Killing Hope

Chapter Twenty Four

"Pineapple? On pizza?" Reaper looked at the slice his daughter had put on his plate doubtfully and she met his gaze, giggling as she had when she was a small child. He felt a rush of affection for her and impulsively grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Hope smiled at him.

"Just try it, Dad. You'll love it," she said and he stilled, emotion filling his eyes.

"You called me Dad," he said. She looked a little uncertain suddenly.

"Sorry..."

"No, don't be. You called me that when you were a child and I liked it. But then when you grew I became Farher, a man you feared. I don't want to be someone you fear, Hope. I want to be Dad."

"Well if you eat the pizza I'll call you Dad," she finally said, cheekily, making him laugh out loud, as he saw the precocious child she had once been. With a grimace he picked up the slice and put it in his mouth, chewing for a long time before finally he nodded.

"Ok, you win. It isn't too bad," he said.

"Not too bad? It's the best!" she exclaimed. Persephone laughed from the other side of her husband.

"Hope loved this when we were in the Human world. She used to make me order it every Friday for her," she said and then her eyes danced with merriment. "There was one time when they delivered it without the pineapple and she was so upset I had to go to the shop to buy some pineapple for her to add onto the pizza and then reheat it in the oven!"

"Well it's not the same without the pineapple," she said, defensively. Reaper laughed.

"My daughter just knows what she likes," he said, proudly, finishing off his slice of pizza and reaching for another much to Hope's amusement.

From across the room Hitman watched her and a smile curved his lips. He liked seeing her like this, relaxed and happy. After two thousand life times of misery she deserved  these simple moments of happiness. Hope was laughing as her father went on to sample the cheesecake she was insisting he would love and then he saw her pouring him a coke. It was surreal to watch Reaper, the immortal Lord of the Dead eating and drinking modern Human food and Hitman shook his head, feeling slightly discombobulated.

"She is happy," Juniper commented, coming to stand beside him.

"Yes she is," replied Hitman, with a smile. Since Hope had married him he did not feel as threatened by the Elf and recognised that his wife's friendship with her was just that; friendship.

"So what will you do now?" asked Juniper. "Will you remain here or return to the Human world? I know you always said that when this was done that was your aim."

Hitman considered this and felt suddenly confused. He'd always assumed that they would be desperate to return to the life they had left but somehow being here and being married to her felt different. He did not feel as cold, as angry, as lonely. They had friends here and he had seen the power his wife now wielded and how she could use it to make Limbo better for everyone. But the Human world had been easy, care free. They had been very happy there. Hope suddenly laughed again at something her father said and Hitman sighed.

"I don't know," he said. "Seems it would be cruel to separate her from her parents when they're just getting to know one another again."

"Yes, I think it would," Juniper agreed, laughing as Reaper and Persephone both put their arms round Hope at the same time and the family were laughing and joking together.

"But what will we do if we stay here? Don't reckon I can go back to what I did before, tracking folk down and holding them against their will."

"There is nothing to say you must be Hitman any longer," Juniper said, quietly. "Why don't you just be Bret?"

He looked at her, but before he could answer, Hope suddenly appeared in front of him, her eyes dancing with laughter as she looped her arms  around his neck.

"Can we dance, Bret?" she asked.

"Dance?" he echoed, not sure they'd ever danced together in Limbo.

"Yes, dance." And she moved against him.

"Sure, why not," he said, putting his hands on her waist and as they danced he knew without doubt that the only place he ever wanted to be was wherever she was, whether that was here in Limbo or back in the Human world. He'd walk through the fires of Hell to be with her and it occurred to him that it didn't matter where they were as long as they were together.