***You guys recognize this song from Toy Story 2? Or am I the only one who used to watch those movies? ;)

Also, in case you haven't noticed, I double space flashbacks. For music lines, I double space and place the line in quotation marks.***

***(Nya's POV; song for this chapter: "When She Loved Me" by Katelyn Lapid)***

"Have you found anything yet?" I ask Cole.

We've been searching the electrical plant for three hours now – the police think this is a pretty important situation – but so far, all we've found are some wiring issues. The engineer who works down here claims several of his plans were tampered with or missing. We have no proof, though. It seems that no fingerprints have been left anywhere.

What I wouldn't give for the master of lightning – electricity – to be around to help us.

I sigh worriedly. I really hope Jay's okay. It hurts to think he's feeling bad.

Plus, if he doesn't get better soon, I know all the extra time I spend around him is just going to break our hearts more. It's hard: I'm falling for someone a little more every day, and I can't indulge that feeling.

What's even worse is knowing that Jay's heart is going to be scarred through all of this. He doesn't want to let me go, and he won't be able to if we're always around each other.

"Hey, are you listening?" Cole asks.

I look up. "Um, no. Sorry."

"It's fine," he shrugs. "I was just commenting on how interesting it is that there aren't any footprints. You'd think that there would be something, if an intruder really had broken in – the engineer we were talking to says it's usually only him who comes in here, and he's in a wheelchair."

I nod. "So unless somebody doesn't have feet – or somebody can fly, which honestly wouldn't surprise me – then no one broke in."

"Exactly."

I think. "Most of the villains we've faced are in prison. Harumi, Chamille, Ultraviolet, Seliel's dad...quite a few of the serpentine. Skylor's dad and Garmadon are in the Cursed Realm."

"You wouldn't know them," Cole says, "but Chen's henchman Clouse is in the Cursed Realm, too. And Kai said Sensei Yang died down there."

I nod. "Okay, so that's everybody whom it can't be."

"Maybe it's just a low-level thug?"

"To make this clean of a break-in? I doubt it. Think, Cole. Which villains don't have feet? I mean, there was Nadakhan, that one guy who was working with the Sons of Garmadon. He got away. And we always have Ronin, who could probably build some flying contraption and break in."

He wrinkles his forehead in concentration. "I think that'd be everyone, right? Except maybe one of the serpentine?"

"Yeah. Or it could be some menace we've never met before. Or it could just be that the engineer is going a little nuts. Who knows?" I run a hand through my dark locks. "We should get back to the monastery. Jay's been there on his own for a while now."

Cole studies me. "Do you want the night off of watching him?"

"I've got this. We're good friends." And more. "He needs me."

"Nah, it's not just that," Cole smiles. "It's okay to admit that – "

"There's nothing to admit. I'm going to find Lloyd and ask him if we can go yet." I rush off to find my former best friend.

It's not hard. He's standing right behind me, so I run into a solid wall of muscle.

His hands grasp my shoulders as he steadies me. "You good down there?"

"When somebody loved me,

Everything was beautiful.

Every hour spent together

Lives within my heart."

I extract myself from his grip. "Just fine," I bite out. "Can we go now?"

"Um, yeah, in a bit. Eager to get back?"

I cross my arms. "Yeah." Why does he have to pretend we're still friends? We don't need to make small talk and pretend to be civil.

"And when she was there,

I was there to dry her tears.

And when she was happy, so was I

When she loved me."

"Okay," he says. "Um, I rode my motorcycle, so if Cole, Zane, and Kai want to finish up here, I can go ahead and drive you."

I stare him down for a moment. Does he really think I want to be stuck with him for half an hour? In the past, I would've loved it, but now?

"Through the summer and the fall,

We had each other, that was all.

Just she and I together,

Like it was meant to be."

For Jay, though...

I relent, nodding my head. "Okay. Let's get out of here."

"Let me call the guys together and tell them how we'll finish up," he says. "You can go ahead and wait outside, if you want."

"Thanks," I snap, jogging toward the door. As soon as I'm outside, I take in a huge breath, enjoying the warm air of the summer afternoon.

The door to the monastery swings open, revealing a disheveled Lloyd. His eyes look wild and slightly unfocused. I'm immediately on high alert.

"Lloyd, what happened?" I ask urgently.

He stumbles forward. "Nya, we need to talk." His speech is slurred, and a scent that's always been foreign to him wafts my way.

Alcohol.

"Lloyd! You said you'd never drink while underaged!" I whisper-shout. It's a good thing Misako's in the basement doing research, or he would be in so much trouble.

"Come with me onto the deck. Please?"

Alarm bells go off in my head. I can hear Kai's lecture now. However, this is my best friend, and I can take care of myself. Even if I did theoretically need help, Jay's still awake in the kitchen. Zane and Cole wouldn't be long behind him, either.

"What did you do?" I ask, forcing my voice to remain even. Now that we're outside, I close the door behind us.

"Rumi's party was still in full swing. I decided I could use a little liquid encouragement."

All right, now I can't help but get angry. "You could've spilled our whole plan to Harumi! Are you nuts?"

"It's your fault! My life is falling apart. I'm supposed to be taking care of the team, to be the strong one, to protect my friends. But Wu disappeared, Kai's a mess, Skylor's in a coma. My girlfriend has been cheating on me with darkness during our entire relationship, and I never knew! And where has my best friend been? She's been falling for another guy! I needed you, and you weren't there for me! Tell me, truthfully, if you" – he swallows as if it's painful to speak – "love Jay."

But I can't answer. I can't break Lloyd's heart, but I can't break Jay's, either.

He points an accusatory finger at me. "You do love him. That means you don't love me!"

"Lloyd, you're drunk. You should get some rest." I try to push him toward the door, but he shoves me off.

Lloyd is...strangely terrifying when he's not in his right mind.

"You ready to go?" he asks.

I blink and look over to see him donning a motorcycle helmet. "Um, yes. I'm ready." I need to make sure Jay's all right.

We get situated and drive off into the evening light. It's around dinner time now, so I imagine Jay will be looking for food. If he's hungry, that is.

And I'm almost sure he won't have anyone to take care of him until I'm back. Misako's at the monastery, but she's usually absorbed in her research. Isn't that what happened the night Lloyd betrayed us? She never knew because she never paid attention to him.

"What did you think of the power plant?" Lloyd eventually asks me over the breeze.

I try not to hug him tighter at the chill bumps that prick my arms. It may be a warm night, but the wind still gets me.

"And when she was lonely,

I was there to comfort her,

And I knew that she loved me."

"I don't know," I confess. "Cole said either there wasn't a break in, or whoever snuck inside wasn't using their feet. There were no prints."

"And the whole operation was smooth – no evidence, barely any proof that items were tampered with. It's so clean, it makes us wonder whether there was a crime at all."

I nod, opting not to give Lloyd the benefit of words. I don't want him thinking we can just go back to the way we were. We really can't go back to anything.

But I would still die for him at a moment's notice.

I sigh heavily. I really do wish things could be different, but I can't do relationships anymore. Too many risks to other people.

"...Lonely and forgotten,

Never thought she'd look my way.

And she smiled at me and held me

Like she used to do,

Like she loved me

When she loved me.

When somebody loved me,

Everything was beautiful.

Every hour spent together

Lives within my heart,

When she loved me."

Before I know it, we're pulling into the monastery. I'm off the bike in an instant and running for the doors. I push my way through and rush down the hall to my room.

Jay's sitting in my bed, looking worried.

But he's okay.

"Hey," I greet, walking in. "Feeling better?"

His eyes light up with relief and happiness. "You're back! I – I was really concerned about you."

I sit at his feet. "We're all fine. Are you hungry now?"

"Yeah, but...I can make my own food. I'm sure you're tired from the mission."

I shrug. "I was more concerned about how you were doing alone. Don't worry, I've got dinner covered."

"I...but...I want to spend time with you. And I'm not feeling that bad."

"You were earlier, though. What would you like to eat?"

"Um...I don't know. Mashed potatoes are my comfort food. But you don't have to make them," he says, eyes guilty.

"Don't feel bad, Jay. I'll be back in a jiff." I walk into the kitchen and grab a jumbo bag of potatoes, selecting several small ones. After filling a pot with water, I begin heating it on the stove. I then proceed to peel each potato and cut them into chunks.

I hear feet padding out and recognize the sound of Jay's steps.

I sigh. "Will you please go lay down?"

"No," he says quietly. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I turn to see he has the most tortured look on his face.

I cringe, taking his arm. "Go sit down on the couch, buddy. I'll get you some more pain medicine."

"I-I don't feel sick anymore."

"You look like it." I settle him on the sofa in the nearby TV room. "I'll be right back."

"Nya..." He gives me that guilty look again.

"Shh," I whisper, rubbing the base of his neck. "Don't worry so much. I'm happy to take care of you, Jay."

"I...I'm exploiting that, though."

"No, you aren't." I give him a quick hug. "I'm going to get you some medicine." On my way to Sensei Wu's cabinets, I pour the potato chunks into the now bubbling water and place a lid on the pot, setting a stove timer for myself.

I finally arrive at our former master's rooms. He's been missing ever since this February. Well, actually, we know where he is. We just can't get him back. He ended up traveling realms to retrieve Jay's birth mom from what we've now identified as the Underworld. However, during that exchange, he got stuck in that realm.

We just learned from Zane a month ago that Wu had told him of his intentions to leave. Apparently, our sensei didn't want us coming after him, so he only told Zane what he planned to do.

So right now, we're kind of stuck without a master. As soon as the school year's over, we're finding a way to get to him, whether he wants us searching for him or not.

Seliel looks up at me from her bed. She took over Wu's room when he left. That's another reason for me to run away: Once Wu comes back, she's moving into my room. And I have a feeling us as roommates would be...less than stellar.

"Hey," she greets, setting an open book down in her lap. "Why are you here?"

"I'm finding medicine for Jay. He's sick."

She sputters a laugh. "Sick? No way. He was up and moving while you were gone. I heard him in the kitchen less than an hour ago."

"That doesn't mean he's not sick, Sel. It means he needed something."

She shrugs. "I still don't think he's sick."

"And I still don't think you're right."

"I don't care. That doesn't affect my opinion that he's perfectly healthy." She yawns and stretches. "We should hang out. I'm bored."

"Jay needs someone to watch out for him." I riffle through the room's cabinets. "He gets really scared when he's sick."

She sighs. "I guess leg injuries just don't get the same treatment. When's Cole getting back? Or Zane. I feel like I can actually have an intelligent conversation with him."

I try not to let myself get riled at her jabs. I know they mean nothing.

"Not gonna respond to that, huh?" she asks.

I say nothing, finally retrieving a bottle of sedatives. I toss Seliel a wave, grab a bottle of water from the kitchen, and head for the TV room.

Jay looks miserable. He's sprawled across the couch when I come in.

"Open wide, buddy," I say soothingly.

"Nya, I don't need medicine."

"You're obviously feeling off. Just take these? For me? And then I'll get you some food, and we can head back to my room or stay in the TV room or...whatever you want."

He gives me that pained look. "You're sure?"

"Of course."

He opens his mouth, and I pop each pill in, then help him down a little water. He looks slightly disgusted by the medicine's flavor, but then, this is Jay. He hates medicine.

"Good job," I congratulate him. "What would you like to do?"

"Just stay in here and watch a movie," he sniffles. "I really love you."

I rub his arm comfortingly. "Hang tight a moment, okay? I'm going to go check the progress of the potatoes."

He starts to say something, then decides against it and buries his face in the couch.

Aww, poor guy. He must really not be doing well.

***(Jay's POV)***

I feel unusually sleepy.

I try not to let my head lull on Nya's shoulder. "Hey, what medicine did you give me?" I yawn. A Fritz Donegan movie flashes across the TV screen.

She blinks. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you. It's a pain reliever, but it also makes you kind of sleepy. Do you need me to stop the movie?"

"As long as you're okay with me falling asleep on you." I try to rest my head on the back of the couch so I don't end up slobbering all over her.

She smiles. "That's fine, baby."

"Baby?" I ask sleepily. "That's new."

She blushes. "U-um, yeah. You just...you're such a sweet baby, I guess it came naturally."

Guilt sits in the pit of my stomach, making me feel icky. Nya's so worried about me, and there's no reason for it. It's just...I should've put a stop to this, should've told her that I was just vying for attention when I was "sick" earlier.

But then she started talking about how she cared for me, and she held me so tight. That hasn't happened for a long time. I didn't want to give it up.

I still feel guilty, though. I couldn't even eat the food she made me.

"The others should be back any time now," she observes, looking down at her phone. "Would you like to stay in my room for the night? I can sleep in the bunkroom."

"I can't take your room from you," I mumble, blinking against the tiredness I feel.

"I don't mind, Jay. Here, lean against me."

I give up and slump against her, curling my arms around her like a teddy bear. I think she's used to it by now: When we dated for...well, for the few days that we did date, I would always cuddle her like that when I fell asleep next to her.

"I love you so much," I sniff. "Are you still gonna run away?"

She doesn't answer, instead running her hands through my hair.

My breath catches as tears pool in my eyes. She is leaving me!

"We can make this work, Nya!" I plead. "We can get you help! You're not at fault for the deaths of your parents, or my mom's death, or Lloyd's breakdown." I press my cheek against hers.

"I don't need help," she says, bristling. "Kai's already set me up with a psychologist since what happened last month. And it's not like anyone can solve the fact that I actually hurt everyone I know!"

"It happens, Nya," I choke out, letting tears dribble down my cheeks. "Hurting people happens. It's much better to keep loving them than to avoid ever giving them that privilege."

"If you think I ever stopped caring about any one of you, you're nuts," she growls.

"That's not what I meant," I try to soothe her, rubbing her shoulder. "I know you still love us. It's just..."

"You want me to be in love with you," she fills in the blanks. "Look, if you weren't sick, I'd be chewing you out right now."

"Nya," I whine. I know I sound childish, but I'm too tired to help it.

"I don't want you to be so attached to me when I go." She shakes her head. "Which is why as soon as you're better, Jay...I think we need to put some space between us."

I cry into her sleeve. "B-but I need you!"

She caresses my back. "Jay, you've been really clingy since February, and especially during this past month. I think that with everything that's happened with your mom, you're love-deprived. And you're looking for me to fill that void."

"I've always been clingy," I argue. "You know that."

"Yeah, but what you're doing right now isn't good, Jay. I talked to Cole about it recently, and he mentioned that you don't really want to hang out anymore."

"I..." I blush. "I'm hurting. Of course, I don't want to hang out."

"Yeah, with anyone but me! Jay, I...I care for you, too, but I'm not going to let you hurt yourself like this. We really do need some time off. If I could cure your pain, I would, but I can't."

"But Nya, you're the only thing that makes me feel good anymore!"

"That's because you're depressed, Jay." She kisses my cheek. "After you recover from this stomach bug, I want you and Cole to spend some quality time together – maybe go to the movies or go roller skating. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"But Cole has Seliel. All of our friends are happily in relationships, except for us! They probably don't even have time for me anymore." Well, except Lloyd, but we're not friends anymore.

"Cole always has time for you. He's your best friend."

"B-but he doesn't get me like you d-do," I sob. Doesn't she understand that she's all I have?

"Stop, Jay," she says desperately. "I hate to see you like this. I know your depression's getting better and all, but this obsession you have with me...it's not healthy." She brushes tears from my cheeks. "And when you cry, I want to cry, too."

"I-it's okay," I swallow. "Y-you can cr-cry with me. I w-won't judge y-you."

She sighs miserably. "Jay...I just don't show my emotions like that."

"Yes, you d-do. You d-did back in F-February when w-we were t-together!"

"I was a different person then."

"N-no. You're the s-same, but you just h-hide it now." Exhaustion weighs down my eyelids as I hold her close.

"It's not true," she says defiantly. I can hear her voice break. "I'm not her anymore. Please, Jay, I need you to forget about me. I need to know you'll be okay."

"I won't be okay until you're h-happy," I mumble, finally having gained some control over my voice. "And y-you aren't happy. Running away won't m-make you happy. K-keeping yourself from everything and everyone you l-love isn't happiness."

She sighs against my shirt. "You should get some rest, Jay."

"P-please, Nya. Just th-think about what I s-said."

She doesn't answer, instead trying to crawl out of my arms. "Jay, let me go."

I sigh, releasing her.

"You're going to go get some rest," she says. "Follow me. I'll get my room ready for you. And by the way, Kai's letting me stay at the monastery so I can take care of you."

"How'd you g-get that to work?" I ask, collecting myself off the sofa.

"I agreed to be Skylor's stupid maid of honor." She slaps her forehead. "Oh, great. And that means we'll be spending a butt-ton more time together. But...we really do need space."

Excitement rises in me. "Wait...more time? Together?"

"Yes, Jay, for real." She rubs the spot between her eyes. "Very obviously, you want to have a broken heart."

***Did anyone else find this one just a little sad?

Any thoughts on who could be behind the break-in?***