Wow-ee! It's been a really-freaking-long time since I last updated! (whistles) I'm so sorry, guys. I was grounded. (cries) I'm so, so, so, so sorry! I'll try not to let it happen again! So this is going to be a double- or triple-update, depending on how long the chapters are. Enjoy!

WARNING: See chapter 1.

Disclaimer: See chapter 1, chapter 5, or chapter 16.

Return to Times of Yore
By GundamWingFanatic90
Submitted: 5 December 2005

Past, Eden, Rosette

They had removed him from the Astral about two hours ago. Now, he was resting in his room, and I was sitting in the chair next to his bed, Adrian and Aidan asleep in my lap. I smiled to myself. They had fallen into slumber after I had fed them, while waiting for their father to wake. For toddler-sized, one-month-old half-demons, they sure could act very infantile sometimes. A sudden motion from the bed caught my attention, and I shifted Adrian to my left arm with Aidan so that I could place my hand on Chrono's right arm.

"Chrono…?" I asked quietly, afraid to wake him if he was just shifting in his sleep. A strained grunt was my answer, and ruby eyes fluttered to a state of half-openness.

"Rose… Rose…ette…?" he breathed, and I found my face breaking into a relieved smile.

"Yes, Chrono, it's me." I replied, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He jerked at my touch, his head lolling from side to side.

"Rose… Rosette… run…" he murmured. "There's… demons… trying… attack…" I felt my features contort as I realized that he was delirious, and I reached out with my thoughts, trying to get a hold of Shader.

'Shader, he's awake!' I shouted once I was sure I could make her listen. 'But he's delusional.'

-Alright, I'll be right there.- came her reply, and I nodded slightly, rising carefully to my feet and settling my children onto the bed next to their father.

"Chrono, hold still, alright?" I asked softly, leaning down and cupping his face in my hands, my nose inches from his own. His eyes rolled half-coherently under partially-open lids, but his breathing slowed, and he seemed to calm slightly.

"But… the demons…" he murmured. I transferred a finger from his cheek to his lips, and shushed him.

"There aren't any demons, Chrono, other than the other Sinners and your own children." I crooned comfortingly, and he relaxed a bit more. "Now, lay still before you tear your wound even more and wake up Aidan and Adrian." He nodded faintly- he could only half-understand me- and halted in most of his motions, save for his head's lolling and his breathing. I smiled a bit, and slowly lifted him up a bit before climbing in behind him and resting his head and shoulders in my lap. I gently pulled our son and daughter up to cuddle them against my sides before beginning to run my fingers through my lover's violet hair. He closed his eyes all the way at the sensation, and though I could feel his fever through my dress and his hair, I couldn't stop the motion. It was oddly soothing, not only to him, but to me, as well.

I looked over at Aidan and Adrian after a while, taking in their hair colors and the shapes of their faces and the hues of their skin. Aidan had a light violet color for her hair, a lavender only a few shades darker than silver, and her skin was a pale sort of peach color, much like my own- underneath her now closed eyelids, I knew that she possessed blue eyes that matched the color of my habit. Adrian had a shade of hair that rivaled his father's in its darkness, and his skin, though slightly darker than Aidan's, had a mild tannish hue to it. I knew that my son would take after Chrono in his looks, even if the only thing he inherited from me was his indigo eyes, the same color as Joshua's. I had been slightly surprised when their eyes had remained indigo like mine- surely they would have turned crimson, right?- but I had to admit, the color did look good on them.

When the door suddenly opened, I looked up, watching as Shader came in with a washcloth and basin full of cold water. I smiled at her from across the room, and she returned it before setting the bowl on the nightstand and pressing her hand to the male demon's forehead.

"Maa, maa, Chrono, a fine mess you've gotten yourself into…" she muttered with a roll of her eyes before meeting my gaze. "He'll have to sweat it out." With that, she reached down and pulled the blanket and quilt up to his neck, though not without checking his wound first. It was healing, finally, and it seemed like he didn't have long to wait before he'd be able to be up and about again. Shader nodded with satisfaction.

"Good, good." she announced. "He's almost finished. All that needs to be done now is wait for his fever to break. Then it's up to him." I nodded, and reached over, wetting the cloth before folding it and placing it on his forehead.

"Maa, Rozetto-chan…" she said as I settled myself back down again and looked up at her. "I figured out a way… to reverse the flow of the Astral through the clock…"

Okay, there's chapter 20. (Wow, this is the longest chapter-story I've ever written, and that's saying a lot!) If you feel like reviewing this chappie, then go ahead an click the clickery clicker-thingy in the clicker-tastic lower-right-hand clickery corner, and have some clickery good fun in sending me a clickery great review! If not, then feel free to read the next chapter. (grins)

-Fanatic

P.S. Can't you tell I like the word clicker?