Disclaimer: I do not own the anime, names, characters, etc. nor do I profit in any way from this piece of fiction.

Author's Note: Just a little something I've been thinking about writing a long time. It's not great, but please leave me reviews.

Chapter One

The storm rolled in early that morning and caught them all by surprise. Work on the farms and the slow reconstruction of the Lost Ground was force to a standstill, at least until the heavy rains passed. Ryuho stood at the window, his heated forehead resting against the cold glass. The sound of the water patter and the wind in the trees in the yard were soothing. They were probably the only thing keeping him from panicking right now. He started having small contractions several hours ago, but they were small and nothing to be concerned about. So, he hadn't told Tachi or Kazuma. He found no reason to. Besides, he didn't think he could handle his ex-nemesis hovering over him like he tended to do when something really mattered to him.

Ryuho smiled thinking about the hot-head's expression when he found out. It almost made him wish Kazuma was home to tell. But Kazuma went out to visit Cougar and Mimuri and then was probably too lazy to face the rain to come back home. Ryuho was glad Mimuri found what she needed—what Ryuho could never give her—in Cougar. Though the man is eccentric—truthfully, who isn't around here?—Ryuho had to admit he liked him. Kazuma never laughed so hard when Cougar mispronounced Mimuri's name (again) during their wedding ceremony and half the congregation corrected him— "It's Mimuri!"

But Mimuri had simply smiled as her new husband blushed and rubbed the back of his head. She finally came to a greater understanding of the alter and loved him on a deeper level where such things didn't matter. They recently celebrated the birth of their daughter whom they lovingly named Sherise and Kazuma couldn't keep away.

"Ryu-kun?"

"Tachi," Ryuho said softly, though he didn't turn to him.

"Hey, Kanami and I almost have dinner ready," Tachi said walking up to him and automatically placing a gentle hand of the protruding belly. "Is there anything else you want?" Tachi always asked because even though Ryuho's cravings had usually planned their meals, it was not unusual for him to crave something completely different by the time the meal was ready.

Ryuho closed his eyes with a sigh. "M'no," he said. "Just some water."

"Water? Okay." He stopped. "Ryuho, are you all right?" "Yes."

"You don't look very well." Tachi's voice rose whenever he was worried. "Here," he said wrapping an arm around his lover's waist and helping him to the bed. "You should be resting. What were you thinking straining yourself like that so close to your due date?" Ryuho just smiled listening to the scolding banter and put up no argument when he was promptly put to bed. "Now, what did you want? Water. Right. I got it." He was out the door before Ryuho could say a word.

Ryuho winced as he struggled onto his side. He couldn't sleep on his back anymore, it hurt his back and hips too much when he did. He slipped a firm pillow between his legs to even out his hips and release the strain. Once his belly had started growing no other position was comfortable. Then he waited. He could smell the chicken, rice and steamed vegetables cooking downstairs. He could hear Kanami's voice—probably asking what Tachibana was so frantic about because he could clearly hear his lover's overly frantic response. Ryuho would have chuckled to himself but it came out a gasp as another contraction hit. This one was just a little stronger than the others and he moaned. The clatter in the kitchen downstairs came to a halt and he heard pounding footsteps racing to their bedroom.

Tachi looked completely disheveled when he stormed into the room to kneel in front of him. Ryuho was glad that Tachi did not forget his water because that is what he wanted most right now. He reached for the chilled bottle but Tachi was grabbing his hand and feeling his forehead. He expected more frantic scolding, but when he spoke Tachibana's tone was quiet and serious.

"How long have you been in labor?"

Ryuho bit back another groan. "Most of the day—"

"Damn it, Ryuho!" Tachi growled sounding a bit like Kazuma. "Why didn't you say anything?" "It's not like we can do anything about it," Ryuho said calmly. "You would just be worried, unable to do anything. Those bastards on the main land saw to that, remember? I have to do this naturally, no medications, no alter interferences."

"I know that," Tachi said his eyes softening. "But I could have made you comfortable, whatever you wanted. You wouldn't have been going through it alone."

Ryuho's face softened to a little smile. He gripped Tachi's hand tighter. "I know, I'm not used to asking for help."

Tachi laughed. "Don't I know it."

"Thank you," Ryuho said softly.

"Now, let me get that for you." Tachi held up the water bottle and twisted the cap off. Ryuho rolled his eyes.

"I am perfectly capable of opening my own water bottle," he said.

"I know. But I can't do anything else to help. Let me do these little things for you," Tachi pleaded. Finally Ryuho nodded. "You know, Kazuma is going to go ballistic. Having to just stand here, completely powerless."

Ryuho might have smiled at that under different circumstances, but Tachi was right. Kazuma was going to lose his mind.

"We need to get him back here," Ryuho said taking a long swallow from the cool water. "How are we going to reach him in this?" He waved a hand to their window. Outside the wind had picked up wildly blowing the rain drops sideways into the glass.

"Cougar lives on the other side, its too far to travel in this weather. But," Tachi rubbed his chin. "I could probably get to Urizane and Elian. They could let him know."

Ryuho nodded. Tachi jumped to his feet and Ryuho caught his hand. The violet haired alter looked down at his lover's face, saw a hint of fear in the garnet-colored eyes.

"Hurry back," Ryuho said. "I—" his voice failed him.

Tachi leaned down and kissed him. "Don't worry. We'll both be back before you know it to worry about you." Ryuho nodded and closed his eyes. At that moment, watching Tachi run out the door felt like the hardest thing he'd ever done.

Tachibana was drenched by the time he made it the half mile to the small house Urizane and Elian shared. The rain might not have been so bad if the wind wasn't freezing it to him and blowing it in his eyes. The gate slammed closed behind him and he ran up the porch to pound on the door.

"Urizane, Elian, it's Tachibana. Open up!" He pounded again. The watermelon loving Urizane answered the door with a confused look on his round face.

"Tachibana, what—" Tachi pushed through and Urizane fought the wind to push the door closed. To his left Elian was on the couch looking up at him expectantly. Urizane growled. "Tachibana, you're dripping water all over the floor."

"Ryuho's gone into labor," Tachi interrupted before the watermelon lover could get too angry. His ex-HOLY comrades looked at him in shock. "Kazuma is at Cougar's and there's no way we can reach him. I feel terrible for asking this, but will you help me? Get word to him at least and perhaps he can make it back on his own?"

All of them had made an unofficial agreement not to use their alter powers unless absolutely necessary. After seeing what excessive use of them did to the users, they understood that in order to live and have any hope for a life they needed to stop. For Kazuma and Ryuho, who fought each other until they were both within an inch of their lives were harder to convince. But once Ryuho became pregnant they both changed dramatically. They knew they would protect their new family, their new life fiercely when needed, but now they also wanted to live to see their efforts accomplished.

"I'll reach him for you, Tachibana," Elian said activating his alter and closing his eyes.

Tachi sighed in relief. "Ah, thank you, Elian. I owe you one."

Cougar laughed dramatically and Mimuri giggled behind her hand. Seven month old Sherise had a hold of her uncle Kazuma's hair and wasn't letting go. Kazuma was pleading, complaining, bargaining, hopelessly feeling sorry for himself all the while Sherise squealed her little head off thinking it was the greatest fun she could imagine.

"Ah, come on, Sherise, give me a break," Kazuma whined. Cougar howled with laughter. "Shut up, you jerk and help me!"

Mimuri finally took pity on him and removed the chubby sticky fingers from the now tangled locks.

"If only Ryuho had known this was your weakness he would have captured you for HOLY long ago and saved everyone a whole lot of trouble," Cougar chortled and Kazuma growled as he picked at the sticky clumps of food out of his hair. He grumbled all the while.

"Oh, but she adores you, Kazuma," Mimuri laughed.

Kazuma put his finger out for Sherise to grip. "She's a cute little booger."

Just then Elian appeared in his alter. Kazuma jumped out of his skin. "Geeze, you scared the hel—"

"Kazuma," Mimuri scolded. "Not in front of the baby."

He rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh. "Heh, sorry." When he turned back to Elian he became instantly angry again. "But really, Elian what the heck are you up to?"

"Kazuma, Ryuho has gone into labor," Elian said as calmly as he could. It was a long time before the other spoke, his eyes wide and body frozen with the news. Finally he blinked and it seemed to break the spell he was under.

"He can't be. He still has another two weeks, he can't be," he said quietly and calmly trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Well, he is, so you need to get back home," Elian said and disappeared.

"Wow," Cougar said.

"Kazuma, you have to go," Mimuri said trying to push the stunned man out the door.

"Here, take my ride or you'll never make it out there," Cougar said slapping keys into his hand. Once they pushed him onto the porch they slammed the door closed. Kazuma jumped at the sound and came to his senses.

"Shit." He raced to the carport next to the house and jumped in the jeep. It wasn't until he was down the street that he realized that there was no roof on the vehicle and that by the time he made it home he would look like a drowned rat. "Ah, man," he said. "Only you, Ryuho. Only you would go into labor at a time like this." He looked at a dip in the road that was already flowing like a river. Kazuma stepped on the gas. "In fact, I'll bet you planned it," he growled, then smiled.

"Ryuho?" Tachi called up the stairs as he ran up them. He burst into the room and was relieved to see his lover sitting up eating a little of the meal Kanami had finished. She was sitting next to him keeping him company. "Thank goodness," he smiled, catching his breath. He walked over and put a cold, wet hand on Ryuho's forehead. "Are you all right?"

"Mmm, your hand feels good," Ryuho said and smiled when his lover pressed both hands to his heated cheeks helping him cool off.

"So do you," Tachi said with a smile. "I'm freezing."

"Tachi-kun," Kanami said in a demanding voice. "You should change your clothes right now or you'll catch a cold. And you're getting the floor all wet!"

Tachi laughed. "You're not the first to complain about that." He went to their closet, grabbed fresh clothing and disappeared into the bathroom.

An hour went by and still Kazuma was not there. The contractions were growing stronger and slightly closer, but according to Tachi, he was still a long way off. So, he had time—time to allow Kazuma to get home. He curled more tightly on his side and closed his eyes. He just wanted him there. He loved Tachi with all his heart, but Kazuma was his strength. He really didn't want to do this without both of them there.

Tachi knelt beside him again with an apologetic smile. Ryuho hated this part. He lifted one knee a little so Tachi could see underneath the blanket. He was checking to see if there was any increase in dilation. Ryuho didn't mind his lovers seeing his entire body when they were making love, sleeping, or bathing together, but this for some reason was uncomfortable—almost downright embarrassing.

"I'm done," Tachi said softly and Ryuho let out his breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Tachi let the blanket fall back over to cover his lover's nudity—Ryuho was more comfortable that way; not as hot—but kept his hand resting on the smooth thigh. With his other hand he brushed green hair out of Ryuho's face where it was sticking to sweat.

"Where is he?" Ryuho whispered with his eyes closed from weariness. It worried him that he was so drained already when the real work hadn't even started yet.

Tachi looked out the window to the storm outside.

"He'll be here," Tachi said, then smirked. "Nothing could stop him if someone stole his candy bar." Tachi chuckled and Ryuho smiled thinking of Kazuma's fierce protectiveness over his food. Then Tachi's tone was quiet and sincere. "I'd hate to be anything standing in his way out there right now."

Ryuho knew Tachi was right. Nothing would stop Kazuma from coming home—not this time. Kazuma was obsessed with their unborn children. It was quite a surprise. None of them knew he liked kids so much until Cougar's daughter was born.

Another contraction seized him and he buried his face in the pillow with a muffled groan. Tachi watched his body tense, muscles clenching and unclenching, eyes squeezed tightly. Ryuho moaned again, this one sharper and more pained. His leg straightened before he pulled it back close to his body. He was practically writhing, yet at the same time trying not to move because it only made it worse. He couldn't bear this…Kazuma was going to freak.

He reached over and grabbed the hand that was holding the pillow so tightly the knuckles were white. Ryuho gripped his hand painfully, but he didn't care. How could he when his love was going through this? Ryuho could pull his arm off and it would be no less than he and Kazuma deserved for getting him in this situation. True, when they'd gotten together none of them hand any idea that the main land had done their own altering to the young boy that had joined HOLY with so much determination. They had all been so blind to a lot of the dark intentions the scientists on the main land devised. Now he was confused. Just like Ryuho, just like Kazuma. Was this unexpected surprise something to be happy about, or detest? It certainly didn't take long for them all to accept and begin looking forward to their children entering the world. But one fear he shared with Kazuma was: would it take Ryuho from them? Would this miracle of life be the end of his?

He came back to himself when the death-hold on his hand began loosening, then fell lax altogether. Ryuho swallowed.

"Sorry," he rasped and Tachi felt a sting in his eyes, but blinked it away.

He leaned over and kissed him with a disbelieving laugh. "You don't have anything to apologize for," he said and Ryuho tried to smile. Tachi brushed his hair away from his face and grabbed the glass of water from the bed table and helped him to drink. Ryuho was so thirsty he drank it all and then looked at the glass with a small, frowning pout. Tachi laughed. It was so out of character for the prideful ex-HOLY golden boy to pout, and it was too adorable. He called for Kanami and asked her to keep 'em coming. She was more than happy to do so. She felt much too useless, like he did, and had cleaned the entirety of the downstairs twice already.

As for Tachi, he couldn't bring himself to leave even for a moment to get water.

They both jumped when lightning struck close to their house and the thunderclap shook the walls and rumbled above them for what seemed like several minutes. Ryuho looked to Tachi and the worry was evident in his eyes. Tachi forced a smile, but his voice nearly failed him, cracking on the first word as he attempted to give his lover comfort.

"I'm sure he's fine," he said and rubbed Ryu's hip.

Then the front door downstairs flew open and banged loudly against the wall. They heard, "Holy shit! That almost killed me!"

Tachi barked an incredulous laugh and Ryuho smiled rubbing his rounded belly.

"Kazuma," he whispered.