Being home for the first time in five years was really something. 

"So this is Wichita," Maddox murmured as we teetered on the steps of the saucer, looking from the green land among the big expo that sat in the city, to the water that trickled in the big body of water just outside of the city. "Yeah," I hummed, feeling an immense relief from being in the land where I grew up. 

Nothing had changed, it seemed. The evidence from when Maddox had come and took our people was gone and it looked like it normally did, quiet yet bustling with people as they walked. "Wow," A voice piped up from the left of me, a strangled groan leaving her lips. "This is what it feels like to be home," Maria Morelli sighed heavily as she wiped a tear from her eye, staring at the beautiful land before us. 

"...I'm sorry," The demon lord muttered solemnly as she and my father took another step down, eager to go relish in what used to be apart of their lives. "There's no need to feel regret, Sir Alistair," Vasily waved a hand at him in a manner that I would, enticing a scowl from myself and the baby that Maddox was holding. "You couldn't help the situation, so please don't dwell on it. Besides, you've made our dear Troy happy, so we forgave you a long time ago," He said as he grabbed my mom's hand, taking a step onto the ground they had longed to see.

It was extremely beautiful the way their faces lit up when they looked around, taking in land that they hadn't seen in almost five years. My heart grew and I couldn't stop the small smile that slid on my lips.

"Let them be," I grasped Maddox's shoulder as he kept descending down the stairs. "As much as they love you and as much as they are grateful to you," I shook my head. "This is their time. They just want to reminisce and return to peace," I whispered, watching them run around and chase each other like old times. 

"...you're right," He mused, shuffling Arley in his arms. Ever since I gave birth to that evil spawn, he had been attached to Maddox's side, clinging to him like a barnacle. If anything, I'd give birth several times over and over again just to see that dopey grin on his face. He looked so happy, too happy. He looked so at peace to the point where Natanya had come up to me, telling me how jealous she was because Arley was getting all the attention she wanted.

 Though she didn't blame her father.

She felt a little bittersweet about having a sibling at first because she never really got the attention and love as a child, but all of those feelings went away when she landed eyes on the demon spawn.

Then as quickly as she came, she was roped in his trap. 

"Let's go," I grumbled sourly, grabbing Maddox's hand as Arley climbed his way to sit around his father's neck. This was my life now and I had to accept it. "We're going to walk the city," I said, pulling him along. It felt odd to be back since I hadn't been here in so long. The last time I was here, I was getting on a bus to be transported to No Man's Land.

"Oh, they still have that movie theater," I mused, pointed to the big building that sat in the center of the shopping mall. There were people walking and talking about, grinning and smiling. this was a sight to see because it hadn't been this way in a long time. "Have you ever been to a movie theater?" I asked Maddox, who happily squeezed my hand at the same time he was listening to Arley's incessant screeches. 

"No," He shook his head, trying to make sure that Arley was safe and secure. Of course, he was. Even though he was born two seconds ago (it has been a month and three weeks), he was already starting to fill out his bones and babble with the teensy tiny front teeth he had. Soon, he would kill us.

"Whaaaat?" I grimaced, knowing that I had a lot to teach this man. Since we had eternity and then some together, he was gonna be as educated as he could get. "This is where we used to go and watch all the good stuff that came out. We used to sneak in food and snacks and watch the older guys make out with the high school girls," I chuckled, thinking about my young life. "Oh, so you want me to make out with you in the back of this...movie theater?" Maddox raised a perfect eyebrow at me with a smirk and I blushed as I looked away furiously, trying to find a good ass comeback for him.

But before I could even retort, a group of kids about two years younger than me walked up to me, grins blazing on their faces. "Uhh, how can I help you?" I furrowed my brow and the girl in the middle cheered, rushing up to me. "You're Troy Morelli-Kane, aren't you!?" She beamed and I tilted my head, wondering if I should answer it truthfully or not. "Y-yes?" I blinked confusedly as she looked at her friends, nodding enthusiastically. 

"Can we have your autograph?" One dude said. "Can we take a selfie with you!?" Another girl said and I nodded, wondering where this all came from. Last I checked, all evidence that I ever lived was erased. "Thank you!" The girl screeched as the click of her camera resounded in my ears. "We greatly respect you," She said. "We thank you and Sir Alistair for doing what you did, to help bring Earth back to where it used to be," She whispered, looking from me to Maddox. 

"Just outta curiosity, how do you know that I am me and that he is he?" I pointed a thumb to my man. As far as I knew, they had no clue who Maddox was since he never fully made himself known. "Well, we recognize your voice from your broadcast," I nodded, ignoring the confusion in Maddox's eyes. "And since I follow the_guardian on social media," I furrowed my brow as the girl pulled up someone's profile to show a picture of Maddox dipping me into a kiss the day of the banquet.

"We just kind of put two and two together," The group shrugged and I fought the urge to slam my head into a brick wall once I realized that this was indeed Zero's page. I didn't want or need to know why she had this. 

The idiot. 

"We just thank you for all that you did and we wanted to tell you that we're happy that you guys met each other. Now the world is safe for us," The girl tilted her head, bumrushing me into a hug. I blinked in surprise, hugging her back. "What's your name?" I asked as she pulled away. "It's Amalia. This is Jake, Chris, Kenny, Rebecca, and Ashton," She pointed to all of her friends as they nodded in recognition.

"It's very nice to meet you all. Thank you for the support and believing in us," Maddox finally spoke like the shy little alien that he was. "We finally found a reason to fight for what we believe in, so now you guys can rest assured that everything is taken care of for you," He mused with a small smile and the crew followed suit. 

"Your son is the cutest thing we've seen," Ashton cooed, pointing to Arley who was chewing on some snack that Maddox provided for him. "Thank you," I chuckled, feeling oddly at ease. It was comforting to know that there were people whose lives out there that we touched. It was good to know that at least these lives would never be changed again.

Especially not after Tion. 

Since Tion was gone and dead and his power lied in us, it was safe to say that everything was going to be okay. "We're gonna let you guys go now, have family time," Amalia said with a blush and I nodded with a snicker, moving around her. "It was good to meet you guys. If you need us, don't hesitate to reach out," It hadn't been fully stated that there would be portals and ways to travel across Eden and Hell, but they would soon learn.

"Wow, look at us, Maddox," We walked through, the whip soothing our skin as Arley began his chattering. It felt peaceful for us to walk through, hand in hand, looking at each other with so much love in our eyes because we got this far and those obstacle courses were not easy. 

I couldn't lie, it was incredibly hard because I knew I was living but at the same time, I felt completely and utterly dead. Obviously I couldn't tell Maddox why because he would just feel bad. I couldn't tell him that I had lost my best friend trying to save him, even if he already knew, because it would do nothing for me. Yea, he knew, but he couldn't change a thing. I just had to pick up the pieces and slowly mend them together. Not for me, but for our son. I had to make sure that I was at my best so I could parent him as efficiently as I could.

Sigh.

It was just hard because everything still hurt. I still had nightmares of seeing Jade push me out of the way, seeing her blood stain that white purity as she took her last breath in my arms. One would say that I needed therapy, but no good amount of counseling could erase what I felt that day.

"It's so funny how we're walking through my hometown with me pointing at stuff as you listen earnestly about my childhood life," I broke the silence, thumbing the beautiful ring that Maddox bestowed upon my finger. "But do you ever think about how we would've never gotten to this point if I never broke your laws? If I never met Natanya?" I asked and Maddox tilted his head, a wince leaving his lips as Arley pulled on his black hair.

"Hmm, even if you didn't do the things that you did," He rolled his eyes, making me think about all 8 thousand and something offenses that I had to my name the day we met, all of those demon cop's asses that I kicked, the slap that Natanya gave me, woo! The list could go on. "I think we would've still met, Troy. It probably wouldn't have been as early. I probably would be more damaged and you probably would have hated me even more," Maddox clicked his teeth, winking at me. 

"But you were made for me so no matter how, we would've still came together." He seemed so sure of his answer and unlike usual, there was no hint of confusion or doubt etched into those beautiful features of his. He was extremely adamant, and admit it or not, my heart soared to the top. 

Wow, someone outside of Vasily and Maria Morelli was really happy to have me in their life. God, who knew Wichita, Kansas was the place of all dreams?

"Lucky for you, it happened now." I replied in a soft tone, internally agreeing with him. There was no doubt in my mind that if Maddox didn't come to No Man's Land that day to come whip my butt into shape, I'd still be standing here at this moment. 

If it wasn't then, then it was somewhere along the way. "There's not a lot of people meant for me, that is true. I was only promised one person in my lifetime," Maddox motioned to my hand with the cockiest smirk I had ever seen. "And he's wearing the ring I gave him. Rest assured, my love," With the most careful ease I had ever seen him move with, he leaned down and kissed my forehead, all of his love and affection burning the spot on my temple.

"You are all that I will ever need, Troy." This was highly abnormal for me to be blushing like some schoolgirl. For fuck's sake, I was Troy Victorino Morelli. Everyone fell to their knees at the sight of me. I was the sexiest thing walking and the coolest motherfucker around, so it made no sense to me why I was standing here, swooning as some sugar daddy had his way with me.

But then I remembered.

I said yes to him, so he was all mine. I rarely ever spoke of my feelings because I had no need to, but even with Jade not being here to push me further, to have everything take a turn for the better as it did, I found that there was no better time than now. 

"One day if I'm feeling ballsy enough, I'll summon Tion's ghost," I threw out and Maddox's eyes widened in shock. "Why? What the hell would you do that for?" It was completely astounding to hear Maddox use curse words, but I tried so hard to pull it out of him. I snickered as I looped my arm with his, pulling him close to me so that I could smell the latest cologne conquest of his. 

"Because if you think about it in some twisted and calculated way, he gave me you," I whispered, my eyes falling to my feet. 

If Tion never came up as the king of the paradise of Eden, Maddox never would've been banished and he never would've made those stupid laws. I would've never felt compelled to break those stupid shits, so in a way, we had Tion to thank.

Oh well, he was dead now. 

Maddox and I shared a deep laugh, gold boring into grey-brown as our smiles mimicked one another, a moment we wished to have over and over again. 

"Da-da!" Arley banged his hand against the top of Maddox's head, his fangs elongated over his little baby lips as those gold eyes stared straight at me. The mischievous look in his eyes told me that he was up to no good and I honestly was not having it, but that was all for the demon lord of all demons to deal with.

"Arley, my boy," Maddox reached up to pull Arley from around his neck, holding him from his armpits in front of him. "Yeah?" Arley replied with a pout, his eyes changing colors. No one could not convince me that this was not Maddox in child form. "We talked about this. You do not hit anyone on the head because that is mean," He said in a chastising manner, but Arley tilted his head, tapping his cheek.

"No, you cannot hit anyone in the face either," I deadpanned, watching him fall out into a bout of giggles. He was so easy to read. "Mama!" Arley's grubby hands held out towards me and I scooped him up into my arms, placing kisses all over his face. He was a feisty little shit, but he was a product of Maddox and I. "You little monster!" My son giggled in my ear as Maddox threw an arm around both of us, burying his head in my shoulder.

We were going to be okay, that was for sure. It was going to take a matter of time, but we were going to be okay because this was what I needed.

Yeah, I supposed that this was I had been looking for.