A/N: WAIT! Did you read Chapter Nineteen? Yeah, I know I said that Eighteen was the last one but I explain that in the last chapter! Click the previous chapter button and go check it out! Thanks!
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Did you read it? Awesome! Enjoy the Epilogue to Hearts & Fists II: Retaliation.
Epilogue
Two days later.
Ken, Guile, Eliza, and Julia pulled up in front of Chun-Li and Ryu's house and got out of their car. Right as they were walking up to the door, Cammy drove on to the property, as well.
Chuckling, Ken smiled, "Hey! Looks who's here!"
Cammy got out and smiled. "Oh! Hello, all. So, they called you, too, eh?"
"Yeah," Guile said. "Wouldn't say what it was about, though."
"Must be something big, though, for them to call everyone," Ken mentioned.
"And they said get here right away," Eliza added.
"What do you think it could be?" Julia asked.
Cammy shrugged, "Well, last time they had something this big to tell us it was that they were getting marr…" Her eyes shot open as wide as they would. So, did everyone else's. They all looked at each other for a second in total silence then rushed to the door. They burst through the door at the same time to see Sakura playing with Mei and Ryu and Chun-Li sitting on the loveseat. The happy couple just smiled at their friends.
Sakura just blinked, "Uh… hey, guys. Where's the fire?"
"No fire," Ken said. "But I'm guessing the reason all of us are here is red hot!"
"Perhaps," Chun-Li said, giving a coy smile that Ryu was mirroring.
The couple smiling was something that their friends had grown accustomed to and loved it but it was the way they were smiling that was driving them crazy. And Cammy had had enough and was quick to verbalize her frustrations with the couple's current cryptic composure.
"Alright, that's it!" she shouted. "We've been shot at, been in car chases, attacked by assassins, nearly blown up, kidnapped, and, after all that mayhem and destruction, you two call all of us here of the bleedin' blue and we run in, post haste, to find you two sitting there just plain chuffed to bits! I've had it! Now, what is going on?!" She was breathing in heaves afterward, not even attempting to regain any decorum.
Guile stared at her, impressed by her tirade. "British turns-of-phrase are weird."
"I think that's most words I've ever heard her say in a row," Sakura noted. "When she's not talking strategy, anyway."
"Shut up!" Cammy shouted.
"We didn't get nearly blown up," Ken said. "Surprisingly, it's one thing that didn't happen to us."
"I was going for dramatics, ya git!"
"There's that word. I've heard it before but what's that mean?"
"Shut up!"
"Ryu did almost get blown up," Guile pointed out.
Ken took a second to remember that. "Oh, yeah!" He chuckled. "I forgot all about that."
"Really?" Ryu asked. "That's what you forgot?"
"What? We weren't there!"
"Gee. Thanks, Ken."
Surprising the travelers, Sagat came around the corner, carrying a cup of tea. "I thought I heard an unnecessary ruckus."
"Whoa!" Ken exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?" Guile asked.
"Giving this 'friend' thing a try." He had a seat on one of easy chairs. "They called me, too."
"They tell you what this is about?"
"No. They said I had to wait for all of you. With Cammy's screaming, I could've stayed in Thailand and still heard what this was about."
"Shut it!" Cammy ordered. She looked at the couple. "Explain why we're here! Now!"
They were about to explain when they the buzzing from Sakura's phone caused her to pull it out of her pocket. She looked at the name and the biggest grin came on her face.
Chun-Li looked at her. "What's got you smiling so hard?"
Sakura blushed, immediately, and looked at her. "What? Nothing!"
"She's been on that thing since before I got here," Sagat remarked.
"Have not!"
Ken snatched the phone out of Sakura's hands.
"HEY!"
He read who the texts were from and started to laugh. "Sean?! Since when do you have Sean's number?"
Her blush deepened. "S-since… that whole… thing! It doesn't matter! Gimmemyphone!" She leapt for it but Ken tossed it to Cammy.
The British agent started scrolling through it. "My God! There's about a hundred texts here since yesterday!"
"THERE ARE NOT!"
"Sounds like a love connection," Eliza remarked.
Cammy handed the phone to Guile. "Am I wrong?"
"Jeez, Sakura," the Airmen said, scrolling through the phone. "When do you study?"
"Probably in between kisses she sends through via text," Julia added. She looked at the few texts that her husband scrolled through. "So… never."
Sakura snatched the phone from Guile, "SHUT UP!" She walked away and sat down. And proceeded to text Sean back.
Sagat groaned. "Can we, please, get on with this? I'm starting to remember why I live a life of solitude. And why I like it so much."
"He's right," Cammy agreed. "Explanation. Now."
"Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Mei raised her hand, excitedly. "Can I say?! Please, please, please!"
"Mei, we already told you," Chun-Li said. "There is some fun that we need to have with our friends and this is definitely one of those times."
She lowered her hand, sat back, and mused, dejectedly, "Ooooookay."
Sakura finished her text then looked at her little sister. "Mei, you know what's going on?"
She smiled. "Yeah-huh!"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Daddy said not to because you're a bladder mouth."
"Blabbermouth," Ryu corrected.
"Oh, I am not!" Sakura argued.
"The little girl's right," Sagat sipped his tea.
"Wha…"
"Which is hilarious since she can keep a secret better than the big girl in the room," Guile chuckled.
"Not Sakura's fault she has 'run-at-the-mouth' syndrome," Ken joked.
"I do not!" Sakura argued.
"You must not listen to yourself talk then."
"Quiet! The lot of you!" Cammy shouted. "If your name isn't Ryu, Chun-Li, or Mei, silence is demanded!"
Chun-Li had to keep from laughing. "Wow. You really wanna know, don't you?"
Cammy growled.
"Alright, alright," Ryu said. "But, first, let me tell you what happened that isn't as bad as it sounds." He took a breath. "Akuma was here."
All of the air got sucked out of the others at hearing that name again.
"In what possible, conceivable way was that not as bad as it sounded?" Ken asked. "'Cause… that sounds pretty bad."
"He didn't want a fight."
"Then what the hel…" He looked at Mei, "…heck…" He looked at his brother. "…did he want?"
"Believe it or not, he said that he wouldn't come for a fight until I was ready to face him myself."
"He called a truce?" Sagat asked.
"Believe me," Chun-Li said, "I almost wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it myself."
"Heavy…" Sakura breathed out.
"But that wasn't the kicker."
"What was?" Ken asked.
Ryu scoffed. "The last thing he said before he left was… to 'cherish these days.'"
The room went silent as it was impossible to imagine words like that coming from Akuma.
"Wow," Ken was trying to accept that. "Never thought Akuma would have the best advice."
"Not the best," Chun-Li said. "But he did help us realize that we would do just that: cherish every single day."
"And one of the best ways to do that is to share some very good news with the people we love and who made it all possible," Ryu explained.
The travelers all looked at each other in confusion then back at the couple.
"And what good news might that be?" Cammy asked.
"Well… remember when in Paris, you and Ken came to talk to Ryu and I was asleep because I managed to… relax?" Chun-Li asked.
Ken chuckled, mischievously.
"Yes, I remember," Cammy said, blushing a little. "Surprised you're bringing that up in mixed company but yes."
Chun-Li smiled. "Well, we've had a lot of chances to… relax since we got back."
"Yeaaaaaaah…"
"And?" Ken asked.
Ryu and Chun-Li smiled, loving the feeling of keeping their friends on the hook.
"Guys…" Guile was starting to put the pieces together but he needed to hear it from them. "…what are you saying?"
Ryu smiled. "What we're saying is…"
Chun-Li tried to keep from crying. "We're pregnant."
There was not a single twinge of body movement as it took a full minute of total silence for that to register with their extended family. "Pregnant" sounded a like word they had all heard before but couldn't quite place as to where. Slowly, the meaning came back and what it meant began to bloom in their minds. When it did, Cammy, no longer to anyone's surprise due to her earlier outbursts, broke the silence first.
"I'M GONNA BE AN AUNT!" she screamed, ecstatically.
"Hold on, there, Double-O-7!" Ken shouted. "Not before I'm an uncle!"
She looked at him. "Not a chance! I call first dibs here!"
"I've known Ryu way longer than you! Hell, I've known Chun-Li longer!"
"Barely!"
"Still counts."
She stared daggers at him. "You wanna fight that one out?"
He cracked his knuckles, "Anytime, anywhere."
"Hey! What about me?!" Sakura shouted.
"What about you?" Cammy asked.
"I help take care of the kid they already have!"
Ken scoffed. "And?"
"Rude!"
"Guys," Ryu said, getting their attention. "Is this really necessary?"
"Yeah, Ryu's right: knock it off," Guile said. "Besides… everyone knows I'm the uncle first, anyway."
"Why?" Cammy, Ken, and Sakura asked, simultaneously.
"Because all of you… are scared of me."
They all stopped and considered that statement.
"He's got a point," Ken admitted.
"Yeah, he does," Cammy agreed.
"Yep," Sakura conceded.
Silence.
"But still!" Ken shouted.
"Yeah!" Cammy yelled.
The four started to argue in circles about who had the right to call themselves the first uncle or aunt. Eliza and Julia looked at each other and burst into fits of laughter. Ryu and Chun-Li laughed, as well, and held hands, loving their family together and they couldn't wait for it to grow.
"Do they realize that, once the baby is born, there will be no such thing as 'first' aunt or uncle?" Ryu asked.
"Well, we could tell them or…" Chun-Li smirked. "…we can see how long this goes on."
He smiled and kissed her. "I love the way you think."
Sagat shook his head at the spectacle he was witnessing of these four powerful warriors arguing like school children over the first ride on the swing. "How have I ever lost to any of you people?"
Ryu smiled. "Off day?"
"Clearly." He sighed. He looked at the couple, "Since this will obviously go on for a while, allow me this chance to say…" He smiled. "Congratulations, you two."
"Thank you, Sagat," Chun-Li smiled.
He nodded in respect.
Ryu and Chun-Li knew that the life they already built was everything they wanted and more but now they were going get things that they didn't even know they wanted or needed. The life they created was already bringing new life to them and to those around them and even gave them to courage to stand up to their most fearsome foe. No matter what came next, their family would be able to weather any storm. After all, they already had. They had each other; that was all they needed.
A/N: And that is our tale. And, man, what a ride this has been. I am so thrilled with how it came out. I really am. I can't tell you guys how happy I am right now. But sad, too, as this really is the end of Hearts & Fists II: Retaliation. This was so much fun to do and just so awesome to write.
TheMexicanDetective said that I created a SF Universe. And I hardly even realized it. I just did one story. And all of you loved it so I wrote more and more. And, now, look where we are. I did reference it as a "universe" in a one-shot but I was just saying that. But, when I think about it, that's exactly what happened. And I have all of you to thank.
Now, of course, to my faithful people, 89niners-best-team-ever, TheMexicanDetective, alwaysdoubted, Laserai, and BasilusGalenus, you guys are the best fans any writer ever had and I'll argue that point with anybody. To all of the others, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cannot tell you all how much you influenced this story and made it better. I had some ideas but your comments and things you noticed helped me in so many ways. And to all of the newcomers or the ones who read it after its completion, thank you, too. Thank you, all.
I have a few ideas of what to do next with the series but I'm not sure what direction I'm going in yet but there are definitely going to be some one-shots coming down the pipe for it, that much I promise. I have to continue in this universe. I, not only owe to you loyal reviewers, but I owe it to the characters, too. I've put them through so much that I just feel they have a lot more to do. If you guys have any ideas, please, leave a comment or send me a PM. I'm open to all suggestions!
Guys, just thank you again. I wouldn't be here without all of you. I wouldn't still be writing if it wasn't for you guys. I have a book that I wrote that I plan to have to come out this year. I hope you guys will pick it up when it's ready. I'll be sure to let everyone know when it's ready. Until the next time we meet, thank you all!
All my love and respect,
T2 Angel
