Babies

Author's Note: After reading "I Need You" by Phantasy Star I found myself inspired to write "Babies."

Chapter One: On the Doorstep

Darien brow furrowed as he attempted to remain in the comfortable and very peace embrace that only sleep could bring. But it was no use. For no sooner had he rolled over in his bed and pulled the covers over his head to block out the sunlight, did his alarm clock go off. And, that was his daily cue and reminder to start his day at seven in the morning. Reluctantly, not wanting to leave sleep so soon, Darien threw back the covers and sat up. Than he remembered that it was Monday.

Monday was Darien's favorite day of the week. It wasn't his favorite because it was pay day at the clinic he worked full time at, nor at the pizza parlor where he worked part-time. Neither was Monday his favorite day of the week because it was the start of another week. Nope, none of those reasons that other people had for making Monday, or any day of the week, their favorite day was the reason that Monday was his. Monday was Darien favorite day of the week, because of her.

Because she was the reason that he left the realm of sleep and warm bed. Darien turned around to look at his alarm clock. Six-fifteen. That gave him fifteen minutes to get ready for his day, if he wanted to run into her. Even if she did have a tendency to run late five days out of the week. But he wanted to on time just in case she was on time for once. He grabbed a pair of violet trousers and black long sleeve shirt and socks from the dresser and got dressed. His daily routine caused him to end his day with a cold, refreshing shower before going to bed.

After pooling his last sock onto his right foot, Darien glanced up at the clock. Seven-forty-five. He might miss her. He ran into his bathroom and grabbed his toothpaste and some tooth paste. Than brushing his teeth, he ran around the house in search of his shoes. That was one thing that puzzled Darien. No matter where he took his shoes off, at the front door, in the living room, in the dinning room underneath the table when studying, any where in the house they always seemed to get lost. An estimated ten minutes after the searching for his missing shoes, Darien had rescued them from the underneath the couch in the living room. Slipping them on his feet he looked up at the clock.

"Damn it!" Darien yelled hitting his fist against the sofa cushion. It was eight-o-clock. He'd missed her. And, all thanks to his stupid shoes.

Mournfully Darien walked over to the dinning room table where his school textbook had been spread out the night before. Darien closed his the text that were required for the day's schedule classes and tucked them underneath his arm. "May as well get this miserable week started." Darien said to him and left his apartment.

Darien was too busy wallowing in his own self-pity that had been caused by his missed chance to see his angel that he had not seen the cardboard box that was laying in front of the entrance way into the tenement. The next thing that he now was sprawled in the snow at the bottom of the steps. And his books and papers were scattered all around him. And, someone was crying. A loud shrill sound.

Darien groaned and opened his eyes. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself.

Someone was still crying. Darien looked around the parking lot. At the far end of the complex he saw a figure of a woman dressed in a white blouse, a navy blue skirt, and black flat shoes disappear around the building. But, she could not have been the reason that he had fallen down the steps. Darien looked at his feet. His shoes were tied.

Well, that baby every shut up? Darien thought.

He looked up the stairs in search of the reason for his fall. There. At the top of the stairs. Where could not be missed by any person walking in or out of the apartment building was a large, brown, cardboard box.

"Why would some one leave a box in front of the door?" Darien asked stupidly. Than he stood up, gathered his things and walked back up the steps. The baby had finally stopped crying. Darien looked down at the expecting to find it sealed with the name and apartment number of a resident. What he found instead took him for a loop.

In this crude form of shelter lay two babies wrapped in a dark green bedspread. Each of them wearing a thick jacket and a little hat – one blue and one pink. In the corners on either side of them were stuffed animals. A fluffy pink rabbit with blue bows on its ears and a furry brown bear with a hug red bow around it neck. There was also a brand new, unopened pack of diapers and a container of powdered formula.

Darien blink his eyes several times. When the visions of the babies had not vanished he rubbed them. One of the babies was wind awake. Apparently, this little cute thing wearing a blue downy jacket and hat was what had been crying. Trails of tears ran down the sides of its chubby face from dark cinnamon colored eyes. It's little gloved hand reaching towards him.

"Hello." Darien said.

The baby cooed.

"Where'd you come from?" Darien asked.

The baby cooed again.

"Where's your mom and dad?" Darien asked.

Another coo.

"My name is Darien. What's yours?" Darien asked.

Another coo.

"Who would do this to babies?" Darien asked.

Another coo.

Darien gazed around the parking lot again. Again there was no hint as to how would have left these babies in a box. That was expect for the seats of footprints leading to and away from the steps. Although his unexpected tumble down the steps had nearly smeared them. That won't be of any use.

"Well, I'd better get you out of the cold." Darien said.

And, as though the baby knew what he was saying, it cooed.

With his books under one arms Darien attempted to lift the cardboard box to no avail. " Okay, I'm going to put these inside your box." Darien said placing his school books in the box next to the diapers. With much difficult he lifted attempted to pick the box up again.

"How did she do this?" Darien questioned. He sat down on the steps next to the box to think. It was too heavy to carry with these babies in it. The one that was awake sat up and started to cry. "I'm thinking." Darien said to in the most comforting voice that he could muster. But that did console the wailing child. A second later, the one that had been sleep woke up to the sound of its siblings distress. And, it two was crying. So, here Darien was with a dilemma on his hands. He had a large cardboard box with two wailing babies in it and no way to get them to his fourth story apartment.

"What a way to start the week?" Darien grumbled. His hands flat against his ears.