When the next day came, Silv couldn't find the courage to face all the impending goodbyes, so instead of joining Justin for breakfast, she decided to hide out in the control room.

Her heart was breaking at her cowardice. However, she thought it would be much better to cut things at the root. To just leave the planet as well as all the humans behind.

"There you are," Justin said, walking into the room.

Since he didn't try to teleport in, Silv knew he was aware of what she was doing, that she was avoiding him.

"I've been looking for you all over the ship," Justin said.

"Why?" Silv asked more harshly than she intended, crossing her arms.

"You missed breakfast," Justin said, unsure of how to address the clearly angry woman.

"Oh," Silv said, relaxing her posture.

"I thought you might be avoiding me for some reason," Justin said.

"What gave you that idea?" Silv said snappily. "It's not like you just up and left me standing there like an idiot when I told you that I will have to leave the planet behind," Silv said.

"Oh," Justin said, scratching his head sheepishly.

He was clearly embarrassed, but Silv wasn't sure why. After all, many people weren't good at saying goodbye to their friends. The fact that he was actively looking for her was the part that she found strange.

"I am sorry," Justin said, lifting his gaze.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I just thought I would make things easier for you," Silv said.

"What do you mean?" Justin asked, furrowing his brow.

"I will relieve you of my presence so it won't be much different for you when I am gone. It'll be like I was never here," Silv said.

"When you leave? Like you were never here? What are you talking about?" Justin asked, clearly confused.

"Isn't that what's happening here? You ran away so that you don't have to deal with messy goodbyes," Silv said.

"What?" Justin asked, his eyes dilating in shock.

His posture changed as he stiffened in surprise.

"Is that what you think of me after all this time?" Justin asked.

"What am I supposed to think? You left without saying a word to me!" Silv snapped.

"Okay, I am sorry about that. That was a stupid thing to do," Justin said, shifting closer to her.

"Then why did you do it?" Silv asked, frustrated.

"I had to talk with my family before I could promise you anything," Justin said.

"Promise me what?" Silv asked.

"To go with you," Justin said.

The determination in his eyes was something Silv had never seen before, and all she could do was stare at the man in front of her. She couldn't understand that what he was telling her was real, that he actually wanted to go with her.

"That is if you want me to go," Justin said, misinterpreting her silence.

"Of course I want you there!" Silv exclaimed, finally snapping out of her daze.

"You do?" Justin asked, unsure of himself for the first time.

"Yes, but I didn't think anyone would want to go with me. I mean, I have to do it, but you don't. You have a choice," Silv said.

"No, I don't. I go where you go," Justin said, taking her hand in his.

It felt to Silv that he was making a much deeper promise than it appeared on the surface, and she wasn't sure how that made her feel.

"As long as you want me with you," Justin added.

Not knowing what to say, Silv pulled him into a long, comforting hug as her worries and sadness melted away in his warm arms.

"Can we come in now?" Jack asked impatiently.

The little guy was standing in the doorway shuffling from one foot to another, unable to stand still.

"Yes, you can," Justin said, laughing at his little brother's impatience.

Jack was closely followed by his family, who were far more hesitant to interrupt than the little boy was.

Only when the others started shifting their gazes left and right did Silv realize that Justin and her were still engaged in an intimate embrace.

"Ahem, what's all this?" Silv asked, abruptly ending the embrace.

"A farewell party," Joe said, pulling a cake from behind his back.

"Did you just make that up?" Silv asked as she was not familiar with those types of parties.

"As a matter of fact, no. It was something your grandmother told me about. In the old world, when someone was leaving a job or a city, they used to throw them a farewell party. She insisted that those always had to have cakes," Joe said.

A tear slipped down Silv's face, but she wiped it away quickly and smiled brightly at the four humans who had managed to become part of her family in such a short time.

"Well, thank you for doing that for me," Silv said.

"I wrote on the cake! Do you like it?" Jack said, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I love it! Thank you," Silv said.

"You're welcome. In exchange, when you come back, can you bring me a star?" Jack asked.

"Well, I am not sure those are easy to come by, but I'll be sure to get you something from Wir Eis's planet," Silv said.

"Awesome!" Jack exclaimed.

Silv was glad to see that Jack wasn't like any other children she had seen before. He wasn't the well-behaved robot that the Government had made the other children into. He had too much life for that.

"I would love to see his planet! Can I come with you?" Jack asked.

"No, you can't," Joe said quickly.

"Why not? Justin gets to go! Why can't I ever do anything fun?" Jack asked.

"Because I have an important job for you here, on this planet," Justin said.

"What is it?" Jack asked, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

"I need you to protect grandpa and the others when Jamie goes on missions," Justin said seriously.

"I can do that," Jack said, puffing up his chest.

"I am counting on it," Justin said, ruffling his brother's hair.

"Well, I guess I'll have to be the hero, to take all the glory for saving the human race," Jamie said dramatically.

"Just don't let all the glory go to your head. It's already big as it is," Justin said jokingly.

"I'll try not to. You be careful not to become an alien snack!" Jamie said, smiling teasingly.

"Oh, you know me, I am every alien's worst meal," Justin continuing with a teasing tone.

"Alright, alright, you two, you need some banter left for when Justin comes back," Joe said.

Silv puts her hair behind her ear, shifting from one foot to another.

"You are coming back, aren't you?" Joe asked, seeing her discomfort.

"I think so, but I don't know when or how. I mean, I am not even sure how far away their planet is," Silv said.

"Well, whenever you do come back, you are welcome," Joe said.

Silv could tell that he was worried, but being anxious didn't solve any problems, so he shoved it at the back of his mind to be dealt with later.

"Take care of my boy, will you?" Joe said, hugging Silv goodbye.

"I will," Silv said.

"Grandpa," Justin grumbles awkwardly.

Then Joe proceeds to embrace him as well.

"Do you have to go so soon?" Jack asked.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we'll come back," Justin said.

Jack grinned at that and then proceeded to jump into his brother's arms for a final goodbye.

When all the goodbyes were said and done, Silv, Justin, and Arthur were the only ones left in the control room contemplating what the future might hold for them.

"Evanescence, are all the other humans off the ship?" Silv asked.

"Affirmative. The small human tried to hide in the docking bay, but Wir Eis found him and carried him to his grandfather," Evanescence said.

"Figures," Justin said smiling with exasperation at his brother's antics.

"Are all the Nei Eis on board now?" Silv asked.

"Affirmative," Evanescence said.

"Okay, then take us to space," Silv said, sitting at the controls.

Though Silv wouldn't be the one controlling the ship's trajectory, she had to be connected as it would boost the ship's functions and make navigation easier. Thus, Silv agreed to be joined for the more challenging parts of the journey, including the take-off.

"To the infinity and beyond!" Arthur exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, what's all that about?" Silv added.

"It doesn't matter, my mistress would have understood," Arthur said with what was eerily similar to pouting.

And off they went towards the skies. They went beyond the snowflakes that never seemed to fully seize and up into the dark abyss of beauty and fear that awaited them beyond the planet that was their home.

THE END