Thieves and Little Princes

Please leave a review! Please? Pretty, pretty please? (considering that I'm suffering through over 7 weeks of gruelling exams it's really the least you can do for me…)

Shiori picked up Yun and swung him round as he giggled uncontrollably. Baba watched, his heart swelling with love and fondness, as the two greatest treasures in his life rolled around laughing and playing on the floor. Ota joined in, pretending to be the wicked monster chasing Yun, while Shiori played the brave warrior out to save him. Several hours later, all three of them were exhausted and Baba gently picked up his son, who'd fallen asleep in Shiori's arms. They had been watching 'Finding Nemo' and Shiori and Ota had both fallen sleep like Yun, piled comfortably on top of one another.

'They're all a bunch of kids.' Mamoru commented gruffly to Baba.

'Hmmm…' Baba smiled fondly down at Shiori, stroking her hair with one hadn, while the other held the still sleeping Yun. She stirred at his touch, waking up blearily.

'Hmm? Baba?' Sorry if I woke you, princess. It's nearly 11, I should take him home.'

'Awww. Can't he stay with us tonight? Please?!' She pleaded. Baba looked at Yun and then back at Shiori, whose huge puppy dog eyes gave even his adorable son a run for his money.

'Oh, all right then.' He conceded with a sigh. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

'Awesome!'

Cradling the child in one hand and the other hand around his stunning girlfriend, Baba made his way back into his suite feeling like the luckiest man in the world. That night as they lay in bed together, the little child in between them, Baba clasped Shiori's lily-white hands.

'I love you princess. You make me feel like the happiest man alive. I'm so glad that you get along so well with Yun. He is everything to me.' Baba said seriously; not a hint of joking in his voice.

'You sound more serious than I've ever heard you.' Shiori observed. 'I love you both Baba. How could I not: he's like a miniature version of you! My two handsome princes.' She looked at them lovingly, unable to believe how lucky she was. Nevertheless, there was a nasty doubt nagging in the back of her mind.

'But Baba, I'm a little scared, to be honest. I want this relationship to go forward seriously and I have no problem with Yun, but I have no experience with children whatsoever. Jumping straight into the deep end like this… What if I do something wrong? And I'm not exactly the best mother-figure- I couldn't keep a fish alive for more than three weeks.' She admitted in a small voice, face blushing as bright as a tomato.

'You're not alone in this. I'm with you every step of the way. And I have full confidence in your maternal abilities. I mean, look at everything you've done for us- all of us. You look after everyone so well and with so much care. You fret over Mamoru's smoking and Soryu's dangerous job and Eisuke's overworking just as much as any real mother. I think you're perfect.' He smiled charmingly at her, washing away her doubts with his gentle reassurances.

'I hope you're right.' She acquiesced with a small smile.

4 months later

Shiori hummed as she stirred the cookie batter in the kitchen. Yun sat on the counter, swinging his legs happily in the air. He was determined to "help" his new best friend and soon to be mommy, as she made him a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Although, Yun trying to pour salt in the batter and eating all the chocolate chips was hindering her more than it was helping. Nevertheless, Shiori didn't look upon him with anything less than pure adoration. She absolutely doted on the child, whose adorable and slightly mischievous nature simply made him more endearing, especially as he'd inherited all his father's traits for charming the hearts out of the ladies.

'Here- you can stir for a bit.' She proffered the wooden ladle to the toddler who happily smacked the batter, laughing as Shiori put a dab of batter he'd spilt, on his tiny nose.

'I think I'd better twaste a bit. Just to make sure it's awight for daddy.' He nodded sagely, pretending he was doing her a favour as he stuck his fingers in the batter for the umpteenth time.

'Yun, if you keep this up there will be no more batter left to make cookies for anyone, let alone daddy.' She giggled.

'I was just tasting a wittle bit- to make sure there are enough chocolate chips in there.' He pretended, trying to fool her.

'Uh-huh. Sure.' Shiori laughed at his antics.

He'd been eating the ingredients under one excuse or another all morning and had been using his charming demeanour to get away with it. Shiori knew he had her wrapped around his little finger, but she didn't mind- she'd have given him the world if he'd fancied it. Although Baba was complaining that she was spoiling him, Shiori sensed an overwhelming purity in the yound child's heart that meant that no matter how much she doted on him, he wouldn't become spoilt.

As Shiori turned around to take out the batch of cookies currently in the oven, Yun reached for the batter yet again, and almost knocked into a pot of boiling water she had on the stove, cooking rice for lunch.

'YUN!' She gasped, her reflexes kicking in at lightning speed as she whisked the child away from the stove, moving him to the counter on the opposite side, away from any dangerous kitchen equipment.

Though he wasn't harmed in any way, her sudden reaction had startled him and, as startled children are wont to do, he bagan to cry. Shiori was torn between comforting him and scolding him.

'Yun! I told you to stay put, didn't I? I warned you before we started that I would only let you help if you were a good boy and listened to me when we were in the kitchen. I told you not to go near the stove. What were you thinking?!' Her heart was racing with fear. The shock had still not subsided even though he was out of danger now and as a result she felt her fear and worry and concern come out in her voice, which was getting progressively louder as she considered all the dreadful things that could have happened to the toddler if she hadn't reached him in time.

Yun merely began to wail louder, confused, as this was the first time ever that his beloved Shiori had yelled at him and he didn't understand what he'd done to make her so upset with him. He had just wanted a small lick of the remaining batter- why was she yelling now?

The sudden uproar from the kitchen had caught Baba's attention and he rushed out to see what had happened.

'What's wrong? Is anybody hurt?' He asked in alarm, taking in Shiori's worked up, red face and his wailing son.

'No. It's fine.' Shiori said quietly, struggling to keep her voice steady. 'Yun nearly knocked into the boiling water on the stove and I panicked and yelled at him. I'm so sorry.' She apologized to them both, the initial panic beginning to fade.

'WHAT!' Baba yelled, shocking them both. Baba never yelled. 'What the hell were you thinking, Shiori? Letting a child into the kitchen like that. How could you be so irresponisble? God, you are so careless! If anything had happened to Yun-' He broke off, unable to stand the thought of any harm befalling his precious little prince. Shiori gaped at him in utter shock. Baba had never yelled at her before. Ever. His uncharacteristic outburst merely served to frighten the child further, who began wailing even louder as Shiori felt tears begin to prick at her own eyes.

'I-'

'Save it. I was wrong. You clearly aren't cut out to be a mother. You're just a stupid little girl whose carelessness could have cost me my son's life.'

'You're not being fair Baba. I was being really careful. I turned by back for just a second and he-'

'I don't care. I don't want Yun around you anymore. Just leave.' He snapped harshly. Shiori opened her mouth to argue but then snapped it closed as angry tears began to well up in her doe-like eyes. Wordlessly, she took off her engagement ring and left it on the counter, leaving the penthouse suite and Baba's life, perhaps forever.

An: Don't forget to leave a review! As a consolation for my awful exams, maybe?