This is probably the longest chapter I have ever written XD

Peter's POV

Perry staggers backwards like he's been punched in the stomach. "Wh-what?"

"He died when we tried to implant the chip." Bill looks very satisfied to tell Perry this. "Over two years ago."

Perry looks incredibly shocked. He looks across at Dimitri, who has his head bowed. "Is it true?"

Dimitri nods sadly. "I'm so sorry."

I turn away to give Perry some time with his shock and grief. I look down at the small grey panda in my arms. This is my grandson. My first grandson.

He looks up at me. "Who are you?"

"I'm your grandfather," I smile. "Peter."

"I don't have a name," states the small panda quietly.

"Don't worry, I'll get you home to your mother, and she can name you."

"Home? Mother?"

"Yes," I reply, though my thoughts are elsewhere.

When Kimi was found, she told us that she had tripped and fell onto a sharp stone, which had cut her abdomen. She claimed that she had never met her baby. But now…there is no way she couldn't have met this baby. Not with this new information.

I almost miss Terry putting his paw on Perry's shoulder. "We need to get the rest of these animals out of here."

He shoots a look at Dimitri, as if daring the scientist to argue. He doesn't.

Perry's POV

We take the twenty animals to an empty house in Bodicote. We somehow avoid anybody seeing us. We sneak out several translators and give them to all the Bionics.

Pinky goes to get Priya, Peter goes to get Kimi, and Terry and I begin to write down the names and abilities of the Bionics.

The first one is the light pink platypus. "I'm Anke," she says. "I don't know why, but the name just stuck in my head."

Some of these animals remember the names their parents give them, I realise. I wonder if Hermes ever remembered his name.

"And what can you do?" I ask, writing her name down.

"I can create barriers to protect people," she replies. "I don't know what they're called."

I write down creates forcefields.

We have an array of powers, from manipulating the weather to shooting energy blasts.

The two most memorable cases, apart from Anke and the grey panda, are two very rare phoenixes called Lateysha and Noah, a girl and boy respectively. The former has the power of intangibility (changing density) and the latter has the power of energy blasts. They told me that they are already mates, though Lateysha specifically said they wouldn't have kids until they were at least eight years old. While I didn't really need to know that, it was comforting to hear that happiness could be found even in the darkest of times.

At one point, I hear Priya's voice yelling and Pinky's voice trying to calm her down. Then Kimi runs into the room, her red scar still visible on her abdomen. I go to meet her and gently keep her at the door. "Kimi, are you okay?"

"I want to see my baby!" Kimi shouts.

"Kim, calm down." I put my paws on her shoulders like she's my own daughter. "What happened to you? Really?"

"I…" She hesitates. "I was captured by two men who took my baby. I didn't want a fuss to be made."

"And the scar?"

She hesitates again. "Caesarean section gone wrong. I don't blame anybody for that, it must have been very hard for any doctor to operate on a panda when they're used to operating on humans."

I give her a reassuring smile. "I think you're ready to meet your baby. Did you give him a name?"

She slowly nods.

"Okay."

I take Kimi's arm and gently lead her over to the grey panda, who is sitting by the window. The small panda looks up at Kimi and asks, "Are you my mommy?"

Kimi gasps and covers her mouth with her paw. I nudge her and she nods, tears falling down her face. "I am," she stammers. "I am your mommy, and I love you so much, Adrian."

The grey panda's face lights up in a big smile. "Is that my name?"

Kimi grabs Adrian under his arms and brings him in for a massive hug. "Yes!" Kimi gasps. "Your name is Adrian; I am your mother, Kimi; you're home now; and I love you so, so, so much."

Both Kimi and Adrian are crying now. Feeling incredibly happy yet also incredibly sad, I go back to the notebook I left on the side and check Adrian's power. It says healing.

Then I see Priya come through the door. I walk slowly up to my mate and open my beak, but she gets there first. "Pinky updated me on the situation," she says. "But he didn't say where Hermes is."

I feel a tear dropping down my face. "Priy, he didn't survive. Hermes is dead."

Priya stares at me. "N-no…!" she whispers. "Please…tell me it's not true!"

"They tried to put in the chip when he was one but he didn't survive…I'm so sorry…" I croak, crying openly now.

Priya suddenly tips backwards. I leap behind her and catch her. She hasn't quite passed out, but she falls out of my arms and hits the floor. She curls up in a ball and begins crying loudly. I put my arms around her but she shrugs me off. "Go away."

I feel a paw on my shoulder. Terry leads me away from my distressed mate. "Just give her some time," he says quietly.

I nod and wipe away my tears. "Okay."

Pinky's POV

I'm outside on my own. I feel sad for Perry and Priya, even though I have no idea what pain they're going through.

I happen to turn to the left and see a small platypus staring up at the house. As I approach, I see that the platypus is male and about three years old. He has brown fur, and for a moment I think he's Ohio, Perry's deceased friend.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"E-excuse me, where am I?"

"You're in Bodicote, the OWCA village."

"OWCA?" repeats the small platypus.

"Oh, the Organisation Without A Cool Acronym."

The platypus pauses. "I-I'm looking for someone to help me. I don't have any parents."

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Three and a half years old," he replies.

I stare at him. That's the same age as…

Oh my God.

Perry's POV

Someone taps me on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"

I turn round and see Anke there. "What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Perry."

"Perry. Are you the father of my friend Matty?"

I stare down at her. "Your friend Matty?"

"He somehow knew that that wasn't his real name," she tells me. "I met him on my third birthday. I remember that because he told me he was the same age I was then. We were talking, and I found out that he didn't remember his real name but he called himself Matty. He was the only other platypus in the facility, so I thought it must be your son."

"Wait…!" I kneel down in front of Anke and look her in the eyes. "Did you say you met when you were both three?"

Anke nods.

"But…Bill said he died when he was one," I say in confusion.

Anke also looks confused. "Well, that isn't right. I saw him just a few weeks ago, but then he disappeared. I heard Bill talking and they said he had somehow got out."

"Got out? You mean…he's alive?"

"He didn't say Matty had died," Anke frowns. "So I guess he is alive."

"But…then…Bill lied to me!" I hiss. "And Dimitri did too!"

"Actually," Anke pipes up. "I don't think Dimitri knew."

"What?"

"When I heard Bill, he was muttering to himself about "that bloody platypus" and "how did he manage to get out". I don't think he actually told Dimitri the truth. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed to admit it to anyone."

My heart leaps. "He's alive! I have to go tell Priya." I set off running but a moment later I go back and hug Anke. "Thank you so much!"

Anke beams as she hugs me back. "No problem."

I rush over to Priya, who is lying in exactly the same position, and tap her on the shoulder. "Go away," she mumbles.

"Priy, Hermes is alive!"

She rolls over and stares at me. "What?"

"Anke just told me! Bill lied to me when he said Hermes was dead, apparently he escaped! He's still out there, Priya! He's alive!"

Priya leaps up. "Really?"

I nod eagerly. Priya laughs excitedly and throws her arms around my neck. I swing her around, both of us laughing.

Priya's POV

Then Pinky bursts into the room. We both turn and look at him, the smiles still on our faces. Those smiles quickly fade when we see how urgent Pinky looks. "You're really going to want to see this," he pants. "Both of you."

Perry and I exchange a look and follow Pinky out the door. We exit the house and rush out into the sunshine. "What is it?" I ask.

Pinky points to where a young, brown-furred platypus is standing, gazing up at the sky. Neither of us recognise him, though the first thought I have is that he looks a lot like Ohio.

Then I approach him slowly. He spots me and comes to meet me. "Is everything okay?" I ask.

"I-I don't know what to do," confesses the platypus. "I don't know my real name, I never knew my parents, I have nowhere to go, and I just escaped a facility where some bad people gave me this scary power that I'm afraid to use."

Perry and I stare at him. "What colour does teal added with purple make?" I whisper to nobody in particular.

"Brown," Perry whispers, also not really to anyone in particular.

He looks up at me. "A-are you my parents?" he asks.

I kneel down in front of him and gently stroke his cheek.

"You're my mom…!" gasps the platypus. "I've seen you before in my dream! I always had this image of a purple platypus…and that's you!"

I start crying, and the platypus does too. He leaps at me and hugs me around my neck. I hug him back. Perry comes on his other side and hugs him from behind so that our son is in the middle.

"What's my name?" comes my little son's voice in my ear.

"Hermes," I choke. "Your name is Hermes. Oh, I love you so much. You're safe now. You're safe and loved."

All the suffering I've endured since I got pregnant nearly four years ago just melts away. I'm finally reunited with my son.

Perry's POV

All those years of searching has finally paid off. I can't believe it. I actually can't believe it!

Hermes is home.

*squeals* wasn't this chapter a rollercoaster of emotions?

Also: ANKE! Again, if you haven't read Army of One, that's not going to make much sense XD XD

Also also: the idea for Hermes's reunion with his parents was given to me by Nightflame203