"Willow?" Darryl was transfixed on the spot upon seeing her. The child was smiling wildly, glad that she had outsmarted him and even extended her two hands for him to get her.

"Appa take me," She asked but Darryl was so surprised he wasn't able to move for a while that Willow got impatient and sulked. "Appa, don't you like seeing me?"

​​

Hearing her words, Darryl was freed from his shock and he immediately walked toward her and accepted her arms. In a moment, Willow was already in his arms and she clung to his neck and gave him little kisses. She was so warm and lively that all of Darryl's doubts faded away.

"Appa you smell different," Willow noted but in a good way. He was used to smelling expensive manly perfume on him when she still worked in L'Empire and so she immediately noticed. His father then smelled like the ocean and morning dew, very refreshing. "And you looked different,"

"How come you are here my love?" Darryl asked, very confused. He couldn't understand how Willow was there at the tree house and although he was very glad, he was also worried she might have escaped like she used to. "Did you come here alone?"

"Appa, you asked too many questions. You didn't even give me a kiss yet," Willow only sulked further and pointed to her head, "Kiss me right here,"

Darryl did so obediently. How could he not when it was her daughter who asked it. The little girl who was very glad clung to his neck again and gave him a tight hug. "I miss you so much Appa, I'm glad to be here,"

"My baby, I'm a bit confused—"

"I want a hug too," Darryl was cut off by a shy call and suddenly something moved on the table nearby. In a moment, Wolfe appeared crawling from under it and he immediately ran and raised his two little hands, wanting to be carried like Willow.

Another surprise came to Darryl as he looked down at the little boy whose hazel eyes were anticipating his arms. He wasn't wearing his glasses anymore and so his eyes couldn't hide its true colors. Without letting him wait further, he picked him up too and he immediately clung to him like Willow did.

Darryl certainly doesn't know how to feel. Having the two kids in his arms felt like he had won a lottery right then. He was so happy to see them that for minutes all he did was looked at their little faces, returned their kisses, their hugs and tickled them for playing pranks on him.

"No Appa no! Stop tickling me!"

"Appa no tickles!"

"Ah.. you both just played pranks on me!"

The tree house was filled with happy squeals and warm laughter. Darryl who's trying to hold off his tears rolled on the floor with two children who then were longing for his company. As much as he was so happy to see them, both of them were thrilled to be there too.

"Appa are the toys here for Winter too?" Willow asked. He had long been jealous of the toys laid down on Winter's grave and although she knew she shouldn't be, she couldn't help it.

"No my love, it's for you and your brother!"

"Hurray!" She was so glad to have heard it. She had never received a toy that Darryl made himself and so her wish then was all fulfilled.

"Of course it's not all for Winter. I don't think Winter will be like a doll house," He teased Willow for it. He was really wondering why Willow was then so happy with toys when Director Zhanglou once gifted her a big doll house that she didn't like. However he understood then that it was because those toys were made by their father himself.

Willow immediately eyed Wolfe with what he said, a bit angered by the fact as she was very aware he was teasing her about the dollhouse director Zhanglou once gave. Annoyed, she turned to Darryl with puppy eyes. "Appa, I don't like sharing this tree house with Wolfe, can I just have it for myself?"

"Willow you know you can't always have your own way," Darryl pinched her nose. "But that's fine, I'll build another tree house so each of you can have one. However at the moment you have to share with your brother,"

"Alright," She rolled her eyes bossily and Darryl just shook his head at Willow's little tantrums.

"Now why don't you answer some of Appa's questions," Darryl couldn't already hold his curiosity. Also he was worried his first theory was right, that the children indeed escaped to go to him.

"Why are you both here?"

"Appa, this is our home. We are supposed to be here," Willow answered smartly that Darryl already thought the two children weren't willing to give him real answers. He then turned his eyes to Wolfe whom he knew was more reliable than his badass daughter.

"Wolfe?" He waited for the child to give him an answer but when he decided to zip off his mouth, he added. "Did you two escape from Richmond ranch and journey here?"

"No Appa, we didn't!" Wolfe immediately shut off his assumption. "We promised we wouldn't do such a thing anymore, didn't we?"

"Alright. Then why are you here?"

"Because this is our home," Wolfe only repeated Willow's answer but Darryl gave him a protruding look and so in a moment he explained his answer further. "Willow and I are telling the truth, Appa. Imma said this is our home and so we should be here...with you...so our family will be complete,"

"Your Imma told you that?" The mention of their mother got Darryl's heartbeat fast. Faster than his breathing.

"Yeah and so we came here," Wolfe confirmed.

"You mean your Imma is here?"

"Of course she is Appa," It was Willow who answered this time. "We can't cross the par line without her since she's the only one who got a….what do you call that again Wolfe?"

"Sumstone," Wolfe answered what he can recalled.

"Sunstone," Darryl corrected. "So where's your Imma now?"

"In the kitchen cooking breakfast. You didn't see her?"