A/N:
This is a Legault X Isadora, Jaffar X Nino fic that'll probably be a oneshot, which I wrote for no other reason than I really did want to see a Legault X Isadora ending in the series. Oh well.
Gentle Surprises
It had been five years since Nergal had been defeated. Most of the army was scattered once again around Elibe, enjoying their own lives, and Legault was no exception. The first year he had tried to aid the remnants of the old Black Fang, finding them places and jobs when he could, hiding them from bounty hunters when they came around. The rest of the years he still tried to help his fellow former Fangs, but he mainly enjoyed life with the woman he loved. Things have changed, all right. The Hurricane was still caring and friendly, but his combat skills had improved even more over the years, with all his fights with the countless bounty hunters that thought they could earn a pretty penny by ambushing the Hurricane. They kept forgetting that he was a master of stealth, too, and that darkness was his personal cloak. Much to their detriment, but at least, Jaffar probably didn't have it much better. The longhaired assassin grinned as he remembered the last time he and the "Angel of Death" met.
He had gone to visit Nino andJaffar, to see how they were faring. Jaffar, like him, still had legions of bounty hunters after him. Oh well.
"UNCLE LEGAULT!" came the expected shriek, as well as the running and the hug. "Hey, Nino. How's life treating you two?" Nino just grinned and grabbed her "uncle" by the hand and dragged him up to the house. Opening the door and with a slight shadow of a smile on his lips, stood Jaffar, as stoic and silent as ever. "Oh come on, Jaffar, you aren't glad to see me or something?" Jaffar had simply raised an eyebrow and beckoned him in. "Come in, Uncle, we were just about to have dinner!" "Really?"
And so the trio ate. A bubbly, vivacious girl – no, a young woman now, her silently loving husband, and a bemused "uncle." Then, of course, came the proverbial knock on the door. The two former assassin rose in unison, Jaffar holding Nino down. The two men looked at each other, then without any further delay, Legault doused the lanterns while Jaffar disappeared with Nino into one of the rooms. In a matter of moments, the two were in the dining room, cloaked in the shadows and virtually invisible to all except each other. Legault nodded, then simultaneously, he wrenched open the door as Jaffar readied his Killing Edge, prepared to strike from the shadows, living up to his nickname, "The Angel of Death."
Much to their surprise, it wasn't crowd of bounty hunters they were expecting, but a beautiful, familiar blue haired woman, who simply smiled and walked in. Obviously, she was used to the habits of the two men.
"…Isadora."
"Isadora?!"
The reactions came at once, amazingly, Jaffar speaking first, with Legault recovering from his tongue-tied state of shock a few moments later. Recovering his senses, Legualt lighted the lantern again.
"Hey, guys. Where's Nino?" Dumbfounded, they simply pointed to the door, and Nino stepped out, cautiously. Upon seeing Isadora, she smiled and went up to the Paladin to give her a hug. They weren't very close during the war, but ever since Isadora and Legault had started living together, they became fast friends.
So then dinner continued, this time with four instead of a trio. Talk ensued, remembering funny instances and wondering how the rest of the army was doing. Later, much later, they all turned in, Jaffar and Nino to their own room, Legault and Isadora to a guest room that Nino insisted be built just for "uncle."
Morning
Legault rose with the sun, as was his custom, he yawned, then turned to look at Isadora, who was sleeping quietly beside him, as always. He kissed her briefly, then got up, dressed, and went downstairs. He went out and fed his and Isadora's horses, as well as Nino and Jaffar's various pets.
"…Up early, aren't you?"
Legault didn't quite jump, simple glanced beside him and grinned. "Always, Jaffar, always. Not like anyone of our previous trade could sleep late."
"…"
Suddenly a rustle of leaves, and a crackle of breaking branches alerted the two. Legault stood up straight, and Jaffar walked out of the threshold of the doorway to stand beside him. Nothing else would try to sneak up to the house this early.
And of course, their instincts were right. A few seconds later, three men jumped out of the forest.
"We're gonna collect tha bounty on your heads, uh huh." Grinned one.
Legault simply smiled. "Are you so sure?"
The bounty hunter started to retort…when he realized the other man wasn't there anymore. A second later, the one standing there was gone, too. He remembered thinking about where they could've gone when a long bladed dagger sliced his throat and another pierced his heart., and as he lay in a puddle of his own blood, he was still wondering.
That left two. Jaffar and Legault reappeared, Jaffar grim, Legault coolly unamused. The remaining two bounty hunters looked at each other, then raised their swords and charged. Jaffar moved towards them, Legault following a few seconds later after muttering, "Fools…" Jaffar, light as the wind, rushed towards the bounty hunter on the left, easily dodging the sword strike aimed at him. Then simply pirouetted and drove one of his Killing Edges through the man's throat.
Legault, on the other hand, had a bit more flair, for as the sword drove straight towards him, he unsheathed not one of his Killing Edges, but a Runesword Channeling the sword's dark energy, he sent it towards the blade, rotting in and making it brittle and near useless. Then he disappeared again, only to reappearstanding at the end of the sword, seemingly weightless, and then driving his dagger into the man's body as the sword crumbled.
A few more moments, and the bodies were disposed of.
"They never give up, do they?
"…No."
The sun was now higher in the sky. They heard the front door open, and Nino's voice calling them to breakfast. Wiping their blades clean, the two assassins walked back as though nothing had happened. A couple of hours later, Legault and Isadora were on their horses, waving goodbye to the other two, Nino leaning against Jaffar, and uncharacteristically, Jaffar's arm around Nino.
Legault smiled at the memory. His smile grew even wider as he remembered Nino's parting words. "Hey, uncle. Come back soon to meet your grandnephew!"
Yes, Jaffar wasn't as cold as when they had known each other in the Fang. Hopefully, the bounty hunters had stopped annoying him long enough to raise his children properly.
"Legault, honey?" he turned around to look at Isadora, dressed not in her armor, but a flowing dress that complimented her tremendously, and made her even more lovely, if that were possible. He came in the house, gave her a kiss, and then picked up the basket they were taking on their weekly picnic together. Smiling, the two mounted their horses and rode off towards their favorite spot, a clearing near a beach. As soon as they got there, Legault leaned against a tree, Isadora nestling close to him, the two listening to the rhythm of the waves.
"Legault…"
"Mmm..?"
"Nothing, just wanted to tell you I love you."
"I know."
The two cuddled closer together, Isadora dozing on Legault's shoulder. The purple haired former assassin had to smile. Who would've thought he'd meet someone as amazing as Isadora, and live peacefully, back when he was an assassin for the Fang? Jan was right. He told Legault that he was too soft for that kind of work, that he needed to find someone of his own. Oh well.
"Hey…"
Isadora had looked up at him sleepily, then found herself being kissed awake.
"Mmm..." She locked her arms around his neck and pulled herself up, then settled back into his lap, smiling.
"Remember when Nino asked us to come back soon, to see her children?" Isadora asked, still smiling slightly.
"Yeah, I never expected that. When do you want to go visit them again?" came the answer, his hand gently touching her face as he leaned in for another kiss.
"I think we should go when….ours are big enough to travel and meet theirs…."
Legault's smile grew even bigger as he asked, "You mean….?"
"Yes…."
The two shared another kiss, and then snuggled together to enjoy what was left of the night, and the warm comfort of each other's presence…..and that of another person, yet unborn.