The Typhoon ~Vash x OC AU~

Chapter 30: My Family

Vash

Anxiety swells, coating my throat with a slick thickness I cannot swallow.

My nerves zap and hum, making me feel fidgety and jittery. My leg bounces, the energy building and building, wanting me to move, though I try to still myself. Try. I try.

Jonas, a tall, burly man with broad shoulders and tan skin sits across from me, his eyes pinning me to where I sit. His expression is unreadable with his lips pressed in a flat line and his brows drawn down.

I don't think he likes me.

I smile, my heart hammering against my ribs. When Lei contacted me, I hadn't expected her to tell me Jonas wanted to meet me, especially after she told me that she had revealed everything to him. Sitting here, I still don't see that. But I do feel incredibly awkward.

"Vash," he says, his voice a low boom that rolls through me, setting me on edge. I straighten my posture, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Yes, sir?" I ask. My heart is pummeling my ribs as sweat collects in my palms.

"Nothing. I'm just saying your name." He shifts, crossing his legs. "I've never met anyone with a name like that. Then again, I've never met a plant."

My heart wants to burst through my ribs. "Yeah... It is a pretty unique name...and situation."

Even I can acknowledge that. Being a plant is all I have ever known – it is my norm – but I realize it can be strange to others. Especially given Jonas's position. His estranged niece has just shown up after five years, revealing that not only does she have a child now, but that that child is half-plant.

It is unheard of.

"It is," he agrees, inhaling sharply. For a moment, it seems that he may be trying to calculate what to say next. Then: "I'm sorry. I suppose I'm still trying to swallow all this." Suddenly, his expression and demeanor soften. "It still feels as if I'm swimming through some kind of dream. For five years, I haven't seen my niece, and yesterday..."

His words fade and I feel the shift in the air. "I know," I say. "I can only imagine how it all feels...sounds. I can't even begin to put myself in your shoes."

And I couldn't. He raised Lei – watched her grow up and taught her everything she knows – only to lose her, and when she returned, she dropped a bomb on him. Within a matter of minutes, his whole world was flipped on its side.

It's almost ironic. Hadn't I done similar to Lei that day in Stoneburry? The day I dropped the news of who and what I am as we waited for that test. I had shattered a part of her in that moment, and the test results only deepened that wound. Now, look at us.

He observes me, and a smile bends his lips. "You have a daughter, don't you? You'll learn soon enough." He shifts, sitting more casually, resting his skull against his knuckles. "I never had any children of my own, but when I took guardianship over Lani, I learned a lot of things. I learned a lot. Mainly about what it's like to want to protect someone, even more than myself."

His words strike me, hitting somewhere deep in my chest. I think about Grey, imagining her as she navigates through life, growing. She is only a baby but already I dread the thought of her telling me she's ready to strike out on her own – to let go.

A twinge pulls at my chest, and I fight to hide the pain, though Jonas sees it, saying, "Lani had been nervous to tell me, you know. About the baby. Greywynn. She was afraid she would disappoint me." A small smile lifts the corners of his lips. "Honestly, I was in shock. Surprised, really. Growing up, she never expressed any interest in being a mother. Not that that's a bad thing. It just wasn't an aspiration of hers." His smile remains there, reaching his eyes. "But I was never disappointed. I was happy, and grateful, and now I've seen my great-niece. That is a blessing."

His eyes, soft and mossy, meet mine directly as his voice falls into a whisper. "And she told me you're a good man. That you are willing to protect them. As far as I am concerned, that is all I care about. So what if you're a plant? Okay. Then Grey is half-plant." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Though, I won't lie, at first I was more than hesitant when I heard you are the brother of Millions Knives. I...struggled with that."

I am not surprised to hear that. It had been something I was acutely aware of. It is a phenomenon that has haunted me since the Great Fall.

I smile gently. "That must run in the family. Lei wasn't too happy when I told her that bit. Not happy at all."

His gaze remains trained on me, itching with the longing to know, but deep down, he can piece it all together. I know he can.

"I can't claim that I don't understand, though," I continue, "because I do. I get it. My brother has done so many horrible things. More than I care to admit."

More than anyone – Jonas, Lei, the Stampede, Jeneora Rock, and Ship 3 – will ever know. Looking at Nai's trail of pain and destruction starts so far back, and it leaves a river of blood. No one is more aware of his evil than me.

"Even so," I continue, "I can promise you that I am not my brother. I have never been my brother." I fist my hands. "I love Leilani with all my heart. I would do anything to protect her, and Grey is my soul. No one means more to me than those two. They...are my world."

His gaze is locked on me, searching for the truth when he smiles, "That's all I need to know. That my niece is safe with you. That you love her. That you will protect her." He tilts his head, looking under his brows. "You will protect her, right?"

My heartbeat increases, speeding as my pulse swooshes through my ears. My hand balls into a fist, moving to my chest as I declare, "I would give my life for her – for both of them."

Any day. Any moment. No questions asked. I would give it all for them. My family.

**Ello lovelies! So, not super proud of this chapter. I really struggled with it, but I was okay with this version. It'll do enough to get us to the next scene. But at least Jonas has officially met Vash. It went well. Better than it could have. Well, we're gonna call it here. As always, thank y'all oh, so freakin' much for all the love and support! Y'all are the bestest! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross