A/N: To catch everyone up with what happened to the other characters during the time skip, Hexa was sentenced to a life in prison without possibility of parole and Shanna was released from prison. This chapter starts with Colette and Lloyd getting everything ready to go to resume the Exsphere Journey. It will be more difficult with two children to take care of too, but I think if anyone could handle it, it would be them.

Chapter 8

Responsibility

Colette yawned as she woke up late the next morning. She had slept so late due to the fact that she had gone through many long hours of labor. Only moments later, little Edmund whimpered then cried, letting everyone in the room know that he was hungry.

Emily, disturbed awake by her older brother (though only by an hour and a half), cried also, but she was louder than her brother.

Lloyd was awakened by the crying as well and sat up quickly. He said, "It wasn't me!"

Colette giggled, "Good morning, Lloyd. Did you sleep well, aside from being woken up by these two noisemakers?" She took Edmund into her arms and began to breastfeed him.

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah…oh, do you want me to feed Emily?"

Colette smiled and replied, "Yeah, if you don't mind, Lloyd."

Lloyd answered, "I really don't mind helping you, Colette." He bent over and kissed her on the lips, then went and got a bottle from the cupboard. He filled it with some formula that had been given to them as a gift, poked a small hole in the nipple of the bottle, then picked up Emily and began to feed her.

Emily instantly calmed once she was in her father's arms. She was going to be a real daddy's girl. She drank down the formula hungrily then stopped once the bottle was empty. ((A/n: For anyone who is curious, Emily and Edmund both get formula and Colette's breast milk. They alternate during the day. In morning, Emily gets formula and Edmund gets to breastfeed. Afternoons, it's the other way around and evenings alternate daily. Anyhow, back to the story!))

Colette asked Lloyd, "Want to switch for the burping?"

Lloyd responded, "Sure." He handed over Emily and took Edmund from Colette, putting a white cloth over his right shoulder to keep from getting spit up on his bright red shirt.

Colette had done the same thing, except that she had put one on each of her shoulders instead of just the right. She told Lloyd, "You may want to get another cloth, Lloyd. Raine told me that you have to alternate sides when you burp a baby."

Lloyd blinked, "Oh…well, I guess I'll go get one then. Be right back." He planted a quick kiss on Colette's cheek, grabbed a cloth from the cupboard and then came back to Colette, "So…Colette, do you think we're ready to start back on the journey to destroy the Exspheres yet?"

Colette replied, "I think so. I mean, it's going to be a bit more difficult if we bring Emily and Edmund, but we'll manage it somehow."

Lloyd smiled and nodded, "I'm glad. I want to keep my promise to my dad. He finished doing what he told me he would do and it's kind of inspired me to finish up what I started until I heard about Emil and the Centurions' cores. It's too bad he died. Emil was a good guy." ((A/n: This is a reference to the bad ending of TOS 2. If you've not played TOS 2: Dawn of the New World, just skip the next bit.)) A slightly guilty expression crept onto Lloyd's face as he burped his son.

Colette told Lloyd, "Lloyd, its okay. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known that Emil would end it that way." She walked over to him and hugged him carefully so she wouldn't flatten Emily, then kissed his cheek, "Why don't we start packing to leave? That might give you something to do to get your mind off of him for a while."

Lloyd replied, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

(A/n: You may start reading again here.)

Edmund let out a loud burp then, spitting up slightly on the towel Lloyd had over his shoulder.

Lloyd gently rubbed his son's back and told him, "Its okay now. You're okay." He whispered this softly, his brown eyes watching his son lovingly. Now he understood the logic behind Kratos's protectiveness of him during the World Regeneration Journey. He hadn't wanted to lose Lloyd after losing Anna, because he was the only person alive that Kratos really cared for.

Colette set Emily down in her crib and began to pack up some diapers and necessary items for Emily and Edmund into two large duffle bags. Emily's was pink while Edmund's was blue. She looked at Lloyd and asked, "Will you pack for us while I pack up the stuff for the twins?"

Lloyd smiled and nodded, "Sure, Colette." He set Edmund in his crib, which was right next to his sister's. For some reason, the twins could hardly stand to be apart for more than a few minutes. ((A/n: Although they were born about an hour and a half apart, Emily and Edmund are still twins because they were born on the same day. If I'm remembering right, to be considered twins you only have to be born on the same day, not at the exact same time. If I'm wrong about this, let me know in a review. Thanks, and now back to our feature presentation!)) He went upstairs and began to pack some clothes for him and for Colette. He then began to look for his swords. After all, they would be traveling and you never knew what kind of dangers you could encounter on the road.

Kratos came into the room unannounced, "Lloyd, how are things going for you and Colette?"

Lloyd jumped slightly and turned around, "Oh, Dad. Hi. I didn't see you there. Things are going great. The twins are growing fast. By the way, how are things with Shanna and everyone?"

Kratos replied, "Well, Shanna is now working full-time at the Palmacosta Inn to support herself and Aiden. Sheena is back in Mizuho getting prepared to be chief, Presea and Regal are working hard at Lezareno, and Raine and Genis are back to campaigning for half-elves."

Lloyd nodded, "It's good to hear that they're still willing to do that after what happened."

Kratos responded, "Raine's got a pretty hard head at times, and Genis is feeling much better about everything now. If they let something like this dissuade them, they would never get anywhere with it."

Lloyd replied with a sigh, "You make a good point, Dad." He finished packing up his bag, and then looked around for his swords some more, "Now, where'd I leave those-?"

Kratos tossed Lloyd his swords from underneath a pile of books, "Here."

Lloyd caught the sheaths, "Thanks, Dad." He set the swords on the bed, and then began to pack up for Colette while she was still downstairs packing up for the twins.

Kratos asked, "Lloyd…would you mind if I accompanied you and Colette? I would feel much better about it then."

Lloyd looked up at him and smiled, "Of course. Do you even have to ask?"

Kratos smiled back and gave his son a loose hug, putting his arms around Lloyd's shoulders, "Thank you."

Lloyd nodded, "If not for you, none of this would have been possible. Thank you, Dad." He finished packing up Colette's clothing and toiletries and then zipped up her periwinkle blue bag. He went over to Kratos and hugged him, "Come on. Colette's downstairs waiting for me. She'll be happy you're here."

Kratos nodded back and accompanied Lloyd downstairs.

Colette smiled when she saw Kratos, "Hi Kratos!" She was obviously still in a very chipper mood. She then looked at Lloyd, "Are you ready?"

Lloyd replied, "Yeah, I'm ready. Colette, are you okay with Kratos coming with us?"

Colette giggled quietly behind her hand, "Sure, that's fine. The more the merrier." She went over to the closet and got out the two baby carriers she had bought two days ago before having the babies. One of them was blue and the other was pale beige. After placing the blue one on herself, she took a blanket from Edmund's crib, a blue one with a soft cutesy car sewn on, and put it in the baby carrier so the infant would have padding and not be horribly uncomfortable. She then picked up Edmund and put him in the seat part of it, placing her hand behind his head and neck area since he wasn't big enough yet to support his head. She then asked, "Lloyd, will you carry Emily?"

Lloyd nodded, "Sure. I have our stuff packed by the way." He placed the two bags of clothing and essential items on the table. His sheathed swords were now on either side his waist. He was clearly ready to go.

Colette smiled, "Glad to hear it. We're almost ready then." She bent down using her knees and picked up the baby carrier for Emily, carrying it over to Lloyd. She handed it to him.

Lloyd removed his swords and put on the beige baby carrier, getting Emily's pink blanket with a white lamb sewn on and putting it in the carrier so she could have padding too. He then got his swords again and put them back on his hips loosely, careful not to catch the belts on the Velcro of the baby carrier. He placed Emily in the carrier, being sure to place his hand behind her head and neck since she wouldn't be able to support her head by herself just yet, "Okay, we're ready. Kratos, are you ready?"

Kratos nodded, picking up Lloyd and Colette's bags before they could even object or ask for his help, "I've been ready. Let's go."

The three-generation traveling party left the house and headed out.

Kratos then asked, "What's our first destination?"

Lloyd replied, "Well, my most recent contact told me we could search around the ruins of the Palmacosta Ranch for Exspheres that the Desians left behind. I think that's a good place to start as any."

Colette smiled and nodded, "That sounds good to me."

Kratos replied, "Let's head out then."

The party continued on their way to Palmacosta.