Author's Note: So I realized that I uploaded the wrong version of this story, riddled with typos and missing/unedited scenes. The story is slightly A/U in terms of Spy x Family's story - primarily that it's taking place in current time. Any tips, suggestions, or constructive criticism is welcome.

I own nothing and no one.

Without

further ado…

"Endings are not only part of life; they are a requirement for living and thriving, professionally and personally. Being alive requires that we sometimes kill off things in which we were once invested, uproot what we previously nurtured, and tear down what we built for an earlier time."

-Henry Cloud, "Necessary Endings"

Chapter 1- Beginning of the End

I have never lived a "normal" life. From a young age, all I knew was war. The fleeting days of my youth were tainted by bloodshed and the distant sounds of bombs. As I got older, the blood curdling screams of those at the wrong end of my pistol started to become something more like white noise. Though, every once and a while, in the dead of night I hear them. I hear them begging for mercy, pleading for their lives. Someone once told me you never truly know a man until his last moments. In those final seconds, when he knows he is about to die, they will do and say anything you want to hear. I can still hear them, see their faces following me like a dark shadow, forever attached to my being. If there is a heaven, I'm sure I won't go there. Not with the things I've done.

But that's not what haunts me. It isn't the faces of those that I've killed. It isn't their last minute prayers to whatever higher being they believed in, wondering why or what they did wrong. I do not fear death or what hell waits for me when this life is over. What keeps me up at night is something different. Something I don't seem to understand.

I am Agent Twilight, a Westalian spy that has been tasked to ensure the peace between Westalis and Ostania. To complete my longest mission to date - Operation Strix - I have been living under the faux identity of Loid Forger, esteemed psychiatrist, father, and husband. Before that fateful day on the train, I had long given up the idea of marrying and having children. Yet, here I am with photos of my "family" scattered about my work desk and drawings most would call mediocre at best displayed proudly on my wall simply because they came from my "daughter" Anya.

She has never been the brightest. If I am completely honest, she is quite odd and socially awkward. Her best friends are Becky Blackbell from school and our family dog Bond. She has an odd fascination/obsession with the show Spy Wars. Her interest in the "spy world" is rather ironic considering all things. It also makes one wonder if she knows more than she lets on. She has a tendency to spout random things that relate to things I may be thinking. Sometimes I wonder if she can read minds, but I quickly dismiss the outlandish notation. She's a child and this isn't a fantasy novel. I learned to read body language and Anya must have the same skill.

Academically, she wasn't the smartest kid in class. She barely would pass her midterms and finals. Despite her shortcomings, I am extremely proud of the progress she has made at Eden Academy. Without Anya, today would not be possible. She assisted me in gaining favor with Donovan Desmond, the chairman of the National Unity Party. I was able to gather intel, names, places, factions and terrorist threats. Today, Donovan Desmond would be arrested for being a war criminal with the intent on starting what could have been a devastating war between Westalis and Ostania. In the following days and weeks, all the key players in the National Unity Party would also be arrested. In a few weeks, my mission Operation Strix will be over. My life as a father and husband will be over.

I've successfully completed more missions than any other agent of WISE. I've walked away from countless fake identities, people, and places without so much as batting an eye. So why does the idea of Operation Strix coming to an end make me feel so uneasy? Why does it feel…incomplete?

I let out a sigh as I leaned back into my chair, slightly sinking into the cushioned fabric. I shouldn't be thinking about this right now. Whatever strange emotion is building inside of me, I need to suppress it. The mission isn't over. I still have work to do. Until the NUP has all been brought to justice, Operation Strix continues on. My life as Loid Forger continues on. I'm still a father…and a husband.

I don't know where to start with Yor. Don't get me wrong; Yor Briar…rather Yor Forger is an amazing mother. Her bond with Anya is one I would imagine most women dream of having with their daughters. She's caring and gentle, but at the same time she is fiercely protective of our child. I know that if anything were to happen to me, Anya would be safe with Yor. With the expectation of her cooking, Yor is the ideal wife. She keeps our home clean and tidy. The laundry is always done and we always have groceries in the fridge. When we go on outings, she is right by my side playing the ever doting wife. Countless times we have been complimented on how we look like the perfect loving couple. If they only knew the truth.

We both entered into this arrangement knowing that this marriage was to benefit our own personal objectives. She wanted to be out of the scrutiny of her friends and brother (let's not get into the chaos that is Yuri for now) for being a single woman in her late twenties. I needed a wife for my mission. We have been, in all intent and purposes, partners. We pretended to be husband and wife on the surface, but it never went beyond that. Not even the more…intimate details of a marriage. Still, after all this time, I have grown to not just trust, but value my time with Yor. I've become attached to her. I've had to become close to women before, but not like this. I have no issues with being intimate for the sake of a mission. I have seduced and bedded dozens of women. Sex is no issue.

I'd be lying if I said the thought of intimacy with Yor on such a level never crossed my mind. She is an extremely beautiful woman. She was loyal to a fault. She strived to be the best mother to Anya and wife to me. In reality, she has been more than the best of both; she has been perfect. If I were a normal man, a regular civilian, she would be the type of woman I would hope to spend the rest of my life with. But that's nothing more than a fevered dream. There is no and could never be a romantic relationship between Yor and I. I could never live with myself if she or Anya were harmed due to my line of work. It's best for everyone that this remains platonic for what little time we have left together.

I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out the photo I kept on me at all times. This one was different from the ones on my desk. My desk was littered with family portraits - the one we took at the tailor shop the day we became a family, a portrait of Ayna in her school uniform, I even had one of Yor and I. But this photo was different. I wasn't taken for appearances sake. This photo Anya took because we were having…fun.

I had just come back from a reconnaissance mission that required me to be away from home for a few days, using a work conference as a cover for my absence. I wasn't particularly comfortable leaving Yor and Anya alone overnight, let alone several days. To say I was relieved when I returned is an understatement. I was met at the door by Anya and Bond, my daughter joyfully showing off a new toy spy camera Yor had bought her. She was snapping away at nearly everything she could. Naturally, I vetted the photos and destroyed anything that was compromising.

Yor had made stew that night. It had become one of my favorite meals, so she was sure to include it in our dinner plan at least once a week. After our bellies were full, we sat in the living room drinking our coffee and hot chocolate in Anya's case as we winded down from the day. I was on the couch reading a book with Yor beside me as Bond and Anya were using the rest of our furniture as launching points for another spy game they were playing. Yor was telling me a story about something that happened at work that ultimately resulted in us being invited to yet another work party of hers. I hummed in agreement when she asked if it was ok she said yes without asking me first.

I was surprised by the sudden shift of weight in my lap right before a head of pink hair blocked my view of my book. I looked down and apparently I was now the driver's seat of a getaway giggled as Bond lazily laid in her lap, likely upset that there was no real simulation of sticking his head out the window of the car allowing the wind to flow through his fur. Something came over me. Perhaps it was the laughter coming from my wife and daughter or the look of pure joy beaming from them, but I got lost in the moment.

"Oh no, we've run off the road!" I yelled as I snatched Anya up under her arms and started waving her side to side in the air around the room. The look on Yor and Anya's faces showed the same shock I was feeling at the moment. I gave Yor a look, urging her to play along.

"Oh, yes," she said, jumping to her feet. She frantically started looking around the room before tossing a few of the couch cushions on the floor. "Hurry Agent Anya, you have no choice but to jump from the car! Your life depends on it!"

"Agent Mama is right! I have to save the world!" Anya agreed. She scrunched her arms and legs close to her body as if she were preparing to jump.

"Are you ready, Agent Anya?" I asked in a semi-serious tone.

She nodded. I tossed her gently in the air toward the direction of the cushions. She stretched her arms and legs out as far as she could. She giggled wildly as she landed on the cushions.

"That was amazing, Papa!" she laughed as she jumped to her feet. "Do it again!"

"Maybe not so high this time though," Yor suggested with a hint of worry.

For hours, Yor and I indulge in Anya's spy dreams. We hid behind furniture shooting each other with finger guns. Rolling across the room to safety and pretending to be hurt when we were hit by imaginary bullets. Agent Loidman may or may not have made an appearance as well - mask and all. We were just two parents playing with our daughter. Our house was filled with laughter and happiness. We were a family. A real family.

By the end of the night, Anya declared she wanted to take a photo so we could "remember this forever". I carried her with my left arm, Yor to my right and Bond in front of her as Anya stretched her left arm as far it could go to snap a photo of us. I was pleasantly surprised when I developed the photo that none of us were cropped out of the photo. It was a rare moment indeed and definitely one I would never forget.

I folded the photo and returned it to my shirt pocket with another sigh. When Operation Strix comes to an end, so will my family. I'll have to disappear, never to cross paths with Anya or Yor ever again. I can only hope they stay together. She'll be a widowed mother. I could never let them know I left on my own accord. Of course, I'll ensure they're well taken care of. Money is no issue. Anya will go to the best schools. They'll never want for anything. They will live a comfortable and safe life…without me.

But like I said before, there was no time to dwell. I glanced at my watch: 5:00 PM. The day seemed to slip by me. I'd better be on my way home before Yor gets suspicious something is wrong. I usually get home on time, but I've had a few small missions to take care of, causing me to get home later than usual. The last thing I need is another panic attack from Yor concerning Fiona Frost, or as I know her Agent Nightfall. No matter how many times we have the discussion, I still need to reassure her I'm not having an affair nor do I have plans of replacing her with my work colleague. Even if this was fake, I would never defile our marriage. I couldn't disgrace or dishonor Yor. I've been faithful in every sense of the word.

I was packing my work bag when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I called out.

My secretary Mrs. Cohen popped her head in. "I'm sorry, Dr. Forger, but your wife is on the phone for you," the older woman announced.

Yor was calling? At this time? "Please patch her through, Mrs. Cohen." With a nod, Mrs. Cohen disappeared and a moment later the phone on my desk rang. I picked up the receiver as I started changing out of my white coat and into my blazer. "Hello Yor, I was just getting ready to head out. What can I…"

"Loid, Yuri is here," Yor stated immediately. I can hear how frantic she was in her voice.

"Ok, I'm headed out the door now." Silence. "Yor?"

"Yes?" she squeaked out.

"Is everything ok?" Silence again. This wasn't good. There was something going on she couldn't tell me about out loud.

"Please come home, Loid."

"I'm on my way, Yor. I'll be there in five minutes." I quickly hung up the phone and started shoving my stuff into my briefcase. I needed to get home now.

I shouted a hurried goodbye to Mrs. Cohen as I passed her desk and continued down the hall. As I turned the corner, I bumped into a janitor headed in the opposite direction. A jolt of electricity ran up my arm and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I paused briefly. Something wasn't right.

"Sorry," the man grumbled.

I glanced back at the man over my shoulder. I hadn't gotten a good look at his face, but I took a mental note of what I did see. Fair toned skin, blue eyes, a slightly curved nose. Almost as if it had been reset several times from being in a fight. The tuft of hair poking out of the bottom of his hat was mostly gray, but had some tones of blonde. He had a scar along his hairline right behind his ear. Most people wouldn't notice it, but it's my job to notice things like this. I didn't like ignoring my instincts, but Yor needed me. My family needed me. Maybe I can get a message to Nightfall to check the guy out for me. I tried to avoid contacting her as much as I could with the animosity between her and Yor, but I have no choice.

I took off running as soon as I was out of the hospital doors, taking every shortcut I knew to get home. A block before I got to my apartment building, I ducked into an alley to pull my pistol from my briefcase and tuck it into the waistband of the back of my pants. Yor still didn't know about Yuri's real job with the Secret Police. If she sounded that frightened on the phone…I needed to be prepared for whatever I walked into.

I paused at my front door, regathering myself so as not to rouse any suspicion. I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yor, Anya, I'm home!" I announced.

Yor was standing in the living room with Yuri and her work friend Dominic. Her coworker and Dominic's gift friend Camilla was at her side, one arm around her while the other gently rubbed Yor's forearm as to comfort her. What in the world could they be doing here?

"Hey Loid," Dominic greeted with a half-hearted smile. He walked toward me and with his hand extended. "I think this is the first time I've been to your home. It's very lovely."

"Thank you, Dominic." I took his hand to shake it. The expression on his face told me he was trying to stay calm, but his eyes told me he was terrified. But of what? "I don't want to sound rude…"

"But you will," Yuri grumbled, not trying to hide his disdain for me. I just ignore him.

"What brings you here?"

The other man let out a heavy sigh. "There was another raid at City Hall again. They arrested one of Yor and Camilla's directors, Matthew McMahon. He's under suspicion of intent to disrupt public peace and safety."

Worry for my wife outweighed my surprise. I probably should have been more diligent, but I had no time to berate myself. I dropped my suitcase and tossed my hat on the rack as I crossed the apartment in a few strides. Camilla stepped aside as I stood in front of Yor, putting my hands on her elbows. She wouldn't look at me, but I could tell she was shaken up.

"Yor, are you ok?" I tilted my head, trying to get her to look at me.

"Of course she isn't," Yuri barked. "Were you listening? One of her directors was a traitor! Yor, I don't get how you can be married to this idiot…"

I shot Yuri a death glare. It must have shocked him because his face showed something I had never seen. Was he…afraid of me?

"Yuri, I usually let your little comments slide, but I will have to ask you to show some restraint. Your sister is clearly upset and your blatant disdain and disrespect toward me is not necessary nor is it welcome. If you do not feel you can refrain from insulting me, I will have to ask you to leave."

The shock or fear in Yuri's eyes disappeared and was replaced by pure hatred. I've never spoken to him like this and I can tell he didn't like it. "You can't kick me out. This is my sister's home." My brother-in-law's words came out more like a growl.

"This is our house. Mine and Yor's," I bit back. I was facing him fully now. I wasn't going to back down.

"Why you…" Yuri moved to take a step toward me, but Dominic stepped between us.

"Oooook guys, let's take it down a notch here," Dominic said in the steadiest voice he could.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you are not going to tell me what to do." It was as if Yuri had completely ignored his friend. As if he had any right. It was Yuri and his comrades that had come for Matthew McMahon. Not WISE. He was the reason his sister was so scared and upset. "I will never understand why my sister married a jerk like you, burdening herself with your problems and your kid!"

That did it. Bond must have felt the hostility as well because he bounded to my side, growling something deep in his canine chest. He wasn't an intimidating dog in the least, but in the moment I wouldn't have been surprised if he attacked.

"Whoa, Yuri, man that's too far," Dominic commented.

"Say that again and it'll be the last thing you do," I growled.

"Is that a threat?" Yuri laughed.

How fucking dare he. "You're damn right it's a threat. I will not be disrespected in my house in front of my wife and especially not about my daughter! Brother-in-law or not, you are not going to come in here and speak to me like that! You will not talk about my daughter like that. Do not speak her name. It is to stay out of your damn mouth or so help my God…"

I suddenly felt a little touch around my wrist. I looked down to see Yor's petite hand holding my wrist to keep me from advancing toward her brother. "Loid." Her voice was soft, innocent. Her eyes pleaded with me to stop. Not to attack her brother. "Please. Calm down."

I wasn't sure if this would be enough for me to rip Yuri's head off. I felt like a rabid animal. The last time I felt this out of control, I almost ruined Anya's chances at getting into Eden. But Yor's grip was keeping me grounded. I noticed her eyes quickly darted toward the hall then back at me. I followed her gaze to see one green eye and pink hair peeking through the slightly opened door to our daughter's room. It quickly shut once Anya realized I had spotted her. She must have heard the ruckus. I looked down at her hand that was holding on to me again.

"Ok," I exhaled. I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Ok, I'm calm. I think we're all a bit more tense than usual. My apologies, Yuri. Why don't you guys have a drink while I change and then I'll make something for dinner. That is if you'd like to join us."

"WHAT THE…" Yuri started to yell, but Dominic covered his mouth with his hand.

"That would be great, Loid," the dirty blonde quickly interrupted. "We'd love to stay."

"Yea as long as Yor isn't cooking," Camilla teased.

"Hey! I'm getting better!" Yor protested.

"Sure you are honey. Where do you keep your booze?"

I took that as my cue to slip away. I stopped in front of Anya's door as I headed down the hall. I should probably check in on her. I'm sure she's confused about everything that's going on. I tapped the door with my knuckle before opening the door. "Anya, it's me," I announced as I headed into the room.

Anya was in her bed hiding behind Penguinman as she clutched onto the chimera doll that has been with her since I took her home from the orphanage.

"Anya," I called again.

She pulled her feet in so that the giant penguin plushie was concealing her. I let out a sigh and moved the giant penguin aside as I sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes were red from crying, her face wrought with sadness. During the time I worked on Operation Strix, I did everything and anything to keep Anya safe and happy. However, I never thought about what it would do to her to make a friend with the enemy's son then be forced to see her friend in such pain. Damien Desmond was an unfortunate casualty. But it wouldn't end here. I know for a fact that Becky Blackbell's father would be investigated as well. He was a weapons manufacturer, so there was a chance he would get off, but they would have to determine if he was selling those weapons on the black market with the intent of them being used for mass destruction.

Anya's eyes widened. There were so many tears in her eyes they just started to spill out. She scrambled across the bed, throwing her arms around my neck. She was squeezing me with all she had. Her body shook with each sob she let I could do was hold her and rub her back. This was my doing. I was the one bringing this child pain.

"Second son's papa was taken away and he can't come to school anymore. He said he has to move far away," Anya cried. "They took away my friend. I just want my friend to stay and be happy."

The chatter from the living room had stopped. Anya's crying could probably be heard across town. Crying children always made things awkward.

"I know," was all I could say. No words I said would make this better. I was succeeding in my mission, but I was failing as a father. "Sometimes parents do some…questionable things if they believe that it would keep their children safe. Donovan Desmond was doing what he thought would be best for his sons. It doesn't mean what he did was right, but he thought it was. It's just unfortunate that your friend Damien has to suffer because of a bad decision his father made."

"Can we visit second son wherever he goes?"

"No, Anya, I'm afraid we won't be able to do that." I held my daughter as she cried harder and buried her face deeper in my neck. "Anya, I need you to do me a big favor. A mission if you may." She perked up a little at the word 'mission.' I set her on the mattress so she was sitting beside me. "I need you to promise you that you will take care of Mama for me. If I…If anything happens, I need you to promise you will take care of your mother for me."

"Papa…"

"Promise me, Anya." She nodded. I gave her a smile and ruffled her hair as I stood. "I promise, when this is all over, we will all go on a trip together." I stood up and headed for the door, but paused when I felt a tug on my sleeve. I looked down to see Anya's green eyes staring up at me.

"Papa, please don't leave," she begged. She must be much more shaken up than I thought.

"I'm just going to change. You should too. We have guests over for dinner." I gave her another smile before walking out of the room. In the corner of my eye, I could see Yor, Yuri, and their friend quickly turn around as if they weren't just listening in on my conversation with Anya. I rolled my eyes and headed to my room. They could at least try to be less obvious. I removed my jacket and pulled the Luger P08 out of my waistband. I've had this gun for over a decade. It was probably the only thing I've had by my side since I was a teenager. Not people or family. Just a cold piece of metal that didn't bring any type of comfort or joy, just death.

But that all changed. I have people now. I have a family. I have Anya and Yor. People that count on me, people I need to keep safe. I tightened my fist around the grip at the thought of someone trying to harm my family.

You've gone soft, Twilight. I looked up at my reflection in the window. It looked like me and sounded like me, but it wasn't. I was staring at Agent Twilight in the window. I was just Loid Forger.

Their safety is part of my mission.

Not for much longer. Very soon this will all be over and this charade will be over. Loid Forger will be gone. You will move on to your next mission and they will move on without you.

Soon is not today. The mission isn't over. They need me…

They don't need you. You've gotten a taste of this forbidden fruit and you refuse to leave the garden. You forget yourself, Twilight. You're a spy. You'll never be able to see them again. You can never be close to them again. What will you do? Love them from afar?

Love? I don't…

"Loid?" Yor called, snapping me out of my internal dialog. I quickly shoved the gun in the front of my pants and turned to see Yor by my door, praying she didn't see. Damn she's quiet. I didn't even hear her come in.

"Is everything alright, Yor?" I've lost count of how many times I've asked her some variation of this question today.

"Y…yes." She backed into the door until it clicked shut. Her arms were crossed over her chest, eyes downcast. "How's Anya?"

"Upset," I replied with a sigh as I loosened the tie around my neck. "But that was expected with all that's going on. I would love to tell you she'll be fine, but it'll take some time before I can be confident in that."

"I tried to talk to her earlier, but she didn't want to talk to me about it." She was crossing the room now. As she got closer, the smell of alcohol started to get stronger. "I also wanted to apologize for Yuri. He can be stupid sometimes, but you're always so nice."

"Well, I wasn't today." My eyes were fixed on her. How much had she had to drink? What was the goal here?

"I don't blame you. He was out of line." That's an understatement.

"My priority has always been you and Anya. Your wellbeing is the most important thing in the world to me. If you're sad, I want to know how to make you happy. If you're crying, I want to make you smile. You are my wife and I take that very seriously. He's your brother though. I promise that will will try harder to not fight him."

Tears were starting to well up in her eyes. There were very few times in the course of our marriage that I needed to defend our relationship or her honor, but when I did, I did so very fiercely. For the sake of the mission, of course. She was right in front of me now. The stench of wine lingered on her breath. She was definitely drunk and there was a look in her eye that was telling me she wasn't here just for a chat.

"You're too good to me, Loid Forger," she said softly. I was surprised when she reached up and cupped the side of my face with her hand.

"Yor, I don't think this is a g…"

"Loid, just shut up." To my surprise, I listened. Her face was moving closer to mine and her body was about to press up against mine. Suddenly she gasped and jumped back. Her cheeks were a bright pink. She pulled her hand back and covered her mouth. I recognized this look. She was embarrassed.

"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry," she apologized feverishly. Whatever confidence she had was gone. She sobered up in the blink of an eye. "I didn't meant to…I mean it was an accid…is that…I'm sooo sorry Loid."

I raised a brow. What was she rambling on about? I suddenly realized what she was stumbling over. I looked down then back up at her. "Oh, no…Yor. It's not what you think," I insisted.

She was backing up quickly toward the door. "No…it's fine. That's…natural. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll just wait for you…I mean I'm going to go…I'll let you take care of…oh no!"

"Yor, wait!" I called after her, but she was already out the door. I let out a sigh as I reached into my pants and pulled the pistol out. Well this was awkward. I quickly put the firearm in the hidden safe I had stashed in my closet. I sat on the edge of the bed with my shoulders slumped forward. What the hell was going on? Wasn't she just coming on to me?

You wanted her to come on to you. You know what she came in here for and you were more than willing to give it to her. With guests on the other side of this door, no less. You scoundrel.

Shut up.

There was a knock at the door before Yor's head popped in. Her eyes were shut tightly so not to see anything…indecent. "I, uh, forgot to tell you. Yuri's apartment flooded and he needed a place to stay for a few days so he's going to be staying here for a few days."

"HE'S WHAT?!"