A/N: The Marians are back, baby! I guess this fist one shot could be considered the epilogue to 'What's Love Got To Do With It'. My dear SilverWolf442 suggested seeing the kids a bit older, and well, I hope you all can get the picture as to how much the triplets… and their personalities have grown since the story ended (over a five year span). Hope you enjoy some of the family fluff, please review! XOXOXO

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from D. Gray Man.

A Father's Return

I.

"Papa's home! Papa's home! Papa's home!" Rochelle happily chimed as she announced this fact to the entire world, running down the hallways. The child happily alerted the order of her father's arrival, her large dark eyes gleaming lively, her pigtails bouncing. Her brothers, on the other hand, were waiting the long overdue return of their traveling father with their mother.

The pinkette had gone to pick up her sons from their preschool lessons, having been granted the permission since she had been in a very important meeting at the time. Nozomi had highly protested her husband's return to fieldwork, the man still had his horrible habit of disappearing when things got too tough or he felt like pissing her off to the extreme. But Cross was a traveler, it was in his blood, and the man had taken a couple of extra months (after his mission had ended) to see the world. To feel the sea water against his face, the wind in his hair, after five long years of being locked up inside the order… not that he had any regrets. Oh quite the contrary, Cross had enjoyed every minute watching his ever so energetic triplets growing into the running, screaming, jumping little bodies there were today. Leaving Nozomi meant she'd have to care for their children without him for a while… meaning he'd have to screw her well once he returned to keep her from staying pissed at him.

Rochelle was supposed to be under her Uncle Komui's care, she was running a small fever that day and had stayed home from her lessons, but as soon as the cheery dark haired man mentioned her dearest father would be return that day, the little girl had quickly jumped from her bed and bolted off without him. The five year old ran, her favorite teddy bear in tow, until she rounded yet another corner (the Black Order had become the triplets favorite playground, they got such a thrill from all the different corridors and twists and turns), running straight into something that knocked her to the ground. The little girl had half the mind to cry, her pink bottom lip quivering, until a familiar gloved hand reached down and hoisted her back to her feet.

"What did your mama say about running in the hallways?" The voice chided.

Rochelle looked up to find her father's handsome face smiling lovingly down at her. "Papa!" The little girl squealed happily as she reached her arms up for him.

Cross, who had missed his family a tremendous amount while away, consumed the little girl's body into his strong arms. His daughter was the miniature version of his beloved wife, her beauty at such a young age made her all the more precious as an exquisite rare doll, the same qualities of the wife he had yet to stumble across. He didn't know if he should be elated to finally be back to those whom loved him, and who he loved in return. Or scared for his life because he knew Nozomi had mastered throwing anything at him that wasn't nailed down from miles away… with perfect aim. The pinkette could've easily been larking about, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The general tsked at this, yet she wondered why Jelani sometimes behaved the way he did… the little boy took after both his parents. As he continued to search for the rest of his family, Cross relayed on his daughter to inform him on what the four of them had been doing the months he was away. She told him stories of all the things they'd learned during their lessons, how she and her mother had baked cookies together for the first time and how her brothers had all but destroyed their Uncle Jeryy's kitchen. How much their mama smiled every time she told them a bed time story about how much she loved their papa, and how much the man loved them all.

"Now, what happened to your crayons?" Cross asked, preparing himself for another one of the long, detailed stories his little girl loved to tell (Komui's habits were rubbing off of on his children, which he hadn't quite figured out if that was necessarily a good or bad thing).

"I had the whole box mama had bought me, but 'Lani ate them." Pouted the little girl.

Cross gaped, "Ate them? How?" He asked, skeptical at the idea. It shouldn't have surprised him, the eldest of the triplets ate anything and everything he got his hands on.

Rochelle looked up at her papa, her brow creased in confusion as she tried to figure out what part had the man not understood. Her brother ate her crayons, it wasn't rocket science. "He took them from Jojo and I when we were coloring pictures to send you and ate them. Mama was so mad and scared." Said the little girl.

The general sighed, he could only imagine how mad she was and possibly still was. No wondered she sounded so drained over the phone (no matter where he was stationed during his mission and while traveling, he made it a habit to call and check on his family any free chance he got); she obviously had her hands full. Cross gave an inward sigh, five years later and his son was still a hopeless cause.

"Papa!" Josiah cheerifully screamed as he darted up to the man, wrapping his tiny body around his father's leg.

Cross chuckled warmly at his son, who bore a traditional pirate hat and eye patch. He had heard storied from Nozomi about the little boy vanishing for hours on end just to found somewhere taking a nap. "Hello Jojo," The man said. "Where did you just get back from?" Knowing full well the child had an imagination that put cartoons to shame; the tiny child was always getting around.

"I was just sailing in my ship (a cardboard box he had found in Komui's office that he and the chief had decorated into a makeshift pirate ship) from Asia, papa!" Josiah said delightfully, gleaming up at his father. Cross was the boy's hero, and saw this through his large dark eyes.

"Wow," The man humored his son. "You're traveling a lot more than your old papa! Next time, take me with you alright?" Josiah nodded, holding onto his father's leg with one arm and with hat with the other.

Cross caught a flash of pink from the corner of his eye, and he himself stopped walking as his wife skidded to a halt. Nozomi, dressed in her general garbs, turned to face her husband. Her skirt whooshed around her pale legs and pert rear as she stared at the giant of a man. Her smile warmed everything in his chest… and pants.

"Oh Cross," She smiled. Her long pink tressed drapped over her shoulder gracefully, her large chocolate eyes gleaming despite her obvious exhaustion. "You're back… have you seen 'Lani run past here? Apparently he ditched his lessons, and he left these behind." His wife sighed, holding up the boy's clothes and shoes. The man had great fucking timing, if he'd arrived later that evening perhaps, he most likely wouldn't have had to wait to plow into his beloved little wife. But considering they were missing a child, Cross would have to push his desires back into the far… far… far crevices of his mind.

The only thing the pinkette hadn't found were the little boy's underwear, which meant he was running around in them…

To Be Continued…