It was finally time for the group to leave the world and return to Glaella, some for their first ever. Grian was just happy to see his childhood kingdom again, because he could now visit all his family again! His excitement wasn't being hidden at all so there was no debate when he was picked to go through first, with Mumbo and Iskall going through with him at the same time of course.

The trip through the portal was quick but to Grian it felt painstakingly slow, his skin prickled with every swirl of the portal and as they built up their speed to transport them he felt it before it actually happened. And since it had been so long since he had used a portal Grian stumbled and nearly smacked his face onto the ground, but strong arms caught him before he could.

Grian looked up to thank and also apologize, he would probably stumble with his words and do them both at the same time - aka creating a mess of words, but frozen when a familiar face greeted him.

"Nielle?" The dirty blond breathed, and the adult, who had been a teen last time Grian had seen him, gave him a soft smile, "Hello Xel, good to see you again."

"Nielle!" Grian cried, flinging his arms around them, "Oh my god, I thought I'd never get to see you again! I forgot you, I forgot you all!"

The redhead smiled softly at the younger, "Hey, from the looks of it you remember me now. And that's all I need, you are not your past after all."

"Oh stop being poetic and let the rest of us have some!" A voice behind Nielle complained, and appearing over the redhead was the face of Tobias, face so much older than the one Grian was used to. Though as the man turned to look at him his face softened into something much younger, "Hi little Spitfire, took you long enough to get back to us. I mean, do you know how hard it is to keep a position open in the guild?"

Grian can't stop himself and choked up laughter leaves him, and in an instant he's transferred from Nielle to Tobias, arms hugging the blond tightly. The man doesn't even bat an eye and just starts gently petting the top of the young man's head, scarting behind his new ears whenever he gets to them. Around them the rest of the Archenstone members slowly closed in, all wanting to give the returning boy some love after having to live with so many years without him around.

After a while and many tears later the welcoming party had backed up from the dirty blond, letting him stand up again. The hybrid wiped a few leftover tears out of his eye with a finger before turning to the group before him, "Thank you all so much for this, it means a lot for me to see you all again."

Tobias let out a barked laugh, a grin on his face, "Don't mention it Spitfire! We're the ones who should be thanking you, for coming back to see us."

"Then thank them," Grian said, motioning towards the Hermits and co (it's too painful to write them all out okay?) who had been kind of awkwardly standing off to the side and watching the reunion, "They are the reason why I'm here after all - why I'm still alive even."

"Then thank you all." Nielle said with a half bow, "For bringing him back to us all. You truly have no idea how much this means to us, how much he means to us." They then rose and turned to look at Doc, "Your mother is with the Void's, so I recommend you all go there for the second part of this reunion." And so the group of builders headed off, saying goodbye as they went.

Grian looked after them with a bittersweet smile, having missed them now that he remembered them but knowing that he'll never know them like he could have. They've changed from the people he'd known just enough to be different. Shaking his head he turned back to the group behind him, family, friends, allies, and lovers. Maybe he missed one group, but he had another. "So, family reunion time?"

Stress smiled at him, "Oh we won't go with you luv. We are not family in that way, and it's no place for us to come with."

"I, Mumbo and Iskall will come with." Doc said before Grian's face could fall any more, "I want to see my mom, and Healer Void is the best there is, so he'll be able to help Iskall more than what we already have. And they are your boyfriends as well, so this is a perfect time to introduce them to the family."

And so the selected group left to head to the Void residence, Xisuma very strictly telling the rest not to destroy anything - he was not having his childhood home destroyed thank you very much. Mumbo made sure Iskall didn't hurt his arm anymore than it already was, which the man half heartedly complained about. The walk to the house wasn't awfully long, but it was long enough for light conversation to start up. Which menat Grian's abrupt stop and silence stood out like a rash. EX turned to ask what was up with him only to have his eyes go wide at the sight of his cousins frozen, hollow, unseeing eyes, breathing heavily. In an instant he was one the younger, concerned and worried questions leaving his mouth rapidly.

"Grian what's wrong?" By now the other three had noticed that something was wrong, and Iskall looked seconds away from jumping away from Mumbo and at Grian, but he was stopped. "Do you want to sit?"

Grian gave a shaky nod and when EX slowly sat down, hands out to steady the shorter on the way down, he slowly sunk down with him, "That's it, that's it. You're doing good G, doing good." The whitehead pointedly turned to Mumbo, and with a short jerk of his head motioned towards Grian. Time to be a good boyfriend. Though it seems his gesture was unneeded as the tall Hermit was already by his side, soothing words flowing out of his mouth like honey.

"Tulip, can you see me?" Grian gave a shaky nod, eyes not focused at all, "That's good, amazing sweetheart. Do you think you can match my breathing?" Another nod, "Okay breath in -" He took in a breath to show, and the dirty blond copied him, "-hold for ten seconds, I'll count. One, two, three, four, five, sixs, seven, eight, nine, and ten. And then out-" He demonstrated this too, and Grian followed his example. "And again. In, one, two, three, four..."

Mumbo repeated this process until his boyfriends breathing slowly started to calm down and he didn't stop until Grian slumped against him, breathing heavy but not erratic - more like he'd just finished running a marathon. Mumbo's hand gently rubbed behind the shorter ears, movements slow and soothing. The suit-wearing man didn't stop until Grian pulled away, "How do you feel?"

"Like shit." The hybrid rasped, eyes not leaving Mumbo's body at all, "This place just up ahead? Yeah not the best for me."

"Our home?" Xeres sadly asked, looking back at his childhood home.

But the violet eyed man was quick to deny it, "No! No not the house. This - this place is where we saw each other for the first time after me getting taken. This is where... where I killed my dad."

Mumbo held him tightly, a small breath being sucke in between his slightly parted lips. It's Doc who mutters the quiet, "Shit,", eyes wide as he looks around the street, "It really is."

As Xisuma looks around, he can see that it is. And if he looks closer he's pretty sure he can even see the off-colored stone, still tainted by the blood of Xenagoras, some feet away. He's completely forgotten that his uncle dies just outside of his house (X's, not Xen's house) 'Another tragedy to the town' he thinks bitterly, another Void dead, "Let's head inside." He says, "We won't have to look at the street then."

Grian nods at him and not even a second later Doc has picked him up, which got a squeak out of the dirty blond. The creeper started walking to the house, and EX was quick to follow. After them X let Iskall and Mumbo go, and then he himself went. His brother was waiting for him at the door, since as soon as he got to the stop the red eyes twin knocked on the door.

Seconds later the door opened, a honey eyed man at the other side, auburn hair tied up in a braided ponytail. He looked a shocked to see the group outside his door, wide eyes looking from the twins to Grian in Doc's arms and then at Mumbo and Iskall, and then his eyes went back to the twins.

EX gave him a boyish grin, though it was a little sheepish as well, "Hi Pops. We, uh, we saved Xelqua! Mind if we come in? Iskall needs medical attention."

Their pops quickly looked back at Iskall's wounded arm and opened the door fully, ushering them all in, "Of course! Come on, your dad's in the kitchen with Li, oh and hello Doc, it's nice to see you."

"You too Mr.Void." The creeper greats, sitting Grian down after getting through the door.

"How many times must I tell you, Apollo works just fine." Apollo said, leading the group through the warm home to the kitchen. Knocking on the kitchen door frame the brunet walked through, "Dear we have visitors!"

Xavion looked up from his game of chess with Lina, and his already bright green eyes brightened even more as looked at his sons, "Xeres, Xisuma! Thank the lords you're both okay!" He then caught sight of Grian, "And you did it, you actually got him back. Is it okay if I hug you?" He asked the shorter man, and at Grian's nod he smiled warmly before wrapping him in a warm hug, "It's good to have you back, Xelqua, it's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Grian smiled. Though he soon directed the attention off himself to Iskall, "Though can this little reunion wait a tiny bit? My boyfriend is, well, kind of really hurt right now."

Iskall started to protest about it wasn't that bad but Xavion smelt his bs before he even said it, years as not only a healer but also as the father of Xeres and Xisuma, had made him hone this skill. So he was already ushering him towards the couch and reaching for his medkit by then. This left Lina as the one left to say hi to Grian.

She brought him into a tight hug, coars hands lovingly holding him tight. She whispers to him, afraid she'll cry if she spoke to loud, but Grian still heard her perfectly.

"You won't leave again, Kätzchen, I swear you won't."

"I know." He whispers back, memories of her teaching him so much, showing him so much love, flash through his mind, her protective and caring tendencies out on full display, "I know Aunt Lina, I know."

And despite herself Lina cries, because her little Kätzchen is back. He's back safe and so is her son, the two most important people in her life are back safe. Doc kneels down to hug his mom, feeling just as happy as she about Grian being back. His mother got a nephew back, but he got his brother back.

All may not be well, not right now, but one day they knew it would be. One day. 

<I'm so sorry this is so late! My general want to not write that much coupled with test hasn't let me get much done, and I'm so happy to have finally finished this. Anyways, happy times! (with one angst scene, I hope I did my best dealing with it but I'm not that well versed in panic attacks and how to deal with them so just tell me if there's something of it that needs fixing or changing :3) And you guys get to meet Apollo! He's been in my head for a while now, and I'm so happy to have finally introduced him! Honey eyed Apollo with a heart of gold, the local botanist and resident helper. I love him. Anyways, only like two or three more parts left (at least two) left before this book his done! Man that's gonna be something, to have this book done. Seems like just yesterday that I started it, but here I am now, 70 chapters later! Anyways I'm going to bed, I'm tired as fuck and I haven't had a good sleep in a week.

So stay safe and have a wonderful time everyone, love you all!>