A/N: So, obviously mixed ending. Kandi and the baby survived. HOORAY! Rude, bad man, go to jail, do not pass 'Go', do not collect 200 gil. BOO! I have a lot of angst to make up for, don't I? Let's see what I can do about that.

Disclaimer: Dude. Seriously? Seriously?! (sighs) Still not mine.

Rhianna stared at the couple in front of her then glanced over to Kagome. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Your call, Rhianna," the Lead Guardian stated. "You are the one that encouraged the Shrine to pardon Kuja and make him a guardian. It's up to you."

Rhianna scowled at the worthless woman. "You're no help," she grumbled.

Kagome shrugged. "Then I'll leave," she said with a chuckle, exiting the office.

The Head Watcher looked once again at Kandi and Kuja. "Okay," she said, nodding her head. "You can move into the house on the Shrine property near the stables. It's clean and cozy, in excellent condition. It's yours..."

"Thank you, Rhianna!" Kandi exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"On one condition," Rhianna continued.

Kuja arched his eyebrow, somehow knowing what was coming next.

"You have to get married."

"Lady Rhianna," Kuja began in protest, knowing Kandi's stance on marriage.

"Okay!"

Kuja's jaw dropped. "What?" he nearly shrieked. He composed himself quickly, looking over at his beloved. "But, you refused before. Why would you want to get married now?"

Kandi rolled her eyes and grinned. "Because I'm in love with you now," she stated, touching his face softly. "Duh."

"Yeah, Kuja," Rhianna said with an evil smirk. "Duh."

The Silver Wizard glared at her, but it quickly left his face as a smile overtook it. "Duh, indeed," he chuckled to himself.

Kandi jumped up and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" she said excitedly. "I want to check out our house!"

Kuja followed her/was dragged by her out the door of Rhianna's office. The former bellydancer smirked, wiggling her fingers after them. "Dance, Puppets! Dance!"

"Wow!" Kandi exclaimed as they walked through the doors. She headed straight to her favorite room; the kitchen. "Damn, this is a big kitchen! Totally modern appliances and everything! Look at this stove! And the oven! I'm making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies everyday! And homemade bread and cakes and brownies..."

"You're going to make me fat," Kuja chuckled, wrapping his arms around her from behind, resting his hands on her stomach.

"Make me feel better about myself when the spawn starts growing," she answered with a grin, leaning her head back on his shoulder. "Will you still love me when I'm fat and pregnant?"

"I will love you when you're belly is so swollen with my child it is ready to burst," he whispered into her ear. "I will love you when you are old and gray. I will love you when you are angry and forcing me to sleep on the sofa. I will love you when you tell me to take my magical supplies out of the house because they don't match you're lace doilies."

Kandi cringed. "Kuja," she began. "Do I look like a lace doily type of girl?"

Kuja glanced down at his beloved, eyeing her attire. She always had black lacquered nails, thick black eyeliner, black jewelry. Everytime they'd gone out on a date, she had wore a black lace choker with a cross charm on it. Her choice of color was always black or red. He smiled. "No," he answered. "You're very...gothic, aren't you?"

"Our stuff will mesh nicely," she said with a grin. "That's a fact."

"We mesh nicely," he said, turning her around and running his fingers through her hair before kissing her gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Perfect," she said. "I went and saw Yuna today and she said the baby and I are both doing really good."

"That's a relief," Kuja said, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Kuja?" she asked softly.

"Yes, my little canary?"

She hesitated for a moment. "What happened to Rude?"

Kuja sighed, pulling her closer. "He's in a place where he will never harm you or anyone again," he told her. "Please, just leave it at that, all right?"

"He's not dead?"

"No, my love, he's not."

"I hate that this happened," she said. "Not that I'm pregnant with your child or that we're together now. But I hate what happened to him, you know?"

"I know," Kuja said tenderly. "I know."

A purring noise could be heard outside of their house and Kuja smiled. "She knows we're here," he chuckled.

Kandi grinned. "Can we go for a ride?" she asked enthusiastically.

Kuja thought for a moment. "A short one," he answered. "I don't want you over doing it."

Kandi saluted. "Yes, Sir," she giggled, leading the way out to the dragon.

They climbed on, Kuja settling Kandi between his legs and giving a soft whistle as MysticQueen began flapping her shimmering wings and taking to the air. Kuja fisted his hand and summoned an item from his room at the Shrine. Pulling his beloved closer, he slipped a ring on her left hand, the linked Celtic knots sparkling in all their silver glory. "Will you marry me?" he asked into her ear, already knowing her answer.

Kandi looked at the ring, smiling. She turned her head slightly and kissed his lips. "Of course," she answered with a smirk.

Kuja grinned down at her, pressing his forehead to hers. "Cool."

Twenty years later, at The Castle That Never Was...

It was gone.

No more screams of pain and agony from the woman he loved, no more blood, no more death. Silence. Beautiful silence.

Rude ran his hands over his once bald scalp, surprised to find a head full of hair. A razor or scissors had not touched his hair in two decades. Collapsing to the ground, he sobbed bitterly, finally having control over his thoughts again. And the first thing he thought of was Kandi. He had killed her. Even though the scene was gone, the guilt remained.

"Hello Rude."

Rude's head snapped up, eager to see the first human contact he had had in twenty years. His eyes fell on a slightly older Kuja accompanied by a young man in his late teens, early twenties, with silver hair...streaked red.

"Kuja," he said, his voice gravelly from being unused for so long.

"Silence is golden, is it not?" the Silver Wizard asked. He bowed slightly. "Pardon my manners," he said, gesturing to the young man. "This is Kujito; my son."

Rude stared at the young man, features decidedly like his father's, but eyes...like someone else. And the red streaks...

"The one you tried to kill."

Rude reared back, falling to the floor of the cell he'd been confined to for twenty years. "No," he whispered. "Kandi..."

"My mother is alive and well," Kujito answered. "Beautiful and planning my younger sister's wedding; I believe they are having luncheon right about now with the flourist."

Rude grasped at his heart, the scars of the word 'murderer' Gwendolyn carved into his flesh burning violently. "She's alive," he gasped out. "She's been alive this whole time?"

"Yes."

Rude began sobbing again. "Oh, thank God," he whispered. He scrambled over to the bars of his cell, grasping them and remaining on his knees. He bowed his head. "Forgive me; tell her I'm sorry. Forgive me, Kuja. Forgive me, Kujito. I could have been satisfied with simply being her friend, but I let my jealousy rule me. It cost me everything. Please, forgive me. I beg you."

Kuja looked to his son and smiled. "You are forgiven," the Silver Wizard said. "Rest now, Rude. You have suffered enough."

Rude collapsed to the ground, his heart filled with so much pain for so long finally giving out. He died a peaceful death, free finally from the torment that he had killed the one he loved.

All was forgiven. All was well. All was over.

Fin.