Kyoko paced back and forth in front of the store display, nervousness and concern welling up from deep inside of her once again. A year and a half of marriage to Ren usually tempered her concern, but this gift was beyond important. She had succeeded with the sheep pillow a few years ago, and Ren seemed to love everything she's ever bought him since, but this had to convey exactly her feelings and thoughts. It couldn't be just any gift that struck her fancy, and it had to communicate effectively to Ren. Lost in thought she didn't sense Yashiro come up behind her until he put his hand on her shoulder.

"AAurhrhggghh!" Kyoko yelped and quickly turned around to face Yashiro, a blush creeping across her face.

"I-I'm so sorry, Kyoko!" Yashiro squawked , jumping a foot back from her. "I was just wondering why it was taking so long, you told me you would just be in a minute and I started to worry. I did not expect to find you here, what are you doing?" Yashiro had gotten quite bold in his question asking after Kyoko and Ren started dating. This constantly threw Kyoko off and she was rarely prepared to give him an answer. Today was no different.

"I'm sorry, Yashiro-san", Kyoko bowed deeply while apologizing, "I didn't realize I was taking so long, I've made up my mind, please head back to the car and I will be there shortly. I did not mean for you to wait." She glanced up at him between her bangs praying that he would not question her choice of departments.

"Not a problem I'll see you in the car." Yashiro turned to leave, as Kyoko let out a sigh of relief, but then he stopped and looked over his shoulder, "By the way, why are you in this department?"

Kyoko blushed from her chest to the tips of her hair, "IT'S FOR A F-FFriend!" Oh she hoped this worked?

"A friend….okay…see you in the car." Yashiro gave her a long look letting her know he knew better and left. Kyoko grabbed her purchases, had them rung up, then gift-wrapped in the cutest wrapping paper she'd ever seen. Fairies and jewels, and all things that reminded her of Ren..Kuon…Darling…

When he had confessed to her, his ever growing love, his true identity, his past, his parents, all of it, Kyoko had been overwhelmed. Her heart had taken flight when he confessed his love, then dropped to the depths of the ocean when he told her his past. It had frozen solid when he admitted to being Corn and knowing her so long. She almost didn't forgive him, almost made the biggest mistake of her life. It had taken a couple of months for the thawing to begin.

First, Ren had called and left messages and she avoided him at all costs, so overcome with hurt and betrayal. He had seen what Sho had done with her emotions and she felt the raw hurt all over again. But, this time, she couldn't lock her heart back up, it had just gone into stasis, frozen for some time so the rest of her could mend. She had learned to love herself, and, with that love, her confidence had grown. She didn't owe Ren anything, and had to sort through her feelings on her own.

One day, while she was laying on the futon in her room in the daruma (she had never made the choice to move out even though her stardom and paycheck had taken off) she contemplated all of it. How Sho had been her one and only, how she had lost her way, how she found true love, of herself, in the process. As her eyes roamed the room, she thought of all way she loved Ren, and how she loved Kuon before she ever knew they were one and the same. Her eyes settled on the two old posters on her wall, of Sho and Ren, and she stared at them intently. They were both her past, but was Ren her future? In that moment, as she looked at his perfect face, a façade that hid the truth of a painful past, littered with unwise choices, and slid her eyes over to Sho's smug, pretty, expression, realization stuck her in the heart. She had forgiven Sho. Completely forgiven him. Accepted him for the place he had held in her life. All of her interactions with him had morphed into a sibling-like relationship, and in the bottom of that, she found true freedom: Forgiveness. Her eyes slid over to Ren's picture again and tears welled up in her eyes. As they spilled over onto her pillow, forgiveness blossomed in her heart toward Ren/Kuon/Corn allowing her to accept him as all that he was, every facet of his personality, all that made him…him. What was inside of her was beautiful, pure, and lovely and Kyoko fell asleep a very free person that night.

In the morning, Kyoko awoke with a light heart and passion for the day ahead. She did some light chores around the daruma, still not being recognized in her daily life as the actress Kyoko. Then, she went upstairs and without a second thought, and before she could lose her cool, she texted Ren.

Kyoko: Can we meet? I would like to talk to you.

She did not have to wait at all before phone pinged.

Mr. Ren: Yes. When? Where?

The response had been so quick, she didn't want to hope, but it was there in the glowing of her heart.

Kyoko: Whenever you are available, I know you are very busy. And wherever you would like.

She was hoping it would be sometime this week, maybe at a restaurant of his choosing, maybe a park with green grass and a gurgling brook. Her imagination began to lead her away when the phone pinged in response.

Mr. Ren: Now. I'll pick you up in 15 minutes in back of the Daruma. Does this work?

Her finger hovered over the phone buttons briefly. Was she ready to face this right now? Could she look at Ren after avoiding him for two months? What was she going to say? Then the need to forgive welled up within her and she answered.

Kyoko: Yes

Fifteen minutes later found her waiting at the back entrance of the daruma, wearing a simple sundress of yellow, with a jean jacket and white sandals. She had dressed with hopes of going to a park and perhaps soaking up the sunshine while she talked with Ren. True to his word, he showed up moments after she stepped outside, his visage hidden behind the tinted windows of his sports car.

One long leg followed the other as he stepped out of the car, into the sun, the light shining around his head like a halo. It took everything Kyoko had to not melt at the sight of him. She had missed him so much.

He smiled at her, a tentative, sweet smile, like he was overjoyed but hesitant to share all that was beneath the surface. All Kyoko knew was, it was a genuine smile, and she gladly stepped toward him and bowed her head at him.

"Hi, Mr. Ren, thank you for picking me up."

"Ms. Mogami, no need to thank me, I was glad to hear from you. Are you ready?" He opened the passenger door and gestured for her to enter the car. One more slight bow and Kyoko walked past Ren and sat down in the car. She grasped her hands together, wringing them in her nervousness, but she knew what she needed to say, and was thankful it wouldn't be a long, drawn out thing. Ren smiled a radiant smile down at her before closing the door. He slid effortlessly into the driver seat and they were off. As they passed block after block and light after light, Kyoko finally found voice enough to ask where they were going.

"My place, if that will work for you…" Ren turned to Kyoko with a question on his face.

She mulled this over a minute, "yes, of course", and gave a smile back at him to assure him this choice was fine. Inside, she was a bundle of nerves. Every smile he sent her way, sent her heart soaring and her head reeling. Reaching within herself, she drew on the past characters she played to help her through the next minutes. One such character, Cara, had been a love-struck young woman, quiet infatuated with her love interest. The show rated well, but Kyoko recalled Ren never being quite happy with it. He felt it should have revolved more around the friendships of Cara, and less about any love interest. Kyoko recalled it did seem to be the catalyst that lead him to confess.

They quickly arrived in his parking garage, and were both silent as they made their way into the elevator and to the penthouse apartment Ren owned. He led the way in and they both stood silent staring at each other after they removed their shoes.

"Ms. Mogami" "mr. Ren" They spoke at the same time.

"Forgive me, Ms. Mogami, you may speak first….I have tea…can make some tea…" Ren trailed off, a blush actually creeping across his face.

"M..mr…Ren…Ren? That's why I needed to talk. I-I…do forgive you. I forgive you, and….." Ren stared at her like she had grown two heads, maybe this wasn't what she should be doing, but it's what she needed to do. "A-and…I love you. All of you, Ren, Kuon, Corn, Cain Heel, all of you. I accept you. I love you. I needed to say this." The words rushed out of Kyoko as she bowed and kept her flushed face hidden from view. She did smile however, as her heart was set free by forgiveness and the taint of bitterness was gone.

"M-ms… Kyoko." Ren spoke her first name like a caress. Kyoko's head snapped up upon hearing her first name spoken so intimately. "I am so grateful for your forgiveness. So grateful." Ren fell to his knees in front of Kyoko, wrapping his arms around her middle and drawing her close. "I still love you. I love you even more for who you are, for loving yourself, for forgiving me, for accepting every part of me." He leaned back and looked deep into her eyes, his blue eyes in contrast with the dark hair he was wearing at the moment. "I love you and will forever."

Kyoko was overcome by his expression, his willingness to love her always. She saw the boy, the man, the mess-up, and the fairy all in one look, that look directed entirely at her. "I love you R-r-Ren…" She blushed to the tips of her hair and closed her eyes. "Or…K-kuon…Corn..maybe I should just call you Darling!" Kyoko opened her eyes, embarrassment over her outburst and voicing her thoughts out loud. Ren had stood up to his full height, and wrapped his arms around her and stared intently at her. A new look washed over his face, or at least a look she hadn't seen in quite some time. The emperor of the night appeared, tilting up her chin and whispered, "Darling will be perfect" right before he feathered his lips across hers. Kyoko thought "I will have to add the emperor into the list of Ren that I love" before succumbing to her love.

The emperor ended up being the reason Kyoko was sitting their living room, two years later, worried about the gift she had finally chosen to give Ren. She could never compete with him, he always won her over, but she could at least try.

"Honey? Are you home? I got your message and came right away, are you feeling well?" Ren was all concern as he came around the corner, stopping when he saw her sitting comfortably on the couch.

Kyoko smiled up at her husband, more in love with him now than even yesterday. It astounded her how easy it was to love him, and others, when she practiced forgiveness every day. "I'm fine, I just…we haven't…we've been so busy, I missed giving you your birthday present…"

Ren cocked an eyebrow at his wife as he came to sit next to her on their white couch, "I remember, quite clearly, how you gifted me on my birthday" Ren kissed his wife fully, causing Kyoko to blush at the memory of surprising him in his hotel while he filmed on location. Being a well-known star did have its perks.

"That was…a celebration for your birthday, and because I missed you. This", and she set the beautifully wrapped gift into his lap, ".. is your gift."

Ren smiled the pure smile at her and her heart stopped a little. "Can I open it?"

"Please do"

Kyoko watched intently as Ren unwrapped his gift, confusion written upon his face as he pulled out two sheep pillows, identical to the one she gave him a few years back, though smaller in size. He smiled at Kyoko, thankful for the confusing gift "Thank you Honey. I'll cherish these as much as the first one you bought me…are these for the feet or something?

Kyoko blushed again, the time was now. "They aren't for you." Ren looked more confused than ever, Kyoko had to spit it out. "You love the one I bought you so much, that I thought, perhaps, those related to you would love them as well…." Ren continued to look confused "Are my parents coming to visit? Because I would buy them 100 pillows if they wanted" "NO!" Kyoko hollered, he wasn't getting it, "Darling, they're for our children." Ren looked thoughtfully at Kyoko, then back at the small sheep pillows, small enough that you could call them lambs, then back at Kyoko, then back at the lambs. Then, a slow bright smile spread across his face. "You..Honey!" And he grabbed his wife and laid his head in her lap and pressed his face against her stomach. Kyoko ran her fingers through his hair as he looked up at her. "How long? Parents…we're going to be parents!?" Kyoko nodded as she smiled down at her husband. "When's the baby due?" Ren asked. "Babies." Kyoko answered. "Babies." Ren sat up and turned Kyoko to look at him. "Babies? Two babies? We're going to be parents to two babies?" And Ren laughed, full and bright and free from burden. "Yes, in 6 months. Happy Birthday Darling" and Kyoko kissed Ren fully on the mouth, the empress of the night taking over.