Fourteen heads shot up to look at the two of them who was at the entrance of the house, if you included the squirrel sitting on top of the shoulder of the girl named Ema. Ayako tensed up when she looked at all the people who were gathered in the living room. Their stares seemed to burn her skin.

"Let's leave your things here for the time being and fix that later, okay?" Ayako nodded her head slowly and she reluctantly set aside her belongings at the corner. Then, Masaomi and Ayako descended down the stairs.

The two stood in front of the others who were still sitting, practically frozen in their seats. They were too stunned to be able to move. All the males in the household, except for Masaomi, were having the same thoughts; thinking that what – or rather, who they are seeing right now was a dream.

Ukyo, the second eldest, was the first one to snap out of his daze. He couldn't believe who he was seeing in front of them. Their beloved little sister, Ayako, had just gotten back to them, safe and all grown up.

"A-Ayako..." The others were all tongue-tied at the name that Kaname, the third eldest among them, had uttered.

They didn't want to believe it, but Masaomi was looking at them with assurance – that it is, indeed, Ayako; their long-lost sister whom they loved and cared for so much.

Hikaru, the usual level-headed and calm individual in the household, couldn't keep his usual front anymore as he fought with the tears that started to well up in his eyes. He covered his mouth with his one of his hands to stop himself from crying.

The fourth oldest just can't afford to break down in front of the younger ones who were all trying to do the same; trying to keep all of their emotions in check. Of course, with the exemption of Wataru who was the youngest amongst them. He recognized Ayako, however, he did not have enough memories with her to remember everything about her.

"Aya-chan..." The said girl stood frozen in her spot when she heard one of her nicknames being called with the same affection and fondness like in the past. She looked up from the wooden floor of the house. She had not realized she was avoiding their intense gazes which were fixated on her.

Her eyes stared into a pair of mauve-colored ones. He was one of the closest to her and she can't believe it too, that she was seeing him – all of them – in the flesh. Louis, the eighth brother, stepped forward and Ayako realized just how much she had missed all of them ever since their separation.

'But miracles do really happen...' Ayako thought to herself as she smiled a little at them. The said action seemed to make all of them come back to reality. Still, they were hesitant to confirm whether what was currently inside the mansion was real or not. They were afraid that Ayako would disappear before them again.

"I-I can't believe this... I-Is it really you, Ayako?" A guy with orange hair whom she did not recognize, spoke up. However, his violet eyes and familiar beauty mark below his lip was enough of a hint for her to know who it actually was.

'Natsu-nii had always had black hair... Did he dye it?' were her thoughts about the male.

He raised his arm up but put it down immediately; afraid that she would vanish if he even tried to touch her. Natsume couldn't help but to stare at her some more, noticing how much she had changed for the last seven years they had not seen her.

"It's me, Natsu-nii." She answered in a soft tone. Oh, how the seventh oldest brother missed the way she called him sweetly with her angelic voice.

Natsume really can't believe it and he was sure that his siblings were also feeling the same. They were having a hard time speaking up. It was as if their throats were being squeezed tight, stopping their voices from flowing past their lips.

"I'm back for good..." She added but trailed off when she heard someone sniffing and hiccuping. She turned her head slightly and spotted the culprit who was crying like a child.

He had messy white hair and a part of the right side of his face was covered with it. Still, the same violet eyes stared right back at her, filled with tears. The beauty mark under his left eye gave it all away though. A chuckle couldn't help but escape her lips, realizing that it was Tsubaki. However, it eventually died down when he approached her with open arms.

"...Welcome home, Aya." Tsubaki nodded his head at her, assuring the girl that it was all going to be okay. Ayako immediately hugged him and buried her face into his chest, ruining the white shirt underneath his gray and pink, diamond-patterned cardigan.

The others weren't also able to stop their tears from flowing anymore. Even Ema, the new addition to their family, was now crying due to the happy reunion and seeing her new siblings with relieved and joyous expressions on their faces just by seeing Ayako.

"Tsk," Someone clucked his tongue from behind Tsubaki and Ayako wasn't able to see who it was due to the height difference.

"If you're coming home, make sure you contact us and not surprise us like this... Aya-nee." Ayako heard a snarky voice speaking from beside her. The blue-haired teen peeked a bit from Tsubaki's chest and saw the second youngest among her siblings all grown up before her.

He was smirking at her, but his eyes held fondness within them. It was her first time seeing that sort of expression on him. Fuuto had always been a gentle child when he was younger. However, many years had passed and she wasn't surprised that his personality had somewhat changed.

Back when they were still kids, Fuuto would always widely smile at her as if he had won the lottery. He was cheerful, kind and caring – the complete opposite of the person standing in front of her. Despite all that, she knew that his core personalities are still retained. For her, Fuuto's smile was one of the most beautiful and rarest things she had ever seen in her life. She would definitely treasure it deeply.

Tsubaki had let go of her now and Fuuto wrapped his arms around Ayako gently. The two of them hugged for about a minute or so until someone called her from behind. The younger boy hesitantly pulled away from her.

"A-chan," the familiar nickname that one of her closest brothers used to call her when they were still kids, made her perk up instantly. She faced the black haired guy who was wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, with violet eyes like his twins: Tsubaki and Natsume. She would never, ever be able to forget his caring and considerate attitude towards her ever since who-knows-when. Also, among the triplets, he was the only one who hadn't change much, so she immediately recognized him.

"Azu-nii, I missed you!" Her tears flowed down her cheeks while looking up at the older guy whom she also missed so much. Azusa smiled at her kindly behind his clear eyeglasses. He had missed looking at her clear, dark blue orbs. Cupping her face with both hands, he shushed her and nuzzled her nose with his own, like what he used to do when she was still young.

Azusa, then, pulled her into an embrace and stroked her head gently while the others looked at the both of them fondly. They were still feeling overwhelmed although they did not care because they were just too happy that their precious, precious Ayako was back in their arms.

"We missed you so much, A-chan. W-We thought you'll never come back to us." The dark-haired male stuttered, his voice cracking in the midst of speaking. He tried his best to choke back the tears that were threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes.

Ayako clung to his black blazer that was slightly similar to Tsubaki's but with different colors and design. She took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of fresh laundry mixed with masculine cologne. His scent made her calm down a bit.

"B-But I'm here now, Azu-nii. I don't plan to leave all of you behind... again." The younger girl whispered the last word, as if fearing that she would be taken away from her family once more. She chuckled softly, trying to lighten up the somber mood.

By now, everyone seemed like they were able to compose themselves and have gathered their thoughts. And hearing her laughter made them feel like they're finally half-freed from the past that was shackling them. They were reassured that she was not going anywhere anymore – at least, not for the time being or not with one of them accompanying her.

Author's Note:

Hey guys. TheWhimsicalNoirette is here! :)

If some are confused by the flow of the story or about something in the story, don't be shy to send me a message, kay?

Anyway, I hope everyone liked it.

Thank you very much!

Don't forget to drop a review along the way!