Completion

by eiahmon

Side story to Burning Heart. After his rebirth as a complete person, Even returns to Castle Oblivion, looking for a distraction. Instead of research notes, he finds the last surviving Vexen Replica and takes it in. How will the Replica adjust to life outside the lab? Can the damage caused by a difficult early life and months of isolation be undone?

Disclaimer: Not mine. I only wish I owned Kingdom Hearts. At least then I could fix some of the inconsistencies and spackle the worst of the plot holes.

He couldn't concentrate.

Even groaned and dropped the book that he had been trying to read to massage his temples. His hair slid through his fingers, and the sensation made the thought trail through his mind again.

Is this real?

"I am real." he whispered to himself "I am complete. I am whole. This is real."

If this is real, then why do I have the strongest sense of unreality?

"I am real!"

"Even?" The blond haired scientist looked up then, to see Ienzo standing just a few feet away and looking at him in concern. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head slightly. "No," he said after a long moment.

"The feeling again?"

"Yes." He dropped his hands to his lap and looked at his surrogate son. "I wish it would stop."

Ienzo looked at him in sympathy. "I know; it's difficult to bear, but it will fade in time."

"My mind knows that I am whole, that I have my heart again, but I still feel... incomplete, and I can't shake the sensation no matter what I try."

"You need something to keep you occupied, and no, I don't mean simply reading books and research notes. Aeleus and I have our work with Lea and Sora to help us focus, while Dilan has his work with the Restoration Committee. You have nothing, and that will only prolong the time it takes for the feeling to fade."

"What would you have me do? I am no help to the Restoration Committee, Sora and company want nothing to do with me after the events of Castle Oblivion, and I refuse to restart my old research after what happened last time. I have the infirmary to look after, but it barely sees anyone these days."

"Maybe you should go back to Castle Oblivion. We both know that Ansem destroyed Vexen's lab, but maybe something remains. You did have several topics that you were researching at the time; maybe one of them will catch your interest?"

Even shuddered; in truth, he had no desire to go back to the place where Vexen had spent the last days of his life before being brutally killed by Axel, but Ienzo did have a point. Maybe he would find something there that would hold his interest. Standing up from his chair with a sigh, he nodded at Ienzo and portaled out.

A few seconds later, he found himself standing in front of the familiar structure, and he shuddered in remembered terror -

No! Please don't! I don't want to -

Goodbye.

- before the memory, as well as the emotion that it invoked, faded. With another shudder, he summoned Frozen Pride and walked up the steps to the front doors. Once inside, his feet easily followed the familiar path to where Vexen's lab had once been, and he easily opened the heavy door that kept it closed off from the rest of the castle.

The inside of the large room was a surprise. Despite being empty for so long, it was clean and organized, though a heavy layer of dust covered everything. He did note that his research notes were gone, as was much of the lab equipment. There were scorch marks on the floor in places, as well as spots and splatters that looked like old blood stains. He was disheartened to see no sign of the Vexen Replicas, and the large room where they all had slept was deserted, though he noted that all of their blankets were still there, in the same places they had been the last time he had seen them. Had any of them survived and escaped, or had Ansem destroyed all of them as well?

Another failure!

I am... a failure?

Go! Go in the other room with the others! I don't want to look at you!

Even leaned heavily against the wall; Vexen had been so cruel to his creations. They had been so innocent, very much like children, naïve, curious, eager to please, but Vexen had treated them as little more than objects. Contrary to what others (Namely Marluxia and Larxene) had thought, he had never physically or sexually abused his Replicas, but he had never been kind to them either. They had to earn their keep by working in the lab, and sloppy work and mistakes were punished with blistering lectures and being locked in a dark, empty room for several hours. Even could remember their sad eyes and drawn faces; none of them ever smiled or laughed. They had looked at Vexen only when spoken to and kept their eyes on the floor otherwise. And unlike Vexen, they had hearts and could feel. They were hurt by Vexen's cruel words and long hours of being locked in small dark rooms. They had yearned desperately for their creator's approval and affection, even though there had never been a hope of receiving it.

Even wiped his eyes with one hand; he knew logically, that Vexen's actions were to be expected really. Without a heart, one could not feel empathy, love, guilt, or regret, but the memories of those sad green eyes pained him. He pushed himself away from the wall, and began to walk further back into the lab, towards Vexen's living quarters. Coming to Castle Oblivion had been a mistake.

He reached the door that led to the short hallway that led to Vexen's private rooms, and he walked down it, past the bathroom and the empty library (Ansem must have taken the books, he thought.) towards the bedroom. He pushed the door open, and to his surprised it moved silently, with no squeaking of the hinges. The room was exactly how he remembered it; the writing desk with its chair on one wall, a small bookcase with the few books of fiction that he enjoyed reading, the narrow bed, and a shivering form huddled under filthy blankets in the open closet.

What?

Holding Frozen Pride in front of him, he carefully approached the closet. He had no clue what was in there, and he had no desire to lose again the heart that he had regained only a few short months ago to some Heartless that was hiding under the blankets. He reached out with his free hand as frost formed on his fingers as he readied to attack at any moment, grasped the blanket, and yanked it away.

His eyes fell on a human form, wearing a ragged Organization coat that looked to be on the verge of disintegrating, with filthy and tangled blond hair. It was curled up on its side in the fetal position and shivering hard. Even wrinkled his nose; whoever it was apparently hadn't taken a bath in weeks if not longer, and that combined with the smell of sickness made for quite a putrid odor. With the loss of the blanket, it shifted, and the head slowly turned to look at him. One green eye, glazed with fever, looked up at him and blinked, and the arms moved away from the head and face. A pale face, with high cheekbones and a narrow pointed chin looked up at him, and though the cheeks were sunk in from hunger and the eyes were ringed with deep shadows, Even still felt a shock as he looked into his own face.

"Master?" the Vexen Replica said weakly as it dropped its gaze and huffed for air, and then it coughed deeply. Once the coughing subsided, it looked back up at him. "Do you have need of me? I'm sorry about the state of the lab; I will get up and clean it right away." It shakily sat up, and Even snapped out of his shock as it began to stand on legs that shook so hard that it was doubtful that it could walk. He dismissed Frozen Pride, sat down on the blanket covered floor, which smelled nearly as bad as the Replica itself did, and pulled it back down to sit beside him.

"Do not worry about the lab." he said quietly "You are ill." It leaned against him, and he was able to feel all of its ribs, as well as the heat of its fever, from under the coat. "Are you all alone?"

It nodded faintly. "After you left, that man came, and he destroyed everything. When the others tried to stop him, he killed them all. I hid instead, and he didn't find me. I was a coward, Master. I'm sorry; I should have protected the lab. Should I go into the little room?"

Even closed his eyes in pain at the thought of the damage that Vexen had done to the pitiful creature beside him. "No," he said after a moment "I'm not going to punish you for doing the right thing. If you had stayed, he would have killed you as well." He reached out carefully, so not to startle it, and put his arm around its shaking shoulders, while he used his other hand to gently rake its grimy hair back from its face "How long have you been ill?"

It coughed hard again, and Even gently rubbed its back until the coughing subsided. "I do not know, Master. I did not keep good data of my illness. Are you going to punish me?"

"No," Even stood up and carefully pulled it to its feet and held it close "I'm going to take you home." It looked at him in weary surprise for a moment before it laid its head against his chest.

"I don't feel good, Master." it mumbled "I'm sorry I'm such a failure."

Guilt stabbed at him. "You're not a failure, Vexen." he said gently as he opened the portal to the castle infirmary back at Radiant Garden "Everything will be alright." Half carrying the newly named Vexen through the portal, they stepped into the infirmary on the other side, and Even wasted no time in lying the sick Replica on the closest bed. He then walked to the desk and hit the buzzer that would send a signal to Ienzo to tell him his assistance was needed, and then he went to gather what he needed.

Ienzo entered the room at a run then, and he looked at Vexen lying on the bed before his eyes swung over to Even standing in front of the medicine cabinet, and then back to Vexen. The light dawned in his eyes as he realized what he was looking at, and he quickly joined Even at Vexen's beside. The two of them stripped off his filthy clothing, bathed him, washed his hair and combed it out, dressed him in hospital pajamas, dosed him with antibiotics, and gave him water and a weak broth to sip down.

"It is good, Master, may I have more?"

Even tried not to cringe at the title that the original Vexen had demanded the Replicas refer to him by. "You don't have to call me that, Vexen."

"But it is what -"

"I know, but I was a different person then. You don't have to call me that anymore."

Vexen looked at him, perplexed, and Even realized that he likely had no idea what he meant by "a different person". The Vexen Replicas had never been allowed outside the lower levels of the castle, and as a result they were all very naïve and innocent in regards to many things. Figures of speech being one of those things. "What do I call you then?"

"Whatever you wish. You may call me Even if you want. Now go to sleep; you must rest."

'"I'm still hungry."

"If you eat anymore, you will be sick. You can have more when you wake up."

"But I -"

"So one survived, it seems."

Even's looked up as Ansem's voice fell upon his ears to see the man walking through the infirmary towards them. Vexen cried out in fear, and before Even could blink, the Replica was on the floor, scrambling away from him. "Don't let him hurt me!"

Even got out of his chair and gently gathered Vexen to him. "It is alright. He's not going to hurt you, Vexen."

"Vexen?" Ansem said questioningly "I suppose it fits though." He walked up to them and lightly touched Vexen's hair. "I am not going to hurt you, Vexen. You have suffered enough. Behave and do as your father -" Even jerked in surprise. "- tells you, and you can stay. Do you understand?"

Vexen nodded faintly, and Ansem gently patted his head before he turned and walked out of the infirmary. Once the man had gone, Even helped Vexen get back into bed and tucked him under the blankets.

"Are you really my father?' Vexen asked sleepily as he relaxed into the clean sheets.

The original Vexen had used his own DNA and data to give the Replicas life, so in a sense... "Yes, I am." Even said as he gently smoothed Vexen's hair back from his face.

"But, but," Vexen looked at him in confusion and spoke in a tiny voice "You wanted to destroy me."

Even frowned: he remembered clearly that the original Vexen had destroyed Replicas that he deemed defective, but if he deemed that a Replica was to be destroyed, he did so immediately. So how did this one survive? He shook his head as Vexen fell asleep, and he reached out and gently tucked the blankets around him before he sat back in his chair to watch him.

Vexen had had no emotions, so he could not feel that awe that struck Even as he watched the Replica that he had brought into being sleep. Vexen was sleeping deeply, his breath rattling in his chest on every inhale, and a gentle press against his wrist revealed his pulse to be faster than normal, but that was expected with illness. But he was breathing, he had a beating heart. He was alive.

"Let's see; what number are you?" he said quietly as he gently brushed Vexen's hair away from the back of his neck. In faded ink was a tiny tattoo, done just after he had been born from the tank, of the number "47".

Ah yes, he remembered now.

OOOOOO

Vexen cast a critical eye over the Replica that was floating lazily in the acceleration tank. As usual, it was an exact physical copy of him – at least it was supposed to be - yet only time would tell what kind of personality it would have. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a failure like the others.

"Is he ready, Master?" Vexen Replica No. 23 asked hesitantly, eyes on the floor, and Vexen spared it an irritated look at the disruption, but he answered the question anyway.

"Yes, it is ready." he turned to No. 44, who was standing nearby. "Drain the tank."

No. 44 nodded without looking up and began the process of draining the artificial amniotic fluid from the tank, and Vexen watched as the Replica slowly sank to the grated bottom as the fluid drained away. He then stepped forward, and with No. 23's assistance, opened the tank and pulled the Replica out.

Vexen frowned as they laid it on a nearby table; it was obvious to him that it had not reached the height it should have, leaving it a great deal shorter than him. He would need to look into it further late, a deficiency in height could mean it was deficient in other areas as well. Right now though, he only needed to worry about getting it to breathe on its own, and the other Replicas would take care of the rest.

He and No. 23 suctioned the fluid from the newborn Replica's mouth and nose, and a hard swat to its bottom made it cough, spit up the fluid in its lungs, and begin to cry. Once he was assured that the Replica was breathing and stable, he passed it off to No. 23.

"Clean it up, dress it, feed it," he ordered "and quiet it. I tire of its squalling."

No. 23 nodded hastily, and he quickly carried the wailing Replica out of the room, while Vexen retired to his office. He had little to do with the Replicas during their first few days. During that span of time, they were very much like infants in manner and actions, so he let the other Replicas care for them until they were out of it. Only then would he begin interacting with them regularly, to begin guiding them in the direction he wanted them to go.

OOOOOO

No. 47 blinked his eyes open as he slowly began to wake up. His tired eyes took a while to focus, but when they finally did, he realized that he was not in his master's room in Castle Oblivion. The room he was in was very dark, but he could see other beds nearby, large windows, and a chair next to his bed. Master was sitting in that chair, sleeping. Why was Master doing that?

The Replica slowly sat up, and did his best to ignore the wave of dizziness that the action caused. He was confused. Master had found him, said that he wasn't a failure, and said he was going to take him home, whatever that meant. Now he was here, in this strange place, with Master and one of Master's friends, and the man that had killed the others. Why had Master brought him here? Was he going to destroy him, like he said he would?

No. 47 did not know, and thinking about it was giving him a headache.

A tickle in his chest was the only warning he got before his lungs sucked in air, and he coughed deeply. Something in his lungs tore loose with a painful tearing sensation, and he cried out as he coughed up a glob of phlegm onto the bed covers. To his right, he heard the chair creak, and then Master spoke to him.

"Are you alright, Vexen?"

Vexen? Master had called him that earlier, but why? Vexen was Master's name, so why was he calling him, No. 47, that?

"Vexen?" A hand gently grabbed him by the chin and raised his head to meet Master's eyes. "Are you alright? You can tell me, and I promise that I won't get angry."

No. 47 swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the burning pain in his chest. "It hurts, Master. It really hurts."

Master let go of his chin and moved out of his chair to sit on the bed. No. 47 shivered at the close contact, and Master put an arm around him and held up a glass of water. "Here, you must be thirsty."

No. 47 slowly sipped some of the water, and when he was done, Master took the glass away and set it aside. "You don't have to call me Master anymore, Vexen. I know that is what you were told to call me, but you don't have to do that anymore."

The Replica lowered his gaze to the blankets and said nothing. What was he supposed to say? Would Master be angry with him if he said the wrong thing?

Master pulled his close and began to rock him. "I understand that you are very confused right now. I was very cruel to you then, and words alone cannot express how sorry I am. Things are different now, Vexen. I cannot promise that I will never raise my voice to you again, but I swear that I will never lock you in a dark room all alone again. I will never threaten you again, and I will not allow anyone to harm you." The arms around him squeezed him a little before relaxing. "I will take care of you, Vexen. I promise you that you'll never be left alone again."

No. 47 laid his feverish head against Master's chest and closed his eyes. Master had never acted like this before; it was strange and very alien to him. Master gently kissed him on the top of his head and laid him down. He looked at Master's face as the blankets were pulled up to his chin and tucked around him, and before where there had been arrogance and superiority, there was now kindness and compassion. It reminded him of things; he had seen that before is similar green eyes. He turned his head to the side as he began to fall asleep. It reminded him of No. 23, the Replica that had cared for him after his birth.

"Goodnight, Vexen." Master said softly "I'm here with you."

No. 47 sighed quietly and went back to sleep.

OOOOOO

He was warm.

The warmth was the first thing that occurred to Vexen Replica No. 47. He remembered being in a warm, wet place, and hearing voices, and feeling things touching him and taking him away from his dark, quiet place, but none of that mattered now. He was warn, and he could feel something soft against his skin, and he cooed in contentment as he was gently rocked.

"Don't go to sleep yet, 47." said a voice nearby "You need to be fed first." He felt himself being jostled then, and he began to cry, though his cries were abruptly silenced a moment later when something rubbery was put in his mouth. He made a face at the taste and tried to spit it out, but some instinct that he couldn't understand compelled him to suck on it, and he was reward when a stream of warm, sweet liquid was drawn into his mouth. He swallowed it and decided that he wanted more, so he suckled quietly until there was no more left. The rubbery thing was taken away then, and the voice spoke again.

"Now you may go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow, hmmm? Master will want to see you to make sure that you're normal, and he is strict about that. Let's hope he doesn't find any flaws like he did on poor No. 46."

No. 47 felt himself being carried somewhere, and he was laid down on something. The warm things around him vanished, and he reached out blindly and grabbed a hold of a hand as it went to leave him.

He felt his hand being gently removed from the other and felt something rubbing the back of it before it was laid down on the soft thing that he was lying on.

"Go to sleep, 47. I'll be here when you wake up."

OOOOOO

Even watched over Vexen closely for the next few days. The child did little more than sleep, though he drank the broth that was offered to him without complaint. Despite being told repeatedly not to, he kept calling Even "Master" and referred to himself as No. 47. That was no surprise; habits that had been wired in from birth could not be broken so easily.

Four days after bringing him home, Even walked Vexen out of the infirmary and down to their now shared quarters. Even though ten years had passed between the loss of their hearts and the return of those hearts, he, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus had fallen back into old habits easily, and that included staying in the same rooms that they had occupied as apprentices. There were days when Even came out of his rooms in the morning and expected to hear Aeleus dragging a sleepy Braig out of bed or to see Xehanort standing in the hallway, waiting for the rest of them to get moving so they could go down to breakfast before starting the day's work in the labs.

Despite everything that had happened, the ghosts of the past clung tightly to every thought, and it was something that drove Even to distraction. Braig was gone, Xehanort was gone, and the both of them had death sentences on their heads. Ienzo was grown up, Aeleus was quieter, and Dilan was much more subdued and mistrusting. Even himself found himself less fascinated with the world around him, and he had no desire to walk the same path he had once gone down.

"Where are we going, Master?" Vexen asked quietly, and his voice broke Even from his thoughts.

"We're going to our rooms."

"Our rooms?" Even had to admit that he found Vexen's confusion a little endearing.

"Yes, our rooms. You'll be staying with me."

"But Master -"

"Ah, ah, what did I tell you to call me?"

"E... E... Even. But I... I don't..."

"Don't what?"

Vexen looked down at the floor, though he didn't stop walking. "I'm just a failed Replica. Shouldn't I stay in a closet instead?"

Even stopped and pulled Vexen close as guilt stabbed at his heart again. The Replicas had all slept in a storage room on the floor. They had only a few blankets to share and no pillows. The only time they slept in beds was during the few days after their birth. Once they were out of the infant state, to the floor they went.

"Vexen," he said gently "I know I told you that you were a failure, but it was a lie. You are here, alive, which means that you succeeded. Everything I told you, about you being a failure, how I should have destroyed you, all of it was a lie. You deserve so much more than a closet floor, and I will keep repeating myself until you believe it.." He gently tilted Vexen's head back until their eyes met. "Believe me when I say this, Vexen. You deserve better than what you had before." He let go of Vexen's chin and ran a hand down his hair as the child looked back down at the floor again. He hugged him gently and then began to walk him down the hall again. "Come. You're tired and need to sleep."

Vexen was silent the rest of the way to their rooms, and he allowed Even to shepherd him into the bedroom and lie him down on a second bed that had been moved into the room by the castle staff without a sound. Instead he only looked at the blankets and sheets and pillows in wonder before his illness pulled him into the blackness of slumber.

Even sat down on the bed beside him and gently stroked his hair with a sigh. It was shocking the damage just a handful of days could do, though fifteen months alone had not helped any. The original Vexen had made sure that the Replicas knew just how little they were worth to him, and the damage that resulted was plain in the sleeping person beside him. Even sighed again at the monumental task ahead of him, leaned down and kissed Vexen on the cheek, and then got out and walked out of the room.

OOOOOO

Vexen watched in clinical silence as No. 23 carried No. 47 into the room and laid it down on the exam table. The day old Replica began to cry and fuss as it was undressed, and Vexen ignored its distress as he began to check it over. Right away he took note of the height deficiency that he had noticed the previous day; the Replica was a good foot and a half shorter than it should have been. No. 23 restrained it so he could take an accurate measurement, and it showed that No. 47 was 19. 325 inches shorter that it should have been.

He frowned as the Replica cried and wailed, and he sent an irritated glance at No. 23, who hastily gathered the crying failure into its arms and began to coo to it.

"It the proper height was not reached," Vexen stated "then odds are good that it is deficient in other areas as well." No. 23 held No. 47 closer, a gesture that made him sneer in false disgust.

"But Master, he's still so young."

"A failure is a failure. Prepare it for disposal."

The procedure for disposing of an unwanted Replica was simple. It would be sealed up inside a body bag to catch any waste, Vexen would fire darkness straight into the physical heart to kill it instantly, and then the body would be dissected to see if there was a physical reason for the failure. Only then would it be tossed into the incinerator to be disposed of.

Vexen turned around to make a note about the destruction of the Replica, and when he turned around No. 23 was still standing there, holding No. 47 protectively.

"Why are you still standing there?" he snapped "I told you to do something."

"Please, Master, give him more time. He is just a baby. Maybe there is nothing wrong with him."

"I will not have a failure in my lab! You have your orders No. 23!"

"We don't know for sure if he is a failure! He's only a day old; he needs time to start developing before we can decide if he is mentally deficient or not!"

Vexen narrowed his eyes as an echo of anger rose within his empty chest. "Fine," he hissed "I will grant it a reprieve. You have three days to show me that it is not a failure. If it does not perform to my satisfaction, then it will be the incinerator for both of you. Understood?"

No. 23 nodded hastily. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master."

"Get out of my sight."

No. 23 quickly carried the still wailing No. 47 out of the room, and Vexen sighed and rubbed his temples as the question plagued him.

Why did his Replicas – copies of himself – have the capacity to feel and care when the original did not? Hmmmm, perhaps it would be a good thing to let No. 47 live, if only to observe how No. 23 acted towards it. No. 16 hadn't reacted with any care or concern when No. 46 had been disposed of. Reaching into a nearby cabinet, Vexen pulled out a new notebook and began to take notes of his observations. This would bear watching.

OOOOOO

Six days after Master had brought him to this place, No. 47 felt better than he had in weeks. He no longer had a fever, it was much easier to breathe, and the constant gnawing of hunger was gone. He felt... good.

Physically at least. Mentally and emotionally was an entirely different matter. Master talked to him, brought him food and water, gave him medicine that made him feel better, allowed him to sleep in a bed instead of on the floor, and gave him hugs and kisses, something that only No. 23 had done before. He wasn't sure what to make of Master's behavior. What if it was all some kind of experiment, and when it was done, Master would go back to the way he used to be? What would happen to him then? Would Master throw him in the incinerator like had once threatened to do?

No. 47 curled up in the middle of the bed and wrapped his arms around his legs. The room was dark, and nearby, Master was sleeping in a larger bed. He didn't understand; why was Master being so nice?

"Vexen?" Master's voice spoke from nearby, and a few seconds later, he felt him sit down on the bed beside him. "Are you alright?"

He thought about lying; showing any weakness had invoked Master's anger before, but he just couldn't muster the energy to do so. He was tired and confused, and nothing made sense at all.

He shook his head and felt Master's arms come around him and pull him close. "What is wrong, child?"

No. 47 hesitated for a moment and realized that he wouldn't get any answers if he didn't ask any questions. He would simply have to deal with Master's anger when it came. "Why are you being so nice to me, Master? I don't understand."

Master's arms pulled him closer, and he sighed. "Things were different then, Vexen, and there were so many things that were never explained to you. Years ago, I lived here in this castle, and I was an apprentice under the castle's lord. We studied many things, including the mysteries of the heart, but we went too far. Our research into the heart caused myself and the other apprentices to lose our hearts and be reborn as Nobodies. We all changed our names, and I changed mine to Vexen. We spent many years trying to regain our hearts to no avail, and it was then that I began to experiment with Replicas. If I could give life a heart, then I should in theory be able to give myself and the others hearts as well.

"All of them, including you, were born with hearts. All of you could feel, while I could not. No. 23 cared for you very much, but I did not. It wasn't because I didn't want to care, it was because I couldn't. You need a heart to care for someone, and I did not have one. The last time I saw you before I found you and brought you here, I had been ordered to defeat the Keyblade wielder and bring him under Marluxia's control. Zexion, Lexaeus and I had other plans, but Axel betrayed us and destroyed me instead."

No. 47 looked up at him in confusion. Destroyed? But he was sitting right here beside him, holding him! How could that be possible?

Master smiled gently at him. "What none of us knew was that to regain a lost heart, the Heartless and the Nobody had to be destroyed. A year after I died, I was reborn here as a complete person, and I went back to using my real name – Even." Master gently took one of his hands and placed it on his chest over his beating heart. "I have my heart now, and I can feel and care. I can feel guilt for how badly I treated you and the others. I can feel relief that I found you alive and safe. I can worry about you, and feel concern because you are confused and upset. I am not the same person I was when you were born, Vexen, and I will never treat you that way again."

Mustering his nerve, No. 47 looked up at him. "Why do you call me Vexen?"

Master smiled at him again. "I brought you into this life, using my DNA, which, in a way, means that I am your father. Many parents name their children after themselves, but it would be too confusing I think if there were two Evens running around, so I decided to name you Vexen instead." He leaned over so their faces nearly touched. "You are so much more than a number, little one."

"Why, Master? I don't understand."

"Because you are alive, because you are here. Before, I couldn't..." Master hesitated and then took a deep breath. "I couldn't feel amazed that I had brought you and the others into being. I had created life, and life is precious. You are precious, and now I can feel for you what I couldn't before."

No. 47 blinked his eyes; he was still confused. Master's words seemed to only create more questions than they answered, but he didn't voice that thought. Instead he kept silent as Master laid him down and covered him with the blanket.

"I know that you are confused," Master said gently "but it will make sense in time." No. 47 only looked up at him as Master smiled and stood up. "Go back to sleep, Vexen. You need your rest." With that, Master went back to his own bed and laid down. He was asleep within seconds, but No. 47 laid awake most of the night, lost in thought.

OOOOOO

No. 47 cried and turned his head away from the spoon as No. 23 tried to feed him. He didn't want it! Why was the other trying to put the metal thing in his mouth? He was hungry; he didn't want some strange metal thing that he had never seen before!

No. 23 sighed in exasperation. "No. 47, you are two days old. You don't need the bottle anymore. Now stop squalling and eat already." He held up the spoon again, but No. 47 reached up and batted it away. It clattered to the floor, and No. 23 picked it up and tossed it in the sink before fetching another. No. 47 cried louder when he saw the new spoon.

"I know that you're hungry, 47, but you're old enough to eat this way. Now stop fussing and open up." No. 47 turned his head away again, which resulted in another sigh from No. 23. "If you are not weaned on time, Master will destroy you, do you understand? I have only two more days to prove to him that you're not a failure, which means that you must be weaned. Do you understand me, No. 47?"

No. 47 looked at him, tears running down his reddened face, crying in frustration and hunger, and the older Replica sighed. "No, of course you don't understand. You're still a baby at this point." He put the bowl and spoon down and stood up from his chair. No. 47 watched him, his cries quieting, and when No. 23 walked back to him, bottle in hand, he smiled and reached for it eagerly.

No. 23 laughed quietly as he set the bottle aside and unbuckled the strap that kept him in his chair and picked him up. He then sat down in his own chair with No. 47 on his lap, who cried out and reached for the bottle sitting nearby.

"Hang on, I'm getting it."

No. 47 whimpered in frustration as he was settled on No. 23's lap, but his whimpering ceased a moment later when the bottle was offered to him. He happily grabbed a hold of it with both hands, stuck the nipple in his mouth and began to suckle.

No. 23 shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? All of that fussing for nothing."

No. 47 blinked. Nothing? He didn't think that it had all been for nothing. He had been hungry, end of story. He nestled close to No. 23 and quietly drank his milk, and once the bottle was empty, he allowed No. 23 to take it away and set it aside. A second later, the spoon was back, and he looked at it curiously. There was stuff in it, and it looked somewhat like his milk, but it wasn't quite the same.

"At least you're not fighting it this time." No. 23 said, and he gently nudged his mouth with it. "Open up."

No. 47 looked at him for a second, and then he looked at the spoon, and he obediently opened his mouth. No. 23 smiled gently at him. "That's a good boy. Let's try some more, shall we?"

Since he had already had a bottle, he did not take much from the bowl, but No. 23 smiled at him. That meant that he had done good, right? Once his stomach was full, he snuggled close to No. 23 again and rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"I think it's nap time for you, 47." No. 23 stood up, holding No. 47 in his arms. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

No. 47 was quiet as he was carried out of the small lab kitchen and into the room that contained his soft, warm bed. He cooed in contentment as he was laid down and the warm blankets were pulled over him. No. 23 leaned down and gently kissed him on the forehead.

"Enjoy it while you can, 47. You've only got this room for another day and a half. After that you'll be sleeping on the floor with me and the others."

No. 47 rubbed his eyes again and yawned, and he felt No. 23 patting the blanket around him. He smiled slightly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

OOOOOO

Even hid a smile as he walked Vexen around the castle town and watched the child looking at everything in wonder. The child had never left the lower levels of Castle Oblivion, and so many things were new to him as a result. He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes against the harsh glare of sunlight, but the bright light didn't slow him down as he looked at everything he could.

The smell of freshly baked pastries wafted in on the breeze, and Even turned his head towards the delightful scent just as Vexen spotted the vendor that was selling them from a small cart. The child stared at the pastries in awe – he had never seen such a thing before, and food in large quantities had never been available to him before. With a smile, Even stepped up to the cart, bought one, and handed it to him.

Vexen held the baked treat in his hands and stared at it like he didn't know what to do with it.

"Eat it, little one." Even encouraged quietly, and Vexen looked at him. He nodded and smiled, and Vexen hesitantly lifted the pastry to his mouth and took a tiny bite. His eyes widened in wonder as he chewed and swallowed, and he sent Even a wide smile before he quickly ate the rest of it. Even then took a paper napkin from the stall and wiped off Vexen's sticky fingers before leading him away. He didn't miss the smile that Vexen gave the vendor as they walked away.

They walked all over the castle town, and Even kept a careful watch on Vexen and their surroundings. Vexen was still weak from his illness and months of going without regular meals, and he didn't want to overtire him. He also didn't want him to become overwhelmed and frightened by his new surroundings, so he made sure to steer him away from the busier parts of town and stick to the less traveled areas.

"Ma... E... Even?"

Even looked at Vexen, surprised yet pleased that he had mustered the courage to speak and address him by name. "What is it, little one?"

"I am... thirsty. May I have some water?"

"Of course you may. Let's find a public fountain so you can get a drink, and then I think we'll go back to the castle. I think you've had enough excitement for one day, hmm?"

Vexen smiled weakly, and the pair walked towards where Even knew a public drinking fountain to be, and once Vexen had taken a drink, they began to walk back towards the castle. Vexen walked close to Even, so he gently reached out and put an arm around his shoulders. "We'll be home soon, and I think you'll be ready for a nap by then." Vexen said nothing, but he did lean slightly into the embrace as they walked.

They walked up a winding residential street into the central square, and the sounds of laughter and voices made the both look up as they walked through the gates.

A boy, perhaps seven or so, was there, playing catch with his father. The resemblance between father and son was startling, and Vexen paused and watched them curiously. Even stopped walking as well, and he watched Vexen, curious as to what the child was doing.

Vexen just watched the father and son in silence for a moment before he turned to Even. "What are they doing?"

"They're playing a game with the ball. The goal is to catch it and throw it back to the other."

"But why are they doing it?"

"Because they enjoy it. Such games are common between parents and children."

"So they are...?"

"Father and son, yes."

"Like... like... us?"

Even smiled. "Yes, like us."

Vexen nodded, and he returned to Even's side, and the two of them resumed their walk to the castle.

That evening, as Vexen took a bath before bed, Even paid a visit to Ienzo.

"Do you have any of the storybooks that I read to you when you were small?"

Ienzo blinked at him in surprise for a moment, before he disappeared into his bedroom. Even heard a door opening and heard things shuffling around for a few minutes before Ienzo returned with an armful of children's books.

"Somehow," he said "they survived. I have no idea how they did, but here you are." He handed them over. "Are you going to read them to Vexen?"

Even nodded. "If I'm going to be a father to him, I had better start doing more than just making sure he's fed and healthy."

"I hope he enjoys them."

"I hope so too."

"Good luck."

Even smiled slightly as he looked down at the well worm books that had been Ienzo's favorites when he had been small. He then looked back at him. "Thank you. I'll get these back to you later."

Ienzo waved that away. "If he likes them, he can have them. At least then they'll get used again instead of collecting dust in a closet."

Even returned to his rooms just as Vexen was finishing up, and he helped him comb his hair and dress in his pajamas. They then went out to the living room, where Vexen spotted the books lying on a table by the couch. He examined them curiously, and Even wondered if he had ever learned to read as he made them hot cocoa to ward off the night's chill.

Once the cocoa was ready, he poured a cup for each of them, and coaxed Vexen into sitting down on the couch beside him. Vexen looked at his cocoa curiously for a moment before he took a tentative sip. His face lit up like it had when he had tasted the pastry earlier, and he slowly sipped at it as Vexen opened one of the books and began to read.

"Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, 'Since our mother died we have had no happiness...'"

Vexen snuggled close, still sipping his cocoa, and Even loved the warmth that blossomed in his heart as he continued to read.

"They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stones..."

Vexen listened intently to the story and drank down his cocoa. Once the book was done, Even quietly closed it and set it aside. He then looked down at Vexen to see him sleeping, his empty mug held loosely in one hand. He took the mug away and set it down on the coffee table, stood up, and carefully gathered the sleeping child into his arms. Vexen shifted but did not wake, and Even carried him into the bedroom and tucked him into bed.

OOOOOO

"So tell me your observations of No. 47." Vexen said to the Replica sitting on the other side of his desk.

Vexen Replica No. 8, the first successful Replica, and the one most like the original in personality, frowned in thought for a moment before speaking.

"He is developmentally delayed, Master."

"How did you arrive as such a conclusion?" Vexen agreed with his Replica, but he wanted to hear its reasoning anyway.

No. 8 frowned again. "He is three days old now, Master, yet he is not fully weaned, like he should be. I saw No. 23 giving him a bottle earlier, and he has not yet begun to speak or try to walk. I must admit that I am curious as to what caused such a defect."

"You said 'delayed'. Do you believe that it will catch up if given the chance?"

"I believe it could be possible, Master. No two people develop at the same rate, and he may simply need more time than the rest of us."

Vexen nodded silently. He would never admit it to anyone, but he relied heavily on No. 8 to keep the lab running smoothly. He would also never admit that, even without a heart, he cared for No. 8 nearly as much as Even had cared for Ienzo; he just prefered not to show it, though he suspected that the Replica knew. The previous seven Replicas had all suffered from severe deficiencies, forcing their destruction. No. 8 had succeeded where all the others before and after him had failed, and he was the only Replica that he had cared for himself during the infant stage. It was his personal care of him that likely caused his personality to be so much like his own, and at times he felt as though as if he was speaking to Even during conversations with him.

"What do you recommend?" he asked. Things were less formal between him and No. 8, though he referred to him as "Master" same as the others, and he could give him an honest answer without fear of reprisal.

"I recommend giving him more time, say a few more days. If he's not walking or talking by then, it will be safe to assume that he is a failure."

Vexen nodded. "Thank you, No. 8. I will take it into consideration. You are dismissed."

No. 8 nodded and walked out of the office, and Vexen remained at his desk for a moment, deep in thought. "No. 8!"

The Replica hadn't gotten far evidently, for he poked its head into the door. "Yes, Master?"

"What of No. 23?"

"What of him, Master?"

"It seems to care for No. 47, and it seemed upset when I said I planned to destroy it. Your observations?"

"I have observed the same, Master. Last night, I saw him rocking No. 47 to sleep and humming to him, though it's not the first time I've seen such behavior in the caretakers."

Vexen nodded in acknowledgment of the point. "I wonder if perhaps his coddling is partially responsible for the delay?"

"It could be, Master."

"But removing it from No. 23's care could upset it and delay it further as a result." He waved No. 8 away. "Go about your duties, No. 8. You've given me much to think about."

"Yes, Master." No. 8 nodded and walked away, and Even pulled out his notebook and made note of the conversation. So far things were inconclusive, though he admitted to himself that he wasn't sure where his observations were leading him.

OOOOOO

One month after Even had brought him to Radiant Garden, No. 47 – no, no, no, that wasn't his name anymore – Vexen felt like a completely new person. That wasn't far from the truth actually, he thought as he leaned against Even and paid attention to the letters and words that he was pointing out to him in the storybook.

"What is that word?" Even asked, pointing to one word, and Vexen looked at it intently for a long moment. "Sound it out if you don't know."

"Buh, oh, ah, t... Boat!" He looked up at Even excitedly and felt warmth blossom in his heart at Even's proud smile.

"Very good! Now what is this word here?"

"Wa... t... Water!"

Even's arms came around him and hugged him. "You're learning so quickly! I'm so proud of you!"

Vexen giggled and snuggled into the embrace and Even asked: "Ready for more?" Vexen nodded eagerly and Even began pointing out more words and asking him to read them. Once the reading lesson was done with, it was time for his writing lesson, and his reward for completing that was to pick out a book to have read to him before his math lesson. He picked a small thin book titled "Mother Hulda" and snuggled close to Even's side as the latter began to read.

"Every day a poor girl had to sit by a well on the high road and spin until her fingers bled. Now it happened once that as the spindle was bloody, she dipped it into the well to wash it; but it slipped out of her hand and fell in."

Once his lessons were done for the day, the pair had lunch together before they went to the infirmary so Even could do some work. Even went off to one area of the room, where he and Ienzo began talking about things in quiet voices, while Vexen settled on a large mat behind the desk and entertained himself with some tinker toys that another one of Even's friends - Aeleus - had gotten him. He'd never had toys before, and he played happily for several minutes until a dreaded voice sounded in the room.

"Even?" spoke that man, and Vexen dropped the spool he was holding in one hand and began to shake.

"Master Ansem?" Even responded, but Vexen could barely hear him over the roaring in his ears.

No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, you stay here and don't make a sound. Do you understand?

Vexen whimpered in fear and wrapped his arms around himself and began to rock back and forth on the mat. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished that that man would go away as his voice fell upon his ears again.

"Go away," he whimpered quietly "Please just go away."

The conversation in the other part of the room stopped and then he saw a shadow move in front of him through his eyelids. "Vexen?" came Even's voice "What is wrong, child?"

"Please make him go away." Vexen whispered as he began to cry. "I don't like him."

Even pulled him close and held him. "Could you please leave, Master Ansem? You're frightening him."

"I would never hurt him, Even."

Even said nothing, and after a moment, Vexen heard footsteps walking out of the infirmary. "He's gone now, Vexen."

Vexen didn't open his eyes; instead he only nestled close to Even. "Can we go back to our rooms now, Even?"

"Yes, we can. Ienzo can finish up here. Let's go." Even pulled him to his feet and walked him out of the infirmary. He didn't open his eyes, and he kept himself glued to Even's side the entire way. Once they were in the living room and the door to the rest of the castle firmly shut behind them, Vexen curled up on the couch, still shaking. Even sat down beside him and pulled him onto his lap and held him close.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Vexen. I will keep you safe."

"I don't like him."

"I know you don't, but you have to believe me when I say that he would never hurt you. He has changed since you saw him in Castle Oblivion, just like I have."

"I don't care about that! I don't like him!"

"Shhh, you don't need to yell. I know you don't like him, but he lives here too, so you're going to have to get used to him. He won't hurt you, Vexen. I promise that he won't."

Vexen finally opened his eyes then and looked up at Even. "I'm scared."

"I know, little one, but I will keep you safe. That is what fathers do; they protect their children."

Vexen curled closer to Even, sniffling. Even rocked him and stroked his hair and murmured soothingly to him, and he eventually calmed and fell asleep, cradled in his father's arms.

OOOOOO

"M... ma... master." No. 47 gurgled as Master looked him over. The four day old Replica looked to No. 23 for approval and was met with a smile and an encouraging nod.

"Has it learned to walk yet?" Master asked No. 23, who nodded.

"He just started to walk earlier today, Master."

"A day late then."

"Yes, Master."

"Show me."

No. 23 helped him down from the exam table. "Show Master that you can walk. 47." No. 47 smiled happily; he liked it when No. 23 talked to him. No. 23 moved to the other side of the room and gestured him forward. "Come here, 47. Show Master your walk."

No. 47 wobbled a bit on legs that were still somewhat unsteady, and then he took a step forward, followed by a second, and then a third. He toddled towards No. 23, who was still holding his hand out to him, but he had only covered half the distance when he missed a step and fell. He wailed in pain when his chin struck the hard floor, and Master, who was standing close by, pulled him back to his feet.

"Stop your squalling, No. 47. You are uninjured." Sniffling, No 47 snuggled against Master, who stiffened.

"Master." he gurgled again as he nestled against Master's black coat, but Master shoved him away. The shove sent him tumbling down back to the floor, and he landed hard against a nearby counter. He wailed in pain again and began to cry. He saw No. 23 moving towards him, and he reached out, wanting to be picked up, but before No. 23 could reach him, Master's hand clamped down on his arm and dragged him to his feet.

"There is no excuse for such infantile behavior, No. 47! Now cease this bawling at once!"

The angry tone only made him cry louder, and Master made an angry sound and dragged him across the room to a small closet. He opened the door, and No. 47 wailed a third time as he was thrown into the small, dark space. "You can stay in there until you've learned how to act!"

"Master!" he sobbed as the door slammed, leaving him alone in the dark closet, and he heard Master talking angrily to No. 23.

"It stays in there for the rest of the day. This is its final chance. If it is not out of this state tomorrow, you will be throwing it into the incinerator, while it is still alive! And then you will follow! Now return to your normal duties. Do not come into this room until I say you can let it out."

"Yes, Master." said No. 23 quietly, and No. 47 banged on the door and cried as he heard footsteps walking out of the room, leaving him crying, scared and alone, in the closet. He beat harder against the door and cried as loud as he could, but there was no answer. No. 23 did not pick him up and hold him like he had before, and No. 47 felt the pain in his heart when he realized that he had been left behind. He banged on the door and cried until his hands and throat hurt, and No. 23 still did not come back.

Finally, too tired to keep up such a ruckus, No. 47 plopped himself down on the floor, sniffling, and rubbed at his eyes. His head hurt, his nose was stuffy, and he was so scared. He curled up in a ball close to the door and rocked himself back and forth, while trying to pretend that it was No. 23 that was rocking him. He cried a bit more, but after a while, he fell silent.

When the door finally opened hours later, he was hungry and tired and thirsty, he had wet himself, and he was cold and sore from lying on the floor for so long. No. 23's warm arms gently gathering him up were such a relief that he began to cry again, and he snuggled close to No. 23's warm body.

No. 23 held him and gently wiped his tears away. "You need to quiet down, 47. If Master hears you crying again, he'll throw you back in there. You need to hush." He gently pressed No. 47's face into his shoulder to muffle his cries, and stood up with him. "I can't carry you anymore. You have to walk from now on. Come now, let's walk to the bathroom so I can get you cleaned up and into dry clothes. Then you can have some dinner, and then you're going to bed."

No. 47 shuffled along, sniffling quietly, and by the time he was bathed and fed, he was quiet, and he tried to walk to his room to go to bed. But No. 23 pulled him in a different direction.

"No, 47, that's not your bed anymore. You have to sleep in the storage room with the rest of us. Come along now."

He whined in protest and tried to go that way regardless, but No. 23 kept tugging him in the opposite direction until he began to cry in frustration.

"You need to stop, 47, before Master hears you." No. 47 looked at No. 23 with tears running down his face, and the other Replica held him and kissed him lightly on the top of his head. "I know, I know, but that's not your room anymore. You have to sleep with me and the others from now on."

He walked him through the open door into the large storage room then, and the other Replicas were already there, settling down for the night. No. 8 was there as well, and No. 47 hid his face in No. 23's hair as the oldest Replica spoke to the other.

"I convinced Master to give him more time." No. 8 said "but he is still irritated at the failure. I have excused you from all lab duties for the next two days, so that you may spend more time with him and hopefully get him to catch up."

"Thank you, No. 8. I hope it's enough."

"Mm-hmm," No. 47 felt something soft being draped over him then, a blanket, he realized. "This is for him. I imagine that he's had enough of lying on cold floors for one day." No. 47 looked up then.

"Th... thank... you." he managed to stammer, and No. 8 smiled at him.

"You're welcome, 47, now get some sleep. You have a lot of catching up to do." No. 8 walked away then, and No. 23 walked No. 47 to a back corner of the room where a blanket was lying on the floor, folded into a makeshift bed. He took the blanket that No. 8 had given him away and made him lie down on the folded blanket. No. 23 laid down next to him and draped the other blanket over the both of them. No. 47 snuggled close, and No. 23 kissed him on the forehead. "Go to sleep, 47. We have much to do tomorrow."

Warmed by the blanket and comforted by his caretaker lying beside him, No. 47 closed his eyes and drifted off.

OOOOOO

Even watched Vexen reading the children's book and realized that No. 8 had been right; it looked as though Vexen was simply delayed. He had quickly mastered reading and writing and was learning at an astonishing rate. His intelligence was obvious, though he still seemed very childlike. Even wasn't sure if that was due to some defect during his time in the tube or if it was due to trauma. He also wasn't sure if the child would outgrow it in time or if he would forever be like that.

To his surprise, Even realized that the latter possibility didn't really bother him.

"Even?" Vexen asked hesitantly, and Even turned to face him, sitting on the couch in front of the crackling fireplace with the book in his hands.

"What is it, Vexen?" he asked gently. It had been five weeks since he had brought Vexen home, and though he was doing very well, there was still a sense of fragility around him, like he would break at the slightest touch. For that reason, Even was very careful how he acted around him. He didn't want to do or say something that would set him back.

"I am confused."

Even sat down beside him. "Why is that?"

Vexen pointed to a block of text in the book. "The little boy in the story doesn't call him father by name. He calls him 'father'. Why is that?"

"Ah, I understand. Father is not only the name of the male parent of a child, it is also a title used by children when addressing their father or referring to him. There are other words too; each language and culture has its own words and titles for parents."

"What are some of the others?"

"Well, 'Dad' is the most common. Many worlds use it in one form another. 'Daddy' is also very common, though it's normally used by younger children. 'Father' is used when the child is being formal in most cases. It's also used in books, as you've seen in the one you're reading."

Vexen nodded thoughtfully, and he slowly closed the book and set it aside. He was silent for a long moment, thinking. He then looked up at Even. "May I..." He hesitated, and Even smiled gently at him for reassurance. Despite five weeks of care, the child still feared the original Vexen's temper. "May I please... May I call you Father?"

Even felt his heart melt, and tears stung in his eyes and ran down his face. "Of course, Vexen, of course you may." He opened his arms, and Vexen climbed onto his lap without hesitation. Even wrapped his arms around his son – his son! - and buried his nose in the soft blond hair atop the child's head. "I love you, Vexen. I love you so much." He gently took one of Vexen's hands and placed it over his heart. "Can you feel it, little one?"

Vexen looked up at him in confusion for a second, and then his eyes widened. "Is that what love feels like?" he asked quietly, and Even nodded.

"This is what a parent feels for their child."

Vexen snuggled close and closed his eyes. "Father," he said softly, and Even held him tighter. He was going to have to do something really nice for Ienzo for suggesting that he go back to Castle Oblivion. Soft snoring from his lap made him look down, and he laughed quietly when he saw that Vexen had fallen asleep on his lap. He carefully stood up – the child had reached a healthy weight, and carrying him had gotten awkward as a result – and carried him into the bedroom to lie him down for a nap.

OOOOOO

"So what's going on, Vexen?" Larxene asked, using a condescending tone that made Vexen long to strangle her. "Your Riku was supposed to counter Sora. What's he waiting for? Where is he?"

"He's hiding somewhere to lure Sora deeper into the castle right?" Axel said casually, and Vexen repressed a growl. Heart or no heart, he hated the both of them with a passion. "I suppose we should just leave it at that, you know."

"Ah-ha!" Larxene said "Oh I see now! I would never guessed that! So sorry, Vexen!"

"Silence!" Vexen snapped. How dare these neophytes speak to him in such a way!

Larxene was unperturbed. "Predictable response. Forget it, men without hearts are so boring."

"You're one to talk." Vexen reminded her "As if you have such a heart to speak of yourself."

Marluxia's voice echoed through the room them, which made a shiver of fear race up Vexen's spine. The castle's lord was bound to be unhappy with the failure of the Riku Replica. "That's enough." A dark portal opened in the room, and Marluxia stepped from it.

Marluxia walked up to Vexen. "Vexen, the simple fact is that your project was a failure. You best not disappoint us again."

"Disappoint you? You go too far! In this Organization, you're Number XI! I'm number IV, and I will not have you -" His sentence was cut off abruptly when he had to lean backwards suddenly to stop from being sliced open by the end of Marluxia's scythe, as the pink haired Nobody pointed it at him threateningly.

"I've been entrusted this castle and Naminé by our leader. Defying me will be seen as treason against the Organization."

"Traitors are eliminated." Axel said from behind Vexen "I believe that's what the rules say."

"Who needs a half baked good-for-nothing anyway?" Larxene added. Vexen growled angrily.

Marluxia spoke again."Vexen, you cannot win against Sora."

Vexen smirked at him. "Pity to be so ignorant. As you're only able to see the surface of things, I should not expect you to appreciate my true might."

"Oh?" Marluxia dismissed his scythe. "Then let us watch as you prove it."

Vexen hadn't seen that coming. "What?"

Marluxia turned his back to him. "None of us wish to be suspicious of a comrade."

"Your insincerity is comforting." Vexen said sarcastically as he portaled out of the room and to his lab. He had preparations to make.

OOOOOO

It was been two months since Father had brought him to Radiant Garden, and Vexen had never known that it was possible to be so happy. He was given three meals a day, as well as snacks, he had a warm bed to sleep in, toys to play with, and books to read. Most of all, he had Father, the man that had given him life and who cared for him and loved him. He read to Vexen, told him stories, bought him toys and books, held him on his lap whenever he was frightened or upset, and kept that man away from him.

"She took the two rose-trees with her, and they stood before her window, and every year bore they most beautiful roses, white and red." Father finished reading the story and closed the book, and Vexen smiled up at him from his bed, where he was lying with the blankets pulled up to his chin. Father smiled back and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "Goodnight, Vexen. Sweet dreams. I love you."

"Goodnight, Father." Vexen replied as Father tucked the blankets around him and brushed his hair out of his face before leaving the room. As usual the bedroom door was left open, Father said his fear of being in small dark spaces was called "claustrophobia" and that it might fade with time. Comforted by the light coming in from the living room, Vexen turned over onto his side and nestled into the soft mattress, and he fell asleep quickly.

OOOOOO

"So M... M... Master wants us to t.. t...take care of the lab?" No. 47 asked in a small voice.

No. 23, nodded. "We also help him with his experiments as needed, so there are a few things I'll need to teach you soon. He'll expect you to do as he says without screwing up, so make sure you pay attention." No. 23 led his charge around the basement of Castle Oblivion, though the tour was slow moving, due to No. 47 still having an unsteady gait at times. He was shown the private library shared by Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion, and he was warned that the Replicas were never to go in unless invited. He was shown the kitchen and was given a quick lesson on operating the appliances, though he was told to never use them without supervision until he was cleared to do so. The last thing he was shown was the castle's incinerator, which is where all garbage was disposed of, including things from the lab.

"When you clean the lab," No. 23 explained "everything that is not to be kept should be thrown in here. If you're not sure, ask one of us, but anything that is not needed ends up in here." No. 47 nodded in understanding, and No. 23 led him back to the lab to start the day's work, but they had barely gotten started when they were interrupted.

Master stormed in, and the air temperature around him dropped. The Replicas scattered to get out of his way – he was clearly angry, or what passed for angry for Nobodies – and No. 23 tried to pull No. 47 out of the scientist's way, but the five day old Replica stumbled and fell right in Master's path. He cried out when Master tripped over him, resulting in a painful kick to his side, and Master snarled as he regained his balance.

"What are you doing on the floor!" he snapped as he spun to face No. 47, who hadn't gotten up yet "What is wrong with you! Well, answer me! Why are you sitting on the floor!" No. 47 lowered his head and began to cry. Master's anger scared him greatly. A hand clamped down on his arm and dragged him to his feet, and he wailed as Master's fingers dug painfully into his upper arm. "Cease this crying at once! You are not an infant!" He grabbed No. 47 by the shoulders and shook him hard, which only made him cry louder while the other Replicas stared. "Silence!" He shook him again. "You will cease this wailing at once! What is wrong with you!" No. 47 wailed and scrubbed at his eyes, and Master snarled in rage and shoved him away. No. 23 caught him, and he hid his face in No. 23's shirt as the latter rocked him soothingly.

"I must deal with the keyblade wielder." Master snarled "And when I return I will destroy you as I should have done the day you were born! Both of you will go into the incinerator!" With that Master stormed out of the room, and No. 23 held No. 47 close and murmured soothingly to him. He cried into No. 23's shirt, and he barely heard No. 8 speaking over his wails.

"I will try to talk him out of it." No. 8 said quietly "For now though, he is beyond reason. That bastard Marluxia threatened him, and No. 47 was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just stay with him and calm him down, and when Master returns, I'll talk to him."

No. 47 felt No. 23 nod, and he was walked to a quiet corner of the room and sat down on the floor. No. 23 pulled him onto his lap and rocked him while No. 8 told the others to get back to work. No. 47 clung to No. 23 and cried as his hair was stroked and his back was rubbed. He didn't want to go into the hot fires of the incinerator; he didn't want to die!

"It will be alright, 47." No. 23 said softly "We'll get Master to change his mind."

No. 47 didn't know how long he cried, but it was the lab going silent that made him look up and quiet down. The other Replicas were standing still and silent and looking at No. 8, who was standing in the main door leading to the rest of the castle. The oldest Replica looked pale and drawn, and No. 47 knew somehow that something was very, very wrong.

No. 8 took a deep, trembling breath and spoke, and his voice rang clearly throughout the room. "Master is dead."

As surprised murmurs filled the room, No. 47 looked up at No. 23, who looked shocked. Did that mean that they weren't going into the incinerator?

No. 8 continued. "He was slain by Axel, Number VIII in the Organization. All of us.." No. 8 paused and closed his eyes for a second. He then seemed to gather himself together and finished. "We all need to keep going. Master wouldn't want us to stop now that he's gone. All of you, continue on like normal, and we will decide what to do later." No. 8 turned and left the room, and No. 47 though he heard the oldest Replica crying as he walked away.

No. 47 nestled close to No. 23, confused. Master was dead. Should he be happy? Relieved? Sad? He didn't know, but a quick glance at No. 23's face didn't comfort him any. The older Replica looked worried and frightened, and his arms tightened protectively around him.

OOOOOO

A blood curdling scream shattered the peaceful silence of the darkened bedroom, and Even bolted upright in bed, heart hammering in his chest just as another scream echoed in the room. He realized immediately where the screams were coming from, and he leapt out of bed and ran over to Vexen, who was thrashing around in his own bed, deep in the grip of some nightmare.

"Vexen?" he called as he gently shook the child to try and wake him "Vexen, wake up. You're dreaming, little one." Vexen's back arched as he screamed a third time, and Even gathered him into his arms and tried to soothe him. Vexen struggled against the arms around him, and his fist connected solidly with Even's nose. Even gasped in pain and dropped him, and Vexen bolted from the room. Even got to his feet and quickly followed him, not caring at all about the blood that was streaming from his nose.

By the time he made it into the living room, Vexen had already ran out of the apartment into the hallway, and Even chased after him. He didn't know if the child was awake, or if he was simply fleeing in his sleep, trying to get away from whatever he was dreaming of. In the hallway, Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan were poking their heads out, curious as to what was going on, but Even ignored them as he chased Vexen down the hallway. The child had a decent lead, but his stride was shorter, and he was running with no clear direction in mind, which allowed Even to gain on on him easily.

Finally, the child collapsed to the floor in the main entrance, and he huddled down against the base of the fountain, crying hysterically. Even knelt down beside him and reached out to him. "Vexen?"

Vexen seemed to finally wake up then, and he raised his head and blinked his teary eyes at Even. "Daddy? Daddy, is that you?" He then leapt into Even's arms with a pained wail. "Daddy, he killed them! He killed them all! Why did he do that, Daddy? Why?"

Even held Vexen tight and rocked him; he had a pretty good idea of who he was speaking. "Shhh, Vexen. It's all over. You're safe here with me now."

"Buy whyyyyyyyy, Daddy? Why was he so mean? Why did he have to kill them? He hurt them, and they were crying and screaming, and then I was all alone! Why did he do that?"

"I don't know, Vexen." Even was debating whether to let Vexen cry himself out, or put him to sleep with a spell. They needed to discuss the nightmare, but they couldn't do it with the child hysterical. "It's alright now. I'm here with you, and I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Daddy..." Vexen sobbed, and he buried his face in Even's pajama top and cried, though he was calmer than he had been just a moment before. Even was vaguely aware of Ienzo and the others running into the room, but he ignored them as he did his best to comfort his son.

"What is going on?" came Ansem's voice from the hallway, and Even looked up at him just as Vexen screamed in horror and renewed his earlier struggles.

"He killed them, Daddy! He killed them!"

Even gently placed one of his hands against Vexen's left temple and spoke a single word softly: "Sleep." Instantly, Vexen's cries fell silent and he went limp in Even's arms as the spell put him in a deep, dreamless sleep. Even gently settled the child in his arms and stood up, ignoring Aeleus' offer to carry him. He looked over at his shoulder to look up at Ansem, who was standing on the landing above the fountain. To be fair, the man looked quite distressed at Vexen's fear, but that did nothing to stop the surge of pure rage that rose within Even's heart.

"Why did you do it, Ansem?" he asked, his voice ringing clearly in the suddenly silent room. "Why did you kill them? Were you angry that you couldn't get to me, so you took it out on them instead?" He looked away and shook his head. "Whatever your reasons, I hope that you're happy with yourself." With that, he turned away and carried Vexen out of the room, and Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan followed without a word.

OOOOOO

No. 47 stayed close to No. 23. The atmosphere in the lab had become tense and oppressive with Master's death. No. 8 kept everything moving, but it was clear that he was upset and having a hard time keeping himself together. There was talk among the others about leaving, but that was quickly shot down, because none of them, not even No. 8, had ever left the castle and had no idea what awaited outside as a result. No. 8 occasionally brought them news, including the deaths of Lexaeus, Larxene, Zexion, and Marluxia, and some wondered if that meant they could have the castle all to themselves.

No. 47 didn't know, and he honestly didn't care. He clung to No. 23 and barely spoke. He assisted with the work as needed, and ate and slept when he was supposed to, but that was all. He did not like the feeling of the lab anymore, and he longed to get away from it, even as the thought of leaving terrified him. He was vaguely aware of the sound of footsteps approaching the lab, but he ignored it. It wasn't until silence swept through the lab again that he looked up.

A man was standing in the lab door, and he was clothed in red, with his face covered save for his eyes and mouth. He stared at the Replica's that were staring back at him in silence for the longest moment, and then with a single gesture, No. 19 exploded in a shower of gore. No. 47 screamed in horror, and he felt a hand clamp down over his mouth, and he was dragged towards the back of the room and shoved down under a table.

"Listen to me, 47." No. 23 said firmly yet urgently "No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, you stay here and don't make a sound. Do you understand?" No. 47 whimpered in fear. What was happening? No. 23 shook him slightly. "Do you understand me?" No. 47 whimpered again and nodded, and No. 23 smiled sadly. "I love you." he said, and kissed No. 47 on the forehead before he stood up, and covered the table with a white drop cloth intended to protect the equipment that was not being used from dust. The cloth blocked out his view of the room, but it did nothing to mute the sound, and No. 47 scooted back against the wall, squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the cries and screams of the other Replicas as they died. He could hear the sounds of battle in the room, glass breaking, equipment being smashed, the crackle of ice magic, and the sounds that were heard whenever Master had used Darkness nearby. He heard liquids splattering on the walls and floor, and the thumping sounds that he somehow knew were bodies hitting the floor. The cries from the other Replicas vanished one by one, until there was only one left. Despite being told not to, No. 47 couldn't resist a peak, and he raised the cloth just enough to peer out from under it.

No. 8 was the only one left standing, the rest were lying still on the floor, and ice and darkness were flying from his hands as he fought against the red man, but nothing he did seemed to faze him. Finally, No. 8 fell as well as his ruptured heart burst from his chest. No. 47 let go of the cloth and backed up against the wall again and stuffed a fist in his mouth to muffle the scream that wanted to come out. He laid pressed against the wall, shivering in terror, as the red man muttered to himself. He heard more equipment being smashed, papers rustling, and then the crackle of flames.

The red man moved around the otherwise silent lab for an unmeasurable amount of time, before he walked out. Too terrified to move, No. 47 stayed huddled under the table for several hours. He heard the red man's voice once or twice, along with a girl's voice, but soon they were gone, and only then did he work up the courage to come out of hiding.

For the first time that he knew of, the lab was silent and still. He climbed to his feet and looked around. Blood covered the walls, floor, and ceiling, shattered glass and broken equipment littered the room, and lying on the floor, as still and silent as the lab, were the other Replicas. All of them were dead. Some were lying with their eyes closed, as though they were merely sleeping, others had looks of horror on their faces, still others looked as though they had died in agony. All of them were injured in some way, and in most cases, the visible injuries were obviously the cause of death.

He found No. 23 not too far away from the table. He was lying on his back, looking up with sightless eyes at the ceiling, with the back of his skull crushed. No. 47 looked down at him, and the horror of what had just happened crashed down on him, and he began to scream. He screamed, tore at his hair, and clawed at his face and arms, and after several minutes, his screaming tapered off into sobs as pain exploded in his chest with the realization that he was all alone. Everyone was gone.

Crying and shaking with his sobs, he laid down on the cold floor beside No. 23 and snuggled close to him. He laid his head down on the still chest and wrapped one of his arms around him and tried to pretend that he was really holding him.

"Please come back," he sobbed "Please don't leave me alone." There was no answer, and he cried himself to sleep.

When he woke, nothing had changed. The lab was still silent save for the sounds of his own breathing, and the other Replicas were still lying lifelessly on the floor. No. 23's arm was cold and stiff, and he had to wiggle out from under it before he could stand. He stood up and looked around for a moment before he realized what he had to do. Stepping over the bodies, he went to where No. 8 was lying, and heaved him up. It was difficult because the body was stiff and so much heavier than him, but he managed to heave him up onto his back and carry him slowly out of the room. He could hear No. 8's booted feet dragging along the floor as they went down the silent hallway, and the sound unnerved him greatly. It was almost like No. 8 was still alive and moving his feet, and it was so eerie that he stopped a few times to verify that no, No. 8 was not breathing, and that he was cold and lifeless.

He finally reached the incinerator room, and with a grunt of effort, he heaved the oldest Replica's corpse into the chute and watched it fall down into the roaring flames below. He then turned away and returned to the lab, where he picked up the next Replica, No. 38, and repeated the procedure.

Not counting himself, there were 29 other Replicas, and, one by one, he carried them all out of the lab and threw them into the incinerator, like he had been taught to do. The work was exhausting and mind numbing, which suited him just fine. Staying busy prevented him from thinking about what had just happened. He saved No. 23 for last, and by the time he got to him, he body was pliable once more, though it was colder than before. He sat No. 23 up and hugged him, and he began to cry as he hoisted him up onto his back and began to carry him out of the lab.

He approached the incinerator, and he paused. He didn't want to throw No. 23 in there; he didn't want to let go of him, but he had to. His instructions had been clear about cleaning the lab: anything that wasn't to be saved went into the incinerator. Crying, he gently lifted No. 23 up to the chute and watched him slide down to the fire below. He didn't look away as the flames began to devour the one that had cared for him, even though the tears blurred his vision and his chest heaved with sobs. Soon the fire grew so intense that he could no longer see No. 23 through the flames, and exhaustion and heartbreak made his knees buckle under him, and he collapsed to the floor in front of the incinerator.

When he woke later, the fire had gone out, and he could see nothing but smoky darkness as the bottom of the chute. Scrubbing at his eyes with his sleeve, he left the room and returned to the lab, where he began to clean up as he had been taught to do.

OOOOOO

"I cleaned up the lab," Vexen said quietly as his father held him and rocked him on his lap. "That man had burned all the papers and destroyed the equipment. I cleaned up the mess and washed the blood off the walls and floor as best as I could. I couldn't get it all though." He looked down, wondering if Father would be angry with him for not cleaning up properly, but the man simply held him tighter and said nothing. "I stayed in the storage room, and slept on No. 23's blanket. I didn't touch the others', even when the castle got really cold. It made me feel sick to think about using the other blankets.

"I had bad dreams sometimes. Sometimes I dreamed of the red man coming back and throwing me in the incinerator with the others. Sometimes I dreamed of No. 23 crawling out of there, all burned and blackened, and he would crawl into the lab and ask why I had thrown him there. He would then try to hold me, but I wouldn't let him. He would get angry then and drag me back into the incinerator with him. Sometimes..." His chest hitched, and tears began to trickle out of his eyes and down his face. "Sometimes I would dream that nothing had happened, and everyone was still alive, and I wanted so much for those dreams to be real, but they never were.

"I ate out of the lab kitchen for a while, until that food ran out, and then I took food from the other kitchen that you and the others used. When that food ran out, I had to catch mice and rats and eat them. Sometimes they made me sick, but..."

Vexen fell silent and snuggled close to his father for a moment before he looked up at him. "Father?" he asked hesitantly "Did you know... that I was still alive?"

"No," Father said hoarsely – had he been crying too? "I had just been reborn a few months before I found you, and I was too unstable to do little more than sleep at first. Once I was feeling better, I never thought about Castle Oblivion. I had died there, and I tried to keep it out of my mind. I had gone back hoping to find something to interest me. I wasn't sure if any of you had survived. If I had known that you were alive, Vexen, I would have come for you sooner. I swear I would have."

Vexen nodded and laid his head against his father's chest and listened to the steady thump-thump of his heart. The horror of the events that had taken place over a year ago had mostly faded, but seeing the red man again... Vexen shuddered, and his father rocked him some more.

"I will keep him away from you, Vexen." Father promised "I don't care what it takes. He will not come near you again." Vexen felt a soft kiss on his hair. "I love you, little one, and I want you to feel safe here. If that means making sure that that man never looks at you again, then that is what I will do."

"How long was I alone there?"

Father sighed. "Fifteen months. You were alone for fifteen months."

"A long time."

"Yes, a very long time, and yet you survived, and are here still." Vexen snuggled close and said nothing more, Father rocked him, and they sat in silence for a long moment before Father spoke again.

"I have something for you to take," he said softly "that will help you sleep without dreaming. It's only temporary, so you can only have it a few times before I can no longer give it to you, but it will help you for now."

Vexen nodded, too tired to argue even if he had wanted to, and he drank down the dark liquid in the dropper that Father held up to him without a word. Almost immediately, his eyes sank shut, and he fell asleep on Father's lap with a quiet sigh.

OOOOOO

Even gently laid Vexen down in the center of the larger bed and tucked him in. The poor child had been through so much; it was amazing that he was only badly wounded, not broken. He brushed his hair out of his face and kissed him on the forehead and just spent a few minutes watching him sleep. He then walked out into the living room, where Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan were sitting.

"Is he alright?" Dilan asked with genuine concern.

Even sighed. "As well as can be expected. I gave him a sedative to help him sleep, and I need to ask a favor of you three."

"Name it." Aeleus said, and Ienzo nodded in agreement.

"I need you to watch him and keep Ansem away from him while I am gone."

"Gone?" Ienzo asked "Where are you going?"

"Back to Castle Oblivion. I have something there that I need to collect. Will you watch him for me? I should be back by the time he wakes, but I don't want him to be alone after what he just told me."

"So Ansem did really kill them all?" Aeleus asked.

Even sighed again. "He did. Every single one except for Vexen, and the only reason Vexen was spared was because No. 23 hid him under a table."

"We'll look after him." Dilan said "Would you like one of us to go with you though?"

"No," Even shook his head "I need to do this alone." He summoned his black coat from his peg by the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Vexen will give you signs that he's starting to wake. If he does, come and get me. I want to be there with him when he wakes up." Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan nodded, and Even slipped his coat on and portaled out.

He portaled into the empty lab inside Castle Oblivion, and he went straight into the storage room where the Replicas had slept, where he quickly gathered up the handful of blankets that he found there. On the colder nights, the Replicas had slept grouped together to keep warm. He didn't find the blanket that he knew to belong to No. 8, which made his heart ache. The original Vexen had cared deeply for No. 8; he had just denied it to himself and never shown it, preferring to keep a professional distance from his creation.

Once he had the blankets piled together, which formed to create a depressingly thin stack, he grabbed a trash bag from their place in a cabinet and went back to his old rooms. There, in the bedroom closet, he found No. 23's blanket, and the blanket that had belonged to No. 8 until he had given it to No. 47. He remembered that blanket well; he remembered wrapping a newly born No. 8 in it and scolding him lightly for crying even as he cradled him and fed him his first bottle. No. 8 had grown attacked to his blanket quickly – one of his first words had been "blankie" - and Even had many memories of him snuggling with it, whether in bed, or in the original Vexen's arms, or on the floor. No. 8 had slept on a cot in Vexen's bedroom for quite a while, and it wasn't until other Replicas were born that he had voluntarily moved to the storage room to sleep with them.

Even sighed as he bagged up the two blankets and deposited them on the lab floor. Later, he would take them back to the castle and have them washed before giving them back to Vexen. He then grabbed a second bag, the stack of other blankets, and walked out of the lab to the incinerator. He went into the utility room under the chute room, and opened the door to the ash tray. Inside, on the floor of the tray, was a large pile of charred bones and bone fragments, all that remained of the other Replicas. Sitting the stack of blankets on the floor by the door, Even began to silently gather up the bones and deposit them on the blankets. He couldn't leave his Replicas here; they deserved so much more than to lie forgotten at the bottom of an incinerator. It took several hours to get them all, but once he had done that, he scooped up as much of the ashes as he could, using a large broom and dustpan intended for that very purpose, and poured them on the blankets with the bone pieces.

Once that was done, he wiped his hands off, and carefully folded the blankets over the bones and ashes, and then slipped the folded package into the bag that he had brought.

"I'm sorry." he whispered as he laid his hand over where the ashes and bones were "I'm sorry that, now that you're gone, I just now came back here for you I'm sorry that I didn't care for you. I'm sorry that I was so cruel to you. I'm so sorry, and I wish I could bring you all back, but while I can recreate a body perfectly, I cannot recreate your hearts and souls. Have you gone on, to whatever afterlife awaits? Are you living new lives even now? Please don't be trapped here, and if you are, please go on. Don't stay here, trapped in misery and anger." He bowed his head for a moment and reached out with his senses. To his immense relief, he could sense no wandering souls or hearts in the castle. Hopefully, they had all gone on to better lives.

Carefully picking up the bag and blanket wrapped remains, he walked out of the room and back to the lab. He picked up the bagged blankets there, and then portaled home, leaving the castle once again silent and empty.

OOOOOO

Vexen shifted as he began to wake up, and he opened his eyes to find himself in his father's bed instead of his own.

"Vexen?' came Father's voice from nearby "Are you awake now, child?"

Vexen sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Father?"

"Right here, little one." Vexen looked over to see him sitting in a chair by the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Tired."

Father smiled gently at him. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Then go get your shower, and then we'll have breakfast."

Vexen nodded and got out of bed, and as he walked towards the bathroom, he noticed that Father looked very tired, like had hadn't slept at all. Hadn't he gone back to sleep after he'd given him the sedative? He would have to ask later. He quickly washed himself down, dried off, combed his hair, and dressed himself. He no longer needed Father's help for any of those things; he was a big boy now. The two had breakfast in silence, but once they had eaten, Father spoke:

"Go put your shoes and jacket on. We have someplace to go."

Vexen looked at him curiously, but Father said nothing else on the matter, so he did as he was told, and once that was done, Father gathered him to him, held him close, and portaled them both out of the room.

The stepped out of the portal in a grassy, flower filled meadow outside of town. A short distance away, he could see Aeleus, Ienzo, and Dilan standing by something on the ground. He looked at Father again, but the man said nothing, and only walked him towards the other three. When they got closer he realized they they were standing by a hole in the ground, and at the bottom of that hole was a pile of folded blankets, blankets that looked very familiar. He stared at them for a moment before he turned to Father, who was standing beside him.

"You went back and got them?" he asked as he began to cry.

"I did," Father said quietly "I couldn't leave them there."

"All of them?"

"Yes, I got them all. I wasn't going to leave anyone behind." Father wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, and Vexen buried his face in his shirt and cried. He finally let out the grief that he had held back while simply trying to survive in the abandoned castle.

"Where any of them still there?" he asked through his tears, hoping that Father would know what he meant.

Thankfully, Father did. "No, I checked, and they have all moved on." A hand gently smoothed down his hair "Let's put them to rest, okay?"

Vexen nodded, and at Father's instruction, he took a handful of dirt from the nearby pile and tossed it down into the grave. Father did so as well, and then so did the others. Only then did Aeleus gesture to the rest of the pile, and it flew into into the grave and compacted itself neatly inside. With another gesture a headstone appeared, formed out of granite, and an inscription etched itself into the stone while they watched.

When someone you love becomes a memory,

the memory becomes a treasure.

Here, sleeps ours.

"If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again." Father said quietly, and Vexen looked up to see a few tears tracking down his face as he looked at the grave. After a moment of silence, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus walked away and portaled back to the castle, but Vexen and Even remained by the grave for some time, holding onto each other as they grieved.

OOOOOO

That night, Vexen was awakened by soft crying, and he sat up in bed to see Father crying into a pillow. He climbed out of bed and climbed into Father's bed beside him and snuggled close. One of Father's arms came around him and held him tight, and Vexen kept silent while the other cried, silently offering the comfort that he had been given so many times. After several minutes, Father's cries quieted, and he sat up in bed and summoned Vexen's blankets over; the one that had belonged to No. 23, as well as the one that he had been given by No. 8. The maids had carefully washed and dried them, and he had been so happy to have them back. Father gently wrapped him in No. 23's blanket before tucking him under No. 8's. He then pulled him close, and Vexen snuggled into his chest and listened to his heart beating.

"I love you, Vexen." Father said quietly as he wrapped his arms around him, and Vexen smiled as he closed his eyes.

"I love you too, Daddy." he whispered, and then he fell asleep, warm, safe, and loved, nestled in his father's arms.

OOOOOO

Holy god, it's finally done! Wheeeeeeeee! Cough anyway, for those that want to know, below is the timeline I used for the first 8 days of Vexen's life.

Day 0: No 47 is born. No. 23 cleans him, dresses him, feeds him, and then puts him to bed.

Day 1: Vexen examines No. 47 and takes note of the height deficiency. No. 47 is over a foot shorter than he should be. He thinks about destroying it, but No. 23 talks him out of it.

Day 2: No. 23 continues to care for No. 47, and he begins to wean him from the bottle.

Day 4: No 47 begins to walk and talk, though he is still very infant like. Vexen locks him in a closet as punishment and leaves him there for several hours.

Day 5: No. 23 takes No. 47 for a tour of the lower floors of Castle Oblivion, including the incinerator. They then return to the lab, but Vexen, enraged at Marluxia, storms into the lab. He takes his anger out on No. 47, reducing the Replica to tears, and tells him that when he returns from dealing with Sora, he'll get rid of him "like I should have had the day you were born!". Vexen goes off to face Sora and is then killed by Axel.

Day 5 - 6: The other Nobodies are killed by Sora.

Day 7: Ansem arrives in the castle, and he kills the other Replicas. No 23 hides No. 47 under a table, out of Ansem's sight, and then he too is killed. Once Ansem and Namine have gone, No. 47 crawls out from under the table and curls up beside No. 23's lifeless body, and cries.

Day 8: Remembering what he had been told, No. 47 carries the bodies of the other Replicas to the incinerator and throws them in. He then spends the next 15 months alone in the castle.