Thanks to the lacking in technology night had started to creep from the corners of the world by the time it was ready. Alice sat beside Komba, wiping his hands with an old rag. Much to his displeasure. Shun helped Chan from her bed being mindful of the baby cradled in her arms. Joe balanced all the meals on his arms, walking with a slight wobble.

The clay bowls were mostly flat, a task that would have been impossible for Shun was done with great difficulty by the new father.

Shun settled Chan at one end of the small makeshift table, keeping her far enough from the table to protect the bundle.

"Thank you." She sounded incredibly tired, her voice strained. Evidently she was still suffering from the birth.

"Not at all, we owe you a lot. We haven't known Komba for too long but I wouldn't have stayed here had he been turned out."

"I don't blame you, Joe may not understand but I do. You can't turn a child out. Joe may not be the manliest of men but he is as stubborn as them." Shun laughed softly, sitting beside her and staring at the child cuddled to her chest. He hadn't been around many children. Of all his friends Julie was the only one who had a sibling an older one at that. The only time he'd been exposed to children was running into them at the park or seeing them scream on the TV.

Both of those places hadn't left him with good impressions, but from what he could see both had been very wrong. The child was snuggled up against her chest, eyes closed and chest rising a falling so slightly a feather would be undisturbed. Its fingers were curled around the top of the blanket, small knuckles rubbing at his cheeks.

"Do you want to hold him?" She asked, noticing his eyes staring at the sleeping child.

"Uh, n-no, no. I've never done so before, I wouldn't want to hurt him."

"Nonsense lad, he's as sound a sleeper as his dad, God's wrath wouldn't wake him so a nice boy like you definitely couldn't." She boasted like a proud mother hen, puffing her chest out. She hadn't realised it but she spoke like a mother too, treating everyone as a child.

"It's not waking him I'm worried about." He muttered, though he held his arms out, knowing he wouldn't have a choice.

"I'm surprised you're not a father already, I was already three by the time my mother was your age." No matter how long he'd been here he couldn't get over the differences, it was so peculiar but seemed to work.

The baby was lowered into his arms, small fingers clenching tighter on the cloth in its grasp, as though knowing he was no longer being cradled by his mother. Still, the boy didn't stir. His eyes were closed as his small mouth opened softly to let out small indistinguishable noises.

"Just like that." Chan soothed, brushing her thumb over the baby's dark hair. Braver now the child hadn't woken up he pulled it closer to his chest, tucking it tighter to him, letting him feel more secure.

"I've never held a baby before. I've never even been this close to one."

"Not even in your village?" It was Alice's turn to cut in, shocked by the statement. She'd been around hundreds of kids.

"No, I've said before we live longer so there aren't many children. People tend to have one kid and leave it like that. We different." He was lying, plain and simple. Families were bursting in his time, but saving there are hundreds of thousands of children and he's never been up close would make her more than suspicious. Thankfully she seemed to believe him, Chan too, though she had no reason to doubt. However Komba seemed to find it slightly strange.

"Really? I'd have thought there'd be a few unexpected pregnancies. Even if you live longer that just increases your elders not stop the amount of children." He bit the inside of his lip trying to conjure up an excuse. Luckily Joe arrived with drinks, he hadn't even noticed he was away.

"So, what are we all talking about?"

"Nothing important." He insisted, shifting the baby in his arms slightly.

"I see the little one is happy." He noted, leaning forwards to brush his hand across the baby's small tuff of hair. "He likes you, I'm jealous."

"I'm shocked, it's strange."

"No, he can tell a good person when he sees one. I quite liked being one of the two he would let hold him. Now a new comers got the honour too."

At Joe's words an idea popped into the teen's head.

"Does everyone know about this?"

"Yeah, he cries when the elder's just near us. And his nan can only hold him for a second."

"Could Komba hold him?" He asked, looking over at the boy who was picking at his clothes.

"Why should he?" His shoulders stiffened, why would he let that boy anywhere near his son? Had it not been for Chan he would have kicked them out.

"If he's truly bad he'll react, won't he?"

"I don't want to put him in danger."

"Joe, don't be ridiculous, let Komba hold him. Who knows, maybe he can return to the village then." The boy grumbled, his arms folding across his chest as he pouted. But he didn't seem to be protesting anymore. "Stop behaving like a child, honestly Joe. Anyways, we'll wait until after dinner, no sense letting our food go to waste, we don't have much anyway."

Everyone complied, beginning to eat the meal they'd been provided with.

oooo

Once they'd finished and the meal packed up Alice led Chan back to her bed, the baby having been snuggled back to her chest soon after the meal had started. Her eyes had lidded the second she entered the warmth of her bed, her back slouching down into the soft material. Shun helped clear the table while Komba sat beside the bed, staring at the sleeping baby.

He didn't know how to ask but wanted to desperately. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to do it? Shun seemed to do fine but he was a lot nicer and didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Do you want to hold him now?" She asked, her eyes almost closed. A soft yawn slipped from her lips as she spoke.

"N-No, I couldn't, please sleep. I don't know what to do, you can't leave." She laughed, but nodded her head in understanding, shuffling further into the bed, her eyes closing on their own. They sealed shut and her breathing instantly evened out. He breathed a sigh of relief, the baby staring at him with wide eyes.

He shifted uneasily, feeling as though he were under scrutiny. The child couldn't be that old but it was very quiet and didn't eat nearly as much as the babies he was used to. Kneeling he leaning in closer to the baby, his eyes meeting his and fusing together.

"Uh, hello." He muttered, raising his hand and giving a shy wave. The child giggled, shocking the three occupant of the room, they'd hardly heard a peep from the tiny bundle of cloth.

Joe was out the room cleaning the dishes when he heard his son, a warm smile spreading across his face. Seemed Komba was a good person after all. How would he tell their elder though? What man would listen to a baby not even a year old yet?

He stopped cleaning, pacing a finger to his lips as he thought, if Komba really was good what could he do to help? He never turned a good man away and it seemed his child had decided he was one.

Shun entered the kitchen, having watched Komba and the baby very closely. The child accepted him, was that good enough? Would that appease Joe? Would it satisfy the village? Would he be accepted into the village once again?

"I know what you're thinking." Joe stated, breaking the silence that had encompassed them.

"Do you? I didn't think I was that easy to figure out."

"Kind of obvious when you're staring at the kid."

He laughed softly, he wasn't used to people paying so much attention to him, still it was quite nice. A good change from home. Though it was so different he couldn't help constantly noticing that they were incredibly similar too. It shocked him to no end. They may have been narrow minded but even here the men acted tough when they really just cave into their wife's wishes.

"I suppose it is." He admitted, moving around the teen to help wash up in the barely there water filling the sink. He couldn't help be interested in Joe, he was a teenage father, someone who'd be looked down on in his time however, here, from what he could tell, it was natural. Shun was the stranger of the two for not having a child.

"Shun, do you think we're bad people? I understand if you do but do you? We're not, honesty, we're just naive, our elder controls everything and we're too stupid to do anything about it."

"I don't think you're bad Joe." He assured, though he was more than a little taken off guard at the question. It seemed as though a weight was lifted from him at the words the teen's shoulders rose slightly and a small smile graced his face.

"Thank you." He breathed, finishing whatever he was doing and patting Shun on the shoulder as he passed.

Alice passed Joe as he re-entered the room to see to his wife. The smile she had been sporting dropping once they were as alone as they could have been. Noting her expression Shun gave her his full attention, leaning back against the side to stare her in the eye.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, not explaining what was the problem.

"What do you mean?"

"Komba, he's back with his village but we can't just leave him. What are we supposed to do?"

"I'm not sure. I don't want to leave him, I know he's a little strange but I know he's a good kid. He deserves to be with his family. And we've fulfilled our end of the deal. We brought him back." She nodded, placing a hand to her hips as she thought. Ever since travelling with Shun she'd found herself thinking for herself far more. And she did enjoy it.

"Let's leave him with Chan and Joe, he may not be too fond of the kid but I'm sure Chan would let him stay." Alice accepted his words, though she couldn't quell the worry in the pit of her stomach. Komba had been outcast for a reason, she just hoped the elder would let it go and accept it wasn't his fault. "Don't worry Alice. I wouldn't leave him unless I was sure he'd be fine." Placing his hands on her shoulders he forced her to look at him, giving her a small warm smile.

"Alright. I trust you." Waiting for his hands to lift she returned to the front room. Watching as Komba attempted to converse with the baby.

And despite himself Shun couldn't help but feel he'd eventually miss the boy. They hadn't known him long but he was never forgotten, easily at least.

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