The Typhoon ~Vash x OC AU~

Chapter 8: Home and Family

Vash

It feels strange. Being back on Ship 3, back in my old room. Back here.

No. That's not what's strange. Ship 3 is home. There's nothing strange about home. Home is home.

What's strange are the subtle changes that have been made in my room. Recently, too.

My full-sized bed – once bolted to the wall – has been traded out, and switched to a queen. A second nightstand has been added, situated on the other side of the bed. It is identical to the one I already had. And then there is the bassinet at the foot of the bed, empty and ready to hold Greywynn in it.

Greywynn Dahlia.

For three – just about four – days I held the memory of her face in my head, remembering how she looked. Wondering how things were going and if she was okay. Wondering if they were okay. And wondering if I would see them again.

I couldn't stay away, though. Even if it were for the better. Even if I wanted to go after Nai and confront him, I couldn't. Not while knowing they were here. And they were all my heart longed for.

I could have missed so much.

"Hey, are you paying any attention?" Brad asks.

I blink, bringing my eyes to his. He is looking at me, his blond brows pinched together as his lips twist into a scowl.

"Of course, you're not," he huffs, rising to his feet. He mumbles and grunts as his joints crack, sounding like a haunted house. "Uh, damn. Wish I could be as lucky as you and have direct access to the fountain of youth."

I smile, chuckling, "Sorry."

He waves a dismissive hand. "Eh, it is what it is. Deep sleep will just have to do."

He brushes his palms against his pants, then brings his stare directly to mine. Brad has never been a difficult character to read, and right now, I know he wants to say something. I can see it in his eyes.

I sigh, "Yes?"

"I'm still having a hard time believing it."

I knit my brows. "A hard time believing what?"

Deep down, I already know what he's about to say. Well, maybe not word for word, but I know it will have to do with Lei and Grey. Or at the very least, Greywynn.

He shrugs, "I can't believe you're a dad. It feels like just yesterday we brought you aboard here, and we blinked, and now you have a kid. Where did the time go?"

I smile, "Well, you can partly thank deep sleep for that."

"You know what I mean." He gives my shoulder a slight shove. "Damn punk." A small smile twitches the corners of his lips. "For real, though. I still remember all those tests and the way your heart broke more and more whenever you heard the results. I know it hurt like hell. That's why ya quit showing up for them."

I sink, feeling the bitter memories trying to pull at me. They weren't horrible times, but to hear – repeatedly – that you're not fertile eventually begins to rub you the wrong way. That's what it did to me. That was why I quit showing up. And whenever I was here, I avoided the lab and would make myself scarce as a way to avoid it. Sometimes, I just left before they could ever bring it up.

I suck in my lips, nodding, "Yeah. Well, when you hear the same thing over and over for decades, you kind of just...start to believe it'll never change."

That was the reality. That was the truth. I thought there was no other way. I thought it would never happen, and so I never considered it. But something changed. The results and Greywynn's existence are proof enough of that.

Brad surveys me, resting his hands on his hips. "And look at you now. A proud dad of a bouncing baby girl." He crosses his arms over his chest, smirking. "Not gonna lie, in a way, I kinda feel like a proud dad myself. Seeing the man you've become makes me proud. You've done well, Vash. You've done well."

Hearing this warms my heart. Brad has never been the sentimental kind, especially with me. My early days on Ship 3 were rocky, to say the least, and Brad was not one to trust me. Not at first, but that all changed. It took time, but it did.

And to hear that he sees me as his son is almost enough to fill the void left by Rem.

"You and Luida didn't do half-bad at raising me," I smirk. "Quick question, though. Does this make you Greywynn's grandpa?"

He jokingly shoves me again. "Damn, punk. Had to ruin the moment, didn't ya?"

But even as he says this, I can see the tilt of his lips and the way the light fills his eyes. He might not openly admit it, but he knows my question is more of an admission than anything else.

As much as I love and miss Rem, she died long ago. Shortly after Nai and I turned one. We only knew her for a year, but that single year meant so much. Then, when Luida and Brad took me in, they became the next set of parents I knew. Well, after adjusting and learning to trust each other, that is.

Still, they took over where Rem left off. It was them that gathered the pieces, and them that brought me back to life after I lost everything.

"I still didn't hear a no," I point out, smirking.

Brad blows out a breath through his nostrils, snorting, "Shut up and help me bolt this bassinet."

**Hello, lovelies! Well, not a long chapter today, but it is a Vash POV. It wasn't much but we got to see a little cute scene between Vash and Brad. To me, in TriStamp, Brad and Luida are more like surrogate parents to Vash. I mean, it did start off rocky. Don't get that twisted, but Brad did come around, so I thought this little moment would be cute. Eventually, more exciting stuff will happen. We just gotta get there. And we will. But we'll end this here. As always, thank y'all so much for everything! Y'all are the bestest! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross