A/N:

Alright, peeps, I hate to say it, but this is the last chapter! Sorry it took so long, because I had serious writer's block on how to finish this thing off, but anyhow, it's here now. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who's been reading along the whole time! Hope you all have a great summer! .o.

-Reddie

Four months later, a reminder went that life would go on regardless of anyone thinking it was all over.

Indeed, it was far from over after Kaede had transferred Sharon Shale's case. In late August, Dr. Page had been brought to trial after state investigators closed the case Kaede had passed onto them. It was in the afternoon that she had been summoned as a witness to speak about the confession of the murder. She opened the letter, read it aloud, and Barnaby could only stare down at his melting bar of red bean ice cream, until finally, she said she was going. He offered to drive her there, and she didn't refuse the offer.

They didn't get to stick around to hear the final verdict, but thanks to word from Ivan, who ended up involved with that particular case, it turned out that Dr. Page had not only been stripped of her medical license, but that she had also been sentenced to life in prison after confessing before the court that she had indeed killed the child. Kaede couldn't help but find it ironic, but fitting, seeing that Dr. Page would now be forced to live until the end of her days amongst the very monsters she didn't think worthy of her tax dollars. It was a brief wonder to the investigator how the federal authorities came up with enough evidence to support the claims, but then she remembered they had certain access to information that she did not.

And before any feeling of completion could settle over that deduction, Barnaby had invited Kaede to a very special event.

"…and to my little sister, if you're watching this, I send my congratulations on your marriage! I hope you two are blessed with a lifetime of happiness together!" Nathan beamed, catching the tender gaze of Ryan for just a moment before the gravity prince puffed up with arrogance again for the camera.

"So, tell us, Ryan." the host of the show nudged, "Is there anything you'd like to say to your family back home?"

Barnaby shifted a little bit, having learned about Ryan's story a long time ago in the lockers back when they had been partners for that short time. He had attempted to get to know Barnaby only because he'd been prodded by Agnes to do so, and it ended up getting a little more personal than intended.

"If you're so insistent on getting to know me," Barnaby had insisted, adjusting his glasses, "then you should tell me something about yourself first."

"Like what, Junior?"

Not bothering to correct the nickname anymore, he asked, "Why is it you only have pictures of your iguana on your desk? What about your family?"

Ryan stood up.

"Oh, you bet I've got something to say," He said, a bitter edge to his smirk. "Mom, Dad… I'd say a couple of specific words to you without hesitating if it weren't for the fact that I can't curse on public television. But, well, here I am now. Knew you thought I'd never amount to anything, but sucks to be so very wrong, don't it? I have everything you said I'd never get: I achieved fame, respect, and admiration. People think I'm awesome, and they don't think of me as just a freak worthy of ridicule. I'm more than you'll ever dream to be. Oh, and also?" He shot a wink towards Nathan, taking their hand and suddenly sweeping them up in his arms, "I did actually find myself a smoking hot sweetheart who don't really mind that I swing every way, so you can suck on that, you good-for-nothin' jerks."

The host gave up a hearty laugh, "There ya have it, folks! The Prince of Gravity and his Beloved Flame! Let's hear it for them and everything they've overcome together!"

A roar of applause sounded from the audience with that, and Ryan soaked it all in, with Nathan nuzzled happily into the crook of their lover's neck. It surprised Kaede to hear that, because she never would've guessed that someone with so much confidence had come from a past like that. And she couldn't help but clap along too. He deserved it, to feel loved and admired, to feel like a king if the fact of the matter was that he'd been treated like nothing by the people who were supposed to build him up the whole way.

As the cheers died away, the host then turned to the last interviewee, "And last but not least, Barnaby! Any words for your family?"

"Yes. To the living, because I know I've said more than enough to the dead while they were still around. This has long been overdue, but better late than never… Muramasa, if you're watching, thank you for welcoming me with open arms, and treating me like a brother. Thank you for being patient with me and standing by me while Kotetsu was in the hospital, and while we bore his casket side by side. You silently supported me through some of the toughest times in my life, so I can only hope that, in the future, I'll be able to give you my support if you ever need it. You have my gratitude for as long as I'm breathing."

He paused, now looking directly to one face in the crowd and one face only, "Kaede." He paused a moment, and then laughed, his mind scattering over a lifetime of memories with what he wanted to say to her. She watched him with shimmering eyes, and he repeated, "Kaede… where do I even begin? We've come a long way. When I saved a young girl from getting crushed by a crumbling building, I never imagined that she'd call me family someday. And at the time, I never imagined I'd call anyone family ever again. But then your father drew me into his life, and in turn, drew me into yours. I kept my distance, caring for your comfort more than anything. But I still wanted to be part of your life in whatever way you would let me. And more than anything, both Kotetsu and I wanted your future to be one without loneliness. So we promised to take care of one another, to live as long as we possibly could to stay at your side, keep you company for as many years as life would permit us."

"Barnaby…" She choked out, a soundless murmur.

Hand on his heart, he stated solemnly. "Now, it's been a year since your father passed away. And like him, I realize there are a number of things I cannot promise you for certain. I cannot possibly promise I can always be at your side exactly when you need me, or that I will never let you down. I can never promise to outlive you or that you will never have to live alone. But something I surely can promise you is to support you as best as I can, the way family should. And that I will love you as family should, treasure you as my own daughter even long past my dying day."

And with that, he concluded his reply. But this was just the start of a purposeful conversation. So, long after the host ran out of questions, and the former Heroes made their way back out to their own homes, Kaede seated herself next to Barnaby, shotgun seat as usual, and opened her mouth to ask an unanswered question brought up a long time ago.

"I don't know if you remember this, but I'll ask again," Kaede faltered briefly, before wrapping up, "in case you forgot."

He glanced over to her, ears attentive in interest, "Yes, Kaede?"

"Do you actually see me as your daughter, Barnaby?" And that was followed by a pause. Kaede swallowed at the brief silence. She knew there were public image pressures that came with being a Hero, even if he was retired, and it did cross her mind somewhere in the show that he may have been exaggerating just a little for the camera. But it wasn't as if she doubted the truth behind any of his words. She knew she could trust that much for certain.

He regarded her as family. He cared for her. He loved her.

Then he asked in return, "I can't quite answer that until I know what you see me as."

"Ah," Kaede leaned back in her seat a bit, fiddling with her clasped hands in her lap. "Well… you're family."

"I know that." He said softly.

"Is there really anything else to it?"

"Kaede, you know what I'm trying to ask."

She shifted her eyes towards the window, "Mm."

At last, he sighed, "I-I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it. Like I said, your comfort is important to me. It always has been. So… I won't call you my daughter if it makes you uncomfortable." He reassured, "I told you I would never dream of replacing either of them, didn't I?"

"You're… you're not, Barnaby." She groaned, "Look, this really is something I wanted to talk about, otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. I just… wanted to know how you felt first, so… I got caught a bit off guard there." He didn't say anything or even look at her because his eyes were on the road, but she could feel that attention on her, waiting patiently. He'd give her all the time she needed to answer that question, even if it meant years. And it really had been years, so why waste any more time tiptoeing? She cleared her throat, speaking honestly, "I… I can't call you my dad. And I think you understand why. Stepdad, maybe, but even then… it doesn't click for me. I don't want to claim you as a parent. Because that's not what I feel you are to me."

"…I see." He nodded, his continued attention acknowledging that she wasn't done.

And so she went on, "To me, you've always been a role model. And a guardian, someone who was always looking out for me…" She let slip a small breath of a laugh, "Then growing up, I was always wondering whether or not you were trying to treat me like a child. But when it all came down to it, I figured that everything you said, everything you did for me… was just because you cared so much." She spoke firmly, her voice even and her face smiling. "Because, regardless of age, I am your daughter, right?" Barnaby rubbed his eyes of happy tears yet to form, replying at last.

"Yes. You're my daughter, Kaede."

Five more months went by, bringing snowfall and the holiday season into Century City. Barnaby was busy secretly contemplating whether or not to sell his apartment in Sternbild, now that he's been living with his stepdaughter for almost a year now. It was a decision he kept to himself, much to Kaede's displeasure when she found out anyway through an overheard talk on the phone. But she couldn't find it in her to be mad at him when she thought about it. There were strong memories attached to that apartment, probably many meaningful conversations held by that window, near those steps, in his room. So letting go of that place for good was likely to be difficult, even if he wanted to.

Before he was through with thinking about it however, Christmas arrived. With that, Kaede drove him this time, to Oriental Town, where they had dinner with the rest of the Kaburagi family. And while Barnaby, Muramasa, and his wife Rei were busy catching up over beer at the liquor store, Kaede's now-teenaged cousin Kenji invited her to play Mystery Quest on multiplayer with him in the attic.

It was a fairly amusing game, to say the least, as a private investigator and his apprentice starred as the main characters. And as they proceeded through story mode, Kaede didn't know whether to laugh or cry over the clichéd inaccuracy of the job's portrayal. Her patience with the developers of the game wore thin around the fourth case, where she and Kenji were chasing after a slippery sniper by the name of Gunther Markham down a dark alley, finally cornering him.

Kaede howled as the apprentice cuffed Gunther, "That's not even legal!"

"Holy shit, then what the hell are you actually allowed to do?" Kenji pouted, slouching back, "Damn, being a real private investigator's gotta be dull then…"

"Absolutely not!" Kaede defended, "It has its exciting moments! Like—"

"Yeah, I know, Kaede. You and Uncle Barnaby wouldn't stop going on about that fight with the doctor, but even then, that was so boring! You just broke her wrist and babysat her until the cops came to pick her up."

"Did you miss the part," Her voice rose, "where my life was in danger, Kenji, because I don't think that sounds like a mundane walk in the… park…" She slowed her tongue, before staring at him, "Wait… you called him Uncle Barnaby."

He shrugged, "Yeah? He's your stepdad, isn't he?"

"For simplicity's sake, sure." She waved, before pointing out, "But you never called him that before."

"Aw, I don't get why you're making such a big deal. He's dad's brother-in-law, plain and simple, right? So that means he's my uncle."

She remarked smartly, "And he wasn't before?"

"It's not like you were calling him 'Dad' right off the bat or anything!" He retorted. "Just… I had a bit of trouble figuring it out. Everybody else seemed to know, so they never bothered telling me that he and Uncle Kotetsu were married. I just kinda thought he was your dad's boyfriend the whole time."

"Oh…" Kaede nodded slowly, remembering that Kenji hadn't been born until a year after the wedding.

"I dunno. He kept his distance all those years, like he didn't wanna intrude or anything. But now…" He grinned, hearing laughter downstairs, "when he's talking it up with Dad like this, it's kinda hard to imagine him as not my uncle, you know?"

"Yeah…"

"Say, is that why you call him 'Old Man'?"

"Huh?"

Kenji reiterated, "Do you call him Old Man because you don't wanna say Dad? Because if you ask me, that's actually a pretty clever way of distinguishing them."

She pauses, and then laughs a little, eyes wrinkling with a grin.

"You don't say…"

Some thoughts hang about in the air like the fragrance of burned incense.

And so the thought of what Kenji had said to her while they were playing Mystery Quest stuck to her like a cloud of smoke floating about the atmosphere. After Kenji dozed off, Barnaby had made his way up to the attic with a request.

"Kaede…" he slurred, trying to hold an even voice despite his low level of sobriety, "I know it's late. Ah, hell, maybe it's too late, but that doesn't matter. Anyway… I was wondering if you'd be willing to drive me to Sternbild."

"Eh? But why?"

"To…" He hiccupped a little, "See my parents' grave… since it's the anniversary of their death too…"

Kaede stared for a moment, heart welling up with pity. Holiday or not, there was no way to untangle this day from their death. To think she'd almost forgotten about it stung her heart with a twinge of guilt. As much as she wanted Christmas to be happy for him, this part would always be here. To leave it out would be disrespectful. Love for one's parents doesn't break with death, after all…

"Sure thing, Old Man. I'll take you there."

Traffic was practically nonexistent, and it lent Kaede the opportunity to steal a glance at Barnaby's face, the way his glasses glinted under the street light and his stray silver hairs flowed with faded gold locks. He was aging like wine, she thought. Even now in his forties, she was certain another person would come along wanting so badly to kiss the wrinkles on that beautiful face, and uncover the stories hidden beneath his heartbeat. And maybe he would end up loving them back, cherishing them as much as he cherished everything that ring on his finger stood for.

That was fine with her, so long as he never forgot her dad, the same way Dad had never forgotten Mom.

Getting out of the car, his breath fell as a wheezing puff against the cold air. The thought was still lingering around her in the same way, but it didn't dissipate as easily into the atmosphere. He was her Old Man, Kenji had said. Barnaby didn't take Dad's place, or Mom's, but he had a special place of his own in Kaede's heart. And that was fine. There was no more guilt left to feel in claiming him as family, and nothing left to make her feel like she was keeping him at a distance.

After sweeping the snow off their headstone, he set a hand on her shoulder, "Mom, Dad. This is my daughter, Kaede." He wobbled a little, but with her support, he didn't topple over. She knew if she was waning too, he'd do the same for her. This was how they were.

And that felt right.

Because it felt right, she figured it was high time to do something about it.

He didn't question the carefree grin on her face when he drove her to work on New Year's Eve, and her head was spinning with a million words she wanted to say but couldn't quite articulate the way she wanted to. That's why she had decided instead to write them down, to make sure she could get the point across in the best way possible. She had made up her mind, and as far as she could tell, he'd be on board with it too. At least, that was what she was hoping.

A certain nightmare and the deepening wrinkles on Barnaby's face had brought her to the decision. She had to face it, that she wasn't lucky. Her mother died in a hospital bed. Her father died in a hospital bed. And so, if her old man had to face the same fate, she at least wanted to make sure she could be there for him, be at his side to send him off. She had already missed Tomoe by a mile and Kotetsu by just an inch, so if she could help it… she at least wanted to give Barnaby the blessing of not having to die alone. But she couldn't do that if she wasn't allowed in the hospital room, could she?

It was the only thing she could think about that day. So after a couple of hours of accepting and rejecting her most recently reviewed case requests, she set to work at the keyboard on a fresh blank document, hoping to write a letter explaining what led her to the decision. But even then, the right words would not come to her. After thirty wasted minutes of brainstorming, she abandoned the draft of the letter altogether and just printed out the necessary forms, tucking them away in her last manila envelope, before starting her research on one of her new cases. Maybe there were no right words to say. She could mention that she was trying to write him a letter during work, but that was pointless in the grander scheme of it all. Really, all it took for things to fall into place was action. He would know then, and she'd reassure him that she was certain if he was really so concerned.

They wouldn't be ringing NC 2002 in with a bang. The year would come quietly, flowing out smoothly like the setting sun into the sea.

"We should go mattress shopping next weekend."

"I'm fine on the couch for now."

"Yeah, for now. But I wouldn't want you to be sleeping on the couch forever, Old Man." She added, teasing, "You'll hurt your back."

He only scoffed at that, switching the subject, "How was work?"

"Same old, same old. Back to info retrieval." She leaned back, "And how was your day?"

"It was alright. I got in touch with Ivan, caught up with him on how everything was going. Figure it wouldn't hurt to keep myself busy again, so I'll be giving a talk at the NEXT Police Academy on Thursday. Then, maybe I could start visiting the orphanage again too." He smiled a bit sheepishly, "I don't know. You think I've been gone too long?"

"It's only been a year… and you had a lot on your mind." She said carefully, before adding, "Besides, it's not like you forgot about them altogether. You were still sending donations over. Anyhow, they'd be happy to see you again, so I don't see any harm in going back."

He nodded, pausing silently before asking, "Say, Kaede… do you think I should keep my apartment?"

"Only if you want."

"I won't be living there anymore though."

"So, should I count that as a 'yes' for mattress shopping then?" She remarked, and with that, he gave up a laugh. "I get that there are memories in that apartment, Barnaby. It's okay to hold onto them. Besides… Sternbild is your hometown, isn't it?" He made a pensive expression, and with that, she sighed, "You have plenty of time to sort this out…"

"No, I… think I want to sell it," He said suddenly, looking fairly resolved on the matter. "Not now, but at a later date. Perhaps in a few months, and I'll clear the place out."

"Mm."

By then, the car had been parked, and they headed into the flat, two hours away from NC 2002. Kaede had cooked up some pancakes, saying that round food—the shape of coins—ensured financial success in the upcoming year. Barnaby could only smile at that, and he poured the sparkling cider to toast when the hour struck. Around eleven, that was when Kaede dug out the folder, and handed it to him without a word.

Blinking curiously, he inquired, "What is this?"

"Open it." She watched him in anticipation as he lifted the flap of the envelope and studied its contents carefully. His eyes widened behind his glasses when he realized what he was looking at.

"These are… adoption papers?"

"Mhm."

"But you're over eighteen."

"It'll still work. You're still legally allowed to adopt me, and these are different forms than the ones they use for minors. I already signed my name. I was… just wondering if you'd sign yours."

He looked to her, eyes full of love and disbelief, "Kaede, are you sure?"

"That's what I'm trying to ask you." Her voice was soft, patient.

His hands shook, "I…"

"It's fine if you don't want to. Because I get it. Papers won't change the fact that I'm already your daughter." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Love and support are the only things you need to make a family, and that's enough for me."

He set the forms to the side so that he can embrace her.

"I promised your father I'd take care of you," He said tenderly, "so I don't see why I wouldn't sign." But he made no move to shift away, not that she objected to the slowness anyhow, because it made her feel loved. She missed this kind of contact for such a long time, and she was happy to finally enjoy it during a moment like this. She didn't want this to slip away so quickly.

He wanted it to last as well, just a minute longer to cherish the sound of his daughter's heartbeat. He knew he wasn't holding a newborn, but like that mattered. It felt like he was holding the world in his hands, and he wondered if this is what it must've felt like for Kotetsu right after Kaede had been born. If he was going to take on this role, he wanted nothing but the best for her. He wanted to show her love in the way his own parents had shown him. He wanted her to know she'd be loved for the rest of her days, even long after he was gone.

Because that was how love worked, at least in his eyes. It was an infinite, endless thing that could outlast death and endure into eternity. That's why a wedding band is a circle, a shape undefined by ending points. And perhaps… that could also be a reason a pancake was a circle too.

Anya cut in, wanting some affection of her own, and neither Barnaby nor Kaede could find it in them to deny the dear creature's whims. And after the cat had been satisfied with a nice belly rub, Barnaby swiftly filled out the forms, careful not to miss any spaces where his name was required. Kaede briefly took off to finish cooking the last of the pancakes. She cut it close: five minutes to midnight when she finally laid the last one down on a plate. Barnaby had turned on the TV for the countdown, commenting that he would definitely go mattress shopping with her later in the week.

"Happy New Year, Old Man." Then, as they toasted to NC 2002, he smiled. It was like history was repeating itself in whatever way it could, because she made him believe again, in something her father had made him believe for twenty happy years.

Forever existed.