They were in Draos when word reached them that Richard Tharadon had passed away. This news did not settle well with Rico, he proceeded to drink himself stupid while he stared out at the water with the most sour look on his face. Aja let him be like that for a day.

"You should say something to him." Tanner said motioning to Rico with a nod as they readied the ship to sail again. "He needs ta work it out, Tanner." She said looking over at him thoughtfully then back to what she was doing with the ropes. "A word from you wouldn't hurt." Tanner suggested to her while watching what she was doing. "And so I will." Aja looped the rope around and tied it off. "When?" "Tanner," she looked at him with a hand on her hip. "Not everyone in the world has ta be nosy, ya know." "Not nosy, Aja. Concerned." "And I get that." Aja said then stepped closer to him. "But sometimes, it's just about letting a person have a little time. Think about it. Figure out how they feel." "When did you get so insightful?" Tanner asked with a smile as he reached out to touch her hair lightly, his finger gently trailing across her cheek. She merely grinned. "I get lucky sometimes." She winked at him. "More than that." Tanner said with a smile. "I think you might actually be listening to me." "What' Me?" she grinned at him dodging the praise. "You always say I don't listen." "I might've been wrong." He winked at her and she laughed. "The great Tanner Quistguard, wrong?" she put a hand to her chest, grinning to beat the band. "Oh, no. Say it ain't so." "Stop it." He tried to be stern, but some of the crew had caught on to the conversation and were chuckling as they watched the two. "Serious. I feel faint. I may have ta sit down." Aja's antics were making Tanner laugh. She perched on a crate and grinned at Tanner brightly. "You are so incorrigible." He shook his head with a grin, patting her knee lightly. "Yeah. But ya love me." She hopped down off the crate and resumed readying the ship for sailing. "I do." Tanner smiled but then it dropped again as he looked back towards Rico. "You know you'll have to tell him we're going to Avalon for the funeral." "That's gonna go over well." Aja said lightly making a face, one that Tanner didn't understand. "It's his father." "Not everyone is as thrilled with family as you, Tanner." "I know that Rico and his father had their differences?" Tanner started and Aja barked out a laugh. "They got on as well as me and Ulrich did." "Aja." Tanner's tone took on that shush tone. "What?" she asked looking at him puzzled as to what she was being scolded for. "Their relationship was not the same as yours and Ulrich's." "Might as well been." She said continuing to work, not looking at him. "You two have become quite the friends, haven't you?" Tanner asked watching her closely. She looked up at him and gave him a penetrating stare before grinning and going back to work. "Duh." She said grinning still as she stepped out of swatting range. Tanner only nodded, his eyes drifting back towards where Rico sat. "Don't let him stew too long." "You jist worry about getting supplies, eh?" Aja said looking up at Tanner with a grin. "Last time ya fergot my favorite drink." "You're spoiled." "I am. I like it." She winked at him and went back to doing what she was supposed to be doing. Tanner watched her for a long moment before heading off down the gangplank to town.

Aja waited to make any moves to go talk to Rico for about another hour. She would watch him on and off while she secured the new cargo as it arrived on board. When she saw him open the second bottle she tossed the rope at Jarim. "Take this." "When did you become the boss?" he snapped at her, she stepped over smoothly and got in his face. "Yer doin what I tell ya or yer gonna find yer grungy arse taking a bath in the harbor. Finish this." The man backed down in a hurry. "That's what I thought." She kept his eyes a moment longer before turning and going towards Rico.

Rico hadn't moved much in a couple of hours. He knew this. The movement of the sun had marked the passage of time for him while he sat there absorbing the information that his father was dead. His father. A hard man, who thought that business and money mattered most in this life. The same man that had chased him from the only home he knew with those ideas and prejudices had led Rico to seek a different life. The one that started him on the road that led him to be with this crew. With these people. He didn't want to give the credit to his father for his current run of good luck. Tanner, Aja and the rest of the crew had accepted him in. They made few demands of him. Well almost all of them, with the exception of Aja. She took a stronger objection about his views on elves and other beings. She took offense at his intense dislike for them. At first, he thought that it was only because she had taken to sleeping with one, but as he sailed with them, he realized that they dealt with all sorts of beings. Her objection to his prejudice was about business and little else. Her motivations were no secret to him or anyone else. She rarely had ulterior motives when dealing with the crew. They were the people she was straight up with no matter how bad the situation got. Tanner was the same, he was more diplomatic when dealing with the crew, but no less honest. They might've been pirates, but they had a sense of honor that his father never had. They knew the value of loyalty. Of treating people with respect. Rico knew it would only be a matter of time before one of them came over to talk to him. He had thought it would be Tanner, which was harder for him to consider in his head, since Tanner was the version of a father that Rico had always dreamed about. A kind, gentle man, who taught his child everything they could. That was Tanner. He had taken Rico under his wing, and taught him in the same manner he taught Aja. Rico did not wish to be rude to Tanner, but he did not want to hear what he should do in this situation. Rico was a little surprised when it was Aja that came instead. He heard a noise behind him, and glanced over at her standing there. "Go away." He snapped annoyed. "Can't do it." Aja said and plopped down next to him. "I'm unbelievably rude." "Just leave me alone!" he shouted then hoping to drive her off. He should've known it wouldn't work. "NO!" she shouted back just as loud. "Give me that." She snatched the bottle. "Give it back!" he tried to grab it back but she held it out of his reach. "What' You drink alone?" she attempted to joke with him he just shot her a look. "Talk." "No." he made a grab for the bottle she took. "I'm annoyingly persistent." Aja said lightly, holding the bottle off to the side out of his reach. "Won't do you a lick of good to try to ignore me." "Aja." He snapped annoyed giving up trying to get the bottle. "Rico." She said back sweetly. "Why are you such a pain in the arse?" "Part of my charm." She said then took a drink before handing the bottle back to Rico who took it forcibly. He took a drink, the two of them sitting silently. He finally broke down and started talking when he realized she wouldn't leave till he did.

"My father's dead." He said, his tone was deadened, hollow. "I know." She said simply. "I hated that man." His rage was exhausted for the moment. "I know." Came another simple reply. "He was hard and cruel and never gave a damn about anyone but himself." He spat out, handing the bottle back to Aja. "Yep." She said taking the bottle from him and taking a drink. "And he was just .." Rico started to say before breaking off. "he was just.." he couldn't continue and Aja took his hand, holding it tight without looking at him. He broke down and cried then, harsh sobs that were ragged. Aja sat there holding his hand letting him get it out. When he regained his composure, she gave his hand a squeeze.

"We're ready to go when you are." "Where?" he asked suspiciously. "To Avalon." "I'm not going." The anger peeked back into his voice then. "Yes you are." She said just as easy as if she were discussing the weather. "Like hell I am!" Rico jumped up unsteadily. "I owe that man nothing! You hear me" Nothing!" Aja slowly got up and listened to him. "I am not going to help them bury that man!" "Yes you are." She said back insistent but calm. "It's none of your business, Aja!" "Like hell it's not!" she yelled back. "Yer my best friend. And I think yer being stupid so I'm telling ya. Ya have ta go!" "That man never did anything for me. He was selfish and greedy and mean." "I know that!" she yelled at him. "Yer not going fer him. Yer going fer her. Mami. Yer mother." She stared at Rico watching the realization hit his eyes. "Are ya really going ta let her bury him alone?" "Aja." Rico almost whimpered at the mention of his mother. "No. You don't get to do this." She grabbed his arms tightly and looked at him. "Ya have a family. Good bad or ugly, you know where ya came from. Some of us would kill just ta know two minutes of that. So no." she shook him. "Ya don't get ta do this." They stared at each other for the longest moment in the history of the world.

"You're right." He sighed heavily. "I know." She said letting him go. "I hate you." He muttered at her. "No ya don't." she said with a grin as she sat back down, he sat down next to her and grabbed the bottle again. They sat in silence for a while. He thought about how his mother would want him to be there. What his mother would expect of him in this moment then took a deep breath while staring out at the ocean before he spoke again. "You have a family too." He said quietly. "You have me." "I know." Aja reaches over patting his shoulder. "I know." She leaned against his shoulder and looked out at the setting sun. "Aja...I.." he felt he needed to say something, to let her know that he appreciated her being here and that he was sorry about yelling at her, but somehow, she already knew. "Ain't gotta say nuffin, Rikki." She sat up and ruffled his hair. "Ya'd do it fer me. Tables turned or something." "You're still a pain in the arse." "Yep.? She grinned at that.