He can hear the strain in Vash's voice, feel the tension in his body. Really, so long as he pretends that it’s Vash who’s distressed by the idea of Rem living next to a grave they created, and not them both, then it’s so much easier.

What’s a little self-deception, among friends?

“They do. We do. End up there, I mean. She really is collecting us!” Because Vash is right – they do seem to be drawn to that place, at least on this world. Which is odd, now that he thinks about it. Like Wolfwood said, there’s nothing out there, nothing but the memory of pain. Back in his world, he hadn’t been near July since… well, since. But here? Here they’ve been flocking to the place.

He's wondered it before, and the thought occurs to him once more – given the way that the city was destroyed, the energy that was expended there, is there something strange, now, about the city itself? Knives said there was a hole there too, one that disappears and reappears. Did they – did he -- do more damage than he’d originally thought?

How do you even measure a place for spacetime disturbances? A change in gravity, perhaps, that only plants can feel? He’d ask their sisters, but…

“There's so many to choose from now. There's even a little one, about the same age as Nai.”

Wolfwood’s hand is warm in the middle of his back, and Vash briefly closes his eyes, letting that small touch flood through him.

“They both live with her.”

And shouldn’t that be a joyous thing? A Nai and a Vash, getting to grow up with Rem, and a whole gaggle of family running around? They all made their choices and will live forever with the consequences, but the little ones get a fresh start. Isn’t that something to cling to, other Vash? A small piece of hope, that not every iteration of them has to end up this way?

“And that’s where I’m headed, now that I'm not needed here.”