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Dong Hua stared in wonder at his child.

Their son.

He wanted to squeeze the warm little body tightly to assure himself that Gun Gun was real, but Dong Hua forced himself to be gentle, balancing the boy carefully on one strong thigh. He did not want to frighten his son. 

Closing his eyes for a moment, he reached out to probe the limits of his consciousness, searching for any sign that he might be lost in a dream state between life and death. Dong Hua could not bear to think he was hiding from a reality where he had been separated from his beloved Xiao Bai forever and this precious little boy didn’t exist at all.

Still new to love, thanks to his wife, Dong Hua never knew that one could love instantly. But he found that it was true. He loved his son with a breadth and depth that stunned, delighted, and terrified him by turns. In a moment, his entire existence had shifted.

“Father,” Gun Gun inquired, unaware of the joy that simple title brought to Dong Hua, “what is your name?”

“My name is Dong Hua,” he stated, sensing the question that might come next.

His son’s eyes went wide before he caught himself staring and looked down at his small hands.

“ Father? ” Gun Gun inquired again.

“Yes, my son?” Dong Hua responded quietly, relishing those words, his mouth turning up very slightly at the corners.

“ Well… ” his son began carefully, “Mother told me that I was only her son, but she would also often tell me about a great emperor who united the realms and was the master of the cosmos. Are you …?”

Gun Gun’s little voice trailed off, afraid to voice the last word just in case he should be wrong.

“Am I Dijun?” Dong Hua asked. 

The little head nodded.

Dong Hua lifted his chin as he often did when he was considering the wisdom of telling the full truth to someone, uncertain how they might take the news. He certainly had no experience with a toddler. Yet, he knew that he was interested in never lying to his child. Not sharing the full truth was what had caused their separation in the first place.

Dijun nodded his head in return. “Yes, Gun Gun. I was the first ruler of Heaven. I am however, largely…err… retired now.”

He watched carefully to see how his son would react to that news.

Innocent eyes so like his own opened widely again, but Gun Gun seemed to mull over his next words, until finally he said, “Does one ever truly retire from being the heavely emperor, Father Lord?”

Caught off guard, Dong Hua’s laughter filled the chamber. His son was already a brilliant strategist. He had instantly perceived the thing that many in the heavens had failed to grasp. He was delighted. What fun they would have together!

“Just so, my son,” Dong Hua chuckled, “but I suggest we not tell anyone, hmm?”

A very serious look came over Gun Gun’s face, far older and wiser than his years. “I do think that’s best, Father Lord. One musn’t give away the upper hand.”

“Just so. And…Gun Gun? Just ‘father’, please. I will not have us stand on ceremony.” Dong Hua said, taking the sting out of his words by cuddling his son closer. He could feel his little boy nod against his shoulder, sinking more deeply into their hug, and the sweet slip of little arms around him.

He was holding his son. It almost defied belief.

Until just this moment of his long existence, Dong Hua never knew that he was missing the embrace of his own child. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes.

All they needed now was the third of their party to awaken to make him feel whole again. He and Xiao Bai could let go of the misunderstandings and begin anew. He had so many plans for his family. So much that he had dreamed of since deciding to marry the woman he loved more than his own life. More than any life. For she alone was willing to protect him and fight for him against all others. 

Against all odds, she had found a way to do that. Nearly at the cost of her life.

His Xiao Bai was as brave as she was beautiful. She alone was worthy of being his Dihou. And now she had given him this precious child to love and raise with tender care. Dong Hua couldn’t wait to get started. Together. And maybe, if the universe saw fit, there might be another little fox to raise someday. Or three. Three sounded marvelous.

“Father,” Gun Gun whispered, turning his concerned face toward his mother, “when will mother awaken?”

Dong Hua looked thoughtfully at the ring on the index finger of his Xiao Bai’s hand, made of half of his heart even though she owned all of it. It pulsed and glowed with his life force, his eternal love, and the happiness she - and now their child - brought him.

He observed as her finger twitched with that energy, evidence, Dong Hua hoped, that they would soon be reunited.

“Shall we try to awaken her, son?” Over the last few days there had been subtle signs that the process had begun. 

A small, adorable smirk exactly like his own stole Dong Hua’s heart as it lit up Gun Gun’s little face. “Yes, please. What shall we do?” he asked in conspiratorial tones.

“I think she is well enough to be brought out to the healing tree,” Dong Hua suggested. “Have you ever played under a shower of Foling flowers?”

“Will that help my mother?” Gun Gun looked skeptical, but interested nonetheless.

Dong Hua gave a single nod. “I think it will do us all some good to be in the sunshine and feel the power of this place.”

Reaching out one hand to his wife and his other hand to his child, Dong Hua phased them all to the daylight of Bihai Cangling, away from the dark and medicinal setting of the cave. Settling Feng Jiu next to him on the larger rock under the Foling tree, Dong Hua watched with supreme contentment as Gun Gun began to run around under a shower of unending pink petals and dancing birds.

Dong Hua watched his son scamper about with pride as he awaited the recovery of his wife. If she didn’t awaken today, perhaps tomorrow. Whenever she opened her beautiful eyes, they would be here waiting to welcome her back.

As if hearing his thoughts, the beloved form resting next to him suddenly stirred, gingerly stretching out her limbs and looking around in confusion as she yawned.

“Dong Hua?” came a musical, feminine voice he once thought he might never hear again.  

“Xiao Bai…you are back,” he exclaimed with joy, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into his careful and loving embrace.

“Mother!” Gun Gun shouted as he ran over to greet her.

“Gun Gun?” Xiao Bai uttered in surprise before looking up to him to gauge his reaction to the knowledge that they shared a fine son.

“Thank you, my love,” Dong Hua whispered against her lips, wrapping Gun Gun up with his free arm and drawing them all together.

Dong Hua let out a mighty sigh, kissing their foreheads in turn.

Finally. They were home.