**Martini 2.0** Finished

[Fadedepic]

Martini let out a sigh as he shivered. "I...Err... Alright, then..." He said to Jay, walking inside yet again into the empty Throne Room, nobody but the royal servants, Frost, Rain and the children. "Hello Rain. Like new, fleshy, KNIGHTED me?" He asked, smiling bashfully.  

[Serenla the Cat]

Rain looked, and let a wide grin cross before immediately making it into a small smile. She looked down at the children, completely engrossed for the moment with Rose.

"You look...different. But then again, you were younger when I last saw you. When did you lose your arm?" She asked, able to avoid making a somewhat disturbed face but still cringing slightly. It looked terribly painful. She'd seen worse, but it looked painful.  

[Ryuzki Hygaea]

"Sorry that was my fault...The reviving machine worked on him most of the way." Jaybomb had walked in and stares at Rain. "Anyways, glad to see you."  

[Fadedepic]

Martini held up his bony forearm. "Yeah, I need a mechanical arm for it... And yeah, I do look a little different. Five years away from someone will do that to you."  

[Serenla the Cat]

Rain found herself at a loss for words. She really couldn't think of anything else to say. He was still very handsome, and certainly charming. He'd always had that about him, that charisma. In addition to her remaining attraction, she felt incredible guilt. She'd given that up, treated him like crap and damn near threw him out. Why would she ever do that? Her pregnancy had gone through in a haze, and when she brought home the kids from the hospital...She'd spend an hour searching for him before she remembered. She sighed, and looked down at them, waiting for them to notice. She got a sudden idea, and her eyes widened, before she viciously kicked the very notion out.

She suddenly realized something he'd said.

"Oh! You got knighted? How did...what did you...awesome! Congratulations!" she said, wondering how she missed that. Normally people did something huge and newsworthy before getting that. Was she that disconnected from the world? He hadn't mentioned it to her at all...  

[Fadedepic]

Martini nodded. "Yep. You're looking at a bona-fide knight of the Ice Kingdom. I've served Swift so much as a 'personal friend' that we decided we might as well make my deeds official. Nevermind me, though. How're you and the kids? I'm thinking of moving you into my house... Well, I mean, after I straighten the place up and everything..." He said, pulling Rain into a hug. "It just feels so GOOD to be alive again." He whispered in Rain's ear. "I'd like to show you just how much I've changed."  

[Serenla the Cat]

Rain let a small giggle escape her lips, and her eyes wide Ed when he whispered to her. She had missed the things he used to whisper to her...

"Min... Richard... The last time you met him, I know he looked... Different. But he's back to normal now. This is your father," she said happily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard ran to meet the tall ferret, his eyes glistening wih excitement. He'd heard stories, always imaging his father as somewhat of a super hero. He was a knight; how much owed could you get?!?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minlea hesitantly stepped toward him. She could still remember that storm of emotions, confusion, pain. She'd gotten a headache after e Pugh to keep her up almost all night.

"...daddy?" she asked. It wasn't the same as when she'd met him before. He was scary, and so was his mind. Now, though there were still a lot of things she didn't understand, it was... Better. She stood behind mommy's leg, looking up at him with huge, innocent eyes; one blue, one brown.

((... Because... I wanted to.))  

[Fadedepic]

Martini knelt down to Richard and Minlea's level, prepeared to be knocked onto his back should Richard choose to tackle him, because he sure as hell didn't look like he was going to stop. He gave them both a warm smile. "Yes, Minlea. I'm your father..." He said softly. He had anticipated that the children wouldn't be so accepted that he was a father-figure, so he tried not to come on too strong, although he did want to hug them both. He really did want kids, and Rain and him did make some cute children.  

[Serenla the Cat]

Richard slowed at the sudden movement, and hesitated a few feet before going in to wrap his arms as far around his daddy as he could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seeing Richard go right up and hug him, Minlea inched out from behind her mommy, and walked calmly to her father. She was searching for any scary thoughts, but none popped up. In fact... She smiled, and joined Richard. She buried her face in his warm fur, hugging him and not willing to let him to anytime soon. She turned to look up at her mother, smiling down at them.

"Can we keep him?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rain covered her mouth to hide a sudden laugh. Little kids never like adults laughing at them when they were being serious, and Minlea had always especially despised it. She looked at Martini, the smile reachin her eyes though she hoped Min didn't notice.  

[Fadedepic]

Martini embraced his children, smiling with pure joy. "Keep me? You can't get rid of me!" He said playfully, laughing.  

[Ryuzki Hygaea]

Jaybomb watch the whole thing and smiles at the happy family. When he told Martini he can bring him back to life..he wanted to help a friend who deserves a second chance, a chance to be with the family he never knew about. At times like this Jaybomb was glad to be a scientist helping people in need and coming up with new technology to better mankind.  

[Serenla the Cat]

Rain felt incredibly stupid, helpless, mindless, weak, and wool headed. Why, after having gone through questioning without spilling a word, gory battles, watching friend and family alike fall, did she feel like crying now? It was baffling, but it was all she could do not to let tears spill down her cheeks as she laughed with them. This was what they had always wanted. What she had always wanted, but told herself she didn't need.

"Well, we'll see about that when you try to throw this little one in the shower," she teased, ruffling Richards wild and messy hair. It was nearly to his shoulders again; she go through hourse of chasing him down and a box of bandages for herself before she'd give him a proper haircut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard giggled along, squeezing him tight and already having accepted him. It was exactly what he had always wanted. And it wasn't even Christmas!!! He considered how many times he had requested this on his christmas list, only to be disappointed.

"Daddy... Where have you been?" he asked, staring up at him with big, innocent eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though she still hugged, she still didn't know how sure she was. She just didn't get why, though. Then Richard voiced her thought. He did that a lot, and the same with her. She looked back at mommy, seeing her eyes go wide with fear and surprise.

Oh.... Oh, no... Not already... We were supposed to have more time!!! Minlea could hardly read her thoughts they were so frantic.  

[Fadedepic]

Martini's smile faded slightly when the voice and then thought ran through his ears. "Alright, alright, I think I'll have to tell you both." He picked up both of them, both surprisingly light, even for two five-years-olds... Or he was just stronger than he used to be. He crossed his legs and sat them both down on his lap, one arm around each child. "Kids, me and your mom had arguments over silly things." He began, his mind on sunshine and lollipops because he had picked up easily that Minlea could read thoughts. "One day, we argued so much that I left before she could tell me that she was going to have you two. Then she had you, and I wasn't there because I didn't know..."  

[Serenla the Cat]

Rain winced over every word, suger coated as they were. Someday they'd know the extent of it, but until that day...She could almost see the disappointment in their eyes, every time father figures were mentioned, the longing for their own. But now... at least they were happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minlea looked up at her, and cringed at the sudden guilt she shared, both her mother's emotions and her own. It felt...like she was to blame. Mommy shouldn't feel bad.

"Don't worry mommy...everything's gonna be better now," she said in an imitation of how mommy talked when Min was crying. She was surprised when her mother joined them, sandwhiching the twins between the two adults.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard looked up at his father. He had always been told by the other boys that his father left him because he didn't want him. Fortunately, they only ever said it once. Though it took a while, seeing as he was suspended every time one or more of the boys went home with a mysterious burn.

"You want to keep us, right daddy?" he asked, praying that those boys were wrong. That his daddy did want him.  

[Fadedepic]

Martini read Richard's thoughts. Of course he'd have wanted them. He wouldn't leave for something like that. It was petty. Below him. "Richard... Of course I want to keep you two! Who wouldn't want to have such adorable children?" He said in a silky-soft voice.

The song had finished in Draid's head, and the humming had faded, so the dance had ended, and once again Fade and him were locked in an embrace. He did have other things to do, but all he wanted to do was to clutch onto Fade.

Dust's dad gave out a low whistle. "So, the Ice Kingdom... Man, I couldn't STAND living here. What with the rulers being cat and all... I would never want to bow before some cats."
Dust began to panic. "Dad!" He said in a hushed voice. "Keep your voice down about the Royal Family!"
His dad simply laughed. "What? You think they care about what I think of the Royal Family?"
Dust nodded. "YES. Dad, the tavern has mainly royal guards and the family as patrons!"
His dad shrugged. "Ah, well... Business is business, I suppose, even if it is with felines..."