Chapter 1

"Mothering suits you, pet." Piers smiled as he lifted another box to place in the room for which it was labled, Syaoran frowned up at his father brushing aside the chocolate brown hair that obstructed his glare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piers shook his head, as Syaoran pulled his hair back into a high pony-tail with a pink glitter band.

"Well pet for one thing you look much...how do you say...softer." Syaoran pulled a box onto his lap opening the lid and rummmaging through its contents.

"How so, papa?" Syaoran pulled a large stuffed panda from the box, running his fingers over the soft fur checking for rips or tears among the smudges of crayon.

Piers sighed as he put the box down in the other room, thinking back to when children weren't this complicated, 'ahhh how he missed those days'. "It appears you don't realize this but your appearance has become supple."

It was true, after the pregnancy Syaoran's figure had taken on the appearance similiar to a young female model, his complexion was pale with cutely rosed cheeks when he blushed, he had remained short only reaching five feet six inches from having a baby so young, his build did not broaden as he had hoped but had remained petite, also he had allowed his hair to grow during the pregnancy and had yet to find the time to cut it, allowing it to now reach half way down his back and remained either in a pony-tail or a long braid. All in all, he would make a pretty wife to some poor unfortunate man.

'Well it could be worse,' Piers sighed as yet another mover stole a glance at his child, 'at least he doesn't seek the attention.' the now greying man glared at the offending mover before continuing with the long awaited lecture. "Pet, let's face the facts you wear a pink apron when you cook." Syaoran grimaced at his father's bluntness.

"You know, Aiko picked it out, he loves bright colors,it keeps him entertained." said Syaoaran, the weak protest making Piers smile, as he continued his assualt.

"You play Yoyo Ma when Aiko takes a nap." another weakness in Syaoran's defense.

"It helps him sleep better, you know he can't keep still." Piers thought for a moment about the small tyke's sleeping habits before continuing. He did toss and turn alot to find a good position but so did Syaoran at that age, and they never played classical music to soothe him.

"You knit colorful animals from organic yarn." this last one was a low blow even for Piers.

Everyone thought Syaoran knitting was one of the cutest things he had done and along with the items he made for Aiko, it was an act that was endeared througthout the clan.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at his father, his glare softening into a look tolerance as he viewed the numerous boxes filled with handmade toys that had taken hours to sort through and put into boxes, "Papa, that wasn't fair and you know it, I only do it because it helps me relax, Aiko only plays with stuffed animals, and the only colors that are bright enough only come in organic yarns."

Piers sighed at Syaoran's weary voice. Traveling for hours on end with a fussy two-year-old, coupled with moving into a new apartment would exhaust anyone, but Syaoran's health made it so that normally tiring activities, completely exhausted him, prohibiting him from doing the things he had once enjoyed.

"I know, but you see my point now. You have become a mother and have adapted to the change which is making you motherly, soft,and a very splendid mother, with the cutest, chubbiest, little tyke, Japan has ever seen, who has made both your mother and I very proud of you." Piers wrapped his arms around his youngest child, warming him with his magic, by wrapping him in layers of sunlight.

Syaoran relaxed into his father's hold, allowing him to comfort and reassure him as the events of the last few days came back to him, leaving him exhausted and edgy, especially, when dealing with his friends and family. He remembered Aiko crying at the airport when he learned that his grandmother had packed his stuffed manatee in his suitcase instead of his backpack. At the time, Syaoran had been suffering from a growing headache and had spoken sternly to the unruly two-year-old, who's wailing alerted Piers to his upset descendants and he had come rushing back from talking to a security officer, ready to diffuse the worsening situation.

"I'm a bad parent, aren't I?" Piers' glare evacuated the movers from the apartment, as the distraught teenager had recounted the events of the past few days. Piers looked down at his son as he cuddled into his father's arms.

"Now, what made you think that?" Syaoran lifted his face as his father pulled back from the embrace, looking down into his son's amber eyes so much like his own.

"In the airport, when I yelled at Aiko for crying." Piers sat down on the couch patting the spot next to him as he reclined. Syaoran sat next to him leaning into his father as he wrapped his arm around his youngest's shoulders pulling him close.

"Anyone would have done the same, its nothing new, you just lost your temper for a bit, its completely understandable." Piers looked down at Syaoran as spoke, hoping that his words made a little difference to his child's state.

"Mama! I back!" the small voice was made both look toward the front door of the aparment. Aiko stood there in his bright yellow galoshes, mismatched striped knee high socks, neon green frog raincoat, and pink polka-dot umbrella, smiling up at his mother dripping water on the carpet, his aunt Meiling panting against the wall behind him.

Piers grinned at his grandson, as Syaoran rose to take his son's raincoat, umbrella, and help him out of his galoshes, "Hey tyke! Did you tire out your auntie Meiling for us?", Meiling snorted at Piers as she lifted Aiko out of his galoshes while Syaoran held the boot to that floor.

"He ran from aisle to aisle at the grocery store, jumped in every puddle he found, then we came here he ran up the stairs waited for at the top, looked at me, smiled, then took off down the stairs again! And you know what?!" Piers looked at his niece as she removed her own rain gear in her agitated state.

"What?" Meiling glared down at the two-year-old hiding behind his mother's leg, as Piers took the groceries from his niece, speaking casually.

"I had the intelligence to follow him back down!" Piers looked at his indignant niece, then his giggling grandson, then back to his niece, then at his bemused son, and burst out into a whole-hearted laugh, that shook his large frame and made tears run from his eyes.

Meiling never one to be laughed at promptly kicked her uncle in the shin, not enough to harm but just enough to hurt. "Hey! What was that for young lady?" Piers now the indignant one glared at his niece rubbing his now smarting shin. Meiling grinned at the older man before walking past him and behind her cousin, wrapping her slightly larger arms around Syaoran's small waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Did you get what you wanted from the store Mei?" Syaoran turned his head slightly away from his cousin, his face down as he ran his fingers through Aiko's longish dark brown hair.

Meiling smiled, her left hand rising to meet Syaoran's chin, she lifted his face so he looked up into hers, "You're so beautiful when disquieted Syaoran. So very, very beautiful." Meiling lowered her face down to her cousin's lips brushing up against his, applying a firmer pressure.

Syaoran pulled away from his cousin, leaving her intimate embrace as he took the groceries from his father and headed toward the kitchen, "Aiko come help me with dinner and give auntie Meiling a break." Aiko looked up at his smug aunt as she removed her rainboots, then to his grandfather who was again chuckling at his devil-may-care charges.

"Ooooookaaaaaaaay, mama." flinting out of the entry way, Aiko's electric blue shorts contrasting greatly with his hot pink t-shirt, the small two-year-old made his way into the kitchen.

"You sure know how to make him uncomfortable Mei-Mei." Piers grinned ruffling his niece hair as he returned to unpacking the remaining boxes labled 'living room'. Meiling followed, perching herself on the couch as her uncle began strategically placing items around the room.

"I can't help it, he's just so small I can't keep my hands off him." Piers looked across the room at Meiling as he placed a vase on the coffee table.

"Even though he's male, and 'damaged goods'?" Piers eyes locked with his niece as he spoke, his tone cynical as he repeated the words that so many had said about his child that drove him to return to Japan.

Meiling sighed as she remembered the heartache that her own family had caused her baby cousin with their cruel words,"Yes, even though he's a boy and 'damaged goods', he is one of the most precious people in my life and I will never allow anyone to hurt him again." Piers smiled at his niece, approaching the her kneeling down infront of her, taking his fist and lightly bump Meiling's chin.

"That's my girl." Meiling grinned at her uncle, lightly rubbing the point where he hit her before standing up to her full height of five feet ten inches and stretching, her spine cracking loudly.

"Its time for dinner, and I don't know about you but I'm starved after chasing your bratty grandson around the whole town." Piers smirked at his niece rising from his kneeled position on the floor, rushing up behind Meiling and lifting her off the floor swinging her around the room before setting her back down and taking off to the kitchen.

"Hey! Not fair at all, uncle Piers, you always use the spin as a line of attack!" laughing, Meiling ran to catch up with her wayward uncle.