Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope everyone is safe out there. It's been a long story, but we have finally reached the end! The ending will be split into two parts since it's long and will be wrapping up everyone's stories. I hope you will enjoy part one!

Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter: Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip.


"The Other Side of the Fence" Meets "Sibling Rivalry" and" The Runaways"

Epilogue

16 Years Later…

Aqua & Vanitas

He could hear the same tune play over and over again. Eventually, he became used to the classical music and even managed to block it at times, but it still got under his skin. He didn't know how she could keep playing as long as she did, but it truly impressed him at how dedicated she was to her practice. Finally, he let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. He was done staring at the computer in front of him. It was already late into the night and it was time for both of them to be done. The black spiked haired man rose out of his chair in his home office and headed out toward the living room. "Hey…! Mini Me. Call it a day."

Across the room, a young girl with long, shoulder length black hair and big blue eyes, dressed in a school uniform, turned her head back toward him. "Just a few more minutes. I've almost got it right."

Vanitas stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. "You've been playing that thing for hours. Give it a rest. Come eat."

She placed her violin at her side as she let out a pleading stare. "But daddy..."

A dark look came to his eyes. "Amaya…" he let out a stern tone. He placed a glass on the counter. "No whining." She knew he was serious when he called her by her name, more than the tone of his voice. Amaya breathed out and placed the violin back in her case. Afterwards, she headed into the kitchen and sat on a high stool at the counter. "Now… how do you like your milk?"

The ten-year-old let out a grin as he poured. "Cold."

Vanitas slid the glass toward her and leaned against the counter. "Why do you keep playing that thing?"

Amaya smiled as she looked up at him. "Grandma says that I should learn a skill, so I can get into a good school."

Vanitas sighed out loud and popped open his can of beer. He should have known that this was the work of his mother-in-law. "You're just like your mom…"

Amaya grinned. "Really…? Because she always says that I'm like you."

"Hmm…" Then, he let out a smirk. "Well…you are mine. Listen. You don't have to do everything your grandma tells you to. That woman is always trying to control someone in her old age." He pointed toward her. "Don't tell her I said that. Got it?"

The blue-eyed girl nodded. "I won't!"

He gave her a stern look. "Don't do anything you don't want."

She shook her head as she smiled. "I don't mind. Grandma says that I need to be a proper young lady. If I am, then I can get married to someone good."

Vanitas placed his hand to his face as he cringed. At this point, he wished he monitored what Aqua's mother said more often. He shook his head. "What is that woman teaching you…?" Afterwards, he lifted his hand from his head and pointed toward her. "You're a kid! Go outside and play. Do whatever you want. You don't have to listen to what she says. Think about that stuff later." Feeling that he made his point, he changed to the next subject. "Anyway… I guess I have to feed you. What do you want to eat?"

A nervous look came to her face. "Can we…have ice cream…?"

"Hmm…" The innocent look on her face was persuasive. After giving it another thought, he opened the freezer and then glanced back at her. "If you eat for real, you can have ice cream first. I don't need you getting sick. Then I'm the one who gets yelled at."

The smile on her face increased. "I will! I promise!"

He gave her a serious look. "Don't tell your mom."

Right away, she nodded and went around the kitchen island to where he was. He placed the carton on the counter along with bowls and spoons and both sat on stools beside each other. Amaya looked over, slightly disappointed. "She's going to be late again, isn't she?"

Vanitas placed the spoon in his mouth. "Yeah. It's just you and me tonight kid. Is that a problem?"

Amaya swung her legs as she stared down at her bowl. "No, but I do wish she was here, so she could tuck me in."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "What? You don't like when I do it?"

Uneasy, she smiled. "I like when you do too… it's just…you don't… read stories like mommy does. You don't like to."

His eyes drifted toward the side. She made a point. "I guess…"

Amaya swung her legs as she became curious. "So…? Is that how you and mommy got together? Because she did everything grandma told her to?"

Vanitas laughed as he closed his eyes. Whenever he thought about it, it was ironic. "I'm the furthest thing that woman wanted! She hates my guts! She probably still does."

A surprised look came on her face. "But why daddy?"

A faint, regretful smirk came on his face as he thought back. "I wasn't exactly a good guy... I did a lot of bad things when I was younger."

Amaya became a little worried as she wondered what he meant. "Like…what…?"

His eyes drifted toward the side. "I worked for a very bad man. I was trying to help out your other grandma, but…I ended up losing sight of why I was doing that stuff in the first place. If it wasn't for your mom, I wouldn't be here with you right now."

Amaya's eyes opened, surprised. "Oh…! Mommy came in and saved you! Was she like a superhero?"

Vanitas chuckled. He wondered what a certain, blue-haired woman would think if she heard this. "If you tell her that, it would just go to her head."

A look of curiosity and slight confusion came on her face. "What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it. Point is don't make the same mistakes I made-." He rubbed the top of her head, which made her grin. "-and don't grow up too fast. You come to me if you have any problems and I'll handle them. All right?"

Amaya nodded in agreement. "Yes daddy."

As he watched her eat, a gentle smile crept on his face. She turned out to be a sweet well-behaved kid. In the past, it was hard to imagine having a child, but now, he couldn't see how things would be without her. Eventually, he slid the bowl away from her, which surprised her. "All right. Enough ice cream. You get to pick what to eat for dinner."

Amaya sighed as she rolled her eyes and got off of her chair. "Fine…"

Her answer almost made him laugh. She reminded him of himself with the way she talked sometimes. Vanitas leaned back in his chair as he looked curious. She pulled out a pan from the cabinet. "What are you doing?"

She grabbed bread, butter, and cheese and placed them on the stove. "Making dinner like you said."

Inside, he was surprised that she volunteered. "What are you making?"

"Grilled cheese."

Vanitas stood up and went beside her. He let out a proud smirk. "Sounds good." As she cooked, he helped her until they were done.

After dinner, Vanitas plopped down on the couch, tired. His eyes lowered to a close. It had been a really long day. After a few minutes, he fell asleep. When Amaya walked over, she was surprised to see that he was asleep. "Daddy…?" She could hear him breathe softly. He didn't move at all. Amaya went into the hallway and grabbed a blanket from the closet. She went back to the couch and placed the blanket over him. She was about to head back to her room, but she stopped in place. Her eyes went back toward him. For a little time, she debated until she decided what she wanted to do next. She slipped underneath the blanket and curled up beside him. Lightly, she moved against him, which caused him to make room. Tired, she closed her eyes as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Soon, the two were both asleep.

A few hours later, Vanitas woke up. Surprised, he felt a weight against his arm. When he looked down, he saw Amaya asleep beside him. Soon, his surprise went away. There were times before when he caught her sleeping beside him. Even now, he didn't understand why, but she had always seemed so peaceful when she slept. "Hey! Mini Me." Lightly he shook her, but she didn't want to wake up. "Wake up."

"I don't want too…" Amaya groaned. Then, an idea came to mind. Vanitas bumped her off of the couch and caused her to fall onto the floor. Afterwards, she sat up as she frowned toward him. "Daddy…!"

Vanitas smirked. "I had to find some way to get you up. You should be sleeping in your own bed anyway." Amaya crossed her arms in front of her as she pouted. He couldn't help but laugh at her expression. Her pout reminded him of her mother's. "Come on little brat. Time to go to bed." He got up and helped her off of the ground. Still noticing the pout on her face, he smirked toward her. "Hey! I gave you ice cream for dinner. You don't get to argue."

"Hmm…" she groaned.

His smirk widened. "I'm sure you'll get me back next time."

Eventually her pout faded into a devious smirk. "Yup! And you won't see it coming!"

Vanitas stood up beside her. "I'll hold you to that." Amaya walked away and went to her room to get ready for bed. Some time after, he walked in his room to check on her. She jumped on her bed and pulled the covers over her legs. "Good night."

Gently, she smiled toward him. "Good night daddy."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "I thought you were over this. Why don't you sleep in your own bed instead of on the couch with me?"

Uneasy, her eyes traveled down. "It's nothing."

He could tell that there was something on her mind. "What is it…?"

"Hmm…" There was a debate going on in her mind. To her, it sounded silly saying it out loud.

"Amaya…" he sounded impatient.

Her hand fiddled against her leg. "It…gets really quiet around here…"

"Are you scared?" Amaya answered him with a nod. He wondered why. "Nothing bad is going to happen. You know I'll make sure of that."

Amaya lied down as she pulled the covers over her. "I'm know, but…still…" she moaned.

"What?" he asked curious. Vanitas leaned his hands against the bed as he hovered over her.

She pulled her cover part way down her face. "When I'm at home, there's no one else to talk to around here…"

Vanitas looked curious and suspicious. "So…? In a month, you'll get to see your cousins for the summer. Then, you can play with them. Aren't you happy about that?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Then, the nervous look returned to her face. "Well…do you think there will be…someone else besides me around…?"

He became confused. "Huh?"

Her eyes glanced between the covers and him. "My friends at school…they have brothers and sisters…"

He arched his eyebrow. "So? You're asking me if you can have a brother or sister?"

"Kind of…" she spoke, quietly.

Curious, he sat up straight. "Why? So, you can have someone to boss around?"

Amaya sat up, anxious. "Well you have Uncle Ventus, Roxas, and Sora! Didn't you have fun with them?!"

Vanitas sighed. Playfully, he gave her a push from his hand and made her fall back on the bed. She let out a grin. "Go to sleep Mini Me." He got up and headed toward the doorway. Before he left, he stopped and scratched the back of his head, uncomfortable. He glanced toward her. "I guess…we'll see about it…"

His words brought an excited smile to her face. As she turned on her side, she curled up under her covers. "Good night!" Vanitas shook his head as he closed his eyes. What had he gotten himself into…? He cut off the light and closed the door partly. Afterwards, he plopped back on the couch in front of the television. He let out a sigh as he started to relax.

Half an hour later, he heard the sound of the door unlock. The door opened and soon a blue-haired woman stepped through with her briefcase in hand. "Sorry I'm late! I tried to get back as soon as I could!"

He spread his arms across the top of the couch as he looked back. "It's fine."

Aqua looked disappointed. "Awe…! Amaya is probably asleep by now…" She stepped in the doorway of her room and saw Amaya asleep in her bed. She sighed and then headed to their bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed tired. Vanitas stepped in and leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. "Did you feed Amaya?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"Did you make sure she brushed her teeth before she went to sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Did you make sure she did her homework?"

As he walked toward her, he rolled his eyes. "Yes…! I think I know how to take care of her by now."

Aqua shook her head. She knew he would take care of things. "Sorry Vanitas… I've been asking questions all day. How was work?"

He shrugged. "Work. You?"

"It's been so busy. I wish I was here more often, but I'm glad you can work from home. I feel much better that you're here to watch over Amaya."

"You know what she asked me today?"

She looked curious. "What?"

He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "When is she getting a brother or sister?"

Her eyes traveled toward the side as she looked uneasy. "Oh…! She's been kind of asked me the same thing..." It made her a little nervous to ask. "What do you think…?"

He gave her a serious look. "It's up to you isn't it? You wanted to focus on work."

Her eyes traveled down. "I know…" Then, she looked over toward him. "Still, I want to know what you think."

He smirked as he leaned toward her neck. She could feel his warm breath against her skin "Well…the trying part is fun," he whispered seductively. Then, he lifted up from her. "I would be down for that, but another brat running around…" He leaned back on his hands. "I guess Amaya wasn't too bad, but just wait till she gets older…"

Aqua sighed. They both felt a sense of concern. "Yeah… She's going to be a teenager sooner than we think."

Vanitas rolled his eyes toward the side. "Talking to her is going to be fun..."

She placed her hands on her hips. "You're talking to her too."

"I'll be more…threatening to any boy that comes near her." Aqua let a giggle slip out. Her eyes traveled toward the side. Jokes aside, he wanted to know what she really thought. "Do you want another kid?"

"Hmm…" As she reminisced, her eyes traveled upwards. "Do you remember when Amaya was born?"

He arched his eyebrow, curious as to where she was going with this. "Yeah. You almost broke my hand."

Silently, she laughed as she relaxed. "She was so cute and small in my arms." Then, she looked over at him. "But I was worried at first. It didn't seem like you wanted to get too attached to her." Vanitas looked down toward the floor as he thought about how he felt back then. He had to admit that he was a little concerned. Her lips curved into a smile. "You thought you would drop her or that she wouldn't like you, but it wasn't long before you found out that wasn't the case at all. She thinks the world of you." Her eyes turned forward. "She was unexpected, but we took care of her either way." Aqua leaned her head against his shoulder. "She was determined to come into this world."

He still remembered that day well. After he thought about it, he spoke, "Fine... Let see what happens, but no promises to Amaya, all right?"

Aqua nodded toward him. Then, she stood up. "It's been a long day. I'm going to take a shower. What did you end up making for Amaya for dinner?"

"She made us grilled cheese."

She frowned toward him. "Vanitas…that's not a proper dinner!"

"Then start cooking for us again." Aqua rolled her eyes as she sighed and stepped into the bathroom. Vanitas heard the sound of water running. An idea came to his mind soon after…

As water ran down her body, Aqua's eyes lowered to a close. At that moment, all of her stress seemed to just melt away. Every muscle in her body started to relax. Suddenly, she felt hands lightly press against her shoulders. Her eyes lowered to a close as she felt the tips of his fingers dig into her skin. A sigh left her lips. His hands traveled further down her back and massaged her muscles along the way. A smile crossed her lips as she kept her eyes closed. "That's nice of you." His hand slid from her back and wrapped around her stomach. He pressed in close against her back and hips. In her mind, she could already tell what was on his. His head leaned against her shoulder and placed a kiss against her wet skin. She leaned her head back against his. "Kind of late for you to be taking a shower."

"I thought I'd join you," he whispered in her ear. His hands rubbed against her stomach and pressed her more against him. He moved the strands of her blue hair aside and placed his lips against the crook of her neck.

The sensation from his lips sent a shiver down her spine. She turned toward him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "At least we'll stay clean in here."

"I was thinking that we should move somewhere else." Hungrily, his lips met with hers once more. Vanitas grabbed onto her legs and holstered her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and kissed her skin again. Aqua breathed out with her eyes closed. She had become completely taken by him...

XXX

He cut off the water in the shower and carried her out into the bedroom. She lied across the soft bed as he came over her. His hand pressed against the back of her wet, blue hair as they kissed fiercely. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she embraced him. A sigh left her lips as he placed kisses on her chest and lower toward her stomach. When she felt him kiss her inner thigh, a smile escaped her lips. It felt ticklish to the touch. His warm body slid across hers, coming face to face with her. His hand caressed her breast as he kissed her neck. "We're…getting…the bed wet…" she whispered between breaths.

"Who cares? There something I'm trying to get wetter." He grabbed the back of her legs and bent them at his waist. He pressed himself inside of her. She closed her eyes as she cried out. As he moved back and forth, she grabbed on tight to his muscular arms. The feeling was overwhelming and filled with pleasure. He could feel her insides tightened around him. A line of cries left her lips before she felt her end. Following after her, he felt his end as well.


After she relaxed, her knees were pressed together against his chest. Curious, she looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

He crossed his arms on top of her legs and pressed his chin against the top of his arms. "You never said what you wanted."

Surprised that he asked, her eyes traveled around as she thought. "Oh…! Um…?"

Vanitas leaned forward. A little nervous, she whispered her answer. Interested, he leaned back up. "Really? How come?"

She shrugged as she smiled a little. "Yeah. Why not? Maybe they'll actually be like me this time."

He pushed her knees closer toward her chest. "Not if I have any control over it." Then, he arched his eyebrow as a thought came to mind. "Wait… What's the point of trying now? I thought you were taking something so you couldn't have another kid."

Nervously, she glanced between the room and him. She pointed the tips of her index fingers together on and off. "Well… I kind of… stopped a while ago since Amaya kept asking."

"And you weren't going to tell me…? I didn't think you would stoop so low," he joked.

Aqua grinned. "I didn't think you would mind this time." She pulled on his arm and made him lie beside her. "The least you could do is keep me company."

Giving into her, he closed his eyes. "Fine…" Afterwards, he lied down on the bed beside her.

Aqua looked over as she smiled a little nervous. "So…? The beach trip is coming up next month. Are you excited?"

Vanitas placed his hands behind his head. "I don't know…" he muttered.

Aqua became concerned. "Why not…?" His eyes drifted toward the side. She tilted her head to look more at his face. "Amaya is excited…" Maybe that would make him a little happy about going back home, but his expression didn't change. She thought about why he had his reservations. "I remember a few years ago...when Amaya mentioned the man on the beach." She turned on her side toward him. "It must've been hard…coming face to face with your father again, after so much time..."

"It was nothing," he replied nonchalantly. It still concerned her that he didn't talk much about it. Aqua leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. It didn't take her long to fall asleep. As Vanitas stared up at the ceiling, her words from earlier still rung in his head. He remembered back to a few years ago when they first went back to their hometown…

"Daddy…?" Nearby, Vanitas heard the sound of the small, familiar voice. Curious, he saw a young Amaya stare off into the distance. He followed the direction of her eyes and noticed a man toward the other end of the beach. Suddenly, he felt a hand clutch his. Below him, he noticed the worried look on her face as she hid behind his leg.

"Va…nitas?" Vanitas's eyes widened in surprise. How did the stranger know his name? At the same time, somehow, he recognized that voice too.

Vanitas took another moment to remember who the man was. Then, the answer struck him like lightning. Was it possible? "You…?"

"Hey! Vanitas!" Nearby, he saw Sora, Roxas, and Ventus walked over the short sand hill. Sora looked at him confused. "There are you! Aqua was looking for you." Then, he spotted the man that stood across the beach. "Who's that guy?" Along with the confusion of his face, Roxas and Ventus became confused as well. Vanitas felt uneasy. The last thing he wanted was for them to see him again.

Roxas thought more about the man until he came to a realization. His eyes widened. "It can't be…"

Vanitas stared forward with a slight glare in his eyes. "It seems he finally came home after all this time… Right? Dad…?"

Vanitas's eyes shot open as he took a deep breath in. After they had laid down for a while, he didn't realize how lost in the past he was and that he had fell asleep. He looked toward his side and nudged Aqua awake. "Hey…"

"Hm." Tired, she woke up. She sat up as she rubbed her eye and grabbed onto the edge of the bed. "I still need to take a shower…"

Vanitas sat up. "I'll join you." He followed her into the bathroom. Inside of the tub, Aqua leaned against his chest with her eyes closed asleep. Between work earlier and spending time with him tonight, her body was worn out. As Vanitas stared up, he couldn't help but still think about that day. Eventually, it led to other memories of his life on the island…

Roxas & Xion

The apartment began to calm down as it got late into the night. Xion walked back into the living room to see two heads turned toward the television and one playing with their toys. "All right. Time to get ready for bed."

A young, eight-year-old girl leaned back with her hands pressed on her knees as she groaned. "Five more minutes…? It's almost over. Please…"

Xion breathed out with her eyes closed. It wouldn't hurt to let them stay up a little longer. "All right… Only five more. Then you have to go to bed." Afterwards, she turned back toward the sink and finished up the rest of the dishes. As she stood in the kitchen, a smile curved at her lips. In a month, she would return to see the rest of her family. It reminded her that a lot of things had changed over the years and the proof was right in front of her. She turned back toward the living room. "All right… Your five minutes are up. Go brush your teeth." The older two in front of the television stood up and ran toward the bathroom. On the floor, Xion noticed that the youngest didn't move as he slowly began to put away his toys. She bent down beside the six-year-old boy as she looked curious. "Do you need any help?"

"It's all right. I got it." As she watched him, she became concerned. Lately, he seemed quieter. It was then that she made up her mind. She began to help him pick up his toys. "Mom-."

"I know." She smiled toward him. "You can do it on your own, but I want to help. I don't mind." He turned his head back toward the floor. Inside, he was happy to have her beside him. Xion took another good look at her young son. He was smaller in statue with light blue eyes and orange-yellow hair with a few spikes pointed up in the front. A smile curved on her lips once more. To her, he was someone special. After they were done, he took off toward his room.

In the hallway, the first two approached. Xion placed her hands on her eldest daughter's cheeks to pop her lips open and check her teeth. Afterwards, she smiled. "Good!" She rubbed the top of her blonde hair that reached down to her shoulder. "Good night Xenna."

She headed toward her room as she waved. "Night!"

Xion turned her attention to the second oldest. He had short blonde hair that reached down to his neck and blue eyes. He flashed his pearly whites, which she grinned. Afterwards, he ran pass." She chuckled a little. "Good night to you too Daxs!"

"Good night mom," Daxs shouted.

Xion shook her head as she smiled. They really were growing up fast before her eyes. Then, she looked over at the end of the hall toward the bathroom. The light was still on. She was a little concerned and wondered if she should check on youngest. Deciding to let Jaxon handle things on his own, she went to Xenna's room instead. She leaned over and placed a kiss against her forehead. Xenna giggled at the sensation. "You don't have to keep doing that mom."

Xion sat down at her bedside as she let out a gentle smile. "I know. I just like to. Soon, you'll be old enough that I can't do it anymore." She went over toward the light and turned it off. Then, she looked back at Xenna. "Good night."

Xenna settled in and closed her eyes. "Good night mom."

Afterwards, Xion went over to the next room and said good night to Daxs as well. In the hall, she looked for Jaxon, but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, she spotted him sitting in the kitchen already dressed in his footed pajamas. She walked over to him curious and sat down beside him. "Jax?" He continued to stare down. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm…" It seemed silly to say out loud so he wasn't sure if he should.

"It's okay. You can tell me." She stroked his back to soothe him. "What is it?"

Jaxon grabbed the middle of the chair between his knees as he stared down. "It's just that… I don't know if I'm ready to go back to school."

Xion laughed a little and then smiled for comfort. "Why are you thinking about that? It's summer. This is the time to have fun."

"I know…" he moaned slightly.

Curious, she tilted her head to try and meet his gaze. "What's got you down then? Is homework too hard or-?"

"I'm the smallest one in my class," he murmured.

"Oh! It's not a bad thing."

"But…" He pouted. "Everyone picks on me because of it." He looked off toward the side. "Even Xenna and Daxs do sometimes…" Xion looked concerned as he spoke. "I don't understand…"

She wrapped her arm around him. "Oh Jaxon… You're stronger than you know. I've seen it firsthand."

He looked up at her surprised. "Really?"

Xion smiled as she nodded. "Hmm-Hmm…" She thought about what to say to help him. "I never told you this, but when I was younger, I had others who picked on me too."

He stared at her with surprise and wonder. "Really?"

Her eyes traveled down as she thought back. "It wasn't easy, but I had to fight and stand up for myself." Then, she smiled to assure him. "Just let whoever picks on you know to leave you alone and if they don't, I'll be there to help you, okay?" Jaxon still seemed unsure. She embraced him as she closed her eyes. "Don't worry! You'll be fine." Afterwards, she parted from him and smiled for comfort. "I won't anyone hurt you."

Jaxon gave a look of unease. "Okay…"

"Now. It's time to go to bed. I'll tuck you in." Xion followed him to his room he shared with his older brother Daxs. He crawled into his bed and got underneath the covers. She sat down beside him. "Good night." She noticed that he looked a little worried. "Do you want me to leave the light on for you?" Jaxon nodded a few times. Afterwards, she plugged in a night light beside his bed. When she was about to leave, she still noticed the worried look on his face. "Do you want me to stay?" He nodded a few more times. Gently she smiled and cuddled in beside him. Both of them fell asleep beside each other.

Sometime later, the door to the apartment opened. Everything around sounded quiet. First, the blonde-haired man headed to his bathroom and noticed it was empty. If Xion wasn't there, he wondered where she could be. Then, he thought of the one place where he found her before. He stepped inside of the boys' room. The room was lit by a shaded lamp and the night light by Jaxon's bed. He moved over toward the side where she was and pressed his lips on the side of her head. "Hey…" he whispered.

Xion closed her eyes tight before she looked over. "Roxas…?" He stood up straight and headed out of the room. Lightly, she brushed Jaxon's hair. It didn't seem to wake him. Tired, she let out a faint smile and then cut off the lamp. Afterwards, she walked into the kitchen where he sat at the counter. She smiled, happy to see him back. "Welcome home."

He popped open a can of beer. "You're sleeping in Jax's room again?"

Xion sat down beside him. "He feels better when I sleep next to him. He was really sad today."

"What's wrong?" he asked curious.

She looked concerned. "Jax told me that some kids have been picking on him because he's the smallest one in his class."

Roxas arched his eyebrow. "What did you say to him?"

She turned her head to him. "I told him that he should stand up for himself and I told him how I was picked on too."

A part of him was worried about how much detail she went into. "Did you tell him everything that happened?"

She shook her head. "No. I think he's too young to know about that. I'm just worried because I don't want him to get hurt."

His finger lightly brushed against her arm, which she became curious. "They disappeared a long time ago."

She grabbed onto his arm where she saw a faint line. "I just wished yours had too..."

"It's mostly gone." He stood up. "Don't worry about Jax. I'll teach him how to defend himself."

Xion smiled a little through her worry. "I keep thinking back to when he was born…"

Roxas sighed with his eyes closed as he sat back beside her. "It was a tough time back then."

"He was born prematurely. Earlier than Xenna and Daxs… I didn't think he was going to survive and I couldn't bear it if I lost another child…" Even now, the thought still made her sad. "…but I knew that he was a fighter and he proved it. I kept thinking about what I could've done differently, so that he wouldn't have to struggle."

He didn't want her to blame herself in any way. "You didn't do anything wrong. That's just how things turned out. Jax's not different from anyone else."

Her eyes traveled down as she let out a gentle smile. "I know you're right. Still… I just want to be there to help him whenever I can."

Roxas smiled a little and placed his hand against her back to comfort her. "I know." Afterwards, he began to head to their room.

Xion watched him, surprised. "Where are you going?"

Tired, he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to bed."

She stood up concerned. "At least let me fix you something to eat. I don't want you to go to bed on an empty stomach."

He looked back toward her. "You don't have to go through the trouble."

She smiled to assure him. "Really…I don't mind." After some time, Roxas ate as Xion stood across from him. It made her happy to see him taking care of himself. "You've been working really hard. I hope that you can take it easy soon. The kids are old enough now that I can go back to work."

"Don't worry about it. This is what you really wanted to do, right? To be a mom?" Words didn't leave her lips. It seemed he could already tell. He stood up. "I know you like to stay home and take care of them, so it's okay."

She looked concerned. "But what about-?"

Roxas stopped before he headed to their room and put his fingers to his chin. "I do like living here in Twilight Town, but let's face it…" He turned toward her. "This place is too small for us. We need to move."

She became curious. It seemed he already had an idea in mind. "Where would you want to go?"

"Maybe…" He had the same thought for a while, but wasn't sure what she would think of it. "Maybe we should go home." Right away, he noticed the stunned look on her face. "It's just a thought."

Xion looked a little concerned. "We have a lot of memories there."

"But there's good ones too," he pointed out.

"Hmm…" She still had her concerns about moving back to the islands. Then, she followed him into their room. Roxas sat down on the bed as he breathed out. He still seemed tense. As she stared at him, a thoughtful idea came to mind. "I know what will help. Let me run you a hot bath."

A few minutes, he sat in soothing, warm water. Xion massaged his back as she sat on the edge of the tub. As he relaxed, his eyes lowered to a close. "That feels really good."

She smiled. "You really need to relax. You feel tense."

Later that night, the two lied in bed beside each other. Roxas leaned his head against her chest as he slept. As she stared up at the ceiling, Xion wondered again if they should move back home…

Soon after, the next month had passed by quickly.

Sora & Kairi

The water seemed so calm and relaxing as it washed along the shore. Yet, she stood anxiously as she watched and waited. At any moment, he would be home and they would be together again. With every passing second, she became more and more eager. "Mama!" The scarlet haired woman snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head toward the other side of the beach. A young, eleven-year-old girl with big blue eyes waved toward her. Her brown, chestnut hair hung slightly below her shoulder with a few ends pointed up. Below her, there were two others bent down in the sand as they stared at it.

Curious, Kairi walked over. "What is it Lucy?" The oldest pointed toward the crab in the sand. "Oh…!"

They watched as it slowly crawled out of its burrow and head toward the water. Lucy looked back toward her mother as she grinned. "Wow! I've never seen one that big before!" Kairi let out a gentle, happy look. The grin on her face reminded her very much of her father's. Ever since she was born, it seemed that she had an uncanny resemblance to him. Then, Lucy turned her attention to something else and pointed across the beach. "Ooh! I think I found something!" She took off running.

"Hey…!" Soon, her six-year-old little brother took off behind her. Kairi's smile increased. Even he had a striking resemblance to his father as well, especially when he was younger.

Then, Kairi became concerned by how far they ran. "Hey! Don't go too far!" An uneasy look came on her face. "Hmm…"

"They'll be alright mommy," she heard a small voice beside her. Her eyes lowered toward the scarlet haired nine-year old below her. She let out a smile as she placed her hands behind her back. "Wynn is with Lucy. She won't let anything happen to him."

Softly, Kairi laughed. Her words did make her feel a little better. As she watched her, she couldn't help but smile. She had a sweet smile, short scarlet hair that came to her shoulders, like hers used to when she was younger. "I guess you're right."

The small girl placed her hand on her mother's round stomach. "How do you feel mommy?"

"I'm all right," Kairi assured her. Then, she gave her a curious look as she arched her eyebrow. "What brought that up?"

She responded with a grin. "Daddy told me to check on you and make sure you're all right."

Kairi was touched to hear that. "Awe! That's very sweet of you."

The nine-year-old leaned her head against her stomach and closed her eyes as she smiled tenderly. "It's going to be very soon, isn't it?"

Kairi placed her hand against the back of the girl's head. "Yeah. So…? What are you hoping for?" she sounded curious.

She leaned back and lifted her head to mother. "I don't know… Another sister might be nice, but if it's a little brother, that could make things even for daddy and Wynn."

Kairi laughed a little. "How very grown up of you Hana." She ruffled the top of her hair a little.

Hana grinned. Then, she pulled onto Kairi's hand. "Mommy? Will you tell me the story again?"

Kairi chuckled a little. "Wait…What story?"

Hana pointed toward the waterfall. "The story of the secret place! The one you and daddy shared."

Kairi wondered why she wanted to hear it again. "You've already heard it."

"I know, but we still have a little time before the boat arrives. Come on!" Kairi could see how eager and excited she was, so she decided to follow her. She looked over to the other end of the beach toward the two children. "Don't go far! We'll be right back!"

Lucy waved and smiled to assure her. "We won't!"

Afterwards, Kairi and Hana went pass the waterfall and headed into the cave. Hana went in first. She sat down on her knees and looked at the cave drawings around her. Then, she placed her hand against the wall as she smiled. In front of her was the cave drawing of the five of them. "Remember this?"

It took a little time, but Kairi managed to sit down. "Of course." Then, she noticed the anticipating look on Hana's face. She must've really wanted to hear the story. "Okay…" She grabbed onto her small hands. "A long time ago, before I moved to the island, it was just me and my grandmother, but then…" Her eyes traveled down, still saddened by the memory. "-it became just me..." Then, she looked up at Hana. "That's when I came here. The first people I met were two little boys."

Hana smiled. She already knew the answer. "Daddy and Uncle Riku, right?"

Kairi nodded. "Hmm-Hmm… The two of them have been friends for as long as they could remember-." She placed her fingers toward her lips as she grinned silently. "-and I was lucky that they invited me to play with them. Well…daddy and I discovered this secret cave, so we would come here from time to time and draw on the walls. One day, when we didn't have an idea of what to draw, I said 'how about we draw each other'?" Their eyes shifted over to the drawing the two of them did a long time ago.

Hana grinned toward her. "And then you drew the papou fruit?!"

Slightly, Kairi shook her head. "Not yet…" Her eyes lifted as she thought back. "Then…daddy had to move away for a little while. I wondered if I would ever see him again, but in my heart… I knew that I would."

Hana gave a sympathetic look. She couldn't imagine how she must've have felt. "Was it hard…?"

"The wait isn't as bad now as it was back then. That year apart… it was hard to bear." Kairi placed her hand against her chest. "Wondering where he was… the different things he would see…wondering if we were ever looking up at the sky at the same time…" Kairi grabbed onto her hand with her other hand. "I would write, but my words never seemed to reach. I could never tell him how I felt and yet, my feelings continued to grow stronger. I had to suppress it almost every day because it hurt not to see him." When she looked over, she noticed Hana's teary eyes. Nervously, she waved her hands. She didn't mean to sadden her. "B-But that's in the past! That hasn't happened in a long time!" She looked up. "Eventually, he did come back and I told him how I felt." She placed her hand against the wall as she reminisced. "And right here is where he told me he felt the same." Her hand brushed against his face. Then, she turned her head to Hana as she grinned. "And yes, we did share the papou." Hana was glad to hear that. "Remember… You have to share it with someone very special and your destines will be intertwined forever."

Hana nodded a few times. "Got it!"

Kairi became curious. "Hana? Why did you want me to tell you the story again?"

Hana brushed off her dress as she stood up. "I just like hearing it…" Then, she held up her finger as she looked back toward her and grinned. "…and you look like you needed to take your mind off of waiting.

Kairi chuckled to herself as she shook her head. She felt lucky to have a daughter look after her the way Hana did. "When did you get so wise…?"

Hana placed her hands behind her. "Daddy was the one who asked me to help you while he was away."

"I see…So you were both thinking of me." Kairi managed to stand up and she walked outside with Hana. Lucy and Wynn ran over. "There are you!" Lucy looked eager. "It's almost time for the boat to come in!" Kairi smiled. It seemed they spent enough time on the island.

Once they got to the mainland, the three ran ahead as Kairi followed behind. They stopped as they breathed hard. Lucy searched around. "He's not here yet?"

The three of them looked at each other worried. What if he didn't make it in time? Suddenly, they felt something warm behind them. Lucy felt one hand on her shoulder as Wynn felt the other on his. "Are you three looking for someone?"

Surprised, they turned around. As soon as they saw the familiar face, they grinned and pounced. "Daddy!" All three of him knocked him down on the ground. Sora used his hands to support him before they made him lay flat. Their reaction surprised him. "You guys missed me that much?"

Lucy became curious as her face leaned in closer. "What did you bring us?!"

"Yeah! What did you bring us?!" Wynn spoke, interested.

Sora looked between the three of them. "I'll show you guys when we get home all right?" He sat up as they sat on their knees in front of him.

Hana smiled excited and curious. "Do you have a new story for us?!"

Wynn became excited as well. "Yeah! Did you fight any dragons this time?!"

Lucy made a creepy, crawling motion with her fingers. "Did you go to the spooky place again where there's the scary looking monsters and you met Santa Claus?!"

Hana held her hands together hopeful. "Did you go to a castle where a princess lives?!"

Sora grinned toward them. He moved his hand up as he looked toward the sky. "This time, I flew!"

Lucy gave a skeptical look. "Come on daddy… You can't really fly."

He spread his arms out and pointed toward the sky. "I did! I was on this big pirate ship and then I flew in the sky."

Hana opened her eyes in amazement. "Really?!"

Wynn bounced in excitement. "I wanna fly!"

"Maybe I can take you there someday." The three grinned. They got up and pulled him up along with them. Sora took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the one person he hadn't had a chance to greet yet. "I'm back."

Kairi smiled as she placed her hands behind her back. "Welcome home." She stepped closer as she grinned curiously. "So…? No stories about a daring rescue?" she teased.

His hand rubbed the side of her hair that hung over her shoulder. "Not this time. I was ready to get back to the princess who was waiting for me." She smiled as she tilted her head more toward his hand. He moved in closer and kissed her lips.

A smile curved at her lips more. "They really do like when you tell that story." Sora reflected her smile. He moved in again and pressed his lips to hers once more.

"Eww…!" Lucy and Wynn let out disgusted look as Hana smiled.

"Gross…" Wynn agreed.

He looked back at them confused. "What? I can't be happy to see your mom?"

Lucy frowned as she helped carry his suitcase. "Can't you do that at home?"

"Yeah…" Wynn frowned as he put his hands behind his head.

Hana smiled as she followed them. "I think it's very sweet."

Sora scratched the back of his head as he looked over at Kairi. "Were we always like this when we were younger?"

"I don't think you were so much. You actually did some sweet things for me." Kairi turned and started to follow them. "Let's go home first. The others will be here soon, so we should set up."


Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update with part two so stayed tuned!

Side notes: Names of the children:

'Amaya' in Japanese mean 'Night Rain'. Something I wanted to represent in both Aqua & Vanitas since Aqua's name means 'water' and night has to do with darkness for Vanitas.

As far as names for Xenna, Jaxon, and Daxs, I wanted something with an 'X' in them just like how Roxas, Xion, and the organization members' names are.

'Lucy' means 'Light' Something I wanted to represent that Sora & Kairi had in common.

'Hana' in Japanese means 'Flower'. Picked in mind for Kairi's BBS appearance and for her Keyblade Destiny's Embrace.

'Wynn': Mainly, I wanted a name that sounded like an element, so it sounds like 'wind', plus Sora & Kairi's names are elements meaning 'sky' & 'sea' The actual name meaning means 'friend' which the game is about friendship.