(I wrote the original Fade Away when I was fifteen, and I just recently rewrote it. I'm fairly proud of my progress.)

-

Janus drifted through the too-silent halls of their (his, it was only his now) side of the Mind Palace like a ghost, shoulders weighed down with grief and face itching from the tears he had shed. He'd lost Anger last night, and the fear in his baby's eyes as he faded assaulted him every time he closed his eyes (still, it wasn't as bad as what happened to poor Lust. He'd been screaming in pain for weeks before he'd finally gone.) Only he was left now. The last Dark Side.

As he walked, he couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to the open doors of sides who no longer existed. Their rooms were dark, dim,, dilapitated. Despite some of them only having been empty for hours, cobwebs and dust covered every surface. He knew that, soon enough, the rooms would fade like their occupants. Their belongings would vanish. The only thing Deceit would have of his family would be the agonizing memories.

He purposely kept his gaze fixed on the doorway to the kitchen as he passed through the common area, knowing thatif he allowed his gaze to wander, he would see the remnants- Remus's morning star leaning against the couch, Greed's beloved combat boots standing by the doorway, Anger's favourite blanket on his favourite seat, Lust's favourite movie, Legally Blonde, still on the coffee table, Sorrow's little cat plushie still on the sofa- and he knew that if he saw them, he wouldn't be able to hold back the tears that burned at his already bloodshot eyes.

Crying would do the others no good. All Deceit could do was keep moving forward, keep proving his worth to Thomas, and someday, maybe, he could have his family back. A side could always be bought back if their function was used enough... He just had to wait, because if he started demanding darkness of Thomas now, while the other sides hated him, he would only cement their distrust and would likely never get what he wanted. He had to play the long game to get his babies back.

Even though he didn't feel like eating, he grabbed a bowl and the milk, then went to grab a box of cereal. He reached for the first one he saw, but his hand stopped inches away from it. Fruity Pebbles, Lust's favourite. He'd have a bowl every morning, and most of the others never touched them. They were his...

It was ridiculous. Lust wasn't around and, faded or alive, he certainly wouldn't mind if Deceit had a bowl of his beloved Fruity Pebbles, but Deceit just couldn't. It's just... they were Leo's, not his. Only Leo should eat them. And Leo would be back to eat them, of course he would.

He went to grab his own favourite, which had little eggs that melted in milk to reveal marshmallow dinosaurs. And his hand passed right through them.

He wrenched his hand back, staring in horror as his fingers remained translucent for a few seconds more before solidifying again. Tears flooded his eyes again, this time born of fear instead of grief. He was starting to fade...

Anger, more intense than anything he had ever felt, flooded him, not for himself, but for the others. He didn't give a shit about himself, but if he faded, who would advocate to bring them back? Not the light sides, that was for sure.

He yanked on his gloves (ignoring how his fingers no longer filled them) and shoved on his hat. Patton. Patton was the cause of this, so he'd be part of the solution or so help him-

He was going to get the others back. Even if it meant doing something that would prove the others should be scared of him. Even if the price was fading. He would get them back. Failure wasn't an option.

Once he was in his full regalia, he squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and sank into the Light Side.

They were having breakfast, blueberry pancakes from the smell (Greed always loved blueberry pancakes.) Roman screamed and drew his katana, but Deceit paid him no mind. His mismatched eyes were focused entirely on Patton.

"We *don't* need to talk, Morality," He snarled. Before Patton could respond, he grabbed the moral side by the wrist and pulled him into his common room. At this time, he and his babies would be having breakfast. It was usually a loud affair and sometimes they got noise complaints, so the silence definitely tipped Patton off. He glanced around nervously and saw as if he expected to see the others lurking in the shadows. They weren't.

Deceit pulled his top lip over his teeth in a snarl, doing his best to hide his roiling emotions from Patton. "Looking for something? You *will* find them. Know why?" Deceit stormed towards the other side, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and shoving him against the wall. (It felt wrong it felt wrong he didn't want to be doing this it felt so wrong.) Patton's eyes were huge and his face was whiter than milk. Good, he should be scared. "I *won't* give you a hint- it's *not* your fault."

"M-my fault?"

Deceit nodded sharply. "*No!* And you *aren't* going to fix it right this instant or I *won't* make you regret it!" He was shaking just as badly as Patton now. He hoped the other side didn't notice. "I- I *won't* hurt you! I *won't* lock you up and... And you just better *not* fix it before I do something! I *won't* do it! I *won't!*"

Despite his fear, Patton narrowed his eyes. Studied Deceit for a second. "No, you won't. Because you don't want to, don't you? You're hurt, you're scared, you're tired... Dee, you don't have to threaten me." He put a hand on Deceit's shoulder. Was that sympathy he saw in Patton's eyes, or was he imagining it? "C'mon, kiddo, let go."

No. No! He couldn't let go. He needed Patton to fix this, and there was no way Patton of all sides would ever help him unless he was forced, because Patton hated him! He needed Patton to be afraid so that he would fix this!

Against his will, tears welled up in his eyes and began to fall. A sob ripped from his chest. The next thing he knew he had released Patton and crumpled against him. Patton pulled him into a tight hug and Deceit sobbed, the anger and sorrow and grief and pain all making themselves known. For what seemed like forever it was all he could do, clinging to Patton like a lifeline, Patton's strong arms the only thing keeping him from falling.

He'd lost his kids. He'd lost them all. They'd been scared and in pain and confused and they had just wanted their mama to save them, to make it stop, but he hadn't been able to. He hadn't been able to help, hadn't even been able to ease their pain and their minds. They'd all faded, and now Deceit had one chance to bring them back, and he couldn't even do that!

Because Patton was right. Even if he refused, Deceit wouldn't- couldn't- hurt him. For all of his agony, Deceit couldn't bring himself to so much as flick Patton's forehead, not even for the sake of his babies. He just... couldn't.

"Please," he sobbed, desperation pulling him to his knees. His hands clasped in front of him. It was undignified, but... anything for his babies. Anything. "Please... I'll let you make me fade, I'll let you send me away, I'll never show up ever again, just please... Bring them back."

"Oh, kiddo..." Patton knelt down in front of him and caressed the human half of his face. Deceit sobbed harder. "I'm not going to make you do anything... Dee, I didn't know. I thought that they wouldn't get hurt, I had no idea I was taking your family away... Of course I'll get Thomas to bring them back." He pulled Deceit into another hug and Deceit's sobs began with a new intensity. He didn't trust Patton, didn't even fully believe him, but he hoped... God, he hoped. Maybe Patton would bring them back, maybe he would...

Patton let Deceit sob into his soft shirt for what felt like forever, until he'd cried himself out, then pulled back, smiling gently despite the tears in his own eyes. "C'mon kiddo, let's get you in bed. You look exhausted."

He was.

Thankfully, Patton carried him to his room. The pain of fading was already beginning to set in, and he felt like the bones in his legs were made of splinters. And despite everything, he couldn't force his eyes to stay open. He hadn't slept for over a week...

Before he even got to his room, Deceit was asleep.

Deceit yowled in agony. The pain had gotten so much worse as he slept, and every little movement caused pain worse than anything he'd ever experienced to roar through him. He should have known better. Patton would never help him or any of the others, he just wanted Deceit to leave him alone. His promise had been empty, and now Deceit would suffer to death just like his babies had.

At least they'd had comfort in their last moments.

Though maybe he didn't deserve the comfort he had given them. Maybe he deserved this pain, to die alone and unloved. He hadn't been able to protect them. Hadn't been able to save them. Couldn't even ease their pain in their last moments...

He deserved this.

Another wave of agony wracked through him and he screamed. He felt like he had been beaten all over by sledgehammers and put on one of those massage chairs. He couldn't even breath without pain.

He was going to die. He was going to die alone and in pain, knowing he had failed his babies. He was never going to be able to help Thomas again.

Perhaps that was what hurt the most. That he'd never be able to help anyone. Not his babies, not the other sides, not Thomas. How would the absence of a side with such important fuctions be felt through the Mindscape and within their core? They'd be exposed to the lies of the world, and to the lies they told themselves and each other. Virgil would be able to pick up the rest of self-preservation, perhaps, so at least he had that peace. He hoped that at least his little Stormvloud had been saved from this fate.

"The sky is orange."

Deceit startled (and cried out in pain the movement caused.) Thomas was lying. Not only was Thomas lying, he was saying what was pretty obviously a lie. He was lying intentionally. But why?

Had Patton really kept his promise?

"I saw a squirrel riding a unicycle backwards today."

The lies kept coming and, with each one, Deceit's agony began to fade. He began to feel stronger.

Thomas was intentionally bringing him back from the edge. Thomas... Thomas was trying to save him.

"Mama?" A voice called. The door to his room flew open and Remus (oh god, Remus, Remus, he was back) sprinted inside. His face lit up when he saw Deceit. "Mama! Oh thank fuck, I thought-"

Deceit leapt out of bed and sprinted into his arms as fast as he could despite how week he still felt. Remus hugged him back just as tightly. Deceit's tears began anew, this time from relief. He had one of them, one of his babies was back-

"Are the others..." It felt selfish to hope for more. He was okay and Remus was back, it was already a miracle. He shouldn't ask for more when he'd already been given so much.

But he got it.

"They are!" Remus beamed. "All of 'em! Leo and Alaric and Gio and Silas! All here!"

He didn't even had time to finish the thought before Deceit was stumbling out into the hallway and racing towards the common area.

There they were. All three of them.

Deceit sobbed, hugging the one closest- Greed- as tightly as he could. Usually he didn't cry in front of his boys, but god... He'd lost them. They'd all died. And now he would never let go of them ever again.

"Mama!" Greed hugged him back just as tightly. The other four joined, sandwiching Deceit between them. None of them moved for several minutes. It had been a terrible few weeks, all of them losing each other and never knowing who was next. They just all needed this right now.

They might have stayed like that forever had a small sound not interrupted them. Patton.

They broke apart and Remus, ever the fighter, shoved everyone behind him, dropping into a defensive posture and growling. He didn't know what Patton's intention was or why he was there, but he wasn't going to let the bastard hurt his family. Not again.

Patton held up his hands in a placating gesture, paling as Remus summoned his morning star, Vixen his whip, Anger his ax, and Sorrow his scimitars. The only one who didn't summon his weapon was Deceit, and he didn't look like he was going to stop them.

"I didn't come to fight!" Patton yelped, taking several large steps back. "I swear!"

The dark sides all glanced at Janus, who shook his head to signal lack of a lie, and relaxed a bit. None of them dropped their weapons.

"Then what are you here for?" Remus snapped. He was terrified and no one could blame him. They'd all just suffered to death, losing each other, never knowing who was next, living in fear for months, all because of Patton. And now, when they finally had each other back, he was there? Yeah, there had to be some ulterior motive here.

"I just wanted to make sure you're all okay," Patton said meekly, wringing his hands. Guilt radiated off of him in waves. "And I wanted to apologize. I had no idea you guys would fade. I'm so sorry."

Again, the others all looked at Deceit, who again signalled that Patton wasn't lying, and they relaxed further. Remus lowered his morning star and the others vanished their weapons.

They weren't going to kill Patton, but they sure as hell weren't going to forgive him. Not yet.

"Just don't do it again," Remus snapped. "And leave us alone for now."

Patton looked like he was going to say something else, but off everyone's look he nodded, then sank out. The moment he was gone, everyone relaxed.

Remus smiled, hugging Deceit again. "How 'bout a movie night, Mama?"

Deceit could have sobbed. "That sounds wonderful, Remus."

He had his babies back. All of them, no strings attached. He'd never been so happy.