This is based on a talk I had with my dad.

This has a country tinge to it. It's supposed to. And it has slightly human elements.

P.S. Rawrrkitty, you're gonna hate me for some of this.

The first time I saw my daddy cry, it was pitch black outside. No wind, no stars. Hardly any light shining into the junkyard, shadows of junk piles like silhouettes of giants. Rain water from earlier that day (it came thirty-six days late) dripped and splashed on the ground, like little glass beads. The ground was moist, made gravel stick uncomfortably to my feet. The moon shone behind left over clouds, like one big, milky white star (but the sun is a star, not the moon. The moon can only dream of being a star.) It was kinda pretty, but haunting. I knew that if I glanced into the shadows, I'd find something to scare myself with, so I kept my eyes cast to the ground.

When I walked into the den after saying goodbye to my friends—Victoria and Electra—I found daddy laying on the old sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was on his back, a tattered blanket hanging off his leg.

"Daddy?" I say, really quiet, tiptoeing over to him. He looks up, his old blue eyes red. There's a tear streaming down his nose. He wipes it away, sniffs, and sits up. I give him a concerned look, sit next to him. He's still doctoring his face, trying to erase any evidence of tears. He finally gets that I already know he let a few tears slip, and holds my hand. His hand is moist from the tears.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Jemima, don't ever live on a dream. Not this kinda dream."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not gonna be able to protect everyone, Jem. It's a fact." His tears are building up, and I realize what he means, even though I don't want to. It'd been a month, I was okay now. Daddy wasn't.

"Daddy, I still love you. So much."

"I know, Jemi. I know." He hugs me tight, and I feel my eyes burn. "I love you too." Then we're silent. I try not to blink so my tears don't fall, but I can't help myself. I pull away, look my daddy straight in the face.

"I'm okay," I say, "it's okay."

"No, Jem…" He's beating himself up, pushing himself down for the pain he thinks he caused. Daddy was always the guilty type. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Daddy, you're making it worse." I try to joke, even if my chest feels hollow. I know he didn't mean it, but bringing her up made things hurt more. Me and Electra knew her death was hardest for Victoria, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like Hell for us too. Etcetera was like a ray of sunshine. I was like a star. Victoria was the moon. Electra was the earth. We were like our own pleasant little solar system, but we lost our sun. The moon couldn't shine, the Earth lost its warmth and the other stars were too far away to do anything. I couldn't do anything.

"Okay, I'm okay now." Daddy mumbles, wiping away a last few tears.

"We all need a little cry now and then." I say, trying to smile. I squeeze daddy's hand and he kisses my forehead. I stand up and give him a kiss on the cheek, hoping that he won't cry anymore.

But as I walk out of the room, I know he will.

No friend of mine died. Rock bottom for my daddy is…well, now. Rock bottom for Jemima's daddy, Munkustrap, is letting a fellow Jellicle be injured/killed. Etcetera was the one I killed.

I know Jemima usually has ties to the moon, but Victoria fit it better in this case.

At most, I will make this a two shot if you request. But I will not write any more after that.