part 4. nostalgia

They stayed like this for the whole day. By the end of it Evelyn spoke after letting out all the emotions she had buried deep down which she didn't know she had.

Evelyn: papa...where have you been all these years?

Issei: I was away, my job is dangerous and I couldn't risk letting you get hurt. I have enemies out there.

Evelyn: is that why I live with uncle Vali?

Issei: yes honey. I'm sorry for not being around. I know you have questions.

Evelyn: just one... Where's mom?

Issei knew she would ask that one day but still couldn't find a way to answer without hurting her or to hide the truth.

Issei: I'm not going to lie Eve...she's ...gone. She passed away a little while after you were born.

Evelyn: but I don't believe that, Everytime I saw her in my dreams she would tell me a little about herself and a lot about you.

Issei: like what?

Evelyn: like how where you two met, getting married in secret and even where you got married, stuff like that.

Issei smiled at his daughter as she brought back nostalgic memories.

Issei: oh really? What else?

Evelyn: she told me how you would sacrifice for other even if it hurt you, how you cared for those around you and how you loved her and only her.

Issei: she always knew me better than anyone.

Evelyn: papa...what was she like?

Issei: she is still the most amazing woman, sister, wife and mother I've ever seen. She and I were truly happy together and when you were born...we were truly blessed. Seeing her being your mother is the embodiment of pure love, she is still the one I love now and forever and you're the proof our bond. At nights when you couldn't sleep or had bad dreams, I would sing to you and she would hold you. It worked everytime and you slept like a log with a smile. The last time we did that was...when..she.. disappeared.

Issei was now depressed.

Evelyn: didn't anyone find her?

Issei: no. So many of us and even I spent years looking for her.

Evelyn: how did she disappear?

Issei: that's honestly something I wanted to hide from you to keep you safe.

Evelyn: I'm 15 now papa, please tell me. I deserve to know the truth.

Issei:.....you're right. I trust you can handle it.

She smiled that he trusts her.

Issei: your mother was an assassin and one of the very best. I'm a mercenary and the red dragon emperor.

Evelyn: uncle Vali told me about the sacred gears and other basic knowledge.

Issei: I'm glad so your mother was on a mission to take out one of the rebels from the chaos brigade who are a group of terrorists who want nothing but chaos hence the name The main threats were gone but some remained, this was supposed to be a mission like many she had completed before without any aid but something happened and we don't know what. We searched for any possible clues and where she was meant to go on that mission but....we found nothing. I was on another mission at the time and your uncle Vali looked after you.

Evelyn: is that why my last name is Lucifer?

Issei: yes, your uncle is very very strong and I knew that if anything ever happened to your mother and I then he would be able to protect you and I was right. You live a good life with friends and do good in school and have someone who loves you as if you were his own.

Evelyn: I'm grateful for him and I'm happy that you're back, sometimes I feel like you were there the whole time, I even heard your voice in my dreams like I heard hers.

Issei: I was around, I couldn't stop myself at times from coming to see you.

Evelyn: that explains your presence I felt at times.

Issei: ....what else did she tell you in her dreams?

Evelyn: she told me the nick name she had for you, I think it was something like ...well I better whispers it.

Evelyn whispers in his ear and Issei goes red then realized something. She only called him that when they were alone. There's no way she or anyone else could have known.

Issei: h..how do you know that? No one knew about that but she and I.

Evelyn: honestly I'm not sure I feel like my dreams aren't just dreams, they are like a message from her. I saw one in which she said "I'm okay but I do wish that I could be with you two." This one was a few years ago and she was crying in that one and had a broken smile. Papa...I don't think that she's really gone...

Issei: even though it's been about 15 years since she disappeared and thought she was dead.....a part of me never believed she was gone. I though it was because I really missed her and I was in denial but after what you told me....I think she might be alive.

Evelyn: I want to help.

Issei think about how she can without being at risk. She remembered the memory device Vali has.

Issei: Eve...I know a way you can help but it involves you remembering all the dreams you had about your mom and a device that can record them. Those visions might have clues that can help us.

Evelyn: anything to bring her back.

Issei: alright then let's do it. After we find where she is, we'll bring the might of every faction and mythology on them. I helped them along side others, they might be willing to return the favour.

Evelyn's eyes sparkle.

Evelyn: that would be so AWESOME. I'll call uncle Vali Nya.

She runs off.

Issei looks up and smiles.

Issei: you see that love? She really is our little girl.

She returns with Vali and the machine, it took some time but luckily Evelyn remembers all the dreams/visions clearly. Around 22 dreams were recorded. After it was done Vali made copies of each and kept the originals safe, Eve was tired after all that and decided to rest on Issei's lap, she fell asleep in time, Vali and Issei decided to watch the memories one by one, Issei was too focused on seeing Kuroka again, he was too emotional to properly analyze them but Vali was able to control his emotions and started to check but he didn't find anything useful.

Vali: I'm sorry man, I can't find anything...I regret not getting to know her better during our old days. If I had I might be of greater help.

Issei: don't blame yourself. You were like I am now. You were afraid to lose those close to you like how you lost your parents, Eve here lost her mother.

Vali: that's one of the reasons you asked me to look after her, isn't it?

Issei: yeah, I got the greatest blessing I could have ever imagined, I wanted to share that feeling with you so you could bust out of that shell.

Vali: haha..like you're one to talk, you're in your shell too.

Issei: and it's about time I break it. I'm getting the love of my life back. Eve deserves to see her mother.

Vali: you're still the same old Issei deep down. Here are the copies, we're not that good at analysis so ask Azazel and Ajuka to help you out. I know it's risky but it's a risk worth taking.

Issei: we'll need to take precautions to make sure Evelyn stays safe, I want her mother to know she's safe and waiting for her.

Vali: like a penguin chick waiting for it's mother.

Issei: oddly specific analogy Vali.

Vali: sorry, she and I watch nature documentaries, I did it to make sure the crappy movies and t.v shows don't rot her brain. She loves animals now.

Issei: thanks man but don't call her a penguin, she's part dragon and part Nekomata. One of the very few to exist.

Vali: right. I'll take the slides to Azazel and Ajuka, you can stay here and catch up with her.

Issei: no. I think it's time, 15 years I've kept her a secret and hid her from everything. I think it's time everyone got to meet Evelyn.

Vali smirked.

Vali: it's about time. I'll call them and we can have a meeting here.

Issei: hehe, my old team, Sirzechs, Grayfia and Azazel along with Ajuka. Brings back memories.

Vali: yeah.

Vali goes and calls everyone, they all teleported immediately because Issei hasn't called for their aid like this in years. They were in a large room under the house.

Vali: thank you all for coming.

Azazel: glad we came here, it's been too long since the old team was back together again.

Ajuka: so what's the reason for calling us? I can tell it's serious.

Vali: we'll show you.

Akeno: we?

Issei enters the room while holding a still sleeping Evelyn.

They all look at her in awe, her features were a mix of both Issei's and Kuroka's. They all instantly figured it out.

Rias: Issei...is that who we think it is.?

Issei smiles and shakes Eve a little.

Issei: Eve wake up, we have company.

She wakes up and looks around.

Evelyn: um..hello.

Issei: everyone, say hello to my daughter Evelyn.