I've decided after many, many, many years to try writing again.

Just for nostalgic purposes and coming across the show again not long ago, I've decided to write more fanfiction.

This story is basically a mini story about one tragic part of Kai's life as a main pin-point in time followed by random stories of his life and his son. There's going to be jumping forward and backward in time from the prologue. Just a collection of short stories all based on each other if that makes sense.

The prologue I don't want to go in to huge detail. I'm just gonna give bare-bones of the setup. So stay with me!

I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think.

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Prologue.

Kai hadn't had the easiest start in life. And as it turned out, his early adult years weren't looking great either.

After the incident in Russia, Kai's relationship with his grandfather became even more strained. Naturally.

Much to Kai's disdain, Voltaire had managed to evade prison due to the fact he was wealthy enough to buy his way out of it, and kept his claws in his "unloyal" grandson. They both hated each other, but like it or not, Kai was his only living heir to his beloved company and empire. As for Kai, "family honour" was something that had been drilled in to his head since he was born. He'd promised his father long ago before he died that he would honour the family name and take over one day. And Kai always kept his promises, even if it meant being controlled by that old megalomaniac.

He'd just turned 20. He'd decided to semi-retire from his blading career. It wasn't going to last forever anyway, right? Had to grow up sometime. He still trained most days with the Bladebreakers, simply because old habits die hard and he liked being around them, even though he still didn't overly show it. But they knew.

Voltaire dropped the bomb on his birthday. He would be married within the year. His gift to him was a book of potential wives for him to choose from. A catalogue for brides, if you will.

He refused at first. But Voltaire always got his way.

"Consider yourself lucky that I'm giving you a choice. In my day, you didn't know who you were marrying until you were at the alter." he'd told him.

He finally surrendered and agreed, but only if he could meet them first. He wasn't going to pick a picture and hope for the best. Voltaire agreed. Anything to get him to go along with it.

And so came the meetings. It was snooty airhead after snooty airhead who clearly wanted nothing more than to shop and like, totally have fun. It made him sick to his stomach.

But the last one came as a surprise to him.

Naomi Watanabe was the daughter of another big businessman, who Voltaire worked closely with. Clearly, her parents wanted them to marry for business ties. As it turns out, she too was half Japanese and half Russian.

He waited, just wanting to get this over with, when the door to the living room opened and a fiery girl the same age burst in in a huff.

She was pretty. Long, black hair that was pinned up, big green eyes, nice figure. Dressed in vintage style clothes. A rose tattoo on her right arm. She wasn't like the other airheads...but then she hadn't opened her mouth yet.

She slumped in the chair opposite Kai who stared silently and curiously at her. She lazily dropped her bag on the floor next to her. It fell over and Kai noticed a copy of Animal Farm by George Orwell peeking out it.

She stared back at him and raised an eyebrow defiantly.

"Hello." Kai finally broke the silence.

She sighed, annoyed.

"Listen, I don't know you. You could be really nice guy or a total dick. But I'm gonna lay it out for you here..." she began.

It was Kai's turn to raise an eyebrow. Girl had attitude.

"I'm only here because my "loving" parents are forcing me in to an arranged marriage. Like I'm property to be sold off. I will never be a dutiful wife who sits at home pops out your kids and washes your socks while you're at work. Nor will I hand you a Martini when you come home and give you a neck rub."

Kai smirked. "I prefer vodka. But anyway, while we're laying things out I will never be the dutiful husband who busts his ass at work while you swan around spending all my money on shit you don't need."

Naomi narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't expecting a reply like that. She'd expected him to run for the hills.

Kai nodded towards her bag.

"Reading Animal Farm?"

"Yeh."

"Didn't you read that in school?"

"Pff, of course. You can read a book more than once, ya know. It seemed fitting to my current mood."

"Wouldn't Nineteen Eighty four have been a better choice for this...situation? Big Brother is watching. Freedom is Slavery..."

"Rebelling against the totalitarian regime?" she interjected. "Finished it last night. I needed something else."

"Well, then may I suggest Handmaid's Tale? Since you might be forced to 'pop out my kids'." he joked darkly.

"Very funny." she actually smiled.

There was a small silence as she studied him.

"...You don't seem like the other guys I've met for this arranged crap..." she started, still keeping her eyes on him. "You know how to read, for one."

Kai let out a small laugh.

"You don't seem like the other women I've met either. You know how to make a sentence without using "like" five times."

"that good, huh?

"oh, just the worst..."

"So...what's your deal?"

"Same as you, really. My dear old grandpa-pa owns a big company. Needs me to marry a 'suitable woman' to provide business ties and a good, strong heir to the empire. I'm just his only living family, who cares if I end up happy as long as the company survives, right?"

"Exactly..." she replied sadly.

It was Kai's turn to study her. He liked her. She seemed to have intelligence. She had fire. She had some self pride and didn't want to be treated like a good little housewife.

"Listen..." she began.

"Yes?"

"I...I really shouldn't tell you this but..." she seemed incredibly nervous all of a sudden.

"Sure you want to tell a complete stranger then?"

"That's just it...for some reason, I don't feel scared to tell you."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm...I'm not exactly...in to guys..." she revealed shyly.

To her surprise, Kai burst out laughing.

"What's so funny!?" she demanded. Her shyness quickly turning back to sassy anger.

"Are you telling me you uh...bat for the same team?"

"That's one way to put it, but yes...my family obviously don't know, so I'd appreciate it if regardless of what happens you keep that...damnit, why are you smiling!?"

Kai folded his arms, a smug smile across his face.

"Will you marry me?"

She blinked. Not understanding.

"What?"

"You see, we already have something in common with each other...if you catch my drift."

"You mean you're..."

"Uh huh...which means, the way I see it anyway, we can take this shitty situation and make it work to our advantage. We get married, keep the folks happy, do what we need to do but we secretly live our own lives. No one needs to know, no one gets hurt."

Naomi copied Kai's smile.

"That's...insane. But brilliant."

"So I'll ask you again. Will you marry me?"

Naomi thought about it. He was right. This was the ideal. If she married Kai, they'd be husband and wife on paper and in front of the family. She wouldn't have to commit to it fully.

"Yes. I will." she finally answered.

"Great. Now let's play along with their little game. Expect my official proposal in a few days."

"I look forward to it." she smirked.

"Good day, Ms. Watanabe."

"Good day, Mr. Hiwatari."

She picked up her bag, flashed Kai a small smile and left. Kai got up from the chair and looked out the window, seeing her and her parents leaving.

"This might just work out..." Kai said to himself, smiling.

He hadn't heard Voltaire enter the room. He stopped and watched his grandson staring out the window at the girl smiling. He smirked.

"Oh? Do I see my grandson smiling? Does he finally approve of someone?"

Kai turned to him, surprised.

"As a matter of fact, he does. I choose her."

Voltaire let out a small chuckle. "I thought you might like that one...she seems more your type. Marvellous! I'll inform her family later on this evening."

Their engagement was officially announced that week. Naomi's parents wanted a big, lavish wedding. But the two insisted it be a small, private affair. No fuss.

The two were married within six months. It was as they wanted. A tiny wedding with just family. Not even friends.

A few weeks later, Kai finally informed his friends that he was now (technically) a married man. There was outrage that none of them had been invited, but then he explained the situation of how and why they had even got married.

Tyson insisted they have a small party. After a lot of pestering, Kai finally agreed. So Tyson arranged for the Bladebreakers and the Russian team to have a wedding party and meet Kai's new wife.

They all liked her immediately. They saw that they complemented each other enough to pull off the facade of being a loving married couple without wanting to kill each other. They actually seemed to get on very well.

Naomi watched her new husband interact with his friends. She noticed he seemed the most friendly with a certain long haired, amber eyed member of the group. She kept it to herself until after a few more events where she watched the two of them.

In the car home one night, about six or seven months in to their marriage. She finally asked him about her suspicions.

"Hey, hubby?"

"Yes, wife."

"What's the deal with you and Rei?"

Kai blushed slightly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, please...you like him, don't you?"

"Where did you get that idea? We're just friends."

"Uh huh...sure..."

Kai blushed a deeper red. Something she'd never seen him do.

"Ok, I won't force you to admit it...but I'm on to you...and for what it's worth, I think he likes you too."

She never brought it up again. But whenever Rei was around, Kai caught her giving him 'that look'. Earning her glares every time.

After two years of marriage, things were still going well. Kai had finally finished college and she had finished art school. Naomi had had a few flings here and there, but none of them turned in to anything serious. She seemed happy enough with just being free enough to do it.

Kai was...Kai. So nothing for him, but he didn't seem to care.

The two of them had become incredibly close. They weren't in love with each other, but they did love each other a whole lot as friends.

On Kai's 22nd birthday, Naomi had started what would become their little running joke.

"Happy birthday, Kai!" she said as she hugged him.

"Thanks." he hugged back.

"You know...I wanted to tell you...when my parents told me I had to be married off, I thought my life was over. I thought I'd spend my life being miserable...but marrying you has given me the chance to live my life without disappointing anyone. Even though I'm still being controlled, I feel weirdly free...does that make sense?"

Kai smiled and nodded.

"So I guess what I want to say is...I love you. But not like that. I love you, sort of."

Kai laughed. "Great, first time anyone has ever told me they loved me and it's I love you 'sort of.'"

Naomi felt bad. Kai pulled her in to another hug.

"I love you too...sort of."

She smiled and hugged him tight.

The easy days didn't last.

The two arrived home one day to find her parents and Voltaire's cars in their driveway. They exchanged glances and got out the car.

"Assume the position..." Kai whispered and Naomi took his hand.

They entered their house and looked for their unwanted guests. They found the three of them waiting in the living room.

"Ah. Family. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Kai asked with fake sweetness.

"Sit down, you two." Naomi's mother ordered. She was a short, thin woman with a constant snarl on her face.

They sat obediently, nervous that somehow they'd found out about everything.

"are you two performing your...marital duties to each other regularly?" the mother asked bluntly.

"MOTHER!" Naomi burst. Kai raised his eyebrows and unwillingly blushed.

"We're just concerned darling. We were all wondering why we don't have a grandchild on the way yet." her father interjected.

Kai frowned. "With all due respect sir, when Naomi and I choose to start a family is our business."

"Quiet, Kai." Voltaire snapped. "You both know you're expected to provide an heir. It was part of the contract. We're getting impatient."

"These things don't just happen. Sometimes it takes a while." Naomi argued.

"Well, then would you mind explaining why it appears you both have separate rooms?" Voltaire smirked viciously.

"You snooped through our house?!" Kai shouted, outraged.

"I'm within my rights. Technically it's my house. Now answer the question."

"Oh, calm down. It's a big house. Sometimes we want our own space. That's all." Kai reasoned off the top of his head.

"Well, perhaps you should spend a little less time in your 'own space' and more time...combining forces as it were." Voltaire chuckled mockingly.

Kai wanted to vomit. His grandfather was telling him to fuck his wife more.

After another twenty minutes of cringe-worthy lectures from all three family members, they took their leave.

"You've been warned, you two...get to work. I expect good news soon." Voltaire said as he left.

That night they discussed the notion of having a child. They knew they couldn't avoid it forever, and they'd only get more and more pressure from the family from now on.

"One more issue though." Kai began.

"What's that?"

"Have you ever...you know...with a guy?"

"Once. You ever with a woman?"

"No...I've never...with anyone."

"You're a virgin? Like across the board!?"

"Wh-shut up! Don't say it like that!" he exclaimed, embarassed.

She giggled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean any harm...but...I'm sorry you're first time is with me."

Kai also giggled.

"You're my wife, may as well be you."

"Wanna do it?" she asked bluntly.

Kai choked. "Like now!?"

"Yeh, let's just get it over with. We're not trying to impress each other anyway."

"Gee...how romantic. This is how I always pictured my first time."

"Save the romance for when you and Rei hook up." she joked.

He sighed. "Stop that...and fine, let's just do it. I don't know what I'm doing though."

She put her leg over him and straddled him.

"Don't worry. I'll drive."

After a few months of clumsy sexual encounters. Naomi came to the kitchen one morning and dropped a pregnancy test next to Kai.

It was positive.

"Looks like you're going to be a daddy." she said sweetly as hugged him.

Four months in, something morbidly wonderful happened.

Voltaire had died suddenly of a heart attack. Kai had never felt more relieved in his life. He enjoyed knowing that the old man died without knowing if his kid was a boy or a girl. If he had an heir secured. His small little comfort after all the old man had put him through all these years.

Kai inherited everything. He'd worked at the company since he graduated college, he knew the ropes. He slid in to the CEO position seamlessly. He immediately hired Tala to be his right hand man. Tala was an excellent businessman and had been stuck in some other company that treated him like shit. He gladly accepted, and walked out his office with his middle finger extended.

Six months in, however, everything came crashing down after a check up at the hospital.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari, please sit down." the doctor said seriously.

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Naomi asked, panicked.

"You're baby appears to be fine...I'm afraid it's...you, Mrs. Hiwatari."

"What are you talking about?" Kai asked, also feeling fear in the pit of his stomach.

"We...we ran some tests as we do to all expectant mothers...the results came back...This isn't easy to tell you, but I'm afraid you have cancer, Mrs. Hiwatari."

The pair of them looked like they had both been slapped.

"...That can't be right..." Kai shook his head. "That can't be...she's been fine. Haven't you? You've felt fine this whole time, right?"

Naomi didn't say anything. She was in shock.

"I'm afraid it's breast cancer. This kind often goes undetected as it tends to show no symptoms. From the scans and the tests it seems we've caught it in the late stages."

A tear fell down Naomi's face.

"What about our baby?"

"Your baby should not be affected...we do however, suggest that we don't take extensive treatment until the child is born."

"But what about Naomi?" Kai asked, his own tears forming "You already said you caught it late."

The doctor sighed.

"We won't know for sure until the child is born. But...I'm afraid statistics are not on your side. We may already be too late for recovery...all we can do is offer you some less invasive treatment to get you through your pregnancy and hope it doesn't spread. We'll have to re-evaluate once the baby is born."

After talking a little longer with the doctor, the two drove home silently. Dumbstruck.

When they got home, the two held each other and wept like they'd never had in their lives.

The news spread to the others, who did their best to help them in any way they could.

Naomi went for the treatments she could while she was pregnant, but seemed to be deteriorating quickly. She became weaker and weaker as the weeks went by.

Kai came home from the store one day to find Bryan there. Naomi had called him. He was now a successful lawyer. And she wanted to write her will in case of the worst.

Kai sat silently as he listened to them talk.

Naomi had decided in the event of her death, her parents were to have no ties to their grandchild. Therefore, they would have no ties to Kai and his money. Everything she had in her possession was to go to the child.

And her funeral was to be small. Just like their wedding. No fuss, just to be cremated and scattered in a forest. She loved forests.

Kai couldn't stay silent any more, he grabbed her hands.

"You listen to me. You're going to beat this, ok? You're going to get through it and you're going to watch our child grow up. You're going to meet some smoking hot woman who's down with our situation and you're going to be happy." he sobbed as he looked his wife in the eyes.

Naomi choked and took his face in her hands.

"I'm going to fight, Kai. I haven't given up. But I just want to know that if I don't make it...everything is taken care of. I don't want to leave you to deal with my parents and funeral plans...I love you, sort of."

"I love you too...sort of."

Bryan wiped tears from his eyes before clearing his throat and setting up the documents.

The following months were hard. Naomi continued to get weaker as the baby grew. Finally the time came for it to come in to the world.

She was too weak to give birth naturally. She had to deliver by C-section. On September 19th, at 2:49pm. Their son took his first breath.

He was placed in Kai's arms. Kai felt a love that he'd never felt before. It was the most incredible moment of his life.

Followed by the worst. Naomi's heart monitor started to beep out of control and he was ushered out the room holding his freshly born son. A nurse came and took him away to clean him up and check him. He was helpless and oblivious.

He was lead to a waiting area where his friends were already waiting. He sat with his head in his hands. He felt sick with worry.

It had been hours. Finally the doctor came to him.

"Mr. Hiwatari?"

"Yes!" He shot up.

"Mr. Hiwatari, your wife is currently stable...but we ran tests right away and...I'm so sorry, there's nothing we can do for her at this point."

"How long?" Kai choked out.

"...we suspect a matter of days at most."

"...No..."

Kai fell to his knees and sobbed helplessly. Tala and Bryan went to his side. The rest of them silent. None of them knowing what to say or do.

After he cried himself to a point where he couldn't cry any more, he went to see his dying wife. She looked like she was sleeping. He sat beside her and stroked her hair. She stirred.

"...Kai?"

"I'm here."

"Where's...the baby?"

"They're going to bring him in soon. Wait just a little longer." he took her hand and kissed it.

"Him? ….We have...a son?"

His eyes welled up. "We do...we have a beautiful little boy. You were incredible, I'm so proud of you."

She smiled weakly.

"I want to see...my baby."

"Wait here, I'll ask them to hurry up."

He went and found a nurse and demanded she brought their baby right away. He arrived within minutes.

It was the first time Kai had seen him without being covered in blood. He looked...healthy, but wrinkly. He was perfect.

He sat beside Naomi as the nurse propped her up. She went over to the baby and gently picked him up and carefully placing him in her arms.

"Here you go, mama...you're son." she said sweetly.

Naomi gasped as she felt the warm body in her arms. She looked down at him.

"He's...so perfect."

"He is." Kai agreed.

"Could you...take...a picture?" Naomi asked.

Kai was surprised by the request, but guessed it was a reasonable thing to capture. She was holding her son for the first time. He took out his phone and took several.

She held him for about half an hour until the nurse came back.

"I'm afraid we have to run some checks and get him fed now. I promise we'll bring him back as soon as we can."

Naomi was hesitant. She didn't want to let go. But she complied.

Once he was out the room, she took Kai's hand.

"What should...we name him?"

"I'll let you choose." he smiled.

"I want him...to have...a Japanese name...like us."

"Anything in mind?"

"Something...that means...strength. He...thrived...even though my body...got weak. I want him to...stay as strong...as he grows up."

Kai held back more tears. He found a piece of paper and wrote down a kanji.

"How about this?" He turned the paper to her.

"剛"

"Gou...it means strong."

Naomi smiled and some light came back to her eyes.

"It's...perfect...Gou Hiwatari."

A few tears fell down both their faces.

"Gou Hiwatari." Kai repeated, "our boy."

"Kai..."

"Yeh?"

"I want you...to promise...you'll take good care of our son."

"Please don't talk like that, Naomi...I can't stand it."

"I'm not going to last long...I feel it."

"Stop it..."

"Promise me."

"Of course I promise." he cried, "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make him happy."

"I know you will." she smiled. "I want you to tell him I love him when he's old enough to understand."

"He's going to know. I promise. He's going to know who his mom is." he choked.

"Thank you. And Kai?"

"...Yeh?"

"I want you to be happy, too. I want you to find that one person you love. In that way. Not sort of."

Kai sniffed.

"You were the best thing that could have happened to me, Kai. I can't thank you...enough. I love you...sort of..."

Kai tried to steady his breath.

"I-I love you too...sort of..." he leaned over and kissed her.

A weak smile appeared on her face and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Those were the last words they ever spoke.

She died that night.

Tyson insisted he stayed with them for a little while. That he shouldn't be alone and would need help with his newborn child. Kai didn't put up a fight. Tala got some things from their home. Kai couldn't handle going back to their home yet.

Her funeral was just as she'd requested. Small. Minimal. No fuss. Her parents attended. They didn't seem overly upset. As they left, Kai shoved the will she'd written in to her horrible mother's hand.

"This will probably upset you more." he spat, "we won't be seeing each other again, so just know this. You didn't deserve her. She was in incredible person and you treated her like an object. I hope you never forgive yourselves."

She was cremated. Kai took her ashes to the forest they'd been hiking several times. He found a spot on a hillside that overlooked the sunset and scattered her there. She would have liked that.

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And scene.

I realise it's kind of all over the place and not huge amounts of detail. Like I said, just setting a back story. Please read on.

Thanks for reading!