Darling in the Franxx: From Parasites to Parents

Chapter 22:Mending the Heart

Okay so after Proto's heartbreaking confession last chapter and the reveal of his violent side how will the members of Squad 13 treat the hybrid? Let's find out!
Kokoro was currently spending time with Genista while Mitsuru was helping the other boys tend to the fields. After the Nines attacked yesterday the Klaxosaurs have been incredibly skittish. Genista and the other Franxx children have been visiting the nest in hopes of calming down the poor creatures. Although the thing that had everyone worried was that Proto hasn't left his room since the Nines incident and everyone was worried! Gaia told them Proto just needed some time alone before he was ready to talk to the rest of them about his outburst. Kokoro sighed sadly as she worried over the hybrid boy.
                "M-Mama do you think Uncle Proto will be okay?" Genista asked as she looked down at her mother with a concerned expression on her face as she waited for an answer. Kokoro couldn't help but smile at her daughter the children have been so worried about Proto that it seemed to be all they could think about. "I'm sure Proto will be just fine sweetheart! He just needs sometime to himself that's all!" Kokoro said as she gave her daughter a reassuring smile. Genista smiled down at her mother before curling up and going to sleep. "We have to do something about Proto right now, he can't just keep holing himself up like this!"  Kokoro thought as she walked back to the manor.
                  Proto woke up and tried to move only to find that his legs were wrapped up by Gaia's tentacles in a loving embrace. Gaia then slowly woke up and smiled at the sight of her lover in this predicament. "Gaia, love could you please let my legs go please?" Proto pleaded as he tried to break free, Gaia responded by tightening the hold on his legs. "Not until you stop beating yourself up mister! You need to learn to love yourself!" Gaia said as she pulled Proto into a hug. Proto sighed before returning the hug as Gaia snuggles happily into his chest in response. The two lovers stayed like this for half an hour until they both decided to get and ready for the day.
               Gaia dragged Proto down to the dinning room where the others were preparing breakfast. Everyone stopped and turned to look at them as they entered the dining room; Ichigo dried her hands on a towel before walking over to them. "Ichigo listen I know you're probably mad at me for keeping that a secret from you but" Proto's sentence was interrupted by a slap across the face as Ichigo glared at him. "You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried all of us have been because of you?!" Ichigo shrieked as Goro pulled her into a hug to calm her down. Proto was slightly taken aback by Ichigo's outburst as he turned to Gaia only to see her smiling and giggling slightly.
               "I don't understand, why would guys be worried about a weapon like me?" Proto asked as the rest of Squad 13 stood next to Ichigo and Goro. "Proto you are by no means a weapon or a tool for genocide! After all if that were the case you wouldn't have saved my life like you did!" Ikuno said as the rest of Squad 13 voices they're agreement. Proto couldn't help but let tears run down his face at they're words, looks like he truly found where he belonged. After the touching moment the group sat down and ate breakfast before they started their day. Squad 13 and the Franxx children planned to go into the nest and help calm down the Klaxosaurs after the Nines attack scared them so badly.
             Heliconia sat in her room lying on her bed under the covers, she couldn't get the events of last week out of her head. First she called her father a defect, then she learned the ugly truth about her father's past. "Poor father has been through so much and I just made it worst with my words! What kind out daughter am I?"  Heliconia thought to herself as she closed her eyes and fell asleep as she hadn't slept in days and it finally caught up to her. Due to her being out cold she didn't hear the sound of the catwalk door opening as someone entered and made they're way to her nightstand. The figure then sat down and watched Heliconia sleep soundly.
Proto watched his daughter sleep soundly in her bed as she gently snored while in dreamland. Proto couldn't help but smile at the sight of his daughter's peaceful expression while asleep. It reminded him so much of Gaia and how underneath her tough exterior was gentle and caring ruler. "Heliconia you may never love me, but I'll always be here for you sweetheart!" Proto thought happily as he continued to watch his daughter sleep with a big grin on his face. Although Proto noticed that Heliconia began to toss and turn in her sleep violently. Proto immediately rushed over to his daughter's side and tried to wake her up from her nightmare.
Heliconia kept seeing the moment of when she said all those horrible things she said to her father. Although it then cut to a scene of her looking down at her father's bloodied body struggling to breathe. "What's the matter Heliconia? I thought you wanted me dead?" The bloodied form of her father said in a staticky voice. "N-No papa please d-don't die! I didn't mean what I said! I'm sorry!" Heliconia weeped as her father's bloodied form began to grow. It transformed into a monstrous shadow that towered over her menacingly. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" The monster shouted as it began to close in on her. "Heliconia? Heliconia? HELICONIA!" A voice called to her as she woke up.
                     Heliconia's eyes shot open to find that she was in her bed and her father was petting her cheek with a worried look on his face. "It's okay sweetheart! You were just having a bad dream that's all!" Her father said in a soothing voice as he continued to pet his cheek. "P-P-Papa!" Heliconia whimpered as she scooped her father up into her hands and hugged as if he would disappear. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said! Please don't hate me!" Heliconia wailed as she still gently cradled her father in her arms. "Heliconia could you please look at me sweetheart?" Proto asked as Heliconia brought up to her face so he could talk to her. Proto gently hugged Heliconia's face in order to calm her down.
               "I already told you that you would always be my little girl didn't I?" Proto said as he continued to hug his daughter. Heliconia's wails devolved into hiccups after her father's words. "Papa could you stay here with me? I'm scared the dream will come back if I'm alone!" Heliconia whimpered our gently as she hugged her father to her chest. "Oh course sweetheart!" Proto said as he let us daughter hold him while she fell asleep once more. Proto smiled as he once again heard his daughter's gentle snores as she once again drifted off to sleep. "I'll always be here for you Heliconia! Whether you like it or not!" Proto thought to himself as he to drifted off to sleep alongside his daughter.
Gaia was worried she couldn't find Proto anywhere! After working to calm her people down along with the Franxx Children and Squad 13 Gaia went back to her and Porto's room only for him to be nowhere! She was on her way to Heliconia's room after searching literally everywhere else. Gaia slowly opened the door to the catwalk as she made her way towards her daughter's sleeping form. She was about to wake Heliconia up until she spotted Proto being cradled in Heliconia's hands. Gaia smiled at the sight before joining her lover and daughter in dreamland. Gaia could safely say her life was truly perfect in this moment now that her family is complete.

So there we go Heliconia has made up with Proto and they can finally have a father daughter relationship! Next time a certain pair will finally admit they're feelings for each other with a little help from they're friends of course! See you guys next time!