Eureka SeveN is owned by BONES and whoever else helped with its production.

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"Hurry back with that nice young lady, Renton. Your kids are waiting."

Several people gazed at the moon; which would forever display the most influential names in the planet's recent history.

As they continued to gaze at the large writing embedded on the moons surface, the scenery slowly began to change.

Off in the vast distance, below the Scab Coral crust that had partially been blown off, two lights could be seen blinking.

Two shadowed figures, one with beautiful glowing green wings, stood in a forest, far away from any civilization. Each with a blinking colored light coming from them.

Acting as a beacon for all mankind to follow; a beacon that would slowly lead the world in the right direction.

A beacon, that no matter what happened, would signify the love of the two emitting it.

And the trials they went through to reach where they were.

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Chapter 1: Life Goes On

Holland Novak looked around the Gekko-Go once again, only to find that it still seemed rather empty.

Stoner and Ken-Goh had been completely correct in knowing that neither Eureka nor Renton would return after what happened.

The only problem was no one even knew if they were still alive. There hadn't been contact with either of the couple since they seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth.

That thought pulled Holland out of his revere as he moved to the window on the soaring Gekko-Go. He looked down to see the still deformed planet below him, and couldn't help but sigh.

The two had given up everything they had to try to save them all. They ended up even giving themselves up, just to stop what was happening.

Holland pulled his first back and slammed it into the wall next to the window. He grunted at the sudden stinging pain, but it didn't matter to him.

In a way, it was his fault. Actually, it was more of his brother's fault, but the blame fell on him as well. He couldn't save his brother and stop everything from happening.

He had failed them.

He'd taken his surname back just to remind him of that point, and the point that he couldn't do anything about it.

"Shit," was all he could murmur as he clenched his eyes shut.

He heard a slight sigh behind him before the person spoke.

"Beating yourself up over this won't bring them back."

Holland turned to look at his wife, who stood with a slight smirk on her face.

"There wasn't anything I could do…"

"There wasn't anything any of us could do, Holland. They chose this path for themselves. There was nothing we could do to stop them."

"But –"

She quickly interrupted, "But nothing, Holland! Would you rather have faced the true destruction of the world? Would you rather have let everyone else die?"

The gray haired man glared at her before closing his eyes and sighing.

"They gave themselves for the good of everyone…yet they lost everything. How could I feel happy about either!"

Talho sighed as she looked at the man before her. Before everything had happened, he'd always put up a strong front and do his best for everyone. But after the disappearance of Eureka and Renton, he seemed lost.

He would still put up a strong front in front of everyone else, but Talho knew the truth. He'd blame himself every chance he could get.

He was protective of his new family, but he also seemed to avoid them slightly.

Talho knew it wasn't his fault, that he was simply letting his feelings overpower his reason. But that had to come to an end. Even though their son was only a few months, Holland had a new role to fulfill in his life.

A role that he was currently just shrugging off.

She could forgive him though. After all, both Eureka and Renton were like family to everyone on board. More so to her and Holland than anyone else on board.

The two had watched, in secret, as Eureka and Renton had slowly begun to grow up. The time they spent on the Gekko-Go with everyone else was only proof of their eventual change.

Talho sighed as she turned to leave Holland alone with his thoughts. It was still fairly early, and she didn't want to put Holland in a bad mood the rest of the day.

As she walked through the silent halls of the ship, she couldn't help but feel angry as well.

Everything they had shoved the two of them into was partially her fault as well. She also felt just as guilty as Holland in the fact that they had forced the two of them to grow up far too fast.

They were only 15 at the time of the Second Summer of Love. Normally, kids their age would still be in school, or messing around with their friends.

But the two of them were forced to take up a huge burden almost from the beginning. Then, they had saved the planet and simply disappeared.

She shook her head to stop her current train of though. She needed to be strong for everyone else. It wouldn't be fair if both she and Holland simply slacked off while the rest of them continued on.

Talho stopped in front of her room and the door opened with a soft swish. She looked in and noticed that the small form inside was still sleeping.

She took a step back and headed towards the kitchen. Currently, it was the only place she could think to seek solace from all that was happening.

After all, it was one of Renton and Eureka's favorite rooms to be in together.

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Renton moved slightly and struggled to open his eyes. He wasn't sure where they were, as the last thing he could remember was that he and Eureka were falling. His eyes snapped open, despite their weight, and he sat up immediately.

He looked around quickly, his eyes frantic and wide.

When he realized they were on the ground, he sighed in relief. He lowered his head to notice the lake in front of them. His mind soon began to awaken and process all that was happening.

As he looked at the water, he could remember their return later last night.

He looked up at the sky, covering his eyes with his hands to avoid the brightness.

"That's right…" His mind, now fully awake, took in his surroundings as he looked at the forest around him. Almost immediately, he knew he was on Earth. No such plant life existed on the outer shell of the coral. As he looked around, he noticed another figure to his left.

He slowly shifted his weight to his legs and moved into a crouched position. His legs felt weak, although he wasn't sure why. He slowly began to rise to his feet, only to end up in a sitting position again.

He sighed and settled for crawling on the ground toward the blue haired figure before him. As he reached her, he could see that she was still wearing a simple one piece dress; the end of which was barely covering most of her midriff as she lay in a curled position.

He blushed slightly as he noticed her state of undress, but continued to move forward.

He stopped right next to her and sat on the ground. It was then that he noticed a purple backpack sitting on its side behind the sleeping form. He could only wonder where it had come from, as neither of them had anything aside from what they wore when the Nirvash had sent them back.

As he shifted his reach to the foreign object, he wondered if it was all a dream. As he pulled the purple mass to him, he noticed it looked strangely familiar. When he held it in front of him, he was shocked to see that it was the backpack he'd taken from Moondoggie, and later lost, on the Gekko-Go.

He looked at the purple container for only a few moments longer before returning his attention to the area around them. He slowly stood, shifting his weight from side to side, and looked around again.

He took a few shaky steps before walking around the small area that he awoke in. He looked down at Eureka in concern, but had to find out exactly what was going on. He moved away from the area at a slow and shaky pace.

As he walked further away from the clearing, Renton noticed that area was nothing like the first trip down to Earth he had made with Eureka and the kids. He gazed around, completely shocked by the natural beauty around him. This time, he could actually take time to enjoy everything rather than fret about all that was happening.

He continued on further into the forest, constantly casting glances around himself. He wasn't sure what was going on at all. It seemed like only yesterday that both he and Eureka had been released by Nirvash, after the LFO itself had become the Command Cluster.

Yet, from the distinct feeling in his body, he knew that there was something missing. There was something more.

He continued to move around the area, looking for any kind of clues or signs of someone being nearby. He was still stumped as to why the backpack had been sitting next to Eureka, and trying to think about how it was possible only made his head hurt.

He put a hand to his forehead and wiped away the small amount of sweat that had gathered from his walk. He wasn't sure how far he traveled, as most of the scenery looked the same. He continued on for a little further, still looking around. After finding absolutely nothing, he resigned himself to the fact that they were alone and practically lost on Earth.

Renton turned and started walking slowly back to the clearing, wondering what exactly had been going on. He couldn't remember a thing, and when he tried thinking about what happened after the Nirvash let them go, a painful wave sent itself through his head.

He hated being left in the dark; it was one thing that he absolutely couldn't stand. However, it looked like there was no one else that could explain the situation and no clues to be found anywhere.

As he slowly made his way back to the clearing, he suddenly felt a surge of panic. His eyes, now very wide, turned to the direction of the camp. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he definitely felt it.

He quickened his pace carrying himself as fast as his weakened legs would allow him to. It seemed like forever before he finally began to see the trees thinning, and walked into the clearing.

He looked around quickly, and noticed that Eureka was now sitting up. She seemed to be whimpering while she had her hands covering her face.

He could see that she was upset, but could also feel a sense of fear and sadness coming from her. He approached her slowly, not really sure of what was going on.

As he got closer to her, he heard her murmur something. After a few more steps, she said it again.

Only this time he could hear it. She was whispering his name.

"What is it, Eureka? What's wrong?"

Immediately, the young girl's heard snapped up and looked at him. The shallow feelings of sadness and fear slowly faded into something else as she continued to look at him.

Relief passed by her features first and tears seemed to well up in her eyes again. She quickly stood and immediately ran to the boy as soon as the thought came to mind.

She embraced him tightly and began to bury herself in him. For a moment, she had thought she lost him.

Renton wrapped his arms around Eureka and simply held her. His right arm brushed against one of her wings, which caused her to shiver slightly.

Never once had he thought that they were strange or that they took away from her humanity. It was quite the opposite. He loved the way that they accented her beauty; he didn't think they looked strange at all.

After a few moments, she pulled back and looked at him, eyes still shimmering.

It was then that Renton felt the strange sensations again from before. As he looked at Eureka, he could feel only love for her. But at the same time, he also felt a tinge of worry, as well as a feeling that amplified his own.

"I'm sorry…"

Eureka shook her head, "You don't have to apologize."

Renton gave her a sad smile before shaking his head, "I should have waited for you to wake up so we could look around together."

Eureka rested her head on his shoulder, and the two stood in absolute silence.

Renton could feel the overpowering love coming from the both of them. He thought it was odd, since he never felt anything like what he was experiencing currently.

He was slightly confused as to how anything of the sort had happened, quickly shoved his thoughts aside. It didn't really matter to him; after all it was a way to get closer to Eureka.

Renton put his hands on her shoulders pushed her back a little. He could see her purple eyes shining back up at him, holding nothing but endearment.

Renton smiled at her, which she quickly returned.

"Although I don't mind being alone with you…we need to figure out our situation." Eureka nodded, "As far as I can tell, we've somewhere on Earth, but I'm not sure where. And then there is that…"

Renton turned his gaze to the small purple backpack on the ground. Eureka slowly followed his line of sight, and looked upon it with confusion.

She broke away from Renton and strode over to the object and knelt before it. She quickly set it upright and started to open it.

"Eureka, no! We don't know whose it is! What if someone lost it?"

Eureka turned to look at him, "But what if they left it here for us?"

Renton scratched the side of his head, "I didn't see anyone or anything around us at all when I looked."

Eureka nodded and turned her attention back to the purple device. She slowly began to open it further, more cautious than before.

Renton slowly started his way over until he saw her lift her head. He felt a hint on confusion before he even reached her to see it. When he reached her side, he could see what she was confused about. Sitting inside were everything they could possibly need.

A large blanket rolled into a tight bundle, a small electrical lantern, a flare gun with two extra shells, a pair of shoes and socks, a pair or binoculars…and last but not least, a small communicator at the bottom.

Renton looked in awe at the things gathered in the knapsack. It was like someone had planned for this to happen and left them with whatever they needed in order to continue on.

That though struck an odd chord as he looked at Eureka.

"You don't think…"

She nodded, looking at him. He could tell she knew what question was coming and had already replied to it.

"They knew this would happen. I'm not sure how, but they knew."

Renton scratched the side of his head as he moved over to Eureka.

Renton sat down next to her and continued to look at the contents. He could see why they would need several of the items, but the flare gun and binoculars were still a mystery to him.

He picked up the shoes and handed them to Eureka. She nodded and slowly began to put the protective footwear on.

Renton then grabbed the communicator and tried turning it on. At first, a burst of static came out of the small speaker, followed by a loud beep and then silence.

Renton scowled at the small device and began fiddling with it, but to no avail. He reached behind him to pull around his usual waist pack with his tools in it…to find it wasn't there.

"Damnit…" He cursed as he realized that he never did put the pack back on when he changed clothes. There wasn't enough time to make sure everything was in order before he rushed to be with Eureka.

He sighed and looked at the small device that seemingly mocked him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at the worried visage of Eureka. He put his own hand on hers and grinned.

"Well, it seemed too easy with everything going right," he said as he looked at the small device again.

Eureka shifted slightly and rested her head on his shoulders. After a few moments of silence Renton turned his head slightly to look at his blue haired companion.

"I don't think anything will come of us sitting here."

Eureka nodded, "We should probably move elsewhere."

Renton stood first, turning around and giving his head to Eureka. She smiled at him and accepted it while Renton slowly helped her to her feet.

They both turned and looked out over the lake in front of them and then turned towards the forest. Soon, nothing could be seen of the two figures as they made their way through the towering trees.

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Holland grinned as he saw a monstrous red ship pull into the airspace next to the Gekko-Go.

Gidget, who was messing with her nails, sat up straight as soon as she heard something from her headset.

"Super Izumo sending over a transmission."

Holland nodded, "Put it on screen."

A small screen appeared from the panel next to him, with the visage of a military man with a black beret and a brown moustache appeared before him.

"It's been a while Yurgens."

The man nodded solemnly, "Indeed it has."

Holland raised an eyebrow, "What's up? I thought it was a little odd that you would contact us so suddenly."

Yurgens looked at the screen and sighed, "As you know there have been many things going on in the United Federation Forces." Holland nodded, "And it seems that a few things have driven a few of the soldiers to separate into their own faction."

Holland showed mild interest, "Oh?"

The captain nodded, "Yes. They've dubbed themselves as the Coral Combat Faction. It seems they have quite a few issues with the policies of the U.F.F. They separated on the idea of following Dewey's original plan and wiping out the Scab Coral. However, they have no real influence or power to accomplish anything."

"Not yet, at least," Holland added, noting the other man's serious nod.

"They managed to take a few KLFs with them, but there weren't enough taken to raise too many problems."

"But…"

"But a few of the soldiers were able to practically clear out a few weapons storage units. They're armed with everything needed for ground combat."

Holland sat back and sighed, "And with every person armed, they can cause some serious problems."

"Yes…but the most disturbing information is yet to come."

Holland put a hand to his forehead, "How did I know this was coming…"

"It seems that they are quite intent on harming Axel Thurston and anyone related to him."

That sentence caught Holland off guard, "What?"

Yurgens nodded, "Yes. We've received reports from several districts in Bellforest that place several key faction members at both his old garage and the scrap yard of one of his protégé's."

Holland clenched his fist, "Those idiots would do something like that…and let me guess why…"

Yurgens nodded again, "Due to his relation to Renton Thurston. They feel repulsed by the idea of mutual cohabitation of a Coralian and human. Following Dewey's ideal plan of action is, to them, the only way they can survive."

Holland smirked, "I'd like to see those cocky bastards just try it."

Yurgens raised an eyebrow, "What are you planning?"

Holland raised a hand and waved it in front of him, "Oh, nothing much. Just a little trip back to Bellforest to see how the kids are doing."

Yurgens snorted, "I figured you would say something like that. We already have their residence under surveillance if they actually are found. A unit is always on standby at the nearest available complex."

Holland nodded, "It's best to not underestimate them."

Yurgens smirked, "And I think you'll find this last bit rather entertaining."

Holland raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

"It seems that, as purifists, the C.C.F. is completely for taking back the Earth, so you can guess where they've made their headquarters."

Holland let out a small laugh, "Yea, right. The only thing they're proving themselves to be are pure idiots."

A small silence passed between both men.

"So…" Yurgens was the first to break the silence, "is there any word…?"

Holland crossed his arms and shook his head, "None."

The captain sighed, "If only there were some way we could help. But the U.F.F. is having enough problems of its own. It's hard enough trying to keep them from targeting you. No matter how many times I explain it, they simply won't listen."

Holland shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal. We can always return to being a royal pain in their ass."

The Captain of the Super Izumo smirked, "Well said. We still have surveillance to attend to. Maybe out paths will cross another day."

Holland scratched the side of his chin, "Maybe. Take care of yourself. And keep Dominic's ass out of trouble."

Holland smirked as he heard a resentful grunt from off screen. With that, he closed the line and sank back into the chair.

Everyone turned to look at Holland as he sighed.

"What is the world coming to…"

Holland felt a hand on his right shoulder and looked over to see Talho.

She smiled at him, which he returned with a small grin of his own.

"Doggie, take us to Bellforst. We're getting the old man and the kids out of there before something happens."

The blonde haired pilot nodded and punched the thrusters up a notch before gliding to the left and below the clouds.

The crew looked over the torn surface of the planet as it came into view. None of them were quite used to the sight yet, but it was becoming bearable.

Off in the distance, a lone tower stood; a shadow of its former self in the setting sun. It was their current destination, for under that tower was the city-state they were looking for.

The city of Bellforest.

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Axel Thurston sat at the desk on the second floor of the small apartment. He looked at the picture on his desk, and then back at the rising moon.

He still couldn't believe what had happened. Both his son and grandson had become heroes. The Thurston family name was praised as the most influential family of their time. Adrock Thurston was first, the man who had supposedly saved mankind by preventing the First Summer of Love. After him, his son took on the name of a hero for bringing the Second Summer of Love in his wake, and partially releasing the Earth from her shell of Scab Coral.

Neither had yet to return, yet the old man knew that Renton would be back. He'd sent the children ahead of him as proof that he would return.

The elderly man turned and silently stood. He softly strode to the end of the hall to look into the far room. As he peeked through the door, he could see the silhouettes of the three children, each sleeping in an odd position.

The old man smiled and moved away from the door and quietly shut it.

If he said he was surprised when Holland had simply appeared with the kids and a new family register, he'd be lying. He was downright shocked at the development.

Yet, the proof was there. He took out the paper from the small desk drawer and stared at it again.

Axel looked back out the window, but was soon drawn from his thoughts by a quiet knock on the door. He picked himself out of the chair and steadily made his way to the door.

When he opened it, he was surprised to see both Holland and Matthieu standing before him.

Holland grinned, "Hey old timer, we need to talk."

Axel's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the two of them.

"What could you possibly want now? You fools have already taken everything else from me."

Holland scratched the side of his head and shrugged.

"We haven't come for anything. If anything, we've come for you. That is…if you agree to it."

The old man raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Are we going to stand here and talk like idiots or are you going to invite us in gramps?"

Axel frowned at the comment but moved aside and motioned for the two to come in. After a few moments, all three were sitting in the small main room.

Holland was in his normal position on the sofa, with his arms resting on the back of it and his eyes pointed toward the ceiling.

After a few moments, Axel was the first to speak.

"Well?"

Holland lazily brought his face down to meet with Axel's gaze. He sighed before sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know exactly how to put this lightly…but you and the kids are in danger."

The old man snorted, "Yes, being unfortunate enough to know you is enough to put anyone in danger."

Holland scowled at the man, "I'm being serious here, Axel."

Axel raised an eyebrow he knew something was up when Holland actually referred to him by name, "What do you mean?"

Over the next few minutes, Holland relayed all the information that Yurgens had told him.

The old man sat back with his eyes wide, "Are they certain?"

Holland nodded, "I'd trust Yurgens with this information. He couldn't simply make something up."

Axel put a hand to his forehead and slowly began to rub it. After a few moments, he looked back at Holland.

"And what is the purpose of your visit other than giving me this information?"

Holland shifted slightly and looked at the floor before looking back at Axel.

"To tell you the truth, we're here to pick you and the kids up. The C.C.F. knows you're still in Bellforest. While you're on the Gekko-Go, they wouldn't be stupid enough to attack. Unless they have a deathwish."

Axel looked at the men in front of him. The more emotional part of his mind was telling him to completely reject their offer, but the more rational side could see their point.

He sighed, letting all his thoughts out in one breath before looking Holland directly in the eyes. He could tell the man wasn't lying. Plus, the only time Holland had ever come to visit after Diane had disappeared was when things were serious.

The old man nodded slightly, "I understand."

The sign of relief could be seen on Holland's face as soon as the two words left Axel's mouth. The old man could only guess that Holland had been expecting either a complete rejection or more of a fight.

"Good. We'll have Hilda come down in the 606 for you and the kids."

Holland looked at Mattieu, who nodded and stepped outside for a moment. Axel moved to the room the children shared and opened the door.

He moved inside and quickly roused the children. Each groaned slightly before waking up and looking up at the elderly man.

"What's wrong grandpa?" Maurice mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"I need you kids to hurry up and get anything you want or need. We're going away for a while."

Maurice nodded slightly and blinked to get the sleep out of his eyes. He quickly began looking around for anything that he figured Maeter or Linck would want before packing said items. After he was done, he noticed that his siblings were still asleep.

He moved outside to say something to Axel, but saw someone he hadn't seen in a while standing at the door.

"Holland!"

The gray haired man turned around with a wary grin, "Yo!"

Maurice looked at him in surprise, but quickly shook his head, "Linck and Maeter need to be carried."

Holland nodded, "We'll get to that point when Hilda gets here."

Maurice looked confused, but Holland wasn't giving anything else away. After a few moments, the sound of a larger trapar board could be heard.

"That's your ride. Time to go."

Holland moved into the back room and picked both of the other children up and slowly walked outside. He handed Maeter to Hilda first, and then Linck after she set the young girl in the back seat. He hoisted Maurice up next and then looked at Axel.

The old man was just coming out of the small apartment with his coat and hat on. He was also carrying a fairly large metal briefcase.

Holland took the metal case and shoved it into Matthieu's arms before jerking his head to the 606.

The old man looked up and made his way over to the huge LFO. He had to take a more compact place in the front seat with Hilda, since the children were in the back.

As the cockpit screen closed, he grunted from the lack of space.

"It won't be that long, you can relax soon."

After giving him slight reassurances, Hilda took off in the 606 before Holland and Matthieu were even off the ground.

Matthieu looked over at Holland.

"Why do I have to carry this thing?"

Holland smirked, "Because I told you to."

Without waiting for a response, Holland took off on his ref board.

"Damnit leader! That ain't fair!" Matthieu yelled as he, too, took off.

----------

Renton looked around the new area in the forest that they decided to stop at. The canopy was pretty thin compared to the normal light blocking branches that usually hung overhead.

He could see the moonlight peeking through the branches. They'd stopped just a few moments ago, deciding that rest was definitely needed. After all, they had been walking since they woke up that morning, taking few breaks as they continued on their way.

Renton was leaning against one of the massive trees with his eyes closed when he felt something wash over him.

It was a feeling of giddiness and curiosity. After a few moments, he could hear Eureka calling for him. He stood up and slowly followed the path he had seen her take, plus he could see the slight green glow her wings produced in the darkness.

As he exited the cover of the trees, he could see her looking up at the sky. Eureka quickly turned her head and looked at him with excited eyes.

"Look Renton! Isn't it wonderful?"

"Huh?" He looked at her rather confused until he looked up at the sky. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just the moon and stars.

After a few moments of looking at the moon though, his mind began to process what exactly was going on.

His jaw suddenly dropped as he looked at the huge engraved heart with his and Eureka's names in the middle of it.

"How…?"

"I don't know, but isn't it wonderful?" Eureka turned her gaze back to the young boy standing next to her. She smiled warmly at him, but his faced was still locked in the look of absolute amazement.

After a few moments, she moved over next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He slowly wrapped his left arm around her waist and winced slightly.

Eureka didn't seem to notice, though, as she was still gazing up at the large orb in the sky.

Nothing seemed to matter in the world to Renton. He was finally able to be alone with the one he loved. Only, he felt rather uncomfortable in the strange environment with no human contact for thousands of kilometers.

As the moments passed, Eureka slowly lowered her head and broke the comfortable silence.

"Renton…"

"Hm?"

"How do you think the kids are doing…"

Renton scratched the back of his neck with his free hand and sighed.

"If I had to guess, I'd say there were still will Holland on the Gekko-Go. So they should be doing fine."

"Do…do you think they miss us? As much as we miss them?"

Renton tilted his head slightly to catch a glimpse of the tears hanging at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sure they do. After all, they've been away from their mama for a while now."

Eureka lowered her head slightly and Renton kicked himself mentally.

"I didn't mean it like that Eureka…I'm sure they miss you."

Eureka nodded and allowed Renton to lead her away to the spot they'd chosen to set up camp at. He, once again, sat down in his spot that he'd vacated to go meet with Eureka. Renton slowly closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree trunk.

His thoughts began to wander slightly before he simply lost consciousness.

Eureka, still caught up in her thoughts, sat next to Renton and tried to get comfortable. She looked over at the young boy with both affection and worry in her eyes. She knew that she'd eventually drive Renton away if she let their situation get the best of her. Worrying about the kids when they were in capable hands should've obviously taken the back burner, but she couldn't help herself.

Eureka rested her head gently on Renton's shoulder and leaned against his side. She felt him shift slightly to accept the extra weight and move his arm.

Eureka couldn't help but smile. Even while unconscious, Renton still did his best to try to please her.

His scent was strong, which slowly lured her into a realm of security, and eventually sleep.

-------------

Holland, sitting in the lounge, looked up as the door opened to emit Axel Thurston. The old mechanic had a slight change of heart toward Holland when he'd dropped the kids off.

The fact that he promised to continue looking for Renton and Eureka also influenced that change of heart.

Right now, the two simply looked at each other. Holland nodded and laid his head on the back of the couch again.

Axel moved and sat down opposite of Holland on one of the chairs. After a few moments of silence, the only man crossed his arms.

"There hasn't been any word or progress?"

Holland sighed, as he knew the topic would've been brought up eventually.

"No. We've devoted most of our time in trying to find then since we talked two months ago. Nothing's come up."

He heard the old man sigh, and pulled his head forward. He could see that Axel was hunched over in the chair, elbows on his knees.

"Yurgens also said Dominic and Anemone, as well as a few others, are looking for him as well. Currently, they had to retrieve Dominic for official trial reasons. He'll be joining Anemone again soon."

The old man looked up and nodded. Holland was almost surprised to see that unshed tears were clinging to the corners of his eyes. Holland could understand what he was feeling completely. After all, he'd gone through similar emotions when his elder brother killed himself in front of him.

It was a feeling of loss, of confusion and of failure.

Before anything else could be said, the door slid open to reveal three small figures.

A chorus rang out, each child calling Holland's name, as the gray haired man looked over just in time to be smothered by Linck and Maeter.

Maurice stood back with a grin as he watched Holland try to untangle himself from the two younger children.

Laughter rang out in the lounge as Holland soon was able to pull himself away from them.

"How have you midgets been? It's been rather quiet on the ship without you."

"We're doing just fine," Maeter replied.

Linck nodded enthusiastically, "Grandpa is cool!"

Holland raised an eyebrow and shot a look over at the laughing old man.

Maurice, who had remained in the background, stepped forward.

"Holland…what about mama?"

Holland looked over at the black haired youth and put a hand on his head, "We're still looking, but I doubt it'll be much longer."

Maurice nodded.

The small reunion was broken as the door opened to admit Talho and Stoner. The auburn haired man seemed slightly surprised to see that there were quite a few people already up and in the lounge.

As soon as the children saw Talho, they ran to her and embraced her legs. Talho smiled and lowered one hand to pat each of the children on the head.

Soon, Maeter noticed that she was carrying something in her arms.

"Is that the baby?" She asked excitedly.

Talho nodded.

"Can we see it?" Linck added.

Talho smiled and slowly crouched so that the three young ones could get a better look at the sleeping child.

Maurice, Maeter and Linck all looked at the smaller form in amazement and curiosity. A few moments later, Maeter reached out slowly and began to pat his head.

A sudden clicking sound could be heard, and all attention was rendered to Stoner. He stood in the doorway with his trusty camera in hand, and a smile plastered on his face.

"Nice little reunion photo op," was all he said before moving further into the lounge and into the kitchen.

Maurice quickly followed the photographer, and soon soft chatter could be heard coming from inside the kitchen.

Talho slowly stood and smiled as the kids continued with their questions and antics.

After a few moments, she carefully sat next to Holland and Maeter and Linck moved over to see the baby again.

"What is it?"

"It's a boy Linck."

"Does he have a name?"

Holland grinned as Talho nodded, "Alex."

The old man looked at Holland in surprise, as the chatter in the lounge continued.

Soon afterward, Matthieu and Hilda joined the group. Not long after they settled down, Moondoggie and Gidget made their appearances as well.

After a few hours, the entire crew had gathered in the lounge and kitchen. The atmosphere was light and friendly, but still contained a slight amount of sadness.

For the crew wasn't exactly complete. They were still missing its two most important members.

------------

Renton slowly opened his eyes and almost immediately could feel two things. He could feel something soft touching his cheek, as well as a slight weight on his side.

The other feeling was a bit more troublesome. He could feel a searing pain in his left arm. It was far worse than he ever remembered it being, even when he had come down with his fever.

He shifted his weight away from his left side and managed to remove his arm from the pinned position it was in. As his appendage was liberated from its prison, the pain immediately seemed to subside. It still throbbed, but was nothing like it was a moment before.

His sudden movements caused Eureka to awaken from her sleep. She seemed confused at first, but moved herself closer to Renton. She laid her head on his chest, while putting one of her legs on his. He slowly adjusted his left arm and soon wrapped his sore appendage around her waist.

The two sat in silence until Eureka slowly drifted back to the realm of dreams. Renton looked down at her and smiled before resting his head against the sturdy tree again.

Soon, he too, let sleep reclaim him.

As time continued to pass, both slept in blissful ignorance. As midday broke, Renton finally opened his eyes once again. He looked around him and noticed that things were a lot brighter and it was a fair deal hotter.

He shifted and softly nudged Eureka. His efforts were rewarded with a slight groan and Eureka's eyes slowly opening.

After a few moments, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Renton stood and quickly began stretching. He winced in pain as he extended his left arm, but Eureka didn't seem to notice. She looked up at him with a warm smile on her face.

"Can we do that more often?"

Renton looked down at her with confusion written on his face, "Huh?"

"Can we be like that together more often? It was very comfortable…and very nice…"

Renton caught her drift and scratched the back of his head, "Although I wouldn't mind, I don't know what grandpa and them would say."

Eureka tossed Renton a confused look.

"Normally…people who spend the night with each other are a bit older and a lot more intimate…"

Her head seemed to dip slightly, "I see…"

Renton immediately picked up on the disappointment and slight sadness that played on her beautiful features.

"We could still try though, if you'd like."

Eureka looked back up at Renton, her smile returning, "Yes."

Renton nodded and offered her a hand. As he slowly helped her up, he could feel something continuing to swell inside each of them.

He wasn't sure, but he could only guess that it was their affection that was drawing them even closer together.

As Renton shouldered the backpack, he turned to look at Eureka with a grin.

"Another day of wandering around."

Eureka nodded, "Yes, but at least we can enjoy it this time."

As Renton started to walk away, Eureka quickened her pace to match his. Soon, she latched onto his left arm, which caused him to jump slightly. Eureka thought it was simply from the surprise that she suddenly initiated contact. She never suspected that it was something else. Something completely different.

Something that she would soon find out about.

-----------

Anemone looked up as a KLF landed next to the camp site. Originally, she and Dominic had set out to find both themselves, and possibly Eureka and Renton.

Not long after, though, Dominic had been summoned aboard the Super Izumo once again to deal with the charges brought against anyone actively involved in Dewey's plots.

That also included the children, which had slightly depressed Yurgens.

Now he was making his return via a trip in one of the Izumo's KLFs. The cockpit door opened and Dominic stepped out from behind the cramped seat and thanked the pilot before climbing down the massive machine and waving.

As soon as he waved, the pilot sealed the cockpit again and took off.

Dominic turned around only to be enveloped in a bone crushing hug from Anemone. He smiled warmly and returned the hug.

He was still amazed that they had become involved. The past seemed to flash before his eyes, once again. All the times she'd made Dewey out to be more important, all the times she'd abused him, all the times she'd ignored him…everything.

But that had changed when Dewey himself had spilled everything to Anemone.

Dominic could only guess that the shroud that had been pulled over Anemone's eyes had been yanked away. She suddenly began to face everything at once. The fact that he wasn't there, the fact that she didn't need the drug, and the fact that everything Dewey had said was a lie.

Dominic smiled as Anemone pulled back. She had a hint of worry in her eyes, but also smiled at him.

"Took you long enough."

Dominic scratched the back of his head, "Yea, well…Captain Yurgens made a slight detour to give information to the Gekko-Go."

Anemone looked at him curiously, "About what?"

"About the new faction targeting anyone related to the Thurstons. And information about the faction itself."

"What did Holland have to say?"

"He pretty much decided on the spot to retrieve the old man and his grandchildren. That and told me to keep my nose clean."

Anemone narrowed her eyes slightly and let a sly grin cross her face.

"Oh did he now? I would've thought something coming from him would've been cruder."

Dominic blushed slightly and lowered his head, "Well yea…it is Holland after all."

Anemone giggled before pulling Dominic toward the tent. As they neared the campsite, the young man could see that practically nothing had changed since his departure.

She let go of his hand and sat on the back end of the sidecar of Dominic's motorcycle. The black haired youth smiled as he noticed this.

That spot, however small it was, represented a great many things for Dominic. And it was a very special spot that both he and Anemone were quite taken with.

He took his spot next to her, and both gazed up at the sky, neither saying anything. They were content simply by being with each other.

------------

Renton and Eureka looked up at the scene in front of them in amazement. They knew there were on Earth, but they hadn't expected anything like what was in front of them.

A huge portion of Scab Coral still stood, completely untouched by anything. The cliff like rock cut through the skies beauty like a sore. The marred land seemed so drastically out of place in the beautiful land on Earth.

Both youths stood in a small trance as they looked at the structure in front of them. As they moved forward, each raised a hand and placed their palms on the cold stone.

It seemed so surreal in many ways. It was proof that the Second Summer of Love occurred, but was also proof that not everything had reverted back to normal.

After a few moments, Renton seemed to stumble back. Eureka looked at him in confusion, but noticed that something was wrong. Very wrong.

She quickly moved over to Renton, only to see him holding his left arm tenderly. His face was contorted in a look of extreme pain.

Almost instantly, everything began to click. The night before when he shifted away and earlier that day when she latched on to his arm both came back as clear cut indicators.

Renton's left arm was acting up again.

She quickly moved over to him and eventually got him seated. She slowly removed the backpack and had Renton remove the outer jacket he now wore.

As soon as the left sleeve was slipped off, she could sense something was dreadfully wrong. The entire lower part of his sweatshirt sleeve was covered in liquid and small bits of blood.

She tried as gently as she could to roll up the sleeve, but Renton still reacted violently to any sensation in his arm.

As soon as the sleeve was clear, she could see something that looked very disturbing.

The place where Renton had intentionally hurt himself to try to make her feel better was looking far worse.

Green puss was slowly oozing out of the wound, and the wound itself looked to be a darker shade of green. As she moved closer to the wound, Renton went into a craze. He grasped just above the large gash on his arm and began to scream.

He began to move around quite a bit, and finally rested with his head against one of the nearby trees. He seemed to pause there slightly, before pulling his head back and hitting it against the tree.

Eureka began to tear up, just at the sight of Renton in pain. As he began to inflict more harm upon himself, the dam broke.

"Renton, please stop! Hurting yourself worse won't accomplish anything!" She rushed toward Renton, her wings in a strange half extended form. She quickly grabbed his midsection and began to squeeze it tightly.

"Please, I'm begging you Renton! Don't do this!"

Renton, resting his head against the trunk, suddenly went limp. His breathing was still very quickened, and she could feel his erratic heartbeat from her position.

Eureka looked up to see that Renton's eyes were closed, and that he'd drawn blood on the side of his forehead. Eureka began to weep softly while clinging to Renton.

She wasn't really sure what was going on. He'd been absolutely fine until they came into contact with the Scab Coral piece.

A memory of her own problems with interacting with the Scab Coral arose. She suddenly felt panicked, not sure on how to handle the situation.

If things went anything like they did with her, Renton could be in possible danger.

She quickly moved to the only hope she now saw in this situation: the backpack.

She quickly spilled all the contents on the ground and reached for the flare gun immediately after seeing it.

She checked to make sure it was loaded and looked at Renton once more before standing up and pointing the gun straight in the air.

She covered one ear and pulled the trigger. She looked up and saw a streak of red that went several hundred feet high and after a few moments, a large pop could be heard as the flare exploded into a sort of beacon.

Eureka dropped the gun and the moved back to Renton to make sure he was alright.

All she could do now…was hope.

----------

Dominic heard the popping noise and looked around. Anemone looked at him with a hint of confusion before she, too, began to look around. After a few moments, her head stopped in one direction.

"Hey, Dominic…" The black haired youth turned to look at her, "What's that?"

He followed her extended arm and noticed a large plume of red smoke off in the distance. It wasn't close, but it wasn't extremely far either.

"Is that…an emergency flare?"

Anemone turned her head to look at him, eyes wide.

"You don't think…"

Dominic looked at her and nodded, "It could be."

Anemone immediately hopped off the back of the sidecar and looked in the direction of the fading smoke. She quickly turned back to him with a hint of annoyance.

"What are you waiting for!"

Dominic seemed slightly startled, but nodded. He jumped off the sidecar and grabbed his helmet.

Soon, the both of them were dodging obstacles left and right to get to the area that they'd seen the flare go off in.

After a few kilometers, the area around them began to clear out slightly. Dominic recognized that place immediately. It was the way to one of the former camp sites that he and Anemone had set up at in the past few days. They'd move around from time to time in order to cover more ground.

Dominic looked ahead of him and silently began to calculate just how far the camp site would be. His calculations ended as soon as he saw the towering figure of the Scab Coral.

He put more pressure on the handle grip, causing the small motorcycle to speed up. After a few moments, almost all the trees simply vanished from sight and they entered a small clearing.

Dominic immediately began to brake as soon as he saw two figures crouched by one of the trees closest to the cliff. As the cycle stopped, Anemone was the first out.

She jumped out of the sidecar and immediately began running to the two familiar forms.

"Renton! Eureka!"

Eureka, who had heard the motor powered device, had a look of immense relief plastered on her face.

Dominic soon joined Anemone at Eureka's side, but things didn't look too good. Renton's head was resting on a bundled blanket. His face was covered in sweat, but that wasn't the most disturbing part.

Dominic noticed Renton's arm next and couldn't help but stare in shock at his battered appendage.

Renton's arm looked extremely infected. It had a great deal of puss around the wound and liquid run off running down his arm.

Without saying a word, he quickly pulled out a hand held communicator and began to fiddle with it.

After a few moments, a female voice began to speak from it.

"Lieutenant Sorrel, why are you contacting back so soon?"

"This isn't the time for that! We have problems here."

A short pause followed, and a masculine voice took over.

"What problems, Dominic?"

"Captain! This is bad. We found Eureka and Renton."

"And exactly how is that bad?"

"The situation is! His arm is infected, by what I'm not sure. But I know that he needs medically treatment immediately!" A slight pause came from the young man, and he spoke again in a softer tone, "Or else the infection itself may consume his entire body."

"We're sending a landing shuttle to the coordinates your communicator is broadcasting from. Don't move."

Dominic nodded and then a click could be heard.

He put the communicator back in his jacket and looked at Eureka.

"Help is on the way."

A/N: This chapters been 3 days in the making, and now it's finally done! I really, REALLY don't need another project, but I just can't help it.

Eureka SeveN was an amazing anime that I just have to write about. The ending was a sound ending, but left so many things open. Thus, this project.

I haven't really read around much of the E7 part of but I know it is extremely small. Thus, my contribution to this section.

Look for more eventually.