I didn't get quite the action I'm used to on my other stories, but that's fine. I wanted to keep going anyway. I am however starting a big project with a few friends that will require a big part of my time. This will be it for a little while.

To Hell and Back

The large golden Franxx fell into the atmosphere at mach fireball. Inside, Zero Two was clinging to Hiro. Not once in their journey had she let go of him, and she didn't plan to as long as she lived. She wanted to live the rest of their lives just in each other's arms. Hiro was just playing with her hair and admiring all that their friends had built in the time they'd been away.

The destroyed plantation they once called home was made into a new home. The Mistilteinn had been used to start a true farming endeavor. Everything was going smooth. Strangely enough, Genista stood like a large black and green sentry above the settlement.

Klaxosaur warships let go of their hold and allowed the large machine to drop to the ground. The impact shook Hiro from his seat and since Zero Two was being held by him, she went with him to the floor.

"Well, we're home." Hiro stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Yes, Darling. Home." She just reset her head back into his chest not wanting to get up. They decided to just let their friends come to them.

Outside

Ichigo and the rest of the team ran to where the large Franxx crash landed. It created a large crater that was a bout a quarter mile across. They carefully descended the walls to reach the crater's floor. Ikuno and Naomi stayed up top since Ikuno was in a wheelchair. Futoshi had to finish one thing that could not be left undone, but he said it wouldn't be long. It didn't take too long before they reached the door. The Franxx had landed in such a way that it made the door easy to access from the ground.

Goro gripped the now golden handle and turned it. He popped the door open to reveal two friends thought to be dead.

Ichigo jumped past them and climbed inside to find Hiro and Zero Two sitting comfortably on the floor against the wall. "Hiro."

"Hey Ichigo. It's been a while." He smiled as she shed a tear.

"Hello Ichigo." Zero Two also smiled and let out a tear.

The squad leader lost all composure and rushed her two friends and hugged them. "I'm so happy you're back. Both of you came back."

Goro stood in the doorway with Zorome and Miku peering around him.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Miku whined as she tried to push him.

"Shush. Give them a minute. We all know that Ichigo took them leaving the hardest, let her have this." Goro scolded and got the two to back away for a moment. He watched as Ichigo cried her heart out in the arms of their friends that had thought to be gone long ago.

A few more minutes went by before Ichigo finally was able to bring herself to let go of them. "I, I'm sorry. I just missed you so much." She wiped a lone tear from her eye.

Seeing her face, Hiro quickly whispered something to Zero Two. "Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do." She just nodded her head, having an idea of what was about to happen.

He reached out his hand to Ichigo's face. "Ichigo." She looked up and was immediately caught by a kiss from Hiro. At first, she was hesitant, but when she saw Zero Two smile, she melted into it.

Eventually, they pulled apart. "Why? Why would you do that?" She asked as her face turned red.

"Because, Zero Two once told me that a kiss is something you share with someone very special to you. You are very special to me Ichigo. You were my first friend in Garden. You put your heart in soul into trying to protect me. Thank you." He wrapped her in his arms again. Only then did he look up and see Goro in the door. "Hey Goro."

"Hey Hiro. Long time no see."

"Indeed." Carefully, he began to stand with both girls holding him up. "Sorry about kissing Ichigo. I just felt I owed her that."

"I don't blame you. Her lips are something to treasure forever." Goro grinned like an idiot as Ichigo moved to his side.

Together, all four of them exited and stood in the crater's floor with their friends. Hiro and Zero Two looked around at their friends. Mitsuru and Kokoro were standing together, both wearing their wedding rings from that beautiful yet horrible day. Kokoro held little Ai in her arms. Zorome and Miku stood hand in hand. That got Zero Two to giggle. Then there was Ichigo and Goro. Those two had been to Hell and back in found comfort in each other.

Come to think of it, they all had been to Hell and back.

Hiro and Zero Two went around and hugged their friends. When they got to Kokoro, they stopped and looked at Ai. "She's precious." Hiro smiled. It made him want to have a child with Zero Two, but according to her that was impossible.

"We wanted her to meet you two for so long. Now, she gets the chance." Kokoro wiped her eyes. "Ai, this is Hiro and Zero Two. They are the people in the story book Mama reads you."

"Really?" Ai looked up at them in amazement. She recognized Hiro from pictures, but she remembered Zero Two's physical look from her frozen body. "Darling." The word came back to her at the memory.

"Huh?" Zero Two asked as she looked puzzled at the child.

Mitsuru explained. "When your body was here, she would play next to you. One day she grabbed your hand and said 'Darling'. We weren't sure what it meant, but it showed us that we could communicate with you."

"Truly wonderful. A child's mind can be truly wonderful." Kokoro wiped her eyes with her sleeves.

They moved on and went to Miku and Zorome. They both had dopey smiles on their faces.

"So, when did that happen?" Hiro asked as he pointed to their intertwined hands.

"Oh, uh…" Miku stuttered and pulled her hand away.

Zero Two said nothing. She simply grabbed their hands and put them back together. "This should've happened years ago." She let out a slight giggle at their reddened faces. "Don't be shy. Me and Darling aren't." Taking her Darling's hand to prove her point she wrapped her free arm around Miku. "I'm happy for you."

They all laughed when Zorome started complaining. Although even he had to admit, he was happy with the way their relationship had gone.

Lastly, they made their way up the hill to where Ikuno and Naomi were waiting. Hiro stopped when he saw his old partner. He didn't have a chance to speak to her before he left to go with Zero Two.

"N-Naomi."

"Hello Hiro." The girl, now woman, had tears in her eyes. She had grown up, they all had. Even so, Hiro and Zero Two still looked the same as when they left. Naomi had been asleep for about 6 months in her storage container prior to them leaving and Hiro never got to see her. "I see you got a partner that's a good fit." She wiped a tear away.

Zero Two instantly got defensive and held on to Hiro's arm.

He was quick to calm her. "Don't worry, she's not ridiculing me. I told you I had a partner before you came along. I guess that Naomi and I just weren't as compatible as we should be." He flashed a weak smile to her. Zero Two calmed down visibly, but she was still a little angry.

"Fine."

"Naomi." Ikuno spoke up to her friend. The way she touched her arm made Hiro think that maybe something was going on between them.

"Sure." Naomi walked away for a moment. She knew she would have time to catch up later.

"Hiro, Zero Two. It's good to see you both again." Ikuno couldn't stand to hug them due to her body being so frail. She raised her hand to wipe a tear. "We've all missed you."

Hiro and Zero Two knelt down and wrapped their arms around her. "We missed all of you too." Hiro smiled. "I see Naomi is taking care of you now."

"Yes, she is a great woman. Always looking after me and helping with my ideas. She's the reason most of this place is functioning as well as it is. I don't know what I'd do without her." Ikuno looked towards Naomi who was talking to Ichigo.

They stood and talked for a little while, and everyone slowly gathered around them. Futoshi had finally showed up. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late."

Hiro turned to see his friend. "Hi Futoshi."

"Hey Hiro. It's good to have you two home again." He hugged both of them and returned to where Ikuno sat.

They all began to talk amongst themselves about what was new, what there was to do, how everything progressed. Zero Two found it funny.

"Hey, Darling." She looked to Hiro's face. "We really are home, right?"

As she said it, Miku and Zorome started fighting about something stupid again.

"Yes, we're home."