~Epilogue~

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Demyx looked up from his newspaper and smiled. Darien, his youngest son ran towards him, hands cupped holding some sort of creature in his hands. The father sighed to himself, keeping the smile on. Of course, the child would want to keep the animal. He was hoping it wouldn't end like last time, that of tears and frustration.

Darien stopped right in front of him, bouncing, but not to hard as not to hurt his captured hoped-to-be pet. His aqua eyes gleamed as he looked into his father's eyes, "Can I keep him, daddy? Can I? Can I? Please?"

Demyx chuckled and set the paper down on the picnic table. They weren't even in the park for five minutes and his littlest one was already ready to claim something. His mother almost feared it was some sort of Kleptomania, but Demyx quickly assured her that it was all in good fun and that the little one just wanted a fun little animal to play with. Both parents had been discussing getting a pet, a fight between a rabbit and a dog, indeed.

"What do you have this time, Darien?" Demyx leaned over his sons cupped hands.

Darien whispered, "Promise not to scare him?"

Again, chuckling, "I promise."

The child opened his hands to show a pretty, blue butterfly. It was sitting on his curled palms, opening its wings, open, close, open, close.

Demyx smiled at the creature. It was, in fact, a very beautiful butterfly, something worth wanting to keep.

"It'll match your big, blue, guitar, daddy."

Demyx gave Darien a sympathetic and sighed, making the little one lose his smile. A few tears were being brought to his eyes, "I can't keep it..? Please? Pretty please?"

Not wanting to cause a ruckus, or to catch the attention of Jayson, his elder son, and his wife, Demyx picked Darien up and set him on his lap.

"Now, Darien, I know that you want a pet really badly, but, don't you think the butterfly would be sad?"

Darien looked up at his father confused, "Why would the butterfly be sad? Our house is pretty."

"Yes, its true. Our house is pretty, but the butterfly won't be free at our house."

"Free?"

Demyx nodded, "Mhm. Freedom is the greatest thing underestimated, Darien. And, I know that you really want to keep this butterfly, but look around you." The boy looked around, following his fathers gaze and hand, "This is the butterfly's house. He's happy here." Demyx turned back to look his son in the eyes, "Wouldn't you be sad to if someone took you from your home? From me, mommy, and Jay?"

Darien nodded, "Uh huh.."

"So would the butterfly." Demyx put his son back on the ground, making the little boy face him, "So, what should you do."

Darien looked at the butterfly, "I should let him go."

Demyx ruffled the boys hair, "Good idea, son."

Darien turned and ran towards a large bed of flowers of all different colors. As the little boy kneeled down to release the butterfly, Demyx stood up to look around for the other two. Jayson was hanging from the monkey bars, while his wife held onto him. She turned and smiled at him. He smiled back.

This was freedom. This was home.

END