(A/N: For those of you who have been saying that Emil isn't the type to kill his own unborn child, I need to set the record straight. First off, if you're a 17 year old being told you're a father your initial reaction is going to be "We can't do this". Second Emil wants to keep the child, but at the same time doesn't want to bring it into a world that it can't be cared for in. Third, Marta sort of took advantage of the whole situation with the conception of the child, can you really say that Emil is completely "okay" with that. I hope that clears up things for the most part.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Symphonia © NAMCO


3rd Person pov

Wanting a quiet place to think Emil went out to the Fooji Mountains and just sat on the edge of the highest possible cliff and thought.

"What should I do?" he asked looking at the sky. The words of his friends swirled about his head.

Marta: Whatever you decide I respect your decision

Zelos: Raising a child takes a whole lot of responsibility do you want that on you when you're so young

Genis: Trust me it'd be a lot harder on Raine if you killed it than if you kept it

Regal: I think you two would make excellent parents

Presea: You rushed into this far too quickly

Emil stood up, I want to keep it, but I just don't see how it'll be possible. Emil thought of Lloyd's words

Lloyd: You need a steady supply of food, supplies, and income. Not mention a roof over everyone's heads.

"Having Trouble?" A voice asked Emil in his head.

"Ratatosk?"

"Bingo, Tenebrae told me about the mess you're in."

"You have something to say on the matter."

"Do you want to hear what I have to say, this is your decision."

"I'd like to hear it."

"Look, Marta's head over heels for you right?"

"Right,"

"And you love her right?"

"Right…" Emil's tone suggested that he wasn't sure where this was going.

"Then here's what you do, try and see if you can get everything together that you need to get together, if you can't then you're not ready."

"That sounds like sound advice."

Ratatosk laughed shortly, please with himself, "Well do your best." Okay, so all I have to do is find a place to live, get a job and everything should be okay.

Marta's pov

I was waiting in Luin for Emil to come back. I sat on the bench thinking about the decision I made. Maybe this was a bad idea. I wasn't thinking about Emil might feel about it at all.

"Marta there you are," came an ever familiar voice.

"Oh you're back, did you come to a decision?" I asked standing up

"Yes," Emil nodded, "I've decided that I'm going to try and make this work."

"Emil," I was shocked I thought for sure he'd want to get rid of it.

"If we can both get a job and set up a place to live I think we can make this work." Emil seemed confident in those words.

"Come here you," I said happily drawing him in and hugging him tightly, "Thanks Emil."

3rd Person pov

Emil and Marta worked hard to try and get everything set up in six month's time. They had three objectives: Emil had to get a job, Marta had to get a job, and they had to find someplace to call their own. For now all they could do was mooch off of the Luin Inn since Emil's Aunt and Uncle ran it.

For a first attempt at a job Emil went to go see Regal, again meeting him on a lunch break.

"So Emil what is it I can help you with today?" he asked as they sat down to eat.

"Well Marta and I have decided to keep the child so were taking the next step."

"And that would be?"

"Well according to what Lloyd told us we need a steady supply of food, supplies, income and a roof over our heads. So I wanted to know if the Lezareno company had any job openings I could possibly apply for."

"I see, to be honest there actually is one opening to which I think you'd be qualified for."

"Really, what is it?"

"Well in order to make our company's products Lezareno requires several objects from specific monsters such as Alarune pollen that we use in some of our perfumes. Unfortunately, how should I put this, our expedition staff is inadequate at meeting its quota on several occasions. For someone who makes pacts with monsters Lezareno could use your help in obtaining the supplies it needs. We don't have many members of the company suited for field work so…"

"Does it pay well?" Emil asked taking a sip of water

Regal laughed and smiled putting his hand under his chin, "I don't think even you could complain about a starting salary of 30,000 Gald a week could you?"

"A week?" Emil squeaked loudly

"What too low?" Regal asked not sure what made Emil outburst like that

"No, it's higher than I expected." Emil said still taken aback to how much Regal was offering. "When do I start?"

"Well after I file the proper paperwork to have the current expedition team moved to another position I could have you started by the end of the month."

"Great, thanks Regal." Emil smiled broadly

Regal chuckled kindly, "It's no trouble, anything for a friend in need."


Meanwhile Marta had gone seeking a job in Meltokio. Raine was accompanying her in case Marta felt sick all of a sudden.

"You think it's possible Zelos could help with a recommendation?" Marta asked.

"Possibly, should we go see him?" Raine asked, helping Marta up the stairs to the grounds in front of the castle.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Marta said not too sure she was making a smart decision. Raine knocked on the door and Zelos' butler entered. Raine gave him there names.

"Master Zelos, there's a miss Raine Sage and a Marta Lualdi here to see you."

"Coming!" Zelos' voice could barely be heard upstairs.

"You may come in," the butler gestured the two women inside. Zelos' footsteps were heard running across the upstairs balcony as he leapt onto the stair banister and front flipped off of it landing safely on the couch.

"You sure love dramatic entrances," Marta sighed

"Miss Raine and Lady Marta, to what have you come to see me today for?" Zelos asked.

"Marta and Emil have decided to keep their child, so Marta was wondering if you knew of any jobs that might be open, that you think she could be qualified for, here in Meltokio."

Zelos leaned forward onto the table, putting his elbows on the surface and his chin on the backs of his hands, "Hmm," he pondered, "Well you know the royal medical staff is looking for a nurse, Marta's healing artes might earn her a good position there."

"Can you really get Marta something that high up?"

"You forget the king still owes us for rescuing Princess Hilda two years ago."

"Oh he does, I thought for certain you would've looked for some personal satisfaction in these past two years."

"Ouch that hurts Raine," Zelos whined rubbing the back of his hand against his wrist. Marta laughed, "Anyway like I was saying he still owes me, once he sees what little lady Marta can do she'll be on the staff no problem."

"What's the pay like?" Marta asked.

"I could be off by a bit but I think the starting salary is about 120 biweekly,"

"That low," Gee thanks Zelos, I'm not working in aristocracy for that crappy kind of pay, Marta said to herself.

"Thousand," he added.

"What?" Marta piped up

"120,000 Marta dear," Zelos said sternly.

"One hundred and twenty Th-thousand," Marta's hands were shaking with nervousness, 120,000 every two weeks just to heal sick and injured aristocratic people. "Oh thank you Zelos," Marta leapt across the table, tackling Zelos and rocking the couch off of its front legs a bit.

"When does she start?" Raine asked.

"Well I wouldn't want Marta to start while she's on maternity leave,"

"It doesn't matter with that kind of money I could afford a nanny while I'm at work." Marta smiled completely smitten with the idea.

After thanking Zelos for his help, Marta and Raine headed back to Luin together.

"Thanks for coming with me today Raine," Marta said to the half-elven teacher, "120,000 gald," Marta said drifting off to la la land.


When the two women made it back to Luin they heard that Emil was down by Lake Sinoa. When they found him he seemed to be up to something. He was crouched down low by the lake peering into the water.

"Almost got it," Emil said to himself peering into the water. As a remora swam by Emil shoved his hand into the water, "Got you!" he shouted ripping it out of the lake. "Let's see," he said holding the remora up by the tail with one hand and reading a field guide in the other, "According to this the gland I need is on the Remora's underside. Emil took out a cloth and swabbed the Remora's stomach and then put it back in the water. Then he squeezed the liquid on the cloth into a jar.

"What are you doing Emil?" Marta asked him approaching his location.

"Oh hey Marta, I'm just doing prep work for the job I got,"

"Really what're doing?"

"I have to gather materials from monsters that the Lezareno Company uses to make their products. It pays 30,000 a week. I start next week, but I need to make sure I'm cut out for the job first so I'm doing a field test that Regal set up for me. I'm almost done, I just need a Grizzly's toe nail and I'm all done." Emil seemed to be enjoying his job to be. "How'd your job hunt go?"

"After the baby's born and I'm off maternity leave I can start working at the Meltokio Royal Nurses Burearu it pays 120,000 every two weeks."

"Awww, that's no fair" Emil moaned.

"What?" Marta asked.

"You're making more than me, isn't the father technically supposed to make more."

"Hey," Marta laughed splashing Emil.

Emil laughed, "I'm gonna get you for that." Emil said packing his stuff.

"You'll have to catch me first," Marta laughed running away from him.

Raine looked at the two of them, They'll make wonderful parents, I know they will. She smiled.


After about two weeks of working for Lezareno Emil took the money had and went to see Dirk, Lloyd accompanied him.

"Thanks for the help Lloyd," Emil told his friend, "I don't think Marta and I would've found a place that was for sale cheaper than 40,000."

"Hey it's no trouble at all. Friends help friends right."

"Right,"

"By the way have you guys decided on a name yet?" Lloyd asked.

"Well if it's a boy we're definitely naming it Aster." Emil said with conviction.

"What about a girl?"

"Well we have a few. Marta's partial on Athena, I had Isabella in mind, we also thought we might do the nice thing and name our daughter after Raine's Mom or Presea's sister."

"C-could I throw a name onto that pile of names for a girl?" Lloyd asked a lump forming in his throat.

"Sure,"

"Anna,"

"Why Anna?" Emil asked, tilting his head.

"I…it was my Mom's name, the one who's grave is at my house."

"Dirk's wife?"

"Actually Emil, there's something I need to tell you, I don't know if the others would appreciate me telling you this but…" Lloyd looked around to make sure that no one else was in the general vicinity of the area of the forest they were in.

"What is it?"

"Dirk's not my real dad."

"I kind of already knew that," Emil said with a sweat drop.

"I want…I want to tell you about my father, the kind of person he was. I think it's only fair since I already told you about my Mom."

"Oh sure,"

"My dad, his name was Kratos Aurion he was a member of Cruxis. Like Yuan, who you met at the world tree he helped us a lot on our journey like an man behind enemy lines. He was a great guy." Lloyd's expression changed to depression, "I really wish he had stuck around though. I don't know why he had to go with Derris Kharlan."

"Kratos Aurion," Where have I heard that name before? Emil asked himself.

"Anyway," Lloyd said returning to his cheerful mood, "We should continue our march, you want that house built before your next assignment right?"

"Right," Emil nodded. Kratos Aurion I know I've heard that name before, but when…

Kratos: I am Kratos Aurion I travel with Derris-Kharlan into the depths

Kratos: I hear you and Lloyd are travelling together

Kratos: Please look after Lloyd and all of his friends

So that's when, no I get it, but why wouldn't a father want his son to know where he is that's cruel. Why would Kratos abandon his only son? I know I made a promise, but maybe I should tell him.

Still debating on whether or not to tell Lloyd about Kratos, Emil followed his friend to Dirk's house. Upon paying the dwarf 40,000 Gald Emil, Lloyd and Dirk set off for the plot of land that Emil had hand picked out himself. It was halfway between Meltokio and Altimira, it was on flat ground surrounded by mountains on two sides, a lake to the north and the path that later split to go to either city to the south. Emil, Dirk and Lloyd piled out of the caravan.

"Well let's get it started. If we want to get finished before the end of the day we'll have to get to work with no breaks in between. You boys ready."

"Uh huh," Emil nodded.

"Of course," Lloyd smiled with eagerness and a nod

"Okay then, let's get it going."

While, Lloyd and Emil helped Dirk put the house together, Marta went shopping with Sheena and Raine to get things that would be needed for both the house. They were going to use half the money out of the 20,000 Emil left them for all the supplies they could get so that they had something to live off of until Emil's next pay day.

Both groups toiled day in and out, working hard to make sure everything was ready before Sun down. Marta, Sheena and Raine constantly examined items on Marta's list that she said would be essential for the household and the child as well as getting a few things that Raine or Sheena suggested. Sometimes they would take a breather when Marta would have sudden headaches or such. Being in her second trimester already she was starting to feel the effects. They took a break for lunch to which Marta ate 2 full course meals, much to Raine and Sheena's amazement.

At the same time Emil, Lloyd and Dirk were hard at work with building the house indicated on the blueprints. They managed to get ahead of schedule later in the day so they all sat on a rock eating subway sandwiches. Everyone was enjoying his or her day as it was filled with laughter, adventure and joy. After the shopping was finished Marta, Sheena and Raine rented out a caravan to where Marta said Emil was setting up the house. The girls managed to stay under budget by about 1,000 Gald.

Emil's pov

"Phew," Dirk wiped his brow as he removed his hard hat. I looked at my house admiring the way it looked. It was a small three story stone cottage. The ground floor was a large lobby type area with a patio in the back complete with a Jacuzzi, the kitchen also on the same floor as well as a bathroom. The second floor was Marta's and my bedroom and the baby's as well as two bathrooms and the third floor had a guest bedroom, a study and, of course, a bathroom. Only the bathrooms on the second floors had showers. The laundry room was in the basement and there was even enough room on the ground floor for a fire place. There were windows in all the bedrooms and the door to the house stood so tall that even a monster twice the size of me could fit through it.

"Now that is a house," Lloyd exclaimed admiring the work we put into everything.

"Now all we have to do is wait for the girls to get back and we can start moving everything in," I smiled.

"Hey!" I heard Marta call out as we heard the wheels of a caravan turn.

"You guys built that!" Sheena gaped at the house.

"Pretty impressive huh," Lloyd was really pleased with the work we had put into this.

"It's huge," Sheena squealed.

"Do you men still have enough strength to help move everything inside?" Raine asked.

"I think so," I said, truth was though I was pretty worn out.

"Well we brought help anyway just in case," Marta smiled. I watched as Presea and Colette got out of the caravan "Presea and Colette said they'd help with the moving in, so you guys can take a break."

"I should still help them, they need to know where everything goes right?" I asked.

"Leave that to me," Dirk said, "I still have the blueprints, you spend time with Marta you've done enough for one day Emil."

"Th-thank you sir," I said. Marta and I found a quiet place to sit.


"Hey Emil I was thinking," Marta said as we sat down.

"What about?"

"Well we're bringing a child into this world, but we still need to get married."

"Oh yeah," I said forgetting about that important part.

"Don't worry about it I thought you might've forgotten so while you were out working Raine and I were working on wedding plans."

"You really do think of everything," I said shuffling closer to Marta and putting my arm around her.

"I'm glad you decided to keep the child." Marta said leaning against me.

"Hey we're in this together," I told her.

"Yeah together."

3rd Person pov

The wedding came and went with no problems and getting to and from his job proved to be no problem for Emil especially since Yuan agreed to let him have a Rhieard. Weeks turned to months and soon Marta was in her third trimester. After work Emil rented a caravan and had Marta transferred to a hospital in Altimira and, with Regal's help, set up a small area in the company so that he could stay in Altimira at all times except while working. While they were away Lloyd and Colette promised to look after their house for them every couple of days and Emil would check up on it, if he was nearby while working.

After about a month into Marta's third trimester Emil got a raise, his salary now 50,000 a week. He and Marta really were making good money. Everything was going pretty smoothly. After finishing work for the day Emil went to go see Marta.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he walked into the room.

"Mmm, pretty good, how was work."

"Eh," Emil shrugged, "Pretty much the same."

"You know it's funny, when you first heard the news you were all shaken up, but now look how far along we are. You have a steady job, I have one to look forward too. Lloyd and Colette promised to look after our kid free of charge while we're at work."

"Yeah, everything's working out." Emil smiled brightly. Marta smiled too. Suddenly Marta hunched forward in pain. "Marta, what is it, what's wrong?"

"I think…I think it's time Emil. I think the baby's here."

"What are you serious? It's about a month early isn't it."

"It sure doesn't feel like it." Marta cringed.

"I'll get the nurse." While Marta went into labor, Emil went to alert Regal who then went and used Emil's Rheiard to let everyone else know. Emil paced the floor nervously. Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, relax everything's going to be fine." Lloyd reassured. It was a good half-hour before the nurse poked her head into the waiting room. "Mr. Castagnier you can come in now." Emil went inside to see Marta holding not one, but two kids. Emil fell backwards losing consciousness. Lloyd and Zelos caught him. Sheena smacked him awake. Emil groaned from the pain, but realized this wasn't the time to be unconscious. Marta smiled as Emil sat down next to her.

"What are they?"

"They're both boys." Marta smiled. Emil flinched this was the one scenario to which he was not prepared for. Twin boys, they had only thought of one boy name, Aster and naming the other child Richter just didn't seem right in his mind when said person was still alive in the Ginnungigap.

"So what are you going to name them?" Zelos asked.

"Well we were hoping we didn't have to have two sons," Marta said with a sweat drop.

"Well you do now, so what're going to do?" Genis asked.

"Well we were already planning one Aster," Emil said, "As for the other…" Emil suddenly thought back to his conversation with Lloyd the other day, "I think we'll call him Kratos." No sooner had those words left Emil said that Lloyd was surrounded by Sheena, Raine, Genis, Zelos, Regal and Presea all giving him the evil eye.

"Ummm, I'm going to go now," Lloyd said pointing a thumb over his shoulder as he ran out of the room followed by his friends.

"No one's supposed to know about that!" Emil, Marta and Colette could hear Sheena shouting out in the hall. Emil and Marta giggled happily.

(A/N: Okay, I'm satisfied with this. Unless requested by the fans I don't plan on having Emil and Marta raise their kids, I think they've done enough. Yes I know I didn't have Emil tell Lloyd about Kratos, I think it's best he didn't. We don't need the main hero having an Emo Episode. I hope you guys liked it. Sorry if I was skimpy about the whole wedding scene, but do we really need one? Besides it's after 9:00pm here and I haven't eaten since lunch. Review please).