A/N Just a quick little story. Definitely not for faint of heart. Apparently I've been in a darkly creative place lately.


Karai lay awake in bed listening to the tiny wailing noise coming from the monitor on her night stand, cursing at herself. Ten months ago, this all could have been avoided. If she hadn't been so weak. If she had more self-control, more skill she would have found herself so… so… compromised. But she had been weak, and now she was paying for it.

She pulled herself out of bed and headed to the kitchen. She pulled a bottle out of the fridge and ran it under the warm water. Thankfully the house staff were good about preparing the bottles. Karai just couldn't be bothered, or frankly care. She just went through the motions because it was expected of her.

She trudged back up the stairs to the nursery. There it was. Waiting for her. The constant reminder of her failure. Her freak. Her baby. She peered over the edge of the crib studying her son. Black downy hair, greenish skin, no discernible nose, 8 fingers, 6 toes, and a plastron hidden under the onesie & blankets. He was fussing and reaching out to her but she felt nothing, at least not anything positive.

She reached down and pulled him out of the crib, along with his baby blanket, a surprising gift from her father. Apparently he did have it in him to be sentimental. He was livid to hear of her failure and betrayal, however was curious to see what her offspring would be like. If it was a female, he could just have it vivisected. But, of course, now he had a male heir, even if he was a freak. He had named him Shouri. It meant victory. She had never seen her father so proud.

He was the one who insisted that she take care of the baby. He was going to grow up in the Saki tradition and she was the one who was to personally see to it. She was no longer allowed to go on missions, train, or even leave the penthouse her father had procured for her. Her life now belonged to Shouri. And she hated every second.

Thankfully, her father was able to keep this whole farce off of the radar. Leonardo suspected nothing, and had no idea he had left her with child after that fateful encounter. If he knew he would have made his presence known in this whole matter.

She fed Shouri the bottle, burped him and placed him back in his crib. She looked down at his sleepy form. If she felt anything for the offending child, it was a modicum of pity? No, not even. But she did know his life would not be an easy one. Her father would be hard on him. There would be no real childhood. And he was a freak. He wasn't human and while he would be feared, it wasn't likely that he would be respected. This malformed infant was her only legacy? No. Not now, not ever.

Besides, he wouldn't stop crying. Surely no Saki heir could be so weak, so useless. Never again. She decided then and there that she would take the infant across the city tonight, and leave it on the doorstep of the sub-creature who took her life from her and left a useless parasite in its place. He would know what it was to have a life stolen, taken away and rent asunder by a stupid mistake. She would teach him that lesson well.

With a calm but blank look she lifted the pillow and brought it down on the infant's face and applied steady pressure. Before long they were both free.