The Protagonist System

290 Home Sweet Home Again

It was both easy and hard to tell Hestia that I really had died when that nameless goddess had shoved me into her portal. I didn't go into the tiny details of the lives I had lived while away from her, only that I didn't think I could ever come back to her and she had tears in her eyes as I gave her an overview of everything I went through.

I felt Aiz, Lili, and Ryuu arrive outside the guest room and I didn't pause my tale or tried to speak quietly. If they wanted to hear about it, rather than wait for me to tell them individually later, I was perfectly fine with that. Hestia was as well, because she called them inside when we heard Ryuu whisper a complaint about being on her feet all day at work.

I created chairs for them and they sat down and listened as I continued my story. I did make sure to meet their eyes occasionally as I went over the major events that happened. Lili seemed to be the only one to let herself make surprised noises about what she was hearing. It was quite the story and it took a long time to eventually bring myself back to the point when I came here.

“There's no way the other me can be that horrible!” Hestia exclaimed and Lili bugged her.

“She won't be now, hopefully.” I said, sadly. “Her Familia had become a business and all they did was churn out money earning adventurers to support their huge Familia and all of the members they had.”

Hestia shook her head. “I would never let it become like that.”

I didn't try to argue with her about it. “Well, it doesn't really matter. She rejected my offer to create a similar teleportation network that we have here.”

Hestia shook her head again. “No, Bell. You can't do that to me. To her.”

I opened my mouth to say I already did and she reached out to take my hand.

“No.” Hestia said. “The young man I married, the father of the child I carry, would never leave me after that. Never.” She pleaded. “You need to make things right with her.”

I again tried to open my mouth to say I couldn't leave her behind.

“What did you do to fix things after you killed one of the Satans?” Hestia asked me.

I looked into her eyes and knew what she was asking me. “I don't think that's going to work.”

“You can't do anything but try, My Bell.” Hestia said, confidently.

I looked at Aiz and she nodded. My gaze went to Lili and she gave me a thumbs-up. I glanced at Ryuu and the pretty elf shrugged. I sighed and closed my eyes right there and started using my clairvoyance power to make things right, which was to look for a Bell Cranel that needed a Familia. About twenty minutes later, I found the most likely candidate.

“I have one that lost his grandfather early; but, he's only 6 years old.” I said and both Lili and Aiz made odd sounds. “He's going to die without proper help.”

Hestia gave my hand a squeeze. “Then bring him to the me you left back there.” She ordered. “She knows she screwed up and she needs to make it up to him and to herself.”

“I'm not sure that's a good idea.” I tried to argue. “What's stopping her from making the same mistakes?”

“You.” Hestia said, her voice firm. “She knows you will watch over him to make sure she's always treating him right.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “All right, I'll be back.”

Hestia let my hand go and smiled warmly. “We'll be here waiting for you, My Bell.”

I nodded and stood up, waited a moment, then stepped from there to where Bell the Child was sitting on the side of the bed where his grandfather just died. He swung his feet like he was waiting for something and didn't understand that the body in the bed wasn't going to wake up.

“Hey, there.” I said and he smiled happily at me. “Why don't you come with me? You can live in a new place and have a new mom with tons of brothers and sisters to look after you.”

“Okay.” Bell said and reached a hand out to me.

I took it and helped him off of the bed, then I stepped with him back to there suite where Hestia sat. She looked devastated and she looked like she had cried a lot. The letter in ehr hands was slmost soaked with her tears and the ink started to run. Instead of saying anything, I walked over to the bed and put Bell the Child's hand into hers.

Hestia caught her breath and she stared at the little hand. Her eyes followed it up the tiny arm and her tear-filled eyes locked onto the boy's happy face.

“Are you gonna be my momma?” Bell the Child asked.

Hestia let out a sob and dropped to the floor on her knees and hugged him tightly as she cried. The letter dropped to the floor and I stepped back to the guest room where my Familia was waiting for me. I stayed silent and held my hand out.

Aiz, Lili, Hestia, and Ryuu put their hands onto mine and watched the scene play out where the other Hestia promised to become the best mother in the world to her new child and apologized for failing to see her Familia as her children that needed her to nurture and encourage them.

“Thank you, My Bell.” Hestia said and I stopped sharing the view with her and the others.

“What do we do now?” Lili asked, her short stature making no difference to her height when she was sitting down.

“The same thing you were going to do when I left.” I said and they all looked surprised, which meant they misunderstood what I meant. “The only difference is that I'm back to continue my support of you all instead of leaving you sad and alone.”

“You are staying?” Aiz asked, her face blank.

“I specifically came back here to continue my life with you all, so yes. I'm staying for as long as you'll have me.” I said and she stood up from her chair, took a step, and sat on my lap to give me a deep and passionate kiss. I held her and felt a tear drop onto my face and I slowly rubbed my hand up and down her back.

Aiz broke the kiss and her face was slightly red. “Welcome home.”

I beamed a smile at her and gently wiped at her face. “Thank you, dearest.”

Aiz nodded and stood to return to her chair.

“Before you sit, I have something for you.” I said and smiled at the slight disappointment on Lili's face. “For each of you.”

I took out the other three pendants and necklaces to give to Aiz, Lili, and Ryuu that matched their personalities. I then told them what they did, the protection they offered, and the portkey that would take them back to the church if they were in danger or if they spoke the catchphrase 'there's no place like home'.

“I should go see how Hephaestus is doing.” Hestia suggested and stood up. She also had the thought to have her hearth necklace checked over by the blacksmith expert as well.

“I think you should tell her it wasn't a dream and that the other gods and goddesses fled because they are scared of retribution.” I said and stood as well. “We shouldn't have any trouble from them anymore.”

Hestia nodded, then she stood up and hugged me tightly. “Welcome home, My Bell.”

“Thank you, my personal goddess.” I responded. “I'll head back to the church to fix up the place for our new Familia members to have their own rooms.”

“I'll go tell Tsubaki about you!” Lili said and ran from the room.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and shouted. “I'm sure she'll appreciate going into the dungeon tomorrow afternoon like usual!”

“I'll let her know!” Lili shouted back.

Hestia pecked me on the cheek and followed her out of the room.

“I would like to go home with you.” Aiz said.

“Of course.” I said and held a hand out to her. “Miss Lyon, what about you?”

“I need to go to work.” Ryuu responded.

I looked at her normal clothing and snapped my fingers, just for show, and her outfit changed into her barmaid outfit. “I'll drop you off on the way.”

Ryuu caught her breath at the casual use of magic. “You need to teach me that spell!”

I chuckled and held my other hand out to her. “The student has so quickly become the teacher.”

Aiz smiled briefly and Ryuu took my other hand.

“This might feel a little disorientating.” I said and stepped us from there to an alleyway beside the popular pub she worked at, The Hostess of Fertility.

Ryuu caught her breath again and gave me a very pointed glare.

“I can't teach that, since it's a combination of dozens of abilities and not a spell.” I said and then leaned in to whisper. “However, I can teach you how to tap into the teleportation circles.”

Ryuu smiled briefly and then schooled her face. “I look forward to that.”

“As do I.” I said and gave her hand a squeeze. “I can come back to pick you up after work or you can use the portkey.”

Ryuu touched the necklace that was heavily enchanted and shivered slightly at the strong magic it contained. “I will try this voluntarily at least once.”

“Make sure to bend your legs slightly and you won't lose your balance.” I cautioned her and she nodded. “Have a good evening at work.”

“Thank you.” Ryuu said and looked a little indecisive.

I leaned in and kissed her cheek to make her blush. “Hugs are shared freely and kisses can be given upon request.”

“U-understood.” Ryuu said and walked out of the alleyway.

Both Aiz and I waved to her when she looked back. She briefly smiled and straightened her back, nodded, and walked out of sight to go into the pub. I turned to Aiz and she gave me a small smile, so I stepped us to the basement of the church.

“Do you want to watch me work or go get changed?” I asked her.

“I will change.” Aiz said and gave me a quick kiss before she walked down the hallway of the extension and entered my room. I didn't comment on it, because I was sure that Hestia was going to make sure I stayed in her bed.

I pulled out the multi-compartment trunk I had way back in Harry Potter and opened the compartment full of my crafting supplies. Inside was everything I needed to make rooms, trunks, and bags into undetected expanded spaces.

It only took moments to line the main room with metal and transfigured them to have the proper rune sequences. A touch of magic expanded the space to three times the size and I pulled out the bag of old furniture I bought the last time I had been here.

Some repair charms later, I added more couches, a nice fireplace, rugs, an enlarged dining room table, and updated the kitchen with more modern conveniences and appliances, like a refrigerator and a stove. When I was done, the place looked the same, only much larger and luxurious.

I didn't go too far to make it ostentatious, even if I could have easily done that by adding gold filigree and jewel accents to everything. No, I saw what happened to Hestia when she was too well-off. She lost her humble roots. I didn't want that to happen, which was why I didn't try to make a mansion or anything and stayed inside the bounds of the underground of her church.

I went to Lili's room next and I only expanded it slightly, just so she would have a little more room and didn't feel nervous about having too much personal room that she might think she didn't deserve. Hestia's bedroom was next and I doubled the size, added a comfy couch, and made the bed a king-size four-poster with lacy curtains. It fit her style and shouldn't surprise her too much.

I entered my workshop and brought in my multi-compartment trunk. I opened it and filled the last compartment with everything, just so it wasn't cluttering up our home, and then converted it into a nice bedroom that was similar to Lili's. It wasn't too big or too small, had moderate furniture, and a nice big bed to sleep on.

I entered my room next and stopped when I saw Aiz sprawled out on the bed. Her eyes were closed, she was completely naked, and had already played with herself to get off, if the small puddle of liquid under her ass was any indication.

“Please... please... never leave again.” Aiz whispered and a tear came from her eye.

I couldn't ignore her plea, so I put everything away and stored my clothing. I climbed onto the bed and she opened her eyes to look up at me. “Dearest, I didn't have a choice last time. Now I do.”

“You do?” Aiz asked.

I kissed her tenderly. “Yes, and I'm going to stay for as long as you want me to.”

“Forever?” Aiz asked, hope in her voice.

“If that's what you want.” I said and she grabbed my neck and pulled me down into a kiss. We were soon making love and Aiz made me promise to always be there for her, no matter what. I had no problem fulfilling that desire, since it had been the only thing she had ever asked me to do for her.

*

Hephaestus stared at her best friend and wasn't sure she could believe her words, despite them never once lying to each other in all the time they had known each other. How was it not a dream to have her lover back from the realm of the dead? He had made her feel like a woman for the first time in her vy long life and had even healed her cursed eye.

“It's true.” Hestia said and pulled out the hearth pendant Bell had given to her.

Hephaestus gasped when she saw it and used a single fingertip to touch it. Her eyes widened as she stroked the metal and felt the perfection of the item and the potent magic it contained. She would have to unlock her goddess powers to imbue an item with a teleportation spell like that, and that would only happen if she knew a teleportation spell. The protection and intent ward were powerful ones as well.

“He really came back for us.” Hestia said.

Hephaestus tried to not blush at hearing that, because she felt a spike of envy that Hestia and her Familia members had received a pendant and she hadn't.

Hestia smiled and her hand grasped the one Hephaestus was using to examine the pendant. “I'm sure he has one for both you and Tsubaki.” She reassured her friend. “He wouldn't be so callous to ignore the both of you after everything our Familias have gone through together.”

Hephaestus wasn't so sure about that, since she had almost no experience with being in any kind of romantic relationship.

“If it wasn't for Tsubaki's help, Bell couldn't have done all of the wonderful things he's done.” Hestia said and giggled. “We'll ignore the terrible things he did, since he was already punished for them.”

Hephaestus barked a laugh. “He died and came back somehow, even though Thanatos is the representation of Death among our fellows.”

Hestia huffed. “That poser has the worst reputation and his Familia is a joke.”

Hephaestus smiled and nodded. “He should have shown up today and he wasn't there.”

“I doubt Demeter wanted to invite him. He's too much of a downer!” Hestia exclaimed.

Hephaestus laughed and pulled Hestia into a hug. “Thanks for cheering me up, Hestia.”

Hestia hugged her back and kissed her cheek. “That's what friends are for.”

Hephaestus let her go and took a deep breath. “You should head home. Bell is probably waiting for you.”

Hestia shook her head. “I'm staying here for tonight. He's fixing where we live for our new members and I'd only be in the way.”

Hephaestus gave her a single raised eyebrow.

Hestia blushed. “I'm not sure how to handle married life.”

Hephaestus raised both eyebrows after hearing that.

“I mean, we married, we shared a marriage bed, and then...” Hestia sighed. “He died, and the ceremony stated it was until death, so...”

Hephaestus nodded in understanding. “You need to decide if you want to stay married or go back to how things were.”

Hestia nodded and didn't say anything else.

“Then make yourself at home here until you make your decision.” Hephaestus offered.

“Thank you, Hephaestus.” Hestia said, gratefully.

“It's what friends are for.” Hephaestus said and hugged her again.