"Honey, you won't believe what I got you."

Acma smiled mischievously as Raddie opened the door for her.

"What is that?" he asked, smiling.

She didn't answer immediately, keeping her playful smile.

"Don't you have a huge frame from Ma? I want to fill that wall with my newfound treasures."

She pointed at the empty wall of the living room. They had bought this new house close to Ma Smailes, who seemed to talk more to her daughter-in-laws than her sons nowadays.

"What is it? If you don't tell me now, boss, I'll give you some cuchi cuchi treatment."

Raddie tickled Acma, who involuntarily burst into laughter, telling him to stop.

"Okay, okay. It's in my pocket, but don't you dare ruin my surprise. I have hunted it for weeks."

"Can it move?" Raddie started to guess.

"Um… Maybe? But it's very cute..."

"Huh. Something small in a pocket and cute. Are you... cloning some pocket monster, Dr. Smailes?"

"Oh... I'm not that workaholic. Something you used to own, dear."

"Hm..."

"You got it from being first in some Boy Scout competition, as I recall?"

"Oh my..." Raddie came to a realization.

"Yes."

"No, you don't..."

"Yes, I do. Quick, we're gonna hang it up with other cards!"

She smiled in triumph, and Raddie felt like he could jump up to the sky as he skipped to their basement and came back with a frame saved for expensive artworks.

"It's beautiful," Raddie gasped as he looked at the beloved Minimog card now hung up high, surrounded by other high-level GF cards.

The card looked just as new as when he had it the first time, almost two decades ago, in an expedition for youths in Balamb Town.

"How did you get it? It was confiscated by Commander Leonhart when Garden was under attack."

Acma began to retell her quest. After Zyma gave all of his GF cards to Trepie #23, who, despite being very careful with handling his cards, still lost a few. Trepie #23 felt guilty, giving Acma the remaining GF cards and asking her to retrieve the lost cards. She gave Acma some vague descriptions. It was then Acma suspected the "White Sad Cat" GF card to be Raddie's beloved Minimog. It didn't take Acma too long to connect the dots. Commander Leonhart, apparently having not converted it to Pet Houses, lost it somewhere in Centra. The desert continent happened to be where Zyma had spent a great deal of time during his one-year mission. Of course, the card came back to Garden as Zyma passed it down to Trepie #23. For years, the card was circulated among almost twenty players in Garden and Balamb before coming back to Acma.

"I... I don't know what to say..." Raddie gasped, then chuckled.

"What?" Acma smiled with him, though confused at his reaction.

"I don't know what to say. Whether to thank you, or be worried that my wife may have a serious gambling problem..."

They burst into laughter and Acma gave him a few pinches.

"Gambling problem? Is that all you can think of me?"

"Be sure not to pass it on to our daughter," he instructed.

"Oh... she will only stay with us during the weekend. Five days a week in Garden, you can't guarantee she won't become a card addict with so many great role models there."

Half of the Garden staff were either the current members or the former members of the CC group.

"Is her room ready?"

"Yes, I've got it all figured out. Just focus on your mission. We'll go on a picnic together as a big family in a month."

They had completed all paperwork to adopt a five-year-old girl who was left at Garden's gate with a note asking Trepie #23 to take care of her. Having a pair of horns and wings, the girl received much mocking from her peers. Trepie #23 suggested Acma to become her guardian, for Acma used to hide her wings during her teenage years. With Raddie being away on missions most of the time, and the fact that Acma's artificial body would not let the couple have children, both of them agreed immediately.

Looking at the frame now full of beautiful Triple Triad cards, with Acma's card in the middle, Raddie gasped.

"I can't imagine..."

"Imagine what?"

"My life... our life... I couldn't have predicted it when we were busy taking exams. And now you're here, with me, in our house. My mom is well, we have one niece and one nephew. And we're going to have a daughter..."

"Are you scared? Being a dad at 22 is surely quite early."

"Not at all. We'll become a full family. I can't wait to show her our love and, of course, give those who mock her a warning. Don't mess with her mom who is the only Hyne messenger alive till date."

"Thank you..."

Acma cried again. She always got emotional whenever Raddie did or said something nice for her. But this time, he suspected her heart felt more for the little girl who soon would call them Mom and Dad. If Acma's stillborn child with Zyma were to live, she would have been around the same age as the girl.

"Trepie #23 asked us if we want her to change her name," Acma said to Raddie.

"Why? I think Artemis is a beautiful name."

"I think so, too."

"Does she have a last name?"

"A fake one. But Trepie #23 said her last name initial is 'O' based on the note attached to her as a newborn."

"Artemis Smailes then?"

"That sounds perfect, Sergeant Smailes."

"Wow, boss. It's such an honor to have you agree with me immediately. I should celebrate," Raddie chuckled.

"Stop calling me boss! We are partners, equal partners," she pinched his nose once more.

He stopped to look at her head to toe. Her face had changed significantly despite her effort to cover her cyborg face with makeup. He no longer minded, and started to convince her to stop trying to look like her past image. He loved her no matter what.

"I love you, partner," he said.

He was not sure how many times he had said so, but he wanted to keep saying it everyday.

After years of being together, finally she stopped replying with 'thank you', and simply reciprocated.

"I love you too, partner."

They embraced each other, looking forward to a long and peaceful life ahead.

samagi: If you like happy endings, stop here. When I was around 12 years old writing the first few chapters of this fiction, Raddie was the main protagonist, and Acma switched sides back and forth to chase after Elutia. He would always make the right call, trusting her at the right moments. I didn't know much about character development as a young kid. With this fict, I want to focus on how he transformed from a dreamy gullible young boy who separated clearly love and hatre to a man with forgiving heart and much wiser.

I didn't have Zyma in my original version, but I love his vibe so much. If you like him, read the alternative ending II, and check out my other fict "From Z to A", the ending of which connects with the alternative ending II.

Thanks for reaching to the end, and please give me some reviews!