He'd just put the journal into the bag when Soubi grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. He fought back instinctively, but as he felt Soubi's arms go around him, comforting him as his mother had never done, he quieted down and hesitantly hugged Soubi back. He wouldn't cry, even if he felt like it. He had told himself he wouldn't cry over what his mother did to him. If he cried, it would mean she was doing something wrong and he didn't want to blame her.

Still, it was nice to have someone hold him when he felt this powerless to help her or himself or Soubi or... anyone really. If that woman really had been his mother as he suspected, then she had been taken like he had and he had to get her back. If she was Jordan's mother and this was just some weird parallel world, then he wanted to find out about her son and how to get him back to her.

"I still want to know," he replied, trying to sound firm even when he didn't have the feeling behind it. "I have to know who this kid is - what his life was like. Just in case..."

He faltered for a moment, then clenched his fists in Soubi's shirt. "Just in case he's real. If we've just switched places and he's here somewhere, I have to get him back to her before she breaks."

It was the same reason he wanted to go home so badly. More than just escaping this place, he wanted to go home and take care of his mother since no one else would. She was so alone. It was painful to think about.