JaKaelath walks with Drookan to a shower area in Vault 6. There she removes the residue of the fluid from the cryo tube she was recently in.

  Afterwards, Drookan hands her a cloth to dry off.

  She hesitates to put her scavenger clothes back on. She takes Drookan by the hand and they sit in an isolated area away from Dana, Lana, and the rest.

  They are alone, but Drookan has still been distant. The last time they had seen each other, in the clearing, on the boulder, he had tried to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her, but at the last moment, she realized her loyalty to Kragon and confessed to Drookan that there was another.

  Now, here she was, after all this time, as a scavenger. Did Drookan know, she wondered. Maybe he held it against her that she kept it from him.

  Maybe he didn't want her to come back, not because she had found peace and a home in the Great Northern Forest, but maybe it was just because he didn't want to see her again.

  "It's funny," she says, "I don't even feel naked sitting here with you."

  "And yet you very much are so," he says, "We should get back to the others..."

  "Is something wrong, Drookan?" She asks

  "No, nothing is wrong," he quickly replies as if the question was anticipated.

  "It's just you seem distant in a way I can't quite make out. Usually, there is a feeling of electricity just from being near you, but now I don't feel that, and it's like you don't feel it too."

  "Kaela..., sorry, JaKaelath, I am only doing what I must to be the best friend I can."

  "The best friend," JaKaelath repeats lowly.

  "Yes, there is nothing more for me."

  Suddenly, Kaela feels cold and aware of being naked in front of the Dowath, in front of everyone. She gestures for her bag of clothes.

  "JaKaelath, I am and always will be your friend. I am your Dowath, and you are my Ponu". I love the opportunity to know you in that capacity.

  She is taken aback, "We just,. I mean, I thought..."

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  "JaKaelath, at one point, I may have foolishly thought there could be more. I didn't know about the other person at that time. I found closure that night, and I can move on. I am glad you are happy, but I must fight to maintain that closure.

  JaKaelath is almost moved to tears, but begins to put her scavenger clothes back on slowly, "I guess there is nothing here for me then".

  This was not the ending she expected.

  "JaKaelath, you are naked right here in front of me. Do you realize how difficult it is for me to hold back my desire to hold you, to kiss you, but I can't, I never can, I realize that after you revealed your love for the other person. I made peace with that.....are you and the other person still....is your heart still with them?" He looks down in shame that he is still grasping for hope.

  "I...I don't know, I left him, but...Drookan, I am so sorry, yes, I still wanted to talk to him, see if he changed. We haven't spoken since he almost ..." She catches herself. The Ponu and Dowath don't need to know about the Geeryo Android fiasco; who knows how they might react.

  "We haven't spoken for almost 5 weeks. I have to know."

  "Well," Drookan says, "That brings clarity to things, as I mentioned, I will always be your Dowath, I will be your friend. I stand with you in the fight, but for anything more I understand it will never be"

  "Gentleman and a scholar," JaKaelath whispers softly while looking down, "what's that?" Drookan asks, "Oh, nothing." She turns towards him with slightly watered eyes, "just something someone told me once."

  "I have to go, I understand Francesca went to Vault 20, I need to go there."

  "I will go there too," Drookan says.

  "No, I heard what Dana said about Dmoko's threats. It's supposed to be a safe path; I will take it alone. If I don't find her, I promise I will be right back. But before I do that, I have to see....an old friend to see if he's changed."

  She takes what feels like an eternity to put her scavenger clothes back on. It feels stupid to her, but it almost feels like there's a finality to her and Drookan once she finishes dressing and leaves. She is not in a rush for that to happen.

  She felt that she didn't know what she wanted. Part of her wanted Drookan to fight for her. He had saved her life twice already, but she didn't mean fighting like that; she wanted him to fight for her heart. Show that she is worth it to him instead of taking the gentleman's route and bowing out to Kragon.

  The other part of her knew that even the attempt might be futile. She had a long history with Kragon, and for all his faults, one thing she could never deny is that he is incredibly loyal to her. She owed it to the years and years they had been together to give him an opportunity to show that he changed.

  Finally, JaKaelath finishes dressing and leaves. Emma, Dana, and Lana all prepare to go back to the cave. Djenthu, Dmeko, and Drookan stay outside awaiting them.

  Drookan looks out over the distance, over a world that seems a little colder now.

  JaKaelath, far in the distance, looks back. She catches a tear rolling down her cheek, but quickly wipes it away as she walks towards her old scavenger camp.