Author's note:

By all means...this is the last chapter of this story. This is me wrapping Nerina's child hood up. Now in the sequel bits and pieces of her life that I didn't cover will be put in, but this is...pretty much it. In my plan for this story, I have one more chapter after this, technically. But that's the epilogue where all your questions are going to be answered. What happened to Abe you may ask? Well, stay tuned!

Along with the finale, there will be a cliffhanger to leads into the next story. I really hope you guys like what I've got in store, because it may end with Abe for a little bit, but that doesn't mean it will end for Nerina and the rest of the Hellboy family.

NOW, I've said too much! Please enjoy! Comment/Review it please ;)

Today was a day that both her father and her had dreaded for years, and as Nerina sat on her nest of 18 years, she realizes that if she doesn't get up, she'll just have to do it again tomorrow. She'll just prolong the inevitable. Today was the day that she left her nest behind, that she went out into the world and did her own thing. To day was the day that she not only left her nest behind, but her father as well. Today was the day she joined the B.P.R.D.

"Nerina! Come down for breakfast" Nerina had heard her father call from the stairs. She looked over at his water tank and saw that he had left it before she had woken up, just a few moments ago. Hearing him downstairs in the kitchen just proved she was right.

Nerina sighed, stood up at her tall height of 5 foot 10 inches, and walked over to her own dressing room. Dressing herself in the black uniformed pants and shirt, along with the bullet proof vest and the belt with a gun holster and communication device. She was given her father's old one, being given the new title of 'Blue' however, she preferred to be called 'Teal' instead, seeing as how she was more teal than she was her father's blue. Pain hit her stomach hard as she walked down the steps in her combat leather boots, to run into her father. Dressed in his usually form fitting pants and swim shirt. She stood there, her hair in a messy bun, and her bangs hanging off the side of her face. When Abe finally turned around, a frown hit his face. He knew too that today was the day, his little water bug, would swim away.

"Oh...I didn't see you there, Nerina" Abe said with a shaky breath "Come on, I made your favorite" He smiled changing the subject.

Nerina sighed and sat at the island counters of the kitchen, watching her father flip pancakes and pour juice for her "Daddy..." She muttered softly.

"Your Aunt Liz and Uncle Red wanted pictures to send to your Cousins today, It's such a nice thought..."

"Dad?" She asked again.

"You know, I remember the day Dante and Desmond went off to the B.P.R.D! What are they now 20 years old?"

"Dad!" Nerina shouted, getting his attention "Look at me" She asked much more softly.

Abe slowly turned around to face her, and all he had feared sunk in. If he could cry he would, but instead he just gulped, his hands slowly reaching his sides. Before him was no longer the dependent little egg that first came into his care, or the bright little girl that came into his world and turned his life right side up again. No, she wasn't any of those things now. Now she was the bright young woman sitting at his table, wearing an outfit that suit her new job, and a mature look on her face that told him...she was ready. She didn't want to be, but she was.

"I see you" He said with a sigh

"Are you gonna be okay, Daddy?" She whispered softly looking at him worried.

Abe smiled and walked over to rub her cheeks "I'll be fine. You should be excited for your first day and not worried about your old dad"

Nerina reached up and held his wrists softly, rubbing her thumbs against the veins "I'm always worried about you daddy, Aunt Liz told me stories about you being Alone before and a part of me is worried that you'll..."

Abe set a finger on her lips to stop her from talking. He didn't want to explain how he felt after Princess Nuala passed, He already had to witness his only child going off and into the world. Today was both happy and sad enough for him. Instead he simply told her this;

"I've been alone for many years before you, and even then I wasn't completely alone, I had your Aunt Liz, your Uncle Red, I had Professor Bruttenholm, I had so many people that kept me company. When you came along it just simply...completed me" He smiled at her "When you leave, you won't really be gone. You'll be away and out of the house, but you'll write to me, you'll call me...I know you. I raised you for pete's sake!" He chuckled at her and made Nerina smile "You'll find something interesting and give me a call, describing to me in every detail whatever you found!"

Nerina giggled and wiped tears from her eyes "Of course, who else will I share my discoveries with?"

"Exactly!" He chuckled, then sighed contently at the beautiful, grown, Daoine woman before him "You'll be fine with out me, And I'll be fine with out you"

"And even then we won't really be far from each other will we?" Nerina whispered

"hmmm..." Abe smiled and rubbed her cheeks "Exactly, My little water bug" With that, he kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Promise me...You'll always be there when I need you?" She whispered softly.

Abe smiled and nodded, confidently assuring himself that he really would be "I promise"

. . . . .

Nerina watched as the floor began to descend below her. When she flinched her father chuckled at her.

"You'll get used to it" He said

Nerina sighed and waited for the plat form to hit the floor, then proceeded to wait for her father to step off before she did. Already waiting there were two familiar red faces. Hellboy stood there with his arms crossed against his chest. A smile across his face as he watched his Niece get off the platform. Dante stood next to him, officially taller than his father. Growing some facial hair himself too. It had been months since she last seen Dante and to see him now, Well, here's to hoping he was more mature now than he was a few months ago.

"Good to see you again, Sharp tooth!" Apparently not.

"Can you ever call me by my actual name?" Nerina grunted, annoyed.

"Nope!" Dante smirked, hugging her with one arm "You ready?"

"For what?"

Hellboy tapped on her shoulder with a half smile "YOU," He pointed at her "Get to go on your very first Mission!" He held his hands out like he had just presented something awesome to her.

Nerina's eyes went wide and Abe shook his head "Absolutely NOT! She's not even fully in the door yet and you two are already signing her off on some mission!? I will not allow this to happen!"

Dante started laughing and shook his head "We're kidding, Uncle Abe...Agent Oswald is smarter than that!" Dante laughed over to his dad and then to Nerina "Actually Oswald wants you started on research for your first Mission, he suspects it'll take you a few weeks, so while you're doing that...Desmond and I are going out on our 20th Mission!"

"When you do get to go on Mission and stuff like that, you'll be in team with Dez and Dante..." Hellboy said crossing his arms again "It's really not that bad, Dez is a good leader, and well...Dante knows how to shoot every now and then" He said punching his son in the arm with his stone hand.

Dante smiled for a little while until he finally reached up and rubbed his arm "Okay, Ow"

Nerina sighed gently, more relieved to hear she wouldn't have to jump into action right away "Thank you both for clearing that up" She mumbled

Abe sighed in relief as well "That wasn't very funny you two" Abe was especially glaring at Hellboy. Not exactly something you say to a newbie on her first day.

"C'mon Abe, You really think either of us would allow her out in a dangerous situation the second she got here? Give us a little more credit than that?" Hellboy chuckled nudging the blue man in the arm. Not as hard as he did with Dante, but enough to catch him off guard.

Before Abe could respond with something smart and disproving, Dante grabbed Nerina's things and slung her bag over his shoulder, the other in his hand "C'mon, let's go before this gets too chaotic...You've got the Library to sleep in, we've already set up a Daoine nest for you" Dante jerked his head in the direction of the hall way and Nerina stopped for a moment.

Abe knew exactly what she was going to do, and turned her around to hug her before she could protest spending time with him. Abe knew more than any one that if he didn't say good bye now, she would stall their goodbye and it would just draw out the pain of her moving on. Dante set her bags down again watching Nerina hug her father tightly. A sad sigh in her throat as she nuzzled her self in his shoulder.

Abe whispered to her, so Hellboy and Dante couldn't hear "You have to go, little bug"

Nerina felt tears in her eyes and shook her head quickly "Daddy no, I don't want to go just yet"

Abe pulled away from her to rest his hands on her face "Honey, I will always be a phone call away, but you've got to go out and do your own thing now. You'll be fine, I have so much faith in you" Nerina hugged him again and gave out a shaky sigh.

Dante threw the bags back on his shoulders, and held his hand out for her "Come on, Sharp tooth...It's time"

Abe nodded to Dante agreeing with him and gently let her go. Nerina went from her father to a man she'd grown up with in a few short steps. Taking his red gloved hand with little hesitation. So, Abe watched his Daoine Daughter turn her back to him as she walked down the halls. A plethora of emotions filled his chest. Sadness, for watching her walk away and saying goodbye to her. He knew it wasn't going to be the last time they ever said goodbye, it just hurt to see his baby girl all grown up. He was Happy though, to see her starting to full fill her dreams. Watching her take charge of her life and start it on her own. He feared what the B.P.R.D had in store for her though, worried she might get hurt out in the real world. He was excited that she was doing something that she loved. So much just made him feel overwhelmed and it took him a second to regain his composure.

"You gonna be okay there, Abe?" Hellboy, his long lasting friend and almost brother, looked at Abe concerned.

"It's just...a hard thing to watch my grown up baby girl, walk away from me"

"You're gonna see her again! For Pete's sake you work here!" Hellboy shouted confused.

"Not any more" Abe confessed "Last week, I sort of...Quit" He saw the look on Hellboy's face and continued on "I knew Nerina was going to join the Department, and well, I was no longer needed here, we completed what we needed to do, and it would just be harder for her to move on if I was still here...Quitting was the best thing I could do for her. Besides, now that she's out of the house I have time to go exploring and do independent studies again!"

Hellboy laughed and shook his head "You really are something, Abe"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment!"

Hellboy chuckled at him one last time and then watched as Dante and Nerina walked away, until they were no longer in sight. Abe gave out a heavy sigh and then turned to Hellboy, a hesitant look on his face "Red?"

"Yeah, what's up?" He said lighting a cigar

"You've got to promise me something..."

Hellboy looked at him confused "Whaaat?"

"Should, anything happen to me on my independent studies...I want you to look after Nerina" Abe spoke confidently, but lightly.

"Abe, what are ya talkin about, nothing's ever gonna happen to you!"

Abe sighed "Yes, but in case something does...happen. I just want to be careful and know that...some one I trust will be looking after her" Abe looked at him seriously, and almost felt the need to beg him to say he would, but settled for this, "Please, Hellboy...I don't trust any one, other than you and Liz"

Hellboy looked at his blue companion, and softly nodded his head, taking the cigar from his mouth and a frown creased onto his lips. He didn't want to think about Abe getting hurt, but he had to give him some peace of mind "yeah sure...I'll do it. The boys and I will look after her here, and Liz will too"

"Thank you" Abe sighed in relief, looking back to the almost empty hall way, where he saw his daughter turn the corner and leave.