5 years later...

JUNE
0628 hours, November 15th
Lake sector, Los Angeles, ca
65* F

It's early morning, I'm still half asleep when I hear some body stirring on the monitor in our room. Subtle noises here and there mixed with a bit of laughter, sounds I wish to hear for the rest of my life. Day gets up as he usually does, and walks out of the room, a few minutes later he returns holding our son bringing him to bed with us. Metias is a little over 2 1/2 now, with his fathers features, he looks a lot more like Day than he does me. Bright blue eyes, just like the ocean, pale skin, soft pink lips. The only thing my son got from me looks wise is my hair, dark brown locks, straight and shiny. It was Day who wanted to name him Metias, I suggested John, after the brother he lost, the brother who sacrificed himself so we could escape Batalla hall so many years ago. He suggested That had it not been for my brother Metias, we never would have met in the first place, so we compromised and the name Metias Jonathan Wing was born.

5 years ago, on my 27th birthday, when Day came back into my life, everything just seemed to fall into place. He asked me out on an official date the very next day and the rest I guess as they say is history. We dated for 6 months before he moved in with me, a year later I found out I was pregnant. Such a strange and wonderful thing this life is.
The night I told Day I was pregnant we both wept together filled with some mixture of shock, fear and an overwhelming sense of joy. After everything we had endured, the good and the bad, we had finally found ourselves in a better place, within the world, and with each other. He has since regained mostly all of his memories, a few are still left a little hazy but the most important ones are all there.

We were married 3 months later in a very small and simple ceremony. The only guests there were Tess, Pascao, Lucy, and Eden. Lucy moved in with us after Metias was born, to help out around the house, she is sweet and very maternal, but she's getting older and her health isn't so great. she is family now, so she's here as long as she wants to be. When I found out I was pregnant I tried rather unsuccessfully to quit my job as the lead commanding officer of all squadrons in LA, Anden talked me into taking an extended leave of absence, for as long as I need. I think some where deep inside Anden is hoping I'll change my mind, that I'll want to still be a part of this government world and the rebuilding of society eventually. I'll admit it's tempting at times, after all I was groomed for it, but the simple truth of the matter is I just don't really want it anymore.

From the moment my son was born, and even farther back than that, the moment Day came back into my life, something inside me changed. I don't want to be the prodigy any more, I just want to be June Wing, wife and mother. I know it sounds so simple, but these moments with my family mean more to me than any of that ever did. I never knew the sweetness that life could be when you have a family. my parents were taken from me too soon. But my son has single-handedly fixed that hole inside of both of us. Laying here with him in my arms and Day absent-mindedly playing with a lock of my hair, I know that this is what love is. They are my life.
"You sure about today?" He asks me
"Yes" I say staring into his eyes. Even after all this time it's so easy for me to lose myself in his beautiful blue eyes.
Today I am officially resigning from my position as lead commander, Anden doesn't know yet, I'm meeting with him this afternoon to finally tell him. I'm not doing it for Day, he honestly was surprised when I told him. The truth of the matter is I can't bare to think of someone else being the one to wake my baby up in the morning, and putting him to sleep at night, that job belongs to me.
Day leans over our son and lightly kisses me on the lips, but there is slow building fire there.
"I love you". He whispers
I smile, "I love you too"

...

Batalla Hall
1630hours
Electors offices
72* F

I'm waiting inside of Anden's office, his secretary let me in, he's running a few minutes late. After all these years I still get a little nervous around him. We dated for a few years, but I broke it off when I realized that though I would always care for him I could never love him the way he wanted me too. I could never love him the way I loved Day, and he knew it.
The door opens "Hello Mrs. Wing, so nice to see you again" Anden's always so formal with me, but even I catch the slight discomfort in his words when he mentions my married name.
"Elector" I smile and quickly bow.
"So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He briefly looks at me with that same soft gaze and for a moment I catch him glance at my lips, he quickly recovers. After all this time he still has a weakness for me, and I know it, I suddenly feel guilty.
"Elector, may I address you informally?" I ask
This surprises him, but he obliges, "yes of course June"
I take a deep breath to steady myself and begin
"Anden. First off I want to thank you for being so gracious, not many employers would have let me take such a long leave of absence. I know you understand how important it's been for me to be with my son." I swallow. He nods for me to continue.
"With that being said, I've come here today with a heavy heart to officially resign my post as the lead commander. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you in any way, but I have to do what's right for me. In my heart I know this is what's right."

Anden takes a deep breath, he is silent for a long moment, then he speaks
" I must say I was hoping after all this time you might have changed your mind. To lose such an important member of our guard is never easy." I feel my stomach clench tighter. Is the guilt as visible on my face? I swallow hard as he continues
"Even though I'm greatly saddened, I understand... June.." He hesitates, deciding what to say
"June, you've always done things your own way. It's what I loved most about you. I wouldn't expect this to be any different. I just wish somehow we both could win..." He sighs, "Day is very lucky.." Suddenly I feel as though we're not talking about my resignation anymore, I blush.
I'm quiet for a long time.
"Anden.. I wish you could understand, I will miss it. But the truth is I love being the one who wakes up with Metias every morning and being the one who sings him to sleep at night. It's so much of what I missed with my own parents, i never knew that kind of love existed in life before" He nods as I continue
"I hope... I wish for you that same happiness. I hope some day you find that person who makes it all worth it, who feels like home. If anyone deserves it, you do. It just wasn't me." I choke out the last words he stares at me not uttering a word.
" I am sorry... And I will miss our talks. please don't be a stranger. I wish you all the best. And I still think you're the best elector we've ever had." He smiles, seemingly recovered from my words
"Thank you June" he says.
" well I guess it's settled. I'll have the paperwork sent over to your house immediately"
"Thank you" I whisper. We both stand and I give him my hand, but he pulls me into a casual hug. I smile, I will miss him in a strange way, but it's good to know we can still be friends.
"See you around" I choke out.
"See you around.." He smiles back.
And just like that I'm out the door, through the lobby then out to the cool breeze of Batalla at sunset. I take a deep steady breath, it's done, I tell myself. And the biggest smile creeps across my face. I think about Day and Metias waiting at home for me, I sigh again,completely content.
I'm going home.

DAY

For 10 years I lived in the midst of a fog, memories lost to me due to complications of the surgery on my brain. For the most part many of those years were spent in happiness living with Eden in Antarctica. I had a pretty good job with the intelligence agency and I even dated a few girls, here and there, nothing really serious. I could never quit escape the feeling that I was missing something, someone important.
The day I ran into June again all of those puzzle pieces that had plagued me for so long finally seemed to fall into place. She was the one I was missing and I didn't even know it, my heart had always belonged to her. I started to regain a lot of those missing memories the more time we spent together, even some of the bad ones. It was hard to remember the deaths of my mother and brother, even harder to remember this was how June and I first met. But that scar had already been healed long before I came back to LA, and with June by my side I somehow knew we could get through it. After all we had found each other again after 10 years, we could get through anything.
I told her I loved her again a month after I first saw her on the streets heading towards Tess's, 5 months after that I moved in with her. I took a job with the intelligence agency in Batalla, with all my experience in the IA Antarctica, they were pretty persistent till I finally gave in and accepted.
The night June told me she was pregnant was the third best night of my life, the second was the night my son was born, but the first was the night I married her under the stars in lake. We met on the streets of lake, I thought it only fitting our lives should forever be joined there. In one of the old airship warehouses. Just us, Tess, Pascao, Eden and Lucy. Tess was the one who handled everything and decorated it beautifully, but the only thing I really saw that night was June. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I'd seen her dressed up and fancy many times, but all those times paled in comparison to this; she wore a fitted black dress, long and elegant, with a single red rose pinned into her hair. She also wore the ruby necklace I'd given her years ago, fitting. I will forever remember that day.

As I head out of the IA building in Batalla, I'm met with the coolness of the afternoon, it's going to be sunset soon. June should be on her way home soon I think, With a big smile. I'm not going to lie and say that some part of me isn't glad she's quitting her job today to stay home with our son. Although I was surprised when she told me, I always thought June would end up getting back into the princeps elect or some other political job, but she said she found something better. Metias is growing up so fast, every bit as stubborn as his mother, but just as lovely. Lucy stays with him whenever June has to run out for awhile, while I'm at work. It's strange how this life is, I spent so many of my early years in war and chaos, barely surviving on the streets, now I find myself a father and a husband, completely happy with the simple pleasure of coming home to my family. I never thought I'd last long in this world, definitely never thought I'd make it past my twenties. But June and Metias have given me something to live for, a purpose.

Eden started dating a scientist that works in the labs, her name is Isabel, they've been together for almost a year now. I think she's good for my brother, weirdly she reminds me a lot of our mother, sweet and innocent, and you can tell that she really loves and cares for him. This makes me happy, if anyone deserves a happy ending, it's Eden. Tess married Pascao 2 years ago, she gave birth to their first child 6 months ago, a daughter she named Frankie. I'm really happy that she finally got the family she longed for, the family she deserves.

By the time I get home Lucy has already given Metias a bath and put him in his pjs, I'm greeted by his smiling face running over to me as I open the door. I scoop him up in my arms and laugh a little at his enthusiasm. The first word my son ever spoke was "Day", it took June a few days to get over that one, but he quickly followed up with "mommy". He constantly surprises me, he is so smart just like his mother. Moments like this I catch myself thinking of my own parents, how much they sacrificed and suffered. How they managed to raise three wild and precocious boys with little more than the shirts off their back. How my father spent so many weeks away at the war front, I wonder idly how he did it? I don't think I could bare to be away from June and Metias for long periods of time like that, it would break me. I'm thankful our world isn't as chaotic as it once was, it's not perfect, but it's a small step in a better direction.
Lucy has started to make dinner by the time I hear June opening the front door. I'm sitting on the couch with Metias, reading him a book. The second he sees her he squirms away from me and runs to her, she picks him up and kisses his cheek.
"Hi" she laughs as she nuzzles his face a little "I missed you too". Metias just laughs, I get up and walk over to them and sit at the kitchen counter. June leans over and kisses me lightly on the lips.
"So how'd it go?" I ask her curiously.
"Good" she says while beaming up at me.
"Yeah?" I continue. Why is she being so vague.
Metias reaches for me and June obligingly hands our son back, she leans over the counter to stare me straight In the eyes, smiling.
"Yup, your wife is officially unemployed now."
"You okay?"
"Mmhmm... Better than ok" she leans in to kiss me, I'm surprised at the intensity of this kiss, she doesn't usually get so affectionate when Lucy is around. I pull slowly away and she starts to blush a little, while looking down. I don't know why but I feel like there's something she's not telling me, something important. Lucy walks into the other room to start setting the table, or maybe to give us some privacy. Metias squirms to get down so I lightly place him on the floor and he starts to walk over towards all his toys in the middle of the living room. It's just me and June now. I suddenly feel nervous.
"What's going on?" I ask impatiently
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you.. Your being different"
She sighs, "I don't know, I guess I'm just happy" she smiles mischievously.
"Oh. Okay" I say, though I'm still not totally convinced.
She lifts her gaze to meet mine and there's that same intensity building there. A longing.
" I do have something else to tell you" she lightly whispers, "it's sort of a surprise.."
My heart skips for a second and my breathing stalls. Anxious.
"Oh?" I respond. " what is it?"
She leans closer and whispers into my ear, two of the most beautiful words you could ever hear, and I've heard them before...
"I'm pregnant"
"Seriously?"
She nods while smiling.
I lean in and crush her in a kiss, a fire consuming me, running my hands through her hair and down her back, I'm content to stay here as long as she wants too. I don't care that Lucy is here or that our son is playing only a few feet from where we stand. I love her with every part of me. I love her till my last breath and even after. I love her infinitely. This is the reason I'm here and they are the only thing that means anything. All of them.
They are the reason I walk in the light.