Hello everyone! ^-^
This is the first fanfiction I'm posting here. I hope you'll like it. =)
Enjoy the first chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia and I don't gain money with this fanfiction.
Chapter 1: Little angels or devils?
Zelos was hurrying through Mizuho to Sheena's house. Without knocking on the door he opened it. "Sheena, you must help me!"
"What is it this time? Do I have to hide you from your groupies again?" Sheena asked disinterested.
Zelos shook his head. "Please, it's really important! I just don't know what to do!"
"Well … Alright. How can I help you?"
Zelos took her hand. "Thanks, Sheena! You don't know how much you're helping me! We have to get to Meltokio!"
"O-Okay …" Sheena murmured and let Zelos drag her on his Rheaird which brought them to the royal city where Zelos was living.
As soon as they entered his villa they heard someone screaming.
"Help! I can't bear it any longer!"
"Sebastian!" Zelos ran upstairs, taking two steps at once. "I've brought Sheena with me! She'll help us!" He opened the door to his room and entered. Sheena followed him curiously.
When she saw in which situation Sebastian was, she lifted slightly irritated an eyebrow. "And you expect ME to help you with this problem?"
Zelos nodded nervously.
"Heh, why me … And how come you have this problem now?" Sheena asked.
:::
Zelos walked through the streets of Meltokio to enjoy the good weather. Many people were outside this day and Zelos saw a little family. The father carried a young boy on his shoulders and was buying ice-cream for him right now while the mother held a little baby in her arms and smiled at them.
Zelos smiled and looked at the little family until they walked away. The former chosen sat on a bench and wondered what it was like to have a family. He never really had one. He had hardly seen his father, his mother had died early and his sister hated him. (At least he believes that.) The only person who really cared for him was his butler, Sebastian. For Zelos, he was more than a servant who could be replaced easily. He was his friend.
Even though friends could become a second family, it just wasn't the same then having someone around with whom one was linked by blood.
At this moment Zelos would have done anything to have a family he could spend his time with and not some groupies who couldn't even say one meaningful sentence. The only reason why he didn't send them away, was probably that he was looking for something that could fill that emptiness inside of him. He didn't knew what it was but now it came to his mind that he was searching for the feeling of security a family delivered.
Now that Zelos knew what he was looking for he wanted to do something to find it. Maybe he could take in his sister Seles but … he doubted that she really would be a family for him. She hated him and she probably would only laugh at him if he told her that he wanted to have a family.
The second option he had was to start a family himself. Everyone presumably would have laughed at him if they were able to read his thoughts. The big heartbreaker Zelos Wilder was thinking to settle down and become a father. Absurd. Most people would have thought that but Zelos no longer wanted to feel that emptiness … And the thought of a small baby hand that clasped his forefinger let his heart grow warm …
But he couldn't start a family on his own. He needed a woman. However, none of his groupies came into consideration for that. He wanted someone with whom he could have an interesting conversation, someone who didn't saw him as the former chosen but as the person he was.
He could only think of one woman with whom he could imagine such a future: Sheena Fujibayashi.
However, like Seles she didn't really cared about him. For years now Zelos had tried to win her heart – not because he wanted to start a family with her right from the beginning but because it drove him mad that there was one woman who didn't give in to his charm – but she was a real challenge. The more Zelos flirted with her the more he drove her away.
Maybe he just needed to show her that he wasn't only the Casanova everyone saw in him but also a responsible and empathetic person.
Zelos sighed. It didn't make sense to think about now anyway. He would see what the future held ready for him.
He walked away to his mansion.
"Sir, you have a visitor," Sebastian announced. "She's in the dining room and waiting for you, milord."
"She? Is it again some constantly giggling groupie who only talks rubbish?" Zelos asked sighing.
"Hey, hey, don't associate me with those overly rouged screaming girls that surround you normally," someone said behind him.
Zelos turned around and flinched. "Sh-Sheila!"
Sheila gave him a slap on the back of his head. "It's been a while, Zelos."
The red-haired man rubbed his head. „But you're still as violent as before …" He received another slap.
"And you still don't know when it is the best moment to hold your tongue," Sheila said grinning.
"What are you doing here?" Zelos asked confused.
Sheila sighed. "I don't really want to do this but … I have a favor to ask of you."
"YOU want ME to help you? When's the world going to perish?" Zelos asked jokingly. This time he received a kick in the stomach.
"Don't pretend that it's totally unthinkable that your cousin asks for your help!" Sheila responded visibly annoyed.
Zelos rubbed his stomach with a pained face. "But it is unusual … What do I have to do?"
Sheila went to the dining room and signified him to follow her. Zelos saw a little boy who couldn't be much older than three or four years and was playing with some building bricks, and a sleeping baby in a buggy.
Zelos looked at Sheila confusedly.
"I have to do a journey because of commercial circumstances and can't take them along. I'm a single mother, my parents died a long time ago, my neighbor is too old, my friends too busy with their one children, the children's home overcrowded and everyone else I asked doesn't have time either, so … it's only you I can ask," Sheila explained.
Zelos looked behind him, then pointed with a finger at himself as he couldn't see anyone else and then asked: "ME?"
Sheila sighed. "Please, I don't have anyone else …"
Zelos looked at her with big eyes. "Impossible! I don't have anything against children but I'm totally inexperienced …"
Sheila put her hand on her forehead. "I never would have thought I actually would sink so deep but … I guess I have no other choice …" She fell on her knees, folded her hands and looked at Zelos with puppy dog eyes. "Please, Zelos, I'm begging you!"
Zelos scratched his head and watched the children for a while. The boy was playing cheerfully with the building bricks and was happy when he managed to build a tower that didn't break down. On the contrary, the baby opened its eyes dozily and looked curiously at the surrounding.
It couldn't be too difficult to watch over the two of them. Besides, he wanted to have children a few minutes ago; now he had the chance to practice it a little bit.
"For how long?" he finally asked.
Sheila blinked. "You mean you'll actually do it?"
Zelos nodded whereupon Sheila happily flung her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, thank you, Zelos, you saved my life! I would be grateful to you if you could watch over them for a week. After that you'll never see me again, promised."
"Okay …" Zelos said. "What are their names?"
"Ashton and Lilly. They're little angels, they won't make you any trouble, you can be sure of that."
The boy named Ashton smiled at Zelos, just like he wanted to support the words his mother had said.
"Okay, it'll be a piece of cake," Zelos stated self-confidently.
"Thank you, Zelos!" Sheila replied relieved and then went to her children. "Ashton, don't make any trouble as long as you're staying with uncle Zelos, understood?"
The boy nodded. "I will, Mommy."
"And look after your little sister." Sheila gave each of her two children a kiss on the forehead and then turned around to Zelos. Her eyes were watery but she seemed determined. "I have to go now, Zelos." Suddenly she was very serious. "Please take good care of them, Zelos … They … are more important than my own life."
Zelos nodded and he and Ashton accompanied her to the door where they stopped and waved at her until she couldn't be seen anymore.
Nodding thoughtfully Zelos said: "Well, kid. What do we want to –" Puzzled he discovered that the boy no longer stood beside him.
A few seconds later he heard something crashing and he instantly ran into the living-room where he could only find a few broken fragments of a very expensive and ancient vase. If Raine had seen this she would've been outraged but he wasn't Raine and the vase never meant anything to him. He just worried about what the boy would do to the rest of his furniture.
The description 'little angel' definitely didn't fit to the boy, he was more of a 'little devil'.
As if the situation couldn't be any worse Lilly now started crying and Zelos had to decide if he tried to soothe her or if he followed the noise the boy was making to prevent him from breaking more objects.
'A piece of cake, huh? What was I thinking when I agreed to watch over this cheeky rascal and his crying sister? I must have been totally nuts!' Zelos thought while he first ran into the dining room and picked Lilly up, only to run upstairs afterwards to search for Ashton.
When he reached his room he had problems recognizing it at first. His clothing lay scattered on the ground, the walls were smeared, different picture frames broken and the presents of his groupies had been thrown into every possible direction. Well, the latter didn't really matter but Zelos couldn't allow for the little rascal to walk all over him.
However, he needed help … He couldn't possibly handle the two children on his own and Sebastian wouldn't be much of a help either. His other servants were on vacation and he didn't want to ruin it for them, so he had to find someone else.
"Sebastian! Could you shortly keep an eye on the children? I'll be back in a minute!" Zelos shouted and after the puzzled butler had come he gave him the crying Lilly, rushed outside the door and left the helpless butler with the two children behind.
:::
"Well … And then I came to you as quick as possible to ask you for help …" Zelos explained.
Sheena watched the little boy who was sitting on Sebastian's back and pulled on his hair, and the baby which was sleeping calmly on Zelos' bed right now.
"Why are you asking me of all people? Why not … Raine? She should be a lot more experienced with children as she raised Genis all on her own," Sheena pointed out.
"Who the hell knows where Raine and Genis are right now! The same goes for Lloyd and Colette and Regal and Presea have enough to do with the rebuilding of Ozette … So, there was just you …"
Sheena folded her arms. "Ah, so I'm not busy or what? I'm merely the chief of Mizuho who doesn't have anything to do besides being bored … Right?"
"No, I'm sure you're busy, too but … Please, Sheena! I need your help!" Zelos begged.
"Why don't you ask one of your groupies?" Sheena asked cold-heartedly.
"They are even much more inexperienced with children than the both of us together! They don't even know how to get children!" Zelos replied.
"You know what, Zelos? Regarding this point I think you're right. However, I still fail to see why I should help you."
"Please, Sheena! I'll do anything you say!" Zelos looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "If you're not doing it for me then at least do it for Sebastian or for the children or for whomever you want to do this!"
Sheena glanced at Zelos, Sebastian, Ashton and Lilly and then sighed. "Very well."
"Thanks, Sheena!" Zelos wanted to hug her but she stopped him from doing so.
"Under one condition! After this week's over you leave me alone and … disappear out of my life."
How will Zelos react? Will he agree to fulfill Sheena's condition?
To be continued ...
Please note that English is not my mother tongue, so probably I made quite a few mistakes while translating. I hope you like the story anyway. I don't know when I will upload the next chapter because it takes quite a while to translate but I will try to update every week. =)
