Missions, public appearances, interviews and even more missions have been keeping Cole busy.

Which was good, because it meant less time to overthink, but really it is slowly taking a toll on the black ninja.

Again, last evening, after a rescue-mission, then an Interview for some magazine, and then the birthday party of some politician, Cole didn't even know, he just immeadiatly went to bed, where he fell asleep in an instance.

Cole was long done caring about his friends worried expressions, after they, like every evening now, invite Cole to come watch a movie or play a game with them and Cole, like every evening now, just abdicates and goes straight to bed.

He was tired and strained. Stressed. Probably some sort of depressed, but what does he know?

All he wanted was peace and quiet.

So he remembers, his last thoughts before drifting off to sleep last evening were, how glad he was Lloyd cancelled sunrise training the next day.

Even more he was surprised, as he woke up to his friends singing at him.

He blinked and needed a few seconds to realize, that they were singing "Happy Birthday".

Shit.

That was something he had completely forgotten about in all this chaos.

His own, 20th Birthday.

Cole groaned and pulled the blanket over his head, covering his ears.

Still he couldn't help being flattered, that they hadn't forgotten.

Damn, he loved them so much.

Yet, it also hurt.

This day always does hurt.

As a kid, like every kid, Cole loved his birthday.

And then, after his mother's death, he detested any day that demanded him being (acting) happy and grateful.

When there was nothing, no one, left, he could be happy about.

His dad understood, as he felt the same, of course.

And his friends, the ninja... that was the reason he never told them, when exactly his birthday was, but of course they had found out over the years.

The singing stopped and his friends started laughing.

"Come on, buddy. It's your birthday!", Kai tried to cheer him up, Cole only huffed.

He was tired, yet he knew, no amount of sleep would help get rid of this tiredness.

It was a mental one.

That were the most horrible ones.

Due to Cole having the blanket pulled over his ears, his feet weren't covered anymore, and as he felt some finger tickling one of them, he appeared from his poor chosen hiding spot.

"Uh, thanks?", he mumbled. "But as you know, I don't uh really... celebrate.."

Kai ruffled his already messy hair. "So what? You can never say no to cake and presents"

He had a point, and Cole hated it.

But he finally got up and went to open his curtains and window.

For a second he was embarrassed standing in only his PJs in front of his friends.

Nothing they hadn't seen him in before but...

"I'll go get dressed", he said and went into the bathroom down the hall, after randomly grabbing any thing from hiw wardrobe.

As he went down into the kitchen, in green pants and an orange sweater he slowed down, as he heard the ninja talking, his name being mentioned.

They were sitting around the table, which was overloaded with cake and wrapped presents.

Cole gulped, feeling ashamed eavesdropping them, but then...

"Should we tell him?", Kai.

"Hmmm, it will only ruin his mood", Jay.

"Pff, what I have seen and noticed - his mood is already ruined. Since WEEKS", Lloyd.

Like this, the conversation went on.

Cole had enough.

"Tell me what?", he asked, trying to sound light and careless.

He was trembling, his heart pacing.

Zane was the first to react.

He gave him a warm smile and handed him a plate, filled with his favorite cake - chocolate, obviously.

"Happy Birthday"

Cole took it and sat down at his usual spot on the long side of the table, next to Jay.

The room went quiet.

Cole didn't touch his cake.

Jay finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Your father called", he blurted out, earning a hard nudge in his side from Nya.

Cole was glad, he hadn't started to eat his cake yet.

He would have only choked on it now.

Well... choking seemed like a better death, than a heart attack.

And his heart started aching just like one.

"He... what did he want? Did you pick up?", he asked.

For a second he wasn't sure he had even said it out loud as every one just kept staring at him blankly.

They were probably debating, if it was still worth calling an ambulance or a hearse.

Finally, again, Zane spoke up. "He wanted to come over. For your birthday."

Now, Cole was glad about the cake.

He stuffed his mouth with it.

"Cole?", Kai asked, reaching over the table, holding his shivering hands.

"He didn't even mention Sabrina. Maybe... maybe wants to.. talk... about things"

Cole couldn't answer - his mouth was full, duh.

So he took another bite. Too bad, too bad.

"We told him, you will call him back", Lloyd said, gently, sharing a look with Kai.

That was bad, Cole was very pale. Did they do anything wrong? But it was good! Lou wanted to come over, that was good. A start to a clearing conversation, Lloyd thought.

"So, will you call him back?", he asked carefully.

Cole pulled his hand, Kai was still holding, back.

They could see it in his eyes.

First there was horror. His dad had been calling.

Then there was some sort of thought progress going on.

Questions. Why did he call? What does he want?

Does he...? Then there was hope.

Will he apologize? Was this all a bad dream?

Now?

Now his eyes went blank. Zero to none expression.

Empty.

And the ninja could tell, Cole had, again, managed to push his feelings away, laid them off like shedded skin, and became a functioning shell.

A shadow of himself.

"Oh, you had bought me gifts! That wasn't necessary", he said with a full mouth, but before he could reach for the nearest one, Kai took it away.

"Stop it, buddy"

"What do you mean?"

"This. We have been giving you your freedom. We have been leaving you alone, as you asked for it. But enough is enough, and we can't take it no longer. Watching you act like this. You don't eat enough, you don't sleep enough. Your free time you spend in your room, lights out, curtains closed.

And all that "only" because your father chose to act like a d*ck?! What happened to the Cole we know? What happened to the confident, happy, social Cole?

We miss him. Does this seem familiar to you?

We miss you, just like you miss your dad. Seems unfair, huh?"

Cole was starstruck.

Kai was onto something, of course. He was dead inside since weeks and it is slowly starting to affect his surroundings.

They are his friends, brothers, of course they suffer with him.

Of course the miss him.

He misses them too.

And his dad.

And himself.

Cole took another bite, and felt his stomach tighten.

Wether it was from eating too fast or the fact, that he will do... it.

Enough is enough.

Cole sighed.

And got up to call his father back.