Authors Notes: Welps thats it everyone. Last chapter. However this does start the adventures with Darreth, and Ronin. So look forward to that. It'll be the same universe so you'll get glimpses of Harmony growing alongside someone else...es. Lots of Love :D

Master of String

Chapter 41

Onward

Echo sat against the alleyway wall. Kate was in his arms shaking. It wasn't to cold outside, but still she shivered. Echo kept scanning her wondering what could possibly be causing such a reaction. Ronin stood over her just in case one of Kents comrades showed up. Apparently he had people that would pay for slaves like he could provide. Mindless people to do anything and everything that they wanted. Even the mind can be manipulated into believing anything even after being taken control of and the strings broke. The person would have forgotten everything and continued on as they had as a slave because they thought it was just what they did. But that was from years of control.

The wound on her chest had stopped bleeding. As Ronin had said it wasn't very deep, even though it was clean, and Echo was sure their was some cuts in the bone.

"Kate?" Ronin whispered crouching down moving the hair from her face to pull it behind her ear. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him through very foggy eyes.

"Ronin!" Darreth ran up, very worried for his husband to be. Ronin looked up at Darreth.

"She's having a negative reaction to the control."

"I felt incredibly sick after I came back to. Threw up a few times." Darreth offered.

"So this is normal?" Echo asked running his fingers over her arm.

"She might feel overly tired too." He said.

"Tired... " Kate whispered. "And...apologetic." Kate said and looked up at Echo her head leaning against his arm. "I could have killed you."

Echo just smiled at his wife and pressed his bronzed lips to her peach ones trying to get her to forget the whole thing. Kate pulled away her eyes were shadowed with how tired she was. She had been sick from the snow storm, and now she had been awake most of the night plus some. She was definitely tired.

"Come lets get you fed, and in bed. Its been a long night."

"I got Misako." Ronin yelled walking out with her thrown over his shoulder.

"What about this kid?" Darreth asked looking over the man and gasped seeing the blood flowing from his mouth.

"Looks like he's been under his control for some time. Looks like he couldn't take not knowing." Darreths eyes were locked on a tiny form not to far away from them. A young girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She looked incredibly scared. Probably the combination of seeing some man kill himself, and being out from under Kents control. Darreth walked over to her and kneeled down.

"Say uh...you got a name?" He asked. The girl shook her head scooting away from Darreth afraid. "No name?" Darreth looked up at Ronin who looked puzzled.

"Really? I didn't think he took control of kids. Then again I never thought he'd try to murder my friends and family." Ronin said.

"Come on kid. Its not safe here. Lets take you someplace safe till we can get you to a…" He gasped when the girl reached forward and took his finger in his. She was wearing raggidy clothing, and no shoes. Her hair was unkempt and it looked like it either was ripped out or cut short on one side. Ronin reached forward moving her hair and then the other side and realized what had happened.

"Oh sweetheart...you've been experimented on." He said looking up at Darreth. "I seen this in Sanza's workshop years before he kidnapped our family. The put electrodes on the side of their heads and...it makes them forget...everything. She might have known something about the former master of string that he didn't want out." Ronin said shaking his head.

"Its okay...we'll take care of you." Darreth said smiling at her. She gave a weak smile back to Darreth.

"Promise?" Her voice was so low he could have mistaken it for the wind blowing.

"Promise." Darreth and Ronin smiled at one another.

Echo watched his brother as he walked out of the wheelhouse of the Bounty. He had been positioned on the very top so he could help his brother out better. His keen eye and that bow were probably what saved Kate.

Zane looked rather amazed at his brother for a moment when Echo walked over to him and put his forehead against his. He would have liked to hug him better but Kate was asleep in his arms. Zane just let his brothers silent thank you before running his fingers over Kates arm. She felt warm at least.

"The others are gather…" He looked up seeing the little girl in Darreths arms.

"Whose this?"

"She was in the warehouse. She can't remember who she is." Ronin said. Echo smiled down at her and her shy nature caused her to bury her face in Darreths shirt.

"What are you going to do with her?" Zane asked.

"Well we're going to have to take her to the police dept. Just in case someone might be looking for her." Ronin said. The girl looked up at Ronin a little scared. She wasn't sure what would become of her then.

"Promised?" She asked. Ronin smiled at her and ruffled her already messy hair.

"We promise." Darreth said and smiled at her.

Echo walked Kate into their bedroom and sighed. It was such a mess in there. He lay Kate down and covered her up.

"We're on our way to your house Echo." Pixal said "We don't have the tablet anymore so we can't keep an eye on your daughter. So we must get to the house." Pixal said and smiled down at her brother in law who sat on the edge of the bed running his fingers over his wifes messy hair.

"Hey! Where are my shoes!" Coles voice came from the medical bay. Echo scoffed and tried not to laugh to loud.

Echo carried his awake wife through their house with Zanes help they were able to get in without putting Kate down on the cold ground. Once inside Echo put Kate down on the couch and smiled at her.

"I'll be right back." He said and walked down in the basement. He stopped in the middle of the room. Their was a glow from the tank that caused his curiosity to rise. He looked back up the stairs.

"Zane...could you come here for a moment?" He called up trying not to sound panicked. Both Kate and Zane came downstairs and looked at the tank. Kates breath caught in her throat and she looked up at Echo. He slowly reached out and took her hand. They both walked forward.

In front of them the machine had a bright green light flashing. The read out said one word. 'Done'

Echo looked up at his brother almost as if asking permission or asking if he could do it now. Zane smiled at his brother and nodded.

"Go on." He said.

Kate and Echo reached out and looked at one another for one moment and then pushed the button. The liquid within the tank began to empty. The baby lay on the floor of the incubator. The display made a beeping noise before the tank opened on its own. Once the tank was opened Kate and Echo heard the first cries of their daughter Harmony. Kate reached out and picked up the baby.

Echos hand went to the back of the babies head. His fingers traced over the copper colored hair. It was almost as if the color was a mix of his and hers. The eyes were his though. A bright gold color with a black pupil. Her skin was a tan color rather then her mothers pale skin. Also it looked like it was a combination of the two.

"I'll call Borg. He might want to look over her." Zane said and left the room to the two parents.

Zane put his finger to the comlink and called out.

"Guys...you might wanna come inside...and meet Harmony."

"So soon? I thought we had like a hundred days left." Jay said. Zane chuckled and shrugged.

"Don't ask me to explain miracles Jay...that would be impossible. " Zane said pulling out his cell phone and dialing Borgs number.

Harmony lay in her fathers arms. A small purple jumper was on the sleeping infant. Borg stood on the other side of the coffee table in disbelief. He honestly wasn't to sure that the incubator would have worked. Yet here was the hybrid infant made from Echo and Kate.

"Have you fed her?" Borg asked. Kate smiled and held up the bottle. The formula was on the counter. Borg pulled out a machine that caught the protective fathers eye.

"Oh its just an ultrasound unite. We're going to find out if her insides are the way they should be." He said and held up the small machine that expanded as he pushed a button. The unite scanned the infant, Borg looked over it. His eyes narrowed and he reached out touching the infants arm. It was hard, he then pushed on the second one. It was soft. He ran his fingers over her leg too, and then her ribs. The infant squirmed under his fingers showing her displeasure by poking her bottom lip out and wake up.

"Borg…" Echo said standing up bounding the baby in his arms.

"It would look like one of her arms, legs, both lungs, and a few of her ribs are completely nindroid, while the rest are human." He breathed in and exhaled "I don't know...if she'll grow." He told them. Kate looked at Echo with shock.

"You mean she's stuck an infant?" Kate asked.

"No I mean her human parts will grow, but her nindroid parts won't. I've never seen a nindroid grow."

"I have." Zane said from the kitchen. "I was shrunk down to a child once." He told them. This surprised Borg.

"How could...nevermind." he waved his hands in the air. "Right now I'm going to keep an eye on her. As of right now keep feeding her regular formula, and you might want to infuse it with a bit of oil." Borg said running his fingers over his face. "This is on a wing and a prayer...I'm sorry." Borg said and shook his head. "I hope...she'll be alright."

"She'll be fine." Echo said kissing the baby's forehead. It turned out a lot of her hair felt like his too. It was just a bit more curly. "My baby girl will grow up beautifully and become whatever her heart desires."

"Her heart...is curious." Borg said showing them the read out. "It doesn't look like a heart." He said. Echo walked over and looked over it. It looked like a huge black mass.

"The only way I can find out what it is, is to open her up and look." Borg chuckled when he saw the horror look on Echos face. "Oh don't worry...Im not going to. As long as their isn't a problem with her I won't do such a thing. But knowing you and your brother even if I did open her up. I probably still wouldn't be able to figure it all out anyways." He said and chuckled.

"It doesn't matter anyways. As long as she's happy."

"Mr Borg?" Pixal asked. Borg turned around and looked at his creation.

"We'd like your assistance." Zane said Borg blushed for a second and then smiled.

"Why do I feel like I'm about to become a grandfather?"

"You are." Zane said motioning to the basement. Borg chuckled and followed leaving the parents on their own with their daughter for the first time.

"Do you regret us?" The question was out of Kates mouth before she could stop herself.

"Why would I do that? Its a horrible thought." Echo said watching Kate blush.

"I...I feel bad about her being the way she is." Kate blurted. This kind of felt like a slap to Echo. But before he assumed anything he wanted to ask.

"What do you mean?" He asked

"What if she dies because she can't grow Echo? What if…" Oh this is whats going on...She was worried. It was so motherly of Kate.

"Stop that...no what ifs. We'll take it as it comes. But right now she's here, and you wear mother beautifully." Kate blushed and moved her hair from her eyes to look up at Echo.

"You are going to be a great father."