He'd never felt so high before. He thought the phrase floating on air was bull until now. Watching his woman and baby girl dance on the make shift dance floor was nothing short of magical.
"Hey, Veep, I had a present I couldn't wrap up in a box."
He turned toward Sick and lifted an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what it is?"
"Trust me, you want to know," Data stated with a grin.
"Call it a joint gift," Sick said.
"All right, boys, lay it on me."
"The one who got away was found."
The words sank in. The man who'd sold his baby girl like an animal was in the ground.
"Was it painful?"
"And slow, brother," Sick said as they clasped hands.
"Damn, you boys just made this day even better. I didn't think it was possible."
"Wanted you to start your new life off right with your youngin' and your pretty lady," Data said.
"Hey, keep your eyes off her," Snake growled playfully.
"Are you terrorizing these young men?" Es asked, wrapping an arm around his waist.
"Young men? Don't let the Sunday best they're wearing fool you," Snake said.
She laughed. "I thought family was supposed to stick up for one another."
Those words from her mouth were a beautiful thing. They were from two different worlds, but here as everyone mingled, drank, and ate it didn't matter. They'd successfully forged a place for them to both belong. This tiny woman was the other half of his soul. From the pile of shit he'd been buried beneath came something beautiful.
EPILOGUE
"Are we really doing this?" Es asked.
"You tell me, you're the fearless one lately," he said, tracing her half sleeve. The elegant script in the ribbon read ‘Support'. He had a matching moniker across his collarbone.
"Don't tease." Tilting her head, she spilled her rapidly growing blonde hair onto his chest. He cupped her ass and ground up into her.
"This is teasing. What I'm about to do to you will be satisfaction."
She moaned.
"No pressure, if we get pregnant, we do. If not, we'll have a lot of fun trying." He rolled her over, distracting her from her worries. It took him six months to convince her this was the right move. Soon he'd give her the one thing she'd always wanted but had never gotten and complete their family.
THE END