Over the past four years Tsubasa had grown into an adorable little girl. Her mother had opened a dance studio and when Sakura couldn't get a baby sitter she took her daughter along. During these times Tsukasa would help her mother out by doing things like switching CDs and operating the boom box but when she wasn't helping out she would watch her mother and the students sometimes even mimicking them her little corner of the room. Sakura noticed this and took her child on as a student, though some of the other students' parents thought she might show favoritism to her child Tsukasa proved to be an excellent student despite her ADHD. (AN: I used to take dance classes when I was little too regardless of the fact that I have a learning disorder myself. I have Asperger's my dad described it as ADD for smart kids. My psychiatrist found that rather funny.)
Today was Tsubasa's first recital where she would dance alone, the young demigod was dressed in a white leotard with an attached white tutu, white panty hose and white ballet shoes (Not the point kind pros use), her black hair was now long enough to cover her birthmarks if her clothes didn't but today it was up in a bun with a white ribbon so her mother covered them in makeup so no one would accuse Sakura of tattooing her daughter's back.
"Ready Sweetie?" her mother asked the child as they stood on the left wing of the stage where no one in the audience could see them.
"Weady, Kaa-san," replied the child, despite growing up in America her mother still taught her Japanese so the child insisted on using the Japanese term for mother when addressing the older woman.
The little black-haired girl stepped into view of the audience, not knowing that her father, step/godmother, and elder half-siblings were all watching her, and took the starting position for her dance waiting for her mother to start the music. The song she was dancing to was 'Fly on my father's wings' from the movie 'Quest of Camelot'. Psyche smothered a giggle when she recognized the song, it was rather ironic since Eros did have wings.
They smiled as the child danced across the stage, her little feet stepping carefully to avoid tripping. Once the song was finished Tsubasa bowed to the applauding spectators before running off to the opposite wing of the stage where her mother was waiting with open arms.
"Well done, Sweetie," said Sakura hugging her child proudly.
"Weally Kaa-san? Do you think Tou-san saw?" asked the little dancer, who had been told by her mother that her father might be there to watch her dance.
"I have a feeling he did," replied Sakura rubbing noses with the child.
It had been Sakura who had contacted Eros about the recital in the first place, figuring that the God of Love and his family would like to see how the youngest member was doing.
"Hey, Sue," said one of the older students, they all called her Sue since they couldn't pronounce her actual name, a bouquet in her hands, "This bouquet of white roses has your name on it."
"Fow me? Fwom who?" asked the smaller child taking the flowers.
Sakura took the card off to read it and smiled, the flowers were from Eros, Psyche and their children, they had all come as she hoped they would.
"Your Tou-san came to watch you dance, Little Wing and he sent these flowers," said her mother smiling at her.
Tsubasa started to bounce up and down happily, "Yay! My biwthday wish came twue! Tou-san came to watch me!"
"Oh, you wished that your father would come watch you dance?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well then I guess you got what you really wanted for your birthday," said Sakura smiling at her only child.
"No, I weally wanted a puppy too," said the child jokingly as her mother changed her into her normal clothes.
"Oh did you?" asked Sakura blowing a raspberry on daughter's exposed stomach making the girl squeal and giggle.
"No! I kidding!" cried the squirming girl laughing so hard she was tearing up.
"Ok, just checking," said the black haired woman pulling her daughter's Pikachu tee shirt down before handing the child her bouquet.
The two then went out for dinner at Tsubasa's favorite restaurant; Red Lobster.
"Oh, Tsubasa, you have applesauce all over your face," scolded Sakura wiping her daughter's face with a napkin.
"Sorry Kaa-san," said the child once her mother released her, then sipping her lemonade.
That night after Sakura read Tsubasa a bedtime story she asked, "Do you want me to tell your story?"
What Sakura meant by Tsubasa's story was the tale of her birth, she had been telling her child the story ever since she was two and a half when the little girl had asked about her father. Sakura chose to describe Eros as a good friend that offered to help her make her mother's last wish come true. The only times Tsubasa said no to this was when she was very tired, she simply loved the story too much.
CHRISTMAS EVE SAME YEAR...
" Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!" Tsubasa sang as she ran around the Christmas tree, a roll of tensile unwinding and rewinding itself around the tree in her hand.
BING-BONG!
"Tsubasa, could you get the door Sweetie," asked Sakura from the kitchen where she was making Christmas cookies.
"Ok!" replied the child, running to door, her slipper sock covered feet pounding against the floor.
Along with the white slipper socks Tsubasa was dressed in red sweat pants and a snow white sweater with Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, he was her favorite because they were both oddballs. She stood on her tiptoes and opened the door, on the other side was what looked like to Tsubasa was a stack of presents.
"Kaa-san! I think Santa came eawly and he dwopped the pwesents off on the fwont powch!" called Tsubasa slightly confused, not noticing the human components of the stack.
Sakura came out of the kitchen blinking at her daughter's words until she saw a pair of pants covered legs sticking out from under the stack of packages.
"Eric, is that you?" she asked using the fake name Eros had chosen for himself.
"This was not my idea," came a muffled male voice from the other side of the stack.
"Back up, then Sakura and I'll unload you," came a female voice.
The man carrying the presents did as he was told, allowing a black haired, dark eyed woman to enter and give Sakura a hug after putting down a small suitcase.
"Phoebe! It's so good to see you again," cheered Sakura, Tsubasa now hiding behind her mother's legs staring at the new comers.
"A little help!" came the muffled voice of Eric from behind the stack of parcels.
The two women started unloading the man and soon enough Tsubasa caught a glimpse of black hair, dark eyes, a nose and a smile like that looked a lot like her own nose and smile.
"Kaa-san," she said tugging on her mother's pants' leg, "Who awe they?"
"Do you remember your story Little Wing?" asked Sakura kneeling down to the child's level.
Tsubasa nodded, her black hair, which was in pony tail, flapping back and forth.
"Well, Phoebe is your god mother, she's supposed to help take care of you if anything happens to me before you turn 18 and Eric is the friend of mine who help me have you. In other words, he's your father," she explained.
"Tou-san!" Tsubasa cried tackling the disguised love god into the snow outside, the remaining gifts flying out of his hands and into the frosty powder.
The child started to happily bounce upon his chest, "I'm Tsubasa, I'm fouw, I like bunnies, and Sailow Moon, and Pokemon, and Disney, and dwagons, and unicowns, and Digimon, and Bawbie, and ballet!"
"Ow..." was all Eros could say.
"Tsubasa, let's get you back inside before you catch a cold," said Psyche picking up the little girl and handing her off to her amused mother.
"What hit me? A freight train?" asked the love god, sitting up and brushing snow off his shoulders and head.
"Yeah, a freight train known as your daughter," teased Psyche giggling starting to pick up the fallen items.
"I think she gets it from your side of the family," he teased back but none the less helping his wife.
They had sworn on the River Styx to protect and care for Tsubasa if anything happened to Sakura, at least until the child was 12 then she would be sent to camp Half-blood for the summer or longer if she wished, and then 18 (They had worked out the details a little while later that day). Psyche investigated Sakura's family tree after they had, it turned out that Sakura was a direct decedent of Psyche's eldest sister on her father's side. Which explained why she felt a connection to the woman.
Once they were all inside Tsubasa stared up at Psyche and asked, "What should I call you Phoebe-san? You'we my godmothew as well as my step-mothew so I was thinking I could call you Mama if that's ok."
Psyche looked to Sakura for her approval which the half-Japanese woman gave then nodded at the child.
"Yay! I have a Kaa-san and a Mama and a Tou-san!" she cheered climbing into Eros's lap after running to a nearby bookcase and grabbing a book, "Will you wead me a stowy Tou-san?"
"Sure," replied Eros taking the book from the child and letting her snuggle up next to him before starting to read.
"Mama, how come you and Tou-san haven't come to spend Chwistmas with us befowe?" Tsubasa asked after Eros finished reading to her.
"We couldn't get a flight from where we live dear," said Psyche, "Colorado is a popular vacation state and we live in New York."
"Oh, ok," said the child grinning at her.
They had dinner, gave Tsubasa her bath, and read "Night before Christmas" while enjoying Christmas cookies and hot chocolate before the three tucked the little girl into bed for the night.
"Night Kaa-san, Tou-san, Mama," said Tsubasa who was now dressed in light blue snowflake patterned pajamas, a Rudolf the red-nosed Reindeer doll snuggled in the crook of her arm.
"Goodnight Little Wing," said Sakura pulling the covers over her child and kissing her forehead.
"Sleep well little one," added Eros also kissing her forehead.
"Sweet dreams," finished Psyche kissing her forehead as well.
As they walked out of her bedroom Sakura turned off the light, activating Tsubasa's crescent moon shaped nightlight.
"I hope Tsubasa didn't hurt you when she tackled you, Eros," said Sakura using the god's real name now that the child was asleep.
"Nah, she just took me by surprise, that kid has good aim. Just like her old man," laughed Eros running his finger under his nose.
"That means she knocked the wind out of him," Psyche whispered to her many times great niece making the former pro ballerina giggle.
Eros had overheard his wife's words and pouted, puffing his cheeks out just like Tsubasa did making the two female laugh out loud.
"I can't thank you two enough for coming to spend Christmas with us this year, and for coming to Tsubasa's recital. She had wished that you would come and watch her dance for her birthday wish."
"We were happy to come, the kids really loved seeing their little sister dance and so did we," said Psyche smiling.
"I thought it was rather cute that she chose 'Fly on my father's wings'," added Eros.
"Kinda ironic if you think about it," said Sakura sipping her hot chocolate, "Tsubasa chose that song herself, like deep down she somehow knew that you would be watching. Or maybe it was just childish wishful thinking."
"Perhaps," agreed Psyche smiling.
The next morning Tsubasa crept into the living room, a pair of childishly warped gifts in her hands, her eyes shining with excitement when she saw the cleared plate that had used to be heaped with cookies, an empty milk glass, and stuffed stocking with the head of a toy bunny sticking out of it. She let out a little squeal before running to her mother's room excitedly.
"Kaa-san, wake up, Santa came, fow weal this time!" the child cried as she climbed onto her mother's bed and started to shake her mother's arm.
"Mmmmm ...What time is it?" asked Sakura grabbing her alarm clock which read 7:30 am, "All right, I'm up, why don't you go wake Phoebe and Eric?"
"Okay Kaa-san!" chimed the little girl running out of the room and into the guest room where Eros and Psyche were still asleep, "Mama, Tou-san! Wake up it's Christmas!"
"We're up, we're up," muttered Eros sitting up rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Morning sweet-pea, merry Christmas," said Psyche also sitting up smiling at the child.
"Mewwy Chwistmas to you too!" replied the child before she headed back to the living room.
When the three adults came into the living room they frond Tsubasa in front of the fireplace jumping up and down trying to get her stocking.
"I...want...my...new...bunny!" she declared as she jumped before Eros picked her up and let her grab it, "Thank you Tou-san."
"No problem, Sweetheart," said Eros putting her down, though the child had already pulled out the bunny and was cuddling the white rabbit dressed in a sky blue ballet dress complete with little shoes, the inner parts of the toy's ears were the same color, there was a little ribbon on it's left ear.
"Lookie Kaa-san!" the child squealed holding the doll up to her mother, "I'm gonna call hew Usagi-chan."
"That's cute Little Wing," said her mother a mug of coffee in her hands.
Tsubasa grinned out her mother before turning her stocking upside down, the contents spilling out. There were candies, hair ties, and a beanie baby, Scorch the Dragon, now on the floor. Tsubasa gathered the items and put them back inside the stocking for safe keeping. After that Tsubasa took the two items she had brought down with her before she had woken her mother and handed them to Eros and Psyche.
The two gods unwrapped the gifts to find two hand made ornaments. Eros's was a teddy bear shaped piece of sandpaper glued to a piece of cardboard with a piece of gold thread strung though a hole, it's eyes, nose and mouth had been carefully drawn on and it had three beads glued on as buttons. Psyche's was apparently a circle, she guessed it was supposed to look like one of those bobble ornaments, made out of baked white clay. Little squggily lines craved into it and little balls were set into the clay.
"I made them in awts and cwafts class at pweschool," the child explained, hoping that the two like their hand made gifts, "The teachew helped."
"They're beautiful," said Psyche smiling.
"I agree, we'll treasure these," added Eros patting his youngest child on the head as she giggled.
For the four the day was over far too soon, and Eros and Psyche had to leave but they promised to send letters and call. Sadly they would never spend another Christmas with the mother and daughter duo. About a week after start of the new year the mother and daughter duo were walking home from their local bakery with some fresh bread and a cookie for Tsubasa that she was happily eating. The younger of the two was oblivious to the drunk driver that was headed towards them as they walked across the crosswalk but her mother did.
"Tsubasa!" Sakura cried pushing the little girl out of the way just in time but she was hit herself.
"Kaa-san!" Tsubasa cried running to her mother who was now laying in a pool of her own blood, she shook her mother's arm, tears running down her cheeks but the woman didn't respond, she wasn't even breathing, "Kaa-san!"
TBC
