Sorry for the delay. I have a phobia of endings and this was one of the hardest things ever to do/write. I also moved, twice in two months. That sucked.

It took fifteen minutes of cursing and more than an hour of fussing to get a hiss of acceptance from Corvi. She had already bandaged up most of the injuries. All that was left was her arms and face. His fingers only touched the unbruised skin as he tilted her head by her chin. There certainly was not much left.

Her face was just-

She could not have gone to the police. They would have said he did it and it was just another strike against his character. Regardless of if it was his fault or not.

She could not have gone to Shinra. He would have said the same.

She could not have gone to her father. God, what would he have thought?

His hands hesitated a hair away from her face. Was he going to start with the still slightly bleeding gash above her eyebrow? But what about the purple swollen shut eye she had? Or the deep cuts under that? What of her busted lip? The bleeding lump on the her cheek? After all the fighting he had done to let her help, he had to do something.

Her head tilted to the side, landing it gently in one of his outstretched hands. A sigh, one not of being tired but relief, came from her mouth.

"Just use butterfly bandages for the cuts. I don't think stiches are necessary." Corvi's voice was strained and thin. The angry red bootprint on her neck told why. Even with her directions, Shizuo was unsure if he was really able to do it. Just looking at her battered face made him livid. What could he have done though? It had not been his fight.

It was their lucky day. Masaru Watanabe had paid up, in full. It was a rare occurrence to say the least. No yelling. No large objects being thrown. No chase scene for the news to film and air that night. In and out, straight to the punch, kind of boring. Tom had suggested they go and get Corvi. She was undoubtedly being talked to death by her old boss and it only seemed fitting to go save her. Watanabe's apartment was only a few blocks away and it was a quick walk.

When Shizuo looked back, he should have known. Corvi was just like him. Trouble dogged their every step.

The woman that stood over Corvi on the sidewalk was maybe a few inches taller than he was. She was built like a brick wall. Her toned arms were on display under her tight short sleeved shirt. Black pants covered muscled legs. The woman's steel toed boots were used to kick Corvi in the ribs repeatedly.

The incident had stopped passing people in their tracks. Street vendors had stopped peddling their wares to watch instead. It was like a dream or maybe the filming of a movie. Something about it just did not seem real. The girlfriend of the strongest man in Ikebukuro, the strongest woman in Ikebukuro, was being savagely beaten into the curb. It had been enough to stop Shizuo. He watched as Corvi pushed up from the ground, her head still too heavy to lift completely. A mixture of blood and saliva fell from her split lip. Her aggressor was swift to place a kick to Corvi's exposed face. Shizuo could feel it from where he was standing and it snapped him back to reality. He was not a man who would just let his woman get brutalized. That said, a woman was the culprit. He was not a man to go hitting ladies. She turned when he roughly grabbed her shoulder.

"Aves só," Her voice was commanding and her tone forceful. It was obvious there would be no negotiations, not that Shizuo had given it any thought. The look in her eyes told him she was not about to stop. He did not know what language the woman spoke nor did he care. His arm stretched back and his fingers curled into a fist. The punch was telegraphed before it even started and the eagle woman caught it with an open hand easily.

No wonder Corvi was at such a disadvantage.

She turned his force against him and sent his body flying back. It was not meant to hurt but the cement was still just as hard on his back.

The distraction had been enough for Corvi to get back on her feet. The eagle woman was obviously above her in the food chain but she was not about to lie down and die. Seeing Shizuo on the ground breathed rage into her chest. A roar erupted from Corvi as she charged the woman, fist already reared back and ready to strike. The eagle's attention was caught too late. The punch connected with the woman's cheek bone and set her a few steps back.

Maybe it was shock. Maybe disbelief. Maybe time had just stopped but the woman had froze with her hand clutching her bruised face. Corvi was not one to let a disadvantage go unused, especially in a fight she was unsure about winning. Her hips twisted around as her leg swung hard.

"You have to wrap it this way or else I'll forget it's on. Like I'll scratch it and it'll come loose," Shizuo should have been able to do this. Too many times had he done this for his own injuries. Second nature, the back of his hand, up his street, but no, not this time. It was the fact it was Corvi. The white fabric bandages was a blank void for him to look at instead of her face. The color of nothing was unoffensive, the gashes and discolorations on her arms were simple and much easier to look at. He could pretend she had fallen. She had fallen on glass shards and he had to painstakingly pick them out before wrapping up her arms.

"Shizuo," The sound of his name made the blonde stop but not look up, "It's bad. I know. I can-"

"Shut up and let me do this." It pained Corvi to watch Shizuo struggle with tending to her wounds. A circle of discomfort flowed between them. All because of that woman. Corvi was glad she dislocated her jaw.

Popping her arm out of the socket only made the Brazilian woman angrier. The harpy eagle's other arm flipped up and grabbed a fistful of Corvi's scalp. A nearby wall was used to slam the crow's head against. Bricks split apart and debris crumbled into coal hair as the violent action was repeated again and again. Before her vision completely faded to black, Corvi's elbow flung back and caught the woman's jaw. With the grip on her scalp slack, she followed up with a jab that pushed back the eagle. A roundhouse kick that targeted the woman's jaw landed. Something that sounded like a cross between a crunch and pop came from the now downed woman. Corvi took the pause to steady her balance. Her eyesight, what was not obscured by blood, was still spinning and her feet seemed to be disconnected from her body.

Shizuo could do nothing but watch. It did not mean he did not want to do more but there was obviously a barrier, cultural or something to do with species, he was not allowed to cross. Every time he got too close, one of the women shot him a look. With Corvi, it was one of caution. With the eagle- Her eyes burned with disgust. She knew he was not like them. She knew what Corvi was doing with him. Every glimpse of the woman's revolted face made his hands ball into fists. Who was she to judge him? If Shizuo was violence incarnate, this woman, who had Corvi pinned to the ground under her boot, was nothing but torture.

Nails clawed at the eagle's calf as Corvi's mouth gurgled, trying to grasp some air. The woman snapped her dislocated arm back into place and rolled her shoulder to test the limb. Next, she replaced her loose jaw.

Izaya's eyes stared at the silver briefcase again before looking up at the leather clad man that had placed it on his desk. The red tailed hawks were back and without a crow in tow. The informant waited for an explanation. He had heard they did good work but this-

"We don't get mixed up with eagles. We know who we are." An eagle?

Shigeru. Izaya had to admit, the man sure had a way of getting things done. Results were all that mattered. Family, friends, acquaintances be damned.

"And we sure as shit don't go after the things that beat the living fuck out of eagles. Take your money back." If the vulgarly worded sentence was correct, "So you saw this happen?" They had. They had seen the blood, the cracked cement, the broken glass and they were not about to get in the middle of it. Corvi had been the victor. The informant dismissed the hawks with a wave of his hand. There was no way to really blame them and after counting the bills in briefcase, there was no money missing. They had enough honor not to steal from him. Izaya was going to have to do it the old fashioned way.

One phone was specially designated for, though he would never tell her, Corvi. He set it to the side as a closet in his room was rummaged through. If the crow girl had any sense, she would have checked here ages ago. Fortunately for Izaya, she never did.

Now which box was it again? Knives, more knives-

He stopped on one in particular. It was one of his favorites. The faux wooden handle was sturdy, the shining blade still sharp, he would have to remember this afterward.

Two more boxes were thrown to the side with no regard. A black matte case the size of a text book with silver corners was the only thing left. On both sides of the hard handle sat two slightly rusty closures. Once the top was open and the contents of the box in his hand, Izaya moved to place it on the bed. Light that filtered through the window blinds caught the small shimmer of the collar. It stood out against the matte body of the dress. The feathers were placed with care to make sure they fall downward smoothly and would not stick out. Izaya whistled to himself at the thought of handcrafting the garment. Corvi and her mother may not have gotten along but the dress was a testament to something between them. He chose to snap a picture of the lower arm of the dress. Slightly overlapping iridescent coal feathers lined the top of the hand opening while pure white swan feathers were placed on the palm side. Only a few would understand the hidden message.

Izaya could only chuckle as his phone confirmed the message was sent. The picture would definitely garner the crow's attention.

He had guessed correctly. With her feet propped up on the edge of the coffee table and her arms rested on bended knees, Shizuo could see her polished toenails. Of course they were black. Or maybe that was the bruises that had darkened. He had put his money on polish when she leaned even further forward to stub any ashes from her cigarette. It had only met her lip once before going out of it's own volition. It was odd. Corvi was like him. They would always finish their smoke unless something interrupted them. The glass of blue liquor he had mixed for her sat untouched as well. She sucked her teeth before turning to him, "These taste weird to you?" She was referring to the pack of American Spirits that was between them. Corvi had not only moved into his apartment, they were sharing cigarettes. He shook his head. There was nothing unusual about them. A low rolling growl traveled from her lower torso as she tilted forward. It only reminded Shizuo of his own gnawing hunger. The refrigerator was empty, save for the liquors and one remaining cookie. His shoulders slumped at the thought of grocery shopping but he gritted his teeth and stood up from the sofa.

"Wait. Are you going to the store?" He looked back instead of answering. She was staring back at him, eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer. As soon as he nodded, a list and matching coupons were rained upon him. Apparently, Corvi had spent the time without him with a pair of scissors and the weekly circulars. Before he could even open his mouth to refuse, she had shoved him out and closed the door.

No. No way was Shizuo Heiwajima about to use coupons. It just was not his thing. Sometimes he was mailed tobacco coupons and had to force himself to use them. He turned around on his heels and clutched the doorknob. It was locked. She had locked him out. He patted his pockets in search of keys.

Wallet.

Cell phone.

Cigarettes.

"Fuck." The bodyguard growled as he banged on the door. On the other side of the entry, he could hear Corvi laughing. She knew him, she knew he would refuse and she could picture him fumbling with the papers in front of the cashier. The chance to see it first hand almost had her open the door and go with. It would not work out that way though. He would stand outside and smoke while she did all the work. Not to mention, she would have to explain her injuries away. When the wood started to crack, she stopped laughing and answered, "You don't like to save money?" There was no answer.

"Stick to the list, bring me the receipt and use those coupons. I'll know if you don't."

"You know I could just break down the-"

"Then you'll have to pay for it. That's not saving."

Corvi had a point.

For a beginner, Shizuo had done excellent. Only two things not on the list were brought back. Ginger ale, for her nausea he said and one gigantic chocolate chip cookie. He ate the entire dessert in front of her as punishment. Shizuo had to hand it to Corvi, she could pout like a champion. The whole shopping experience was mortifying. Sure, he had paid eighty percent less but at what price? How were people supposed to be afraid of him when they thought he spent his free time clipping coupons and waiting for the best deals?

The sound of a text message broke their staring competition. After checking his phone, Shizuo looked to the coffee table in front of them. Corvi's large touchscreen phone was lit brightly with a picture of a letter and a number he did not recognize. A twinge of something Shizuo could not place made him grab the device before she could even reach for it. He had watched her do the pattern password enough to memorize and messages were the first icon on the bottom.

Izaya.

It was only one message and no replies from Corvi. She had not been in contact with him and the small fire of distrust was put to the side immediately but-

"Why did that fucking flea send you a picture of-" It made sense suddenly. The informant had been effectively toying with the crow all the time. Although Shizuo had never brought it up, thoughts of Izaya and Corvi together, still remained. It was not often but sufficient to make him look at her differently at times, especially after he had seen the photo books. The rumbling sound of fabric as Corvi leaned over to see the phone forced the blonde to rapidly delete the text. A hum was forced from Shizuo before he assured her it was nothing. She had been though enough for the night.

He could not sleep. Flopping around from side to side, desperately trying to find a position comfortable and then loosing conscience was not working. His brown eyes looked over to the brown skinned woman that shared his bed. Corvi was facing his way so he could see her eyes were cemented shut. Her chest rose and fell slowly and black hair that had fallen in her face blew away at her gentle breath. The touchscreen of her phone lit up again as it sat on the end table next to him. Being careful not to wake her, Shizuo sat up and picked it up. This time, it was her father.

He sucked his teeth as quietly as he could. Shigeru had sent it in English, probably just so he could not read it. Copy and paste into Google translate fixed the problem.

What was it with these two and guilt? First, it was Izaya and the dress. Now, it was Corvi's father and Cornielle's birthday. Apparently, their birthdays were only a day apart. It reminded him of the tickets he still had yet to surprise her with. He scrolled up and found more texts. All of them obviously attempts to get her to return to California with the rest of her family. Another message silently appeared as he was reading the old ones.

What about the child?

Shizuo blinked at the words. Reading them multiple times had not helped. Maybe it was a mistranslation? What did Corvi and a child have to do with each-

His eyes shot to the sleeping woman and more importantly, her growing belly. She had been eating odd things and stopped smoking and drinking. How had he not suspected? Was it even possible? Corvi was a bird masquerading as a human. They were questions that needed answers promptly. Shizuo gripped her arm and shook her awake. Her black eyelashes parted slowly as she yawned. Another rough shake and her head rolled back.

"What kid?" There was no introduction, no runaround, "Are- are you-" He could not finish the sentence, afraid of the response. Corvi replied with incoherent groggy mumbling.

"Are you pregnant?" Her eyes snapped open at the question. Coal eyes met brown as her mouth gaped open. A snort came before her laughter, "No. Not that I know of."

"Then what is your father talking about?" Shizuo's features dipped into a dark frown as he showed her the message. Shigeru knew all about his daughter, temperaments, personal style and more but her bodily functions was not something on the list. Corvi would not necessarily know herself. She found out before that pregnancy tests did not work and she did not have a monthly period like female humans. The only way to know would be a blood test.

Shizuo witnessed for the second time how fast she could get dressed.

Three in the morning was part of the time Shinra enjoyed slumbering next to Celty. Had he known that two extremely upset bulldozers that resembled humans would break down his front door, he would have made a point of staying awake.

They had settled down enough to be seated on the couch but not enough to stop from waking up his neighbors with their yelling.

"I didn't have your number so I-"

"So you told my father." Corvi's hands tightened into fists with every word, "You called him and told him that his oldest child is fucking expecting. You didn't think that through, did you?" The wild expression on her face had Shinra take a few steps back. He looked to the dullahan for help but she stood with her arms crossed, completely on their side.

I told him it was a bad idea.

"You're fucking right. It's a horrible idea! I mean, who the fuck thinks-"

"Who's the father?" Shizuo was just as livid as Corvi but the question was eating away at his sanity. Even though it would plainly crush her, there was no certainty he would be able to ask later. He could feel her averted gaze drilling holes into the side of his head. The unlicensed doctor's hands flew up defensively, "I don't know! I didn't want to get into that." A lie, plain and simple. He knew and so did Corvi's father, who had asked to withhold the information. They seemed to believe it though and moved back to berating him for involving Shigeru. He sighed at the barrage of curses and insults but was glad the two had not resorted to anything physical. From the looks of the crow, she had already been in a fight pretty recently and he did not want to become round two. Celty stepped in front of their target and thrust her phone forward firmly.

So what are you going to do now?

Shizuo came home to the same thing every day for the next week. The raven haired woman was seated on the couch, in front of the television she was obviously not watching, gnawing at her nails. Ever since the dullahan posed the question, it was all Corvi could think about. Her bruises and cuts healed within a few days but that was in the distant past to the couple. Even the harpy eagle that was still roaming about in Ikebukuro was irrelevant. The crow spent her time drowning in her thoughts. How was it even possible for her to be pregnant? She was taught that she could only produce offspring with other birds. When had it happened? Counting the times she had had sex did not help. As much as Corvi wanted to choke Shizuo when he asked, she was not sure who the father was. It made her want to rip her hair out but not as much as the last question.

Just what was she going to do?

Maybe if Celty had not asked, Corvi would have never thought of it. No, that was a lie. She would have and it would have tormented her just as much. Her hands were unconsciously stroking the skin above her jeans constantly. Each time she caught herself and tried, unsuccessfully, to dispel her worries.

Watching her did not help Shizuo's anxiety in the least and he was sure she could feel it since it rolled off him in waves around her. Sure, he wanted to know if he was the cause of her pregnancy but first came Corvi's wellbeing. Even though it meant walking down seven flights of stairs each time, he no longer smoked in the apartment. All the alcoholic beverages were disposed of, more specifically, given to Tom, who did not seem to mind. Anything he could do was already done. Except one thing and he was not sure if he could.

He did not ask how she was doing.

Shizuo opted to be the shoulder she rested her head on as they watched kung-fu movies. He would thread his hand through her midnight hair, she would hum her approval and nod off to sleep. It was then his fingers ghosted over her expanding stomach. Maybe it was just a dream and he would come home one day to find the lump missing. Then, he would not have to muster up the courage to ask what Corvi was thinking.

They always had the worst luck though.

The text messages from Izaya and Corvi's father were never ending. As soon as Shizuo deleted one, two more would appear. The infamous informant had long since learned about the baby and was unrelenting with all of his questions. Shigeru was no better. Every message was about leaving Japan, leaving Ikebukuro, leaving Shizuo. The crow never saw any of the texts though. She had long since stopped looking at her phone and Shizuo had long since stopped asking about it. Her siblings kept at it though. Corvidal and Cornielle had even shown up at his door, wanting to see their older sister. Not right now, he had told them and they seemed to understand. So it was a surprise to come home and see the crow on the phone, giggling like a schoolgirl. When he asked who she was talking to, she had said Cornielle and smiled a genuine smile. It made him smile in return and agree when she had said that she was returning to California the next day.

Wait-

Shizuo was one for cycling through emotions pretty quickly but the statement had made his smile drop faster than anything else in his twenty four years. His crow was leaving. How else was he supposed to take it? Her father had probably broken down her will through a golden tale spun by Cornielle.

Corvi had assured him that it was only a visit. A short visit. More like a family reunion. She would be back in no time, he was told. Back in time for her birthday, which happened to fall on Halloween. Back in time for the concert he had tickets for, which he had yet to give to her. And, most importantly, back in time for the baby. She had even suggested he come with. Shizuo declined even though it was a chance to see her past life. He had been no where and decided he liked it that way.

He sat on the couch stiffly and Corvi took the chance to hook their arms and lean on his shoulder.

"It won't be that long. I promise."

"What's a promise if you don't keep it, Tom?" Shizuo's employer cringed away from the blonde and used the time to adjust his light jacket. How was he supposed to answer and not get murdered? He had been asking it for months and there was only one reply he would accept. Tom dare not ever say it though. Shizuo was speaking in a monologue, if anything, about a rather touchy subject.

"It's a fucking lie."

All of fall, all of winter and almost, still had some time left, all of spring had been walking on egg shells with Shizuo. No letters, no phone calls, no texts, no emails from Corvigan Karasu for eight months. They had even gone digging and found her profile on Facebook. There were no new status updates since August. Not even a check in. Nothing.

Tom had mentioned maybe something had happened to her. It was possible, Shizuo had to agree. He had laid awake at night wondering if the trip back to California had been successful. Or maybe an earthquake had happened, he had learned the state had them frequently and Corvi had been caught in it. But it was much more satisfying hating her for abandoning him.

The internet had burst into flames at the news. Shizuo had lost his girlfriend once again and this time, she had fled to another country with their unborn child. Much of it spoke about how she was driven away because he was that much of a monster. Stories of how he had beaten her black and blue and bloody while she was pregnant flooded almost every local message board. And while it was great for business, everyone they visited had paid in full, people would direct even more disgusted looks Shizuo's way. An old lady had thrown a shoe from her second floor window at them and most privately owned restaurants would not even let them in the door. No matter what he said in his defense, no one, outside of his circle, believed Shizuo and they seemed intent on making sure he knew it.

Eight months was quite a long time to dwell on it though. Tom was careful never to say anything crow or raven related while in his bodyguard's presence. He had tried to find someone else for the blonde but every woman in Ikebukuro and the surrounding neighborhoods had heard or read what was on the internet.

Not that it would have worked anyways. Not even Vorona, with her blonde hair, short shorts, exotic looks and long eyelashes caught Shizuo's eye. With a sigh, Tom dismissed the man and silently prayed some time off would help. The repair bills were stacking up much faster than his company could pay with Shizuo on the job.

Everything about his apartment pissed Shizuo off. The pair of shoes Corvi left in his vestibule were kicked to the side and had collected dust elephants and cobwebs. The stain from where she had dropped spaghetti sauce in her feeble attempt to cook for him was covered with one of his shirts as was the rest of the carpet. Dishes sat unwashed and rancid in the kitchen sink. The odor that came when opening the refrigerator could only be described as vomit and used diapers from old take out. He did not- would not open the freezer. Corvi's baked goods and homemade ice cream still remained uneaten. Her expensive stand mixer that she had bought for him was used as utensil storage and nothing more. Unopened mail, that was not from Corvi, blanketed his coffee table. Maybe some of it was important, he did not know nor care.

Coming home pissed him off. The stairs up to his apartment pissed him off, less so than the elevator but still did. The mailman pissed him off by not even using the slot on the door. Envelopes were piled up in front of the entrance instead. Shizuo responded with crumbling them up and kicking in his door. The sound of something sliding across wood and a soft thunk was heard on the other side. A box, small enough to house a book or two, sat next to Corvi's discarded shoes.

How had the mailman fit the box in the slot? And if he did, why not the rest of the mail?

After blowing away the dust that had fallen on it, he looked at the return address. It was in English and after a quick Google translation, it read Healdsburg, California.

There was only one person from the United States that would have been sending him mail.

After carefully placing the box on the coffee table and sitting down, Shizuo cupped his hands over his mouth and nose. He was hesitating. Procrastinating, more like. If it was not from who he thought it was, how could he deal with such a blow?

Maybe he would open it later. Maybe he would call up that pizza place down the block and order some dinner first. Then he would eat and watch some television. Maybe he would just never open the box. Maybe he could just throw it out and get on with his life.

No. No, he was Shizuo Heiwajima. No stupid fucking box was going to push him around.

The top ripped off like tissue in his hands and little ribbons of folded paper and packing peanuts fell out at the rough treatment. He had not seen the fragile sticker on the side.

They looked like rocks, all speckled and spotted with brown but the texture told him other. Smooth to the touch, except in spots, Shizuo knew immediately what was sent to him.

Eggs.