From where I stood I watched as Sam went limp and lifeless in his eldest son's arms. Riv was immediately alarmed as the small man's knees buckled and bent, trying to hold him up and keep him from falling to the floor. I rushed over to see the little man now unconscious.

"Daniel, what's goin' on?" Riv asked, trying not to sound too panicked as he held his tiny father.

I took one of Sam's hands to feel for a pulse. Fortunately his pulse and breathing were normal.

"Looks like he's just fainted," I said. "He's been under a lot of stress and probably hasn't eaten well while I was out to get ya. Between all that and the emotions of all your comin' here it was prob'ly inevitable."

"...Our coming here?" he asked nervously.

"...Like I said, honey -- and all of you -- this is somethin' we've been workin' and hopin' for, for three years," I sighed. "It's been a heavy weight on our shoulders. To have that suddenly lifted is overwhelming, to put it lightly."

I pet the unconscious man's head, running my fingers through his ever-messy hair.

"But he'll be alright," I continued. "Needs a rest and a decent meal, but still, he'll be alright. Plenty of time left in the day."

I bent down a little more with the intention of picking up my fainted partner, but Riv's arms tightened around him and lifted him up and off the floor.

"You sure?" I asked. "I'm gettin' old but I can still--"

"I'm sure," he said abruptly. "Just...please let me do this."

A lot weighed on him, too. Even without that tidbit of knowledge it seemed best that I let him get his way. He scooped up the fallen man, holding him securely with his big arms before standing back completely upright. Without a word we all followed as he slowly walked into the hallway, once again through the home he'd spent most of his life.

Even though it had been three years, very little had changed. He seemed conflicted about this, the life he once lived and now all the horrible things that had gone on behind the scenes-- things we endured to keep their lives as normal as possible.

...Things Sam, in particular, endured in any attempt to give them the lives he felt they deserved. He was no superhero, but a normal man with a horrible history and the issues that come with it. That he accomplished as much as he did spoke for itself, especially now. Moreover, that everyone had their suspicions regarding a bigger picture meant that even they knew something was amiss, that his behaviors and irritation late in the game weren't like him.

Riv carried Sam up the big staircase, the rest of us following close behind. As he turned his head to the left he seemed both relieved and confused about the lack of staff at the end of the hallway, briefly pausing before turning right. Carefully he carried his father down the stub of hallway and to his bedroom.

Even with the glimpse of his face I'd gotten as he opened the door I could tell he was bracing himself. The last time he'd been in this room he did something he'd regret, which would eat away at him for the years to come. Facing something like that was never easy but he still carried the little man inside, finally ready to face that guilt.

He walked to the bed and gently set Sam down near the edge, laying him in the same place he slept. He stood at the side of the bed in wait as the rest of us surrounded the large mattress. After a short time Samuel would stir, slowly blinking his eyes and coming to.

***

My vision slowly returned to me. I looked around, now in my bedroom and surrounded by my family as I lay on my large bed.

"...What...happened?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"You fainted," Daniel answered. "It's been a stressful mornin' and I got a feelin' you haven't eaten well while I've been gone."

"I hadn't...much of an appetite, I'm afraid," I admitted, bracing for a reprimand. "S...Sorry."

Rather than a reprimand he'd chosen to simply acknowledge my words and otherwise stay quiet. The silence in the room felt strange after talking for so long, my throat dry as a desert. Beyond that I felt something nagging at my heart but couldn't tell what it might be. It was faint, but definitely there. Perhaps in an attempt to find the source I scanned the field of eyes surrounding me, all concerned. I wasn't used to this and wasn't sure how to take it.

"...Thank you -- all of you -- for coming here after all this time," I managed to speak. "I know you...probably didn't want to come all this way, knowing what you had, but...thank you for giving us both a chance to explain. Thank you so, so much."

I swallowed and took another deep breath, trying to rein in my emotions and mellow the pangs in my chest.

"...I hope now you can understand why we were so secretive," I followed up. "We wanted to give you a normal, happy life...like all children deserve. Perhaps misguided, but we were only looking out for your safety. If anything happened to any of you, I...I don't think I'd still be here."

The crowd seemed unsure how to respond, looking from me to Daniel who simply, solemnly nodded. This was a lot to take and chew on, but now they had the other side of the life they once lived. It would be a lot for anyone else, to say nothing of young adults and children.

Through their silence I picked up on the faint sound of sniffling. The sound tugged at me just like that strange feeling in my core, my shifting gaze to Riv. His eyes were glossy and full of tears, looking strictly down to the floor. The sight just tore at me.

"...Riv, what's wrong?" I asked, looking up to my son.

His brow furrowed as though offended by my question.

"How could...you even ask something like that?" he questioned, his eyes still to the floor.

"What?"

"...After all of this, after fainting in the lobby, after...everything, how could you even ask that?" he reiterated.

"I'm afraid I don't...quite understand," I replied, cocking my head.

"Just..."

"...Yes?"

He paused. All eyes turned to him.

"...Just..."

Slowly his face warped to one of pain and the tears started to flow. I was confused and alarmed, never seeing anything quite like this before-- especially from someone who tried to be so rigid. By compulsion I opened my arms to invite him closer and, to my surprise, he relented. He laid his head on my small chest and brought his left arm around my side, my cradling his head as I combed my fingers through the fur along his jaw.

"Now, what's all this about?" I asked, perplexed.

"...I'm...so sorry," he sniffled.

"'Sorry'?" I asked again. "Sorry for what?"

"...Three years ago," he clarified, squeezing me a little tighter. "...I hurt you. I-I said things I didn't mean. I...I-I'm sorry, Father. I'm s-so sorry."

I was at a loss for words for a moment, just bringing my snout to his hair and nuzzling his head.

"...Riv, I know why it happened," I quietly said. "I knew at the time, too. I was never upset with you and I never blamed you for what happened. Has this been eating at you all this time?"

No response, just a gentle squeeze. That was all the affirmation I needed.

"Oh, honey," I said into his hair, "you don't need to hang on to all of this. Go on and let it all out."

As though granted permission he finally began a much-needed cry, sobbing into my shirt as I continued to hold his head and stroke his cheek. Three years of this baggage would drive just about anyone to this point, though I was a bit surprised he kept any qualms about what took place. In my mind he was completely justified and, honestly, I was surprised he hadn't tried to kill me.

"There we go," I cooed into his hair. "You were trying to do the right thing. Sometimes that means we have to make difficult decisions, made even more difficult when we don't have all the information we need. I'm so proud of you for trying to do the right thing, honey, and that's never once been questioned."

"...But...what I did and...wh-what I said--"

"You were put in a bad situation by no fault of your own and did what you felt was the right thing," I said, nuzzling his head. "You went by the information you had, what little there was. You said things out of confusion and anger, trying to make sense of a horrible situation. I understood it at the time and I still do to this day."

"...C...C-Can you f...forgive me?"

My grasp gently tightened, my nose still buried in his hair.

"There's nothing to forgive, honey," I whispered. "There never was. But if it helps you, then yes, and I forgave you years ago. You don't need to hang on to this pain and guilt-- it wasn't yours to bear."

He didn't reply, just continuing his sobbing into my shirt. He'd been holding on to this for so long and it was about time he finally let it all go. A movement caught my eyes and I looked up to see Sura start crawling onto the bed to join me, coming up against my side. Saffron followed, then Harley and Connor close behind. In a matter of seconds I was surrounded by the family I never thought I'd see again, the full story finally told so we could all start healing.

Two smaller figures stood by Daniel at the foot of the bed, seemingly unsure what was going on. Though we hadn't met I still recognized them.

"...And you two must be Xhias and Xhianei," I said from the bed. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet until now, but I'm happy to see you're both doing well. You couldn't have found better people to take care of you than those you came here with. I'm...also sorry for what occurred after your arrival."

"Don't blame him, though," Daniel said, placing a hand on each child's shoulder. "That was my decision, not his. With what all was goin' on I didn't want to jeopardize your safety by keepin' ya both here. Said some things I didn't like and didn't mean since you two seemed too close to leave each other. Was hopin' you'd get directed to the Stipa ruins and, even if it were a gamble, I'm glad it's one I took. I'm real sorry, you two."

The bigger man hugged each against his side in hopes they'd feel the sincerity, and as far as I could tell they seemed to forgive him. With what all was taking place in front of them it was likely too much to question.

The room fell silent after a short time, Riv's tears finally spent. It took a little while for him to regain control of his breathing, but I was sure he felt better after finally letting that all out-- something I was far too familiar with. Even after then he stayed kneeling on the floor with his head on my chest as I combed his hair with my fingers. Not a hairbrush, sure, but he wasn't complaining.

"...Would you..." he began to say, trailing off but catching both my and Daniel's attention.

"Hm?"

"...W-Would you...be willing to..."

I tilted my head, not sure where this could be heading. I stayed silent to allow him the chance to speak, still combing his hair with my fingers to keep him calm.

"...Would you...move back to Vergas...with us?" he finally choked out, his ears raking back and bracing for the worst.

I looked up at Daniel who met my gaze from the foot of the bed. Without the slightest hesitation he smiled warmly and gave me a gentle nod. I looked back down to my big, nervous son and returned my snout to his messy hair.

"We'd love to."

---