Mable: I wrote this a while back that was supposed to be in an oneshot series, but never ended up posting the series. I recently decided to post this one. It was a while back and I edited little so I'm not sure how well it went. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!

A Picture's Worth

The title 'family album' barely made any sense to Seven and she curiously opened it to scan through the pictures listed before her. She was soon amazed at what she was seeing in the seemingly simple book. Humans, happy humans, all together in different poses with wide smiles on their faces. There was one of a woman and a man standing together in a church with many people, one of the same two in front of a house, a few of them with other humans, ones where the woman's stomach was enlarged, and even ones of a tiny newborn human baby.

She found herself smiling at the account of the family's life and looked at every picture as though they all told a separate story to her. Which they seemed to. Then she heard the footsteps and sighed, knowing about what she would have to face in only seconds. Seven and One had been in yet another fight, hence why she was in the lower house instead of up in the new sanctuary, this fight being quite a bad one.

It had been their first fight since they realized they were quite far from hating each other, as she used to believe. She smiled when she remembered the day that she realized, almost begrudgingly at the time, that One was seemingly courting her. He was actually trying to court her as well and it only seemed like it would only be a short amount of time before he gave up altogether. To her amazement and annoyance, he didn't. He was persistent.

It had been then when Seven realized that perhaps she wanted One to court her. Not long after, they became a couple. "Seven…" It was One as she expected it to be and Seven looked down at the pictures to avoid the other's gaze. She didn't want to stay mad but she was too stubborn to admit defeat, so instead she decided the best way to make up would be to move around it. Pretending that there was no fight she pointed to the book, "Have you seen these pictures before?"

She questioned and could feel him move now to right behind her, "I have not." He answered before deciding to lower himself into a kneeling position right beside her. From the way he barely lifted off the throne she was surprised that he was able to kneel at all. His sharp optics scanned the photos while Seven looked at him cautiously so that he wouldn't realize that she was, in fact, looking at him.

Finally she pointed out the picture of the man and woman in the church. "What are they doing in that one?" She asked, knowing One knew a bit more about humans since, unlike most of the others, he actually had known the Scientist personally. "It's a wedding. They have just exchanged vows." There was a smile on both faces as they personally knew what weddings were. It was only around seven or eight months ago when they had exchanged the vows to be together forever.

They had done it in front of the others who were incredibly supportive, even though most of them barely understood what a wedding actually was. Two obviously did the way he was practically cheering through the entire ordeal and then ended up practically dancing around the room. Yes, Two had been quite overjoyed at the event. They were now together forever and this had been their first fight together since then. She felt One take and hold her hand subtly as he went into his own description of the other pictures.

"That is the house we are in, so I am assuming this was their first home after they were married." One pointed to the picture of them in front of the house, "Some family members, possibly still congratulating them on their joining. It these few they are tracking her pregnancy which I am guessing since her abdomen is inflating. Finally, this is their child. He's rather small for a newborn human." Seven listened carefully to his assumption before speaking, "They look happy."

One nodded and squeezed the Warrior's hand, "Yes, but everyone looks happy in pictures. I'm sure there were hardships, doubts, fights…" So that was it; One was trying to make an attempt to say that the fight was normal. He was trying to reassure her. This made Seven feel better, but she knew that the fight wasn't anything near normal. "One… I didn't mean to snap at you when you were asking about the twins. I was just- I have been acting a bit agitated recently and I'm sorry."

The fight had been triggered about One asking numerous questions about the twins and had triggered Seven to become annoyed, triggering One to retort back, and triggering the fight to occur. Since Seven's pride gave way One allowed his to as well, "No, it is my fault. I am the one who said you were acting agitated and I was the one prying on the twins. Honestly I was not suspecting you of planning to leave with them again…"

One paused briefly, rubbed his thumb over Seven's hand, and the continued, "Seven, there has been something on my mind that I have been wanting to discuss with you… I guess with this book here this is the right time." He looked at the pictures of the happy couple, "Seven… Our marriage has had no problems up to this point and it is only because I am a coward that will not tell you what is on my mind."

If this was to make Seven feel better about herself while putting down One then it was working quite well. "Let's talk about it, One. I want to say things too, but…" Silence overtook and One started again, "The other day, Two and I were speaking and… Our conversation took an odd turn. Since then, I have been having conflicting thoughts… I look at the twins playing, reading, and they only emphasis the thoughts I have been having."

Seven's optics widened and her breath quickened as she wondered what exactly Two had been telling One. "What kind of thoughts?" She asked while trying to hide any indication of worry in her voice. One stayed staring at the pictures before them with an almost longing look, "The twins… They are so innocent, playful, and young… It makes me want something that is… Is incredibly out of reach… That would involve both of us committing to a large responsibility."

He looked to her, "I haven't spoken of it for I did not want you to feel pressured by this. It is a very odd thing to want." Relief, he didn't seem to know what Two did, and Seven pressed harder, "I won't feel pressured, One. That's what marriage is; we trust each other. You can tell me anything."

"I want a child." A silence took over as One's optics locked onto the picture of the new baby. Eventually he repeated, "I want to start a family with you." Seven knew she was staring, not answering, and knew that most likely One could take this in any direction he wanted to interpret it in. She spoke now, "A child? If we could… You mean, children, perhaps more than one?"

One assumed she was avoiding this like the fight, hence the random question, "Perhaps. I just need to have something in my life that I know I have brought into the world, I want to be able to watch something grow and know I helped in their creation." The very un-One-like One looked at the picture of the baby and imagined if he had his own just like it. Then out of nowhere, Seven was making an odd noise and One identified it as crying. "Seven…?"

Though when the leader looked at her he realized it was certainly not crying, she was beginning to laugh. Now he was quite offended, "What is so amusing about me wanting a child? It could certainly be possible." The Warrior caught his annoyance and started to silence herself, still with a wide smile across her face, "I was so afraid. I've been worrying all this time over nothing!"

Still it was a blur of confusion for One who watched as she straightened herself. "One, I have been keeping something from you, and I have been acting weird and feeling weird for a reason. Two was the one who told me and, apparently, was trying to drop hints." One was still staring in utter confusion, "What do you mean?" Seven continued, "I saw Two about it a few days ago and he told me that, well, bluntly, that there are three souls inside of me."

"Three souls? How can you possibly have three souls?" He asked in disbelief as he looked down at the toggle holding her front closed. She took his other hand, "One of them is mine, two of them are not." He was slowly starting to sink in to realization from the way his slanted optics were widening.

"One, you're going to be a father."

He sputtered a bit, "A father?" His mind went blank save for what the word 'father' meant to him personally. His father, the Scientist, and how much he cared for him. How he would soon have the same relationship with, not one, but two small beings. He was clearly not upset and so Seven pressed her lips to his. He pressed his own back and massaged them over hers, holding her carefully as he caressed her scarred number.

The fight was over for good. The pictures went unnoticed.

The family in the pictures' life and memories had passed; One and Seven's were just beginning.

End

Mable: I hope everyone enjoyed! ^-^