12 MAY 18

Small clean up.

"Reaper… could I have a word with you?" Ryoko wanted to clue in Miia about the conversation they had this morning.

"Ummm sure, just give me a second." Marco was out to lunch with the group, after the doctor office, he pulled away from the adults to spend more time with the girls.

"Is everything okay?" Yuki asked the older women.

"We're not sure yet, but why don't you help him with the girls." Miia didn't mean to push away Yuki, but she didn't need to be part of this talk.

"Sure?" The younger Jinko knew something was going on.

"Okay girls, I'll be right back, don't give Yuki a hard time…!" As the last words came out his mouth, his eyes shot open in pain. Trying not to worry anyone, he stops his hand from grabbing his chest.

"Daddy? You look a little sick?" Maria saw it clear as day.

"… I'm… I'm fine honey… don't worry!" Like he was convincing anyone.

The two women not far from him saw the flash of pain, "Reaper… we know what's going on, how long did you know?" Ryoko wanted to stay claim, but she couldn't.

"Let's step out…" He walks past them and out the food court.

Now that the Doc said something about his heart, the pain was ten times worse than before, "That might be a good idea, you like you could use some air." Miia placed her hand on his back as they walked out.

"Listen… there's nothing wrong with me and that Mercy is full of it. How many times have I've "almost" died during the war?" That wasn't the best way to start this conversation.

"Twelve times…!" They said together… not counting or anything…

"Thirteen, you forgot the time Asuka almost killed me… and half of those don't even count, I was back on my feet in a few hours!" Had it really been that many, he couldn't believe it himself.

"Don't you think that's a tab bit more than the normal person?" Did Ryoko just say that out loud?

"Last I check, you only get to die one time… I think I read that in a rule book or something?" Miia could recall him bleeding out a few times and most of them having his heart stop.

"Who said I was anything normal?" His eyes seem to darken feeling angry with them questioning his heath.

"You're not a God either… Reaper, you need to go ba-" Ryoko stops talking seeing his face going pale.

"Stay wit… with the girls…!" He turns around holding his chest in pain.

"LET US HELP YOU!?" Miia was not liking this day at all.

He had to get out of there, Marco shuffles down the road, "Fu… fu… fuck… God damn it… that bitch should have never told me that…!" His heart issue never seemed to be a problem until now. Yes, there were days it would bother him and even make him short of breath, but to feel like this…

"Sir… you okay?" A passerby saw him holding himself up on a wall.

"I'm… fine… leave… now…" Bullshit.

"Reaper, let me get Mer-" Not so fast guy.

"I SAID FUCKING LEAVE!?" Sweat covers his face as he looks ready to murder.

The individual nearly falls back seeing his face, "…"

Marco throws his hood over his head and starts to walk again, it takes a few minutes to get his heart back in check and makes his way back to the kids, "Hey daddy!" Ember, his little hell razor.

"What I miss schnookums?" He stands at the table with his upper body swing just a little bit.

"Just finishing up… ummm dad?" Gidget starts to point at her nose.

He arches one eyebrow and places a hand on the spot she was pointing, the presence of something wet and warm is felt. Pulling his hand back, he sees a good amount of blood, "Oh that… just a small nosebleed, must not be used to the air or something?"

The little girls might be buying, not anybody else, "Marco…" Yuki was told about what happened before he went on his walk.

"So I'm ready to get out of here and do this thing, no reason to put it on hold!" Changing the subject was in his best interest.

"Hooray!" Mira was excited and didn't know why.

Marco reaches over to his weapon, "You guys mind holding on to the girls for me?"

That was a first, usually, he was all about having them hang off him. Ember spotted out a problem, "Daddy… everything okay?"

He gives her a warm smile covered in pain, "Yes… come on…"

"Let's go little ones, it's going to be a little bite of a walk. So everyone, MOUNT UP!" Miia wanted to move this along and her bubbly personality ease the girl's mind.

Everyone in the restaurant starts to laugh as all three girls jumped on Miia's body and left, "Pretty sure everybody heard you back there Captain…" Marco had a small...

Butterfly Kingdom

"Before we go, you and I need a little talk!" Hekapoo had her arms crossed looking right at Star.

"What's on your mind?" She knew what this was about.

"The fact that you almost killed Marco the last time we saw him…!" Janna wanted to take part in the conversation.

"Oh please guys… I'm sure he's been through worse!" She threw her arms into the air trying to wave this off.

"That might be true… but we are his lovers, the last people that should ever hurt him…!" The demon wanted to make sure Star understood what happened.

"He is a pretty badass, but Heka is right. You're not planning to use that thing on him again, right?" The room had an uncomfortable silence as the wand in question starts to glow in green.

"I'm… FINE… I want to see the girls and make sure Marco is going to come back home with us, can we leave now?" Her whole body was trembling with anger.

Hekapoo makes her way to Star and places her hands on the Princess' shoulders, "Promise us, that you'll keep your anger in check. This can all come to an end today and you know who those girls will want to stay with…"

Janna stands beside Hekapoo, "I know you'll be fine, we're just worried and we can't have things go down like it did last time… okay?"

"I'll try my best, but I know everything is going to work out in the end." She slumps her shoulders.

"I just miss him so much and want to say sorry… how long has he's been over there already?" Star always had a hard time one figuring out the different timeline stuff.

"About a 4 days now… we don't know what we're walking into. He could be in a new war, but I doubt he would have let the girls stay with him if that was the case." Things were a mess.

"Well, let's get out of here then…" Janna starts to look for her scissors.

"Yeah you could stop that, we didn't forget…!" Star was referring to Janna giving up her scissors.

"That's right… silly me…" She starts to sweat.

"Oh, that's another talk coming up missy!" Hekapoo cuts open a patrol.

Janna takes a large gulp knowing she was in for it later.

Blue Heaven Stream

"Don't worry Reaper, I'm not going to spit shine your brain…" The rather tall priest gives him a smile.

"She told you about that… huh?" A nervous chuckle slips out of him.

"More than you'll ever know young man, come with me." He turns from the group and makes his way into the cave.

Yuki makes her way next to the Human and holds his hand tight, "I've never seen this happen in person… is it safe?"

"Don't worry little one, everyone comes here of their own free will… also, we have a special guest conducting the ceremony today." The walk was short as they stand before the stream.

"Special guest?" Yuki said out loud… did he mean?

"Pretty…!" His girls dismounted Miia and get a better look.

"You don't mean?" Ryoko starts to sniff the air and smell something familiar.

"Who else would you think it would be?" Auska steps out from the dark on the other side of the stream, she wore the same battle dress they seen her last in. The Jinko Warrior seems to be there like she was still alive.

Off in the back of the cave "No fucking way…!" His lovers said together…

"Should have known you would have shown up…" Marco starts to laugh a little, but stops when his heart starts beating faster…

"It's getting worse…" No way Auska could have known?

"No clue what you're talking about Major…" He gets on one knee and pulls in the girls.

"I would like to introduce you guys to one of my oldest friends… say hello to Asuka Langley Soryu girls…!" They step back into their father, the sword was the only thing they had their eyes on.

"Hello, baby Reapers… it's an honor to finally make your acquaintance!" Asuka starts to walk on top of the water and makes her way to the group.

"Uh… hi…" Gidget was only one able to find her voice.

Yuki's eyes damn near pop out, her longtime hero was making her way towards them, "I'm… I'm not dreaming… right?"

"She's real alright…!" Marco stands up to meet her at eye level.

"That I am… and I know what you did last night… I wish you luck." Asuka points at Yuki's stomach.

All eyes are on the youngest Jinko, "Wait… did I miss something?" Marco was clearly confused.

"Let's go you… we have a show to put on!" Asuka pulls his hands and his body is jerked forward into the stream.

"Didn't see that one coming…?" The stream was only a few feet high as their lower body was covered in it.

"Hmmm… didn't think it would be warm?" Asuka scopes up a hand full of water and watches it slip from her fingers.

"Same here, I want to try something…" The walk ends with Marco pulling her body into his, the free hand makes it way to her lower back.

"Don't tell me you want to dance now?" Her cheeks were rosy red.

The lovers make their way to the group, each girl gasps as their mothers take a knee and hug them from behind, "Shhhh… just watch…" Janna told them quietly.

"Hey kitty… is that-" Miia was freaking out.

"Yes… this is not going to end well…!" The realization of death settles in with them, Yuki held her hands to her stomach not understand what Asuka meant.

"You always seemed to like when we danced… com'on… for old times sake?" Auska smiles at him and lays her head on his chest.

They start a slow dance enjoying each other warmth, Marco lays his head on top of hers wishing the moment would never end, "I don't want to let you go… I'm not ready…!"

"Like I am… you'll be with me sooner if you don't get a new heart anyway…!" She didn't wish that on him, but knew he would never get it taken cared of if she didn't say something.

"Maybe… maybe that's the plan… ever thought of that?" Auska pulls her head from him as he spins her around and back into his body.

"That's a shitty plan Commander…" Her face rubs up and down on his chest.

"Who would miss me? I'm just an overrated mass murderer…" His heart starts to pump harder again.

"They will…" Their bodies turn so he can see his family and friends.

"Also… we never killed in your name… just doing a job, didn't you tell me that one time?" There was one point of the war, Asuka was conflicted over their body count.

"We could have taken over this world and made it into our own image… I've seen it with my own eyes…!" They smile at the idea…

"I know… I kinda planted it in your head." Not sure that's how things work, but let's go with that.

"Should have known… thank you…!" The dance ends.

"I know what you're planning Reaper… live this life first… then come back to me, I'll be waiting!" Their body separate but holding hands tight.

"Going to need your help when that day comes… what do we do now?" The group couldn't hear a word, they knew something deeper was going on.

"Well, I could drown you a bit if you want or…?" She pulls him down so they're on their knees, the water comes up to their necks.

"Rather not die in front of my kids, but thanks for the offer!" They giggle at the idea.

"I'm really going to miss you… I never stopped loving you, sorry about the day you called for me. It felt like I died only a few minutes ago…" She looks down wishing to take it all back.

"Don't worry about it, I was due a good nervous breakdown anyway!" He couldn't stop laughing as she punches his chest.

"Not funny Reaper…!" Well… maybe a little…

"Sorry… any last words?" Shit, he's not ready, Asuka could feel him shaking.

"I love you… so much… live your life without any regret… for me." They start to cry.

"What… what if I can't?" His head lowers not wanting this to end.

"Can't isn't in our vocabulary… Marco…!" His head snaps up looking at her like the world was going to end.

Then a soft smile shows up, "You're right… that name sounds like crap when you say it…" They couldn't stop smiling as she pulls him into a hug.

"Then Reaper it is… are you ready?" Their time has come to an end…

"I don't want to forget you… please…!" No use in begging.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you just like that time I almost killed you!" She scopes some water and places it around her lips.

"You ambushed me, don't think I'll let that ever happen again!" They pull from each other and latched their hands on each other's faces.

"Ambushed… wasn't ready… excuses are like assholes-" One of his favorite quotes.

"And they all stink…" They smile again as Asuka places a kiss on his forehead.

His body tingles at the feeling, his grip loosens, "Don't… do it…!"

"It's the only way to set you free… you'll always be my Reaper…" Then a kiss on his lips as his eyes closed and loving the feeling.

"You'll always be my Asuka…" His hands passes through her body and into his chest.

"Yours forever… Reaper…!" The room boomed out loud with those last words… and she was gone…

Marco refused to open his eyes, her presence was gone… the anger, sadness, worthlessness, and sorrow were gone. His chest felt warm and his eyes started to return back to their normal color again.

Nothing was said…

Sorry for the long wait, I got a bunch of things going on right now and just found some time for the story today. Did I give Asuka a good send off?

I really love everything about her, but don't think this is the last of her. Some of her words might hint at the next acr to the story.

I plan to update the story again on a regular basis so don't you worry. Every single one of you are so amazing you know that? The story has almost over a hundred favs and followers so I really hope to get some comment on this chapter.

12 MAY 18

NOW 171 FAVS, 182 FOLLOWS AND 163 REVIEWS!

You guy are what really keep me going and I'm so glad to know I have a small fan club.

THANK YOU SO MUCH?!

I don't want to talk bad about myself but I really do try my best to give you guys the best story I can write. So glad to have you guys on this wild ride and hope to keep on with it.

Made a bunch of friends here with all the PM's I get and even found ways to talk with the members outside of FFN to work on new stories.

Hope to make you all happy and most of all, hit you right in the feels so I'm begging you. Just leave a few words about the story to keep me going!