Final Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun!
Riyo_gunchild: Alrighty, here's the epilogue! Thanx a bunch for your review! I'm glad you liked it so much! lol It's kind of funny you should say you like all the original characters, because it was really supposed to be just Grayfall, but I just couldn't stop myself from adding new people! Haha. Anyhow, tell me what you think of this too! ^_^
Kamazova: Wah! I'm so sad this is the end! It was such a LONG story for me too! I'm glad I'm not the only one who will miss it. This is definitely the end of the line for me, and I don't think I can make a sequel, although I do have a twisted idea in mind... Hehe. We'll see about that though. Anyhow, thanks for everything! God bless you too! lol
Stephanie: I just can't let a bad guy go! I love my evil villains way too much! The same thing happened to me when I watched the last episode of Trigun. I was like, "Cool! They changed the ending theme song!" And then I was like, "Hey! Nice shot of Knives butt there!" And then it was like, "What's with the blank screen...? AHH! IT'S OVER!" Ok, so your reaction was more tame, but hey...lol.
Sami: Knives babies? Well, I came close here. lol Thanks for all your reviews! I REALLY appreciated them! I'll write another Trigun fic soon as I get another idea. Hehe. ~_^
Raditz: Your welcome for the entertainment! Thanx for the review! lol I know how that goes - school tomorrow, but a fanfic to read. Haha. Annnnnnd here would be the epilogue!
Hello_lola: *sniff* I'll miss you - I'll miss everyone! *sniffle* Here's the epilogue though, and I hope it's just as good as the rest of the story.
Kuja's Swan: Oh my - CHRISTMAS?! lol That's ok; I'll wait patiently. *sits and waits patiently* In the meantime, you read and review this epilogue.
DuesExDream: You didn't review! NOOOOO!! *falls into dark hole* And it's over now! You better review this epilogue or ELSE! Ya' hear?
~~~~~~
"You ok?"
"Hmm?" Stormie cracked one eye open and smiled a little - well, at least she tried. She was tired, worn, exhausted, and utterly spent to the point where she had run out of adjectives to describe her lethargic state. There wasn't a thought that passed through her mind; she remained carefully blank because she had to - no, scratch that - because she WANTED to. "Fine, fine."
He stared down at her, contemplating, wondering. Why was she so distant lately? Three years in the confines of marriage and all seemed to be going smoothly, or at least he thought so. Oriole and Grayfall had moved out shortly after Xavier, and Vash had accompanied them only to take up mindless wandering a few months later. They received letters from him every now and then, and he visited at least six times a year, though he did seem a little lonely still...
As for Faith, with her plant heritage, she was basically all grown up - a young woman with the same goofy, tomboyish personality that her mother had implanted in her mind from an early age. It was almost painful though, Knives had noticed, for Stormie to see her daughter mature, for as she had, her body had stretched to a reasonably tall height, her long, platinum hair had turned snow white, and her blue eye had only grown brighter while the color of the purple one was more dazzling. Her face, round and porcelain- skinned, had features that did not resemble Stormie's at all - her nose was too long and straight, her lips were too full and her chin came to a sharp point. Knives had seen the face before, and he knew Stormie had as well.
It was Naoshi's.
Everyday Faith looked more like her father, her limbs long and lean, her eyes exotic. She seemed unaware of it, but her parents recognized it all too well. They never talked about it, so Knives didn't know if it made Stormie sad in the sense that she missed Naoshi, was sorry that he had had to die, or was angry at the man and hated him, or simply didn't like the fact her daughter looked like the plant assassin.
Now, as he sat on the window seat in their bedroom, knees drawn to his chest, arms resting upon them, head turned to stare at his wife as she lay stretched out in bed, refusing to get up and start the day, he didn't know what else to do or think. Stormie had been lying in bed all day, as she had for the past two weeks, and she was growing increasingly irritable. "You haven't been quite yourself," he pointed out to her.
She rolled over onto her stomach and crossed her arms beneath her chin, sighing. "I know." Then, after a slight pause, she tilted her head to look over at him, and curiously, asked, "What would you say if I told you I told you I thought I was pregnant?"
And Knives found then that, quite frankly, he couldn't say anything.
~~~~~
"Whoa! Stormie! What's with the watermelon in your pajamas?!"
"Haha, very funny, Vash." Stormie had greeted her brother-in-law at the door, a tub of chocolate ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few wispy strands escaping to frame her disgruntled face, and she was wearing what looked to be a very lived-in pair of blue and white striped pajamas. Digging her spoon into the ice cream and dislodging a chunk, which was promptly transported to her mouth, she shot the blonde man opposite her a glare and said, "You do know how VIOLENT pregnant women can be, right?"
"Um, actually, no!" He gave her that charming, goofy grin and motioned for her to move aside that he might step in. This made Stormie even more offended, for she assumed that he was insinuating that he could not move past due to her newer, larger body, and in turn, calling her fat. Vash, noticing the evil look being shot his way, frowned and patted her on the back, asking, "What's wrong? Something I said?"
"No, no," she said through gritted teeth, graciously letting him pass by. Her belly had swollen like a balloon, greatly rounded and revealing that she was VERY pregnant. This was not necessarily a good thing. She did not feel attractive, happy, or even very mobile with the extra weight, plus all the added discomfort that came with having a baby wasn't making it easier either. And it did not help that people were constantly dropping by to tease her. The only one to be sympathetic so far had been Oriole, who had had twin girls about a year back, and knew what it felt like.
"Twins," Stormie had mused aloud. "Don't twins always skip a generation?"
"Yes," Grayfall had murmured, also perplexed. "Wouldn't that mean that Legato had had a twin?"
All had looked to Knives for confirmation, who had nodded gravely and murmured, "Killed the same day I got Legato. He was twelve."
Stormie had considered the possibility that she was carrying twins, but like she had previously stated, they skipped a generation. But was that true also with plants? She wasn't sure.
Knives was sitting in the kitchen, looking rather worn and frazzled instead of sporting his normal cool, collected attitude. A cup of coffee in his hands, raised every now and then to his lips, was being nursed to its death in an excruciatingly slow manner. "Vashu," he greeted when his brother bounced in, the spiky-haired sibling seeming disappointed by the lack of energy in the house.
"You two are both so dreary looking!" he commented angrily. "When I come to visit, I expect happy people! What's going on here? Come on! This is NOT fair!"
"We're experiencing one of Stormie's 'lows'," Knives replied quietly, his eyelids drooping low over expressionless eyes. "She isn't feeling good about herself today, and in turn, has dragged me down with her. When she is not happy, I am not allowed to be either." He paused, glancing at the woman beside him as she viciously attacked the carton of ice cream. "Because I did THIS to her."
Stormie grunted.
"Well," Vash commented cheerily, "the big family cookout should cheer you up! And, if that doesn't do it, the announcement I make at dinner will. By the way, I'm bringing a guest."
"Oh? Found a girlfriend?" Knives glanced up dully.
Vash could only pout, his green eyes watering up. "No FAIR! How did you know my surprise?"
"Because you are predictable, Vashu." He sighed melodramatically, getting up to dump his cold coffee out in the sink. While he was up, he began to make himself a new pot, if only for the sake of having something to do. "So, Vashu, is she a human?"
"Why, yes she is," he sniffed indignantly. "But that doesn't matter! I'm getting old enough now that I should start aging right along with her. Her name is Sharon, she's a redhead, and she's twenty-one. And that's all the information you're getting out of me!"
"Great," the couple replied in bored unison.
~~~~~
Faith and Bailey were in charge of the food for the cook out. They had volunteered, actually, seeing as how they were the only ones without small children underfoot. Faith, while newly married, had yet to have a child, and Bailey and Mitayo had never had another son or daughter, making Xavier their only, if not pampered, one. Both Oriole and Stormie advised them to stay as they were, much to the puzzlement of both.
"Alright," said Faith, looking in the cookbook she had confiscated from her mother's kitchen, "we need to start boiling water for the eggs. And we should probably get Mitayo to set the steaks on the grill soon."
"Oh, not until we've got some of the other food done," Bailey said with a smile, beginning to pull pots and pans from her cabinets. The cookout was at the new house she and Mitayo had recently built, having realized they needed to get out of Billy's hair sooner or later, preferably sooner. Meryl's daughter had appreciated their help while raising Vincent and her daughter, Milly, but now that the kids were older, she had no more need for them, although she did mention once or twice she could use the extra room...
The door slammed and Faith spun around, struck what she assumed was a cute pose (especially with her blue apron) and cried, "Our dashing husbands are home!"
Mitayo nodded his greeting while Xavier blushed a little, embarrassed as Faith pretended to swoon.
Bailey waved her husband over, asking curiously, "Do you think we should make chocolate cake or chocolate pudding for dessert?"
"Make both," he said wisely. "Stormie has been craving it lately, and Billy is bringing her parents as well as that Milly Thompson woman. You know how she is."
"Yes," Bailey answered, but in all truth, she really didn't. She'd only met Milly a few times and knew very little of the woman's pudding obsession. But, she did not want to seem ignorant in her husband's presence, and to say she did not remember the woman and her most famous characteristic seemed rather rude.
A feat over, Faith was teasing Xavier mercilessly, pulling on his cheek and kissing the tip of his nose as she cooed over how long the forty-five minutes without him had seemed. He'd grown into a handsome young man, which should've surprised no one, Mitayo said, for both his parents were extremely good-looking. He had his father's strong, broad-shouldered build and his mother's fine features. His long, platinum hair had been lobbed off a while ago, now cut so that it barely brushed his shoulders.
"Faith, the poor boy is blushing red as a tomato," Bailey sighed, trying to defend her son's pride. "Tomatoes. That reminds me. You should cut some up for the salad."
Faith good-naturedly complied, leaving Xavier alone in order to tend to the cooking.
Two hours later, when the food was done and Grayfall's brood as well as a very cranky Stormie and Knives had arrived, the group found themselves waiting for the arrival of Billy and her family, which basically consisted of her two children, her parents (who had married each other once more), and Milly Thompson. Vash had informed everyone beforehand he'd be a few hours late.
When Billy's clan finally did show up, apologizing for their tardiness, there was general chaos and disorder and a mad scramble for the buffet of food, as there generally is with a group that size. They were eating in the backyard, which, Mitayo had skillfully coaxed to grow into a garden- like paradise. He was very good like that, having made himself quite a lot of money with his reputation of being able to make the very desert spring forth with life.
"Well," Oriole told Stormie as she tried to cradle one of the twins in her arms, "how is it going? Strangled Knives yet?"
"Just about to," Stormie admitted nonchalantly, gnawing away at a pickle she had dipped in some chocolate pudding.
Oriole hugged closer the little golden-eyed, raven-haired girl in her arms, scolding her, "Legata! Behave now!" Then, to Stormie, she commented, "Don't worry. It will eventually get better."
Stormie found the strength to give her friend a half-hearted smile. "I know, I know. I was like this with Faith too. I just...I really am happy about this. I mean, I wanted a baby for Knives. With Knives. It just isn't quite what I would call fun."
"No, not really." Oriole snatched up the hand of the other twin, who was trying to crawl away. "Brielle! Behave!"
Stormie grinned, remembering Oriole's mother's name to be the same as the one the younger twin bore.
Off to the left, where the men had gathered, Knives was lamenting his woes to Grayfall, who was quietly reassuring him that Stormie would not be in a perpetual bad mood the rest of her life, and that eventually, she would allow his touch without screaming 'take your hands off me, you pig!'.
Mitatyo listened, smirking, and wondered to himself what the two were complaining about. Having not had to ever deal with a pregnant wife, he figured he had full mocking rights.
Milly and Meryl sat by themselves and reminisced over the past and marveled at where they were now. Milly, who had married a kindhearted bartender that had passed away nearly five years ago, talked softly of both her husband and Wolfwood, never comparing them, but conveying through her words that she had loved both dearly.
"Wolfwood," Meryl repeated, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. "I know it sounds ridiculous because I was never really close to him anyway, but I've always missed him, Milly."
Milly grinned. "Me too."
"I'M HE~RE!" Vash announced at the top of his lungs, causing every head to turn his way. "Miss me? Ya' know you did! Ok, everyone, meet Sharon." He then presented to them a short, slightly chunky, but nonetheless, very pretty woman, her eyes as green as the leafy plants growing in Mitayo's garden, her hair a coppery red. She was polite, she was reserved, and she complimented Vash very nicely.
"Mr. Vash sure looks young, doesn't he?" Milly commented.
Meryl nodded slowly, letting one slim finger trace the rim of her cup. "Compared to us he does. It makes me a little sad to look at him, Milly. I mean...he hasn't aged at all, and here we are. We're so different - and back twenty years ago, I realized it, but I didn't think it would feel so strange when this time came..."
"Oh, but think of all the happy times we had!" Milly cried enthusiastically, and launched into a detailed account of all their misadventures, only to be interrupted by Vash leading Sharon over to meet his 'oldest and dearest' friends.
The day ended a little too quickly, but all decided this was preferable to it dragging on in boredom. As everyone parted to make their way home to individual houses, Stormie found her state of irritability decreasing as a good mood rolled in. This was displayed when she, once home, scooted over closer to Knives and kissed him on the forehead.
He just about flew out of bed, arms raised protectively, mouth set in a suspicious frown. She had been complaining about how horrible physical touch was for the past two months, so it was quite easy to understand his surprise.
"Knives," she said quietly, "sorry I've been such a...mental case lately."
"Um, it's ok," he said, very much in awe. It'd been a while since she'd apologized for anything. Throwing cartons of milk at him, kicking him in the shin for no reason, making him breakfast in bed only to suddenly have an outburst and end up pouring syrup onto his lap - all these things had brought her no guilt. What had suddenly changed her mind?
She lay down beside him and allowed him to stroke his fingers through her hair a few times before he settled down as well, the two staring at the ceiling in quiet relaxation.
"So..." Knives cleared his throat nervously. "Do you ever think about him? ...Naoshi, I mean."
She frowned, and then, answering in all honesty, replied, "Yes."
"What do you think?"
"I remember being pregnant with Faith and feeling sick all the time. Because it was his kid. Ya' know, he watched me a lot from afar. If I had known, I might've gone crazy and slit my own throat." She let there be a lengthy silence. "Sometimes, I remember him right before he died, when he was talking of changing. He was sick with the flu or something when Grayfall fought him, you know. Imagine how strong he must've been...to be able to fight when he was in such a weakened state." She shot her husband an impish grin. "I sometimes wonder what it was like between him and Billy. We never talk about it, the fact that he was torn between us. It's weird. Sort of sick."
Knives shrugged. "I didn't like the guy."
"I know, Knives, which is why I am not following in the footsteps of the rest of our friends and naming the baby after him, seeing as how they all insisted on naming their children after someone significant in their past."
Knives didn't even want to respond to that. He merely turned onto his side, looking at her with a dull, almost lifeless expression, just the hint of a smile on his lips. The room was dark, but he could still make out the blue of her wide open eyes. His hand raised, slipping under her shirt to touch her largely rounded belly, his thumb smoothing over her navel as he felt the baby kicking, striking against his palm. "Moves a lot, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes, its foot will get caught in my ribs when it kicks, and then I have to reach up and kind of massage my side to help it get loose again."
Knives flopped back down on the bed, groaning. "Stormie, that was unnecessary information."
He hadn't even known that sort of thing was possible. It sounded painful though. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how much he would hate such a thing, and his side began to ache as if he really could feel the kicking, squirming thing thrusting its ankle through his ribcage. Touching a hand to his side, he quieted his thoughts and let himself rub away the imaginary pain.
Stormie grinned and turned her back to him, only to feel him follow, his chest pressing to her back snugly as one arm snaked around to curve over her.
"G'night, Knives."
"Good night, Storm."
~~~~~~
"Faith, I'm tired," whined Xavier, only to receive no mercy from his energetic wife, who immediately launched herself against his chest, wrapping arms firmly about his neck to ensure that he would not escape. Her weight threw him off balance and she giggled madly as he toppled back with a shout, landing on the bed with her on top.
"Xavier, baby," she sighed, holding on to the writhing man, "you need to stop being so shy."
He wriggled out of her grasp and climbed onto his hands and knees, only to have her leach onto his body once more, arms still heavy around his neck as she lay beneath him, grinning up at his terrified face. "Let me go, Faith," he pleaded. "I don't want to wrestle tonight. I'm always afraid I'll hurt you so I go too easy on you and end up getting beat up!"
She made an exasperated noise. "Just like when we were kids," she grumbled, though she did not release him. He remained on all fours above her, hands on either side of her shoulders, knees parted and pressing against her hips. "I know you're stronger than me, Xavier," she coaxed, "and that's why I like playing with you." Again, she pinched his cheek. "It's so cute you try not to be rough, and it's almost fun when you do get me pinned because I can try my hardest and know I'm not getting up, but just the thought that someday I might is enough to keep me trying!"
He blinked down at her, mouth gaping in astonishment. "Why are you so weird?" he whined.
"'Cuz I'm like my mother," she replied, leaning up to press her lips lightly to his. "And you like me like that." She kissed him again, grinning against his mouth when she found him responding. "See?" she stated when he pulled away. "It's not so hard to be a little fun, is it? Just stop panicking about everything. You worry a lot. Just play with me!"
This time it was Xavier who leaned in to kiss her, though he did jolt in surprise when she tightened her grip on his neck and wrapped her legs securely around his waist.
"Alright," he relented in what sounded to be an exhausted voice, letting himself fall to the side so that they landed in a heap on the bed. "I'll loosen up. I'll be more fun. Just...don't tie me up or anything. Like you did when we first met."
"Oh yes. I'm an evil little magician who takes unwilling volunteers, aren't I?" She flashed him a toothy grin, remembering when her mother had brought both him and Mitayo home, sending the children off to play in Faith's room, where she had taken the little boy as a hostage during her magic show.
"Hmm. Yes. Very."
Xavier then succumbed to yet another night of Faith's so-called 'evilness'.
~~~~~
Oriole was gazing out the window, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The twins were in bed and Grayfall was standing just behind her, golden eyes gleaming in the dark. He had a way of doing that; his gaze was that of a cat's, illuminate and a chilly yellow.
"Ready to go to bed?" he asked, yawning into his hand.
"Uh-huh." Oriole turned to face him, tilting her head slowly to the side with a pleased smile. "Today was a good day, wasn't it Gray?"
"Yes," he agreed in that deep, melodious voice of his, the one that he KNEW sounded exactly like his father's. He watched her as she padded back to the bed and lay down. But he didn't follow. Instead, he informed her, "I'm going to check on the girls," and turned to exit the room.
The twins' room was the one beside theirs, and he found the babies sound asleep in their respective cribs. As he did each night, he leaned in and kissed each one on the head, and then, touched the little night light between them to dim its light.
He marveled at their tendency to sleep easily and deeply as he stopped to stare at the easily breathing girls. It wasn't often babies were born with good sleeping habits that coincided with the parents, but, he supposed, both he and Oriole had gotten lucky.
Before he left, he flicked the switch on the moon and stars mobile between their beds, setting it to tinkling and spinning. The tune was very familiar - it was almost the exact duplicate of the Death Song, the last one he had heard. He had stood in that little shop for hours with the music box vender, feeling like an idiot as he hummed the song over and over again until the man had assured him he could reproduce it in a custom-made and VERY expensive trinket. A mobile, at Grayfall's request.
When the twins were older, and when they could understand, he would sit the girls down and turn on the mobile and tell them about his life and how he met Oriole and all that had come after. He would explain the mysteries of the Death Song and answer their questions patiently.
'See?' he would say to them. 'Hear this song? It was in my head before it ever entered yours, and it saved my life as well as others' many a time. It's called the Death Song. And it was a gift from your grandfather'.
~~~~~
Well, the epilogue is done, there's nothing else to write for this story, and I will truly miss all your reviews as well as writing new chapters! Waaaah! *cries* It's just so...sad!! *sniffle* Well, I hope everyone liked this. See ya' guys around. Read some of my other stuff if you're interested!! All suggestions and comments are appreciated. ^_^
Riyo_gunchild: Alrighty, here's the epilogue! Thanx a bunch for your review! I'm glad you liked it so much! lol It's kind of funny you should say you like all the original characters, because it was really supposed to be just Grayfall, but I just couldn't stop myself from adding new people! Haha. Anyhow, tell me what you think of this too! ^_^
Kamazova: Wah! I'm so sad this is the end! It was such a LONG story for me too! I'm glad I'm not the only one who will miss it. This is definitely the end of the line for me, and I don't think I can make a sequel, although I do have a twisted idea in mind... Hehe. We'll see about that though. Anyhow, thanks for everything! God bless you too! lol
Stephanie: I just can't let a bad guy go! I love my evil villains way too much! The same thing happened to me when I watched the last episode of Trigun. I was like, "Cool! They changed the ending theme song!" And then I was like, "Hey! Nice shot of Knives butt there!" And then it was like, "What's with the blank screen...? AHH! IT'S OVER!" Ok, so your reaction was more tame, but hey...lol.
Sami: Knives babies? Well, I came close here. lol Thanks for all your reviews! I REALLY appreciated them! I'll write another Trigun fic soon as I get another idea. Hehe. ~_^
Raditz: Your welcome for the entertainment! Thanx for the review! lol I know how that goes - school tomorrow, but a fanfic to read. Haha. Annnnnnd here would be the epilogue!
Hello_lola: *sniff* I'll miss you - I'll miss everyone! *sniffle* Here's the epilogue though, and I hope it's just as good as the rest of the story.
Kuja's Swan: Oh my - CHRISTMAS?! lol That's ok; I'll wait patiently. *sits and waits patiently* In the meantime, you read and review this epilogue.
DuesExDream: You didn't review! NOOOOO!! *falls into dark hole* And it's over now! You better review this epilogue or ELSE! Ya' hear?
~~~~~~
"You ok?"
"Hmm?" Stormie cracked one eye open and smiled a little - well, at least she tried. She was tired, worn, exhausted, and utterly spent to the point where she had run out of adjectives to describe her lethargic state. There wasn't a thought that passed through her mind; she remained carefully blank because she had to - no, scratch that - because she WANTED to. "Fine, fine."
He stared down at her, contemplating, wondering. Why was she so distant lately? Three years in the confines of marriage and all seemed to be going smoothly, or at least he thought so. Oriole and Grayfall had moved out shortly after Xavier, and Vash had accompanied them only to take up mindless wandering a few months later. They received letters from him every now and then, and he visited at least six times a year, though he did seem a little lonely still...
As for Faith, with her plant heritage, she was basically all grown up - a young woman with the same goofy, tomboyish personality that her mother had implanted in her mind from an early age. It was almost painful though, Knives had noticed, for Stormie to see her daughter mature, for as she had, her body had stretched to a reasonably tall height, her long, platinum hair had turned snow white, and her blue eye had only grown brighter while the color of the purple one was more dazzling. Her face, round and porcelain- skinned, had features that did not resemble Stormie's at all - her nose was too long and straight, her lips were too full and her chin came to a sharp point. Knives had seen the face before, and he knew Stormie had as well.
It was Naoshi's.
Everyday Faith looked more like her father, her limbs long and lean, her eyes exotic. She seemed unaware of it, but her parents recognized it all too well. They never talked about it, so Knives didn't know if it made Stormie sad in the sense that she missed Naoshi, was sorry that he had had to die, or was angry at the man and hated him, or simply didn't like the fact her daughter looked like the plant assassin.
Now, as he sat on the window seat in their bedroom, knees drawn to his chest, arms resting upon them, head turned to stare at his wife as she lay stretched out in bed, refusing to get up and start the day, he didn't know what else to do or think. Stormie had been lying in bed all day, as she had for the past two weeks, and she was growing increasingly irritable. "You haven't been quite yourself," he pointed out to her.
She rolled over onto her stomach and crossed her arms beneath her chin, sighing. "I know." Then, after a slight pause, she tilted her head to look over at him, and curiously, asked, "What would you say if I told you I told you I thought I was pregnant?"
And Knives found then that, quite frankly, he couldn't say anything.
~~~~~
"Whoa! Stormie! What's with the watermelon in your pajamas?!"
"Haha, very funny, Vash." Stormie had greeted her brother-in-law at the door, a tub of chocolate ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few wispy strands escaping to frame her disgruntled face, and she was wearing what looked to be a very lived-in pair of blue and white striped pajamas. Digging her spoon into the ice cream and dislodging a chunk, which was promptly transported to her mouth, she shot the blonde man opposite her a glare and said, "You do know how VIOLENT pregnant women can be, right?"
"Um, actually, no!" He gave her that charming, goofy grin and motioned for her to move aside that he might step in. This made Stormie even more offended, for she assumed that he was insinuating that he could not move past due to her newer, larger body, and in turn, calling her fat. Vash, noticing the evil look being shot his way, frowned and patted her on the back, asking, "What's wrong? Something I said?"
"No, no," she said through gritted teeth, graciously letting him pass by. Her belly had swollen like a balloon, greatly rounded and revealing that she was VERY pregnant. This was not necessarily a good thing. She did not feel attractive, happy, or even very mobile with the extra weight, plus all the added discomfort that came with having a baby wasn't making it easier either. And it did not help that people were constantly dropping by to tease her. The only one to be sympathetic so far had been Oriole, who had had twin girls about a year back, and knew what it felt like.
"Twins," Stormie had mused aloud. "Don't twins always skip a generation?"
"Yes," Grayfall had murmured, also perplexed. "Wouldn't that mean that Legato had had a twin?"
All had looked to Knives for confirmation, who had nodded gravely and murmured, "Killed the same day I got Legato. He was twelve."
Stormie had considered the possibility that she was carrying twins, but like she had previously stated, they skipped a generation. But was that true also with plants? She wasn't sure.
Knives was sitting in the kitchen, looking rather worn and frazzled instead of sporting his normal cool, collected attitude. A cup of coffee in his hands, raised every now and then to his lips, was being nursed to its death in an excruciatingly slow manner. "Vashu," he greeted when his brother bounced in, the spiky-haired sibling seeming disappointed by the lack of energy in the house.
"You two are both so dreary looking!" he commented angrily. "When I come to visit, I expect happy people! What's going on here? Come on! This is NOT fair!"
"We're experiencing one of Stormie's 'lows'," Knives replied quietly, his eyelids drooping low over expressionless eyes. "She isn't feeling good about herself today, and in turn, has dragged me down with her. When she is not happy, I am not allowed to be either." He paused, glancing at the woman beside him as she viciously attacked the carton of ice cream. "Because I did THIS to her."
Stormie grunted.
"Well," Vash commented cheerily, "the big family cookout should cheer you up! And, if that doesn't do it, the announcement I make at dinner will. By the way, I'm bringing a guest."
"Oh? Found a girlfriend?" Knives glanced up dully.
Vash could only pout, his green eyes watering up. "No FAIR! How did you know my surprise?"
"Because you are predictable, Vashu." He sighed melodramatically, getting up to dump his cold coffee out in the sink. While he was up, he began to make himself a new pot, if only for the sake of having something to do. "So, Vashu, is she a human?"
"Why, yes she is," he sniffed indignantly. "But that doesn't matter! I'm getting old enough now that I should start aging right along with her. Her name is Sharon, she's a redhead, and she's twenty-one. And that's all the information you're getting out of me!"
"Great," the couple replied in bored unison.
~~~~~
Faith and Bailey were in charge of the food for the cook out. They had volunteered, actually, seeing as how they were the only ones without small children underfoot. Faith, while newly married, had yet to have a child, and Bailey and Mitayo had never had another son or daughter, making Xavier their only, if not pampered, one. Both Oriole and Stormie advised them to stay as they were, much to the puzzlement of both.
"Alright," said Faith, looking in the cookbook she had confiscated from her mother's kitchen, "we need to start boiling water for the eggs. And we should probably get Mitayo to set the steaks on the grill soon."
"Oh, not until we've got some of the other food done," Bailey said with a smile, beginning to pull pots and pans from her cabinets. The cookout was at the new house she and Mitayo had recently built, having realized they needed to get out of Billy's hair sooner or later, preferably sooner. Meryl's daughter had appreciated their help while raising Vincent and her daughter, Milly, but now that the kids were older, she had no more need for them, although she did mention once or twice she could use the extra room...
The door slammed and Faith spun around, struck what she assumed was a cute pose (especially with her blue apron) and cried, "Our dashing husbands are home!"
Mitayo nodded his greeting while Xavier blushed a little, embarrassed as Faith pretended to swoon.
Bailey waved her husband over, asking curiously, "Do you think we should make chocolate cake or chocolate pudding for dessert?"
"Make both," he said wisely. "Stormie has been craving it lately, and Billy is bringing her parents as well as that Milly Thompson woman. You know how she is."
"Yes," Bailey answered, but in all truth, she really didn't. She'd only met Milly a few times and knew very little of the woman's pudding obsession. But, she did not want to seem ignorant in her husband's presence, and to say she did not remember the woman and her most famous characteristic seemed rather rude.
A feat over, Faith was teasing Xavier mercilessly, pulling on his cheek and kissing the tip of his nose as she cooed over how long the forty-five minutes without him had seemed. He'd grown into a handsome young man, which should've surprised no one, Mitayo said, for both his parents were extremely good-looking. He had his father's strong, broad-shouldered build and his mother's fine features. His long, platinum hair had been lobbed off a while ago, now cut so that it barely brushed his shoulders.
"Faith, the poor boy is blushing red as a tomato," Bailey sighed, trying to defend her son's pride. "Tomatoes. That reminds me. You should cut some up for the salad."
Faith good-naturedly complied, leaving Xavier alone in order to tend to the cooking.
Two hours later, when the food was done and Grayfall's brood as well as a very cranky Stormie and Knives had arrived, the group found themselves waiting for the arrival of Billy and her family, which basically consisted of her two children, her parents (who had married each other once more), and Milly Thompson. Vash had informed everyone beforehand he'd be a few hours late.
When Billy's clan finally did show up, apologizing for their tardiness, there was general chaos and disorder and a mad scramble for the buffet of food, as there generally is with a group that size. They were eating in the backyard, which, Mitayo had skillfully coaxed to grow into a garden- like paradise. He was very good like that, having made himself quite a lot of money with his reputation of being able to make the very desert spring forth with life.
"Well," Oriole told Stormie as she tried to cradle one of the twins in her arms, "how is it going? Strangled Knives yet?"
"Just about to," Stormie admitted nonchalantly, gnawing away at a pickle she had dipped in some chocolate pudding.
Oriole hugged closer the little golden-eyed, raven-haired girl in her arms, scolding her, "Legata! Behave now!" Then, to Stormie, she commented, "Don't worry. It will eventually get better."
Stormie found the strength to give her friend a half-hearted smile. "I know, I know. I was like this with Faith too. I just...I really am happy about this. I mean, I wanted a baby for Knives. With Knives. It just isn't quite what I would call fun."
"No, not really." Oriole snatched up the hand of the other twin, who was trying to crawl away. "Brielle! Behave!"
Stormie grinned, remembering Oriole's mother's name to be the same as the one the younger twin bore.
Off to the left, where the men had gathered, Knives was lamenting his woes to Grayfall, who was quietly reassuring him that Stormie would not be in a perpetual bad mood the rest of her life, and that eventually, she would allow his touch without screaming 'take your hands off me, you pig!'.
Mitatyo listened, smirking, and wondered to himself what the two were complaining about. Having not had to ever deal with a pregnant wife, he figured he had full mocking rights.
Milly and Meryl sat by themselves and reminisced over the past and marveled at where they were now. Milly, who had married a kindhearted bartender that had passed away nearly five years ago, talked softly of both her husband and Wolfwood, never comparing them, but conveying through her words that she had loved both dearly.
"Wolfwood," Meryl repeated, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. "I know it sounds ridiculous because I was never really close to him anyway, but I've always missed him, Milly."
Milly grinned. "Me too."
"I'M HE~RE!" Vash announced at the top of his lungs, causing every head to turn his way. "Miss me? Ya' know you did! Ok, everyone, meet Sharon." He then presented to them a short, slightly chunky, but nonetheless, very pretty woman, her eyes as green as the leafy plants growing in Mitayo's garden, her hair a coppery red. She was polite, she was reserved, and she complimented Vash very nicely.
"Mr. Vash sure looks young, doesn't he?" Milly commented.
Meryl nodded slowly, letting one slim finger trace the rim of her cup. "Compared to us he does. It makes me a little sad to look at him, Milly. I mean...he hasn't aged at all, and here we are. We're so different - and back twenty years ago, I realized it, but I didn't think it would feel so strange when this time came..."
"Oh, but think of all the happy times we had!" Milly cried enthusiastically, and launched into a detailed account of all their misadventures, only to be interrupted by Vash leading Sharon over to meet his 'oldest and dearest' friends.
The day ended a little too quickly, but all decided this was preferable to it dragging on in boredom. As everyone parted to make their way home to individual houses, Stormie found her state of irritability decreasing as a good mood rolled in. This was displayed when she, once home, scooted over closer to Knives and kissed him on the forehead.
He just about flew out of bed, arms raised protectively, mouth set in a suspicious frown. She had been complaining about how horrible physical touch was for the past two months, so it was quite easy to understand his surprise.
"Knives," she said quietly, "sorry I've been such a...mental case lately."
"Um, it's ok," he said, very much in awe. It'd been a while since she'd apologized for anything. Throwing cartons of milk at him, kicking him in the shin for no reason, making him breakfast in bed only to suddenly have an outburst and end up pouring syrup onto his lap - all these things had brought her no guilt. What had suddenly changed her mind?
She lay down beside him and allowed him to stroke his fingers through her hair a few times before he settled down as well, the two staring at the ceiling in quiet relaxation.
"So..." Knives cleared his throat nervously. "Do you ever think about him? ...Naoshi, I mean."
She frowned, and then, answering in all honesty, replied, "Yes."
"What do you think?"
"I remember being pregnant with Faith and feeling sick all the time. Because it was his kid. Ya' know, he watched me a lot from afar. If I had known, I might've gone crazy and slit my own throat." She let there be a lengthy silence. "Sometimes, I remember him right before he died, when he was talking of changing. He was sick with the flu or something when Grayfall fought him, you know. Imagine how strong he must've been...to be able to fight when he was in such a weakened state." She shot her husband an impish grin. "I sometimes wonder what it was like between him and Billy. We never talk about it, the fact that he was torn between us. It's weird. Sort of sick."
Knives shrugged. "I didn't like the guy."
"I know, Knives, which is why I am not following in the footsteps of the rest of our friends and naming the baby after him, seeing as how they all insisted on naming their children after someone significant in their past."
Knives didn't even want to respond to that. He merely turned onto his side, looking at her with a dull, almost lifeless expression, just the hint of a smile on his lips. The room was dark, but he could still make out the blue of her wide open eyes. His hand raised, slipping under her shirt to touch her largely rounded belly, his thumb smoothing over her navel as he felt the baby kicking, striking against his palm. "Moves a lot, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes, its foot will get caught in my ribs when it kicks, and then I have to reach up and kind of massage my side to help it get loose again."
Knives flopped back down on the bed, groaning. "Stormie, that was unnecessary information."
He hadn't even known that sort of thing was possible. It sounded painful though. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how much he would hate such a thing, and his side began to ache as if he really could feel the kicking, squirming thing thrusting its ankle through his ribcage. Touching a hand to his side, he quieted his thoughts and let himself rub away the imaginary pain.
Stormie grinned and turned her back to him, only to feel him follow, his chest pressing to her back snugly as one arm snaked around to curve over her.
"G'night, Knives."
"Good night, Storm."
~~~~~~
"Faith, I'm tired," whined Xavier, only to receive no mercy from his energetic wife, who immediately launched herself against his chest, wrapping arms firmly about his neck to ensure that he would not escape. Her weight threw him off balance and she giggled madly as he toppled back with a shout, landing on the bed with her on top.
"Xavier, baby," she sighed, holding on to the writhing man, "you need to stop being so shy."
He wriggled out of her grasp and climbed onto his hands and knees, only to have her leach onto his body once more, arms still heavy around his neck as she lay beneath him, grinning up at his terrified face. "Let me go, Faith," he pleaded. "I don't want to wrestle tonight. I'm always afraid I'll hurt you so I go too easy on you and end up getting beat up!"
She made an exasperated noise. "Just like when we were kids," she grumbled, though she did not release him. He remained on all fours above her, hands on either side of her shoulders, knees parted and pressing against her hips. "I know you're stronger than me, Xavier," she coaxed, "and that's why I like playing with you." Again, she pinched his cheek. "It's so cute you try not to be rough, and it's almost fun when you do get me pinned because I can try my hardest and know I'm not getting up, but just the thought that someday I might is enough to keep me trying!"
He blinked down at her, mouth gaping in astonishment. "Why are you so weird?" he whined.
"'Cuz I'm like my mother," she replied, leaning up to press her lips lightly to his. "And you like me like that." She kissed him again, grinning against his mouth when she found him responding. "See?" she stated when he pulled away. "It's not so hard to be a little fun, is it? Just stop panicking about everything. You worry a lot. Just play with me!"
This time it was Xavier who leaned in to kiss her, though he did jolt in surprise when she tightened her grip on his neck and wrapped her legs securely around his waist.
"Alright," he relented in what sounded to be an exhausted voice, letting himself fall to the side so that they landed in a heap on the bed. "I'll loosen up. I'll be more fun. Just...don't tie me up or anything. Like you did when we first met."
"Oh yes. I'm an evil little magician who takes unwilling volunteers, aren't I?" She flashed him a toothy grin, remembering when her mother had brought both him and Mitayo home, sending the children off to play in Faith's room, where she had taken the little boy as a hostage during her magic show.
"Hmm. Yes. Very."
Xavier then succumbed to yet another night of Faith's so-called 'evilness'.
~~~~~
Oriole was gazing out the window, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The twins were in bed and Grayfall was standing just behind her, golden eyes gleaming in the dark. He had a way of doing that; his gaze was that of a cat's, illuminate and a chilly yellow.
"Ready to go to bed?" he asked, yawning into his hand.
"Uh-huh." Oriole turned to face him, tilting her head slowly to the side with a pleased smile. "Today was a good day, wasn't it Gray?"
"Yes," he agreed in that deep, melodious voice of his, the one that he KNEW sounded exactly like his father's. He watched her as she padded back to the bed and lay down. But he didn't follow. Instead, he informed her, "I'm going to check on the girls," and turned to exit the room.
The twins' room was the one beside theirs, and he found the babies sound asleep in their respective cribs. As he did each night, he leaned in and kissed each one on the head, and then, touched the little night light between them to dim its light.
He marveled at their tendency to sleep easily and deeply as he stopped to stare at the easily breathing girls. It wasn't often babies were born with good sleeping habits that coincided with the parents, but, he supposed, both he and Oriole had gotten lucky.
Before he left, he flicked the switch on the moon and stars mobile between their beds, setting it to tinkling and spinning. The tune was very familiar - it was almost the exact duplicate of the Death Song, the last one he had heard. He had stood in that little shop for hours with the music box vender, feeling like an idiot as he hummed the song over and over again until the man had assured him he could reproduce it in a custom-made and VERY expensive trinket. A mobile, at Grayfall's request.
When the twins were older, and when they could understand, he would sit the girls down and turn on the mobile and tell them about his life and how he met Oriole and all that had come after. He would explain the mysteries of the Death Song and answer their questions patiently.
'See?' he would say to them. 'Hear this song? It was in my head before it ever entered yours, and it saved my life as well as others' many a time. It's called the Death Song. And it was a gift from your grandfather'.
~~~~~
Well, the epilogue is done, there's nothing else to write for this story, and I will truly miss all your reviews as well as writing new chapters! Waaaah! *cries* It's just so...sad!! *sniffle* Well, I hope everyone liked this. See ya' guys around. Read some of my other stuff if you're interested!! All suggestions and comments are appreciated. ^_^