The last time he'd seen her was before his incarceration; and then she was heavily pregnant.

Now, looking out between the bars, he wondered how she'd done with it all; if she was even still in their house.

If she was still even waiting for him.

Surely, he thought, surely she wouldn't have waited this long for a man that was sentenced to death.

But there was still a sliver of hope that maybe she was, she was sitting in the living room with their child waiting for him; maybe her eyes would be misty thinking about the inevitable end that was to come of him.

He looked down at his shackles now, his golden hook still gleaming in the dim lights of the prison.

I'm coming  for the only thing worth living for .

⏳

He stood now at the entrance of the manor, looking up at the dark windows. The sky had dimmed and darkened, just a few stars popping out of the veneer of black as he made his way back home.

Home.

You were the only thing that made his home a home; and now it seemed as though it was more important than ever.

He walked forward and up the steps, twisting the handle to see if it would open. When it didn't, he knocked once and waited for the lock to click open.

When the door opened, he took a step in and looked down at the flushed servant.

"S-sir! You're back! Miss Y/N wasn't expecting you to be back this early i-"

"Where is she?" He looked down at the stuttering mess, raising  an eyebrow slightly. "Where are...They?" He felt his cheeks redden slightly, shifting his hand to his pocket.

The servant nodded once, walking forward up the stairs as she continued to talk. "Miss Y/N had went out not to long ago to get a few things, she'll be back soon sir." She walked down the hall, past his room, and stopped Infront of the door next to it.  "As for your children, they've been in the nursery asleep."

He took a step forward, reaching out for the door. "Children...?" He looked down at her, cheeks flushing still. "There's more than one..?"

"Yes sir, after your incarceration the missus had another appointment to make sure that everything was alright. She had said you hadn't been able to go the last time to hear the news." She nodded, bowing her head. "I'll leave you be sir, if you need anything by all means call."

She made her way past, walking back down the way he'd came.

He stood now, alone in the corridor Infront of his children's nursery.

His children.

Never in his lifetime had he thought about the idea of a child; let alone a pair.

But here he stood now at the breakaway of his stoic, cold front; and it scared him to think that there were other beings that looked like them. That looked like him.

He turned the handle slowly, opening the door just a crack to peek in. Seeing only the white cribs in the dark with the mobiles hanging over each, he walked in slowly as he watched the mobiles turn round and round in rhythm with the soft lullaby.

He closed the door behind him quietly, going over to the crib on the far side wall; opposite the other.

He placed a hand on the railing gently, looking down into the bedding to watch the little infant squirm just the slightest as if knowing of the new presence.

His felt as though his heart was clenching, and his grip on the rail tightened as he watched with soft eyes his child- his child - sleeping soundly.

For the first time in a long time he felt vulnerable; at first he thought that you'd be the only thing to hold power over him. But as he watched the slow rising and falling of the small child's chest, he felt a new feeling come over him that he'd never felt before.

Was this the feeling his father had had? Seeing that he had brought a new life into the hateful and unforgiving world, but still he had loved it despite everything?

Perhaps, but he knew that unlike his own parents he'd be there for his children. There's no telling what people may do if they found out they had his blood running through their veins.

His blood. He had made himself a bloodline, and here he thought the name Crocodile would die along with him.

His hand reached down, a large finger coming to delicately glide down the side of the child's face; their soft skin twitching slightly.

He pulled back, watching as they stirred slightly and opened their eyes slowly to look up at him. Their small mouth opened in a yawn, chubby hands clenched in fists as they stretched out.

He watched carefully as they adjusted in the tiny footed pajamas their mother had put them in, his hand coming back to brush through the little tuft of dark hair on their head.

"Look at that...You already have your daddy's hair."

His chest felt tight, but his entire body felt warm as he pulled back to toss his coat away and pull of the hook from his arm.

He looked back down into the crib, the dark eyes of the baby following his every movement. He bent down slightly, cradling the small child's neck in the palm of his hand as he slowly pulled them up.

He was holding them. He was holding his child. For over a month he'd waited for this very moment; to have that fulfilment of what he knew as family.

He looked to the far side wall, holding the child to his chest as he made his way over and peeked into the other crib; large eyes looking up at him.

He hummed slightly, letting a small smile linger on his face. Two. He had two children.

They had two children.

He glanced to the door of the nursery, opening it up to peek down the hall as the little baby squirmed in his grip slightly to get comfortable against his shoulder.

He stepped back in, walking to the window to sit down and relax with the small child against his chest.

He let his hand linger on their back, gently rubbing against it slowly as he reclined back in the chair.

"I'm your father, you know.." he adjusted slightly, letting out a small sigh. "I'm not exactly the best parent in the world..I just got out of prison." He pat their back, humming softly. "And i know you may not understand a word I'm saying, but I'm trying to make up for lost time. See, I should've been there to see you..I should've put aside my own pride to think about you. But I didn't."

He glanced to the other crib, shaking his head. "You too...Both of you. I know that one day you'll argue with one another and yell and fight, you'll both hate your mother and I, you'll get emotional...But right now you don't even know who I am, because I wasn't there.."

He opened his eyes slowly, some tears misting his eyes slightly as he rocked back in the seat. "But i promise I'll be there for you now, even if I have to fight through the government itself I'll be there. Because I may not be a good man, but that doesn't make me a bad father; and i don't intend for it to..My reputation should have no holding on your heads."

He could hear the soft coos and mewls of his children in the dark room, his eyes closed still as to stop the tears that would inevitably fall. "And it won't. You're the only things in my life worth living for, and if anyone were to try and hurt you they'd be going through living hell...My children."

His hand came up to caress the small head of hair the child had, running back down to hold them in place. "My heirs.."

"

I would've never thought I'd see you cry again..I was surprised even when you did at the wedding."

He looked up, eyes opening slowly to watch as you walked forward into the room. "Y/N."

"I didn't think you'd be back so early.." he could hear the cracks in your voice, standing slowly as he walked forward to stand Infront of you.

"I didn't think I would be either.."

You both stood there in silence for a few minutes, looking between each other and the children.

You stepped back, reaching down to cradle the other in your arms. "They both look a lot like you, you know? I guess you were right when you said you had dominant genes..." You smiled softly, looking up at him. "They have such thick black hair already..."

He nodded slowly, chuckling deeply as looked down at both babies. "I could tell..." He looked down at you, letting a small smile ghost over his lips. "Hopefully one will have your eyes, three of me is a bad omen onto the world."

"I'll say.." You bit the inside of your cheek, sniffling softly as you felt tears prick the corner of your eyes. "I'm...I'm so glad you're home..." Your voice fell into a whisper, tears slowly sliding down your cheeks. "I was afraid..I wouldn't see you..They wouldn't see you.."

He nodded, swallowing thickly as a small hand grabbed and prodded his cheek. "They'll see me, they'll see us...I'm not going anywhere for a long long time..There's no need to worry.."

You bounced the baby in your arms gently, watching them smile slightly and giggle. "I won't..Not anymore..."

He stood in silence for awhile, his eyes moving between you and the children as he went back to sit. "What are their names.."

You looked up at him, coming to sit beside him as you unfastened your blouse. "The ones we had picked out a few months ago..(male/female name's)..." You smiled up at him, the small infant nuzzling against your open chest. "Since we had two, I chose the ones we'd liked from each.."

He hummed in approval, looking up once before glancing at your exposed bosom. "Wonderful love.." his eyes went to your face, a fatherly flush lacing across each cheek. "You've given me something I thought I'd never have..."

You looked up at him, slowly rocking back and forth in the seat as your child suckled from your breast. "What would that be Crocodile..?"

His eyes closed again, the small child laid against the crook of his neck as their small hand clung to the neckline of his vest.

"A family.."