Believe it or not, we actually fought over the name. Maybe that was mostly my fault for stubbornly insisting that Berwald's suggestions were too simple, but he was at least partially to blame, seeing as he was completely disregarding my suggestions. Apparently they were too crazy. And we were having more trouble than we would have liked to admit with compromising. Emil was no help, keeping his eyes glued to the television for most of the day. At least I got him watching the Moomins.

We'd been in the middle of making lunch when I brought it up again. After all, it'd been three days, and the poor darling still didn't have a name. Berwald sighed, resigning himself to the argument we both knew was about to ensue, and began searching his mind for some name he hadn't yet listed. There couldn't be many left, honestly.

He started listing a few, and my hands worked deftly to cut some fruits while he spoke.

"Uh… Dieter? Bjorn, Aaron, Christopher…" He trailed, having to pause. I didn't bother filling his silence with names of my own, knowing he wouldn't like any of them. "Stephen, Ivan-"

The knife made a sharp clack against the cutting board, and I narrowed my eyes, looking at him sharply.

"You would give our child that cursed name?" I demanded, pointing at him accusingly. It turned out a bit more threatening than I'd intended it to be, forgetting I had a knife in my hand, which was now pointing at his face. He put his hands up in surrender, eyes a little wide.

Before he could utter a word, the phone rang, and he backed away from me slowly, grabbing it from the charger and putting it against his ear, eyes still trained on me, though I'd lowered the knife with a huff. He greeted the person on the other line, and after a moment, his face melted into one of affection.

I watched with new interest. Berwald rarely made that face at anyone that wasn't me or the new baby. I had to wonder who was on the other side, but I waited till he'd finished his conversation, which was in a language I didn't know, before I quirked a brow at him.

"Who was that?" I asked, returning to my cutting duties. He walked over and hugged me from behind, smooching my cheek.

"Mah uncle Peter." He replied. "I used to live with him, after mah pa kicked me ou'." He elaborated. I frowned, turning to look at him over my shoulder.

"Why did he kick you out?" I demanded. Berwald, sighed, resting his chin in the crook of my neck.

"Caugh' me kissin' the neighbor boy." He offered. That was a strange reason to kick someone out. Was the neighbor boy a bad person? Well, I pretended to understand, for it was obvious that the topic was not one that Berwald liked to discuss. I nodded, turning my head to steal a quick kiss.

"Was your uncle nice?" I inquired. I heard a small chuckle.

"He was the bes'. He was really patien' with me, and we go' along. Ah try to get him to visi' every year. Maybe Ah can convince him this year, since ah've go' such a wonderful wife." He suggested. I blinked, turning in his arms and fixing him with a stern look.

"First of all, we are not married." I began, poking his chest, to little effect. "And second, I am a man!" I hissed. He only smirked, kissing me until the annoyance left my brow and I wrapped my arms around his neck, nearly knocking all of the chopped fruits to the floor.

"Ah'd like to ge' married." He breathed, and my face flushed. I'd learned, through much television watching, that humans considered marriage the ultimate show of love. It meant that you were bound to the person forever. For Mer, that was simply stated by having a mate. But for humans there was a whole ceremony, and rings, and I had to admit, I sort of wanted to do it too. It was always so beautiful on television.

"Well, let's pick a name first." I suggested with a giggle, letting him lift me onto the counter for more kisses. He sighed, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Ah should have asked uncle Peter for ideas. But then he'd have known Ah had a kid…" He mumbled. I blinked, looking up at him.

"Berwald!" I cried with excitement. He seemed to think he was in trouble, for his eyes widened, and he backed off. He realized his mistake almost immediately, but it wasn't fast enough to stop me from toppling to the floor. The best he could do was to cushion my fall with his body. I hit my head on the counter, and he let out a groan as I landed on him, but neither of us were severely injured, and we managed to sit up after a moment of whining about our injuries.

"Wha' was tha' all about?" He wondered, looking at me in exasperation. Oh, right!

"Peter!" I cooed, grinning wildly. He just looked at me like the hit to my head might have caused some damage. I sighed dramatically, putting my hands on my hips in irritation. "For the baby! We could name him after your uncle!" I explained. His face lit up with understanding, and I smiled. "You said you loved your uncle a lot, after all. Why not name him after someone you love?"

He was silent for a while, letting it process through his mind. Eventually he got up, and left the kitchen, me on his heels. We walked to where the baby was napping, and both looked down into his tank. He'd already grown about an inch and a half, and his eyelashes were pale against chubby cheeks.

"…Ya'd really name him Peter?" He asked quietly, turning to me. I nodded, smiling. I looked down at him, saying the name under my breath, making sure it fit the child before nodding again, looking up at Berwald. His eyes were alive and the colors seemed to glitter in excitement. He nodded as well, looking down at the baby, and he said the name as well.

"Peter."

As if he knew that name was his, Peter opened his eyes, looking up at the both of us for a moment before letting out a soft cry. I chuckled, picking him up and rubbing his tummy with the pad of my finger. His cries fell away to coos, and I felt affection swell in my heart, gently nudging Berwald with my shoulder.

"I think he likes the name." I suggested. Berwald agreed, his finger gently stroking the fair hair atop Peter's head.

"Ja. It's really okej?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, sighing heavily.

"Yes, Berwald, it's really alright.

He smiled that shy little awkward smile of his, wrapping his free arm around my waist and resting his head against the crown of mine, other hand busy playing with Peter's hair.

We completely forgot about lunch until several minutes after Peter had fallen asleep again, only remembering when Emil's stomach growled loud enough for us to hear. When we entered the living room, looking concerned, his cheeks went red, and he firmly stared at nothing but the television. I giggled, sitting next to him on the couch and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Sorry, Emi, we forgot about lunch." I apologized, squeezing his fingers softly. Berwald continued on to the kitchen to finish up the forgotten meal. "But we named the baby." I confided gleefully. He finally turned to look at me, violet eyes wide.

I grinned, getting cozy and leaning my shoulder against his.

"We named him Peter. After Berwald's uncle." I announced. He blinked a few times, eyes lost somewhere in his own mind, then he turned to me with a soft smile.

"Pe…Ter." He repeated.

It took me several seconds to realize, with a start, that Emil had just spoken for what had to be the first time in years.

"O-Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, looking at him with pure astonishment. But it quickly changed to happiness, and I nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Oh, Emil, you spoke!" I cried, literally. Pearls fell into his lap, rolling across his chest from where I cried against him. I could hear his little huff, but his hand slowly came up to pat my back in his awkward version of comfort. I blubbered hopelessly, hugging him tight until Berwald came out and quirked a brow at us.

I did my best to explain, having to stop to calm down twice before I managed to explain what happened.

Berwald offered Emil a smile as well, patting his shoulder before extracting me from him and taking me to the table, wiping my eyes with his thumbs. Emil walked himself to the table, still a bit shaky on his feet, and plopped into the chair next to me.

That got me crying again, and he buried his face in his arms, apparently too embarrassed to even look my way. I tried to stop being a baby, but didn't manage to stop crying till Berwald put the food on the table. It was too good not to eat, so I hushed up pretty quick. They both gave me amused looks, which I stuck my tongue out at.

I realized, after stuffing my face, that I should probably tell Lukas about this development. He was Emil's brother, after all. So I dialed Mathias' house phone, listening to it ring a few times before I heard a click. I was surprised to hear Lukas voice at all, but I was doubly surprised to hear it screaming at me.

"Hello?" He bellowed, making me wince.

"U-Um, Lukas, I-" I began.

"Oh, Tino?" He asked, equally as loud. I cringed.

"Yes, Lukas, it's me. But you-"

"How is Emil?" He yelled. I sighed, rubbing at my eyelids.

"That's what I'm calling about, actually, but could you-"

"What's wrong with him?" He demanded, voice still loud but now icy as well. I growled with frustration, though it came out a little higher pitched than I'd anticipated.

"Lukas! Listen to me for a second!" I shouted. Now everyone was looking at me.

"…You don't need to shout." He shouted.

I actually hit the wall in my frustration.

"Neither do you!" I hissed, biting my lip. I needed to calm down. Anger wasn't attractive on anyone. "Look, I called to tell you that Emil spoke!" I gushed quickly, trying to get it out before he started yelling again. He was quiet for a long time, and I worried he'd hung up or dropped the line, but finally, I heard him take a sharp breath.

"What?" He asked, voice a bit lower now, thank goodness.

"Yep! We decided on a name for the baby, and I told him, and he… He said it!" I chirped, grin finding my lips once again. Lukas breathed sharply again.

"I want to come see him." He informed me. I had figured as much.

"That should be fine. But wait till Mathias gets home. I'll tell Berwald to make extra for dinner. We'll make it a celebration of sorts!" I decided. "We finally named the baby, and Emil spoke! That's cause enough for a celebration in my opinion."

He offered me the softest of chuckles.

"Do I really have to wait for the idiot?" He asked.

"Yes, he's part of the family now too." I admonished. He sighed, but agreed, and I hung up the phone after instructing him on how to do the same.

Once that was taken care of, I headed into the living room where Berwald and Emil were watching the Moomins on the couch. I plopped down between them, giggling as Berwald wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Lukas and Mathias will be over for dinner." I informed the both of them.

"Ja, Ah heard we're havin' a party." Berwald replied, giving me a hard stare. I laughed, a bit of nervousness making it into my voice.

"Well, you know, I figured it was about time! The baby was born, and he's healthy, and now he has a name, and Emil is here, and he spoke!" I cried, turning to him and smiling affectionately again, pearls brimming at my eyes all over again. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest irritably. I wiped my eyes again, sniffling a few times before I buried myself in Berwald's chest.

"I'll help cook." I offered lamely. I felt the chuckle rumble in his chest before he let it out, and looked up at him with a grin. We both stopped short when a cry came from the aquarium, and I hopped up, scooping Peter into my hand. When he wasn't sated by affection, I put him back down and scurried to the kitchen.

"Right after I feed Peter!" I called, getting a bottle ready as quickly as I could. I tested it as Berwald had shown me, then scrambled to get back, pressing it to crying lips and sighing with relief as the crying stopped. Yes, I loved my baby, and I loved his cry; It meant that he was alive and healthy. But I was starting to learn to appreciate the times he didn't cry too.

Berwald got up and put his hands on my hips, drawing me back against him and nuzzling into my hair. I smiled, watching Peter eat warily. I hoped that's all he needed. Maybe it was time to change the water in the tank again. He'd keep crying if that was the case.

Luckily, when he finished the bottle, he dozed right back off, and I let him drift gently, taking the bottle to the kitchen and washing it out. Berwald returned to the couch, and opened his arms for me when I came back. We settled in, and got through the whole DVD before deciding it was time to get started on the big dinner we had planned.

Berwald pulled things out of the fridge and the cabinets and loaded my arms up before sending me to set them down on the counter. He gave me a few tasks to busy myself with as he blurred around the kitchen, working at an amazing pace compared to my own. But that's how it always was with us in the kitchen, and I'd learned that it didn't bother him that I was so slow.

Soon enough, the house was full of delicious smells, and Emil had turned the television off in favor of watching us cook from the island. He liked to do that because Berwald would slip him little bites when he thought I wasn't paying attention. I snapped at him about ruining his appetite a few times, but he never listened, and I didn't really care. And Emil always ate plenty during our meals, so it couldn't really hurt. I was pleased to see that he was already putting on a bit of weight since I'd gone for him.

Berwald had just put dessert in the oven to bake when we heard knocking, and Emil loped over to the door with his awkward strides. I came around the corner, just in case, but smiled when I saw Lukas' arms wrap around the teen. Emil awkwardly returned the affection, looking up at his brother when he had finished the embrace. Lukas didn't let go though, kissing Emil's cheeks until the shorter was struggling to get free from his hold, retreating to the island once again and receiving a bite of the noodles that Berwald had made as a side for his troubles.

Lukas and Mathias followed behind, taking off their shoes on the way. Lukas rested his chin on Emil's head, and Mathias took a seat at the island.

"Hej guys!" Mathias greeted cheerfully, offering one of his grins. I returned the smile, going back into the kitchen to help Berwald get all the plates and things.

"Hi. Dinners done, and dessert is baking. Just give us a second to set the table, and we can eat." I offered. Emil perked up at that, legs swinging underneath the counter.

"Thank you for having us." Lukas said, tactfully wrapping his arms around Emil's shoulders, as if he might not be noticed so long as he did it slowly. Emil sighed, but let it happen, figuring he had to wait for the food anyway.

Berwald followed behind me with all of the silverware, and I put everything in place while he returned for the food, making a few trips to get more. His last trip was for a glass bottle, which I'd learned was full of alcohol which was a strangely tasty but disgusting drink that made one stupid. That's how Berwald explained it, anyway. Humans used it to celebrate, and he poured a pinkish liquid into all of our glasses before setting it on the table.

Once we had everything situated, I called for the other three, and they were already in their seats before I'd even finished telling them we were ready. I chuckled, taking my seat next to Berwald and grabbing the bowl closest to me, putting some on my plate and then passing it over to Emil.

In that fashion, we got the food around to everyone. Mathias picked up the glass bottle, examining the label, and he whistled lowly.

"This is nice stuff, Waldy! Guess we really are having a party!" He cackled, lifting his glass up and extending it towards the middle of the table. I was just as perplexed as Lukas and Emil, but Berwald did the same after heaving a sigh. They both looked at us expectantly, and, with much hesitation, we followed suit, wincing when the two humans clinked their glasses against ours, the chime startling us a bit. I pulled it back quickly to make sure it wasn't broken.

Berwald took it upon himself to explain.

Once we all understood the fundamentals of a toast, we tried it again, and Mathias whooped, as if in triumph.

"To all the cool stuff that's happening because mermaids actually exist!" He called. Lukas elbowed him, eyes narrowed. Mathias winced, rubbing his ribs. "Er… Mermen!" He corrected. Emil, Lukas, and I all rolled our eyes at almost precisely the same time, but ignored him in favor of getting to work on the food.

We thought there would be leftovers, but we underestimated our company. Not even the pie, which finished baking, was safe, and was promptly devoured before it even had a chance to cool. I myself burned my tongue on a slice, worried I would miss out if I didn't move quickly. Emil was eyeing my slice as if he was contemplating stealing it.

After dinner, we all settled in the living room, Peter's tank on the table. Emil sat on the floor, arms crossed over the table and chin resting on his forearm, staring into the glass, watching peter carefully. The babe was awake, and making a few attempts at swimming around. Emil's lips would pull into a small smile every once in a while, sighing almost dreamily.

We all talked for a while, and Berwald and I told Mathias and Lukas about Peter's name, and why we'd chosen it. We almost missed it when Emil mumbled, as if to himself-

"Peter."

We all paused, and Lukas slid off the couch, landing next to Emil and smothering him in a hug. Even he couldn't hide his smile. Emil tried to shove him off, but Lukas was having none of it, and Emil finally gave in to the cuddling and got comfortable.

It grew late without us realizing, conversation coming easier as we grew comfortable with each other once again. When we did finally glance at a clock, we frowned.

It was too late, in Berwald's opinion, to send Mathias and Lukas home. So, after moving Peter back into our room, we set up some sleeping space for them in the living room, making a bed out of blankets like we had the first time that Lukas slept over. We tried to convince Lukas and Mathias to take our room, but Lukas insisted on sleeping with Emil, so they ended up on the floor with Emil on the couch.

With a bit of a bathroom hassle, we finally got everyone situated and as comfortable as possible. Berwald and I retreated to the bedroom, and he pulled out a book, sitting up in bed and reading by a lamp. I curled up against his side and request he read it out loud, so he got me a couple chapters into a tale of a brave hero who fell in love with a fairy, and their struggles to live on as a couple despite the hardships presented due to their differing species.

He put the book down when we heard crying, and he got up, coddling Peter for a few minutes until he quieted again, but he started crying again soon after, and I gave a small chuckle, heading for the kitchen. I made the bottle as quietly as I could, tiptoeing back in hopes of not waking anyone.

I couldn't keep myself from stealing a peek at everyone, finding them all, indeed, asleep. Lukas' hand held fast to Emil's, which was hanging from the couch. I nearly snorted when I noticed Mathias' arm over Lukas' waist, holding him against his chest. I got the feeling he'd be getting chewed out in the morning, but it didn't seem like either of them was complaining just then. I wondered if they slept together at Mathias' house. He had mentioned having romantic attraction in regards to Lukas. Maybe the idea wasn't so far-fetched.

Whether or not Lukas would return the feelings was anyone's guess, but I thought they could make a good couple, if they wanted too. They sort of suited each other, in a strange way. But it wasn't my business, and I felt a little bad for spying, so I scurried into the bedroom and handed Berwald the bottle.

He gave it to Peter, leaning over to give me a kiss. Peter ate quietly, hiccupping at some point and making both of us giggle with a sort of strange elation that only parents can feel. Or maybe we were just tired.

When he finished, he quickly dozed off, and we stumbled to bed in hopes of doing the same thing. Berwald reached over and shut the lamp off, bathing us in darkness broken only by the faint glow from the window. It was a bit noisier than usual, since we'd left our door open. I could hear not only the bubbles from the aquarium, but the breathing of Berwald, Lukas, and Emil. And Mathias was snoring.

But it was a nice mix of noises. I found myself sort of lulled by them. I could get used to this new family of mine. It was a bit patchy, and strange, and full of mermen who pretended to be human, and humans who were kind enough not to tell anyone our secrets, and Violet-Eyes that should have been dead, and a Hunter who should have killed them, and a fish with a unique name. It was a weird family, and it was going to take a while to get everyone used to each other, but it was definitely a family.

It was my family.

That made me smile, though it probably looked pretty weird, because I was quickly dozing off, stirring only long enough to wiggle backwards when Berwald's hand found my hip, my back pressing against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against me. That was all it took, and I was out, happy thoughts about my new family lulling my mind into rest.

I never thought I'd have one of my own. And it wasn't perfect. Nothing was perfect. The Violet-Eyes still faced oppression under the sea. Peter was still the illegitimate son of the prince of the Mer. Lukas had still tried to kill me. Emil still wasn't really talking. Mathias and Berwald were still on rocky relations. We still had to figure out how to raise Peter.

But I had a family, and I knew we'd get through it. That's what families did, after all. They got through things, together. That's all I could ask for.

A/N: Yup, that's it guys! I wasn't sure if this was going to be the last chapter or not, but it is. But, you know, I pretty much always write an epilogue for my stuff, so I guess you could consider that one more chapter. But, joo, this is where the plot ends, technically.

This has been a hell of a story to write. I don't honestly remember what gave me the idea for this one, but I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. This has been the most complex AU I think I've written, what with making up my own society and whatnot. I hope it was an interesting world for you to immerse yourself in for a while.

I'd also like to apologize for all the times I was late with updates and stuff. As an author, I realize that one of my weaknesses is my inability to focus on one story only. I can't work on just one at a time, so I've actually been working on about 10 different stories at the same time as trying to update this one. I've only got three currently being published, not including this one, but I do a lot of work that no one even knows about.

Anyway, as I was saying, I know I'm a slow poke, and I'm sorry. But I hope it was always worth the wait.

As always, I'll be around. I'm currently working on a few Attack on Titan fics, and that's where I'll be focusing most of my attention for the time being. But, as most of you guys know, I can't stay away from SuFin. Sooner or later I'll upload a oneshot, or maybe I'll start another chaptered fic. I have a few in mind. But we'll see what happens.

For now, I'm off to finish my other stories. It's a really satisfying feeling, and I'm glad that I got this one done too. I hope you guys feel as awesome as I do~!

And don't forget, you are free to message me any time you want to! It doesn't even have to be about anything important. I love to just chatter away. You can follow me on tumblr too, if you want. I'm KuroRiya there too. As I always say, I love to talk to readers, and that's not going to change anytime soon. I tend to take requests too, if I like the ideas. Some of my favorite stories started out as prompts/requests. So I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Alright! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Violet Eyes, and thank you all for the feedback that you've given me! Your words meant a lot, and I'm happy I had so many of you along for the ride! I'll have the Epilogue done at some point, but until then, I bid you a fond goodbye. (I'm not actually going anywhere though, unfortunately for you guys.) Till the Epilogue~!

KuroRiya
九六りや