The SUV started up; thankfully it didn't backfire and make a gunshot noise that would've freaked Kyle out. After a few moments, everything was loaded up and the group got into the car.
"Someone's gonna have to hold onto him while we're driving since we don't have a child seat.", Brad reminded.
Greg nodded, "I'm the one who's driving. Tammy, you hold him. We have to be careful on the way in.", and Tammy nodded, "Yes, sir.", taking Kyle with a warm smile, "You want me to tell a funny story?".
Kyle nodded, "Yes, please!", and Tammy smiled, distracting Kyle with the funny story she remembered from the Seuss books, glad that Emma got her into the interest of books when she was growing up.
Thankfully, it was fairly quiet with traffic and the town was bustling, too distracted with their chores, jobs, or phones, and they made it to Greg's house, with Greg relieved that he had a connected garage to the house otherwise it would have been troublesome.
"Okay, how'd he do?", Greg asked as Tammy chuckled. "Fell asleep after the first five miles.", she explained as Kyle was sleeping peacefully in her arms.
Polly grinned lightly, "Well, better get everything out. Brad, you doing scrambled eggs and stuff, yeah?".
Brad smirked, "Oh, don't worry, little sis, I can do that.", opening the passenger door, helping Polly out as Greg got out on the other side from the driver's side with Tammy following him out, with Kyle sleeping on her shoulder, snuffling.
They got into the house, opening the house door in the garage, figuring that during breakfast, they can get everything out to put into storage and all. Kyle woke up to the sound of the gas hissing on the stove, and he blinked in confusion, sniffing all the new smells, seeing there's openings in the walls like windows, couches, chairs, and Mama. Wait, Mama?!
Kyle cried out, "Mama!", scrambling and jumping out of Tammy's arms, running straight at the mirror and crashing into it, shaking his head from the collusion, blinking in sad confusion at the still picture of Mama smiling at him, dressed in army clothes, "Mama?", realizing that it was a reflection like the one in the ponds back home, looking back to see the picture of Mama that is standing in front on a side table across from the mirror.
"Mama?", Tammy asked as she went back to get Kyle up. "Honey, that's your reflection...".
"Mama! Mama!", Kyle pointed to the reflection... specifically where he was seeing the picture.
Tammy widened her eyes in shock after she took a closer look, "Oh, my god!", seeing Kyle side by side with the picture of Emma in the reflection, and even with the difference of eyes and smile and dragon parts, and of course, gender, Kyle is literally a mini copy of Emma.
"What? What happened?", Greg rushed in hearing that when Tammy pointed to the picture. Greg looked closely at it before it finally clicked in his brain.
Greg stared at Kyle who's sniffing and whining as he was confused on why his mama seemed trapped in that strange object, and exhaled in shock, realizing that Emma, his own daughter is a mother, and Kyle is his grandson...
Greg kneeled down, "Son, it's only a memory of Emma, your mother...She's my daughter...And I am your mama's papa.", and Kyle blinked at him before looking back at the picture, and looked around at more pictures on the wall, seeing Greg next to Emma in some of them...
He looked back up at Greg, "Greg family?", making sure to clear his confusion, and Greg smiled tenderly, "That's right, Kyle. I'm Emma's family, and your family. I am her papa. It's like grand-papa.".
"Grandpapa!", Kyle cheered as Greg started to tear up. Just the sight of this boy was making his heart hurt. Emma... somehow, she was maybe alive... at least long enough for her to give birth to this boy.
Kyle blinked in confusion at his grandpapa's tears, and hugged him, "Why you crying, Grandpapa?". Greg exhaled, "Because of you and Emma...you look so much like each other...She gave birth to you...Is she alive?".
Kyle nodded, "She alive because she has Papa and brothers and sisters. She not leave them. But I no know how to go back. I cried for Mama and me poofed.".
"Poofed?", Greg asked in confusion, and Kyle blinked before frowning, "Kyle remembers wanting to be safe from bad man, got tired from going long way when poofed.".
"I don't know what he means... but I certainly believe that he's indeed Emma's son... as well as her being alive.", Tammy said.
"I just wish he was a bit older so he might explain to us a bit more... about what happened to Emma or where he came from. Where... where do you remember you were from?", Greg asked.
"City on lake... big city with big building that was home!", Kyle clapped as he said it and laughed.
Tammy frowned lightly, "We have no cities on any lakes anywhere...Not if you count the myths of Atlantis in the middle of the sea.". Kyle nodded, "That city name!", with a wide smile.
Tammy and Greg looked at each other. "So... Emma ended up in a fairy tale land or something?", she raised an eyebrow. "You really believe what he's saying?", Greg asked.
"Why not? After all, considering what he is and all, might as well.", Tammy pointed out. "True.", Greg nodded.
Kyle glanced at the picture of his mama, "Wanna see Mama...But I scared. I no wanna alone.", sniffing, rubbing at his tears.
Greg rubbed his back, "Hey, hey, you ain't alone. You got me, your grandpapa. You know where Mama is, you know it. You just have to think hard about seeing Mama.".
Kyle blinked up at him, "Think hard?", and Greg nodded, "How badly do you want to see Mama again? See your papa?", smiling reassuringly as he held into his shoulder.
"Maybe we should give him a few days to rest, you know, Uncle Greg? Maybe that's why he can't simply go back.", Tammy suggested.
Kyle shook his head, "Kyle no miss Mama and Papa wedding! Mama be beautiful and Papa be spiffy!", narrowing his eyes, "I strong, not runt! Wanna see Mama!", thinking hard, searching for that feeling, that tingling feeling that makes him go poof.
With Greg's hand on Kyle, they vanished, leaving a bell sound and blue smoke, and Tammy to stare gobsmacked and speechless.
Greg suddenly found himself hitting the ground with Kyle still in his arms; the whole world shifted from his home into an entirely different one from his perspective in less than a minute. Kyle laughed at what he did and probably recognized where he was.
Kyle smiled widely at the Great Kings and the Heart Crystal floating above Atlantis, a familiar sight as he and Greg is now standing in the area of the residential treehouses for the citizens, and pointed to the palace, "That home!".
"Home...?", Greg asked as he looked around. What he saw was truly a sight to behold... and something he was fairly certain he saw before... somewhere... "Why... why does this place seem so familiar?".
Kyle smiled, not understanding that his home is confounding Greg, "Grandpapa, home Atlantis! Need to find Mama!", sniffing before he chirped happily, "Mama close with Papa and siblings!".
"Okay, okay... just... just give Grandpapa a few minutes to catch his breath and mind here...", Greg said as he put Kyle down and then took a seat next to the toddler. "Just... just a lot to catch up on for someone not around here, you know?".
Kyle blinked in confusion and worry, "Kyle wrong take you here from home?".
"No... no, not at all, especially if you're bringing me to Mama and all.", Greg gave him a small smile. "Just... I haven't seen her for so long...", Greg nearly started to sob as Kyle leaned against him. "Thanks, kiddo.".
Kyle smiled proudly, purring, happy that he did a good thing, and they sat there for a few minutes as Greg recovered, sighing and taking deep breaths, and smiled, "Okay, I'm all ready to go. Let's go, Kyle.", picking up his grandson, lords, his first grandson in his arms as he got up.
"Which way now?", Greg asked, and Kyle sniffed, pointing west, "That way, Grandpapa!", and Greg walked on in the direction of his gesture, carrying Kyle, and kept following Kyle's directions as they went left and right before they approached one of the palace gardens.
Kyle squirmed happily in Greg's arms as he saw his family in the distance, yet they looked defeated and lost. Emma is staring at nothing as she laid in her dragon form, looking depressed and sad while John, in his human form, was trying to cheer up the rest of the kids with playtime, but they were worried and scared for their mama, trying to shake her out of the deep pit of despair.
It only has been two days straight since they 'lost' Kyle, and they barely sought the strength to tell Kida to cancel the wedding, especially with Emma's state. Sure, she still feeds the kids, but otherwise nothing.
Of course, once the initial shock of it all passed; there was something nagging in Emma's mind; one might call it feminine instinct or mother's instinct, but she couldn't nag that feeling that somehow Kyle was still alive, despite all the evidence. Maybe it was just that stage of grief or denial still, but that nagging feeling just wasn't leaving.
Greg whispered softly, "That your family?", and Kyle nodded with a wide smile, and Greg walked closer. Kyle got more excited with every step, squirming, and cried out happily, "Mama!".
Emma blinked in surprise and shock, shooting up with her head, locked on the voice, and she peered before roaring out happily as she got up to her feet, running as she shifted back into human, "Kyle, my baby!", as Kyle jumped out, running, calling out, "Mama, Mama!", tears flying.
Emma fell to her knees as Kyle crashed into her, "Kyle, oh, Kyle, my baby! You're alive!", kissing him all over, tears falling down her face, "I thought I lost you! Oh, my baby!", holding him so tightly, caressing through his hair and dragon parts.
"Kyle alright...", Kyle chuckled as he hugged his mama. "Kyle brought Grandpapa too!", he said as Emma came to a sudden stop.
"Grandpapa...?", Emma muttered before she looked up in the direction Kyle came from before she saw the man approaching slowly. "D-Dad?".
Greg exhaled in shock and surprise as he saw his daughter. Back home, she was older, 34, but now she's younger, like 28. Must be the magic of this world or something...
He smiled tearfully, "Yeah, it's me, Emma.", looking at Emma so intensely as he hasn't seen her for over a year since the visit the week before the car explosion...
Emma quickly ran up to him and hugged him tight, "My God... I don't... I don't believe it...". She started to sob heavily.
Greg hugged her back, murmuring, "I'm here, I'm here, Emma. Daddy is here. I missed you so much.", kissing her forehead and caressing her hair, his tears falling as he really missed this.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I have vanished, appearing to be 'dead' to you... I didn't mean it...", Emma tried to explain. It certainly wasn't something she wanted; or at least, she would've quickly explained things and said her goodbyes to family if she was allowed the opportunity. But at least he was here now for her to explain.
Greg looked at her with a warm smile, "Hey, you're here and you're alive, that's all that matters. If it wasn't for Kyle, I would never have found out that you were somewhere else, not dead or captured. I really missed you, Emma...".
Emma smiled, wiping her tears away, "I missed you too, Dad...", hearing laughter behind her, and she looked back to see John holding Kyle joyfully and tearfully as her other children crowded around them, hugging Kyle from behind with happy laughter.
"Wait, is that John Silver?", Greg asked in shock, and Emma giggled, "This world is all Disney, but not like what we saw in the movies, Dad, just very different with some similarities. And...", takes a deep breath, "he's the father of our children, and my fiancé...", with a nervous smile at Greg as she looks back at him.
"I... I knew this place looked familiar...", Greg muttered in amazement. "Atlantis, Dad. From that other movie.", Emma chuckled as Greg still was trying to wrap his brain around everything.
"I'm sorry, this is just a lot for me to take in all at once.", Greg said with a hint of anxiety. "Same thing with me and the others, to be honest. Trust me, there's a lot that might cause you to blow a gasket in your brain there.", Emma smiled.
Greg nodded with a smile, "True, but I have you to help me out if you want me to stay here. Tammy saw what Kyle did. So, she knows what to tell the others.".
Emma gasped, "Oh, my cousins! The family!", and Greg patted her shoulder, "Hey, calm down, they will be fine without me, and besides, they will know that I'm with you. If there's magic here, one day, we can bring them here without Kyle exhausting himself. Apparently, he has teleportation like Nightcrawler from the show and comics.".
Emma blinked in surprise, "Oh! That explains so much...He found his gift...Thank you for taking care of him back there on Earth...", and Greg chuckled, "He's quite a ball of energy for a preemie, I can tell you that, but I already love him, and he's quite special. So, are you going to introduce me?", with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Oh, certainly... in a moment though... I just need to ask what happened... Clayton... he snuck into the city... I thought he blew Kyle to bits with his gun...", Emma nearly teared up from the thought of losing Kyle.
"Well, it appears he teleported away... to Earth, right near where Brad, Tammy, Polly and myself were camping and ended up revealing himself to us. Lucky Brad decided to check things out or we might have dismissed him as a wild animal and left him alone in those woods.", Greg explained.
Emma exhaled in relief, "Thank the Great Kings...Thank you, Daddy.", hugging him earnestly, and Greg smiled softly, rubbing her back, "You're welcome, sweetheart...", sighing contentedly as he felt right again...A piece of his heart broke away when he thought he lost her after the police told him...Now it's all piecing back together. True, he kept going for his brother and nieces and nephews, but it wasn't the same without Emma, and recently, Ryan as well...
He should have known that something was up. He saw Ryan's body at his funeral, but there should have been bones or something to tell that Emma was dead, but the only evidence was her burned wallet id and scorched metal dog tags.
Greg sighed, shaking his head slightly as it was all done in the past, and now he's right here, with Emma in front of him, and he kissed Emma's forehead, "You're truly real, my daughter.".
"Yeah... I'm here, Dad...", Emma sobbed as she kissed him on the cheek. "I really missed you.".
"So did I... I... I really didn't truly have much left to keep me going...", Greg admitted to her.
Emma looked at him, "Not even Uncle Red or my cousins?", and Greg sighed heavily, "They picked up the pieces for me. I felt like I didn't deserve it at the time...Thank goodness they were heck as stubborn. Trait of the family.", with a small smile of relief.
"Yeah... John and the others have learned that firsthand.", Emma gave a small chuckle as she obviously could see that her father was still very troubled.
Greg smiled at his daughter, "I bet. Now, come on, introduce me to my other grandchildren, and John. We have all the time to catch up now.", looking better as he squeezed Emma's shoulder warmly.
"Okay, Dad...", Emma smiled as she walked over to just that. "Just to let you know if Kyle didn't mention it... but you're a grandfather to five... I sort of had more of a... dragon like birth.", she admitted.
Greg nodded, "I saw you change from dragon to human. And yes, Kyle mentioned it, but wow, it must have been something...", looking at the kids who is now playing with Kyle, animal parts on them everywhere.
"It was... it got messy though towards the end... Kyle... his egg cracked, and we just barely saved him. That's why he is the way he is and why he's a bit smaller.", Emma replied with a soft sigh.
Greg smiled, "But he makes up for his energy and passionate affinity for play.", with a chuckle, "He woke me and Brad up in different ways...So, who are the others?", with a gesture of his chin.
Emma smiled, "The other one with dragon parts, that's Liam, the second oldest. The one with the wolf parts, that's Miranda, third oldest. The one with the lion parts, that's Jared, fourth oldest, and for last, but not least, Zoey, the one with the fox parts. They are shapeshifters, able to shift between human and animal forms except for Kyle. He's permanently stuck as a hybrid, thanks to his situation at labor.".