AN: As promised -- the final chapter. I truly hope you all enjoyed the story. I believe Vorenus deserves a little goodness in his life.

Thoughts/reviews are greatly appreciated.

Later, Octavian and his men suddenly showed up again to find Cleopatra gasping for breath as the poison took over her body. As the queen stood up to Octavian, Aurelia asked Pullo if he could get her and the children away, back to Rome. He assured her he would speak to Octavian about it.

While standing in Octavian's tent, Pullo offered, "I could look for him."
Octavian considered this, "Why don't you do that?"

Pullo saluted Octavian and made to leave before remembering his promise to watch over Aurelia.

"An idea, sir."
Octavian looked up, "Yes?"
"I'll still look for Vorenus, of course, but he might be more willing to return if he had reason to, like if he knew his family were safe."
"His children? They're in Rome, they're already safe I'd presume."
Pullo nodded, "His other family. He has a new wife and children he took with him to Egypt. They were in the palace. She's looking for safe passage back to Rome."
Octavian considered this too and nodded, "Fetch them here, they can sail with me, then go find Vorenus and the boy."

With another salute, Pullo was gone to do his duties.

Aurelia entered the tavern once more and found it to look almost the same. Vorena the Younger, though, seemed to be in charge completely but recognized her instantly when she came down the stairs.

She curtsied to her step-mother who offered her a smile and introduced the two new additions to the family. Gaius still had a good idea of the place and showed his brother and sister about.

A month later, as the city readied for Octavian's triumph, the entire Voren family squished around a table but were startled by the sight of Pullo and Caesarion, who introduced himself as Aeneas. Aurelia warned her own children with a look not to contradict the young prince but turned again to Pullo, desperate for news of her husband.

He was outside, in the cart… wounded, dying. Aurelia let out a wail at the mention of it. She and her children rushed up the stairs as Vorenus' older children, their aunt, and Mascius lagged behind.

He was brought inside as Aurelia and Lyde tried to make him comfortable. Aurelia refused to let go of his hand as Gaius, Lucia, and Titus watched on, all in varying states of grief. When he awoke, he asked after his other children, wishing them too to be there. It was his final wish, but they were stubborn as Niobe had been.

At the sound of Vorena the Elder's voice, Pullo and Aurelia pulled back to allow her access to her father. Soon, the other two followed her example and Vorenus had what he had always wanted. His family beside him.

Titus Pullo returned the tavern with Caesarion and the reward for the boy's alleged death. He put it down before his old – now recovering – friend, Lucius Vorenus.

"What's this?" Lucius looked up, eyebrow raised.
Pullo grinned, "I figured it's yours… you did die for it."
"You earned it, not me."
"Ah, but now that you're dead, you've no source of money. I'll keep the money the boy's mother sent to take care of him. You take this and buy a farm or something, live your life. Enjoy your years with your wife and children, especially young Titus, I've got a soft spot for that one."
Aurelia set a refreshed drink before her husband, "Is it possibly because he's your namesake?"
"Well, got to look out for him, no? If he's going to be anything like me, that is."

Both young Titus' parents laughed at this. There youngest son was turning out to be rather reckless, even at four. Gaius had the same manner of his father – reserved and responsible – he truly was a young Lucius Vorenus. Lucia, on the other hand, was quiet and shy; ironically like neither her parents but they still found much joy in her.

Aurelia always found humor in Vorenus' two sets of children. The children of Nione all resembled her with dark hair, skin, and eyes, despite their light father. While Aurelia's children matched her light hair and eyes, even their skin, which had tanned under the Egyptian sun, was paler than their older siblings'. But they were all Voren children – headstrong and unforgiving.

But his older children had grown up and begun their own lives, but his younger children still needed to be raised. Vorenus was getting too old to continue the life he had had previously led, or at least rather tired of hearing his wife's protests to it.

So Lucius Vorenus decided to take Pullo up on his offer and took the money offered to him and bought a farm just north of Rome. There were even better ones farther north but he refused to abandon his children and no one denied him that right. Aurelia would never want the Vorenas and Lucius to feel as if she was stealing their father from them.

The small farm was bought and the family of five moved in with visits from the children, Pullo, and Caesarion. Their life progressed slowly and simply but after soldiering in Julius Caesar's army, running the Aventine collegium, and fighting against Octavian in Antony's army in Gaul and then Egypt, Vorenus deserved nothing more than to enjoy a life of pastoral simplicity and leisure.