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“Toby!” A older man calls,
Two women listen to him attempting to find his son from the living room, one has ginger hair that is greying, showing her age. The other has brown hair, multiple large streaks of white throughout it, she's bouncing a fussing baby. The baby looks almost exactly like her, except for their blue eyes.
The living room is filled with photos on both the walls & surfaces, above the fireplace there is a memorial.
“Come on now Toby, Don’t you want to see your Auntie Aja.” He says, looking under the tablecloth covering the dining table, “Or how about Auntie Darci?”
“Barbara, thank you so much for watching Petunia and Toby while we were setting up the reunion get together.” She begins to put brightly colored clips in her daughter's hair.
“Oh it's no problem honey,”
Jim walks into the living room, carrying a small boy on his hip, he gives a sigh of relief. His age starting to finally catch up with him, along with countless injuries from his youth. “So! Are we all ready to go to the reunion?” He smiles.
-----
A small red car pulls up into the driveway, the side of the backyard partly visible from their position, revealing a large gathering, “Are you ready to see your aunts and uncles!” The man next to her says, turned around in his seat to face two young girls, both identical to one another.
“Yeah!” The twins say before they are already clamoring to get out of the vehicle, a few rouge toys spilling out of their bags.”
“Children! You better have properly packed for sleeping over!” Aja calls to them, sharing a grin with her oaf of a husband before dropping to a stern look. “I take it you didn't double check if they had brought their toothbrushes?”
He awkwardly laughs, obviously had forgotten to, “ Hey! Packing for space travel with two energetic twins isn't easy y'know.”
“Yes I know, I packed for a blonde oaf as well.” She jokingly says.
And with that, she exits the car, motioning for her husband to follow. Her children are already at the gate, being greeted by their great-geezer Vex.
“HELLO YOUNG WARRIORS!”
------
The blanks had already arrived by the time Aja and Steve got there, they had already started serving food and attending the old grill on the porch when they entered the gate of the Domzalski-Scott residence.
Multiple tables, all mismatched, some plastic while others are actual picnic tables are lined up in the grass.
Everyone is distracted, not noticing their arrival even though Vex had yelled from his position at the gate. Zoe and Douxie sit hand in hand, a small black kitten sits between them. While next to them Darci sits with the eldest Nunez child, telling them stories about their extraordinary uncle Toby. While Barbara introduces the newest addition to the Nunez family to Eli. Between them, there is a empty space. Mary still refusing to sit down, light-heartedly argues with Krel,
“You can never have enough pictures of your family!”
“I beg to differ! You filled up not only your own phone but my phone as well with them!”
“And now I'm gonna borrow Darci’s phone for pictures with Staja!”
Jim and Claire sit under the shade of a large tree, planted in Nari’s honor, reminiscing with Blinky and Arrgh.
Steve whistles, gaining the attention of everyone.
“Did you miss us?” He smiles, his arms around their children as Aja runs off to greet Krel.
“Steve!” Eli shouts, tackling him with a hug, before they both sit up to do their signature hand sign.
“Creepslayers!” They shout in unison before the blanks interrupt to start asking the Tarron family what they want off the grill.
----
It's now nightfall, the two trolls now not limited to the shade.
“Master Jim,” Blinky says, taking Jim's attention away from
“Blinky?”
“I take it you are going to visit Tobias?”
“Yea, it is the anniversary of his, and many others deaths.” He sighs, waving his family off for the night, before he and his mother visit the graveyard.
“Please, take these and rest them infront of his gravestone for me.”
“Why don't you come with us?”
“Because this is you and your mother’s tradition, Me and Argh visit Tobias everyday, but this day is sacred to you both.
Jim takes a moment, “Well, it's kinda sacred to all of us, but alright.” Blinky hands him two rocks. One is a light purple while the other is semi yellow.
“It’s kunzite and danburite, if you were wondering.”
“Thank you Blinky, I know he would appreciate this.”
They hug for a moment before parting ways, Blinky waving goodbye to Barbara and giving Jim a firm pat on the shoulder.
------
The night is cool by the time they arrive at the graveyard, “Guardians of Arcadia” reads a memorial sign, Jim doesn't read past the title. Barbara pauses for a moment before entering,
“Are you okay kiddo?”
“Yea, yea I'm fine.”
“I know how tough it is, but I'm sure he appreciates the company.”
She looks at the memorial sign, one last time, before entering. Heading to the area where the changelings were laid to rest.
Jim reaches into his pocket and feels the stones, grounding himself for a moment before entering.
-------
Jim kneels at Toby’s gravesite, he was laid to rest next to the rest of his family, Nana, before her death had donated the graveyard to the Guardians that died during the battle and the ones who would pass after.
“Hey Tobes.” Jim’s voice wavers as he holds back tears.
“Blinky and Arrgh wanted me to give you this,” He says, laying the rocks at the base of his headstone, “I think you would've liked them.
He pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath.
“I really miss you, you shouldve gotten to see how much my kids have grown,” He wipes the tears from his eyes, his voice cracking. “Toby, I think you would've been a really good Uncle, and even a really good Dad.”
“I know, that's probably sappy or whatever but it's true!” He chokes out a laugh, “Were gonna show all our kids gunrobot later this weekend, we think it's finally time they get to watch their Uncles favorite movie.”
“I wish you were here to show them the movies yourself, or to teach them about rocks or I don't know I'm rambling now.” He tries to wipe his tears again, but more tears immediately come after.
“But um, I think when Toby turns sixteen, that's when I'm gonna teach him how to weild your warhammer.”
“And y'know, Petunia, she takes after her mom alot, you should see her! She can do magic Tobes!” He pauses, waiting for a response, before sighing and getting to his feet.
He awkwardly shoves his hands in his pockets, “I hope we meet each other again, y'know in the next life or whatever. Some days I wish I could turn back time, to when we first found the amulet,” He wipes his tears again.
“But that's stupid, y'know why? Because if we hadn't found that amulet together, we wouldn't have had all those memories we got because of it.” He sighs, “I'm sorry I don't visit more Tobes, I know it probably makes me a bad friend or whatever, but.” He trails off.
“I gotta go now Tobes, the kids are probably gonna want more stories about you before bed.” He turns and for a moment he thinks he senses him, “Must be hearing things.”
He walks back to the car, face red from crying and buckles into the drivers side. A few moments later Barbara opens the door, wiping her eyes with tissues she brought, “So, we ready to go kiddo?”