A/N: Sorry for the wait! This takes place about nine years later, at Queenscove, where Neal is now Duke. And no, Duke Baird is not dead; he just stepped aside for Neal to take over.

Epilogue: No Place Like Home

Watching the small traveling party packing and saddling their horses for a long journey, four adults stood, reminiscing about their own countless journeys away from home.

This time, however, none of them were leaving. This time it was their children's turn.

Kel and Dom, located at the side of an able horse, kept their eyes on the young boy in front of them, saddling the horse happily. As he jabbered on about various things, all his parents could do was smile and stand there in wonder, amazed that ten years had passed by so quickly. It only seemed like yesterday that they were holding their small baby boy in their arms. Now, here he was, getting ready to head off to the palace to begin his first year of page training.

Their dark-haired boy, who resembled his handsome father greatly, had just finished saddling his horse when he turned to the boy near him and said, "We don't want to get a beating on our first day, cousin. Hurry up, and saddle your horse already!"

The boy he was speaking to was still trying to saddle his horse to fit his comfort, as his parents, Neal and Yuki, looked on as well.

The Queenscove boy was definitely a mixture of both of his parents. He had his mother's almond-shaped eyes and distinct Yamani influence, yet he had inherited his father's sharp tongue.

"Just because I want to be comfortable on such a long ride as this does not give you any reason to ridicule me," he retorted, looking at his cousin who was a mere two months his senior. Besides the sharp tongue, Neal's son had also inherited the Queenscove nose, which was mirrored on the face of Kel and Dom's son as well.

"I don't think you should worry about me ridiculing you," replied the Masbolle boy. "With flowery language like that I think the other pages shall take care of it for me."

"That's right," said another voice.

The speaker, already mounted on a horse, was a young girl of about twelve years of age. Neal and Yuki's daughter was going into her third year as a page, and used her experience to constantly antagonize her younger brother. There was no mistaking the resemblance between the two, the only difference being that the young girl had inherited her father's green eyes instead of the notable Queenscove nose. The infamous sharp tongue of her father did not pass over her, either, however. "Don't think I'm going to stick up for you because you're my brother. All the first-years get picked on."

Listening to this, Kel shook her head. "I thought I might've been able to eliminate that…"

"Kids will always be kids," Neal told his friend, remembering well her attempts to get rid of hazing among the pages when they were training.

"Just like Meathead will always be Meathead," interjected Dom, grinning at his cousin.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Neal asked, turning to Dom.

Not listening to her husband's quick reply, Kel looked back at the three children. "Don't let anyone push you around, though. As the Yamanis say: Give them the slightest grin, and they'll want the whole smile."

The three children laughed. "Don't worry, mother," said her son, grinning, "I plan to fight back. Besides, I have a few good pranks up my sleeves for anyone who dares take advantage of me."

Kel raised her eyebrows at him, noting his grin that looked so much like his father's as the light danced in the eyes that looked so much like her own.

Hearing his cousin's statement, Yuki's son piped up, "Yeah, Aunt Kel, we have a whole bag full of things simply for tricks!"

"I really don't need to know this," commented Kel, shaking her head.

"You better not be planning to prank me or any of my friends," said Neal's daughter, narrowing her eyes at her brother and cousin.

"No need to worry," said her brother, his face screwed up disgustedly, "Some of them are girls."

Returning to the conversation, Dom said, "Oh, how that will change, my nephew. Soon your whole world will revolve around impressing those same girls…"

"And hopefully you're better than your father at writing poetry for the pretty court ladies," teased Kel.

"A lot of ladies adored my poetry!" protested Neal.

"Well consider this," said Yuki to the two young boys, "The very last reason I married him was for his poetry…so don't risk it."

Kel and Dom laughed out right at this before Dom told the boys, "No, no, poetry is nice and all if you want to attract flying tomatoes, but to really get a lady's attention all you need to do is…"

Kel and Yuki smiled and rolled their eyes as their husbands informed their attentive sons on how to attract a young lady's attention.

Yuki's daughter looked over at her mother and Aunt Kel, rolling her eyes and laughing along. Then to the boys, she announced, "You two can forget about me introducing you to any of my friends; you're much too young for them."

Changing the topic, the young boys then started to ask their fathers what they were currently more interested in- all the shortcuts and lesser-known passages throughout the palace that might be useful for pranks. Smiling, their fathers told them willingly.

Then turning to her niece, Kel asked, "Will you do me and your mother a favor and look after your brother and my son for us? I have a feeling they have too much of their fathers in them…"

"Of course, Aunt Kel," she replied genuinely, "I'll try to keep those two out of as much trouble as I can."

"Thank you," said Kel gratefully.

"Besides," the young girl said, this time loud enough for the boys to hear, "If they get too out of hand I'll just have to use my Gift to subdue them."

Hearing this both boys protested loudly. Then Neal's son muttered to his cousin, "I now know who we're going to prank first…"

This caused all four parents to laugh.

Then, seeing that they were all set, both sets of parents exchanged goodbyes with their children as they then mounted their awaiting horses and joined their riding guards at the gate.

The parents smiled with pride as they watched their kids get settled for their long ride. Kel glanced at the glaive and sword at her son's side and grinned. She had started teaching him the glaive when he was quite small, and Dom had taught him the sword. Yuki and Neal's children both had glaive and sword at their sides as well.

As her son said something to his two cousins that caused them both to laugh, Kel smiled as well. Watching after their easy-going boy, Kel remarked, "He's as troublesome as his father…" and gave Dom a teasing glance.

"And as crazy as his mother for wanting to be a knight," Dom countered, grinning.

Kel smiled in return, then looked back to see the riding party exit through Queenscove's large wooden gates.

Soon, with a few backwards glances and a final wave, the children disappeared from view.

After a few moments of silence, Yuki said quietly, "Our kids are growing up…"

"It's been so long since we haven't had them around…" added Kel, equally quiet.

"And it's about time!" declared Neal, jokingly. "I've been waiting for them to reach the magical age of ten since they were born!"

Yuki and Kel rolled their eyes for the third time that day as Dom laughed and said, "I'm sure your kids have been wishing the same thing too, Meathead, to be away from you."

"Does no one else see the endless possibilities with our children gone?" Neal asked incredulously. "That means we're alone with no one to interrupt us!" Then he looked at his cousin, and gave him a sly grin, "Only us and our wives…Alone…"

Dom had already caught on to his cousin's implications. Returning the grin, he said, "Whatever can we do now that our children are gone?"

Then they both turned their bright-eyed smiles and appraising glances toward their wives, who in turn gave each other a small, knowing grin of their own.

"I have a feeling," Yuki commented to Kel, "that they're going to resume their own pranks again. You know what happened the last time when they had too much time on their hands…"

"And you also know where they'll end up for resuming those pranks," stated Kel matter-of-factly.

"Yes," said Yuki, nodding her head, "And the stables here are quite drafty." She glanced over at the mentioned building.

Dom and Neal looked at it wearily.

"No, no! We weren't considering pranks at all!" Neal said suddenly and truthfully.

"Well, if you are," started Kel, glancing at Neal and then looking at Dom, "it'll be the same as it was all those years ago. It'll take a lot of work on your part to get us to finally make up…" She gave Dom a sly smile.

A slow grin spread across his own face as he glanced at Kel's playful gaze. Then, taking a step toward her, Dom said in a low voice, "Then how about we forget the pranks and cold stables and just skip to the making up part instead…?"

Then, in his signature way that Kel found almost irresistible, Dom started to whisper numerous suggestions on what they could do alone together in her ear, causing her to smile widely. Upon hearing one of his suggestions- which involved something about a lot of kissing and a dark hallway- Kel pulled back, and laughing, asked, "What are we, courting again?"

"Of course not," Dom replied, sending her one of his alluring smiles. Then, for her ears alone, he added, "If we were courting then I wouldn't be so bold as to carry you off to bed afterwards…which I am, no doubt, definitely planning on doing…"

"I hate to ruin your confidence, Dom," replied Kel, just as softly, "But you're not the only one with that same idea."

This caused Dom's smile to widen considerably. Then, encircling her tightly in his strong arms, he said, "Consider my confidence still fully intact, Kel."

She laughed, "Good." Then they came together in a swift, sweet kiss.

"Now," said Dom, smiling and taking her hand in one of his large ones, "Let's go find that dark hallway and continue the rest of this where we can truly be alone."

Kel smiled back at him agreeably.

Neal and Yuki, going through a similar conversation, also stood smiling at each other.

Then both couples, joined hand-in-hand with their spouse, made their way to Queenscove castle's welcoming doors, all four of them reflecting along the same lines.

Thinking of their children, they felt love for their being, pride in what they were going off to do, and hope in the future ahead of them.

Thinking of their family and friends, instant smiles spread across their faces.

Then they turned to look at their husband or wife, respectively. Their thoughts were then filled not only with love and affection, but also with thanksgiving for the support and devotion they had provided over their years together and the many happy days still yet to come.

As if knowing what the other was thinking, Kel and Dom looked over at each other, as did Neal and Yuki, and they each gave each other knowing, loving smiles, filled with tenderness.

And as they walked into the castle, still smiling, the same thought echoed through their minds-

There is absolutely no place like home…

A/N: The end!! This concludes my "Home" fics, I hope you enjoyed all three of them! Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers, you're the best!! If you're interested to see what I plan for the future, you can check my newly updated profile! Thanks again!