<BEFORE YOU START HERE'S SOME GOOD INFO TO KNOW: The TW things that are mentioned in chapters 15 and 16 are being retconned from the story - I don't know what I was thinking adding it (other than for more angst) since after that it was barely ever mentioned again nor has it had any big impacts on the story outside of those chapters. So imagine something else bad in it's place, but it's just not that. Now, please enjoy the chapter :3>

Grian walked away from the door, gaze returning to the street, and blinked in surprise when he didn't see anyone there. He could still hear them though, which was a good sign.

"Well that was anticlimactic." Xenagoras mumbled with an amused huff, "All that for a dramatic reveal and they don't even show. How rude." 

Grian laughed at that, "That's just family; they never come when you're being cool and only arrive to see you do an epic fail."

"Tell me about it," his dad dramatically sweeped his tailcoats from underneath himself and sat down at the top step of stairs, Grian settling down at one of the window seals on the second floor, to both be tall and to be seen as well, "Me and Xavi were out taming horses for the village and my luck was beyond lucky, but no one ever saw, but as soon as someone did see me the horse I was trying to tame kicked me up sending me into the muddy water of the marshes."

Grian broke out laughing at the image, his put together dad dripping with mud and water looking up at a horse with betrayal. Hell he could see it near perfect because the same thing had happened to him. More than once as well.

Xenagoras playfully glared up at him, "Hey! I didn't share a part of my life just to be laughed at!" though his weak argument crumbled even more after he himself broke down into laughter.

"Well you clearly don't know me very well then." Grian sassed, though he immediately regretted the words, ears dropping as he noticed how his dad's face fell, "Ah, sorry."

Xenagoras shook his head sadly, a bittersweet smile on his face, "It's okay, son, no need to apologize."

Grian was saved from trying to continue the conversation by the sound of people walking their way, familiar voices reaching their ears. The first people to round the corner were Apollo and Xavion, followed by their sons, and behind them everyone else.

Xenagoras stood up and nervously brushed himself off of any dust, red eyes glancing up to Grian, using the sight of his relaxed son to try and calm down himself.

And as he looked back over to the approaching people red met green, living meeting dead. The two elder Void brothers looked each other over, both remembering old times.

"Hey, Xavi," the spirit said, rubbing at his arm, "It's, ah, been a hot minute."

Him speaking seemed to have broken a dam, Xavion rushing up to him as soon as the last word left his mouth, "Xen!" The dirty blond braced himself to catch his brother, arms hesitantly spreading out, arms which were soon filled with his sobbing little brother, "Xen I'm so sorry! I didn't even notice something was wrong with you, and-and oh my god I'm sorry!" 

The taller quietly hussed the other, spectral hand rubbing soft circles into Xavion's back, "Hey, hey, it's okay Ion, it's fine, no one else saw it as well, I don't blame you." The healer opened his mouth to argue but a look from his brother shut him up, "'Ion I swear by Death's hand- if you blame yourself one more time I will ask them to drag mom and dad back to life just so they can set you back in place again."

Xavion snorted at the threat, burrowing his face in the other's chest, "You wouldn't, because you know they'd do the same to you too."

Xenagoras snorted into his brother's hair, "Touché."

Whilst the two had been talking Grian had jumped off and glided down to land by Iskall and Mumbo, both having made their way into the front.

"So this is what your dad's really like." Iskall questioned, looking over at the two reunited brothers - which had now been joined by Lina and Apollo for a proper tear-filled reunion.

Grian hummed in confirmation, "Seems like it at least, but a few minutes conversation can only say so much."

So much can be enough, Rook commented, I know your instincts trust him - if even a little bit - so don't try lying.

Grian huffed within his mind, How can you know anything about my instincts?

Rook was silent for a long few seconds before letting out a mental sigh, Grian, Grian I literally AM your instincts, so you tell ME what I know about your instincts.

Grian chose to tune back into Iskall and Mumbo's talk instead of giving Rook any more time of day (and he could just hear the "why the nerve of-!" Rook was probably saying in his head).

"Xisuma says we might have to stay on a temporary server whilst he fortifies the server walls." Mumbo mumbles, hand tapping against his arm nervously.

Iskall looked over at his taller boyfriend in surprise, "We're not going to season 7 already are we?"

Mumbo was quick to reassure him, "No! We'll just be staying on a smaller server for a while - like a vacation!"

"Kinda like that Hardcore event we had in season 5?" The swede asked, eyes going to where their admin was - which was currently by EX and the other Void's.

"Kinda." Mumbo agreed.

Grian let out a questioning coo, getting the twos attention, "What Hardcore event?"

Iskall was quick to answer, "Oh! Oh yeah you weren't here for it! Well basically several teams of three Hermits went to these identical Hardcore set servers and they had to get as many achievements as they could before everyone died."

The air was filled with pleasant conversation after that, the partnership of three eventually migrating towards the step of Grian's childhood home where they eventually all settled down to talk about anything and everything that wasn't from the Fallacy mess (that was a conversation for the long stays in the hidden cabin with blankets and hugs at the ready), and eventually more people joined in and more random stuff was mentioned.

Grian was startled out of his laughing fit when he noticed Xenagoras walk up towards them. The taller dirty blond smiled at his son, respectfully nodding his head at everyone else sitting on what was once his staircase, "Grian, there is some waiting for you inside."

This caught the attention of everyone, some looking at the dead man with suspicion still not fully trusting him - especially not with Grian. In the end it was Doc who asked him, "Who?"

Xenagoras chuckled lightly, turning to make eye contact with his son, "Someone who did my job better than me."

Like a christmas tree Grian lit up, flying to his feet (claws? Paws? He didn't quite know yet) faster than a lightning strike, "Death? They're here? How?"

The elder dirty blond smiled, "Well, they're not here now but me being dead has some perks, you could say," When Grian still looked confused Xenagoras explained, "I'm dead - something of death. Death can technically 'take my place' in the living world, but it's more like them taking control of my body and being in charge of things."

"So it'll be you, but with Death piloting?"

The spirit nodded, "That's right."

Grian nodded happily before pausing, face scrunching up in concern, "But...what will happen to you?"

"I will be there - sure not in control or fully conscious, but still there. And when Death leaves I'll have to go with them I'm afraid, so they can write off the visit as a 'business venture'."

"That's not how it works." Grian sniffed, eyes looking up at his father accusingly.

"No, not really," He agreed, "But I am pushing the limits of how long I can stay here - and I promised your mother I'd come back as soon as I could."

The dragon hybrid faltered, eyes widening as he snapped his head up, "Mum?"

Xenagoras' face softens, hands coming up to gently cup his son's face in them, "She misses you so terribly, Little Star, though I dare not think what type of hell she'd bring should you ever die."

The violet eyed man wetly laughed, "We all die someday, you know."

Xen hummed, red eyes warm and soft as he spoke, "That's true, but we do not want you to join us old people just yet. So she wants you to stay alive until the universe has to send you down to Death's gates herself."

"Can - can you tell her I miss her? And that I love her?" Grian asked, breath hitching as he tried to keep the tears away.

"She already knows Little Star, but I will tell her, I can promise you that I will." Xenagoras reassured, gently caressing a thumb over Grian's cheek, "Now how about we go say hi Death, yeah? Have one last conversation before you're unable to see each other again."

"Let's." Grian agreed. Whilst he was going to miss his biological father, and he'd mourn the childhood that had been ripped from him, he also missed his Dama as well, and he was happy to get to see them again.

So with a last reassurance to friends and family outside, and tearful final goodbyes to family and old friends for Xenagoras, the two walked back into the house they had once called home.

And on the other side of the door, nothing but the future waited. And, now that Grian thought about it, maybe that wasn't so bad.

<Uhhhh, hi everyone! It's been a hot minute lol. I'm sorry it took so long for this to come out, I hadn't intended for it to be so hard making this chapter - but I'm glad I finally got it done (and that I was smart enough to at least start chapter 73 before posting this so I have something to work with lol)! Suprisngly I've got the most work on this done this week - the first week of my summerjob, which is weird cuz usually a job means less time to do stuff like this, but hey I'm not complaining. If the last few updates after this - chapter 73 and an epilouge is what I have planed, but if I'm not careful I might make a 74 as well (if I'm do I'm probably gonna question all my life choises for a billionth time) - take half as long as this took you all are more than welcome to tell me to stop bouncing between stories and actually write this out finally.

Anyways I think I should end this A/N now, I don't have much more to say really. I'm so very greatful you all decided to read my little story that spirald into something thats gone on for over 2 years now - and though I might not be as much in the HC fandom anymore y'all are still amazing and wonderful.

Also you are all more then welcome to ask me any questions about anything. If there's somethig you don't understand, just ask and I'll do my very best to help.

Stay safe and have a wonderful time everyone, I'll hopefully see you all soon!>