Sorry for the long wait and what I believe is a boring chapter- though necessary in a way. I'm not gonna lie when I say I was having so much trouble focusing on writing this... which explains why I might come off a what I stated earlier. I just don't know why I kept jumping to so many different fandoms and trying to work with them. At any point, here's the next chapter, I'll do my best to work on the next one and hopefully add OPFan37's meeting he had in his last chapter- I was unable to do it this chapter. Sorry about that!

(Chapter Thirty-Five: The Decision)

"Hey papa," Button rolled around on her back as Gabriele shuffled around to put some books away. He was done doing research for the day.

"Button, you don't have to-" Gabriele tried to reassure the child but was cut off.

"But you adopted me though... right?" She rolled back onto her stomach flopping her scarf limbs around "just like how Julia adopted Kero."

"Well, yes.. but after hearing about what happened to you real father..." he turned around to her, the wood of their new house settling and creaking.

"...he was eaten along time ago. I was alone for a long time after." The child huffed herself up, and balanced for fun like she was going to fall over "I had a lot of time to think and get over the shock, and I've probably lost a lot of my sanity along the way!" She giggled, looking at him. "It'd be nice to finally have a father figure around again!"

He crouched as Button ran up to him, grabbing the doctor in a hug. Hearing this made his soul melt, "I too have waited for something I never thought I'd have again." That was all he said as Gabriele returned the hug.

"Are you going to marry Julia? I want her to be my mom!" Button suddenly called out, catching the man off guard.

Gabriele had to do a double-take on what she had just said "I- wha-... M-marry!? Where- where did that-!?"

This only made the energetic child roared with laughter, shaking around in his hold to free herself and then running off out of the house before he could recompose himself.

Well, Gabriele knew he and Julia got along just lovely, but Marriage was something he never thought he'd think of again. Gabriele paused almost like he had stopped working, you could almost see the gears slowly turn in his head as the doctor never thought of what might happen for their long-term relationship...

perhaps...?

Julia stood in a line, sneezing. Her foot tapped at the ground waiting for the few other cats ahead of her to move. She was currently in this line for a yellow pass, along with Kero who just seemed to meander around.

'the metro used to be such an open kind place.'

Those words still echoed in her mind along with how desperate Jack had been. He really wanted her help and if Julia were her younger self, she'd jump in along with Melody at her side. But she'd assume that all the near-death experiences have finally caught up to her.

She wasn't her old self anymore.

Was that a bad thing?

She had a family of her own now, more friends too. She has so many people that would miss her if she's gone. Worst of all she couldn't go all out in a fight or she'll unleash her inner demons it seems as well.

That little part of her, however... wants to. Julia wants to fight, she... wants to help those in need. The urge to just... lose control was so strong.

She's already wearing a bit thin.

Julia doesn't feel like herself.

"Next!" The kiosk cat called out, motioning for her to move up. She was already at the front during her thinking. "Yellow metro pass, ten Pons!"

Fishing out the currency, the woman handed it over. She then received a small yellow card with a cat head printed on it. Stepping away from the crowd, Kero came waltzing back up to her.

"So... I guess this is it." She looked down at her son, then back at the card and flipping it over to study it more. "We officially have access to the yellow gates."

Kero sighed happily, "that's a few fewer trains we have to jump on." Making Julia smile at him.

"And a few fewer eyes on us too." Julia smiled.

"So, what is your deal anyway..." Bonnie asked Zephyr as they wondered about, twirling a green metro pass in her hands "what made you want to change sides?"

Bonnie had heard the part of the story where Melody, Kero, and Julia had that moment in the older woman's dreamscape. How messed up and twisted he was, probably still is, and how much he wanted to kill Julia for just existing around her father.

Zephyr gave the child a quick glance then back up to the ceiling. Why is he being so compliant with the diamond child now? He clearly remembers hating her, wanting to end her life. That sudden change was definitely something to get used to.

It then came to him as he looked back at the child...

"...She cares." He said, still in thought "because she cares about us for a reason Zephyr still can't grasp." He repeated that to himself, that she actually cared about him. Julia wanted to help him when he and Allen didn't want to help themselves.

"In all honestly... We think about what could have happened." Zephyr went on, relaying his thoughts from when he stayed secluded in the diamond child's new house attic. He was searching for answers within himself but found something else. The desire to not be forgotten. To not be left behind. "Zephyr would have been content... staying in the dark, waiting for the moon demon to call him; His always loyal servant..."

He and Bonnie stopped walking as Zephyr remembered the slow change... the anger of realization... that feeling of being inadequate and tossed aside. The jester balled his hands wanting to hit something, anything! Then after a moment, he sighed, letting go. "If it weren't for her... I would have been forgotten. Left alone in the dark... and I would have been content." Zephyr looked at himself as he talked in the first person and then around him.

This place; he never dreamed of ever getting the chance to see places such as this for long, nor wanted to know in the first place. Especially with people who would willingly be considered friends or family. He was confused and angry at the beginning, not knowing who he should or shouldn't follow; who to take orders from, and who he was supposed to fight...

but now... he believes he can see a little more clearly; Not much but still...

For once, the things like 'wants' and 'do and see' are options now in his life. No more waiting for orders... or anyone.

His freedom.

It's still something to get used to.

"So, you're tired of being the bad guy?" Bonnie asked him one last question.

"Not precisely," he chuckled, his eye glinting "Zephyr is Zephyr. We do as we please... we are not good, but we will tone down the bad. For the most part."

When Julia and Kero reached the ground, Time Piece in hand, they were immediately intercepted by a gang of cats. They were scared but demanded the object from her.

"H-hand over the hourglass and go meet up with our boss... a-alone." One said, reaching out for the Time Piece.

Julia looked at them for a moment longer, just to give them a scare, then reluctantly handed them the glass object. With a sigh, she asked them "Why does she want to talk so soon? Especially with just me?"

"She wants to inform you about something, that's all she said." The other cat said, beginning to walk away with their group.

Scratching her head, Julia raised a brow and looked down at her son who also shrugged at her. She was getting all sorts of bad feelings about this place, now that she won't stop thinking about what Jack said.

"Let's get going, maybe will meet up with the others as well." She walked on and the little rag doll disguised as a human boy followed.

Once back at the jewelry store, Kero waited outside while Julia went in alone. The boy could see the two adults talking but couldn't hear a thing. Meanwhile, Julia crossed her arms as she waited for the real reason as to why she was called back.

"Welcome back, my boys have brought in another hourglass that you've retrieved." Her elbows rested on that pedestal she always stood at, her chin on her folded hands leaning towards the fedora-wearing women "good, you seem to be more competent than the rest of your group."

Julia squinted at her, not moving from her position as she caught a stack of cash from her.

"I was told that the other two have gotten lost walking around Green Clean." She mentioned, huffing out air while sneering. "If they get lost then they get lost."

Julia understood what the cat was implying, closing her eye for a moment, she thought Melody's people all had something to help them navigate around places? Bonnie getting lost didn't seem right. Distracted yes, but never lost.

"There was another thing one of my cats had pointed out during the debrief, you were talking with a stranger that seemed to be covering their entire face..."

Julia had a feeling and could safely say that they were being watched now. Honestly, she was getting better at know who was and wasn't looking in her direction. It was also a passive-aggressive way of saying the Empress didn't trust them. It was completely reasonable in a way, but Julia couldn't care less.

"It was nothing, they said I looked like someone they knew." Julia tilted her head to the side "got confused and just wanted to know." Was what she could come up with, without letting the Empress know that she had taken part in movies. If the cat lady didn't recognize her, then she shouldn't worry too much about it.

All the Empress did was hum out, not looking away from her for a moment, then pulled something out of her coat. "There's something I should inform you of." she keeps sneering, not looking away from Julia as the cat placed down sheets of paper.

Taking a glance down, Julia could see that these slips of paper were wanted posters. Only four, but each of them had pictures of cat-folk on them. One had a large X scratched out on it.

"There are a few outlaws roaming my metro, saying this place used to belong to them." She scratched around the crossed-out one then to the other cleaner pages. "Their group doesn't have a name anymore, but they are very fond of the color green." The Empress eyed her tie, the same color the outlaws use.

Julia took notice of this, perhaps it wasn't how she was dressed before, but the color she decided to use. "Green is my favorite color, I'm not taking it off. Green will always be apart of me." Julia stated definitely, her emerald eye trained on the cat.

The Empress side-eyed the woman; clearly unamused. The cat then slid three of the four papers towards her, each had names and clear pictures. "At any point, if you do see these cats feel free to bring them back alive. I've been needing to teach them... a lesson."

Julia took the papers and gave them a good look again, their names... Jack, Meko, and Dante; their bounties differed from one another. Jack seemed to be the main focus of a thousand, meanwhile, the two others were around five hundred or so. The human woman wondered just what they all did in the first place to warrant wanted posters. The last one that was indeed scratched out by claws and had the name Ace on it, his was around the early Two-thousands.

Julia Just sighed realizing that this Ace person might have been Jack's brother. She thinks this because they both have playing card names. Was this intentional or a coincidence? She wasn't sure.

"Honestly, tell Zephyr, what is with all this jumping around and odd ways to reach our goal?" The jester asked, currently jumping from a hanging platform. Ahead of him was another area to jump to, and then a train track. "Why don't we simply just... find a different way?"

"Well, where's the fun in that?" Bonnie asked back, looking over the tracks to see an open restaurant and a Time Piece gleaming. "I mean sure, it's dangerous-"

"For you." Zephyr bluntly added in, imply the fact that fall damage won't hurt him.

"...but it's better than trying to do something convoluted, like waiting or paying an incredible amount of money to try and enter a building for just one thing," Bonnie said, noticing how fancy the place looked.

"...Zephyr sees your point. Only because we cannot eat. Why waste precious gems on something you can't do anymore?" He grabbed hold of Bonnie and made the jump onto the train, without missing a beat he jumped to the building that had their object.

"Wait, you really can't eat anymore? Like... not even for fun?" The child asked while everyone who was sitting down eating their food was startled by two lunatics who jumped into their dining establishment. Both Bonnie and Zephyr ignored them though.

"Zephyr may have a mouth, but it's just for show." He said to her, "it's as if... well... how would Zephyr put this..." he thought for a moment. "It's like... embroidery, glowing embroidery. Sometimes it moves, we think."

Just as a waiter was about to ask them to leave, the duo that was lost in conversation hopped off a table and walked away. Leaving everyone incredibly confused, and perhaps concerned.

"What do you mean, 'you think?" The small girl gave the man a look, "You're not aware of your mouth moving when you talk? I mean, it doesn't but..." Bonnie just made a confused noise holding up her hands for emphasis.

"Except for excruciatingly painful needles puncturing Zephyr's body, we cannot feel a thing. No cold or heat... Zephyr believes Allen misses the heat..."

"You... really can't feel anything...?" Bonnie asked sadly, wondering what that must like.

"Indeed..."

It had been some time since the group had gathered back together. They all sat down taking a break near one of the food cars but not too close so they could quietly talk in the yellow pass tunnel. It was rather empty as Julia and Bonnie snacked on their food that the smaller child had made. The only reason why they sat next to said food cars was that they didn't bring any drinks along the way.

Julia wondered if it was nighttime by now, which would probably mean that most of the cats were asleep or topside in that town that looked empty.

"So... today felt... odd," Bonnie announced, looking at her food container that was half empty.

"Uneventful..." Zephyr also added in.

"I was personally hoping for some action, but all we got was drama..." Kero surprisedly said while Julia looked at him messing around with his container full of swamp water.

Julia hadn't felt as hungry and barely touched anything in her food container. She just kept thinking and thinking... mostly about the whole metro situation.

About Jack and the Empress.

It was her choice on the matter, but everyone else also had a choice too... they had a right to know what was going on, and maybe then would she make her final decision. Julia needs to remember that... sure Bonnie and Kero were kids, but they've also been through much as well.

Since when has thinking and carrying all these worries were ever good for her?

With a sigh, Julia looked around; Not a local cat in sight. Just echoes of trains passing and meows of those large cats pulling them. She pulled out the wanted posters that the Empress allowed her to keep, showing everyone and they stopped their idle chitchat.

"A lot of things have been happening here that you just can't see yet," Julia said, as the others got closer. "But I'm having a horrible time deciding... and I'm just clearly worried about you guys."

"...Decide on what exactly?" Bonnie curiously asked.

Taking off her hat, Julia swept her bangs back only to have them fall again. "Whether we should just grab our stuff and go... or help free the metro apparently." Looking at the three posters again with the cats on them "there's no doubt that any of these choices will insight that cat lady's wrath-"

"I vote for freeing the metro." Bonnie interrupted.

"Bonnie-" Julia tried to talk again but was cut off.

"I do to..." Kero said, raising an arm.

Of course, these two had this sense of justice, Bonnie was rambunctious and Kero was trying to follow in Julia's old footsteps. Help those in need no matter what happens in the end.

Even if it meant getting hurt, or worse.

The woman propped her elbows on her knees while her left thumb and index finger clamped over her mouth in thought once again. Was she just being stoic because of what will happen?

'People need help!'

'To hell with this, you can fight!'

'Be who you were meant to be.'

Julia shut her eyes as she clamped her mouth harder. The voices in her head sounded like hers, but she was so unsure.

'Protect them; be their shield.'

Julia froze up when Zephyr placed his arm around her. It was so odd being able to read his expressions, he had this... knowing look "do not be like your- Our father. Don't hold in problems, as you said... they'll just keep getting worse and worse..."

She just kept looking at him, surprise that he remembered that she said that... she was trying to hide many things, but the majority of them were personal emotions.

"Juli, you've done so many great things since I've been here... even more since you were just known as Fedora." Bonnie grabbed the woman's attention.

"If you're doubting yourself still because of what happened at the studio... you shouldn't. You were right about Doppler." The child continued "sure, it must have been super scary to you as well as us... but you can control yourself, you have proven that to me when we first met."

"To Zephyr as well when you strode across the rift on your metal steed," Zephyr said, arm still around her in comfort. "Such confidence, such power... especially when reality itself was unstable."

"That was before I started learning more about my abilities..." Julia placed her hands to her head.

"It's always good to be cautious, but you shouldn't fear what would happen..." Kero leaned on his mother, looking off to the ground "you always kept moving forward even before you had them; no matter how many times you got hit or knocked down..."

Julia looked to her scars on her hands once again, always forgetting that they were their. Her proof of her hardships she's overcome. All that pain, and all that joy in the end.

The suit-clad woman doubted herself when she was scared of hurting her friends.

Though, despite everything, they truly wouldn't think any less of her... and instead of fearing her like Julia thinks they will, her friends would help her. Reassure her.

Because they were her friends.

Her family.

There was a moment of silence, Julia took her time on one last thought, and eventually said "Then... we'll fight for the metro." Julia looked up with a small smile but dreading the inevitable fight with the Empress. "And... I already have a plan."

I'm not sure I'll get to replying to comment's for this one but thank you OPfan37 and stealthee125 for doing so!