Chapter 31
She sent the Galian Beast to take Dana home. She had to protect her family, but she wasn't going to do it at the expense of another child's life. And the sound of gunfire in the neighborhood would bring Rude and Reno out of their house to help, too.
After this, they were getting another rifle for her to target shoot with; Vincent was not going to be left home alone with the baby with nothing but handguns again.
Yuffie slowed down as she approached her house, trying to pick out the monster in the summer evening twilight. Her eyes widened when she saw the large black shape crouched on their porch railing, peering into the living room window.
Death Penalty dropped from her nerveless finger into the dirt at her feet.
"Chaos?"
The demon whipped his head around at the sound of his name. Seeing Yuffie, standing in front of him with shock written plainly across her face, was killing all the resolve he had built up to come here.
"You're home," she whispered.
Chaos felt some of his nervous tension drain away when she said that. He had expected her to be angry and yell at him. Or even shoot him. But, despite her shock, her voice was welcoming.
"Highwind said I could find you here."
"I should be angry," Yuffie replied, walking toward him. "I should yell or scream or shoot you or something. But I'm just too happy to see you."
Chaos found himself climbing down from the railing and holding his arms out to the ninja.
Yuffie flung herself into his embrace with a sob. "Promise me you're staying."
"I swear it. I shouldn't have left in the first place."
"We built the house big enough for you too. Come inside."
Not sure what kind of reception to expect from Vincent, Chaos nervously followed Yuffie inside.
If he had been holding anything besides Anessa, Vincent probably would have dropped it when he saw Chaos come into the house behind Yuffie.
"Careful!" Yuffie said, rushing forward and taking their daughter from him.
When Anessa was safely in his wife's arms, the gunslinger advanced on the demon and punched him. Chaos' head snapped around, but he didn't make a sound.
"Do you have any idea what you put us through for the last three years? What you've put Yuffie through?"
"Vincent—"
"Let him finish, Yuffie," Chaos told her. "Its nothing I don't deserve."
Vincent glared at the demon as he continued. "Do you know what its like to get up every morning hoping to find the missing part of your soul, but going to bed every night without it again? Not knowing if that person is alive or not?"
Yuffie was surprised to see tears streaming down her husband's face. She hadn't known he cared for the demon so deeply.
Chaos apparently had not known either, judging from his expression. "Vincent, I…I'm sorry. I truly thought it would be best for the two of you if I left."
"You should have discussed that with us," Vincent said, rubbing his eyes with a shirtsleeve. "It wasn't your decision to make alone. We wanted you with us."
Yuffie put a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "Vincent, stop. Chaos is home now; that's all that matters."
Vincent extended his clawed arm and pulled Yuffie to his side. "You're right."
Then he looked to Chaos and extended his hand. "Welcome home."
Tentatively, Chaos put his hand into Vincent's. The gunslinger gripped it tightly, then pulled the demon into an embrace.
Chaos felt like a weight had been lifted from his heart as he wrapped his arms around his beloved humans. Nothing he had imagined had been like the homecoming he had received.
"I love you," he whispered into the gunslinger's hair.
"And I love you," Vincent replied. "Don't ever leave us again."
"Never."
Yuffie smiled, tears of joy flooding her eyes. "I love you guys so much."
Anessa gave a cry at being squashed between three much larger bodies. Vincent laughed and loosened his embrace so that Yuffie could back out.
"I'm going to see if Reno and Rude can watch her for the night," Yuffie said. "I think we'll be watching the sunrise tonight."
59 pages
26,710 words
120,293 characters (without spaces)
1,176 paragraphs
it was one hell of a ride. had some ups and downs (particularly when chapter three got lost entirely for nearly a year) but its been a great trip. i hope all of you enjoyed it as much as i did.
a couple of things tho,
1. Cid was never supposed to be Chaos' confidant. he was supposed to fill that role for yuffie, and the demon was supposed to angst away on his own. he's such a bossy old man when he wants to be.
2. yes, rude and reno are a couple. i want zero crap about it.
3. rude and elena were acutally supposed to die. but the idea of rude being their babysitter was just too cute and i couldn't pass it up.
4. yes, i may eventually do a sequel, but i have a lot of other projects to finish up first. (particularly valentine, demon's bane, taken and several contest entries for deviantart.)
thanks and luffs to all my reviewers. you've been great. and i'm sure i'll see you down the road later.
eerian