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Vergil wrapped his fingers in Cindy's clothes and buried his face in her chest, whimpering but trying very hard not to cry.

Adonai was right behind Shael, and he knelt next to Cindy and Vergil.

"Would you like me to carry him to your room?" he asked her softly. "He could lie in bed until some clothes can be found for him ..."

Adonai nodded and moved to pick the boy up, but Vergil whimpered again and tightened his hands on Cindy's clothes.

"Come on, Vergil," Adonai murmured. "She can't carry you anymore, you've grown too big for that. Let me take you to your bed so that you can rest."

Vergil looked up at Adonai through slitted eyes. "That's ... funny," he said in a raspy voice. He swallowed hard, trying to keep back his tears. "From ... from too small ... to ... too big ..."

He swallowed again and rubbed his eyes against Cindy's shoulder to dry them.

"Come on, Vergil," Adonai murmured softly, holding his arms out to the boy again. "Let me take you to your room."

Vergil opened his eyes a slit and looked up at Adonai again, and finally he nodded ever so slightly - only because Cindy had promised she wouldn't leave him. He pried his fingers from her clothes and allowed Adonai to pick him up like a baby - the way Cindy had always carried him.

Adonai stood and tried to cover the boy a bit to give him some decency, and as he turned to the door, Vergil stuck one hand out.

"My amulet," the boy whimpered. "I need ... my amulet ..."

Vergil clasped the amulet in his hand, and the moment he had it he calmed down, closing his eyes once more and relaxing in Adonai's arms.

Back in the dining room, Shael was picking up the shreds of Vergil's tiny clothes. She was a little pale, and her hands were shaking slightly as she did so.

"Hey, are you all right?" Earendil asked her softly, watching her from the other side of Miyuki and Lin.

Shael nodded and sat back on her heels. "It was just ... so ... violent," she breathed. "I never ... I never would have thought it was like that ..."

Shael stared at the sword. That was ... strange ... to say the least. It was definitely the same sword that he'd always carried - she would recognize it with her eyes closed.

"Yamato," she breathed. She looked at Miyuki. "Maybe you could bring it to him in the morning, after he's rested," she suggested. "I'm sure he would like that very much."

"But for now, you'd best finish your dinner," Earendil reminded Miyuki. "Come on, back on your chair."

He smiled at her. He had seen a good many growths in his time, but the violent nature of Vergil's growth had taken even him by surprise. Still, he didn't want to make a big deal of it - and since Vergil was heading to bed, there was no point in dragging it out. Not to mention, he didn't want Miyuki to end up having nightmares over it.

In point of fact, the entire remainder of dinner passed very quietly - no one seemed to want to speak after watching Vergil grow so painfully.

After dinner, everyone got ready for bed, and, as usual, Earendil gave Miyuki and Lin both a goodnight kiss on the forehead, and then it was off to bed.