here at past midnight. Thankfully the moon was bright and the skies clear.

At the very top of the peak was the ledge he was aiming for. By the time he reached it the sweat was pouring and he was comfortably breathless.

Scott sat on the ledge looking out over the ocean. It wasn't wide enough for him to hug his legs as he would have liked, so he just let them dangle. He couldn't see the villa in the dark, but he knew where it was. Instead, he concentrated on the moonlight reflecting off the ocean and getting his breathing under control.

In the silence he could hear the gentle lapping of the waves on the beach. And he just

Breathed.

No thought.

Just the moment.

He closed his eyes and a memory to wash over him.

'Daddy, why were you and Momma fighting?'

'Because your Mother is tired and the baby makes her more emotional than usual. But mostly because your Daddy was an idiot.'

'Why? What did you do?'

'I had to go to an important big party and I wanted to take your Mom, but she's not feeling well enough at the moment'

Momma had been very tired with this baby. She'd even had to spend some time in the hospital. Scott had tried his best to help out and keep John and Virgil occupied, but he was at school most of the time.

'Why were you an idiot?'

'I should have said no and stayed with you all.'

'But you said it was important.'

'It was, but nothing is as important to me than your Momma and you boys. Scotty, sometimes the world is going to ask you to do things which seem important but may cause your family to hurt, and sometimes when that happens it is not always easy to see what is really important.'

'And what's important?'

'That you never do anything to make your family feel like they cannot trust you.'

'I trust you, Daddy.'

'Thank you, Son. That means a lot.'

His Mom had locked his Dad out of their room, and Jeff ended up with Scott that night. It wasn't until years later that he came to understand what his father had really meant.

The words resonated tonight and he frowned.

Scott growled. He'd come out here, angry with her for not telling him, but really, he was angry with himself.

Kayo hadn't trusted him.

Why? Where had he failed? Where had he failed her?

Once those thoughts came other emotions bubbled to the surface, and with them came the pain and the tears.

He missed his parents. Even now it caused physical pain.

He needed them so much. Especially now. But there was nothing he could do about that. All he could do was muddle through the best he could.

His best wasn't good enough, evidently.

And Scott sat on the top of Mount Tracy and wept the night away.