Kurt refused to leave once they had reached her home.

"You were kind enough to come with me," Hannah said appreciatively. "But Melanie – "

"Melanie is in good hands," he cut her off, holding her gaze. "But I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you alone, after what's happened."

"Rio will be here soon."

"Then we will wait for him. Together."

Hannah said nothing, looking off towards her bed. She was extremely tired, but it felt strange to imagine herself going to sleep in the midst of all this. She felt compelled to stay awake and wait until she had some sort of news. She sat by the window, Kurt drinking nearby.

It was only a few minutes before they heard someone outside the door – she stood up, just as Rio barged through. "Hannah," he gasped, his eyes flitting between them. "Um, Kurt?"

Hannah walked forward, nodding at her brother. "Have you heard anything?"

"What? No. All I know is that you came to the station. Other than that – what happened? Where's Alyssa?"

"I suppose on the way to Ulren now."

"Ulren?"

"Sit down," she said, and he took a chair next to Kurt, listening as she explained the story to both of them.

"I don't think any of us could have guessed it," Rio said after. "Except Captain Tanner, maybe, but I don't think it occurred to him. None of us knew what to think. We just – we searched everywhere. I was so afraid, wondering what had happened to you."

Hannah reached out, rubbing her brother's hand. "Now, he just has to get Alyssa back," she sighed.

"Come on, Hannah," Kurt urged. "It's very late. You really should sleep."

"What about you?"

"I'd like to stay for the night ... if you don't mind?"

She paused, taking a look at her brother's face. He merely shrugged, so she said yes, and the two of them settled some blankets in the hall to lay down on while she went into her room.

Hannah took to a deep, heavy sleep that night, her dreams more like replayed memories of the kidnap in the park, her time with Alyssa and her fights with the blue-eyed leader. In the morning, she sat up in bed and wondered if any of it had even happened. Alyssa – was she alright? Was she halfway to Ulren by now? Or had Stefan found her already and snatched her back?

She washed up, and all of a sudden, remembered her work at Jono's. "Oh no." She threw on one of her dresses, hurrying outside. Kurt and her brother were still sleeping, and she was careful not to wake them as she headed out.

She ran towards the Corona, where she spotted Deedee in the post of greeter. "Hannah!" she cried. "Where've you been? Jono – "

"Yes, I know."

"He gave away your place."

"What?"

Deedee nodded, looking disappointed at having to tell her. "Two days after you disappeared, he hired a few new girls. He gave all your tables to one of them."

Hannah blinked, stunned. She headed past Deedee, stepping into a fairly busy breakfast crowd. She saw Sora and some of the older girls, their eyes wide as they recognized her. And sure enough, there were newcomers – one of them looking to be flirting with one of her regulars. So much for being missed.

Hannah raised her eyes, sharing a gaze with Jono standing by the bar. He looked surprisingly calm as she strode up to meet him. "Jono ... "

"Come to pay us a visit, Hannah?"

"Let me explain."

"Explain? What's there to explain?"

"You have to know what I've been through. These past few days ... "

"What? Your lover die on you as well?" he scoffed. "I should have expected this from you. You've always got some excuse, haven't you?"

"Jono, listen – "

"Enough is enough, Hannah. I can't have girls like you or Ginia in here. Not when there are plenty of others who can work properly for me." He gestured to her old section, where her replacement was wiping down tables. "See Adele over there? She's not as fast as you, but the customers – they like her."

Hannah bit her lip silently.

"More importantly, she listens to me."

"For now, you mean."

He smirked, instead of getting angry. "I think we've chatted enough, Hannah. You and your friends are always welcome to a meal here, but I have no more work for you. I gave you enough chances. I'm sorry."

She stared at him, thinking but finding nothing to say. She turned, and saw Sora looking at her from not far away. The girl gave her a tight smile, and it seemed to say everything in that moment.

Hannah walked through the tables, out onto the porch with Deedee. "Are you alright?" she asked Hannah.

"Fine."

"I'm sorry, Hannah. We did try to talk to him, but ... "

"I suppose I'm not meant for Jono's after all." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sure my brother will be happy. He never liked me working here."

"Well, I hope you'll come and see us sometime," Deedee said, giving her a hug.

"Maybe ... after I'm not so humiliated anymore." She sighed. "Goodbye, Deedee. Tell the other girls for me, will you?"

"Of course."

She nodded, then left, feeling strange to think that she had nothing to occupy her days now. Could she possibly find work somewhere else? But how long would that take?

When she got back, she found Kurt and Rio already woken up. "There you are," Kurt said as she walked in. "We were wondering where you'd gone to."

"Don't you think you've worried us enough already?" Rio scolded.

"Rio ... can I talk to you for awhile?"

"Hmm? Of course."

She gestured to her room, giving an apologetic look to Kurt as they went off.

"I lost my job at Jono's," Hannah told her brother once they were alone.

Rio dropped his mouth. "What? How?"

"Apparently, Jono is not very forgiving of being kidnapped."

"What? But that wasn't your fault."

"Well, it doesn't really matter. He already hired someone else to replace me. A pretty little girl. You'd probably like her."

Her brother sighed, sitting down next to her on her bed. His face was serious as he looked at her. "Do you want me to talk to him? Or Macks?"

"No. The truth is we were starting to get on each other's nerves. I wonder if maybe it's better this way."

"Well, you know I never liked him."

"But what about money?"

"I make enough."

"Barely. And I had all my meals free at Jono's. Where will I get the money for food?"

He frowned, turning his head away. "For now, let's try not to think too much about it. We'll figure something out."

She started to answer, then stopped as Kurt appeared in the doorway. "I'm hungry," he complained. "Do you have anything to eat?"

"Breakfast does sound good," Rio agreed.

"Please let's not go to Jono's," Hannah said warily.

"Of course not. We could go to Felix's uncle."

"But don't you have duty, Rio?"

"No. Captain Droy told me last night not to leave you alone until he orders otherwise."

"Oh."

"Shall we?" Kurt urged, and the two of them nodded, moving to get ready. A short while later, they sat together at a cramped table, looking out at the Corona and listening to the sound of fish sizzling in the kitchen.

They'd been mostly quiet on the way over, and gazed awkwardly at each other now.

"You know, Kurt," Hannah piped up. "I'm really glad for your help, escorting me the way you did."

"I was happy to do it."

"But I would have thought you'd be anxious to return to Chell. Because of the baby."

He shrugged. "Well, Mother says there's still around a month to go. But you will come, once the baby's born? I would like to have you there."

"Of course."

"What do you think it'll be? A boy or a girl?"

"Your family has enough men as it is," she smiled. "So I hope it's a girl."

"If it is, I think I'd spoil her awfully."

"Girls like attention."

"And I enjoy giving it."

Rio cocked a brow at him, but managed to keep quiet. Their food came, steaming plates of fried fish and sour sauce. They ate slowly, and Kurt asked a little about Rio's guard duties, the two talking mildly. Hannah meanwhile, looked out the window and thought of Alyssa. She wished she didn't have this heavy feeling that she had failed her friend somehow, like she could have done more to save her.

Later, after they had finished, they headed back to the house, passing Jono's on the way. Deedee was still on the step, busy talking to a group of prospective customers. As they headed on towards Mrs. Baines' building, they spotted a familiar horse and rider up ahead, coming the other way.

"It's the Captain," Rio recognized, bowing his head as Macks dismounted.

"Hannah, Rio," Macks greeted, clearing his throat vaguely at Kurt. "I just came from your house. I was looking for you."

"Do you have news?" Hannah asked.

"No, not yet. I think it will be a few days before we hear anything. But Stefan's taken a lot of men with him. I'm sure they'll manage to bring Alyssa back."

"And her family?"

"I'd be surprised if he didn't try to have them all arrested."

She blinked. "Can he do that?"

"Well, as a guard of Dalen, no, not directly. It depends on whether Ulren's guard will want to take action. Unfortunately, the Dell family is well-connected, so it won't be easy."

Hannah frowned. "I wish I could be there. For Alyssa."

"And I wish I could be there for Stefan. But this is our place, and we have duties here, so we must remember them."

"Do you want to come upstairs, Captain?" Rio suggested.

"No, I simply need to speak to Hannah for a while," he answered, squinting in her direction. "I have some questions about what happened, if you would be good enough to answer them."

She paused, looking at Kurt and her brother.

"It won't be long."

"Alright," she agreed, nodding to the other two. "I'll see you both in a while."

She stayed on the road with Macks, watching as they went on without her. Macks fiddled with the reins of his horse, cocking his head at Kurt. "Your friend seems very familiar. Has he been in Dalen before?"

"Yes. He was at the guards' ceremony."

He started to nod, as if remembering, even though the two had never actually met that night. "What's his name?"

"Kurt."

"Kurt?"

"Kurt Avery."

"Fadden's brother?"

"That's right."

He paused, briefly looking up the road again. "Is he staying with you?"

"Yes. For the moment."

"Ah. I see."

"So," she went, clearing her throat. "What do you wish to know, Captain?"

He paused, drawing in a breath as he gazed at her. "I want you to tell me about the kidnapping. I want to know what actually happened."

"From the beginning?"

"From the beginning."

"Well," she sighed to think back over it all. "It happened a few days ago, while Alyssa and I were walking in the parks near her home. It was very quiet, and we thought we were alone. But then these men appeared. They stopped us, said that Alyssa's family was waiting for her in Ulren, and they wanted to take her away."

"Did you hear any names among them?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Did they look like they were from Dalen?"

"I'm not sure. They were just hired men, nothing more."

"And then?"

"They took us to a place, I'm not sure what street it was. They kept us locked in a room for a few days, until Alyssa's brothers came, last night. That's when she and I were separated. Two of them took Alyssa, the third rode me out of Dalen." She paused, squirming to remember it. "He took me to the forests near Chell and ... and he left me there."

"What?" Macks looked shocked.

"I'm sure they wanted me out of the way. So I couldn't get help."

Macks shook his head, whispering something under his breath.

"Then I made my way to Chell, and Kurt agreed to come back to Dalen with me. Where, of course, we went straight to you and Stefan."

"I'm sorry for them doing that to you, Hannah," he said quietly.

"It's nothing compared to what Alyssa must be going through."

"I know," he sighed, roughly combing a hand through his hair.

"What will you do now?"

"There isn't much to do. I'm trying to find out more about the men the Dells hired, the ones who kidnapped you and Alyssa. But my feeling is they won't be returning to Dalen anytime soon."

"So all we can do is wait."

"I'm afraid so."

She gazed at him for a moment, remembering suddenly those few nights she had been kept with Alyssa, hoping for rescue.

His rescue.

"Do you have any more questions?" she asked him.

He blinked slowly at her, then shook his head. "No. That is all for now."

"Well. Then I suppose ... we'll wait for your news, Captain."

He said nothing, and for a moment the two stared at each other, as if expecting something. Finally, Hannah turned, heading up the road alone, doing her best to put Macks Droy out of her mind.