A Hero's Return (LadyYunaFFX2 & Kiroz's 1x1)

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Light brown hair was tossing from side to side upon a small but still comfortable enough bed. "No ... " A gentle voice that threatened to break down and cry soon enough echoed lightly, the head belonging to the body of a young Chinese female moving from side to side faster. "Go away ... " Small hands gripped the sheets firmly and she could only feel the urge to give into her desires strengthen.

She was seeing what had to be by far the worst day of her life; a man in uniform ringing her doorbell. His head bowed and he began to speak, the painful words echoing in her head.

"Miss Zhao? I regret to inform you that your spouse died in the line of duty .... "

That had been about as much as she distinctly recalled hearing before she darted from the door and had a crying fit that day. Even after a decade, the memory still had quite an effect upon Xiu it seemed.

She'd met him during high school. They dated for a few years and even in the short time, still knew they wanted to be with one another when they graduated. And the goal was almost instantly completed. About a month or so after high school graduation rolled around, they moved in with one another in a small but livable efficiency.

Whether it'd been fate or Xiu had been incredibly fertile, she got pregnant soon enough. But before he left for his military duty, she never had the chance to tell him. Xiu had planned to surprise him -- but the officer arriving had done so first.

To say the past ten years were exhausting was a horrid understatement. Even if barely, Xiu had figured legal ways to get by. Tons of part and full-time jobs in pretty much any and every type of work were obtained, though a few tried to force her to choose between being a parent or employee. And those companies were the ones that Xiu left -- in a heartbeat. The well-being and safety of her child always came first, hands down. She'd been determined and hell bent on that silent vow ever since Le had been born. She'd chosen the simple but powerful name for it's meaning; joy. It was the only source of it Xui now had and she'd do any and everything for her.

Food stamps and cash assistance had been another major factor into Xiu's life and they had been some of the others which had been keeping her and Le from being homeless. It'd taken a lot of pride to swallow and accept, but she'd done it for herself and more importantly, the angel her love had left behind.

A gentle voice that only said one word made Xiu wake her up.

"Mommy .... "

As the word echoed in her ear, Xiu sat quickly up, panting. What used to be her spouse's spot was often occupied by Le, who loved to snuggle with her. She glanced down to herself and sighed softly, running a hand through her hair.

".... Again?"

"...Y-yes I ... I'm sorry."

Many of Xiu's friends had tried to convince her to move on, find someone else. She'd considered it the first several years but went against it. What men she did wind up meeting just ... didn't feel right. So she was ready to accept the concept of being a single mom.

The now twenty-eight year old soon felt herself gently hugged by her daughter, in an attempt to comfort her. Thankfully, it was summer so school wasn't in session and thus Le didn't have to rush off.

"Thank you, sweety." Taking a deep breath, she rubbed Le's back gently before lying back down with her, a weak smile managing to form on her face. "Give me a few and I'll get breakfast ready, alright?" She suggested, hoping to compromise.

"Deal."

That was all Xiu needed to hear to make her smile widen, even if only a bit. It made her all the more glad to have chosen 'Le' ... the name truly was appropriate. Her onyx eyes gently closed as she kept her daughter held close to her, pressing a light kiss upon her forehead.

Brian hated his life from the moment he joined the military, what was thought out to be something that would make his girl and him live happily ever after. Unlike most stories life is much more cruel, at first he was one of the top students on his class, he even made the general jealous by his physical merits. Quickly he grew in ranks and that was when the 9/11 crisis hit home, the twin towers were brought down and war was declared. He knew that he was going to be one of the first people they took to invade Iraq and knew very well what that could bring.

He was leading a squad to the towns but something really wrong happened, one of his cadets approached a girl injured in a corner, the girl had a bomb on her chest and needless to say he was killed at that moment. From that point on troops surrounded them and then they were taken to be tortured to reveal information about the US. One by one each one of his cadets died but he still remained, the image of his dear love was the only thing that kept him alive, kept his heart beating. They destroyed Brians body with whips and torture but still he gave nothing away. He was then locked away in a cage and sent elsewhere.

The tortures continued even after the war was over, they wanted to know information about how to attack the US without much of an effort. Brian knew that if he did not escaped he would die the next day, they already told him that he was useless and they were going to dispose of him. Taking the law by his side he slashed and killed everybody on his way until finally he made it to the US embassy before fainting right at the gate. Being unconscious for months nobody knew his identity, to them he was just a John doe. Five months after the accident he woke up and the first thing that he could think of was her, Xiu.

He made his best effort to get better and go through recovery while thinking of her. Finally he was told that he could leave and his money problems would be over thanks to the efforts he made at protecting the secrets. Finally a black van was given to him and a bank account with all the checks that he missed were deposited there which summed over two million dollars. Finally he stopped in front of the house where she lived, they told him that she haven’t moved at all so he was proud of that. Walking out the door of the car he made his way towards her door with the help of a cane. Finally he knocked on the door and stepped back hoping that she would notice him and at least would recognize him. A lot of things changed in ten years and he knew very well that everything was possible.

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Xiu's head curiously glanced up as the light knock caught her attention. Few people ever saw her, let alone this early in the day. She looked back down to Le, giving her an apologetic smile. "Hm .. I doubt this will be too long. Wait here, okay?" Twirling her index finger in midair, it was a silent signal for her to turn around. Waiting for Le's head to go into the pillow, Xiu began to change out of her robe. It'd be silly to remain in such risque clothing while seeing who was at the door. No, she wanted to be more decent in appearance. Deft hands grabbed a new pair of panties, bra, tank top and blue jeans, slipping into them all easily enough. Even with having a daughter, she wasn't yet old enough to learn anatomy or similar types of lessons. Those would arrive .. in about two or three more years. That thought alone made her inwardly sigh, both glad and sad at this.

Like they say, 'Tempus fugit' ..

Le used to be so small, able to be held easily in her arms. Now she was almost a pre-teenager. Her head shook and then turned as she gave one last gaze to her daughter. Her smile widened once again before her feet began to guide her to the front door. "Sorry I took so long, I --- " A bit of color drained from her face as she caught a glimpse of the figure standing in front of her. A slightly shaky hand moved from her side and rested upon the cheek. " .. Brian?! Is ... is that you? For real?"

Brian smiled as son as she answered, she was the same girl that he used to know back then. Smiling at her as he felt her soft skin caressing his face was something he welcomed. Closing his eyes he let the feeling of her touch sink in before nodding, “Yeah it is me… I am sorry I did not came before I was… well it is a long story and I am sure we will have the time to talk…”. She smiled as he saw the little Asian girl hiding behind the mother, “Huh? And who is this little one?...” Looking down at her he waved at the girl and smiled, “Hello there princess, I am Brian… a friend…. Of your moms”. She smiled and then looked back at the woman who was still having difficulty believing that Brian was actually alive. He had a scar that was clearly noticeable.

(Sorry it is too short I did not wanted to god mod)

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Time had all but stopped for a few moments, or at least it seemed that way to Xiu. Her hand shook lightly, never leaving Brian's cheek as she found herself unable to do much more than stare right into his eyes. The slowly, almost reluctantly, gazed down and noted easily the cane and scar. Those alone hinted an array of scenarios that had likely happened. Each and every one made her heart ache, as if she had seen and even endured all Brian had. Her head shook as she swallowed softly. The courage to speak up again had barely just returned before a small hand was felt around the fabric of her jeans. Her own smile widened as she looked back to see the talking had likely gotten Le's attention. Even at her age, she was still curious and slightly nosy.

"This ... " She gave Brian a quick glare, too swift to be seen by Le. It was clear that they would indeed talk. No way in hell he was going to hide his real identity forever. Especially not from their child. She'd allow it to slide for now, mainly because they both needed time. Brian had to remember he was back in America, back home and she would need to get used to him being around again. Hell, maybe they wouldn't even have to struggle much if at all anymore. But perhaps the biggest adjustment would be Le soon having a father figure within her life. It'd always just been Xiu herself, no one else. It'd be a nice and needed change of pace, yes. But herself and Le had been under the impression Brian had been deceased.

Yes .. time seemed to be the answer on how to go about everything it appeared.

Nodding lightly to herself, Xiu resumed her sentence. "This, Brian, is my daughter." The emphasis on 'my' was clear and heavy to him, to help him translate that when she said 'my', it really should have been 'our'. If any doubts on her having been with another man had been in his mind, hopefully that sentence alone would be strong enough to make them fade away.

Brian smiled as the woman came to and began to finally utter words from her mouth. He was indeed glad to be back in America but it all felt surreal to him almost like the bastards were coming at any minute now to take him to torture. He looked down at the little girl as she talked and a smile appeared on his face My daughter… don’t you mean our daughter? he thought as he removed a medal hanging from his neck and placed it over her neck. Her eyes looked strangely at the man who just appeared as if asking who was him?.

He could still not believe that this little girl was his daughter, he needed time to process everything and especially to process the fact that he once again saw the woman that kept him alive for all these years. Reaching for his pocket he grabbed an all damaged picture of Xiu, smiling at the picture he showed it to her before smirking, “This picture saved my butt more times that you can imagine…” He smiled as his knees began to hurt and he rubbed it gently, it felt like small needles were piercing on his bones.

He stood up straight and then looked at the woman that he did all this for, “You know… I never kept you my promise… you don’t need to worry about anything anymore especially money. She will have everything she wants and you will have everything you would ever want… I am gone from the Army for good I was given a honorable discharge for the things that did happen to me back on Iraq… one day I will tell you about it when the princess is sleeping or something” he looked down at the girl and smiled at her. "Want to go eat? I think it is a good time for us to catch up with each other… perhaps get to know the princess as well?” he smiled and looked back at the car which still had two officers inside and another car at the back.

Nodding to the van the two soldiers came out and then moved to the car and left, they were there to make sure that he was indeed on the right place. “So? I know a good place where we could go have an excellent dinner… I have reservations already made…” he smiled and leaned back on a column near the door in order to give his knees a break.

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Xiu's own eyes glanced back to Le every now and again, using peripheral vision to check up on her. Aside from the obvious confusion and curiosity, she wasn't panicking or getting frightened around Brian -- a good sign, no doubt. Normally, the child didn't do too well with newcomers and was nervous around them. Even if only a very small beginning, it was still one all the same. And right now, it was what they all needed. Rubbing a hand gently along Le's back, her gaze went silently to the medal; likely a Purple Heart or something similar enough. It made her proud and yet pained Xui. To receive medals meant the person had been severely wounded in battle and war. She couldn't overly help but feel bits of fear try to slip into her mindset.

Even over the decade Brian had been gone, the nation hadn't been doing so well. In fact, things had appeared to go from bad to worse even after the 9/11 attack. Even now, terrorism was still quite a bit issue and concern as were things like unnecessary shootings and deaths by guns. She'd done what Xui hoped to be a damn good job raising Le, teaching her right from wrong .. but with all the negative influences, she couldn't help but worry eventually one would attempt to find it's way to her if not both of them. Now that Brian was back, it'd be all of them. While she didn't question his capabilities, her mind went back to the obvious injuries he still appeared to have? How bad was the damage? Permanent? Or would it just take a hell of while for them to heal? It was selfish, but a portion of her desperately hoped for the latter. It'd be better to know his body would recover in time than never at all.

Her head nodded slowly in agreement despite feeling the urge to nod in a 'no' direction to help snap herself out of her thoughts. "Yes .. food does sound good." Letting her hand trail up from against Le's back to upon her head, she gently ruffled her hair, causing the young girl to whine lightly at her. "Now now, go get in more appropriate clothes to head out. Once you're done, we'll go."

"Alright, mommy." Giving a polite bow of her head to Brian and Xui both, she darted off and away, heading to what one could assume to be her own room.

A soft sigh passed Xui's lips as she ran a hand through her hair, smiling weakly at Brian. " ... Yes, we definitely need to talk later. Thankfully, she's a heavy sleeper. Right now ... " Her arms gently wrapped around him, holding him close but not too tightly simultaneously. "I'm just relieved you're back ... " The same temptation to break down and cry almost took over Xui but she fought against it, not wanting to give Le the very wrong impressions. She leaned in, ready to try to sneak in a kiss before a young voice behind her cried out one simple word.

"Ready!"

An inward curse ran through Xui's head as she smiled and moved away reluctantly from Brian, looking back to see that Le had indeed gotten into one of her favorite skirts with a nice blouse and some comfortable shoes. Her mouth had opened, almost wondering if it seemed like a bit too much -- but she had promised when she hit ten years old that she'd begin to treat her more like an adult. Not completely, of course. But with decisions like this, she'd be more fair on the matters, only opposing if absolutely needed. Now was definitely not one of those times.

That being said, a nod of approval left Xui's head. "You look very nice. Alright ... let's go."

Within a mere turn of her body, Xui soon caught sight of the soldiers. It made her stomach turn slightly. Even if they had assisted Brian, it was still nerve-wracking to see all the same. Then again, it hadn't overly helped out that she'd only woken up from the day one had arrived at her door and told her Brian was dead. Or so they'd all thought.

"Lead on then. We don't really go out often so I don't know of as many restaurants as I probably should." Xui confessed gently, inwardly chuckling. There'd never really been enough time or money to even attempt such a thing. Clearly though, things were about to change soon enough .. and hopefully remain in the 'better' spectrum for a while. She'd already had one close call in her life, she didn't know about trying to handle another. Putting herself in the middle with Brian on one side of her and Le on the other, she began steadily walking towards the van.

If nothing else, tonight would definitely be one to remember. There were so many urges and temptations, physically and mentally. But in his own subtle way, Brian had all but asked for her to not yet reveal who he really was. It still pained Xui slightly .. but she'd comply for now. So long as the truth didn't remain kept away forever, that would be her only condition. And then there was another that wanted to tackle him and make up for lost time. But that would definitely come later ... and if she'd been able to wait an entire decade, Xui had confidence she could do so for a few more days if needed.

He could smell her hair as soon as she leaned in for the hug, she smelled so great. He hugged her back his hand shaking not sure if this was a reality of just another one of his dreams. His moment in heaven was snapped by the young girl call that she was ready, smiling he nodded at her and then grabbed her mothers hand with his free one and began to walk to the car. First he opened the back seat to let the girl get on the van and made sure that she had her seatbelt on. Reaching for the belt he moved it over her body and clicked it making sure that she was secured, “there you go princess….”. He needed time to talk to her but that would come later.

Moving to the passenger side he helped the woman of his dreams to her seat and closed the door once she was inside. Walking over to the drivers side he sat down and then searched the glove compartment for some papers and he looked through them for a second. In case Xui care to observe they were papers to bring him back to ‘Life’ arranging his new social security number and driver’s license since his was expired. He was told that in case he was in trouble with the cops he should only show those papers and he would be good. Smirking he moved the paper to the glove compartment as he turned on the van and lowered the volume of the radio.

He looked back at the girl and smiled, his heart was trying to get off his chest, he had a daughter. Finally pulling out of her driveway he began going on the way to the restaurant as he turned on the gps and handled it without much of an effort. Even before the war he was pretty handy with electronics from cellphones to even computers. He knew that he was not mentally well, the torture had given him more than enough reasons for a normal person to commit suicide. He looked at her from time to time, “I…I am sorry… I don’t know what you must had gone through… it is protocol of the Army to do that after months of no contact”. He of course was talking about being declared dead and the visit she got from the men in uniforms.

“I have a lot to talk to you, I really need you to listen to my story when I will give it to you. I don’t want you to walk away from me… I know I wasn’t there for you but I had no other choice… However now I am back and I will take care of you and your daughter… nothing will ever be left in your house as long as I am around…”. She sighed wondering if she would accept the ring that he had on his pocket, the stone was very big and clearly he spent quite a bit of money on it but he was waiting to see what would happen before he would reveal it.

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Despite Le not having been called 'Princess' often, she didn't seem to mind. If anything, the smile was her very silent way of thanking him. The shy nature, however, still remained as she found it difficult to speak up herself. Also, she noted her mother seemed to want to do so earlier and it was another reason the girl kept quiet. If nothing else, Xui had made damn well sure the girl at least had manners if nothing else. Her head leaned against the back of the seat and though she heard the soft exchange, none of it fully made sense. Especially the parts of the term that brought up something about an .. Army? Her curiosity was definitely piqued but those answers could come later, she guessed.

All of the silent wonders were practically seen in her daughter's eyes. The rear-view mirror showed to both Xui - and if he noticed, Brian also - her head was tilted slightly to show certain words had definitely gotten her attention. Her head slowly shook no as she looked from outside her window and back over to Brian. "What's happened has done so, for better or worse. I will hear you out. But whatever begins to happen from here on out, let's just concentrate on making it a more ... positive outcome. Sound fair?"

“You never change… such big complicated words from you huh?” he joked as he continued to drive over apparently to the next state which was a hour from where they lived. The ride was very productive as he talked with his daughter a bit even though her shyness often got the best of her as he tried to connect with his daughter. His eyes did change, before he was a secure young man with a future for himself and his future family. Now he was nothing but a scared old man with a scar on his life that would never got away. He drove as best as he began changing the stations one after the other, “Bah the music really went bad during these past years”.

He haven’t had the time to even hear music which was his passion back at high school, back then he was just a punk who wanted to have a hot girlfriend and a famous band. He was a very good singer but some of his members were not that good reason why the band never took off. He was one of those guys who were on the garage of his house playing music with his friends and hoping for more of a future. Brian instead took the other way around and went to the Army to try and actually make a future for himself.

Finally they stopped on Washington state and at the Space Needle, he looked at his daughter and then pointed up to the spacecraft looking thing a long way up in the sky, “That is where we are going to eat”. He smiled as he looked at the surprised expression coming from her, the Space Needle was a very expensive restaurant that people only went a few times on their lives. He got off the van after he found a good parking space and walked over to his girlfriends side and opened the door followed by opening the door of the little princess.

Reaching over he unbuckled her seatbelt and helped her to her feet followed by Xiu’s side and doing the same. “You know… coming here was a dream of mine back when I was young…” he said it in a way of asking if she remembered that wish of him, he always wanted to come here to eat and now he could. The space needle got even more hard to eat there with all the rise in prices but he was comfortable with going there. Finally he looked at Xiu and smiled, she was so beautiful and that did not changed in her. Finally taking a long deep breath he grabbed her hand and began walking in direction to the main elevator where a man was waiting.

“Excuse me… do you have reservations?” Brian smirked and nodded handing him his ID. Apparently he knew of his ranks and his merits because his attitude quickly changed. “Oh sir please follow me this way” he opened the elevator and waited for the three of them to go in before pressing the button up and waiting while the elevator went up. Brian said nothing as he hummed out loud the song that his band used to play back when he had the band. Arriving up they were made to wait until the table was ready. “So…Xiu… what do you think of this place?” he smirked and looked down at the little girl, “And you princess?”.

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Xui allowed her own soft smile to finally dominate her face as she chuckled softly. "You think that is sophisticated? That's nothing. But still, you're right to some degrees. There have definitely been parts of me which have remained the same. My stubborn side, my determined one, the part of me which sometimes likes more direct approaches than dancing around an issue at hand ... " None were meant to refer to him directly at that moment, merely informing for the time being. Her head nodded slowly, in half-agreement when he realized music had definitely changed. "Rap and hip-hop are usually the worst by far. Some alternative and rock's decent, country's gotten more depressing ... as if the nation needs just more of that. It's likely easiest to keep listening to what you used to I find."

Even with the long distance, the drive went smoothly enough, thankfully. When the car came to a halt, she looked up and covered her mouth with her left hand. " .. Holy ... " That was as much as Xui allowed to let pass her lips, lest it be finished off with a curse like 'shit'. And while normally she wouldn't mind, Xui wouldn't dare, not with her daughter around. Any memory regarding Brian was practically etched into her head and thus she did indeed remember it. Her head nodded as she moved her hand slowly away, taking Brian's with her right while gently using her left to hold onto one of Le's. "I .. I do remember, yes."

And then it made Xui think ... what had been her own dream? She'd switched over the years, especially during high school. While Brian had been the punk, she'd been the pure goody-goody, getting all A's, staying on Honor Roll, enrolled in AP classes .. things of the nature. And yet, they'd gotten along better than one would have ever assumed. Funny how fate worked like that. She remembered one dream had been to be an actress though that had been before getting pregnant. All the moving around would be annoying and unfair to Le with shifting schools and friends. Xui doubted she'd enjoy that and honestly, it wasn't a guaranteed or overly stable occupation. After all, actors came and left.

And thus that reminded her of the secondary choices, things like a form of doctor or teacher. If she had to choose though, Xui may lean a bit more towards the medical idea. There were too many corrupt nurses and people in hospitals. They needed to be replaced with more caring people who genuinely gave a damn ... and that would be one good reason she'd consider it. Even without the pay being a factor, it'd be a nice benefit for all of them to have. And hell, maybe there could be a very slight bonus if the uniform really appealed to Brian. That, of course, would be something to wait for times when Le was at school, asleep, or both but .. still. It could happen.

"It .. has quite the nice view from here. It's much better than seeing pictures of it online or in magazines." A light tug made her look back to see Le looking slightly anxious. "Hm?"

"It's ... very high up."

Xui paused, inwardly cursing. Heights had never bothered her. There had been times she'd done rather bold tasks during her life, some of which included being at quite the altitudes. But Le had never been introduced to such concepts ... something she hadn't thought about until now. Her hand rubbed along her back again as she gave Le a reassuring smile. "Yes, it is. That's how this was made to be though." Another bit of hesitation lingered in the air as Xui thought on how to word and reassure her daughter that things would be fine. Finally, she noted the glass windows and nodded towards them.

"See those? They're made to ensure no one falls, alright? Just stay near us. Nothing will happen; I - we - promise."

A small nod gave Xui enough of an answer as she felt her girl remaining very close beside her. The poor girl was seeming to take the advice a bit too much to heart.

A man in a expensive suit arrived, “Please follow me this way sir.. maam…”. He bowed his head and walked over to an empty table before pulling back the chair for both Xiu and Le. Sitting down himself he looked at Le and smiled, “Princess don’t worry we are safe in here… you can relax and have fun”. He smiled and looked over at the girl now in front of her as they obviously wanted to tell the girl that Brian was really her father but found no way of doing so, even to him that topic of parenting and being a father was so strange to him.

He remembered back when they were young and they were talking about having kids, little did he knew that she was pregnant by the time he went to war. He smiled at the young woman and then nodded at the waiter that came, looking through the menu he picked a pasta for himself and waited for the both of them to pick whatever they wanted, “Xiu, pick whatever you want hon don’t worry about the price”. He reassured her as he looked at the waiter, “Please bring us your most expensive wine…”.

He had a lot of money why not spend it with the two girls that he loved?. Fixing his tie a bit he began brushing away the dust that he gathered outside from his jacket and his medals. There was a purple medal that was recognized by a lot of people, the purple heart. The award given to veterans dead on wounded in combat against enemy of the United States, the most prestigious medal a person could ever receive in the military. He did noticed a few people coming up to him and just shaking his hand and thanking him.

Brian did not said no to anybody as some people gave him the Army salute themselves. “I think this uniform made me a sort of a star on this place… no idea why”. He waited for them to order and then relaxed on his chair, “So tell me Le, how do you like school? Have friends?”. He smiled and then heard her for a bit before smiling at her. Turning his attention back to Xiu he smiled at her and kissed her hand as he ran his finger gently between each knuckle.

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Between her mother's words and this new friend of hers, Le gave them both a smile and nod. Besides, now that she took the opportunity to gaze at the windows that had been pointed out, they did seem sturdy enough. "Alright, I will." She reassured them. Within moments, the two women joined Brian at the table, being on either side of him. The request for wine made Xui unable to blush. It'd be a first for her. She'd never had time or money to drink before now. Ah well, this did seem like one of the better times and days to do so. After all, her family was reunited -- even if Le didn't yet know that. It was enough of a reason to take up some. But more than not spoiling herself, Le never really got that honor much. And she definitely deserved to also be able to choose whatever she wanted without worrying on price.

Onyx hues went to glance down at the menu as she gave a nod of acknowledgement to Brian, gazing over the items. "Le, do you know what you want for your own drink?" She asked, trying to narrow down all the temptations that kept catching her eyes. So many types of steaks and fine dining items, many of which she'd never been able to actually cook for the two of them. Oh yes, this would definitely be a very nice change of pace.

There was practically no hesitation from the young girl's behalf. "Milk and spaghetti also."

Xui merely gave Brian a smile, as if to silently hint it was clear whose appetite and taste palette the girl had inherited. Not but seconds after that, she noted she was the only one left, making her own cheeks redden in embarrassment. Thankfully though, she'd narrowed it down enough to make a decision. "The 12 ounce rib eye with fries on the side ... please, cooked medium well." As she finished handing her own and Le's menus to the waiter, she heard footsteps nearby them and caught sight of the Purple Heart medal and others shaking Brian's hand.

The same mixed emotions of pride and pain flooded Xui. That all but confirmed whatever had happened had been both good and bad in it's own ways. All the same, it'd gained Brian a massive amount of respect. Her head looked up towards the ceiling, lightly shaking no. This is no time to cry ... She tried to plead with herself, exhaling softly as she looked back down again. The question addressed to Le, though, managed to get her distracted well enough. She knew the answer .. but still gave her attention to her daughter.

"Mhm, I do have friends ... mainly the few but very loyal kinds. Math is annoying and definitely my least favorite class. Hm ... I think I like --- " But then her young onyx eyes caught the innocent but still very sincere kiss to her mother's hand. "Are you sure you're just her friend and not a boyfriend?"

"Now now ... " The words still made Xui unable to help but blush and chuckle softly. "That may be a bit nosy." Simultaneously, she knew it wasn't her fault and the smile given to Le said that much. Well ... if Brian hadn't figured it out yet, there was the obvious clue that their child could pick up quickly on things if given enough clues. And that kiss had been a very major one.

"Sorry. Um ... reading, geography are probably my favorites. Anything but Math really." She managed to answer, nodding to herself as she made certain to avoid forgetting anything. Simultaneously, she went quiet, wondering if her own question would get answered back.

Brian noticed a few people looking at him, wondering what did happen to the guy. He looked at the girl as soon as she made her order thing that made him chuckle. He ordered some appetizers before looking up at the woman who was supposed to spend the rest of her life with him. The promise they made all those years ago when things were a hell lot more easier than this. He knew that if he had known that he was going to suffer the way he did he would had never gone to the Army.

Noticing how Xiu was acting and trying her best to not cry made him smile, gently moving his hand to hers he grabbed it and then kissed her knuckles trying to comfort her. The gentle thing that he used to do quite a lot when she was nervous was kiss her knuckles like he was doing, little details like that were never forgotten although some details about his ten years back in Iraq really were blurry. He could remember some stuff however his mind deleted the majority of it which he was pretty glad that it happened.

Hearing his daughter talk about class was a nice change of pace, “You know… math can be quite good in the right situations. You will need it in order to live in the adult world since everything you will do Math will play a big part of it. As to who I am…well… you can say that I am a very old friends of your mothers, I known her ever since High School”. He gave her yet another tip, he wanted her to put two and two together or that her own mother told her who he was.

Looking at her Brian nodded trying to make her understand that she needed to know. Moving to face Xiu he said the words ‘Tell her’ with only his mouth trying to make her read his lips. He smiled as soon as the appetizers began to arrive, warm bread and the wine were a really nice start to their wonderful dinner. He smiled as he took a piece of bread and brought it to his mouth and began chewing on it. He did not tasted something this great in quite awhile, this was the first solid food he had ever since he went to the mission.

His stay at the hospital was filled with needles giving him the things he needed in order to recover, nothing else. He remembered back at the hospital asking for food and only being given soup and some jello. Bread to him was a welcomed change and the pasta would be a bigger change to his diet. He wondered if she would tell Le who he was, this was the best time for them to tell her in his opinion at the start so she would not have any resentment as to why they hid that away from her.

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A soft sigh left Xui's lips, the combination of Brian's touch and presence beginning to help calm her. The damn thought of wanting to cry having haunted her since the morning wasn't doing much good for her. But it was steadily fading and dying, beginning to leave her alone. Her own smile widened as Math began to get better explained. It seemed fair. At Le's age, Math did appear rather useless. But she knew all the same that Brian was right; it did become more useful when one grew up especially. She'd need to know a bit - nothing overly difficult - to even try to become a nurse. And then, she inwardly sighed as the unspoken command caught her attention.

Tell her ...

It seemed like something that they both should do, really. But .. if Brian was allowing it and preparing for a barrage of questions soon after, that was fine with her. Giving a light nod to him, her eyes went back to Le. Her voice lowered slightly, mainly because the subject would sound otherwise odd given he was supposed to be deceased. "Sweety ... " She paused, trying to be direct and yet careful with the wording simultaneously. "You were somewhat correct with your guess and not. This isn't my boyfriend. This ... is your father, my unofficial spouse. We never had to chance to do marriage before he left for the military."

Le almost instantly went quiet, seeming to forget about the suggestions on Math. Her head tilted slightly and to both of their amazement, she wasn't having a fit at having not been informed until now. All there seemed to be was the understanding emotion of confusion, about as much as Xui still had even. "But ... I thought you said he was ... ??"

A weary chuckle and sigh left Xui's lips. "I thought so too and was told otherwise. That part of the story ... he'll fill in later. Honestly though, right now I want to focus on his return and celebrate that. But I promise that a bit after he informs me, you'll know also. You deserve as much a reply to this as myself." She'd also figure a way to avoid giving too many ... bloodstained adjectives when doing so. But her words were otherwise genuine and true. It wouldn't be otherwise fair.

Slowly, the young girl temporarily slipped out from her chair, standing beside Brian as if studying him. While she had taken Xui's appearance, he still had the same calming aura about him. And even with the times her mother had gotten upset at her before, never once had she lied. So .... this was really the same man she'd missed for so long? She remained looking up quietly into Brian's eyes before her small hands gently wrapped around him in a hug.

He gasped as soon as he felt her small hands around him in a hug. This is… my daughter… too wild for me to even consider then it hit him this was the perfect time to do what he was afraid of doing. They were in a very expensive place to eat, his daughter and girlfriend looked beautiful both and he had his uniform and was well dressed, it was the perfect time for him to officially make the family whole. Smiling he looked at his daughter and spoke directly to her, “I think it is about time we make this family officially complete”.

Turning around to face her he stood up and moved his chair away standing tall at Xius side. Slowly moving on one of his knees he took a small box from his pocket and opened it revealing a very beautiful diamond “I told our daughter that it is about time we make this family official, you waited for me and that is all the proof I need…Xiu… will you give me the honor of being my wife?” he took the ring from his finger and waited to see if she would accept.

He had gone through so much and this would make his life full again, if she did not accepted him… well he would still be there for his daughter. His hands were shaking for the first time in over ten years, not even while being tortured he was this nervous. “W..Well? will you marry me and make this family complete?”. He smiled hoping for the best as he waited for her answer. The people around them began standing up also waiting for her answer.

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"I think it is about time we make this family officially complete."

The light tilting of Le's head plus Xui covering her mouth - already jumping to the assumption on what he had meant - signaled both women had definitely heard the words. Using her free hand to wave gently at Le, Xui signaled for her to undo the hug for now. She looked almost reluctant and while Xui couldn't blame her daughter, she smiled to see her still comply. "A-are ... do you mean .... ??" But she never got to finish the question, the sight of him falling to one knee was all that needed to be seen. He was, dear gods he was finally proposing. She had little doubts he'd wanted to before leaving, time had just sped up too fast and forbidden him to do so.

But that was then. This .. was now. Her focus was completely upon the ring and the man holding the box, not caring or noticing an audience had formed. The fight she'd been having mentally was herself immediately ended as tears of joy fell down her face. "Of course .... I will .... " Her own hand shook as it held the empty one. Her pulse was racing and there were a few times she felt as if ready to faint, fearing as much as Brian that this was but a dream. If it was, she didn't want to wake up, definitely preferring to stay in a coma. Or she would have .. if she didn't need to worry of Le.

"... You okay, mommy?"

Her head moved to see a concerned look on her - no, their - daughter's face. A weak chuckle managed to leave as her head shook. "Y-yes. People do sometimes cry when they're happy. It doesn't always mean one's sad. Sorry about making you worry like that. Come here ..." She murmured softly. That was all Le needed to hear. Within moments, she was in between the two once again, giving Xui for now a hug with one hand as the other offered a napkin to assist with the tears. The latter made Xui teasingly scoff at her but still her smile remained, widened even, as she accepted it and began working on regaining her composure - mental especially - in front of the two most vital people in her life.

His eyes lit up as soon as she confirmed that she will indeed marry him. Placing the ring around her finger he gently kissed it before looking at his daughter and then hugging the two more important woman of his life. Kissing the little girls head he slowly stood up getting help from the chair since his knees were still a bit weak from the torture back on Iraq. Finally he sat down and looked at his daughter for a minute, “Le…from this moment on I will never leave you or your mother ever again. I will take care of the both of you and protect you both until I can no longer breathe. I swear that you will never have to worry about anything again”.

He still had a surprise that he wanted to give to the both of them but first he needed to confirm some stuff with Xiu but that could wait. He always loved this woman ever since he first met her it was love at first sight. The people around them began clapping and cheering and it was then when he noticed them there. He blushed as they began moving back to their own seats and do their own stuff. Finally once he was comfortable again he poured both of them some wine and he noticed Le with her glass of milk also. “Let’s toast… now that I am back we have the family complete again, let’s toast for a bright future and for a happy life”. He clinked both of their glasses gently before drinking from the glass of wine.

The taste was pretty strong but he always liked it that way and it had a bit of a cherry favor. The food was finally brought back and he smiled widely at the food almost like it was water after a long time in the desert. He stopped believing in god since all this happened to him and he was pretty sure that if she went through the same thing he did she would stop believing as well. Without waiting he began eating, this was the first meal he had in years, “I missed good pasta like this…”. He laughed and continued eating almost like a zombie would eat a young healthy brain.

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The mix of the hug and ring being put on her finger almost shoved Xui to go on and lose consciousness. The urge only increased as clapping and cheering was heard around her. Xui's cheeks copied Brian's and instantly flushed a darker shade of red. Oh dear gods ... Well ... it wasn't the worst thing that they could have seen, she supposed. Still, Xui had never been used to having that much attention on her and the foreign aspect was a very new experience for her. A few seconds after Brian placed his kiss upon Le's forehead, Xui took her turn to follow suit before gently turning the girl's eyes so Le was looking at her seat. "Food should be back soon enough." She reassured her softly, grabbing the arms of her chairs to keep her from falling out of the seat and sliding on her rear in front of everyone. Even with her hands trembling, she was able to maintain her grip well enough.

It took a bit more effort from Le's behalf but both women accepted the toast and lightly touched their glasses against Brian's. By the time the wine was back near Xui, she'd wiped the last of the tears away with the napkin Le had given her. She never used make-up at least, otherwise it would have been worse of a mess. Taking a deep exhale, she swirled the glass and inhaled softly. From what cooking shows she did watch for cooking ideas, this was supposed to be something that was often done with wine. Her nose easily picked up on the cherry aroma and it made her smile softly. It had as much of a calming effect to her like the presence of Brian had done to Le. After some more slight hesitation, she took a sip and lightly coughed.

"Oh .... oh wow .... " She murmured, chuckling lightly. "Good but ... what a taste." There had been many other ways she wanted to genuinely say that. But Xui would heed her own rule and restrain from doing so with Le around. Minutes after Brian's pasta arrived, so did the other meals. Grasping her fork and knife, she began to cut the rib eye while looking up to Le, who had wasted about as much time as Brian in beginning to eat. "Not too fast. You'll get a stomach ache. I'm assuming from your reaction that it's good for you also though?"

"Mhm!"

Xui's smile widened as she relaxed in the chair. For far too long, she'd felt incomplete. Now that had been mostly remedied. She may not yet be Brian's wife officially --- but they were at least going to take obvious steps towards doing just that. The knowledge and thought alone was more than enough to make her spirits lift, genuinely feeling content and happy for one of the first times in years.

He finished his meal quickly and moved his hands in his pockets to take out a pill bottle. Looking at the name he nodded and took one green pill and placed it on his mouth before swallowing it with the wine. Brian was really glad this was happening to him, he could finally have peace on his life. “So Le… tell me about yourself… how old are you? what grade? Favorite color? Hobbies? Let me know everything about you I want to get to know my daughter”. Smirking he held Xui’s hand as he looked at Le’s as they both ate their fill.

The cough from his future wife made him turn to face her, relaxing as soon as he knew it was the wine. He looked around and then looked at Xui, “I need to go shopping for some clothes tomorrow… I have nothing but shirts and pants with the Army logo on it”. He chuckled to himself obviously he had grown since the last time she saw him. He was a bit more lean and he had lost most of his muscles but he still had a sexy side to him. He still had muscles however they were not the same that those he used to have.

He felt complete and the only thing he needed right now was to buy stuff so he could make himself alive again. Small things as tools and clothing were something that he truly needed. His eyes looked at the wine and took another little sip from it. He wanted to settle all the debts she had, due to his leave she had a rough time and he wanted to make it right. Tomorrow they would both go out while Le was at school and do a lot of things that needed to be done.

Thanks to be declared dead his debts were settled not like he had a lot of debts to begin with. He sighed and looked at Xui “So how is your family doing hon? I mean your mom, dad and all those folks…” he smiled and looked at her. “I cannot wait to see their faces when they see that I am back” he could had easily gone out and taken another woman but he was a man of his word and there was only one woman for him, the same one that saved his life a lot of times back in Iraq.

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Waiting to finish swallowing some milk first, Le began to almost instantly reply. "I just turned ten a few months ago. I'm in fourth grade now. Hm ... pink with blue and red of any kind as close seconds. I can't in front of anyone very well, but I do like trying to sing." That certainly got Xui's head to tilt lightly. Really? That was honestly new to her. But she had just admitted she was more shy about doing that than talking with others. Still, her daughter had been kind and avoided interrupting herself whilst Brian spoke to her. She'd eagerly return the favor back, switching between eating and paying attention to the exchange of information. "I also like reading, writing ... I want to try out for drama club one of these days. They don't have it at the school I'm attending but from what I've seen and read up on, I want to try volleyball."

Oh? Volleyball, huh? Xui's smile widened more. She had done her best to at least teach Le some obvious basics, manners having already been shown. But there had been times it'd been hard for even herself to communicate with her daughter. Well, prior to today of course. It sounded horrible in her mind, but even she didn't know all of this. Ah well, now would be one of the best times to learn Xui supposed. Somehow, she'd make up for the days where she'd randomly snapped at the girl. But that could definitely wait. She imagined Brian had an agenda that he wanted to do once they arrived back.

Her head instantly nodded in agreement as he brought up the idea of getting new clothes. "Actually .. given Le starts school in a few weeks, she needs new clothes herself and ... not as many but some, I do also." Even with the promise of finances not being a worry, she still didn't want to seem too ... demanding. But there was more than just clothes that were needed in the house. Lots of food, for one, some cleaning supplies and other basic essentials. She'd used too many of the same tools for way too long and most were in desperate need of replacing.

Her heart sank slightly at the mention of her parents though. Her hand moved horizontally in midair, trying to hint something along the lines of 'No more'. Xui had never had it in her, but they'd never overly approved of Brian even from when she first told them of her. It'd been part of why the moving was so easy along with her age. They'd given her an option, to choose between them or him. And in a heartbeat, Xui easily chose the latter. Oh she'd tried, begged, pleaded to negotiate with them. But they'd been as adamant and stubborn as herself. There was no way she could have had both her family and Brian. So since push had come to shove, she made a choice. Xui didn't regret it, merely the circumstances that had occurred and made it all happen.

"I will better explain that one later." She finally replied, not overly wanting to discuss it in front of Le. "I will say, though, your parents are doing mostly well. But the news will definitely be a relief to them, no doubt." It was rather odd in an ironic way. One would think a person would have an easier time getting along with one's parents but ending up in disagreements with the in-laws. Somehow, it was the opposite for Xui. She got along much better with Brian's parents than her own ... a somewhat sad but still true fact.

Another inward sigh echoed in her head as another sip of wine was taken. Setting it down, she resumed eating the steak, savoring every second and taste of this night thus far. It was truly one she never wanted to forget. She'd gotten her lover back ... and was now officially engaged. Xui hadn't been this ecstatic since meeting Brian or even giving birth to Le, though the latter was somewhat bittersweet. While having brought Le into the world was indeed a good day, it'd been sad at the same time without Brian.

He heard the both of them and could not help but to smirk, “Let me tell you what we will do, tomorrow morning we will wake up and go out to do a lot of shopping. Xui, you know all those paychecks that I missed because I was away? Well the Army paid me those checks double each check, the total amount of it is over two million dollars. The government also paid me for my services back there so that is why I have so much money on the bank. Tomorrow we will go get whatever you both need and don’t be shy in asking”.

He was quite proud of what he said, he was a millionaire and he was about to save his family from starvation. “Le, think about something that you want tomorrow… it can be anything you want and when we go out tomorrow we will get it for you” he smiled kissing her forehead and then noticing the water came back to see if they needed anything. Waiting on the girls to answer him and send him on his way he placed both of his hands on his damaged knee while closing his eyes and taking a long deep breath as he tried to relax himself.

The bastards abused him on his knee over and over again braking his bone and then moving his leg around. Due to that fact his knee was never going to be the same as it used to be, damaged nerves and everything he never wanted happened, he would never be able to play sports again. Thankfully the pill he took would soon take care of his pain. He finally stood and grabbed his cane, “If you would excuse me ladies I need to go to the bathroom”. He moved away from the chair and slowly began making his way towards the bathroom.

Getting there he noticed that the bathroom was very clean, smiling to himself he used a free urinal to do his business and then moved to clean his hands. His knee was hurting quite a lot and he could not let her see him like that. Sitting down on a stool he placed both of his hands on his knee and slowly rubbed it before the pain began to go down thanks to the pill. Standing up he finally fixed his suit and walked back to the table walking slowly thanks to the cane, “So ladies… how is your dinner?”.

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The fork damn well nearly dropped out of Xui's hands. She gazed up at Brian, looking silently at him with an agape mouth. Had he really just said that? No, he said over two million, meaning more than. "Dear gods .. " She murmured, managing a soft laugh as she looked down to begin eating again. "Careful about bringing such things up. Wouldn't want to grab the wrong type of attention now would you?" It was a half-joke and equally serious. The thought of someone else hearing that amount and trying any sort of fast stunt genuinely scared her. And especially with him still wounded, let alone having no definite idea on if it would ever heal or not and other aspects. "Um ... well .... I'll make a to-buy list then when we return I suppose."

Not liking Math was one thing. Not paying attention, though, was another. Thus the words 'over two million' did comprehend in Le's mind. "Oh wow! Um ... " An excited smile crossed her face as her mind clearly began racing a mile per minute if not second. "I ... I'll think on it." It felt like Christmas, maybe even an extra birthday to Le. To say she was ecstatic at the offer was an understatement. It'd been another thing Xui had done, raised her to appreciate what she had. But still, Brian did have the right idea. There were some other things she did still want. But which to choose? Her mind continued to contemplate while she set her fork down upon the empty plate in front of her.

The light noise of metal connecting with another surface made Xui look up and see that Le was already done. "You .. were hungry, huh?"

"Mhm but it was really good."

"I can see that. Do you have somewhat of an idea on what you want?"

That was when Le paused, sipping some of her milk as a hand tilted lightly in midair. By the time Brian returned, he'd hear her next thoughts. "My ears pierced."

The reply made Xui blink. "Do ... some of your teachers have that?" She asked curiously, wondering where the idea had come from. If nothing else, it was in an innocent location. And it could be arranged. Either herself, Brian, or both would need to be with her and sign the papers ... but it'd be legal after that.

"And some other students. It's not peer pressure, really. But some of the jewelry really does look pretty."

Well .. can't argue there. It was another thing that Xui liked but hadn't been allowed many opportunities to acquire. Setting her knife down, she let two fingers roll over unoccupied ears. "Hm ... I think I'll join you on that." Her eyes finally rested to Brian, curious if this would bother him or not. It wasn't anywhere too out of control but still, part of her did wonder if she should wait a few more years. Still, this came hand in hand with the vow she'd made to Le on treating her more like an adult. This did constitute as something she should have a say in. But simultaneously, Xui wanted input from Brian to see if she should listen to the cautious side of herself or not.

"Mmm very good, thanks." She was mostly done but not fully. The last of the steak was soon devoured and all that remained upon Xui's plate were the fries, which she began gently nibbling and biting upon.

He nodded and then looked at the both of them, “Well ladies, I think it’s about time we head back home. Do we need something on the house for tomorrow; I mean ingredients for breakfast or whatever you need? We can go by the store and get some stuff if you want Xui”. He had no idea how well she was in terms of money before he arrived so the obvious thing was to just ask before everything got out of control.

He nodded at the waiter which he arrived soon with the bill. Without looking at it he gave the man the credit card and nodded, “Take your tip from there too” the card was golden and it was clear it had a high spending limit. The man nodded and walked out to the machine and swiped the card before coming back and giving him the card. “It has been a pleasure serving you sir, hope you have a great evening”.

Brian nodded and shook his hand, “Yeah, thank you”. Standing up he nodded at the both girls that were with him and smiled at his daughter finally, “Well ladies… we should go… bed awaits you Le. Did you decided what you wanted tomorrow?”. He knelt in front of her and fixed her shirt a little bit as he heard her talking, “Well… we will talk about that tomorrow but if your mother approved I see no reason why I don’t”.

As he was walking out a man with a mask of a clown entered with a gun and pointed it at the cashier. “You got to be kidding me… girls… stay back…” he walked up to him without a worry on the world and tapped his shoulder from behind. The man seemed surprised that another man was facing him calmly as the gun was pointed at Brians face. “Do you really think I am scared of a toy like that?” Brian said as he looked at the gun. Suddenly he was back in Iraq and before he knew it his hand responded and using his cane he hit the guy on his hand causing him to drop the gun followed by another hit on the back of his head with a rather large thumb. Finally the assailant fell on the floor unconscious before Brian knelt and checked around to see if he did not had any more guns. Taking a knife from the back of his pants he threw it to the floor also before grabbing the gun and breaking it into pieces making it unable to be used unless it was assembled back again.

Walking back to the girls he knelt in front of his daughter and kissed her forehead, “Shhh…. It is alright hon we can go home now”. He grabbed her hand and began walking in direction to the elevator. People were looking at him with wide eyes and open mouths almost like not believing what happened. He walked over to the elevator and pressed the button to go down as he walked inside and yawned almost like nothing happened as he got inside.

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Xui's head shook no slowly. "We have enough for at least tomorrow. The list I was thinking of was mainly more groceries and quite an array of supplies, cleaning namely. I ... don't think there's much more to add though I would like to speak to you alone regarding a few other things." If it really was over two million dollars, maybe a move wouldn't be too bad? She hadn't intended on only having just Le and Brian's return made the thought of a second child all the more perfect. It was funny but there had been times Le had asked for a sibling. She told her the truth and not simultaneously, that it would take time for her to work on. The actual details ... well .... that could wait for another few years via sex education from the school. And if they didn't do it, fine she would. But she wanted Le to be at a more appropriate age to even hear of such things and around thirteen was good in her mind.

No protests were heard from Le on the suggestion of bed. A yawn left her lips as she covered her mouth. "Yes, daddy." Her head tilted at the sight of someone wearing a clown mask. Was it an odd costume? That had been what she'd thought at first, up until the gun caught her eyes. A low whimper left as she shut them tightly, trembling lightly. A few flips of channels from the TV and enough brief seconds had displayed a few times to Le what exactly a gun was and could do, generally from the news. But she was old enough to distinguish this wasn't something she was watching, this was real!

No! No, no, no, no, no!! The words practically screamed as she followed Le's gaze, her heart almost racing and then stopping soon after. This isn't happening! Fuck and no! Her first instinct had been to shove herself out of the table and cover Le. But would that really be smart? He was so close, his aim could be altered in seconds. Tears threatened her eyes once again, her hands shaking fiercely upon the table. But the next display made her proud and relieved her daughter had done the smart thing and hidden her eyes. She shouldn't have had to see the sight that soon followed.

Brian was even swifter than the plans that'd gone into Xui's head. As quickly as it'd began, the man was unconscious and disarmed. Her shaking hands finally gave in as she went through with what she'd wanted from the get-go. "Yes .. home now ..." Taking a moment to down the rest of the wine first though, she picked Le up into her arms, holding her close. It was slightly selfish, she knew. But there was clearly another thing to add onto the list of talking. Her mind was racing in sync with her heart as she headed back to the elevator, the new concept repeating in her mind.

She didn't want it to be right. But gods help her, she was fearing that Brian had still been tracked down. The main reason for it? Simple. The man had gone directly for Brian. He never attempted with anyone else, had no hesitation whatsoever. And he had only been knocked out, not killed. So he knew her and Le's faces ... on the chance he merely worked for someone else.

Xui shook her head no fiercely, pressing her own kiss upon Le's forehead. A small smile managed to cross her face. "You can open your eyes now if you want, you know?" But then she noted the breathing pattern ... and realized no sooner than Xui had picked her up, the poor girl had fallen asleep. Well, hopefully she can remain that way then and not wake up randomly. Her back found the metal bars across the elevator as she leaned against them, still shaking slightly.

Words finally managed to leave, though not as easily as usual. "T-thank you for the trip and dinner. It was all good save .. well ... the obvious I'd say. But it was incredible otherwise ... really."