Nya was overjoyed to find out her parents were alive. She had spent so much time as a child fantasising about having parents, about what they would be like. Kai got her some dolls, and she remembered spending hours playing house with her little fake family.

And now here they were, standing in front of her. Flesh and blood, holding her close, and looking at her with such pride and tenderness.

Of course she was glad they were alive. She wasn't a monster. No one would wish their own parents were dead, well… at least not intentionally. She didn't brag about her status as an orphan, she didn't use it as a badge of honour, a cornerstone of her identity. No, she was happy to learn that it was a mistake.

But still, these people were nothing like her dolls.

She had been so young when they left. She hardly remembered them at all. Kai, well it was different for him. He had been older, he knew them. But for her, they were complete strangers.

It felt similar to fan interactions. When someone came up to her and knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about them. They would enthusiastically start up a conversation, looking at her full of expectations. A one way relationship, that thankfully would normally span just a minute or so.

But this was different. Her parents weren't going to walk out the door with a signed poster never to be seen again. Or at least she really hoped they wouldn't. This could be something, this could last, but right now it was just a couple of strangers, staring at her with expectations, filling her with an awkward anxiety, that maybe she wouldn't be able to meet them. That maybe they wouldn't meet hers.

They had finally found a new home for the reversal blade. A slightly different spot in the boiling sea. They were planning to return later, once Ray and Maya had a chance to craft a new lock mechanism, but that meant getting the forge back up and running. Kai and Nya had more or less abandoned the shop when they moved into the monastery, so it was a bit worse for wear.

Together they worked to clean everything up, and used the time to catch up, get to know each other all over again. Ray was just like Kai, it was kind of scary how similar they were. Ray was a little less energetic than Kai, but that was probably an age thing. Nya kept looking at Kai, imagining a little goatee on his chin, and if he would become even more like their father as he aged.

Maya was, well, a lot. She meant well, and Nya tried to respect it, she really tried, but it felt like she couldn't do anything right! Sweeping the floor, making a bed, laundry, even doing the dishes. Everything she tried to help with, Maya was suddenly there, showing her how to do it properly, how to do it better. She hovered, always looking over her shoulder. It made her feel like a child. And she realised with a sinking heart that Maya still saw her as one.

Technically Nya wasn't 18 yet, but she was old enough to be living on her own, building mechs, fighting evil. She knows she is no domestic Goddess, but that was because she had spent her time developing other skills. Not that any of them were particularly useful in cleaning up the shop.

"It's fine. I don't need your help!" snaps Nya after like the hundredth time that Maya had tried to correct her technique, as if washing windows even needed a technique! But she regrets the words as she catches sight of Maya's disappointed face.

"Sorry… I was just trying to help." Maya scurries out of the room, leaving Nya alone for the first time all day. Alone with her streaky reflection in the window she had been trying to clean. She lets out a sigh seeing misery in her own face, as she tugs lightly at the shirt over her chest.

It was like a Christmas gift that had come 12 years too late. Already grown out of it, no longer useful. "Why now? I wanted your help back then." Nya mutters to herself. And if the reflection showed some water on her face, well that was probably because of how terrible she was at cleaning things. Not anything else.

Dinner was slightly less awkward, Kai being the bridge between them. Filling in conversation, actually able to respond enthusiastically when one of them would say "remember when you used to…"

Nya forced her face to smile, her eyes to jump to the speaker, instead of just staring at her plate like they wanted to. The uncomfortable knot in her stomach had only continued to grow.

Maya gives her a slight frown, and Nya pauses, worried she's done something wrong. Again. Maya licks her thumb and suddenly leans over the table, wiping it across Nya's face.

Nya jumps backwards, knocking her chair over in the panic to get away. She instinctively slips her hand into the pocket where she keeps her concealed kunai, but manages to calm herself slightly before she actually draws it.

A harsh silence settles over the room, conversation abandoned as everyone looks towards Nya.

"Nya, are you ok?" Kai asks after a moment, reaching one hand out towards her.

Nya looks at him, then at Maya, frozen, still leant across the table. She runs her un-pocketed hand over her face, checking it was fine. Her skin crawled. Nadakhan had run his fingers across her face, while he coiled uncomfortably around her, whispering lies and threats into her ear. Saying no one was coming for her, among other things…

"Nya, I'm sorry, I was just… there was some food on your face." Maya to her credit, does sound apologetic.

"Then tell me!" says Nya, clutching at her shirt, while cautiously pulling her hand out of her pocket, leaving the knife behind. She forces herself to take a deep breath and thinks about sitting back down, but all three of them were staring at her, and she just couldn't take it, their scrutiny of her brokenness. "I'm not hungry." she mumbles before turning to go.

"Nya, wait!"

She ignores her mother's plea, and shuts the door behind her.

Nya struts out of the house, but as soon as she is outside she freezes, not knowing where to go. "Argh!" she lets out a frustrated growl before deciding to just sit on the ground and lean up against the house.

She hears footsteps coming closer, probably someone coming to check on me, and then the front door opens.

"Nya? Are you out here?" Thank goodness it was Kai. He lights a flame on his hand, because they hadn't gotten around to fixing the porch light yet.

"Over here." she mumbles from her dark corner, head resting on crossed arms wrapped around her knees.

Kai turns around, catches sight of her and then puts out the fire, letting out a small sigh of relief. He walks over and sits down beside her. "Hey, are you ok?" He sounds concerned, and a little bit confused.

Nya sighs. "I think Zane's right."

"Right about what?"

"I need therapy."

Kai frowns, pausing before answering. "You need therapy? For what? Storming out of dinner with your parents? I think that is pretty typical behaviour for a teenager."

Nya can't help but snort, giving Kai a soft punch in the shoulder. "Yeah. But most teenagers haven't been through what we have… what I have." her voice trails off, barely a whisper.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kai wriggles up closer so their shoulders are touching, his warmth grounding her in the present.

Nya sighs. Did she? "I guess Nadkhan's been on my mind lately." And he had, ever since her conversation with Zane, the thought of him touching Jay… the thought of him touching her… "Jay, well, I know he had it worse, in comparison Nadakhan treated me quite well, and I wasn't his prisoner for nearly as long, but… it still wasn't great." Which was the understatement of the century.

Kai's frown deepens as he thinks through why Maya touching her face had set her off. "Nya… did Nadakhan touch you?" Nya pauses, unsure how to answer. There were so many types of touch, but she's pretty sure she knows which one he was asking about. "Nya?" Kai's voice grows increasingly concerned by her hesitation.

Nya reaches out and grabs his hand. "Not like that," she says quickly, "he didn't rape me. He just… he was going to marry me Kai! He described in great detail what our wedding night would be like. He touched my face, my hands… he saw me naked." She turns away, ashamed by that part. Not even Jay had seen her like that yet. Kai had, when she was much younger, but that was different, there was nothing sexual about making sure your kid sister didn't drown in the bath. "A dress fitting." she clarifies, but more time had been spent without the clothing than with it.

"Oh, Nya…" Kai's arm wraps around her, pulling her close, pulling her head to rest under his chin. Something else gnawed at his mind uncomfortably, what was it she said? Jay had it worse… he didn't rape me… The way she had said it, surely not… Jay was a boy, would Nadakhan even want to? His mind jumps back to the night after they had first told them. Nya being weird about touching Jay as he slept. I don't think he wants to wake up next to someone he can't remember falling asleep with. Kai thinks about asking, but shit. If it did happen, there is no way Jay would want him knowing that. He was probably just reading too much into it. He gives Nya a squeeze, so grateful that she is safe now, so angry at what she'd been through before. So guilty that he hadn't been there to stop it from happening at all.

The door swings open. "Kai, Nya, are you out here?" It was Maya.

Kai lets out a small sigh and gets up, walking towards her, out of the shadows. "Mum, I told you to wait inside."

"Oh thank goodness, there you are! I did wait, but you were taking so long, did you find her? Is she ok?"

Nya stands up and follows Kai, making herself visible in the light from the doorway. "I'm fine. Sorry about freaking out before. I just wasn't expecting it." She forces a small smile onto her face.

Maya looks at her with concern and confusion, still not understanding her reaction. "And you're sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, probably just overtired. I think I'll go to bed early." She pushes her way past, back into the house and heads upstairs to her old room. She hears trails of conversation as she heads on up.

"Kai, what was that? Is she really ok?"

"Just leave it alone ok? She's just going through some stuff, it wasn't your fault. She'll be fine, you don't need to worry."

"I'm her mother, of course I'm going to worry!"

"Worrying isn't going to help her ok? Just give her some space."

"But…"

"Look, I've been doing this for years. I know what I'm doing."

The knot turns in her stomach at hearing them bicker. She didn't want to be the reason that they couldn't get along, but she was glad that Kai had her back.

Nya pushes through the next morning. If Maya had been unbearable before, now she was even worse, asking so many questions, about their past, what missions they had been on, what types of enemies they had to fight. Digging around, looking for whatever trauma had caused her little outburst. Maybe I won't need therapy after all once Maya is done with me!

Nya grows tired of deflecting, of masking, of wasting her time cleaning! She stops scrubbing at the pot she was working on. "Nope. This isn't going to work." she states, a calm washing over her as she makes the decision.

"What's that?" asks Maya from across the room. "You need a tougher scour or something?"

"Nope." says Nya cheerfully as she stands up and leaves the room.

Maya follows her, because of course she does. "Nya honey, what do you mean, where are you going?"

"Home."

"But Nya, this is your home?"

Nya pauses, halfway up the stairs. "This is your home. My home is back at the temple, with the ninja."

"You're leaving?"

"I, I can't do this right now." says Nya as she continues up the stairs, going to collect her things.

"Nya wait!" Maya continues to follow, hovering as Nya grabs things from her room, shoving them in a bag. "Was it something I did?"

Nya pauses what she's doing, letting out a big sigh. She turns to face her mother. "Look, I'm so happy that you and dad are ok. That you're back. I really am, but you were gone for such a long time. So much has happened, and it hasn't been easy…" she clutches momentarily at her shirt.

"But Nya, we couldn't -"

"I don't blame you!" Nya cuts Maya off, not wanting to hear another retelling of their excuse. "I'm not angry at you, it's just… I can't stay here and pretend that we're one big happy family, cause we're not, I don't know you, and you don't know me, I'm not that little girl you left behind." Nya looks up and sees Kai and Ray hovering in the doorway, having heard the commotion. Maya looks absolutely crushed. Nya sighs again. "I want to know you, but, right now, this is too much. I'm not ready." Her mum looks up at her, eyes full of sad understanding. "And the team needs me, Jay needs me, Wu is missing and I can't be sitting here scrubbing pots, when I could be helping, you know?" That part was a feeble excuse, there wasn't much she could do for Wu right now, but she still felt ill at ease knowing the team was in a crisis. She wanted to be there, ready to help, as soon as it was needed.

Maya nods. "I understand. Thank you, for staying as long as you did. It's weird for us too, seeing you all grown up." She rubs a hand over her eyes, but a forced smile rests on her face. "When you're ready, it would be lovely if you could come and visit, or we could visit you?"

"Sure." says Nya with a small grin. "And you could call us, occasionally." Nya emphasises, not wanting it to be every day. "I'll pick you up a Borg phone when we are next in town."

"Does the wall phone not work anymore?" asks Ray.

Kai laughs. "Oh, you really have missed a lot." He turns to Nya, "should I, um, pack my stuff too?"

Nya shakes her head. "Not unless you want to. I know my way back."

Kai nods. "We're getting close on the forge, so I might join you in a couple days."

Nya zips up her bag, all ready to go. Maya holds out her arms for a hug, but waits until Nya gives her a nod before moving in. Ray comes over and wraps the two up. "Come on Kai, you too!" says Maya. Kai rolls his eyes then joins the huddle. It's so warm, so tight. But a comforting squeeze knowing she is surrounded by people who love her.