Heard his Lou before he saw her.

First heard his pa making a racket, wasn't too sure with who that would be at the moment, but his pa could start an argument in an empty house, had a habit of making every interaction more dramatic than it needed to be, a habit that he had passed on too many of Peppy's siblings. Then there was his ma trying to smooth things over, but Peppy knew she secretly got a kick out of him doing this.

Pa admittedly could be pretty funny at times, just like his siblings could admittedly be pretty funny at times – Peppy couldn't tell them that 'cause if he did, it'd go straight to their heads and he'd never hear the end of it – except this time, there was none of his pa's usual humor, or his ma's usual amusement. Pa's voice had a bite Peppy had rarely heard, and Ma's honey smoothness was gone.

Peppy was still trying to come out of it. Didn't feel like he'd been sleeping so much as he'd passed out again. Head felt wobbly on his shoulders, room was spinning, mind was foggy, but then everything became abruptly, violently clear when Peppy heard somebody's teeth hitting, clacking together, erratic, and he was getting out of bed before he really knew what was happening, as his ma started fretting, and his pa went stone cold silent, just like a switch had been flipped off.

Knew it was Lou, her teeth chattering away, felt it in his bones, wasn't sure how, but he did, and the door swung open in front of him, like he hadn't even done it himself, like it'd just popped open for him, and he was looking at an empty hallway.

Got confused for a minute, had thought for sure they were right out here, but he followed the sound, turned a corner, than another, belatedly realized he didn't have any shoes on and was cold, had only short sleeves on, but he kept going, and finally he found them, his parents, and it was General Pepper of all people, that his pa was talking to, with none of his usual shenanigans, wasn't making a mountain out of a molehill, wasn't actually arguing with Pepper, was arguing what had happened: with Jim, and Pigma, and Andross, and it all came rushing back for Peppy too, when everybody turned to stare at him: his ma with concern, his pa with angry bewilderment, Pepper with measured calm, and Lou… well, she was just blank. Teeth stopped too. He'd been right. Was her.

His parents already looked out of place here, stocky and salt of the earth, his ma's long dress and his pa's overalls, but Lou really did, not quite a girl, not quite a woman, somewhere in between, willowy in her skirt and tights, the little bow she had pinned on her head, the bright pink fur with eyes to match. For awhile it'd been close, thought she'd gotten his red ones, but they'd gone a little lighter than his.

She was standing still and stuck. Eyes were pointed in his direction, but she wasn't really seeing him. Was seeing through him, past him, beyond him. Kind of had an idea why, had seen her looking like this before. Looking at him like this before, even. Was right after her ma passed.

She'd be looking at him, and he could see the gears turning in her head, that if her ma could leave, than maybe he might just go right on ahead and join her, and that now, with this latest scare, this horrible tragedy, she had once again seen a world without him in it, could still see it, and she was haunted by it, haunted by him, like he was only a ghost, that she wasn't sure she wanted to approach.

Didn't trust that he was there. Or that he was going to stay there. That if she touched him, she wasn't sure that her hand would hit anything. That maybe it'd just pass right on through him, and that'd be that: he'd disappear.

That he was already long gone.

He'd told her all sorts of things after her ma passed. That Viv was up in heaven with the angels, watching over her. Was her own personal angel now. That when they flew in the crop duster, they were a little bit closer to her. That she could still talk to her, and her ma would hear everything she said.

Gave her some of Viv's jewelry when Lou got old enough to handle it. Knew she and Viv had gone out together, before Viv died, to pick some things out together, could see she had on one of those pieces, a bracelet with butterflies on it, but Peppy still had both his parents, and his army of siblings, while Lou was an only child with only him.

Didn't really know what she was going through. Didn't know if anything he was saying was really helping her. If she could really feel her ma with her.

Even though Peppy did believe it, he still had moments of doubt. Had just had one in his Arwing, and was having one right now. Still had his parents and his siblings, but he'd lost Viv, and Vickie, and Jim and Pigma, and there was nothing saying he couldn't lose Lou too, to whatever reason – illness, accident, deadly intent, Andross was gearing up for war – and he felt a chill run through him, felt himself start to look past her, beyond her, just like she was looking at him.

Didn't know if he could take that one. Like if that happened, God better take him too. Except then he heard the echo of what he'd said to Jim. Couldn't think about it too much. Just the message.

"We're together now."

That got his feet moving. Could tell Lou wasn't all on board, still felt like he was approaching somebody who could bolt, and when he wrapped his arms around her she seemed ghostly, not all there, empty space. He was cold and so was she. Could feel that flutter under her skin. The shiver that wouldn't come out. He was well acquainted with that one now.

Forgot about everybody else here, forgot where he was, and why he was here, just focused on her, and eventually she warmed up, got more solid, wrapped her arms around him too, leaned on his chest more, was dealing with her ears in his face but he didn't care.

"Hey pumpkin patch." he spoke finally.

"Hey." A quiet little voice, not her usual, but it was still hers.

"Thank God." he heard more strong from his ma, followed by a hearty amen from his pa, before they came round to give him a hug too.

Pepper kept vigil for them and remained quiet.