Hours had passed and Esdeath showed no signs of awakening. The wounds that had begun to fester into scars on her soft skin had been covered in an aloe paste. With the little bit of clothing on her bloodied and torn, Tatsumi might have thought that she was dead, were it not for her gentle breathing. He sat at the edge of the bed, consumed by his own thoughts, but fully aware that his presence had a calming effect on her. Her fingers had been interlaced with his ever since he arrived, though she never regained her consciousness. He was glad someone was calm, because he was on edge as Suzuka lurked around the corner ever so often.

The possibility that she'd been living here for three years surprised him, though not as much as the knowledge that this was a safehouse for Esdeath as she traversed one battlefield after another.

The most uncomforting fact had been that his daughter was surely worried about him. Sayo couldn't have known that he was long gone – the Empire would've branded him a traitor, and Akame would have to deal with the consequences in his stead.

"Well…good to see you didn't lose the look of confusion," Suzuka grinned, slithering into the room. Her garbs were no longer those of a shrine maiden, but of a practical outfit that seemed to allow her to blend into obscurity in public. Truth was that the snowy land that he'd found himself in was a small village.

He didn't dare to venture outside of the hut.

Part of it was because he had the feeling that Esdeath would waken immediately and try to chase after him in her weakened state.

Another part worried that the people were actually slaves of Esdeath.

The thought disturbed him.

"I wish that Esdeath brought me along. I hear that most of your people survived."

Unable to ignore her any longer, Tatsumi looked up. He wouldn't give her the dignity of relief as he looked at her. Every moment, he was ready for her to either attack him or jump on his lap – he remembered how she tried to kiss him in the past, of how she tried to force herself onto him. "I don't trust you," he simply said, and then looked back to the mother of his child.

"You'd be a good guy not to," she said, chuckling as she pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "It's been so long, and you don't even say anything to me. I'd have thought that you would at least hit me. You did almost kill me once. Of course, if I did this…"

Tatsumi tensed as she pulled a glove off one hand, tossing the black garment to the side to reveal painted fingernails.

"Blending in is easy. Nobody here is worth my attention. I can't even get the motivation to try to dominate this little place," she reached out, placing a hand on his knee. "But you – you dropped a boulder on my head. I doubt even Esdeath would survive something like that. We never did finish what we started, did we?"

This was surely a ploy.

He could've donned his armor and finished her here – put an end to the fight that he thought he had ended three years ago. It was something he'd been doing for Najenda and the Emperor, killing those who would destabilize a growing Empire and send everything back into chaos. But here, he was hesitant – she did help Esdeath, though a part of him wondered why. The last time he saw these two near each other, the woman feared as the strongest planted Suzuka's face into a wall with such force that she should have died from the impact.

The further up her hand crawled, the more Tatsumi was fighting against his honed impulse to kill.

Suzuka must've sensed it, for her grin grew wider and her eyes narrowed even more.

"Ta-su-mi," she sang, leaning in.

"You will die," came the muted voice of Esdeath.

It wasn't too hard to explain the feel of the air around him – it was as if a cold chill had suddenly settled upon the room. There was a prickling at the back of his neck. It was like he could sense the literal personification of Death creeping behind him, and he was afraid to turn and look. Suzuka's grin faded and she leaned back into her seat, glancing at Esdeath before showing off a toothy grin. Tatsumi dared to take his eyes off the Demon to look at Esdeath. She hadn't moved and her eyes were still closed shut.

"My, my, I always knew she was madly in love with you. Such a shame – I was hoping the old Esdeath would come back."

"Old…Esdeath?" Tatsumi wondered aloud as the blue-haired general finally moved, turning her body towards him. Her knees gently brushed against the small of his back and she began to curl up near him.

She stayed unconscious the entire time.

Suzuka frowed the display. "Oh, she still tortures people from time to time. But she hasn't done anything to the people of the village here. I guess because this used to be her home and all. But it's weird. I don't like your influence on her."

"I don't like your being-alive."

He meant it as a threat, but it felt empty coming out of his lips. Suzuka was a masochist – he remembered hearing the stories from Makoto of how she practically begged torturers to hurt her. She got off on the stuff – in another time, she would probably be the best choice for Esdeath's heart. In the past, she admitted that her interest in him was largely due to Esdeath's love for him.

Suzuka chuckled, as if he told a joke. "It's not that bad, being away from violence. I'm not happy with it, but it's not a bad life. Seems like I should've stayed with the Empire, though – they could do so many things to me."

Tatsumi was afraid to ask, but he did anyways, "Like what?"

Her lips spread into a wide grin. "Good things."

The thoughts that went into his mind horrified him. He tried to think of different things – anything to stop thinking about what had been swarming through his mind. But it wasn't working, and suddenly he felt a need to run to the bathroom.

"What did you do to her?" Suzuka said suddenly, her smile fading away completely. That drew his full attention to her. "I'm serious. Don't give me that silent treatment, because the boy I knew was a loudmouth who was defiant to the end."

"I honestly don't know what you mean. I haven't seen her in three years."

And yet, within days of seeing her, she spilled so much blood.

"Hm," Suzuka said, rising. "She's been spending more time here than out looking for battles. All she keeps talking about is seeing you again."

"She's been fighting for three years, huh?"

"You could say that. Esdeath was fighting, yes, but I think she was lost."

Confusion fell over Tatsumi's face.

"Lost?"

Suzuka nodded. "She doesn't know if she wants to be a warrior living on the battlefield, or a woman who can capture your heart. The fact that you never bent to her will when she's used to always making people do exactly what she wants them to do is hard on her. Tatsumi…she's been fighting a battle against her nature. Her Teigu is spiraling out of control and trying to force her to go back to the slaughter."

"Hush, little lady, don't say a word.

Papa's coming home, so don't feel so stirred.

Don't you worry, he's coming home.

Papa loves you, dry your tears."

Sayo was sound asleep in Leone's arms as she rocked back and forth in the chair, careful not to move too fast to wake the young girl. Her eyes were puffy from crying after learning that her father was not here. The girl often cried like this when Tatsumi had to leave to go on a mission – but it was worse this time because she was used to him telling her himself. She was used to him giving her a kiss on the forehead, giving her a hug, and telling her that he'd be back soon. This was so much worse because she was amazingly perceptive for a child – she knew that Leone was lying when she said that her father was okay.

Leone tried not to let her temper flare, for Sayo was able to sense that, even in her sleep.

It probably helped that Lubbock was sitting on the couch, staring at her with a face of utter disgust.

He didn't have to say anything for her to know what he was saying.

Her rhyming was absolutely terrible. She flipped him off for it.

Lubbock tried to stifle a grin, one that Leone was jealous of him for. It was approaching midnight and she still could not shake the meeting from the castle from her mind. How Lubbock could be smiling after everything that happened was beyond her.

Najenda sat quietly as the Emperor stared at the map spread across the war table. Akame pointed out the direction that Esdeath's ice saucer flew in, which had led to all kinds of questions – there was no telling where she had abducted Tatsumi. Leone was happy that her former comrade was back, but she was pissed at the circumstances. The girl – no, woman – didn't look like she aged a day, save for the new tattoos across parts of her body. Those were likely a consequence of wielding a sword as dangerous as the one she utilized.

Akame stood perfectly still. Chain cuffs were clasped around her wrists and ankles, but she made no move to try to escape. Instead, she offered to freely help.

No one had dared to ask the biggest question, not even Mein, who had given Akame an earful once she was close.

The Emperor sighed. "Why do I feel like this was Esdeath's goal the entire time?"

"Because she's psychotic," Mein said with an angry huff. "But Tatsumi wouldn't betray all of us for her. We should just take her out."

"But we can't deny the fact that Tatsumi wielded Incursio against Leone. At that moment, he was protecting someone who had killed a lot of innocent guards."

"Y-yes, but…but…" Mein grew silent.

Leone frowned. "Tatsumi was willing to kill her in a trial by combat. But he did spend some time in the dungeon alone with her. I hate to say it, but it was a bad idea to send him after her. He…still loves her."

"No, he does not. Maybe he wanted to convince her to stop being a psycho, but he doesn't love her! That's not possible!"

Leone realized that the on-again off-again relationship of Tatsumi and Mein was making this confusing for the ambassador. She couldn't find the words to say anything to her or the Emperor, but she did look to Akame. "Why did you stop Mein from shooting Esdeath? I don't understand, Akame."

Akame nodded her head. "I don't agree with Tatsumi. And I realize that I probably should have killed her when I had the chances to do so. But Tatsumi is still our comrade…our friend. I wanted to trust him to convince Esdeath to stop killing. It was…a bad decision."

"Perhaps," Najenda said. "Unless we can figure out where Esdeath has gone, we can't afford to send a search party. There's too many lands out there, but we have some unrest going on. Akame, I'm sorry, but you did interfere with an operation to eliminate one of the Empire's enemies. I…I trust you understand what this means."

Again, Akame nodded. There was no emotion. "It was a bad decision, but I accept whatever consequence you deem necessary."

The Emperor folded the map, turning away and walking towards the throne. "Honestly, if we punish you now, one way or another, the people are going to find out. And there will be those instigators out there who claim that we are following in the ideals of the old Empire. So I will entrust you with one mission – until it is completed, I will have to treat you as an enemy. I will grant you one week to finish it. After that….," the Emperor sighed as he sat down. "God forgive me for this, but you were exiled and named as an enemy of the Empire because we cannot openly have Night Raid anymore. You must leave by tomorrow and accomplish the mission that I have to give you."

Akame nodded her head for a third time. "What is your mission?"

"Locate both Tatsumi and Esdeath. Kill Esdeath. And bring her body back so that we may convince the people that the person who killed all those men was brought to justice."

"Mission accepted."

Footsteps at the living room entrance convinced Leone to drift away from her thoughts. Standing there was Akame and Mein, both dressed in their traditional battle garbs from the old days. It was a familiar sight, except for the young man standing next to them. She hadn't seen him in a while, but Makoto was always a pleasant face – a reminder that not everything from the old Empire was bad.

"So, the Emperor finally took you off house arrest, huh?"

Makoto grinned. "More like Lady Najenda told me to watch over Sayo."

"Dunno what you're talking about, kid."

"I'm sure," Makoto said as he approached. Carefully, he took Sayo from Leone's arms and cradled her against his chest. "She says to be careful and to make sure you come back within the week. Any longer and she might come after you herself."

"Yeah, well, Najenda has nothing to worry about," Mein said, her expression serious. "I'm getting my boyfriend back."

"Ex," Leone joked softly.

"Oh, I forgot," Makoto said, "I gave Akame a hint of where Esdeath might've gone. It's not a good lead, but apparently, there has been trade from up north."

"I don't understand what this has to do with her."

"I'm pretty good with making backdoor negotiations with outer settlements that aren't aligned with the Empire. It's good business to have a great relationship, even if those people don't want to join us. But the place up north…they've slowly started to enter a trade agreement with the Empire. Goods and material for long winters in exchange for some of the best delicacies because of the rare Danger Beasts up there."

Mein snorted. "Makoto, you're doing it again – talking about business. Just tell us what you told Akame, since she's obviously not pitching in."

"The village is where Esdeath was born. And the map shows that she was flying in that direction. It's a long shot, but it's better than nothing."

Leone slammed her fists together. "Convenient. But you know, I don't mind having a lucky coincidence."

The small wood hut was quiet, save for the cold wind blistering outside. Suzuka was long gone, but Tatsumi had made sure to lock every door and window just in case she somehow found her way here again. But now he almost wished for her presence. His thoughts kept drifting over to the daughter he was forced to leave behind and to the comrades who surely were baffled by his being missing.

He could've left an hour ago, when Suzuka was away.

Esdeath still hadn't regained her consciousness and he was sure that he could figure a way back to the Empire with Incursio's enhanced abilities. But then what? Esdeath would come back, and she would kill more people just to get to him. That kind of dedication scared him.

But in a way, he liked it.

No, he loved it.

Just a day ago, he was committed to slaying her in a trial, and now he was starting to admire just how far she was willing to do.

Laying next to her, Tatsumi had been running so many scenarios through his mind, trying to figure out how to make this right. Even now, he still had no answers – his daughter was waiting for him, and that should have taken precedence over everything. But he wanted to somehow reform Esdeath, a task that he thought was impossible.

Until now.

Could Esdeath be changed?

All the deaths in the Empire said otherwise, but Suzuka's words haunted him. She was fighting against her nature.

The woman who lived for death and battle…she was changing?

Was it possible?

"Would you change…for me and Sayo…" he whispered quietly.

"Yes…" was the answer he received from the unconscious Esdeath.

Taken aback, Tatsumi felt something in his heart that he experienced back in the dungeons…back when Esdeath, wounded and weak, kissed him. He felt a love that threatened to overpower him once more…the same kind of love that led them to having a daughter in the first place.

The type t…

No.

No, this was wrong. This was not the time for this.

Tatsumi pulled away from Esdeath and turned to the other side of the bed. He had to see his daughter – that had to be his priority!

"Tatsumi…"

He could not explain why he rolled onto his back to look at her.

He couldn't explain why he was speechless when he opened her eyes and smiled at him.

His thoughts washed away in an instant, all of his confusion and thoughts and anger and sadness drowned out by the touch of her lips on his own.

All that remained was lust.

Just like on the beach.

Everything that consumed his mind – his daughter, his friends, the Empire he worked so hard to help protect, all of the people he swore to defend…his daughter…

It all disappeared from his mind.

Esdeath climbed over him.

Her lips touched his once more.

His lips found her neck.

There was a nagging in the back of his mind, trying to warn him that he was forgetting something important.

The torn shirt on Esdeath's body was ripped away.

"My Tatsumi…" came her voice, absent of the violent, rough edges.

"My Esdeath."

A/N: So, I'm trying to space out my writings so I don't burn myself out with this story. By far the biggest story I've ever written, but more than that, the love that you guys have shown this fic motivates me. Thank you. On a side note, did you read the latest chapter in Akame ga Kill?! My favorite chapter so far. God, that chapter alone put a great big smile on my face. I love that the manga is pretty much saying F-U to the anime. I won't spoil it, but my goodness I got the feels for that one. Like, listening to MGSV Quiet's Theme while reading a story about Venom Snake and Quiet-level feels.