"You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family." ― Trenton Lee Stewart
FIVE YEARS LATER...
The backyard of the Ji household was alive with the sound of squealing and screaming children.
Among the house's occupants, on the veranda and occupying two of the picnic tables, were several old friends.
"Shanaya, be careful around your cousins!" Mikaela called, watching her daughter with a critical eye as the black and red haired girl ran around with three other children. She looked Ryuga in the eye, "You better make sure she doesn't get in trouble."
Ryuga gave a salute, "Yes ma'am." With a smile, he turned and walked quickly after his daughter, who was laughing and running around with his own nieces.
"The same goes for you Luke. I'm trusting you not to let my son get hurt." Wales warned his brother.
Lucas, who couldn't see as his five year old nephew had his eyes covered with his small hands, grinned in the direction of Wales' voice, "Am I not ever?"
Wales frowned, before sighing and chuckling, "Okay, go."
Lucas grinned, moved Chance's hands, and walked after Ryuga.
From next to Wales, Sophie chuckled. The man turned to see Sophie cooing over their niece, Jaqueline McKandless, while Jasmine- now Lucas' wife- held her.
"Aw, she is just the most adorable little girl ever!" Sophie chuckled, waving her fingers at the five month old.
Jasmine giggled, and looked over Sophie's shoulder at her brother in law, "Careful Wales. Sophie may want a daughter after this."
Wales put on a face of mock horror, "No! Chance is bad enough!" But he was smiling and trying not to laugh as he spoke.
Kuro, Mikaela, Nefertiti, and Christina all watched their husbands and children run around and play on the green lawn.
Christina watched with a laugh as Bao allowed their daughter, a redheaded little four year old by the name of Camille, to tackle him.
"You know." Nefertiti said, inspecting her nails and keeping a watchful eye on Chris and their five year old daughter, Nefera, "It's kinda hard to believe that five years ago we were all going through some sort of hell."
Kuro chuckled a little, "Some of us, yes. But you have a point." And then she grinned and, as she was sitting somewhat in the middle, she pulled her sisters in for a hug by the necks, "And I still can't believe that all of my friends and family moved into my town!"
"Ack! Kuro! Can't. Breathe!" Christina choked.
"Oh, right." Kuro quickly released the other three women, who began gasping for breath and rubbing their throats.
Behind the women, there came a chuckle, and the four women turned to see Wales watching them.
"What are you laughing at McKandless?" Kuro frowned.
"You four. You're all one big, happy family." Wales said.
"So are you, Sophie, Jasmine, and Lucas. Add in your kids, and you have a family of six." Mikaela said, "Compared to-" Mikaela counted on her fingers, "Our family of twelve, its small, but tight- knit and displays a lot of love."
"You had to count?" Kuro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey! Don't tell me you have trouble keeping up with names, birthdays, and the entire family tree!" Mikaela exclaimed.
"I do." Nefertiti said, dryly.
"In all honesty, I'm still remembering things from before-" Christina shook her head and smiled, though it was forced, "Well, you know."
"Hey." Bao appeared out of nowhere, "I know that look. No bad thoughts. Today's our first day off of work in months and we're all making the most of it." He kissed Christina on the cheek, "Your daughter wanted to come say 'hi'."
As if on cue, Camille Blackheart ran up, squealing, "Mommy!"
Christina smiled, this one reaching her eyes, and bent down, picking up the redheaded little girl, "Oh, whatcha doing you little munchkin?"
Camille smiled, "I caught daddy!"
"That she did..." Bao muttered, rubbing one of his elbows, where there was a red scrape.
"Wait. Did she really tackle you?" Kuro asked.
"No. I tripped." Bao grumbled.
Kuro threw her head back and laughed loudly, startling Bao and Mikaela.
Bao stared, "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?!"
"And my wife." Aguma said, dryly, walking up with Kurai, their daughter, on his shoulders.
"Mommy!" Kurai reached for her mother, smiling widely, "Mommy!"
"Oh, there's my little angel!" Kuro smiled as she took her daughter in her arms, "How ya doing?"
"Hungry!" Kurai exclaimed.
Kuro blinked, "You just ate two hours ago!"
"I'm telling you, she has a black hole for a stomach." Aguma chuckled, moving by and towards the grill.
"Yours too, huh?" Chris asked as he was dragged up by Nefera. Despite being born with a condition that left her normally emotionless and with no sense of time, she was sure excited as of that moment.
"Mom!" Nefera Cadelle called, "Is lunch ready?"
And, despite being only five, Nefera was extremely smart and bright for her age.
"Not yet, honey. But Uncle Aguma's working on it." Nefertiti smiled.
"In the meantime, you kids can help me set the table." Kuro grinned, and blinked as she heard the doorbell, "Strange. Who could that be...?"
Kuro looked at Mikaela who grinned, "I got this."
Kuro nodded, and moved off the veranda and through the house. She blinked as she opened up the front door. A broad smile made it's way across her face.
"Well, well, well..." Kuro smiled, "Who's this dude?"
"Angelo Konzern." Julian Konzern chuckled, ruffling a hand through a messy head of black hair. Blue eyes gleamed as the boy glared at Julian.
"Da- ad." Angelo whined.
"Dad?" Kuro repeated, blinking, "When did you become a father?"
"That's a story for another time." Nero popped up out of nowhere, "Julian, give me my nephew before I kidnap him."
Kuro chuckled as Julian rolled his eyes but handed his son over to his brother. Nero laughed as he took the young boy in his arms.
"How old is he?" Kuro asked as she let the brothers in, "Nero, follow the noise to the back."
Nero nodded, and, making funny faces at a laughing Angelo walked away.
Kuro shut the door, and looked expectantly at Julian.
Julian sighed, "Four. And I have no idea who his mom is." He ran a hand over his face, "I just know that a social worker showed up one morning at my house and said Angelo was my son."
"Angelo..." Kuro mused as she moved to the kitchen and reached into the refridgerator to pull out some drinks and the platter of hamburgers and hotdogs that Aguma would need to cook up, "Is that Italian for angel?"
Julian nodded, looking impressed, "Yes. How'd you know?"
"You're a part time CIA agent, on my team, no less, Julian. You do the math."
Julian shrugged, "True." He looked at the plate of food Kuro was uncovering, "I know your cooking. You put nuts in some of your meat. Does that...?"
"Is Angelo allergic?" Kuro asked and Julian nodded, "You're lucky. I forgot to put the nuts in."
Julian looked relieved, "Sorry. I know I said I wouldn't come but Nero..."
"He somehow convinced you?" Kuro chuckled as she and Julian walked outside, "Julian let me say a few things. One, I made more than enough food for everyone to take home leftovers." Kuro handed Aguma the platter of hamburgers and hotdogs, "And two, doesn't matter if you drop of the sky, you're a part of this family. Because that's what we are. No matter if some of us aren't blood related."
"Amen to that!" Mikaela called from where she and the kids- Angelo somehow having been included- had finished setting the tables.
"Hey, Julian!" The man looked up from where he had been staring at the ground to see Lucas waving at him, "Come on, man join the party!"
Julian grinned, "Yeah, hold on a minute." He looked at Kuro, who was eyeing him, "Thanks Kuro."
Kuro grinned as Julian walked over to his friends, before she turned and walked over to her husband. Aguma, without looking, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
"Good speech there." Aguma murmured to her.
Kuro chuckled, "No speech. It was the truth."
"That's what people see in you, you know?" Aguma said, suddenly.
"What?" Kuro's eyebrows drew together.
"The truth. You never lie. You tell the truth. I think that's why people trust you so much."
Kuro chuckled, and leaned up to kiss Aguma on the cheek, "Hurry up with the food. We practically got a hungry army waiting on it."
Aguma rolled his eyes, but turned back to the food as Kuro stepped away and turned to look behind her, at the group of frien- No, she reminded herself, Family.
Because through the last fifteen years, the bonds between the wild and loving group in front of Kuro, they had grown to be nothing more than one big family, that no matter what happened, they'd always have each other's backs.
And... that's the end of this story. I know it probably seemed rushed, so... sorry. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this story! And- hold up!- there's a sequel coming! And it'll be focusing more on the kids than the adults. Like the cases they have as their years as cops and lawyers and not to mention how Kurai goes through life with her father in a coma- *gasp* I've already given too much away! Oh, spare me! *faints dramatically*
But, before I post that, I'm gonna post another MFB fic- this one AU, a bit like Fast and Furious, but not entirely. And let me not forget the Percy Jackson chapter I'll be posting tonight... But that's something I'll only work on when I have writer's block for all my other stories.
So, on that note, please keep a look out, and also, start typing and leave the precious review I know you will! Until next time, ciao!
