Yam opened the door car, revealing the little angel who's sleeping soundly on the car seat.

"Awe. Poor kid. She fell asleep." Yam turned to the others. "Should I wake her, Cap?"

"No need. Just carry her. It's better if she's asleep," said Kim, turning her back on Yam.

Yam leaned forward to check the inside of the car. She picked the mobile phone on the dashboard and placed it into one of her pockets. "Phone's dead. Now come here, you little girl..."

The kid’s eyes flutter open when she was lifted from the seat. She looked at Yam with her round eyes.

"Hey there, Katie baby..." said Yam, smiling.

Katrien didn't say anything. She looked frightened. She looked at the other three people in the area and went back at Yam, her eyes watery now. "Mommy..."

"No, baby... don't cry... we're going to bring you to mommy now..." said Yam.

"Mommy..." Katrien started crying, her hands covering her eyes.

"Yam, don't frighten the kid!" said Zee.

"I am not frightening her! She cried when she saw you!" retorted Yam.

"Mommy!!!" this time the cry was louder. Katrien was looking around, searching for her mom.

"Can you make her stop, Yam?" asked Conan. "We're gonna attract some Evens if she won't stop."

Yam lifted Katie out of the car and hugged her. "Hey, Katie. Don't cry now. We're here to save you and we'll bring you to your mom in a few..."

But that didn't work. Katrien continued crying.

"Yam, we're going to be in a difficult situation if the kid won't stop crying now," said Kim this time. She's looking around now for any signs of Evens.

"I'm trying, Captain!" Yam was patting Katrien’s back now.

"And I thought you were good with kids?" asked Zee, already in defense position.

"I only said I love kids. I never said that I was good with them," Yam hissed. "Hush now, baby. Your mom is waiting for you in the headquarters..."

"Mommy..."

"Yam, we're gonna be in trouble…" said Zee, looking around.

"I know! I know! I'm trying here, okay?" Yam tried cuddling the kid but it didn't work. The kid continued crying. "Maybe we should switch positions if you think this is easy!"

"Will you two stop bickering?" said Kim, annoyed. She walked towards Yam. "Give her to me. We've got to do something to make her stop."

Yam obeyed right away and handled the crying Katrien to Kim.

The moment she was transferred, Katrien wrapped her arms around the Captain's neck, resting her little head on Kim's shoulder. And just like that, without Kim doing anything, Katrien stopped crying.

It became too silent that the wind blowing can be heard. The troop stared at their captain, amazed.

"W-what did you do, Cap?" asked Yam.

Kim looked clueless at Yam. "I-I don't know. I just carried her."

"Wow. Didn’t know you were good with kids," teased Zee. Kim grunted.

"Since the kid seems to be comfortable around you, if I may suggest, let's make Yam our Finisher instead," said Conan.

Kim looked at Yam and the kid. "I guess there are no other options. Yam, you take the Finisher role. Let’s head to Sanctuary Four now before it rains."

As they were about to walk, Kim caught Conan smiling at her, the latter mouthing, "Like mother, like daughter."

---

Pie finally settled back on the couch, feeling relieved. Jane came back with a glass of water on her hand. "Here, take this."

Pie obeyed and drank it in one down. She handed back the empty glass to Jane. "I'm sorry. I... I just panicked. I was worried that Evens might attack them because she can't stop crying..."

"We know... we know..." said Jane, slowly sitting back beside Pie. Pie's mom is rubbing her back to calm her down. "But it's okay now. They're heading to the Sanctuary now."

"Jane, can I call Katie? I'm worried that she might look for me again. I'll just assure her that I'm here waiting for her."

Jane looked at Pie's mom who gave her the same expression. "Okay. I'll talk to them. Just please stay right here."

---

"Captain Kim?"

"Yes?"

"We're patching through Mrs. Denman on the line. She wants to talk to her daughter."

Kim felt her world stopped. Although she continued walking, her mind was flying somewhere else. She felt nervous knowing that she'll be hearing Pie's voice directly now like they're just talking on the phone.

"Captain Kim?"

Kim noticed Conan waving at her, signaling her to answer the Control Room. "Ah. Yes. Give me a sec." She tapped the Katrien lightly. "Hey, mommy wants to talk to you."

Katrien lifted her head right away, finally letting out a small smile. "Mommy?"

Kim couldn't help but smile back. This is the first time she's got a good view of Katrien’s face and she can't deny the striking resemblance of the kid to her mother. "Yes, mommy wants to talk to you." She put one of the earpieces in Katrien’s ear.

Katrien innocently held her ear with the earpiece. "Mommy?"

"Hey, sweetie! How's my baby?"

Kim cleared .

"I'm fine, mommy. I'm with SAU."

"Yes. SAUs are good people okay? No need to cry, sweetie."

"But, Katie is scared, mommy…"

"Don't be scared, sweetie. You're with Captain Kim. You'll be safe."

Kim stiffened upon hearing that.

"Captain Kim?" Katrien looked at Kim like it's the first time she's seen a human being. Kim just nodded at her.

"Yes, baby. You know Captain Kim, right?"

"Mm-mm. She's in the TV..." said Katrien, touching Kim's face with her free hand.

"Yes, and she will protect you from the monsters so there's no need to be scared, okay? If you keep crying loud the monsters will come to get you."

"Okay, mommy. Katie won't cry anymore…"

"That's good, sweetie. Mommy will see you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay, mommy. Yabyu!"

"Oh, I love you too."

Kim had to stop on her tracks to take that in. She closed her eyes and took in a full breath. It just feels weird hearing Pie's voice on the line saying I love you to another person now instead of hers.

No, she's not jealous of the kid. She's just being melancholic about the past.

But her musing was disturbed by another earthquake. Kim hugged the kid out of instinct and crouched on the floor. The kid hugged Kim back and hid her face in Kim's shoulder.

The shaking lasted for about fifteen seconds before everything stopped.

"Captain, you okay?" it was Yam.

"I'm fine. It's the second time now."

"Yes. I don't really feel good about this," said Conan.

"Me too," said Kim. "But let's hurry to the Sanctuary now so we could rest for a bit."

"Aye, aye, Cap!"

Kim was about to stand when she noticed that Katrien was sobbing. "Hey, Katie, what's wrong?" she felt something inside mentioning the kid's name.

Katrien didn't pull back and just continued crying silently. "Katie, scared of earthquakes..."

Kim hugged the kid tightly. "Don't be scared. The earthquake is over now, see?"

"Katie is scared of monsters too. There are lots of monsters here..."

Kim put the kid down and wiped the tears with her thumbs. "Hey. Don't be scared. You're with me."

The kid is just pouting while looking down on the floor.

"Katie, look at me." Kim lifted Katrien's chin so their eyes would meet. "No one will hurt you while I'm here. As long as you're with me, you're untouchable. Got that?"

Kate nodded. "Pwomise?"

Kim patted the kid's head. "I promise."

---

Jane noticed Pie wiping tears from her eyes. She handed her friend her handkerchief. "Getting emotional?"

"It's just that she's saved me before, and now she's saving my daughter too," said Pie, sniffing. "I just wonder if when will be I able to get the chance to save her. All I did was hurt her."

"It's not like that," said Jane immediately. "I'm sure that the time she had with you was one of the happiest moments in her life. It ended badly, yes, but I'm sure there are more good memories you both shared than that sour ending."

"I just feel that it's unfair for her," said Pie, wiping her nose. "She always put others first before her own. She deserves to be happy too..."

"She's happy doing what she's doing now. We all know that."

"I'm just feeling guilty, I guess. She's all about saving the world and loving me, you know. And I... I betrayed her, Jane. And even after all that had happened, there she is, being kind to Katie."

"Pie, darling, don't feel sorry about that," said Pie's mom. "It was not your fault."

"You don't understand, mom…"

"I do understand because I saw you, Pie. I saw you suffer. You were lonely. You needed her. But she wasn't around."

"But that doesn't justify what I did."

"Are you saying that you regret marrying Peter and having Katie?"

"I don't regret having Katie. She's my life now. I just regret hurting Kim."

"You shouldn't put all the blame to yourself, Pie," said Jane. "Yes, you were at your weakest that time, but she knows you're not gonna leave her. Apparently, she made a choice that doesn't include you in it."

---

"Just in time," said Zee, looking out the window. The troop made it to Sanctuary Four even before it rained. "It's pretty heavy rain outside. We may want to take a rest for a bit."

The troop sat around the tiny chairs. Kim put Katrien down who observed the place first before starting to walk around.

"Look at you, little Pie," said Conan, kneeling in front of the kid. "You look just like your mom, huh?"

Katrien, who's one finger is in , smiled at Conan.

"How old are you, little baby?" asked Conan.

Katrien held out four fingers. "I'm f-four..."

"Wow. She knows her age," said Yam, clapping.

Katrien turned to Yam. "B-but next week, I'll be like this." She held out five fingers towards Yam.

"Oh. It's your birthday next week? Are you going to have a party?" asked Yam.

Katrien smiled cutely, her eyes disappearing. "Yeah. Mommy will invite you all."

"That's nice, Katie," said Conan, making the kid turn back to her. "Are you being a good girl to mom?"

Katrien nodded. "Mmm-mmm. Katie's always a good giwl..."

"Can I hug you?"

Without second thoughts, Katrien wrapped her arms around Conan's neck. Zee and Yam find it really cute.

"How about a kiss?" Conan gestured to her cheek. Katrien kissed her. "Awe. That's so sweet of you."

"How about me, Katie? Can I have a kiss too?" said Zee, pointing at her cheek.

The kid stared at Zee and run towards Kim. Everyone laughed.

"See? Even the little girl knows you're a maniac, Zee," said Yam, getting a scoff from Zee. She turned to Kim who's now placing Katrien on her lap. "Pretty kid, ain't she, Cap?"

"And very sweet too," said Kim, after Katrien kissed her in the cheek. She noticed that the kid is observing all the pockets in her suit. "Curious, aren't ya?"

"Holes," said Katrien, putting her hands in all the pockets she could find. Her hand finally landed on Kim's left arm, grasping it.

"And what are you doing to my arm?"

Katrien looked at Kim with a smile on her face. "Just checking..." Her little hands squeezing Kim's arm gently.

Kim just smiled, remembering how Pie used to do that to her before.

"By the way, since it looks like we'll be staying here for a bit, why don't you tell us the rest of the story, Conan?" said Zee.

"Story?"

"About why Cap and Honey broke up."

"Ahh. That. I think it's more of different things happening all at once. I guess they weren't able to take it." Conan looked at Kim. "Honestly, I felt partly responsible for it. I urged Captain to take the SAU test that year."

"It wasn't really your fault, Nan," said Kim. She's holding Katie on her lap while the kid is busy playing with the buttons on her suit. "Right from the start, you knew I wanted to be in SAU. I changed my plans because I don't want her to worry."

"But you still took the exam, right, Cap?" asked Yam.

"I did. Only because Conan wants me to accompany her. It wasn't really serious. I was just taking it for the sake of experiencing it. And even if I'll pass, I won't continue."

"Then, what changed your mind?" asked Zee.

"Just like Conan said, a lot has happened that year," said Kim, willingly giving her hand to Katrien who's playing on it now. "First is, when her dad died."