Killer Bay

Everybody Needs a Friend

"Dad, I think we're lost," Ahmet says, looking out of his window at the desert landscape.

"We're not lost, just... Unsure of our current location," Fili replies, checking the truck's GPS, "we should be close to the Canyon soon..."

"You said that an hour ago!" he groans, "it's going to be dark by the time we find it!"

The Irish man chuckled, "and Adalet will be upset that she didn't get to stargaze with us! But look, what does that sign say, Ahmet?"

The boy squints to see, "Rhine Canyon National Park! That's it, that's the park!"

"See! I told you we weren't lost!"

Fili turned off of the highway and continued driving down the short road leading to the park. There was no one else visiting the park, so he parked close to the start of the pathway. Father and son got out of the truck, letting Dean out of the backseat, and began walking along the park's trail.

"Hey, Dad... Can I ask you a question?" Ahmet spoke up after they had been walking for a little while.

Fili adjusted his grip on Dean's leash, "course! What is it?"

"How..." he paused to collect his thoughts, "how did you know that you wanted to be with mom? Like, how did you know that you wanted her in your life?"

"Oh... Ah..." he stammered, not expecting that type of question, "well, the first time I saw Adalet was when she danced as the sugar plum fairy for the Nutcracker back in Grimsborough. I'd have to be cheesy an' say it was luv at first sight! So, I started writing her letters an' sending her flowers, it wasn't until I got caught up in one o' her cases that I talked to her!"

Ahmet stopped walking, "wait, did you get involved because of a knife?"

"No, not originally," Fili answered, stopping as well, "it was because her vic was sending someone flowers using my services, but later a knife of mine brought her back for more questions, why?"

"That case mom was involved in the day you came back, it was her knife that made them talk to her again," he explained, "she said I can't have a knife because of some curse..."

He chuckled, "yeah, my brother was a suspect in lots of her cases, his knives kept making 'im suspicious! But where was I..."

"You just talked to her for the first time."

"Right! Her partner at the time helped me ask her out an' we started dating... After a while, I realized that I couldn't imagine a life without her and that I wanted her beside me. When I went on that mission, she was what kept me going, knowing that I had someone like Adalet waiting for me to come home always put a smile on my face... Even when I was in the hospital, I knew I had someone waiting for me, even if she did think I was dead..."

"Wow..." Ahmet breathed as they continued walking.

"Why the sudden interest?" Fili questions.

"It's just... I heard someone at school talking about their aunt and uncle adopting a kid and said they were only doing it out of pity or something..." he trailed off into a mumble.

"Ahmet..." he signs, stopping to kneel to the boy's height, "Adalet and I aren't adopting you because we feel sorry for you, we're doing it because we want to help you."

"Isn't that the same thing?" he argued, not meeting the older man's eyes.

"No," he denied, "Adalet can't stand by and watch someone get hurt, it's not her nature. So when she saw that you were going to be sent away, she couldn't just watch and do nothing. She wants you to have a good, happy life, the same as I do, an' you getting sent back to a country you barely remember wouldn't accomplish that, Ahmet. An' you know something?"