A/n: I suspect some of you will dislike Faerie's characterisation... I'd like to note that most 5 year olds are brats... and she hates strangers :P
Fay felt his heart lurch at seeing his daughter for the first time since infanthood. Fable peeked out from behind the flow of his dad's robe.
"You… got so big." Fay whispered awe struck. "You… don't remember me do you?"
"I know you." Faerie said carelessly, stacking her blocks higher, they wobbled precariously. "You're the mage… right?" He stepped closer to her. He knew that word must have come from Kurogane, even her accent was similar.
"Yes," He moved even closer. Fable was scared at being stepped away from, so ran into the corner of the room, curling into a little ball. His spiky hair the only thing left visible among the flowing Celesian robes. Faerie surveyed him carefully.
"What a wuss." She said shaking her head. She grabbed what appeared to be a half sized kendo stick and charged at the tower, smashing it to smithereens. She grinned.
"You're beautiful." He told her, taking in her appearance. Her jet black hair was shorter than he'd expected, barely to her chin, and she was small: smaller than Fable perhaps? Her skin was pale and her eyes were intensely blue, but not bright blue. A dark royal blue. She shrugged coolly.
"I've been told that… you want me to get dad?" She asked. Fay shook his head and just watched her.
"Daddy." Fable whimpered. Fay snapped out of his delirium and made to turn for his son, but no sooner had he moved, he was thrown against the wall. An immense pressure on his neck told him he was being strangled, and he found himself staring into familiar red eyes.
"I wouldn't blame you." Fay panted, not even fighting the tightening pressure on his throat. He could easily force Kurogane off with a spell, but he had every right to be mad.
"The fuck are you doing back here?" Kurogane demanded in a low growl. Fay saw spots in front of his eyes, he couldn't breathe: his chest was starting to burn with the effort. Fable began to cry loudly. Fay's face turned red, then blue. His eyes fluttered closed.
"Dad let him go you're gonna kill him." Faerie said calmly. Kurogane turned to look at her, realising in slight shock that she wasn't the one crying. He dropped Fay who fell to the floor gasping.
Kurogane turned to the source of the wailing, for the first time laying eyes on the cowering bundle of dark purple fluffy robes in the corner of the room. He approached the huddling child and kneeled in front of him. Silently he reached forward and drew the boy's face up. His hair was not quite black but a very dark brown, in Kurogane's trademark spikes and bangs but ventured into a long ponytail at the back, his eyes were much brighter blue than Faerie's, perhaps even brighter than Fay's, a vibrant magical blue, his skin was pale as paper and his face pointy and tear streaked.
"The… hell." Kurogane whispered. The child, frightened of the stranger who attacked his father drew himself up tighter into a ball and sobbed.
"Daddy!" He begged desperately, tiny nails digging into his clothes. Fay swept over, now recovered from his lack of oxygen, and picked his son up, cradling him to his chest, tangling his fingers into the unruly mop of dark hair.
"Daddy?" Kurogane growled, beginning to do the math.
"Yes well, a lot's happened in the past few years… Fable… Fable..." Fay said, trying to get Fable's attention. "You've scared him… but… Fable this is Kuro-daddy…" Fay soothed, rocking the sobbing boy. Kurogane had seen and heard enough to put the puzzle together.
"Faerie!" Kurogane barked. "Look after the kid, the mage and I have to talk."
"Yeah yeah, but he's not having my blocks." Faerie mumbled, setting to work on a new tower.
"He won't stay with a stranger." Fay murmured, bouncing the boy that Kurogane could not take his eyes off of.
"He can damn well stay with her. Kitchen, NOW." Kurogane ordered. Fay sighed and stroked Fable's hair much more lightly.
"Please stay with your sister for a little while?" He asked Fable who looked at him with terrified blue eyes. Since he talked so little anyway, Fay had come to understand his son without words. He didn't have to say it for Fay to know he didn't want to be left. "She won't hurt you." He said reassuringly.
"Says who!" Faerie asked cheekily and Kurogane glared at her. She quickly shut up. Fay sat Fable down and he bowed his head.
"You'll be fine." He promised his son, who nodded.
"I miss Faye and aunt Chii." He whispered and Fay swore his heart broke at that moment. He kissed Fable's head and followed Kurogane into the kitchen.
"Where are Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun?" Fay asked softly, worried they'd stopped travelling together.
"Shopping." Kurogane bluntly said
"Fay!" Mokona screamed, and flew at him, hugging him tightly.
"Hello there little one, it's been a while." Fay smiled sadly, tickling behind one of Mokona's ears.
"So where the hell have you been for five years?" Kurogane demanded, sitting down across from Fay. The years had not changed him, still as handsome as the day Fay had left him. The smile on Fay's face was more pained than ever, he looked a little more tired than Kurogane had remembered him, and his own blond hair now hung in a ponytail too.
"Celes. The one who was chasing me awoke." He said softly. "I had to go back… to protect you… the country…everyone."
"And you couldn't have left a note?" The ninja growled.
"None of you can read my writing, and before you ask no I couldn't have contacted you when I was there in case it was traced… don't think I had a choice. I had to go… and today I had to bury a lot of people I really cared for, so I'm sorry I wasn't here. But at the same time I'd do it all over again."
"Your daughter… doesn't give a damn about you. Because you ran out on her." Kurogane muttered gruffly.
"And your son is scared of you… because the first time you meet him you try to kill me." Fay answered coyly. "He's definitely yours by the way… but I didn't know until after I'd gone."
"Looks like me." Kurogane grumbled evidently believing this story. Fay nodded softly.
"He's very nervous… and cries a lot." Whispered the magician. "He gets scared easily and needs a lot of cuddles to make sure he's okay sometimes…" He absently curled a loose strand of hair around his finger. "I've told him all about you and Faerie. He's scared that he won't live up to your expectations. He's no fighter but he's one hell of a wizard."
"DADDY!" Howled a voice. And, recognising the distressed tone, Fay leapt up, hurrying into the room where Faerie was pulling hard at Fable's spiky hair.
"Damnit let him go." Kurogane barked, yanking his daughter away from her brother.
"Was just tryin' to make him talk. He's a real wuss!" Faerie grumbled, and kicked at the floor. Fable rubbed his head and whimpered, Fay kneeled down and wrapped his arms around him.
"Faerie, be nice to your brother please." Fay said softly.
"You're right he is an idiot." Faerie muttered. "Send them back."
"Oi." Kurogane warned her. She shrugged and went back to her tower. Fay stood up, Fable still clinging to him.
"Fable, do you want to say hello to daddy?" Fay asked softly. Fable tentatively raised his head and looked at Kurogane with very innocent blue eyes.
"Hello." He whispered, his voice was gentle and soothing, Kurogane was reminded strongly of his own mother.
"Yeah… hey." Kurogane said offhandedly, not entirely sure how to deal with the sudden new addition to his family and choosing instead to focus on his daughter.
"Oi, you gotta say sorry." He ordered. She glared at him, made a 'tcheh' noise, and picked up another block. He snatched it from her.
"Give it!" She demanded, standing up and trying to take it back, taking no heed of the fact she had many other blocks.
"Apologise." Kurogane instructed.
"Make me!" She stomped her foot. "I'm not apologising."
"Fine then go to bed I don't wanna look at you!" He warned. They stood at a stalemate glaring for a long time. Then Faerie burst into tears.
Kurogane sighed and scooped her up. The great warrior reduced to cuddling a crying child. Tears were not his strong suit. She could always win by crying.
"Yeah yeah I'm sorry." He muttered, rubbing her back.
"I am too." She whispered into his neck, nuzzling into him, Kurogane looked slightly embarrassed but continued holding her. The door opened and Sakura came rushing in.
"Moko-chan came and found us, is it true? FAY-SAN!" She squeaked, and flung herself at her mother figure, hugging him and Fable tightly. "We missed you so much." She whispered. Syaoran came in. He'd changed. His jaw line much more defined and his height increased, his muscles were now obvious even beneath his shirt. He looked slightly worn and ragged, as though he'd recently been run ragged. Fay slowly breathed in the delicate scent of Sakura's hair.
"I missed you too." he whispered. "Fable, this is Sakura-chan." He told him. Fable was slightly overwhelmed, so only nodded still fisting his father's shirt as though he was desperate. "Sakura-chan, this is Fable Fluorite... my son." Her eyes roved over the small figure between them, instantly recognising the other feather to be Kurogane. She didn't even question it. "Step back, let me take a look at you." Sakura blushed and stepped back, realising she was being excessively clingy.
Sakura was no taller, but her cuteness had faded, giving way to beauty. Her hair remained short, framing her pale pretty face. Her eyes glittered with the same emerald warmth. Her hips had widened and her breasts had blossomed (though only slightly), a true woman instead of a little girl.
"You grew even more beautiful, Sakura-hime." He told her, bowing slightly.
"And you Fay-san… you look like you've been to hell and back." She whispered sadly, seeing right through his smile.
"Ah… it's been a bad day." He admitted, ruffling Fable's hair.
"Faye is dead." Fable said softly. He didn't often speak in front of strangers, so this statement was unusually bold. Fay nodded softly.
"I know sweetie, she's dead."
"Who is… Faye-san?" Sakura asked cluelessly.
"Faye-chan was a very special young girl, wasn't she Fable?" Fable nodded slowly, and closed his eyes.
"Chii is dead." Fable whispered. "'Shura's dead." He started crying, causing Fay to shift almost nervously.
"He's tired, is there somewhere I can lay him down?" Fay queried, bobbing him gently.
"My room." Kurogane grunted. "Princess, show him." Sakura nodded and hurried from the room, past Kurogane who was running one palm through his hair. Faerie had never seen her dad look so distressed. As they passed Syaoran he whispered in a much deeper voice than Fay remembered:
"Welcome home, Fay-san."
Fay lay Fable down, tucking him under the covers.
"He looks just like Kurogane-san." Sakura said, leaning on the side of Faerie's bed where Fable was about to nap.
"He does." Fay agreed.
"But his eyes are so blue…" She whispered lovingly, leaning forward and playing with his hair. Innocent blue eyes gazed up at her without a trace of fright, he trusted her.
"That would be the magic… has Faerie learned well?"
"Actually… since that day with the dragon she's not showed a single inclination towards magic… truth be told she's more interested in physical defence." Fay nodded slowly. So his little girl had truly turned into a tomboy, a fighter. That was to be expected, he supposed, given that she grew up with Kurogane. Fay smiled. Fable's eyes fluttered closed, and he let his head loll, having always been a good sleeper he was out like a light soon after.
"How about we go downstairs… I'm sure there's lots to explain." Sakura offered softly.
"Actually I don't really feel up to leaving him just yet. We really did have a rough day." Fay answered with a slight pause. "I'd have preferred he didn't see any of it, honestly. You go down… I'll see you in a little while." He promised her. She nodded.
"We all missed you, so much Fay-san. And I'm so very happy that you learned to love a son." She bowed slightly and left the room. Fay lay down, curling up beside his little boy, wondering what the future had in store for them now they were all back together again.
A/n: Hm... not much to say there. Reviews if you please?