Author Note: I really hope you guys like this one, it's not too long until we find out what's going on with Kuon 😊 and then it's also only a short time until they are reunited. Other than that, I hope you really do enjoy this chapter and that I'm not causing anyone too much impatience.

Chapter Twenty One – Happy Birthday, Kyoko

Kyoko looked around at all of the festivities for Maria's birthday. She was happy that every year this party had become such a success and she felt that she owed it to her young friend to be here. Yet, everyone felt the lack of Kuon's presence. It wasn't even that they had had time to plan for it with Kuon just sacrificing his life even though he hadn't struggled with an illness like Kyoko had been forced to.

Tears filled her eyes as her body shook and she stared out at all the happy couples. She remembered the first time she had helped Maria throw a party and how when it had struck midnight, Ren had given her a flower that would later contain Princess Rosa. She placed a hand to her neck as she checked that she still had her necklace on.

After that, Ren and later Kuon, would always give her the most thoughtful gifts and even though she loved all of the other gifts that she received, the love and thought and time that Kuon had spent finding her gift made her feel incredibly happy and loved. This year there would be no gift. She didn't mind the lack of material gain, that wasn't what her birthday meant to her. What she was troubled by was the fact that her husband wasn't going to be there with her.

She glanced at the clock as it showed that it was only half past ten. In an hour and a half she expected people to start wishing her a happy birthday and unless it was Kuon who said it, she didn't want to hear it. Soon her birthday would have passed and then there would be new year and then his birthday. Hopefully they would find him before February 10th. That would probably be the worst day to have him gone. Compared to Kuon's birthday where he would be turning twenty-eight, Valentines Day didn't matter.

"I'm so sorry, Maria" Kyoko said as she came over to the teenager, her legs shaking and she felt that she could almost collapse. "I have to get home, I can't stay here."

"Big sis, it's going to be your birthday soon," Maria tried to encourage her to stay. "Everyone is going to be really excited to say happy birthday to you, please say you'll stay. Two hours?" she begged and Kyoko shook her head.

"I am so sorry," she said before feeling herself bow out of instinct, the pain in her heart was too heavy. She didn't want to hear anybody but Kuon say it. She could deal with Maria, Moko, Yashiro, the president, Taishou, Okami-san, and her parents in law saying it, she knew that they would. Anyone else but him wasn't going to make her happy with one exception.

She would be delighted to hear Kou say happy birthday to her, the little boy was figuring out what birthdays were and she really wanted to hold him. He was her son with Kuon. She only wished she had the third part of their family there with them.

"Be safe alright," Maria said as she knew that she wouldn't be able to get her friend and big sister figure to stay. "Happy early Birthday," she said softly as Kyoko flinched and nodded.

"Happy birthday, Maria," she said before grabbing her coat and bag and going outside in the cold. She felt somewhat glad that the snow had fallen and it was cold and dark out. Being out here in the dark made her feel safe to be alone. She just wanted him.

She looked up with her tear filled eyes and saw a blond man walking towards her. She wished it was him so much.

"Kuon," she cried as she wrapped her arms around herself wanting to make sure that she was protected. It was far more than the cold that chilled her, it was the knowledge that her husband might not even be alive anymore and she would never be able to hear his voice other than on a recording.

She was surprised when she felt someone's arms around her and saw the tall legs and the clothes that were definitely not Kuon's. Feeling herself gain enough consciousness to look up at the guy, she pushed him away from her immediately. Although she no longer detested this guy, though she did hate the feud between him and her husband, she did not want to be held in the arms of Shoutaro Fuwa.

"Hi, Shou" she said with an exasperated sigh, "Who told you that you could hold me like that?"

Shou shrugged as he looked at Kyoko concerned, "You look like you're about to pass out and die, it'd kind of make my Christmas Eve more unpleasant if you did that," he said in a bored type of voice. Kyoko wondered whether he was doing this to play around with her or whether he had actually come out here to try to make sure that she was okay.

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to clean up my body if I did," she shot back, "You once said to me it was too disgusting to touch roadkill."

Shou chuckled, "Want to go get a coffee?" he asked.

Kyoko looked away, "Why would you think I'd want to go anywhere with you, Shoutaro?" she asked him.

"Alright, then how about I take you for something else, cocoa maybe. I know this place where they have a princess cake too," he said as Kyoko eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine. I just got out of a party, but it's cold out here and my family isn't expecting me back right now," she looked at him before jabbing a finger into his chest, "but I'm warning you. You try anything funny and I'll storm out of that place and make you look like an idiot."

Shou laughed, "Well that'd be interesting, let's go."

…..

…..

Despite everything that she was going through, even Kyoko had to admit that the hot chocolate at this place was delicious. It was just the kind that warmed her whole body with just a single sip of the beverage. She looked down before feeling tears in her eyes again. She would be so happy if this was Kuon who was treating her on her birthday, but since it was Shou she felt very guilty for enjoying what he had bought.

"So," Shou said as he looked at her and then smiled as he saw that the cosmetic surgery was already working, "Tell me that you're going back for another round," he said as Kyoko nodded.

"I am," she said as she felt her face had already been healed a little. She felt ashamed for that already. Her face and appearance was healing, but if they were willing to do this to their bait then what were they going to do to him. She didn't care what he looked like, she just cared about finding him, but she couldn't bear the thought that he was in pain. "I'd like to go back to acting."

"It's good that you're getting on with your life," Shou commented as he took a gulp of his coffee. "I mean, I know I once said you were a plain and boring woman but you're a good actress, Kyoko. I remember how popular you made 'Prisoner' for me."

Kyoko shook her head at his continued smugness, "I don't want to get back into it now, I want to see if I can find Kuon. I know you don't like him and he has good reason to dislike you, but I want him to be okay. If you care about me at all, as my sort of friend, I'd like your support."

Shou shrugged. "Sure," he nodded. "That guy may be a real pain, a jerk, and you're way too good for him but I hope he's alive as well at least for your sake."

Kyoko smiled feeling the tiniest bit refreshed by how he had said that to her, "Thank you, Shou" she told him. "Now, I can't believe you are such a ladies man that you haven't settled down. None of the girls want you?" she toyed with him.

"I'm too important for frivolous girls," Shou said as Kyoko raised an eyebrow again.

"Are you sure that you're not turning them off by the openness of your terrifying overego," she said as Shou rolled his eyes but looked up at the clock on the wall. He made a gesture to one of the staff members and they brought over a delicious looking cake for Kyoko with a single lighted candle on top of it.

"Well, happy birthday," he said as she looked at the cake.

More than anything she wished that Kuon was here but she had doubt that they were ever going to be together again.

She blew out the candle.

…..

…..

The next morning, Kyoko sat in her and Kuon's room staring at all the different gifts that Kuon had given her over the years. He had given her jewelry, clothing, accessories, and numerous other gifts. Some of the makeup that she had requested had been used up but she had kept the boxes although flattened them. She couldn't bear to part with any gifts that Kuon had gone and picked out specially for her.

Kyoko sat on the bed and felt the tears sticking to her cheeks. She hadn't been able to sleep and it wasn't just the fact that she had gone to a café with the man who was once her enemy. She just wanted Kuon, he was the one gift that she wanted above all others and she couldn't have him. She wanted to touch him and to hold him, she wanted him to kiss her. He wasn't here though. She didn't know if he would ever be there with her again.

She heard a sound from Kou's room and realized that the little boy was waking up. Getting up slowly from the bed, she walked over to her son's room. She opened the door slowly and felt her breath catch in her lungs once again as she saw how much he looked like his father.

She was scared for him. She was terrified that she would actually turn out to be a bad mother and whatever skills she had used so far that had turned Kou out to be such an amazing child were a fluke. She was scared that without Kuon by her side she wouldn't be able to be the good mother she had somehow discovered herself to be.

What was most scary was that at Kou's age, unless Kuon was to come back into their lives, Kou would be unable to not forget his dad. He would forget all about Kuon's warm smiles, his hugs, his love that he had so much of for his family. Kou would forget everything and how could Kyoko prevent something like that from happening. She knew that she would always be able to tell Kou stories about Kuon and Corn and even Ren, but he would lose an amazing father.

She just hoped with every cell of her body that one day Kuon would be at home with his family once again.

"Mama," Kou reached out for her and Kyoko went over to him. She sat down and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him to her lap.

"Morning, my darling," she said as she kissed the top of his head. "Any fun dreams today?" she asked as he looked at her.

"Daddy?" he asked and Kyoko shook her head, "I dreameded Daddy wa' here" Kou told her as Kyoko felt her heart break again.

She didn't want to have to explain that Kuon was gone and he wasn't being able to be found and that maybe one day they would receive the news that Kyoko would never want to hear, that Kuon was found dead.

"Maybe sometime not too far away," she tried to say though with every passing day she was believing those words less and less. She saw him nod and so felt nervous, she smiled at him. "Today is a special day for mommy, today is Christmas," she said. "You want to go open your Christmas gifts?" she asked as Kou shook his head. "Why not?" she asked.

"Cwismass is Mama's birdday," Kou grinned to her, "Happy birdday Mama!" he said loudly.

Kyoko brought Kou in for a closer hug. "Thank you, my darling," she said. She was right, that happy birthday really made her feel good inside.