Hey, thanx to everyone who reviewed and major thanks to anyone who has me in their favorites!!!

Rockerbaby: You're such a faithful reviewer! THANK YOU!! You have great suggestions and I will work that Stormie/Knives thing in later on.

Zetsumei: Aww, thanx! Back on your review for chapter ten, you said this is possible your favorite story. I hope that still stands and you still enjoy it. I'm always up for your suggestions.

Jeril Dragonsoul: Thanks for reviewing different chapters in individual reviews instead of just leaving one big review on the latest chapter. That's nice. Haha. I know, isn't Faith a devil? What can you expect though - Stormie is raising her.

Subaiku85: I keep trying to work action in!!

Oh, and the song Stormie and Faith sing (I'm forgettable), is a Brak song - I didn't make it up and I don't own it.

As for the story, I have two words to say: Surprise, surprise...

~~~~~

Naoshi slammed the front door to his house, if only to vent some of his anger. Since it didn't help as much as he had thought, he re-opened it and threw it closed once more. Then, he kicked it. Those plants had all holed up somewhere, listening to their instincts that danger was coming just like the animals they were.

Either that or someone had gotten to them first...

"Naoshi, what's all this noise?" demanded a voice from the next room, shortly followed by the appearance of a young woman, her dark hair hanging at shoulder's length, misty blue eyes full of spite - as usual. Her small hand swiped a black tress from her round, pale face, and she frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

He turned around and simply glared at her. After two years, the plant assassin had still not changed, in appearance or in attitude. His large hands were clenched at his sides, one fisted in his black cape, and both multi-colored eyes were narrowed.

"Taking out your anger on the door again?" the woman demanded.

"The plants are in hiding," he growled, helplessness and anger constricting his voice. "I - I don't understand! Where could they all be?! Even Grayfall and Oriole seemed to have dropped off the face of this planet..."

"Well, alright. Kick the door as much you want then," she sniffed, turning her back to him in indifference. "Just so long as it's not me." She was just walking away when a little boy, looking to be about five, pushed past her and ran to Naoshi, silently reaching up his arms to his father. Naoshi stooped down and picked up the child, seeming to let go of his anger for the moment, tense facial expression going lax.

"Billy," he said, addressing the boy's mother, "what ever happened to those plants that lived in the house you came from?"

She shrugged. "Who cares?" But the truth was, Billy cared. Very much. She had wanted to go home so often - and Naoshi had said that she could leave any time she pleased. He didn't care. But how could she go home to admit she'd been living with the plant assassin all on her own accord? AND that they had a son. She could never face her parents again.

The boy's name was Vincent, after her father. He didn't real look like his name, she had to admit - a thick head of black hair, one blue eye, one purple one, and fine, impish features. He was too darling for the name, sweet and quiet. In reality, he was a little under a year old, but because of the slight amount of plant blood coursing through his veins, he had grown faster than an average human - about five times faster.

"I went back to their house, and it was deserted," Naoshi continued to muse, ruffling the boy's hair and slowly roaming the room, pacing. "It's so strange."

"Hmm. So you don't know where ANY plants are?" Billy usually hoped that Naoshi could find his next killing soon. Otherwise he was stressed until he did. She could hardly wait until the plant race was extinct. Too bad the factories and towns would suffer.

"I know where some are. But I hafta get something out of the house before I kill them."

"And what would that be?" Billy wandered over to the man's side, sitting down and leaning her head onto his shoulder. Her eyes drifted shut as she sighed, trying to remember back before she had cut herself off from everyone else save Naoshi. He was strong, and usually honest with her. He came home every night and treated his family well. They had many luxuries. It wasn't so bad...was it?

Naoshi didn't answer for a while. Their son had quickly fallen asleep in his arms, cradled against his chest. His love for the child went undoubted. He pressed his lips briefly to the boy's forehead. "You'll see."

~~~~~

When Mitayo woke up the next morning, he barely had the energy to even roll off the couch and crawl into the kitchen. He was weak from living life in the bulb, and even though they had taken him out for an exercise regimen every day, he still wasn't up to such wild chases and all night planning. However, he was also starving, which was enough incentive to haul him into the next room and over to the table.

Stormie was cooking pancakes with Faith, both wearing matching aprons. Poor kid, observed Mitayo as he watched them both trill the same song at the top of their lungs, she's isolated the girl so much that she thinks this sort of behavior is acceptable in the presence of company.

Eleven was sitting across from him, anxiously kicking his feet out and drawing in a deep, excited breath every few moments. The smell of home- cooked food excited him, and by the time the two females had set the plate before him, he was practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"How many do you want?" Stormie demanded, pausing by Mitayo's side and smiling. Her hair had been tied up in a messy pony tail, half of it falling out. He also noticed that she had tied back Eleven's long hair at his slender shoulders with a band. "Two?"

He waved a hand in dismissal, dully eyeing the breakfast once it was in front of him.

"This is really good!" said Eleven, who was much more friendly than his sire. Warily, he looked to Stormie's daughter and smiled weakly, still recovering from being drafted into her 'magic show' the previous night. Tentatively, he stated, "You're not a half-bad cook, Faith."

The girl struck a silly pose and sighed contemptuously. "I know."

Mitayo's eyebrow twitched in irritation. These people were never serious!

As if Stormie sensed his aggravation, she grabbed her daughter's hand, twirled her around, and the two began to waltz around the table, laughing and singing. "I'm forgettable...that's what I am... I'm forgettable...something, something...ham..."

Eleven giggled behind his hand. He'd been given a shirt that fit better, one of Faith's more boyish ones, actually, but the pants were the fated item he was stuck with. To make it easier on him, Stormie had hemmed the legs so they weren't so long and had given him a belt, but he still looked depressingly small in them, as if he was lost in a sea of fabric.

"My mom forgot me in a shopping cart - I was raised by the stock boys...Clam and Art... Do you remember our last dance? I never wanted to switch pants...with you...but we did...and now you have my keys...!"

Stormie released Faith and then sat down to eat, only to be disturbed by the doorbell. Faith ran to answer and returned with a man who was most likely plant, though it was hard to tell. He was young, a bit on the short, wiry side, and had chosen to die his hair a flaming red with golden highlights that looked anything but natural. It was worn in a longer version of a crew cut, and he smiled at them, waving his hand.

Stormie did much the same, saying through a mouthful of food, "Oh, hi, Desma."

"I got her," said Desma, brown eyes glancing back and forth between Mitayo and Eleven. "You were successful too."

"Yes."

"Good. Hey, I can't stay long, Desiree - that's her name - will get edgy out in the car. We're on our way into town, and I just wanted to see how you did. Let's meet up tonight, ok?"

"Uh-huh, cowboy. Whatever you say." Stormie was apparently more interested in stuffing her face than listening to the weapons expert, scarfing down her pancakes at an alarming rate that could've beat even Vash. "Listen, we'll drop by your house and we'll put our heads together and brief good ole' Mitayo here."

"Alrighty then. I'll let myself out."

"Bye, Desma."

And he was gone. Mitayo was a little uncomfortable. They had busted him out for one reason and one reason only - to fight. He was nervous, unsure of his sparring capabilities. He'd been in the plant almost his whole life, and had never even thrown a punch. Heck, he didn't even know how to activate an 'angel arm' or whatever. How could he say no to them though? They were counting on him, not to mention holding his future in their hands.

What was he supposed to do?

Wait, that's what.

~~~~~

Desma's new freed plant friend, Desiree, was quite a bit older than anyone present, looking very wise and very sage and very elegant. Having been a nomad from the desert most of her life, she was surprisingly tall, slender, and aristocratic looking. A few wrinkles had been defined around her ice blue eyes, and her eyes looked old and mature, but other than that, she seemed very spry and strong.

Stormie thought she looked like Knive's mother or something.

Desiree had been Desma's partner in some sort of heist a few years ago in which they had decided to overtake a caravan and free the plants being transported. She was quite a rebel, so when he had come to her and asked for help, the woman had readily agreed.

She, Desma, Mitayo, and Desiree talked for quite some time, arguing and lapsing into silence, and then arguing again, before the decision was reached. They would train intensively for the next month, seeing as how all were experienced save Mitayo, and then go after Naoshi. Stormie was also to try to fetch Knives and Vash, though she strongly rebuked it at first. However, she was the only one, and majority overcame her, and she eventually agreed, even if she had no idea where they were nowadays. She did, however, know of Grayfall and Oriole's residence. The two had been laying low, but had sent her a letter every few weeks or so, just to let her know how they were. She, in turn, had told them about Faith, and had even lived with them a few months after finding out she was pregnant.

It'll be nice to see them again, she thought to herself as she and Mitayo headed out to the jeep.

~~~~~

Knives felt rather victorious. He'd tracked Naoshi all the way across the desert and two a small town he had never even heard of before. He imagined his brother was, at the moment, also tracking him, but he didn't care. He simply would explain it was something he had to do and Vash would understand.

At the moment, he was sitting on a bench in the middle of town, relaxing before heading off to his next destination. A temple where he had heard Naoshi went to practice. Who know what it had once been used for? Some sort of worship, he supposed, but the plant assassin had taken it over and was putting it to good use. Every day he seemed to grow stronger.

Knives finally was able to work up the courage to stand and leave that bench behind. With his pack on his back, he steadily started out to the ruins looming in the distance, one step after the other. That's how he had made it as far - just placing one foot forward and then the other.

His heart began to rapidly beat. He was in the doorway now. He could hear some sort of battle cry echoing from inside. Surely it was Naoshi, probably throwing himself fiercely into his training.

He gulped down a lump in his throat.

He stepped inside.

He continued to walk.

And he saw him.

Naoshi had set up a dummy in the middle of the mostly dark room, charging in and out of the shadows, disappearing and then being reborn from the darkness. He lunged at the target, propelling himself off some sort of stone block, and slashed down upon it with his sword, yelling a warrior's cry. And then, landing heavily on the ground, he stopped, sensing another's presence, and spotted Knives.

Their eyes locked in hate and spite, Knives being the first to speak.

"You are Naoshi, correct?"

"Correct. You are a plant?"

"How astute of you." Knives sat down his pack, eyeing his opponent warily. "Do you remember Stormie at all? Or is she just another faceless victim of yours?"

"How could I forget her?" teased Naoshi cruelly, his mood lightening as if Knives' stupidity was enough to make him harmless. "Hmm... Actually, I do remember her - for special reasons... But I have no interest in talking to you."

Before Knives even saw it coming, there was a blur of black and white hurling at him, tipped by a silver flash, and he barely had time to set up a barrier between himself and the danger. Naoshi hit the invisible wall and bounced off like a ball, landing on his feet about a yard away. He smirked, then charged again, but Knives jumped to the side, seized the assassin in a mental hold, and attempted to snap him in half.

Naoshi's lithe body twisted easily with the invisible hands that held him, slipping through Knives' grasp like water. He circled round his prey, ducked into the shadows, and then reappeared behind the plant, trying to take him by surprise.

Dizzily, Knives whirled to meet the attacker, but it was too late - the steel blade sunk into his shoulder, parting the flesh in a blinding amount of pain. Blood spurted out as the man tried to tear away from the weapon embedded in his arm, but it was near stuck. Desperately, he fought to free himself.

Naoshi laughed, a cold, chilling sound that sickened Knives to the core. He enjoyed this. He enjoyed Knives' pain.

The plant tore away and tried to lash out in return, but was again caught unguarded, sending him skidding across the floor and into a nearby wall. Naoshi calmly approached the weakened, trembling man, beginning to speak.

"Stormie, you say? You know her then?"

Knives lifted his head with great effort. It was so heavy; his vision had blurred. Faintly, he acknowledged Naoshi's figure moving closer, seeming to float, to glow like some apparition.

"She is very special to me," Naoshi said quietly. "Even if she is a plant, she holds something dear. You see, I, unlike you and my father and every plant out there, care for my offspring. I take revenge upon your race, not my children, so when I learned of Stormie's daughter, I was, of course, shocked. No worries though, I'll have the child out of there in no time."

Knives' eyes widened, his hands groping the ground as he struggled to push himself up. "What are you saying?" he whispered hoarsely.

"I'm saying that I know what it's like to be a plant's child, and I will not let my own daughter suffer that!" he exclaimed, angered by Knives' failure to pick up on the message he was trying to convey. The sword was swung up over his head, ready to be brought down, but this time it missed Knives just by a hair.

He stumbled away from the danger, fueled on by his hatred at this new information. It was all so jumbled in his head. Stormie had a daughter? Naoshi had the same daughter? He had come because of Naoshi's raping of Stormie - he had never imagined a child would be the product of the action. No, it wasn't right. No, it was too late now. No, he just couldn't tell her how he felt about her now...

"NO!" he screamed, spiraling into a frantic fury. He seized the plant assassin with his mind and threw him up like a rag doll, making sure to let him go close by so that he fell through the air only to meet Knives' boot as he thrust his foot into his gut. Naoshi slammed roughly into the ground afterwards, rolling away and having a moment of vulnerability as he vomited blood. Knives just rolled up his sleeves and walked stiffly over, vision turning red, doubling, taking in the sight of Naoshi looking up at him and smiling through all the red fluid dripping from his lips.

The plant assassin was barely phased.

Knives was still too weak even for the next physical assault, and though he tried to gather his strength back up, Naoshi was intent on wearing him down. He came at him again, and again, and even when Knives' angel arm came into play, it just wasn't enough.

Tortured, Knives' near broken body crumpled to the ground.

Naoshi stood over him, sword in hand. "It shouldn't be a surprise," he said quietly. "I am part plant...and a plant's seed falls where it may..."

Knives closed his eyes in defeat.

"You never know where one's offspring will turn up in nature, do you?"

It was all over...