I promised a happier chapter. Well here it is! I hope you enjoy these last few chapters as this story heads towards its finale. And I'm not going to ass pull the finale like the anime did.

coupling

Given time, everyone began to heal from their loss. Of course, Shu would pop up occasionally in each of their daily lives. But instead of breaking down in tears of grief, they simply smiled with a sense of longing for their lost friend and moved forward. After Yahiro assisted the military, he went back into civilian life of being a lawyer. Tsugumi also quit the military and went back into concentrating on her teaching license exam and picked up her old teaching job. She dreamed of teaching computer science to high school students. Ayase, on the other hand, decided to stay in the military but not as an active soldier. She chose to become an Endlave instructor for future recruits and she wanted to work on incorporating Endlaves into everyday life. Argo and Shibungi resumed their positions in the military.

Daryl, on the other hand, was procrastinating on deciding what to do with his life. He didn't know if leaving or staying in the military would lead to a happier life. He didn't know what to do with himself. He basically grew up in the military so he didn't know what civilian life was like. So the military man locked himself in GHQ warehouses where he spent his days tinkering at his Endlaves.

After GHQ's victory, Twelve and Ryo were left in GHQ's custody. Although Ryo was formerly a terrorist, he agreed to cooperate with the legal proceedings against Pallbearer in return for a plea deal. He would be free and protected by the government's witness protection program as long as he helped the prosecution. So the boy was busy trying to put Pallbearer in jail, much to his displeasure and boredom. On the other hand, Twelve was being put through many, many, many scientific tests. They wanted to see if she was deemed dangerous or if she contained any traces of the virus. So far...nothing. She had no abnormalities about her. She could possibly be a normal human if not for the tattoo '12' on her back. Twelve tried her best to cooperate, hoping to be given freedom, but she was at her wits end. She had no friends here other than Ryo and he was usually busy. However, another person frequently visited her…

Ayase wheeled herself to the viewing room. She saw Angel Twelve being prodded and monitored with many instruments she couldn't name. Ayase requested the scientist in charge. "How is she? Is she dangerous?"

"So far, we have nothing about her. She has no enhancements in her body. There are also no trace of the virus in her body." The scientist mumbled back. "We can't just assume that she's not dangerous. There are more tests to run. She could turn out dangerous later."

"Hmm…" Ayase glanced back at the girl. There must be a reason that Shu and Inori decided to save her. Tsugumi found a few surveillance clips showing what happened inside Pallbearer headquarters and it showed Shu and Inori protecting this girl.

"Depending on what we find, we may keep her to run more tests or kill her."

Ayase protested, "What if she's normal? What if there's really nothing dangerous about her? Does she even get a choice?"

"Sorry, we can't let her go. She can put many lives at stake."

"Huh. I'm going to have a talk with Shibungi about this."

"Ayase-san!?"

"You can't stop me. You don't have enough clearance." No. Ayase was not having it. Shu and Inori put their lives on the line to save this girl. And Ayase was determined to protect what they couldn't do now. That was the least she could do for the both of them. Ayase exited the laboratory sector and quickly passed by the hospital.

In the hospital, Jessica was still recuperating. She was heavily tested to see if she was fully cured of the Apocalypse Virus. Although the tests were a pain, she was confirmed to be cleared of the virus. And so, the girl began therapy sessions to recover her mobility, health, and mental health. In the meantime, Jessica could now travel freely around GHQ without needing to be contained. But she hadn't recovered her mobility yet so she was stuck in a wheelchair. She also never fully recovered her perfect vision after that incident in the coffeehouse. So she was stuck wearing her glasses. It was okay. She grew used to her new accessory.

After her usual therapy session, Jessica decided to pay Daryl a visit. She hadn't seen him in days and she had a message for him. Jessica traveled into the giant warehouse and went past the giant rows and rows of Endlaves. She finally found him, working away at Beine.

"Wow! It's been a month and you're almost done fixing up your two babies." Jessica quipped as she poked at Steiner.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't touch!" Daryl swatted her hand away. "They're very delicate right now. I'm not finished with the reinforced armor."

Jessica curiously stared at him. "So...why are you working harder than usual? Something's on your mind?"

Daryl froze. She knew him well.

"Is it about Tsugumi? Are you thinking of marrying her?"

He spoke too soon.

"No. It's not that. I just like working on my projects."

"But you turn into a workaholic when something's bothering you." Jessica pointed out, but she noticed that he was keeping his silence. There was no use. He wasn't going to talk to her.

"What are you doing here then?" Daryl exasperatedly asked, "Do you need me for something?"

"Yeah actually." Jessica took out her tablet and handed it over to him. "I'm due for a release from the hospital and I want to recuperate back in America with my mom."

"Yeah. So? What does this have to do with me?"

"I requested that you accompany me on my trip back for extra protection."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Simple. I trust you the most and you need to get away from here."

Daryl scoffed. "I like it here in Japan. I don't want to go back to America. That was my father's dream and I don't intend to continue it."

"No. I'm talking about GHQ." Jessica sighed. "Tsugumi told me about how you don't know about anything outside of the military."

Damn...she already knew…

"Since I was thinking of going home to recover, I thought you would like to join me and I don't know, take a vacation or travel around or something." Jessica suddenly gasped, like an idea popped in her head. "Oh you know what? Mom said something about your mom in the States. She actually kept in touch with her. Why don't you go-"

"Not a chance!" Annoyed, Daryl threw his tools into his bag and began packing everything.

Jessica frowned. "What is with you about your mom? Every time I ask, you get so pissed. What has she ever done to you?"

"I don't know. How about sending me off to a place where I didn't speak the language and I didn't know anybody just so I can live with my dad for fuck all reason!? She made me go to my personal hell and did nothing to help. So yeah, she's a shit mom like my dad was a shit dad." Daryl finished packing and proceeded to push Jessica out of the warehouse. "I'll babysit you back to California and that's it."

"How about you, I don't know, try talking to her?" Jessica rolled her eyes. "You don't know until you try."

"I'll pass."

"You'll regret it. You don't know, she can be the key to your little dilemma."

"Why do you care so much?"

"Why not?" Jessica shrugged. "I care about you just as much as you care about me. Right, big bro?" She remembered the times he visited her in the hospital, how he helped her adjust into living by herself in Tokyo, and how he generally worried about her when she got infected. It was easy to tell he cared about her wellbeing.

"Tch." Daryl blushed and turned away. "I'm going soft. I don't like it."

"Yes you do. You wouldn't have met Tsugumi if you were the old you." Jessica chuckled. "I gotta thank that woman. I don't know how you managed to get her."

"I don't know either…" Daryl mumbled, clearly lost in the thought of his treasured person. The man suddenly coughed and quickly asked, "So Jessica, what are you going to do once you recover?"

"I don't know…I guess that's what college is for. I mean, I like writing stories so maybe a writer?" Jessica mused, but she smiled as she took off the green hat her father once wore. "But I know this is going back to Mom...I'm going to quit the military Daryl."

"Why?" Daryl curiously asked. Usually when someone as young as her joins the military, they're expected to stay for a long time. He thought Jessica would try to advance up the military ranks.

"I joined the military because I wanted to get closer to you. That's all. Now that things are finally over and you've become a better person, there's no reason for me to stay." Jessica simply said. She remembered his confused reaction when she asked him how to join at the ripe age of thirteen. He asked if she was sure. Then, he helped her throughout the rough training of GHQ. And then, he watched her grow strong and rise quickly through the ranks. He decided to use his power in the military and bring her under his wing. And that's how she became his personal assistant. It was a wonderful, rollercoaster-like experience and she will always treasure it.

"Well, whatever you do, I hope you reach success and happiness." Daryl patted her head. "But you'll still be a little brat to me."

"Huh? Whatever bro." Jessica merely scoffed. "I'm hungry. It's almost dinner time. Let's see what weird food they're gonna serve me today. See you later!" She waved him goodbye and began her trip back to the hospital.

Daryl noticed it was still pretty early in the evening. At this time, Tsugumi would be in the library studying for her teaching exam. Maybe he should pay her a visit...it's been awhile since he's seen his girlfriend. They actually don't see each other that much, but they text each other often enough to know what they're up to. Maybe he'll take her out on a date...a real date. A tint of pink rose to Daryl's cheeks. He never really took her out on a proper date. Most of their "dates" were really the two of them walking around or hanging out during their breaks. Military life sucked up most of their time.

Daryl soon found himself wandering to the public library, where Tsugumi was incidentally exiting. The cat-eared teacher-to-be curiously glanced at him, surprised that he suddenly showed up.

"Daryl? What are you doing here?" Tsugumi asked. "Aren't you usually doing repairs at this time?"

"Yeah...um... I decided to end earlier than usual." Daryl managed to mumble out. Crap. Since he and Tsugumi never went out on dates, he didn't know what to say. "I was wondering...are you busy tonight?"

"Hm… I was going to tinker with Funell a little, but no, not really. Why?" Tsugumi glanced up at him with her cute amethyst eyes.

That nearly stopped his heart. "Do you wanna go to dinner with me?"

A dinner date? Tsugumi soon grew a bit suspicious. This was a strange occurrence for him. She must mess with him a little. "Asking me out to dinner? How forward of you!"

Daryl blushed. "Well if you don't want to, that's fine by me!" He quickly turned away to leave.

"Hey! Hey! Wait!" Tsugumi grabbed his arm. "I'll love to go to dinner with you." She gave a toothy grin, sporting tiny cute fangs that matched her cat ear headband. "I don't think I'm well dressed for a dinner date."

"You look fine."

Frankly, she looked better than him. She wore a simple beige blouse, maroon skirt, and a brown cardigan. Daryl, on the other hand, wore a simple white button up, which was slightly disheveled and covered in oil splotches, and black pants.

Tsugumi frowned. "Well, I'm not going out to dinner looking like librarian. Let me get dressed back at home. It will be quick."

She was about to head home when Daryl suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "That will not be necessary. I'll buy you something nice and I'll get a jacket."

"Huh? You don't have to! I'll feel bad if you buy things for me." Tsugumi protested.

"Well, you keep forgetting that I'm a millionaire and I want to treat you...properly," Daryl said as he led her towards a local mall.

It was strange how the first time they went shopping, Tsugumi was the one who dragged an unreluctant Daryl around. But now, it was the other way around. Daryl led her in and let the woman run wild like a kid in a candy store. After what seemed to be an hour on the husband chair, Tsugumi came out with a flowy black and white lace dress. She also paired it with nude pumps that made her almost see eye-to-eye with Daryl. She gleamed with natural beauty as she did a cute twirl in front of her boyfriend.

"How do I look?"

"Um…" Beautiful...he wanted to say she was beautiful...he just couldn't find the words.

"Ohohoho!" Tsugumi cheekily laughed. She loved it when Daryl gets speechless and he turns into a little mumbling mess.

"Whatever." Daryl grumbled and quickly paid for the dress. He may have gotten a few careful eyes from the saleswoman. He also didn't like that she started talking in hushed voices with her coworkers. "Let's get out of here."

"He's a Yan. I can't believe it! A member of the Yan family came into our store!"

"Is that girl his girlfriend? She's so lucky. She's living the princess life." One saleswoman sighed. "Ah...I wish I was her."

"You can be that girl soon! She may not last long..."

Tsugumi was ready to jump that woman had it not been for Daryl holding her back. "Daryl…"

"Ignore them." Daryl tightly gripped on her hand. "Sorry. My father was a pretty infamous, wealthy man who dated a lot of woman. People just assume that since I'm his son, I'm probably the same kind of guy."

"You're not...are you?"

"No! Absolutely not! I'll kill myself before I turn into that bastard!" Daryl snapped, but he quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to…"

"No. It's okay. It's okay." Tsugumi's gaze softened. She could tell he was a little troubled being out here. "You know what? We don't have to go out for dinner. Let's go back to your place and I'll cook up something nice for you."

"Tsugumi. You don't have to-"

"Nope!" Tsugumi smirked. "You bought this beautiful dress for me. It's the least I can do to pay you back. Let's go grocery shopping! What are you in the mood for?"

"Um...I can go for some tonkatsu and curry."

"You like fried stuff too!"

Tsugumi cheered and dragged him to the grocery store where they proceeded to grab some raw pork, bread crumbs, and curry mix. They caught a taxi and rode back to his mansion. Tsugumi couldn't wait to cook in his kitchen. It was cosy, but everything was always so clean and well organized. Daryl mentioned he used it once or twice, but since he basically lived in GHQ all the time, he rarely cooked at home. So Tsugumi rolled up her sleeves and made the best dinner she ever made in her life: a crisp pork donkatsu placed on top of curry that was spread over rice, a bowl of miso soup, and a side of shredded cabbages topped with sesame seeds. She also prepared some tea to go along with the meal.

"Tada!" Tsugumi excitedly presented her perfect meal. "Come on! Don't be shy! Dig in!"

Daryl took a bite of the pork cutlet and a wave of yummy flavors hit him hard. It was so good! Ridiculously good! She was an amazing chef and she was definitely going to be his wife after this. "It's delicious."

"Heh! I know." Tsugumi also dug into her dinner. "I tend to do most of the cooking while Aya-nee does preparation. She still has trouble timing her cooking. Good thing I got her covered!" But she jokingly pointed her fork at him. "Don't think I'll always be cooking for you. You gotta do something for me too."

"If you ever need help improving on Funell, and I know there's a lot to improve on, I can lend you a hand." Daryl said with a smirk and earned a light slap from her.

"Huu~! I'm trying." Tsugumi gave a cute frown. "I still have a lot to learn. By the way, how did you learn so much? I only thought you were a pilot."

"Well I was good at both piloting and engineering back when I was in military training. But my dad saw my piloting prowess and appointed me primarily as a pilot. So I concentrated on piloting rather than engineering, but I still do it as a hobby. It's fun."

"It's a talent you have." Tsugumi mused as she munched on her cabbage. "By the way, did Jessie talk to you?"

"Yeah...you told her, didn't you?"

"I was worried." Tsugumi pouted. "Anyways, are you going to visit your mom?"

Daryl glared at her with suspicion. "I don't like you and that brat gossiping about me."

Tsugumi only innocently glanced back. "It's all for good intentions. Now...excuse me for having an opinion, but I think you should visit your mother."

"Why?"

"Because I never met my parents and I grew up alone...It's good to know there's someone out there for you." Tsugumi quietly said, "I would give so much just to see my parents and to figure out why they abandoned me. You have a rare opportunity so you should take this chance."

"Tsugumi…" Daryl bit his lip. She was right. He always wanted answers of why his mother, who raised him since childhood, forced him to leave for Japan. But his hatred, that boiled from his father's treatment, slowly placed itself onto her. It wasn't fair for his mother.

"Like you; she deserves a second chance." Tsugumi shot him a small, toothy grin. "Just like how I gave you a second chance, right?"

"Right." Daryl always felt calm by Tsugumi. She became his rock; his comfortable center that he would spiral out of control without. So, out of simple instinct, he asked, "Tsugumi, do you want to come with me?"

"Me!?" Tsugumi gasped. "Why?"

"I-I think you will help me during this meeting. I don't know. Just a thought." Daryl managed to mumble. That was stupid.

Tsugumi softened her gaze as she reached out and held his hand. "Daryl, you know I can't. This is a journey meant for you. Not me. You have to find your mother and make peace with her so you can move along with your life with no regrets. I don't have any. I will never meet my parents, but I've found my family. My place is here, in Japan, and I want to stay here."

Again, she was right. Daryl merely kept his silence and nodded. "It might take years for me to make up with that woman. You may not see me for a long time."

"That's okay. I've managed eight years without you. And I'm sure you and I will keep in touch while you're overseas. If you ever do make peace with her, I'd love to meet her! You should definitely bring her to Japan!" Tsugumi blushed. Even though this was the right thing to do, she wanted to meet a part of his family. She felt closer to him.

"I'll try."

They finished their dinner and packed away the dishes. Daryl handled washing and putting away the dishes while Tsugumi started peeling apples for dessert. However, Daryl finished his chore quickly and he had other plans with the apples. The man suddenly hugged the small woman's frame and planted a kiss on her shoulder.

"Sprout!" Tsugumi yelped and a blush of red graced her face. "Careful! I have a knife!"

"So? I'm a strong man and you know it."

To prove his point, Daryl suddenly lifted her up, causing her to drop the knife. But Tsugumi knew what was up. He was carrying her bridal style to the closest bedroom to the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted kisses on his neck. She knew where his special spot was, which she frequently teased Daryl about, and she knew how to suck that spot to turn him on. He laid her on the bed and openly kissed her lips. Oh, she was going to enjoy tonight!

After their long lovemaking session, Tsugumi fell asleep snuggled against Daryl's body. He had his arm around her back, cradling her against him, and his other hand gently brushed her violet bangs. She was warm, soft, and still a bit moist with sweat. But she made a cute and soft snore whenever she fell into a deep sleep. This may be the last time they do this so he made sure to carve this memory into his brain. He made sure to remember her beautiful face, her nimble body, her fun personality, her quirks, her intelligence, and everything about her that made him fall hopelessly in love. Of course, he remembered her kindness that she showed to him that night, eight years ago. That was his most precious memory. And with that, Daryl kissed her forehead and whispered a good night before setting into sleep.

Not long after, Tsugumi woke up randomly that night. This happened to her sometimes. She would wake up in the middle of her slumber and fall right back asleep. But she couldn't resist gazing into his adorable face. She giggled and slightly pinched him, only for him to nudge away slightly without waking. He had a manly face that swooned her the minute she saw him. She once bought him a candy apple as a simple thank you gift, but shoving that candy into his face was where she felt her heart skip a beat. Along with that face, he had quite a built body with pronounced pectorals and abs. She loved running her small fingers up and down his stomach, feeling every bump and curve. But what she loved most was his well meaning personality. He was a good person underneath his tough exterior. He was kind. He was loving. He had a beautiful soul. And he was the man who swept her off her feet. She will miss him dearly while he's overseas, but she trusted him enough to know that he'll come looking for her. So she rubbed his chest and gave a light peck to his neck. She should try to get some sleep. They may have an eventful morning sex followed by their final farewells.

-GC-

Jessica patiently waited for Daryl in her seat of the private jet. She was boredly playing a game on her phone and munching on a bowl filled with salted walnuts. The flight was going to be long so Daryl ordered for the most extravagant jet. It came with reclining seats, champagne, gourmet food, giant movie screen, and other such commodities. Since he was going to travel a lot more than California, he wanted to be comfortable. Finally, Daryl entered into the plane with probably the largest smile ever.

"Wipe that smile off your face. I don't want to know your exercise last night." Jessica groaned as she hid behind her phone. Jessica had known this for a while. She quickly figured out that whenever Daryl smiled, it was because of Tsugumi and whatever she did. And she was the unfortunate spectator that witnessed the after effects.

"Don't be jealous. Why don't you get a boyfriend for yourself?" Daryl smirked back, but then his grin was quickly wiped away. "With my permission."

"Concentrate on yourself." Jessica shot back.

Daryl merely shrugged off her snarky comments and buckled himself into his seat. He planned on sleeping during this entire flight. And if anyone attacked, which he doubted, he had a few guns stored away.

Jessica glanced at him, seeing that he was determined to chase his fate. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah…" Daryl simply replied back.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

A jet suddenly flew over Tsugumi's head. She glanced up and smiled to herself. She would like to think that's Daryl and Jessica flying over her. This will be the last time she would see him. Tsugumi quickly checked the time and rushed to her class. She was late!

Ayase also saw this plane fly by her window. She waved good bye even though she knew he couldn't see her. However, she couldn't wait to see him again. And she also continued on with her day as she mulled over some legal documents.

Yahiro and Kanon also saw this plane in their high rise apartment. In his head, Yahiro silently thanked Daryl for all his hard work. That sentiment was the same for Argo and Shibungi, who watched the plane leave the horizon.

And Ryo watched the plane as he exited a giant government building. Today was his last day in court. He heard from Tsugumi that Daryl was leaving today. As Ryo watched the plane, he finally found it in his heart to forgive Daryl for all that he had done. That man didn't deserve forgiveness but Ryo had been in a good mood lately. So that guy was lucky.

The boy walked over to GHQ where he was instructed to pick up Twelve. For some reason, Ayase wanted to see them both.

Huuhuhu! What does Ayase want to do with Ryo and Twelve? You have to wait until the next chapter to see! Also, I think this is a good chapter where Daryl and Tsugumi separate and grow independently as characters. Yes, they are cute together but Daryl has some issues he needs to solve by himself and Tsugumi needs to accomplish her dreams before getting her happy ending. So, they're going to be far apart from each other for a while but not for long! Dargumi will have the happy ending it deserves! Sorry, I don't write lemons by the way. Just wait and review for the next chapter!