The moment they stepped inside, a calm, feminine voice called from another room. "Ian, are you finally back? I don't have time for your nonsense right now, so make it fast!"
Safari and Angeleva instantly perked up at the voice.
Then the woman emergedâdressed in a polished, dark-blue cop uniform, holster on her belt, her blue hair tied back neatly.
She was lecturing as she walked out. "Seriously Ian, next time you leave me with both kidsâ!"
And then she froze.
Her serious expression melted away, eyes wide in stunned surprise. "...Big Brother?! Big Sister?!"
Olive.
Safari gave her a lazy wave. "Hey, Officer. Been a while."
Angeleva smiled. "Still keeping everything in order, huh?"
Olive stepped forward, disbelief still on her face. "I can't believe this... You're actually here! And after so many years! Andâoh my starsâyou brought them?"
She looked toward the twins, who gave her a bright, synchronized wave. "Aunt Olive!! We finally meet you too!"
Olive gasped. "They're yours?! Oh my godâthey're... they're adorable! And... devil horns and fairy wings? Unbelievable..."
The girl twin spun in place, showing off her wings. "We're a mix!"
The boy added proudly, "And super strong!"
Angeleva laughed. "Looks like they're going to charm the entire planet before we leave."
Olive chuckled, then sighed. "They're even acting like they've known me forever."
Safari shrugged. "We showed them plenty of pictures. Told them stories about all of you."
Olive turned back to Ian with a smirk. "Well, nothing really surprises me anymore... that we'd end up together."
Ian scratched his head. "Yeah... a lot happened. It took me so long to win her over. But I finally did it! We got married 6 years ago."
Safari nodded, smirking. "Didn't expect it... but somehow it fits."
Olive glanced back at her two kidsâher 4-year-old daughter now being spun around by the girl twin, and her toddler son trying to copy the boy twin's flexing pose.
She smiled softly, then turned to Safari and Angeleva. "I don't get much time to take care of them... my job keeps me busy. I'm leading the police force on Planet Satan now. We're trying to bring down the crime rate."
Angeleva nodded in admiration. "You always were the reliable one."
Olive sighed, crossing her arms. "I probably only have 15 minutes before I need to report in again. Crime's been creeping up lately."
Ian jumped in, trying to strike a dramatic pose with his camera. "But while she's the chief, I became a renowned celebrity photographer! Handsome, talented, world-famous!"
Without missing a beat, Olive calmly rested her hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. And this world-famous photographer has a wife and two kids to look after."
Ian immediately deflated like a balloon, grinning nervously. "Heh... right. Right."
Olive turned back to the twins. "Even if I hate to admit it... Ian's actually really good with kids. They like being around him."
Then her expression softened. "And on weekends, I get a half-day break. I use every minute of that time just... being with them. They grow up so fast."
Safari nodded knowingly. "Yeah... they really do."
The living room filled with warm laughter as the twins played with Ian and Olive's kids, Ian snapped photos with reckless joy, and the four friends stood together again, stronger and more connected than everâeven after all these years.
It wasn't just a reunion.
It was a full-circle moment.
Family, in all its forms, had come home.
The moment Safari, Angeleva, and the twins stood up to leave, Olive's two kidsâher four-year-old daughter and two-year-old sonâsuddenly leapt from Ian's body and landed right on Olive's lap.
"Mommy, we wanna be with you more!" the girl pouted, wrapping her small arms around Olive's neck. Her little brother mimicked the hug, clinging tightly.
Olive, still in uniform, softened immediately. She wrapped both of them in a warm embrace, pulling them close for a long, heartfelt hug.
"I'll be back real soon," she whispered gently, brushing their hair. "Just a little while, okay?"
She then gave them both a kiss on the forehead and handed them back to Ian, who caught them easily, balancing the toddler on his hip.
"Don't worry," Ian said, adjusting his camera strap. "The Celebrity Photographer/Nanny will keep them safe and entertained!"
Safari laughed. "You're doing a good job, Ian."
"Better than expected," Angeleva smiled warmly.
They waved their goodbyes to Ian and Olive, the twins doing their playful salutes to their newly-met "cousins," and then left the house, stepping once more into the sunny streets of Planet Satan.
"Where to now?" Angeleva asked, holding one of the twins' hands.
Safari looked around, hands behind his head. "Let's just roam. We might bump into some familiar faces."
Sure enough, a few blocks down, they did.
A gruff-looking man with dark red hair and a deep red jacket was walking out of a workshop. The moment he saw them, his eyes widened.
"Safari?! Angeleva?!" he called out.
"Blaine!" Safari grinned, throwing a casual wave.
Blaine rushed over, and the moment he reached them, he blinked in surprise at the sight of the twins.
"Don't tell me... these little hybrids are yours?" he asked, laughing in disbelief.
"They are," Angeleva nodded proudly. "Six years old. Meet the youngest warriors in the family."
"Whoa..." Blaine crouched down and looked at the twins. "I can see both of you in them. Adorable... and dangerous."
The twins gave proud little grins, their horns glinting slightly as they gave synchronized devil-fairy poses.
"I knew you two would settle down someday, but wow." Blaine chuckled and stood up. "Well, welcome back. You're on a planet that's way different from the last time you saw it."
Safari crossed his arms. "Looks like it's thriving."
"It is," Blaine nodded with pride. "We're not just survivors anymoreâwe're citizens of this town. Everyoneâme, Clara, Rojo, Darry, Vera, Fuga, Tyra, Wakerâwe all stayed behind. Built this place from scratch. Along with Zack, Jen, Olive, and Ian... we formed the foundation."
Angeleva looked around at the cobblestone roads, open marketplaces, and peaceful neighborhoods. "It really became a heaven..."
"Yeah," Blaine agreed. "At first, it was chaos. Just us prisoners and a few people. But bit by bit, we cleaned up the land, and helped settle refugees and other wanderers. We were also slowly joined by construction workers from other planets who helped build the entire civilization within some years."
He smiled at the kids. "You're walking through a town built by warriors who never gave up."
Safari nodded. "Respect."
Blaine then offered, "You wanna take a quick tour?"
"Absolutely," Safari said.