Disclaimer: I don't own Gurren Lagann or any of it's characters, they belong to Gainax. No money has or will exchange hands and this was written for entertainment value only. Any original characters and storylines do belong to me.

Authors Note: This story is for Fyria (Sarah) for all her help with these stories and because of all the fun we have during our cosplay sessions! It's also for Bearsho for all their support and lovely reviews. This will be updated when I can, it may be a while before the next one but each chapter - although in the same universe - will stand alone as well as continue with the timeline.

Chapter 1 - New Parents

Yomi had fallen asleep on her mother, her red hair tied to match the way Yoko used to wear it and her lavender eyes closed to the world. One arm was wrapped around her mothers back and the other curled around her newest plush toy. Why she had decided a soft and cudly version of Gurren Lagann was the only thing in the store she had wanted neither of her parents knew but they had bought it for her anyway.

It had been a long drive from the ferry port to Simon and Nia's house, They'd long since moved out of the centre of the city and now lived in the suburbs. Simon had built the house himself not long after he and Nia had returned from their honey moon a year ago.

"You girls okay back there?" Kamina asked quietly, looking in the mirror at his wife and daughter. They were almost there and it would be the first time they saw not only the finished house but it's newest occupant.

Yoko smiled at him, brushing her fingers through her daughters soft hair and unable to stifle her own yawn. It was still early morning, they'd taken the overnight ferry followed by the scenic route around the city and the surrounding countryside. Simon had warned them of city traffic and they had decided they'd rather have a longer more enjoyable ride than spend their time in the city's rush hour.

"We're fine, how much further is it?" Yoko asked sounding as though she was on the boarder of sleep.

"I think I can make out the house, it's ahead just to our left." He indicated with his hand before moving it back to the steering wheel.

The drive started to take them up a sloping hill to a drive way covered in sandy coloured paving stones. The garden was filled with an assortment of Pink and White flowers and the house it's self, although modern and technical was so very befitting Simon and Nia. Large windows, white outer walls and a pale slate roof on top of the second story. It was beautiful, not in the same way as their own seaside house but it had the same sort of charm.

"Yomi." Yoko shifted in her seat to try and wake her daughter but although she stirred she didn't completely open her eyes. "Come on Sweetheart, we're almost there."

Yomi sat up slowly, falling back into her own seat and yawning. Yoko stretched, mindful of Kamina watching as he pulled the car up to the gates at the front of the house. After a short series of beeps they opened, Simon was no doubt expecting them.

The car rolled to a stop on the gravel path and Kamina was first out of the car, he headed to the boot to get their bags whilst Yoko and Yomi got themselves sorted before following.

Yomi was quick to find her fathers hand when he walked over, wheeling the luggage behind him. Yoko took her shoulder bag from him, receiving a kiss when she reached over. She could hear Yomi giggle but shook her head smiling before walking towards the door.

They waited as the chimes rang out before Simon finally opened the door, boota on his shoulder and a smile on his face. He was clearly tired with grey bags around his eyes but his eyes sparkled. Yoko hadn't seen him look so happy since his wedding day.

Kamina stepped forward, releasing Yomi's hand to pull his younger brother into a hug, holding him tight and patting his back. It was so typical of them both that Yoko couldn't help but laugh, smiling as Kamina released his brother.

"It's good to see you again Simon." Yoko told him, embracing him in a gentler hug.

Yomi ran to her uncle and jumped up to give the man a hug. Simon rocked the little girl from side to side before passing her over to her mother. Boota hopped over then but after realising there was no way to get under her shirt he launched himself as Simon.

Yomi laughed.

"Come on in." He stepped aside as they entered his home, Kamina patting him on the back again.

The house was beautiful and brought in the same light feel as the outside. The hallway was painted white with a soft pastel boarder and flowers sat on the table nearest the front door. Kamina put their bags down and put his now free arm around Yoko's shoulder.

Simon gestured to the room to their left, inside sat Nia singing softly to the small bundle in her arms.

"Can I see?" Yomi asked from her mothers arms and Yoko set her down. Their little girl ran over to her aunt with her parents following.

The bundle in Nia's arms made a sound close to a giggle as Nia sang and rocked it gently. She stopped and turned to her friends, Yomi was stood on her tip toes trying to see what it was, Gurren Lagann falling to the floor as she placed her hands on the arm of the chair.

Nia smiled, letting the little girl look.

"His name is Mark." She told them.

"He's beautiful." Yoko cooed sitting on the arm of the chair. Kamina stood behind her, arm still around her.

The little boy, who was no more than a couple of weeks old had his mothers bright eyes and small tufts of dark blue hair. His little arms were reaching out to the new arrivals and he had an expression on his face so similar to that of Nia's Kamina almost laughed.

Simon stood by the door watching, arms crossed over his chest and a look of satisfaction on his face. His wife and child with their closest friends and family, a year ago it almost hadn't seemed possible. When they had married with Yomi as their flower girl and Kamina as his best man. Stood that day beside Nia he had thought his life couldn't get any better…. but he had been wrong. Their son had changed things all over again and now everyday was better than the last.

Kamina walked over to him, leaving the girls with the baby as they talked quietly amongst themselves. Mark seemed entertained by the new comers.

"Tired?" Kamina asked him.

"No, not really. It hasn't sunk in yet." He shook his head. "When we brought him home I thought it would hit me then the next day…. I thought with you coming to visit it might sink in, but it just hasn't. I feel like I'm having the best dream."

Kamina smiled. "Give it a month, you'll run out of energy and it'll hit you." He looked to his own daughter, so much like her mother but he could still see so much of himself in her. "It won't stop being any more wonderful but the lack of sleep and… well the lack of other activities just make it that much more real."

Simon just laughed looking at his brothers genuinely disgruntled expression. But the comment hadn't surprised him in the slightest. He and most of their friends were surprised Kamina and Yoko had Yomi more than a year after they were married…. they had honestly expected them to have children before hand but it had seemed that Kamina was a traditionalist, at least when it came to children - not when it came to sex.

"Have you and Yoko thought about having anymore children?" Simon asked, retrieving his core drill from his pocket and tossing it between his hands.

"We were planning on it…. but the Anti - Spirals got in the way and since then we've just been trying to get everything back to normal and settle Yomi again." Their daughter had not taken well to the events of the year before, refusing to be separated from her parents she had ended up on the main bridge with them and had been the reason her parents had finally snapped out of the illusions placed upon them. The whole experience had meant that for months Yomi had been afraid to leave their side and as parents Yoko and Kamina didn't want to alienate her with another child. She had pretty much recovered since then and Kamina hoped that seeing Mark would help his daughter to open up to the idea of a little brother or sister. By all accounts it seemed to be working, Yomi was stood with Mark holding her finger and making some kind of strange gurgling noise that Kamina suspected was laughter.

"How many more do you think you'll have?" Kamina asked, it was not simply a matter of if. The two of them had spent seven years taking their relationship slowly but in the past year they'd gone full speed ahead.

"Nia want's at least two more. She says she's always dreamed of having a big family, she apparently had eight sisters." His wife had so far loved every moment of having Mark home, the pains of childbirth had been forgotten and the long nights didn't seem to bother her. Now her only concern was the two men in her life and seeing them smile and laugh or simply sleep seemed to fill her with that Joy that Nia had always exuded.

"And you?"

Simon laughed. "As many as Nia wants. I would love to see this house filled with children. I'd feel like I'd accomplished something."

Kamina looked at him. "You helped save the world and most of the universe. I would say you already have."

"I know, I know but it doesn't feel the same. That was something I had to do, regardless of how I felt about it. We had no other choice. But this is what I want to do with my life, this is what I want to leave behind."

Yomi had been allowed to hold Mark, the little girl hardly moving under the small weight of the new-born. For his part the little boy had fallen once more to sleep hiding those flower eyes from the world once again.

Nia Sat at their side with Yoko just looking happy enough to watch.

"I remember when she was that tiny." Nia commented quietly.

"She was never as quiet though."

"Maybe." Nia was smiling again, just smiling in a way that had always slightly overwhelmed Yoko, she just wasn't so used to letting everyone know how she was feeling and watching her friend do it so easily had always seemed strange. "How's the school and the Island?"

"It's pretty much back to normal, we have a new teacher who tutors the smaller ones, which is a great help. Island wise the light house repairs have been finished, mostly by Kamina. I was worried at one point he'd try to convince us to live there but he's so far decided against it and a new family have moved in."

Yoko leaned back, sinking into the soft cushions and allowing herself a small smile at how happy her daughter looked.

"Do you ever miss it?" She asked Nia, eyes mostly closed.

"No." Her friend answered immediately, needing no time to think about her answer. "Do you?"

Yoko sighed. "I honestly thought I did, right up until last year when the Anti-spirals attacked there was part of me that missed the adventure. Being married and Having Yomi are the two most important things in my life… but I would look at Kamina sometimes and see a longing for it, I had it too. Life was wonderful and quiet but we were so used to travelling the planet, meeting new people, getting into trouble that settling down felt a little too sedate."

"And now?" Once again Nia had that look on her face that meant the answer was so obvious anyone who couldn't tell was clearly stupid. The answer was obvious this time though.

"I don't want anything other than our life on the island with Yomi. I don't want to have to stand and fight for everything I know and love and risk loosing it all. I never want to see the look of terror in my daughters face ever again." Her whisper was hard and firm, quiet so that Yomi couldn't hear her, the little girl was so entranced she probably wouldn't have heard them anyway.

She still couldn't banish the memory of Yomi clutching onto her for dear life, Kamina with his arms around them both. Her violet eyes had been wide and pained, fear etched in them and terror as each ship in the sky was blown to dust. Yoko hadn't wanted her to see it - hadn't wanted her to be there at all but their daughter had refused to be left behind sobbing and crying every time her parents had tried to leave.

It had been hard, almost impossible to put her to sleep after that, but despite any guilt she might have felt Yoko was always reassured by the thought that leaving her behind would have been far worse.

A warm hand on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie and looking up she saw Kamina, concern on his face. She shook her head, letting him know it was nothing.

Baby Mark had started crying at that point, a young baby cry that he would grow out of soon enough. Yomi was quick to hand him back to his mother, sensing that would put it to an end.

Nia rocked her son gently humming softly.

"I think He's hungry, I'll take him out."

Yoko shook her head at that. "No, no Nia it's fine. We need to unpack our things and show Yomi her guest room. You stay."

Yomi jumped down from the sofa and took her mothers hand as she stood, remembering to retrieve her Gurren Lagann on the way out. Kamina joined them, picking up their bags as they headed up the stairs.

Yomi was fast asleep, her room's skylight allowing the final rays of the settling sun to light the room. Dusk was falling with it's hues of violet stretching into blue as the day moved over once again. Kamina and Yoko watched her as they always did stood by her door for a few minutes until they were sure she was sleeping. They said they did it for her but it was always going to be more for their own sakes, things were easier when they knew their daughter was safe.

"You want to go have a look outside? Simon says there are fireflies near the pond." Kamina asked, his hand reaching for hers, Yoko nodded and allowed him to weave their fingers together and lead her through the house.

Simon and Nia were with Mark, no doubt trying to put the little boy to sleep or watching him as he did. Nia would be fascinated if Yoko's own reaction was any indication. She had no idea if her own parents had been the same with her, they had died along time before she had even thought to ask and she didn't know whether it was the normal reaction or a result of what they had all been through.

Before she'd really noticed she was stood out on the newly finished patio of their friends house, She could smell the fresh wood and the grass before them. The slight breeze in the air brought the temperature down just enough to be cool and pleasant.

Kamina brought her down to the edge of the decking and sat there, Yoko following and resting close at his side, her head on his shoulder. Kamina slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"You alright?" He asked as they watched the first of the fireflies enter the garden

"Hmmm, I'm fine it's just so nice to see them, I don't think I'd realised how much I miss them. I mean we call each other every week but seeing them again, it's something I miss."

Kamina chuckled, turning to place kisses in her hair. "I miss them too."

Yoko sighed and shifted her legs to be over her husbands, she smiled to herself when he got the message and pulled her into his lap. It had been a while since she'd done it, usually not needing to be quite so close outside of their bedroom but it was one of those nights where melancholy fell over her and she missed close contact with him.

If you asked anyone else they knew they would say the opposite, that they were always touching, whether it be hands or arms, fingers brushing or walking with his arms around her. But to her that was normal, it had started the night after they had secured the enemy base. Yoko had stormed off that evening and refused to talk to Kamina, going so far as to actively ignore him. He had followed, refused to leave until he talked to her and a long, loud argument ensued. He had called her ridiculous and that he was fine, the battle had been close but he'd survived, he told her he loved her and she told him she couldn't be with someone who cared so little about his own life that he'd risk it again and again. He asked her why that mattered? He always pulled through. Yoko explained, voice low that she didn't know how she would carry on if he left her.

There had been a moment where Kamina could have decided to ignore the hurt in her voice and continue on regardless or he could listen to her and the small part of him that tried to remind him of his own mortality. But it was the thought of never being able to hold her again to kiss her or even to argue with her in the almost practised way they had that convinced him. So he had reached out to her, hands on her shoulders and promised to change talking with sincerity for the first time, she'd studied him for a while, trying to decide whether she believed him but eventually She had smiled nodded and fallen into his arms, feeling secure and safe for the first time in what felt like forever.

He'd Kept to his word.

Since then Yoko found that nothing quite bettered the feeling of being wrapped up in his arms, surrounded by him and reassured that as long as he was there everything really was so much better.

"You trying to tell me something?" He asked, she could hear the laughter on the edge of his voice. "Because this normally means one of two things, one being just this and the other… we're guests in my brothers house."

"It's more of the first than the second." she couldn't see his face but she knew he would be sulking just a little bit. "Nia said we're welcome to stay in the summer house at the end of the garden tonight if we wanted to." The arms around her tightened just a little and his lips found her neck. It wasn't meant to be the prelude to anything, he was content enough to be holding her for the time being.

Yoko lifted her head, meeting his eyes in the light cast by the fireflies. She didn't say anything, just reached in and kissed him, eyes closing as he kissed back and feeling half way between completely at peace and falling into fire.

They had snuck back into the house early that morning, Kamina concerned that Simon would take one look at them in their dishevelled clothes and know what they had been up to. It shouldn't bother him that his brother would know to but it was one of the few things that still embarrassed them. Yoko shared his concern but wanted to check on Yomi.

They had changed and stopped by their daughters room, satisfied that she was sleeping they had returned to theirs.

In the bedroom they were meant to be staying in Kamina had brought Yoko to the bed, pulling her towards him once again and removing the clothes for her. They were quieter that time, Yoko stifling her cries and Kamina burying his face against her neck biting down every time he felt Yoko move against him.

Afterward they lay together more at peace than before.

She lay on her side facing him, covers wrapped around them both and his arm loosely resting on her hip. It occurred to Kamina that he could mention wanting to have another baby but he didn't see the point, Yoko was tired and he was sure that it would be something she would decide for herself soon anyway. In the meantime he was content to spend time with his family as well as that of his brothers.

Yomi woke them up a mere three hours later not seeming to notice in anyway that her parents were barely responding to her bouncing on their bed. Kamina pulled a pillow over his head and Yoko buried herself underneath the covers.

Luckily for both parents and child Simon had heard her laughter and pushed the door to the guest room open on his way past.

"Yomi, would you like to come and help me make breakfast?" her uncle asked, openly laughing at his friends attempt to stay sleeping.

"Okay. Mum and Dad aren't awake anyway." Yomi jumped off the bed and landed relatively gracefully. She walked over to her uncle who was still laughing.

"I think they went to watch the fireflies last night, they'll be up a little later."

They were half way down the corridor when Yomi asked the question that had confused her the night before. "How come Auntie Nia isn't allowed in the kitchen?" Yomi looked up at her uncle, hair in rough pigtails and still wearing her pyjamas and looked genuinely confused.

"Because Auntie Nia's cooking isn't very good for you. Do you remember when you were very little in our old house and your Dad was very sick?"

Yomi nodded. "Manly." She stated.

"Yeah." Simon scratched his head. "That's what your Dad thought would make him immune to Nia's cooking."

"It didn't did it." She said in a very matter-of-fact way.

Simon shook his head. "No sweetheart. No it didn't."

Yomi laughed and skipped down the rest of the corridor, waiting for he uncle at the top of the stairs.

When Kamina and Yoko emerged an hour later, showered and dressed they headed downstairs to a pleasant aroma that gave every indication breakfast was ready and edible. Kamina was wearing a loose white shirt and brown pants that finished just below his knees and Yoko at his side wore her purple summer dress it was modest if a little short but it suited the weather.

Kamina took a good look at the kitchen scanning it in search of Nia, but instead he noticed his daughter sat on the kitchen work top wearing an apron. It was something of a relief, he knew his daughter and her uncle were capable chefs.

Yoko smiled, winding her arm with her husbands and resting her head against his neck.

"Would you like to have another?" She asked against his ear, he could tell she was smiling as she spoke.

"Are you…?" He already knew the answer but it didn't hurt to ask.

She laughed. "No, no I'm not."

Just as he had thought and also as he had thought Yoko had come to the decision all by herself. Although he had a feeling Nia and Mark had brought the idea forwards.

"I'd love to." He turned to kiss her then, one of those soft moments, so different from the night before but just as powerful.

The moment over they turned their attention back to the others in the room. Yomi smiled at them, arms open.

"Can you help me down Mummy?" she asked.

Yoko moved forwards, releasing her husbands arm and lifting up her daughter still dressed in her pyjamas.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes and jam." Yoko raised her eyebrows at her daughters response but accepted it all the same, setting Yomi down and taking their seats at the table, Kamina coming to sit at her side.

Simon served it up, making no apologies for the jam and setting some aside for when Nia came down with Mark.

It was normal, it was quiet and it was all Kamina and Yoko wanted from that point onwards.

Reviews and constructive criticism most welcome!