*Shimizu Hada's POV:*

Her fiery eyes met mine and my heart skipped a beat.

"Sh-Shimizu?", she called out, standing at the top of the back porch stairs.

There she was, right in front of me.

I gasped as I stood there. She was beautiful, but has gotten more so these past three and a half years I've been imprisoned.

Her wavy red hair was to her waist, a bit longer than before. Her structure was a little bit more frailer than I could recall. Nonetheless, she still carried herself with what I could describe as an assertive elegance as she walked down those steps.

My body began to overheat and I felt myself not being able to move. Why was I acting like this? It was just like it was almost ten years ago when I first met Celosia, Beval and Gaia. It was like I was that shy kid in coach class again, watching them from a distance. Watching her from a distance.

A "hi" would've been too informal, and so would a "hello".

This was Celosia "Robin" Douglas that was in front of me. She's the beautiful burning flower I haven't seen in 5 years, just to see each other again only for a couple of weeks and then not see each other again for another 3 1/2 years.

Pathetic.

Ashley, Sargent Thompson and Trevor were there, and five others from the shelter who fought with us during the prison break. Most couldn't make it, they went back to the Philippines once we were let out of prison.

They were behind me but I didn't even notice. I didn't even notice Danny, our friends, my father and my little sister behind her, or anyone else for that matter. It was like we were the only ones there, and that was no issue for me. In a sense, it made me feel more at ease.

"Robin, I mean Celosia...I-", I sighed, not knowing what exactly to say. I looked away from her, biting my lip.

I wouldn't be surprised if she was upset at me. Beval and Gaia confronted me and told me she wouldn't be, but who knows.

I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have only for him to betray me and turn in my friends. I made them look like imbeciles in front of the World Leader so he wouldn't harm them. I just wanted to keep them safe. I did nothing but put her and the others in danger.

"Listen...I know it's a bit of a surprise to see me. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be released. I thought I would be jailed forever. But, thanks to you, Beval, Gaia and the others for bringing awareness to experi-babies's rights, just like they protested for your released, so they did with mine. I just got out a month befo-"

At this moment, I sighed, realizing I was rambling, just going on and on and not getting to the point.

Rolling my eyes at my own lack of awareness, I looked towards the ground, then looked back up at her.

She was now standing at the bottom of the back porch, wathcing me with the same expression she had after she first laid eyes on me. She was clutching onto her jacket.

I needed to be a man and just tell it straight.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm so sorry. I had no other option but to turn myself in and clear your name. I'm so sorry that I wasn't capable to get rid of the World Leader so you had to take matters into your own hands which cost you your own freedom! You were facing murder charges because of me!"

I wiped the tears that were trying to stream down my face.

Slowly, she began moving towards me, staying put three feet away from me.

"For three years Celosia, for three years I sat in that jail cell and thought about you. I thought about scenario after scenario about how I should've approached you. I wasn't able to properly do so at the shelter because I was so focused on getting rid of the World Leader. In that secluded prison I was placed in, I felt that I would never see you again. And through all of that, I still practiced what I would say to you in case I did....and well-"

My babbling was cut short by a pair of arms and around my body. Celosia hugged me tightly, digging her face into my blue shirt.

"Shimizu! I'm so glad you're out!"

A smile of relief formed on my face as I shared her embrace.

"Don't blame yourself. Don't ever blame yourself. All you wanted to do was protect us and bring John Victran down. If it wasn't for that secret recording of him saying those things to us, we would most likely would still be in those cells, rotting", Celosia reassured, lifting her head up to look at me.

"Who put that out there anyway?", I asked, looking down at her.

Our eyes met, causing my heart to skip a beat once more. It's been so long since I embraced her like this. Well, come to think of it, I never truly embraced her like this.

"A person from our shelter in California."

"Oh that makes sense", I shrugged before chuckling.

She rubbed my hair, feeling how different the style was. It was cut short, with the top-half in a small ponytail and the rest down. Her hands caressing my scalp sent shivers down my back and I gasped. I almost forgot there were people around...watching. I had to maintain my composure.

"Your hair, you cut it", she stared at my hair in curiosity, still playing in it.

Our eyes met again. There was nothing but silence between us once more. I wanted to kiss her again, but was it right? Was the timing right?

I mean, Ashley was right there. Secondly, I didn't want to be seen as pushy or moving too fast.

"Celosia, I want to know you more."

"Huh?" Celosia said, scrunching her face up.

"I've had a crush on you when we were teens. You thought I was dead for years, then we meet again but I was too occupied with getting rid of the world leader to truly spend enough time with you. Then your shelter gets spotted and next thing I knew, I'm turning myself in while trying to maintain your freedom. And here we are, together again at your Welcome Home party. From now on, I want to use this time to spend all I can with you. To learn all of the good and bad things about you. All of your flaws, all of the things I never truly got to learn. I want our bond to be strong."

A smile formed on Celosia's face, understanding the point I was making.

I wanted to be able to take that time to know her, what the adult her hated and liked. I wanted to know what made her tick. I wanted to know what made her smile, and more. I wanted to be able to be the best boyfriend I could be to her. I wanted to be able to mix my water with her fire and have her still burning brightly. I want to do all of that while staying by her side.

"And while doing so, I want to make you mine. I love you Celosia Robin Douglas. If it's alright, I want you to become my girlfriend. Is that alright-"

Celosia pulled me in by the back of my neck and kissed me. I felt her warm hands on my arms, getting hotter and hotter as if she's trying to burn me. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in as we kissed. I could hear everyone around us cheering us on.

"Yes! I will become yours. Always and forever", she nodded after pulling away, tears running down her cheeks.

From the corner of my eye I noticed someone approaching us. It was Ashley. Her arms were crossed but she had a smile on her face.

"Oh, we are so breaking up", she half-joked with cut eyes.

"Ashley, I owe you an apology. I cheated on you, and then I had you and everyone else locked up with me for three years and-"

She waved her hand, dismissing my apology.

"I always felt like our relationship was for you to cope with Robin not being around. And now, you finally have her. I have no animosity towards you Shimizu. You are forgiven. Plus-". Ashley went and grabbed Sargent Thompson's hand. "After being in jail for a few years, I think it's time to start from scratch. We all have a military background. We fought with you. We made missions with you. We knew jail was always a risk trying to bring down the World Leader. But I'm happy because we are released after only three years with charges dropped. You and I finally found our own happiness."

"We are heading back to the Philippines in a few days, but we'll definitely stay in touch. Trust and believe. Plus, someone's gotta watch over our shelter now that it's an army base", Sargent Thompson spoke up, wrapping his arm around Ashley.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Ashley. I wish you two the best."

Celosia's welcome home party lasted for hours, up until midnight. But I felt like it lasted seconds.

My dad drove us back home. Glancing at me several times.

"What?", I asked, staring back at him.

"Nothing. I'm just hoping it's not a dream that you're here."

We smiled at each other briefly. Hikari and Tyler were slumped over in the back, snoring.

"Dad, I'm 23 now, so I have a lot of catching up to do. It's time I go back to school and get my driver's license. I also want to build my photography business. No more army stuff. I'm done with it."

"I'll be there for you every step of the way son. Keep moving forward, you missed out on a lot of life. Stay strong, and practice for your speech in two days. It will be broadcasted worldwide", he encouraged.

I nodded in response. The thought of it made a cold sweat roll down my forehead and butterflies fluttered around in my stomach. In a week, I will be in city hall, onstage, being the spokesperson for surviving experi-babies all around the world. I turned to the window, trying to get my mind off of it as I counted the houses leading up to our own.

"It gives me such honor to come to you today on the behalf of my people. But I come to you today not just as a person with powers, but a human being, a friend, a brother, a son, an American. Um-"

I cringed, mistakenly saying an "um" as I recite my speech in front of my bedroom mirror. Hikari, our dad, and Tyler were in their rooms fast asleep. My speech had to be polished and refined. I had to sound like I knew what I was talking about. I did. But they wanted a speech that sounded sophisticated.

I continued. "Together as humans, we have both suffered whether we we're regular humans or experimen-"

I stopped myself. The only thing "regular humans" suffered was virus UF-37 which killed billions of people. Before, what have they suffered? They've oppressed experi-babies. The mass media and governments around the world, which is full of "regular humans" painted us as violent monsters, only good when we are dead. And that very narrative is the fuel that gave the United Nations the go to kill us off. Two thirds of us were killed off. And yet, they want us to sing kumbaya?

I banged my fist onto my desk as I stared at myself in the mirror.

"No! I will not allow that! They will remember!"

My face grew red and my chest tightened as I looked down at the speech I wrote. I crumbled it up, throwing it across my room.

I headed to my curtains, unlocking and opening the window. Wind flew it as goosebumps arose around my body. I breathed in the crisp, autumn air as I sat near the window, looking out at the skyline of the city.

I let go off all anger that consumed me as I exhaled, knowing what I must do.