Responses to Reviews:
Catgirl3000 - thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it, and that I was able to write in such detail. thank you for your review!
JBomb217 -yup! family fluff is da best! thanks for your review!
RandomDragon2.0 - yes haha I really like Nya in this. thanks for reviewing friend!
kaiawesomlymonsterous - I can sure try! I like to appease my readers, and take requests if it fits with me as a writer. Thanks for your suggestion and review!
Guest - ahhh thank you! you are such a great reviewer. I always look forward now to what you're going to say. I'm glad you loved it and thank you again!
The door to the Bounty opened, and all heads shot up and turned towards him, eyes inquiring. Already, there were sighs of relief because Kai seemed much happier than before, and to top it off, two figures entered the dining room behind him.
"So," Kai said, looking at his teammates with a wide grin on his face. "Who wants to go shopping?"
As it turns out, the whole team decided to come, minus Sensei. Adorably, they all wanted to be a part of picking out baby things for Maya, having never had the chance to do so before and wanting to support Kai as much as possible.
Thus, this is how eight people and a baby ended up crammed in a five-seater pick up truck. Cole, Jay and Lloyd opted to sit in the truck bed, even though it had started to drizzle immediately as they had all left for the store. This left the Tanaka parents in the front seats, with Ray driving, and Nya and Zane in the back seat, next to Kai who simply had to hold Maya the whole until they could get her a carseat.
Gravel crackled under the wheels as Ray pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the story 'All Things Baby.' Kai pulled up his hood with one hand, then wrapped his jacket around Maya. He got out of the car, using one hand to shield his daughter's face from the rain.
The three boys in the back of the truck jumped over the ledge and landed next to Kai, all of them already soaked to the bone. Cole flipped drenched black locks from his face and grinned at his fiery brother, coming up to squeeze his shoulders playfully.
"Alright," the earth ninja said. "Let's do some baby shopping." He ruffled Kai's hair, er tried to but mostly just succeeded in knocking off the hood, causing Kai to yelp.
He shot Cole a look as his pulled his hood back up, knowing Cole got the idea...no one messes with his hair.
Once inside the store, Kai turned to his mom. He scratched the back of his head.
"So uh, where do we start?"
Maya smiled, a twinkle in her eye. It was funny and pretty sweet to see her son so flustered and clueless, and she was having a fun time trying to comprehend that she actually had a granddaughter.
"We need to get the smaller items first. And I also made of what I can remember we'll need right now, organizing it in lists of essentials and non-essential but nice or fun things to have. I even made a budget for you based on what I believe to me the normal prices for things, and the amount of money you have in savings," Kai's mother explained.
"Wow, you're really organized," Jay commented. "My mom was always such a scatterbrain."
Lloyd snickered. "It all makes sense now. Or should I say, you make sense now." He jabbed Jay in the ribs, and Jay shot him a pouty look.
After gathering what Jay and even Kai deemed all the boring stuff, like formula, bottles, and pacifiers, it was finally time to pick out the fun stuff. Mostly meaning clothes and toys.
The next half hour was spent with Kai's "siblings" taking turns showing him the most ridiculously cute baby girl outfits. Although that "taking turns" quickly turned into his teammates simultaneously shouting and shoving different pink clothes in his face, trying to gain his approval.
Nya came up to him (as he was looking at some basic onesie with his Mom) )showing him a little red, sparkly long-sleeved dress, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Normally, I wouldn't be this girly," she said. "But it's just so cute." Kai sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Fine, put it in the cart." He tilted his head towards the metal contraption nearby, already filled with clothes and other baby supplies. Just as Nya was doing that, Jay and Lloyd came up, showing Kai a giant fluffy pink teddy bear that would suffocate Maya and the most adorable star and moon-printed fuzzy pajamas.
Both boys had a starry-eyed look, hands folded together and lips pouting to the point they looked like a cartoon. Jay pleaded, just as Nya had,
"You have to get these. Please, please, please, please, please please-"
Kai would've thrown up his hands in exasperation if he hadn't been holding Maya. "Okay!" He settled for shouting instead. "Okay, fine, get them but you gotta use your own money this time. As like a...baby shower present...or whatever…" Kai's cheeks burned because he knew that tradition was usually only a party for females.
Jay beamed, and Lloyd shrugged. "Good idea. It only makes sense that we all pitch in to get her something."
Kai nodded absentmindedly, picking up a set of three onesies, all just plain solid colors - pale blue, yellow, and white. He then felt someone tap on his shoulder and turned to see Zane standing there with a medium-sized box held in his arms.
"You too?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow, referring to the fact that all his siblings seemed to want to force Kai to get things for Maya. But as he really looked at the box, he became confused.
Zane smiled. "I wish to purchase this with my own money. It is not for Maya, but for you. It will make it easier to make a cup of coffee whenever you should need it." Kai was touched, realizing now that the box held what was called a Keurig, which was a machine that made it very easy to make just cup of coffee at a time.
"Thanks, Zane. But you don't have to do that."
"I know," the nindroid replied, calmly. "But I want to do this for you, brother.
Kai smiled, a little awkwardly, not use to people buying him stuff. He used one hand to clap Zane on the shoulder, hoping he got the message.
And finally, Cole. He sidled up next to Kai and just stood there for a while, looking up and to the side while whistling, rocking back and forth on his feet. He held something behind his back with both hands.
Kai raised an eyebrow, looking sidelong at the earth ninja. "Can I help you?"
Cole acted surprised to being addressed. "Who, me? Nah, I'm just standing here...waiting for you to finish this boring shopping spree, as Jay would put in."
"Actually, he wasn't complaining," Kai commented. "Somehow lightning mouth is actually getting a kick out of this. As it seems you all are."
Cole blushed lightly. "Well, it is kinda fun in all honesty. And I found the perfect outfit for Maya." He held up what he'd been hiding behind his back, revealing a tiny black hoodie and miniature dark gray joggers. And a pair of baby Vans.
Kai's mouth dropped open. "That is exactly the kind of outfit I was hoping I could find for my kid to wear. I don't dig all that pink and frills and shit." Kai smirked. "And don't tell the other guys but...you win," he whispered behind his hand.
