That night at diner was the first time Hitomi had been there. She smiled at Millerna as they embraced. It had been seven pluse years scence the friends had been together. Hitomi noticed small eyes peeping out from behind Millerna's skirt. She bent down so that she was eye levle with the child.
"Who have we here?" Hitomi asked. From the other side of the skirt came an identcal pair of eyes.
"Oh, there are to of you!!" laughter came into Hitomi's eyes. Millerna leaned down to set inbetween the twins.
"Hitomi meet Hitomi Marlena, and Dryden Van. We call them Denny and Tomi for short. SHe smiled proudly at her two children. Both had her hair and Dryden's eyes.
"How old are you?" Hitomi asked the twins as she coaxed them into her lap. Van watched her from his chair close to hers. He had met these little imps many times before. He was thier Godfather, after all. Little Denny spoted Van and clamered into his lap.
"Unca' Van!!" the three year old said with a lisp. Hitomi turned ao that her knees touched Van's. The twins started to talk in there native juberish, and Hitomi looked at Van.
"Some one likes you." she whiperedd to Van.
"I'm these little imps Godfather I see them every few weeks when Dryden comes by the trade route. "
"I don't really understand. If Millerna is with Dryden, whos taking care of the kingdow?" Hitomi asked.
"Well about a year after you left, Dryden came back, but not to stay. He decided that the merchants life was the life for him. He came to set Millerna free. SHe would have one of it and with in a week every thing was handed over to Lady Eries. She now rules as the Queen. Millerna got her formal Doctors training and dhe and her husband travle the trade routes together."
Hitomi smilled "I'm glad their story had a happy ending."
"Our's will too, Hitomi,I promise."
"Ra you twu gettin' mar-mar...wedded? Mommy says you was." Tomi spoke for the first time to Hitomi, looking up at her with curious eyes.
"Oh, she did, did she? Well, Van do you want to to the announcement offical?" Hitomi smilled. She knew everyone had heard Tomi's question, and that they were all dying to know. Van stood up and anounced" Hitomis has come to stay. in one months time your all invited to the wedding feast.
Everyone rejoiced at the news, and their was a round of back slaping and hugs as a servent camt to say dinner was ready.


@~~~~~ ~~~~~@


"Oh, Hitomi, it's beautifull!!" Merle said in awe. They were in Hitomi's bedroom. Hitomi had pulled a mediem sized paper wraped package from her duffle bag. Inside was her Mothers wedding Kamono.
"I'm going to where it for the weding. It was my Mothers and it'll be like keeping her clothes to me somhow. Mellerna wraped a comforting arm around Hitomi's waist. Every single woman in the room had all lost some one dear. Keiko had broke the solom air bye by saying
"Look Mommy!!" They all looked to where Keiko had taken out Hitomi's photo albam.
"Keiko, you put that back!" Jun made to take the book away from Keiko, but Hitomi enterviend.
"No, she can see my pictures. In fact I would like to show all of you my world." Hitomi set down on the bed and pulled Keiko into her lap. The other five women crower around to see a world that existed in their wildest dreams.


@~~~~~ ~~~~~@


Van and the men sat in the library. Denny sat in Van's lap and Tomi was asleep in her Uncel Chid's arms. Dryden looked up from the book he had been reading, and smiled. These men were the closet thing to family he had. Even Allen, who stood with his arms proped up on the wooden mantle over the stone fire place, could be called a close friend. After Dryden and Millerna had left for the trade routes, Allen and he had become friends. Allen shifer to look at Van.
"Van, I kate to bring bad tidings to this happy time but..." here he paused so that he could make sure he had Van's atention,"I was informed by Gaddes that the leader of the atackers got away. I have it on good authority that he was an old Zaibach Commander. I think his modivation against Asago and her women was revenge. She was a Zaibach captin."
Van cloed his eyes. It was all he could ever do, it seemed, to keep from going insane.
"So, we have a mad man now on the lose?" Van looked down at Denny, who was oblivious to it all and playing with the hilt of Van's sword. 'I wanted to make the world safe for the children. Now it seems they will soon fell the bite of war.'
"Well, theres no since worring about it." Chid said quietly from his chair.
"What fate brings will come, but for now lets enjoy this peaceful time in the eyes of the storm." Dryden shut his bood with a snap.
"I agree with my nephew. Let come what may. For now let talk about the wedding. My ships are the fastiest in the land, and you'll need a lot of food for the wedding!!? Van smirked at Dryden.
"This would ba half off for our old friend wouldn't it?" Dryden's eyes bulged out.
"Um...Um...Well I-"
"Of course it will be!" Millerna walked in and set by her husband.
"Right dear?" her voice was too sweet and Can laughed out loud.
"You just wait Van, your time is near." Dryden said by way of threating the younger man.
"Me? I'll never be hen pecked!!" Van looked smug as he said this, folding his arms over his chest. From the door way Hitomi called,
"Van!!" with out so much as a blink Van looked up at Hitomi,"Yes dear?"
"Oh, no. I'll nevr be hen pecked." Allen said in a good imatation of Van. Everybody started to laugh and Van had the grace to blush.
"I wanted to show every one some of my pictures." Hitomi said after the laughter died down. She set the book on the table and fliped some pages.
"This is Yucari, and Amonno." Hitomi pointed to a woman and man.
"Hey, he looks like Allen." Chid said as he looked at the picture.
"I know, strange,huh?" Van wraped his arms around Hitomi as she shared with them some of her world.
"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.
"Why?" she whispered back as she truned her head to looked at him.
"For leaving it all for me and my world."
"No Van....For OUR world."

END of CHAPTER


A.N. I just love those twins. Cute, cute, cute!! Well summer is hear...and that means summer camp!!! That means that I will be gone for a week. And finaly, THAT means I won't be puting up another chapter. I might put up 11...but THATS(I thoght I wasn't going to ahve to use it again)only if I have time.