"Dad."

The older man blinked away the tears his eyes held and instead twinkled with warm for his daughter before gathering her in his awaiting arms "life has been cruel, hasn't it, princess?"

Jade could only hold him closer as tears trickled down her face. He wiped them away before stepping back "You've surely grown without me" he whispered.

"Well, the last time I saw you, I was nine" An ounce of humour fought to be shown by her light banter but the truth of the situation still lurked beneath her words. 

Eric smiled sadly "I'm sorry, princess."

"It wasn't your fault" She shook her head.

Eric nodded his head as he stared into his daughters eyes "You're part of the fighters, the dreamer, the percentage that dare to run forwards not to escape the life that finds them, but instead, embrace the life thats chosen them...You need to wake up..."

"What...?"

"You can't be here, Jade."

"No, I don't want to leave. I'm not leaving." Her voice cracked

Eric only held her small hand reassuringly "You have people waiting for you, on the other side."

"But I just got you back...." Tears flowed from her eyes "I can't leave"

Her father held her gaze "Jade, Live"

Jade stared into his eyes as tears left her own. She always wanted to meet her father once again, even if it were just for a moment – Maybe this was that one moment.

But that's all it was.

A single moment that left a bitter-sweet taste on her heart. 

Swallowing all her pain she finally spoke "Help me,"

"Close your eyes and count to three" he whispered, she only stared at him — unable to shut her eyes "Close your eyes, Jade. In order for you to wake up, you need to fall asleep."

She etched his features into her mind, trying to remember exactly what he looked like. Warm eyes that said home, one kind smile that made her feel like she was a naive child again, and the same slight grey tinge through a head of dark blonde. And with one last glimpse she whispered "Till next time, dad" and closed her eyes.

Within seconds her mind delved into tiredness. But not without hearing the whisper of a slight "Love you, Princess" in the distance. 

*

*

*

"Higher!" I squealed "Lift me higher, Daddy!"

Eric chuckled at my commanding tone "Okay, Captain!" before lifting me even higher into the air as I laughed harder — after a while of playing he finally set me down.

"Daddy?"

He sat down on the grass beside me "Princess."

"Do you think I can be strong like you?" I asked with wide eyes. My seven year old gaze, as inquisitive as ever.

Eric's eyebrows creased "Of course."

''Really?''

He smiled "Yes. You'll be the strongest Fighter in the Divisions."

"How are you so sure?"

He leaned closer with the same kind smile he held every time he'd see me or Tann "because you are half of your mother and me"

My smile widened "So I am going to be big and strong?"

"I have no doubt that you will be just that. Now, back to the game. Close your eyes"

"Okay!" I exclaimed happy "I'll close my eyes, but you have to hide really quickly because I might skip some numbers"

Eric chuckled at the little girls antics "Isn't that cheat-"

"One! Two! Four! Seven!" I interrupted him, before shutting my eyes. I peeked in between my fingers only to see him walking away — his back faced me. A smile crept onto my face "Ready or not here I come!"

Our laughs echoed throughout the trees and travelled through my ears for hours...the best moments are the ones that make you sad, I didn't understand it at that time.

...but I understand it now.

*

*

*

And just like that the flashback ended.

Jade felt her fathers warmth disappear before hesitantly opening her eyes, a part of her was expecting to see him standing there and another part of her expected to see nothing.

Her heart sunk as she fully opened her eyes to see the later option. Just familiar trees and bright flowers of all kinds creating a canvas filled with her favourite colours. How odd it felt as though she had been here before...that's when she finally realised — this was the forest behind her house, the very forest that she grew up with.

A stray tear escaped her eye.

Before Jade could even take another step her limbs suddenly became numb.

Her body fell towards the forest floor — screwing her eyes shut she prepared herself for the impact that never came. Thoroughly confused Jade opened her eyes once again, but this time she laid on top of wooden floors inside of what seemed to be an empty house with no furniture.

Looking down she realised that the colour of her clothes changed.

This time, instead of wearing a long white dress, it was pale blue — she made her way through the halls, trying to figure out where she was.

The dress she wore made it hard to walk, since it was so long – As she turned around and continued to enter what seemed to be a spacious yet empty room Jade's dress got caught underneath her foot causing her to plunge forward only to be caught by a pair of arms.

"You're as clumsy as me." the melodic voice whispered

Jade felt tears in her eyes, her head swiftly turned around "Mother...?"

"Darling" the familiar women whispered with happy tears

Not even five seconds later she embraced her mother in one swift motion "I missed you so much "

"I missed you too, Jade."

Jade stepped back to look at her "...You're going to tell me to give you up, like dad, aren't you?"

"Giving up and letting go are two very different things." Her mother voiced, her hand stroked the side of Jade's face "We need you to live."

"Why can't I stay?" She whispered roughly "Why did you and him have to die?"

Lalani brought Jade into one last embrace before letting go of her "Parents don't out live their children, Jade..."

"Maybe it can be different this one time"

Her mother kissed the top of her head, lingering there for a moment before pulling back "For you, my darling. We have to let you go, so that you can live. You have to live."

"I need to close my eyes again, don't I?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Lalani nodded solemnly "I'm afraid so"

"mom" she whispered before remembering her face — making sure to never forget this moment.

Lalani smiled gently at her daughter "I love you too, Jade...you'll always be my little girl no matter what - now close your eyes before I change my mind, I don't have much fight left in me" she let out a small chuckle as Jade smiled at her mother's antics.

They were similar in that sense to say the least. But she also got her stubbornness from her mother so it would be useless to argue against her. 

Slowly and hesitantly Jade shut her eyelids.

*

*

*

"What if I'm not good enough to be a Division Leader, mommy?" I asked, only being eight at the time, this seemed like the largest problem ever.

Lalani snuggled against my hair "Trust me, darling. You will be good enough."

We sat on a lounge chair in front of a fireplace "Will you still love me, even if I don't get in?"

"I will still love you, no matter what."

I smiled happily before jumping off her lap but lost my footing and started to trip forward — screwing my eyes shut I prepared myself for impact but it never came. Slowly I opened my eyes only to see my mother smiling down at me in her warm embrace.

"You need to be more careful"

I offered her a toothy grin "Well then it's lucky that I'll always have you to catch me, right mommy?"

Lalani smiled brightly in return"Right."

*

*

*

Jade opened her eyes as soon as the flashback ended, again she was met with nothing, now realising that the empty house that she was in was actually her childhood home. This time her surrounding's completely changed.

Instead she stood on what seemed to be a rooftop.

She didn't need a flashback to know this place, this place was the Division Headquarters. Somewhere that her parents kept close to their hearts, since it was always so peaceful and secluded from everyone else.

Jade looked down at her clothes to finally see that she wore a white and blue dress, a combination of the colours she wore before in beautiful patterns. Her eyes searched, anticipating the arrival of someone.

"I thought I told that bastard to take care of you..."

And just like that, her breathing hitched, tears welled and the sound of his voice made her heart ache — before anyone could possibly count to five she turned around swiftly to meet his worried gaze.

"Tanner..."