She was stubbornly ignoring Chase was again. He'd already assured her that he'd attempted to use the Wu to change her mind before he'd decided to support her decision. But he still hadn't denied the monk's accusation of him wanting to somehow use their baby to take over the world. So, she was giving him the cold shoulder. That didn't stop Chase from ensuring that she ate, remained well-rested and comfortable. He'd even gone so far as to return her mother to her human form in order to get back in her good graces. While Hitomi was appreciative, she still wasn't talking to him.

"I don't know what to do, Mama," Hitomi said in a sorrowful voice as she clutched a pillow to her chest.

Naomi watched her daughter before taking up a seat next to her on Hitomi's bed. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder before asking, "About Chase or the monks?"

"Both. But mostly Chase. I can't...abort my baby," Hitomi said, slightly struggling to say that wretched word. "But I can't just sit back and let Chase use it as a tool to take over the world."

"I'm not sure what to tell you, sweetheart. This is truly a difficult situation," Naomi replied.

"I've actually thought about leaving," Hitomi said in a soft voice. She hadn't voiced these thoughts before now. She wasn't sure what Chase would do if he'd heard her. Chase did have a quick temper. And while she was sure that he would never purposefully hurt her. But she couldn't say the same for anyone else that he might run into.

"I don't see that doing much good. Chase has been all over the world. He has the resources to find you if you do manage to get away. You would always be running and that's no life for your child," Naomi said gravely.

Hitomi moaned loudly and dropped her head onto her pillow. She curled up in a ball around the pillow while Naomi hugged her tightly. Why did Chase have to be so...evil!? How much of this was her own fault? 'Pfft. All of it,' she thought to herself. She'd known just how evil Chase was, but she'd managed to ignore it and fall in love with him anyway. Now, she was literally growing the key to him taking over the world in her womb. This would be so much easier if Chase were good...

Hitomi suddenly sprang up. "Mama! I've got it!"

"Got what?"

"It just hit me. What if Chase were good?" Hitomi asked her mother with an excited smile.

Naomi frowned. "Sweetheart, Chase is-"

"Evil. I know. I'm not saying that he's going to become good any time soon. But what if I could get him to change his mind? You know? Maybe give up on taking over the world?"

"How would you do that?"

"Well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm positive that Chase cares about me a lot. He hasn't said the "L" word yet, but still. If anyone would be able to change his mind, it's me. Don't you think?"

"I suppose so. You've already changed him in other ways. But you said that those monks foresaw Chase taking over. They used their magical artifact that knows everything in the universe. How can you compete with that?" Naomi asked.

"Don't be such a downer, Mama. Shen Gong Wu may be magical and powerful, but I'm not about to give up yet. I think it's worth a shot," Hitomi said.

Naomi frowned before sighing. "Do what you think is best. I'm not sure what the chances of this are. But, I do think that if anyone can change his mind, it's you."

Hitomi grinned. "Okay. This kid's growing fast. I crunched some numbers and if my math is right, then I probably won't last nine months," Hitomi said. It wasn't a joke. She was about three weeks ahead of the normal schedule. If this kept up, her baby would be born after seven months. "I've got a little over four months to change Chase's mind."

~:~

The line between good and evil had always been so easily drawn. Helping someone in need? Good. Stealing some else's property? Bad. Saving the world and all the innocent people in it? Good. Taking someone's life? Bad. But when did the lines get so blurred?

The monks at the Xiaolin Temple seemed almost evenly divided. Half were in favor of stopping Chase Young at all costs. The other half were against the taking of a life. Even more so, they were against endangering the young woman who carried the child. The first half were less than sympathetic to the young mother's plight.

No one spoke their opinions out loud anymore. Rather than start a war amongst themselves, they all kept quiet and ignored the metaphorical herd of elephants that were in every room of the temple. Life went on, the four, elemental dragons continued to train and collect Shen Gong Wu but even a blind man could see the obvious tenseness that plagued the teens. The issue had even put a strain on the relationship between Master Fung, his students, and surprisingly Dojo. The dragon had sided with Omi and Raimundo while Master Fung had been much more accepting of Clay and Kimiko's viewpoint. This had made mealtimes immeasurably awkward. Nonetheless, Master Fung never held it against his students.

Omi was sure that he felt the most troubled by all of this. Just the fact that Chase Young had also been against the birth of the child... No matter how short the time Chase had held this view, it still happened. Just the fact that he found common ground with Chase Young of all people... If Chase wasn't so focused on world domination, he would surely still share Omi's point of view. That thought alone made Omi's skin crawl. That last thing he wanted was to have anything in common with Chase Young.

But, had Chase been right? Was Omi more like Chase than he wanted to admit? Was he inherently evil? No! Never! He just wanted to protect the world. It was the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few. But if Master Fung was against this... Maybe it deserved a second thought? No. There was no other option. Any child of Chase Young was destined to be evil. It and Chase had to be stopped. But... Could he do that? Could any of them do what needed to be done?

~:~

Hitomi took a deep breath before pushing open the doors before her. The bedroom was dark. Chase must have already gone to sleep. As quietly as she could, Hitomi tiptoed over to his bed before slowly placing a knee onto the mattress. "So, you've returned," she heard Chase's voice say quite clearly.

Hitomi released a breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding. "Yes. I... Chase, I don't want to fight with you, but I don't want the world to be destroyed."

Chase stared at the wall as he laid on his side with his back to Hitomi. He didn't reply for some time. "In the past 1500 years, I had more than enough power to take over the planet. Hannibal and Wuya were locked away and the Xiaolin monks were nothing compared to me. And yet, I only sought to become stronger. I trained, proved my strength to others and built a reputation for myself. I would like to think of this as me attempting to once again gain strength as well as ensure that I leave behind a worthwhile legacy," Chase said.

"Legacy? Chase, you're immortal. Why are you talking as though you're dying?" Hitomi responded with a roll of her eyes.

"In peak condition, I am confident in my ability to defend myself and survive. But, as you've seen, I have enemies who would go to extreme lengths in order to dispatch me. And although I try not to think about it, my enemies are also yours because of the connection we share. If I am killed, you will be as well. If this child can ensure that I am able to become strong enough to lock away my enemies, then so be it."

"Your enemies... Does that include the monks?"

"I'm not concerned with them. There was a time that I thought that Omi would one day surpass me. But I don't see that happening now," Chase admitted.

"Chase, while I admire your devotion to protecting me and yourself, I don't want you using this baby as a means to an end. It's a living being. Not a tool for power," Hitomi said seriously.

Even though she couldn't see him clearly, she heard and felt Chase shifting before she felt his hand slip into hers. "How would you have me treat the child?"

"If it were up to me, we'd at least attempt to be a normal family. As normal as we can be anyways," Hitomi answered.

"Alright."

"Alright?" Hitomi repeated in a skeptical tone. That was too easy. Chase wasn't the type to give in. He was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something.

"I can't promise that we'll be a family. But I can at least attempt to find another way to obtain the power I need. I'm willing to try for your sake," Chase clarified.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that," Hitomi replied before slipping under the covers. She kept her face passive, but her mind was buzzing. She'd give him a chance to prove himself, but she wasn't about to wholeheartedly trust him just yet. She did l- adore Chase, but she was also growing to love her little baby. Her mother was probably right that she wouldn't be able to get too far away, but she would at least try. She wouldn't be a good mother if she didn't protect her kid from all harm. Even if the threat came from its father.

Chase held Hitomi to him and closed his eyes. There wasn't any harm in at least trying to find something else. Suddenly, Chase felt a small pulse in the fetus's aura- healthy and strong. The darkness that he'd first sensed had grown slightly. Chase smirked.