The special forces squad was put on a mandatory time off for a week. They were both grateful and dreading it. With Wriothesley and Clorinde requiring recovery time from their Sumeru mission, the chief felt it was for the best that they got some rest. Navia was still mentally recovering from her miscarriage. Neuvillette just wanted to be home with his partners. The Sumeru mission proved to him that time is precious and he needed the love of his family.
Wriothesley and Neuvillette had an appointment that morning to discuss the results of their samples they had dropped off. Navia still wanted to have a family after all and the boys would do anything to give it to her. They all wanted it just as much.
The results were much different than Wriothesley had expected. Out of the two, he was the stronger candidate. He was much more likely to get Navia pregnant than Neuvillette. The doctor gave them some advice on how to increase their chances and sent them on their way.
"I'm sorry, Neuvi." Wriothesley gave his partner a sad smile. "At least the count isn't zero right? There's still a chance. And he gave us some tips on how to get your numbers up."
"I know it is just frustrating." Neuvillette mumbled as he unlocked the car. "I didn't think I would be in the low category."
"I didn't expect to be in the extremely high category. We'll work on yours… Navia isn't ready to try again yet anyways." Wriothesley shrugged as he sat in the passenger seat.
"We do have time." Neuvillette admitted. "I think we are all still recovering from it mentally." They began the drive home.
"We are. We are strong though, we will all get through it together." Wriothesley set a hand on Neuvillette's thigh. "You know the girls are still going to be gone by the time we get home…"
"Do you have plans?" Neuvillette raised a brow.
"A few." Wriothesley's hand moved up from his thigh to his groin. "Only if you want to though."
"Oh…" Neuvillette blushed heavily. "Those plans…"
"Is that a no? It's okay if you don't want to, we can just watch a movie or something instead." Wriothesley moved his hand back down his thigh. To his surprise, Neuvillette moved it back.
"It wasn't a no. It was a moment of pause." Neuvillette huffed. "I do like those plans. But can I tell you something first?"
"Of course baby… you can tell me literally anything." Wriothesley smiled at his husband.
"After everything happened in Sumeru… I've been dealing with troubling thoughts of losing you." Neuvillette admitted. "What if the final mission is your final mission to? What if you don't make it out?"
"Don't think like that, Neuv. I'm strong… I have a wonderful team and we are going about this the smart way. There will be no bait. There will be no sacrifice. We are getting out of it alive and with my sister." Wriothesley smiled at his partner. "I know it was scary watching one of our dear friends get kidnapped like that but we got him out. It was my own bad that I pushed myself too hard. Clorinde offered to let me get a head start but I was too bullheaded to leave her solo."
"I wouldn't say that is bullheaded. You're just a really good captain." Neuvillette smiled. "And you're right… I think it's been bothering me because it was one of our dear friends. Thank you for reassuring me."
"The Institution is reworking my gauntlets too. The chief is pissed about the amount of stitches I got." Wriothesley laughed.
Soon they returned home to a quiet house. Wriothesley tugged his husband upstairs. The light haired man wrapped his arms around his husband's neck as soon as they crossed the threshold into their bedroom. Wriothesley slammed the door shut with his foot. He dove into a kiss, pulling Neuvillette flush against his body. Their hips met and Wriothesley bucked his hips into the others. A soft gasp left Neuvillette's swollen lips.
Their tongues clashed in the heated kiss. Both men put up a fight for dominance however Wriothesley won the prize. His hand smoothed over Neuvillette's jawline, soothing away any tension that was being harbored.
They moved backwards towards the bed until the back of Wriothesley's knees hit the frame. He quickly flipped the script and had Neuvillette pinned to the bed in the blink of an eye. The light haired man moaned, the sound being devoured by the lust driven man above him. Wriothesley broke the kiss, licking his swollen lips after. His husband looked divine under him. His long white hair fanned under him across the bed like a God. His lavender eyes were heated with desire. His legs tried to clench together, desperate for friction.
Wriothesley let his lover adjust so he could lay comfortably on the bed. He wanted to take his time, playing with his mate. When Neuvillette became comfortable in his position, Wriothesley climbed on top of him, knees boxing the others' hips in. A gentle hand brushed the loose hairs behind Neuvillette's ear. The other ran down his side, a chill running down Neuvillette's spine. The buttons on Neuvillette's shirt were his next mission, picking them apart painfully slow. Wriothesley groaned as the silky pale skin was revealed. His partner was so flawless, angelic in every lighting.
A territorial urge bubbled in Wriothesley's gut. He needed to show his husband how loved he was, how cherished. Nibble after bite after suckle, Wriothesley added love bites all over Neuvillette's milky skin. The light haired man keened softly as each mark was left across his neck, shoulders and chests. A loud moan came when Wriothesley bit down on one of his tender nipples. It wasn't a hard bite, but definitely one to pull him back into the reality of the moment.
A hand snaked down his stomach to his trousers. The button popped open and then the zipper was pulled down. Neuvillette sighed in relief as his throbbing erection gained some freedom. It still wasn't enough… he wanted to be touched. His husband was going painfully slow.
A whine ripped through Neuvillette's lips as Wriothesley barely skimmed over his erection. Wriothesley looked at him, a brow raised. Neuvillette's pale face turned red.
"P-please… I need friction… I need more." Neuvillette begged softly.
"You'll get it and more. Just have some patiences baby. I need to make sure you know how loved you are by me, how perfect you are, how much I crave you." Wriothesley practically whispered in his ear. He nipped at it after, making the bottom man whimper.
Wriothesley moved down his lover's body, leaving a wake of love bites and hickeys along the way. The girls would definitely ask questions when they saw their partner later but that was okay. Neuvillette needed to feel this love now, by his husband who understood his worries.
The trail of love bites ended right at the hem of Neuvillette's trousers. Wriothesley instructed the bottom man to lift his hips and in a fluid motion, they joined the pile of clothing on the floor next to the bed. The cold hair hit Neuvillette's exposed skin, making him shiver. His skin was so hot compared to the air around him. A firm hand pressed against the underside of his thigh, then the other. Wriothesley pushed on Neuvillette's thighs until his legs bent and rested against his chest.
This position left Neuvillette exposed, his lover's hungry eyes staring him down. Those eyes were filled with lust and filthy promises of things to come. Neuvillette's arms looped around the backside of his knee, freeing up his lover's hands. Hands moved at the speed of light to wrap around Neuvillette's leaking length. The light haired man moaned loudly, throwing his head back on the pillow. It was the friction he had been craving.
Neuvillette's head was blank, thinking only of how good he felt at that moment. Even after all this time, his husband made him feel so good. After a few more strokes along the hard length, Wriothesley pulled away, making the bottom man whine in need.
"Hey now baby…" Wriothesley chuckled lowly. "I'm going to make you feel better, no need to whine."
Neuvillette was about to protest when he felt a tongue prod at his entrance. He let out a broken cry of pleasure when he felt it enter the tight ring of muscle. Wriothesley groaned softly as he ate his husband's ass, taking his free hand and spreading his ass cheek. He pulled away slightly to watch his lover's entrance twitch in need. A finger entered him, making Neuvillette moan breathlessly in desire. His lover's fingers were so thick, even one filled him in ways he didn't know he needed.
Wriothesley's nose crinkled a bit. Lube… he needed lube. With a quick move, he reached between the mattress and the box spring and grabbed the small tube of lube. His finger withdrew, much to his lover's dismay. Soon however, Wriothesley's fingers were properly lubed and ready for action.
One finger at first, then a second after a few pumps. The fingers stretched the tight entrance, scissoring open the tight space. Neuvillette assumed it was preparation for his husband's large cock however, Wriothesley had other plans.
Wriothesley's fingers explored Neuvillette's tight walls in search. He knew he found it when Neuvillette made a feral moan and bucked his hips up. The dark haired man grinned. Oh the plans he had.
Wriothesley curled his fingers, tapping his prostate in a teasing rhythm. The light hair man moaned over and over, thighs trembling against the soft sheets. He went from tapping to aggressive prodding, wanting to make his husband melt in the sheets. Neuvillette was shaking, moaning and whining. His cock ached painfully but each time Wriothesley's sinful fingers pressed against the bundle of nerves inside him, he came closer to the edge.
His entrance was slowly tightening around his lover's teasing fingers. He was getting close, Wriothesley could tell. He wanted his husband to cum untouched, finishing just by his ministrations. A few more firm presses against the bundle of nerves and Neuvillette hit his limit.
He jerked his hips. His thighs tightened around Wriothesley's head. He practically screamed at the intense orgasm that washed over him like a tsunami. His stomach was soiled, coated in his semen. He twitched in the aftermath, panting heavily at the intense high. Neuvillette whined as Wriothesley pulled his fingers out, overstimulated but not wanting the loss.
"Did you like that baby?" Wriothesley grinned, biting his husband's thigh playfully.
"More than liked…" Neuvillette panted softly.
"Good because I'm not done yet." Wriothesley looked up at his beautiful partner from between his legs. Neuvillette blushed heavily at what he was implying.
"I… am going to need a few moments before you enter me…" Neuvillette said softly.
"That's okay baby." Wriothesley kissed his other thigh gently.
When Neuvillette caught his breath enough, he encouraged Wriothesley to come back up. The dark haired man was pulled into a passionate kiss, hungry and full of desire. Neuvillette was far from done with his partner as well; he just needed a second to breathe again before the hot pleasure came back.
Neuvillette reached between them and worked open his lover's pants. Eagerly, he pushed down his pants and boxers, Wriothesley's erection finally freed. The dark haired man groaned slightly from the cool air of the room hitting his throbbing member. He buried his head in Neuvillette's neck when his hand wrapped around his cock.
Wriothesley gasped when Neuvillette picked up the pace, stroking his hard cock with vigor. He bucked into the grip, rutting against the pleasure. He bit down on Neuvillette's neck when he started focusing on the head.
"Fuck baby!" Wriothesley groaned. "Can I fuck you now? I need you…"
Neuvillette nodded frantically and released the leaking member from his grip. Wriothesley shucked his pants off quickly and yanked his shirt off in seconds. There was only one thing on his mind: Neuvillette. He needed him. He craved him.
The cap on the lube unsnapped. Wriothesley poured a generous amount in his hand and spread it along his throbbing length. Fuck he needed to be buried inside his warm, tight partner. The snug warmth was practically calling for him. Restraint was hard for him right now. Neuvillette's lips were swollen. He was covered in love bites. His cock was already hard and wanting again even though he just came a few minutes ago.
Wriothesley adjusted himself between his husband's legs, bending him practically in half and forcing his knees to his chest. His hard cock prodded at the stretched entrance, teasing him slightly. Neuvillette gave a small nod, confirming his partner could enter. With a quick fluid thrust, Wriothesley buried his hard cock in Neuvillette's tight, needy entrance.
Wriothesley let out a feral groan, almost sounding like a growl. Neuvillette felt so good around him.. His insides were soft and tight, hugging around his cock and milking him for more. His partner was putty in his hands, truly his for the taking.
When Neuvillette bucked his hips up, Wriothesley knew he was ready. He pulled his cock out almost entirely and shoved it back deep inside the snug entrance. This angle was intense for the bottom man. He could feel the thrusts all the way in his throat. The noises that slipped from Neuvillette's mouth were sinful, adding to the fire burning deep in Wriothesley.
Neuvillette's face alone was almost enough to send Wriothesley over the edge. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his orgasm in check. The dusty pink on his lover's cheeks, the tears pricking in the corner of his eyes and the needy moans falling out from his mouth were driving Wriothesley insane. How did he land such a perfect man?
His hips sputtered when his husband tightened around him all of a sudden. Neuvillette pulled him into a passionate kiss. Wriothesley devoured the moans as he thrust in deep. Neuvillette threw his head back, breaking the kiss when his prostate was nailed dead on. He was still slightly overstimulated from his first orgasm and his second was eagerly approaching.
Wriothesley went back to adding hickeys all over his neck and chest. His thrusts were deep and fast, the bottom man keening at every pass over his sweet spot. By the pleasure drunk look on his husband's face and the tight grip around him, Wriothesley knew Neuvillette was close. Fuck he was close too.
"You're close aren't you baby?" Wriothesley panted. The light haired man nodded before whining, another thrust nailing his prostate. With a few more thrusts, Neuvillette finished all over his chest and neck with a loud moan. His insides squeezed around Wriothesley impossibly tight. Wriothesley moaned at the extra tight heat. It was all he needed to fall over the edge himself, filling Neuvillette with his hot cum.
Wriothesley peppered kisses all along Neuvillette's face as he came down from his high. He whispered sweet nothings in his ears, telling him how much he loved the other and how good he was for him. By the time Neuvillette came back to reality, his partner had already cleaned up and was laying beside him. Neuvillette quickly clung to him and laid his head on his chest.
"How are you feeling baby?" Wriothesley smiled. He wrapped an arm around the other.
"Perfect…" Neuvillette murmured.
"You are perfect." Wriothesley pressed a soft kiss to his partner's forehead. They took a short nap, tangled in each other's warmth.
When they woke up sometime later, they slipped on pants and went downstairs to start dinner for their family. The girls arrived home shortly after they started, questioning why Neuvillette looked like he was attacked by a suckerfish. Wriothesley explained he needed to show his husband a good time after he received some not so great news.
"Low sperm count?" Navia asked.
"Unfortunately." Neuvillette sighed. "The doctor gave me some tips on how to improve it. It's possible for me to father a child but it wouldn't happen easily. Wriothesley however,"
"Mine is more than ready to go." Wriothesley gave a thumbs up. "So whenever you're ready, we can try again."
"Soon." Navia smiled sadly. "I'm just… not quite ready yet mentally."
"Oh sweetness." Wriothesley kissed her forehead softly. "We aren't going to try until you are ready. It doesn't matter how long it takes… we will be ready when you are."
"It gives us time to finish the mission as well." Clorinde added.
"We'll have our family when the universe decides it's ready." Neuvillette smiled.
They were in it together, no matter what.
They went back to work the next Monday morning. The sketches of the Doctor were supposed to be arriving from Sumeru that morning. The special forces team all arrived in the chief of police's office, including Navia and Neuvillette since they were part of the mission. They took a seat and waited for the email to arrive. It wasn't long until the computer in front of the chief dinged with the email and the images were sent to the printer.
Navia stood up and grabbed them, being the closest to the printer. She handed the small stack of paper to the chief who hummed a thank you. He looked through them carefully and handed them to Wriothesley.
All four images showed the same man, only one was different because of a mask. The Doctor had blue hair that was longer around his face. His white lab coat seemed to be decorated with a plumage of black feathers and a mask around his shoulder. Vials hung decorantly from his lab coat. In one image he had a black and gray mask covering his sinister eyes. The sketches alluded power and a sinister aura. But they finally had a face to put to the name.
"Hold on a moment." Wriothesley said with a frown. His whole body was tense. "This is the person I got my reworked gauntlets from at the research institute."
"What? How can he be in Fontaine and we never knew?" Clorinde asked, eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"This is exactly what he looked like but I picked up those gauntlets when he already had Tighnari… the timelines don't match up." Wriothesley looked confused at the sketch.
"He's doing human experimentation… we need to consider a possibility here." Chevreuse sighed. "Could there be multiple of him?"
"That's not possible." Neuvillette frowned.
"Either is Tighnari having fox ears and a tail and yet here we are." Chevreuse retorted.
"I believe captain Wriothesley." The chief said. "I got a report back from the institute that said the cryo cores were installed completely wrong. It was almost like they were set up to fail."
"We need to go there now then." Clorinde said, standing up. "We may be able to find a trail to his whereabouts. We need to take the chance."
"I am going with you." The chief said, standing as well. "We'll take my marked car. Neuvillette, head back to the district attorneys and we can fill you in later. Navia, please attend to your appointments and schedule today. Clorinde, Chevreuse and Wriothesley will come with me."
They all said 'yes sir' and went to their ordered posts. The chief drove like a madman to the research institute. The thirty minute drive turned into a fifthteen minute drive. They didn't even park in a spot, just slamming the car in park right near the front door. The chief was pissed… the contract of their partnership would be terminated for this. His best team's safety was put on the line because of their lax hiring and security. There would be hell to pay for it.
The chief slammed his hands on the front counter and demanded that he see the head researchers immediately. The receptionist almost jumped through the roof at the sudden sound. She nodded frantically, recognizing the chief of police and began summoning the head researchers into the main meeting room. She then escorted the chief and special force members into the meeting room.
It didn't take long for all 5 head researchers to assemble. They seemed nervous, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. When all 5 entered and sat down, the chief sighed heavily, trying to get a level head.
"I'm sure you are all aware of who I am." The chief said, standing up in the front of the meeting room. "We are here because you had a criminal infiltrate your facilities and work on MY special forces weapons. My best captain could have lost his life due to YOUR negligence. Now, I need all of your security footage from the past month. Every camera, every angle."
"Sir, we do extensive background checks and tests before we give anyone security clearance." One researcher said, "Who was the researcher?"
Wriothesley slid the sketch across the table to the researchers. "This guy is who I picked my gauntlets up from just a day or two before we went to Sumeru. The core was reworked and caused terrible damage to my arms." He held up his healing wounds, stitches freshly removed. "I had over 100 stitches in my arms. I'm lucky I didn't bleed out mid-desert."
"I recognize him!" A female researcher said. "His name was Deakin… he was a newbie but he shouldn't have had access to such an important project."
"Look up his file, now." The chief glared. One of the researchers pulled open their laptop and searched for the employment paperwork. When it was found, the laptop was passed to the chief.
It showed a photo of the Doctor, indeed under the name Deakin. He was grinning in his photo, looking devilish even here. He had been hired a week before their Sumeru mission, 6 days before Wriothesley picked up his gauntlets. Even though he was a new hire, he had full clearance. He could access literally anything, including information on the special forces and their weapons.
"Nononono…" One of the researchers said breathlessly. "There's no way he had full clearance. Only us 5 have full clearance."
"He hacked the special forces database… yours was probably a stroll in the park." Chevreuse said. "He knows almost everything about our skills now… that had all our amplitude testing, our abilities and our weapons."
"As of this moment, our contract is terminated." The chief said. "The special forces will be taking their weapons to the special forces scientists to be reworked. You may have gotten this whole operation discovered."
"Deakin was the first gangster we arrested from the club, right?" Clorinde added. "He's taunting us."
"We have a lot of backtracking to do." Wriothesley sighed. "He knows exactly how to beat us… we have to retrain ourselves if we want to get out of the final mission alive."
"It's truly our sincerest apologies." One researcher mumbled. "He passed all of our background checks. He passed all our tests… we had no idea he could hack us…"
"It isn't your fault." Wriothesley admitted. "He is a genius. He is truly the most dangerous criminal Fontaine has ever taken down."
The researchers downloaded all the security footage and sent them to the officers. They took their data and personal files, returning to the office. The three special forces officers began looking over the footage but it was hundreds of hours. It would take a long time to go through everything.
Wriothesley began working on a plan. They needed to monitor the final warehouse so they could infiltrate it safely. Clorinde was working on a plan to expand their skills since the Doctor knew what they could throw at him right now. Chevreuse was working on a plan to coordinate with the special forces scientist to rework their weapons. They needed an edge if they were going to survive this final mission.
The group worked late, staying late into the night. When they finally decided to go home, it was well past midnight. Their partners were fast asleep, curled into each other. The two final members joined the warm nest, attempting to get a few hours of sleep before returning to work.
Wriothesley tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He had too much to do… There was hours upon hours of footage still to go through. There was so much to plan. His sister was close… The Doctor was close. He needed answers.
Maybe it was his anxiety causing the insomnia. The fact that the Doctor tampered with his weapon made his blood boil. He knew something wasn't right but didn't put it together until today. How could he have known? He had never seen a picture of the Doctor.
Sleep wasn't coming to take Wriothesley away. He quietly got out of bed and went downstairs to the study. He pulled up the footage on his laptop and began looking through the footage. He sent a quick text to Chevreuse who replied almost instantly. She was doing the same as he was.
Neuvillette woke up shortly after the large man left the bed. The bed felt cold and empty without him. The girls however remained asleep, exhausted from their days. The light haired man escaped the warm confines of their bed and went on the hunt for his husband. It didn't take him long to find him in the study watching footage.
"Darling?" Neuvillette asked sleepily. "When did you guys get home? Have you slept?"
"Well…" Wriothesley smiled sheepishly at his husband while pausing the footage. "We got home after midnight… I tried to sleep but couldn't. So I decided to watch footage."
"Sweetheart it's 3am." Neuvillette frowned. "You do need sleep, you know."
"I know I do… I just couldn't…" Wriothesley sighed. "The anxiety is eating me alive."
"Let's look at another hour of footage and then we will go to bed." Neuvillette announced, pulling up a chair.
"Baby you should go back to bed… I'm at least getting paid to stay up." He joked slightly.
"Two sets of eyes are better than one however." Neuvillette argued. He hit play and began watching the footage with his husband.
They didn't see much, just the Doctor tinkering away with small projects. He hadn't even looked at the camera in that time. By the time 4am rolled around, they had no evidence or answers. Wriothesley sighed, feeling slightly defeated. But a promise was a promise. He followed Neuvillette upstairs to their bedroom and crawled back in the sheets. The girls instantly cuddled up to them both. The warm hold of all his partners, Wriothesley managed to get a few hours of sleep. They would catch the Doctor… they just needed to step back and reexamine the situation.
It took the whole week but they searched through all the footage. They found the part where the weapons were manipulated. But they never found out how he hacked the system. There was a lot still unanswered. They had begun staking out the warehouse in the mountains, learning quickly it was an intricate system of caves. They had to let the scientists work their magic. It was time for the special forces officers to hurry up and wait.
Wriothesley was in Neuvillette's office that Monday morning, discussing their court hearing the following week for Vacher's trial. It required a lot of strategizing. Navia and Clorinde were talking to a sex crimes detective in the bullpen, giving advice on a case they were working on. Chevreuse was a few desks over working with a tech analyst to enhance security footage.
None of them expected what happened next. There were no signs. They had no prior knowledge. But it would change the rest of their lives forever.
The police receptionist came barreling into the bullpen trying to find Navia. The blonde girl was shocked. She looked at her watch; she had no appointments for another hour and a half. She asked the receptionist where the fire was.
"Th-there's a young girl who just walked in alone." The receptionist tried to explain. "She's saying she's captain Wriothesley's daughter."
Navia and Clorinde's eyes widened in shock. There was no possible way Wriothesley had a kid. They moved quickly to the front office. Sitting in a chair was a young girl, looking to be under age 5. She was swinging her legs, humming happily as she played with a stuffed bunny. She had light lavender blue hair in pigtails and shocking pink eyes. Her facial features seemed different… almost like a rabbit but not quite. She had a backpack that took up almost her entire frame. Clorinde knew the moment she saw her who this was.
"Holy shit…" She mumbled. She shook her head, needing to snap out of the thought. She couldn't put the cart before the horse here.
Navia approached and kneeled before the small girl. "Hi there!" Navia chirped happily. "I heard you were looking for captain Wriothesley? Was that right?"
"That's right!" The young girl said happily. Her voice was high pitched but soft and kind. "Mommy sent me here to look for my new daddy!"
"Captain Wriothesley is your new daddy? Who is your mommy?" Navia asked.
"Well, a lot of people call my mommy Queen… but I'm not sure why." She looked at her bunny. "I just call her mama… I heard the scary man call her Rina a lot but that's just my mommy…"
"What's your name sweetheart?" Clorinde asked, stepping behind her wife.
"My name is Sigewinne!" The little girl smiled. "Mommy picked it~!"
"That's a really nice name." Clorinde smiled back. "You know I'm really good friends with your daddy… would it be alright if my friend Navia here took you into her office while I go find him?"
"We can color!" Navia added, trying to appease the girl's attention.
"That sounds fun!" Sigewinne jumped off the chair and looked at Navia to lead her to her office. Clorinde quickly set off to find Wriothesley, alerting Chevreuse to follow as she passed by.
Clorinde and Chevreuse marched down the hallway to the district attorney's office. They entered Neuvillette's office suddenly, startling the men and locking the door behind them. Clorinde closed the curtains in the window.
"What's wrong, Clorinde? We're kinda in a meeting here." Wriothesley asked. He raised a brow at his partner's sudden behavior.
"I need you both to take a deep breath." Clorinde said. Neuvillette looked extremely confused but took a deep breath, followed by Wriothesley.
"We have an update on the case…" Chevreuse said, seeing what happened while she was helping with tech.
"Wriothesley." Clorinde came over to him and set a hand on his knee. "There was a little girl who just walked in saying she's your daughter."
"Excuse me?" Wriothesley blinked. That made absolutely no sense to him. "There's absolutely no chance I have a daughter."
"She said her mother's name is Rina." Clorinde added.
"The voice…" The realization hit Neuvillette instantly. "Tighnari heard a voice in Sumeru say mommy. Could it be her?"
"I think so." Clorinde said. "Lets send a voice recording to him for confirmation."
"Where is she now?" Wriothesley asked.
"With Navia. I wanted to get you." Clorinde explained.
"I'm going to go get the chief. We'll be on the other side of the mirror in Navia's office. I'll meet you all there." Chevreuse took her leave. The group needed to talk about what was happening.
"What does all this mean?" Neuvillette asked.
"I'm not sure right now." Wriothesley ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know my sister had a kid… it makes sense though. Maybe we can get information out of her with Navia's help. Did she seem unharmed?"
"She is unharmed." Clorinde confirmed. "However, I do think she is a victim of the genetic manipulation experiments. She has odd facial features. Nothing like Tighari but just… different." A small smile appeared on her face. "She has Rina's gentle eyes and smile. She didn't seem scared at all. It was like she was prepared for this."
"If Rina dropped her off here, what does that mean for her?" Neuvillette asked.
"Let's wait for the chief to discuss that." Wriothesley said quickly. "We need to figure out a lot of information before we worry about that."
The group left the office, heading to the one way mirror in Navia's office. Usually this is for detectives watching an interview with Navia and a victim. This somehow felt more personal, it almost felt wrong to the duke. The chief and Chevreuse were already there, observing. Wriothesley joined them in the window.
Clorinde was right, she did have Rina's eyes and smile. She was coloring with Navia at a table in the office. They were chatting away about little things like colors and animals. But it was enough to get a quick recording, Wriothesley sending it off to Tighnari to confirm their theory.
"This is quite the development." The chief sighed.
"Tell me about it." Wriothesley laughed awkwardly. "I was in a meeting one second then the next I was told a small child was saying I was their dad."
"I think you need to go in." Clorinde said to the dark haired man. "I know it's not ideal given we aren't trained in interrogating children but she's technically your family member." The chief nodded in agreement.
"You can do it sweetheart." Neuvillette encouraged.
Wriothesley reluctantly entered Navia's office. He was nervous, anxiety pitting in his stomach. He had no idea how to approach this properly. The emotions he was feeling conflicted with his mind. There were too many questions he wanted to ask. Navia looked over his shoulder at him when he entered the office. She gave an encouraging smile and motioned him forward. The small girl perked up when she heard the door open, waving at Wriothesley.
"Hi there." Wriothesley smiled when he approached the desk. "My name is Wriothesley, I was told you were looking for me?" His heart soared a bit when he saw the small girl's bright smile. She practically jumped from her seat and hugged the dark haired man's leg.
"You look just like mama does!" She cheered happily, squeezing his leg tight. Wriothesley looked at Navia, a little surprised at the sudden display.
"May I ask your name?" Wriothesley smiled down at her, trying to focus his mind on what information he needed.
"My name is Sigewinne! Mommy named me!" She beamed proudly.
"That's a really nice name." Wriothesley bent down when the girl released his leg. "Is your mommy's name Marina by chance?"
"Yeah that's mommy! She gets called Rina and Queen too!" Sigewinnes expression changed and she held up a finger. She ran over to her backpack by the entrance of the office and dug through its contents. Soon she pulled out an envelope and toted back over to Wriothesley.
"Mommy wanted me to give this to you." Sigewinne puffed, proud at remembering the message.
"Thank you sweetie… do you mind if I step out and read it?" Wriothesley asked.
"Take your time! I'm gonna color some more." Sigewinne jumped back up in the chair and went right back to coloring.
Wriothesley encouraged Navia to follow him out of the room. They returned to the rest of the team to read the letter. They could keep a close eye on her from there. The envelope was plain, only saying Wriothesley's name on the outside. He carefully broke the seal and opened it, reading it aloud to everyone.
'My dearest Duke and Dualist-
Thank you… thank you for never forgetting about me. I have been watching from afar for all these years. You both have blossomed into such beautiful humans. I look forward to meeting your partner's one day, they seem just as lovely.
This letter will come as a shock I'm sure. Sigewinne may not have explained everything yet. She is indeed my child that Dottore sired. I never raised her to think he was her father though, I always expressed that you would be her real father one day.
The plan Cerberus and I put into action was to get Sigewinne out of his grasp. She is so pure, so perfect. My biggest regret was ever letting him manipulate her DNA but I had no choice. She was mixed with the ancient DNA of an extinct creature called a Melusine. Dottore found it in Fontaine while he was on the search for another creature. He felt it was fitting given it is our home land. With this DNA, she is incredibly intelligent, beyond her years. Her facial features are slightly different but nothing biologically otherwise. She's truly my pride and joy.
She is yours now my dear brother and best friend… please… take care of her. She's the reason I never gave up. She deserves a life we never got, one filled with love and happiness.
Give me 7 days. That is all the time I need to finalize my research into how to correct the genetic manipulation. After that, storm the lab. I will help guide your sub detection units tonight to the power boxes. When you infiltrate, take out the three power boxes. It will trap us in the lab.
8 hours before you come to the lab, go to the coordinates below. That is where he is keeping more victims. Do not go sooner, he will know and kill me. They are in my care for now, I will keep them safe until then.
When you come to the lab, be ready to fight. Be ready to shed blood. And please remember, they are just clones. Do not hesitate. Come save me Wrio and Rinde… I'm waiting for you. Take care of Sigewinne until then. I love you both so much.
PS- the clones do not have fingerprints, only the real Doctor does.'
There was a lot to unpack. Wriothesley's mind was spinning. Clorinde and Neuvillette caught him before he collapsed. This was all too much. But his heart was also filled with such hope. The mission was coming to an end… he was going to be reunited with his sister in a short week. He looked back at the child coloring in the office.
"Wriothesley." The chief put a hand on the dark haired man's shoulder. "I know there is a lot on your mind right now son but you need to make a choice by the end of day."
"What choice is that?" Wriothesley raised a brow.
"You are her only next of kin… you can either take her home with you or we will need to call social services to place her in foster care." The chief explained.
"Absolutely not." None of them expected Neuvillette to say it. He practically growled it. "She is your sister's child. She is entrusted to you and Clorinde's care. We can't send her to foster care to end up only god knows where."
"Can I have a moment alone with my partners?" Wriothesley asked Chevreuse and the chief. They nodded and stepped out of the room. The duke slid down the wall and sat.
"What's running through your mind?" Clorinde asked, kneeling to his level.
"Can we?" Wriothesley practically whispered. "Is it selfish of me to ask us to take her in?"
"Absolutely not." Navia was the one to echo Neuvillette. "She's part of our family now. It isn't at all selfish to ask."
"Darling." Neuvillette wrapped an arm around his husband. "We would never deny you this. We all want a family."
"Maybe…" Navia bit her lip. It was almost painful for her to say but knew she was safe with her partners. "Maybe this is why we lost our baby… because the universe knew Sigewinne was meant to be with us."
Wriothesley didn't realize he was crying until Neuvillette's handkerchief was brushing along his face. His partners accepted this part of him without even batting an eye. They WANTED this as much as he did. He knew from the second he saw Sigewinne's soft pink eyes that he wasn't losing her too. His sister trusted him to keep her safe and by god he would, even if it cost him his life.
"Okay here's the plan." Wriothesley started, coming back to reality. "Let's go in together and let her meet everyone, make sure she is comfortable being home with us. If she is, Clorinde and Navia can take my credit card and go pick up things to set up her bedroom. Just to make her comfortable for now and we can take her when she's a little more comfortable to pick out her own items. Neuvillette and I will stay here at work and finalize paperwork and our trial information. We can hang out in our office or we will come back to Navias. Does this sound okay to everyone?"
"I already know a lot of her interests." Navia smiled.
"Sounds like a great plan." Neuvillette kissed his partner's cheek.
Clorinde helped the hulking man off the floor and hugged him. "We have a piece of Marina back with us… I can't believe it…" She whispered to him. He smiled happily at her and agreed. It truly was an unforeseen blessing.
In the hall, the captain caught the chief and Chevreuse up to speed. They stepped back into the viewing room and the group entered the office, Navia leading the charge. She sat back at her desk where she was coloring while the other three gathered behind her.
"Sigewinne." Navia said softly. "I wanted to introduce you to some of my other friends if that's alright." She gestured behind her. The small girl had a bright smile, nodding eagerly.
"My name is Clorinde. I was your mom's best friend growing up." The dualist came over to the side of the desk. "I'm also 's wife."
"Oh mommy told me about you!" Sigewinne gleamed. "You guys had sleepovers and painted each other's nails and played house and stuff!"
"Yes we did." Clorinde smiled fondly at the memories.
"And my name is Neuvillette." The light haired man stood next to his husband. "I haven't had the honor of meeting your mother yet, I do hope I get to soon. But I'm Wriothesley's husband."
Sigewinne stared at the light haired man with curious eyes. She seemed to be examining him. Neuvillette's face heated up but soon the young girl spoke up. "You look like a mermaid!" her voice was filled with wonder, causing Neuvillette to chuckle at her excitement.
"Sigewinne, we have something we'd like to talk to you about." Navia began, passing the floor to Wriothesley.
"I'm gonna be honest here kiddo, I'm a bit out of my element here." Wriothesley laughed awkwardly. "But it looks like your mommy entrusted you to our care. Would it be alright if you came and stayed with us at our home?"
"You four live together?" Sigewinne tilted her head innocently.
"We do… we have lots of space for you as well." Clorinde said softly.
"So mommy was wrong? I get two daddys and two more mommys?" Sigewinne gasped. "This is the best day ever!"
"We'll have your mommy home soon." Wriothesley promised. He crossed the distance and kneeled beside the sitting girl. "Well what do you say? Do you want to stay with us?"
Sigewinne looked around at all four adults in the room. Her eyes were filled with sparkles, thrilled at the prospect of a growing family. After all, her mama always talked about wanting a big family. The man before her looked just like her mommy. She felt deep in her bones she could trust him.
"Yes please!" Sigewinne smiled warmly. Wriothesley's face softened, happy with the answer.
"Wonderful. How about we go color in my office? The girls are going to head out to the store and get some things you like, then in a couple of days we can go out and pick things out for your room. Does that sound okay?"
The small girl simply packed up her coloring supplies and jumped from the chair. She explained to the girls that she really liked bunnies, anything involving the ocean and bright colors, not neons though. The letter was right… She was definitely mature for her age.
She held her hand in the air, nudging Wriothesley to take it. The large hand wrapped around hers and they were off to the special forces team's office. When the girls received the duke's credit card, they went off to the store to complete their mission. Neuvillette went to gather some of his paperwork to complete at Clorinde's desk in her absence. Chevreuse came back into the office shortly after, Sigewinne happily sharing a desk with her to complete her artwork.
Wriothesley received a call about an hour later from Tighnari. He stepped into the hall to take it, Chevreuse and Neuvillette staying in the office to watch the small girl.
"Hey Tighnari, did you get my message earlier?" Wriothesley asked.
"Yes I did… Cyno and Dehya are here too." Tighnari said on the other line. "I'm not sure where you got that sound recording but it's her… that's the voice."
"Ah well, I was actually about to email you Cyno. Thank you for confirming the voice Tighnari." Wriothesley sighed a bit. "We have a major development today."
"Who does the voice belong to?" Cyno asked.
"It turns out my sister had a child… Her name is Sigewinne. My sister sent her into the police station today with a letter explaining everything and the next step of the plan."
"WAIT-" Dehya butted in. There was some shuffling on the other end of the line. "You have Sigewinne? Is she safe? Did he harm her at all?"
"She's fine… honestly it's like she was prepared for this day. Hold on, you knew about her?" Wriothesley raised a brow.
"Yeah… i've known about her." Dehya sighed. "When you saw your sister in Sumeru years back when we met, she was pregnant with her. Sigewinne should be… like 3 now? Candace was the one who delivered her."
"How come you didn't bother mentioning any of this before?" Cyno sounded annoyed.
"Sigewinne is Marina's only weak spot. She was more or less the only thing keeping her bound to the Doctor. I'm guessing she sent her to you in order to finalize the plan and escape." Dehya explained. "That little one means the world to lady Marina… she's her pride and joy."
"What's the plan?" Tighnari inquired.
"7 days from now we will infiltrate the lab. We have sub detection units flying around the cave mapping it out. There's a secondary location with experiment victims that we need to handle 8 hours prior to the operation. I will email everything I have to you Cyno. I'm working on a plan." Wriothesley peaked through the window of the office. Sigewinne moved to where Neuvillette was sitting and drawing the lawyer as a mermaid.
"We will be there." Cyno said without missing a beat. "You have Sumeru's full support and I will bring my best warriors. We are finally about to reach peace."
"I appreciate the support. I will admit, I'm going to have to put some all nighters to work out this plan. I didn't expect to suddenly become a dad today." Wriothesley chuckled. "Although… i'm not at all upset about it. Apparently Marina had always planned on her coming into my care."
"It's helpful you look almost identical to her." Dehya added. "Lady Marina always planned on raising her outside the Doctor's grasp. As far as I'm aware, Sigewinne only saw Dottore maybe a dozen times in her life. It's for the best she's with you now…"
"Send me everything you have. I will work with you on a plan so you can actually sleep. We will meet again in 7 days." Cyno said. "Congratulations to you all… we'll be in contact."
The phone call ended and Wriothesley gathered his thoughts in the hallway. Dehya knew… Candace knew… there was definitely more they aren't telling him. He wanted to trust them, they were friends after all. But, this isn't something you keep. There was a child involved this whole time. There was no point dwelling on it, what's done is done. He looked through the window and smiled when his husband stopped working on law documents to color with Sigewinne. He had no idea his heart could flutter like it did in that moment.
The end of day came quickly. Clorinde sent a text to the boys saying everything was set up and they were working on dinner. They packed up everything they needed, both boys working from home the next day, and went back to the house.
Sigewinne looked at the house in awe. It was like a mansion! They went inside and showed her around the house, ending at her new room. The spare bedroom had colorful stuffed animals stacked along the bed on top of a new pastel pink bedspread. Navia and Clorinde had bought her all sorts of art supplies and games to play. They bought her some new pajamas and clothes. She had all the supplies she needed for a few days until they could take her to the store to pick out her own special items. One thing was for sure, she was going to be spoiled by the couples.
They shared dinner together, the group learning more about Sigewinne and Sigewinne learning more about her new family. It felt easy, like they already knew each other even though they entered each other's lives today. The young girl seemed way more advanced than what age she was. She spoke more like a 10 year old than a 3 year old. She could read way beyond her years, write beyond her years and held a conversation beyond her years. It must have been the genetic manipulations from the Doctor.
The girls got Sigewinne ready for bed, Navia more than happy to take care of the young girl. Out of the two of them, she had more motherly instincts. Clorinde was happy to observe and help in ways she could. Soon the house was quiet, the family asleep besides Wriothesley. The captain was still awake, working on maps of the cave system. The sub detection units had relayed their information for the day; he needed to take advantage of that and make a plan.
It was late, nearing midnight when he heard the stairs creaking from the study. He peeked his head out of the space. Sigewinne was walking down the stairs groggily, carrying the stuffed bunny she had from her mother.
"Hey Sigewinne." Wriothesley spoke softly. "Did you have a nightmare? What's wrong?" He kneeled down to her level when she landed on the bottom step.
"No…" She shook her head. "I just… don't want to sleep alone…"
"I understand… new place and all." Wriothesley chuckled softly. "Why don't we go lay down? I'm sure Neuvillette doesn't want to sleep by himself either." The duke stood up and quickly packed up his work for the night, the young girl waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Soon, Wriothesley returned and held his hand out to walk Sigewinne upstairs. She happily took the hand and started going up the stairs.
"Hey …" She said softly. "Would it be okay if I called you daddy?"
It took a second for the dark haired man to reply. The question filled his chest with warmth. He smiled and picked up Sigewinne, carrying her the rest of the way up the stairs. "You can call me whatever you'd like Sigewinne. I'm honored you trust me already."
"You look just like mommy… and are kind just like mommy…" She sleepily rested on his shoulder.
"That means a lot for me to hear." They entered the bedroom, Neuvillette waking up at the same time the door opened. Curse being a light sleeper…
"I was getting worried…" Neuvillette chuckled sleepily, pulling the sheets back for his husband to join him in bed. He realized Sigewinne was with him when he set her in bed first. "Hi there Sigewinne." He smiled at her and moved over, giving her a bit more room in between them.
"Are you okay if I sleep here too?" She asked softly.
"Of course sweetheart." Neuvillette pulled the covers over all of them once Wriothesley was settled on the mattress too.
" ?" Sigewinne asked. The light haired man hummed in response. "Can I call you papa?"
"I would love that." Neuvillette smiled wide. He brushed her hair softly before laying down. "Wake us if you need anything alright Sigewinne?"
The small girl nodded and snuggled into bed. It didn't take long for both her and Neuvillette to be asleep. Wriothesley watched over them both, just thinking over the day's events. When he woke up this morning, he hadn't expected any of this. Yet here he was, his sister's daughter beside them; a child who would likely be adopted by him if anything happened to his sister.
He wasn't a fool… he knew the mission they were going on was dangerous. He knew any of them could lose their lives. He knew his sister could get prosecuted for her involvement with the Doctor. He knew this little one would be safe though, between him and his partners.
His heart felt full, yet light. He felt happiness in a new way he never knew. If only 17 year old Wriothesley could see the man he had become. If only…