Hello, Doctor

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say this?

Chapter 36

Kairi's POV

I couldn't forget it… I couldn't forget the sound of Lacey's gentle voice, the way I felt nestled in her soft arms. I couldn't forget how warm and calming it was to have her hold me like that.

I felt safe… the same kind of safe I feel when I'm with my daddies.

Why?

Why did it feel that way? Why couldn't Lacey be horrible to me so I could just dislike her? She looked at me with eyes so honest… it looked like she wanted to give me the world.

Again, just like my daddies.

I bit my lip and stared up at the ceiling. It was early in the morning and the sun was just leaking into the bedroom through the window. I couldn't really sleep all that well. I missed Daddy and 'Tou-san…

And I don't know what to do about Lacey… would it be so bad if I tried to have fun with her? If I trusted her?

Would I be betraying Daddy? Daddy loves me so much. I know there was no way anyone could love me more than how much Daddy loves me… Riku may be the only other person…

But Lacey looked so much like she was trying too… like she wanted to love me more than anything as well.

Daddy said love was about giving things up so that the person you love can be happy… Lacey said that if it made me happier, she would see less of me…

She wanted to give things up too…

I sighed and worried my lip before turning over in the bed. Kasai was sleeping on my right and Rakurai on my left.

I nudged Kasai. He shifted and groaned quietly before opening his eyes. "Kairi?" he grumbled.

"Kasai…" I whispered. "Do you think your mom wants to take me away from my daddies?" I asked.

Kasai let out a tired sigh before looking at me with his bright brown eyes. "Mommy just wants you to see that you are a part of our family too… she said that she wanted all of us to let you know that you were welcome here and that you can belong here too," he said, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"So do you think she would be mad if I wanted to stay with my dads?" I asked.

Kasai shook his head, his auburn hair flaming in the morning light. "She just wants you to feel like part of the family… you are my big sister and I guess you can have daddies too… though I don't really get how that works… I guess by the end of this, you'll have three dads, a mommy, and two little brothers… is that a bad thing?" Kasai asked before drifting off again.

I looked over to Jenova who had slipped under the covers when we were sleeping. "Maybe that wouldn't be so bad? Do you think that it's selfish to have two families?" I asked and Jenova just looked at me with her calm eyes.

"I wanna talk to Daddy and 'Tou-san about this," I said before getting up and climbing out of bed. I was careful not to wake up Sai and Rai.

I walked down the large hallway and crept down the stairs quietly. I could hear little noises coming from the kitchen. As I got closer, I could hear voices talking softly.

I entered the kitchen, "O-ohayo…" I stuttered nervously.

Toshi-san and Lacey stopped their conversation and turned to smile at me.

"Good morning…" Lacey said softly and Toshi-san nodded.

"What are you doing up so early? Could you sleep?" Lacey asked.

I looked away from her and bit my lip before shaking my head slightly.

"Toshi…" Lacey said quietly and Toshi-san stood up and walked towards me. He smiled warmly and patted my head.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," he said and left the room.

"Kairi, are you alright?" Lacey asked, her voice laced with the softness of concern.

I felt tears come to my eyes. I couldn't understand why I was drawn to her… why couldn't I hate her?

Because she was trying so hard to love me. She wasn't trying to trick me… and she wasn't trying to hurt me either.

She took a step towards me but stopped… she seemed unsure of whether or not she should approach.

"D-do you not like my daddies?" I asked, my voice weak with tears.

Lacey moved over to me and knelt down on the floor so that she and I were face to face. "I think they are just fine, why would I dislike them?" she said.

"B-but you are trying to take me away from them!" I cried softly.

Lacey let out a small sigh and gently moved me to a chair. I sat down in it and she sat in the chair next to me at the table.

"I know you may think that I don't like Sora and his partner… and it would make sense that I would… but I really don't dislike them. Have you ever been so scared that you say something you don't mean, or say something to hurt someone?" Lacey asked and it only took me a second to think of a time when that happened.

When Daddy and Riku were fighting… I was so scared that I was going to lose my family that I told Daddy that I hated him…

I nodded and Lacey rubbed my arm in a comforting way before talking again. "That happened to me too… I once came to pick up Sai and Rai from school and ran into your Daddy. He was so mad that I would even show my face after what I did to you… when I told him I wanted to be in your life, he was so mad. And he had reason to be, and he said that he didn't want me to be a part of your life at all…"

"Did he really say that?" I asked.

"Your daddy was angry, and he wasn't trying to be cruel… he was just trying to protect you from getting hurt. He was afraid that if I were to be a part of your life again, there was also that chance that I could leave you again… and this time you'd remember. But things were different… and I don't want to leave you, I want to stay and watch you grow and be there when you need me," Lacey continued.

I looked at Lacey and she gave me a serious look, "When your dad told me he never wanted to see me around you ever again… I got really scared. I was so afraid that I would never be able to see you that I said terrible things to him…"

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I said that I was going to ask the judge to take you away from them and give you to me… I told them that because they were two daddies instead of a mommy and a daddy, they would lose and they wouldn't see you again… but truthfully, that would never happen…" Lacey said and held my attention to make sure that I wouldn't misunderstand.

"So I won't get taken away from Daddy and Otou-san?" I asked.

"I might get the chance to take care of you every once and a while… and that's really all I ask for… but there's also a chance that I only get to visit you and that's it. It'll be like I'm not really a care taker or a guardian but someone who deserves to check up on you every once and a while… and I would like that too… but I would miss you dearly, and Sai and Rai wouldn't really get to be your real siblings. But it would be great if you could take them under your wing anyway… they need someone like you," Lacey said with a smile.

"Someone like me?" I asked.

"Someone open and friendly… besides Zell, you are the only other person they consider to be a friend. I get the feeling that sometimes they feel like they don't need anyone else but each other… being a twin must be kinda hard… to have someone who is almost exactly like you must make it hard to be your own person… does that make sense?" Lacey said and I nodded.

"So it would be awesome if you could be a big sister and teach them how to reach out to others and become more than just twins… because when you get to know them, they are so different and so unique,"

"I think so too… Sai and Rai are very special," I said and Lacey ran a hand gently though my hair.

"I'm really happy you think that," Lacey said and pulled me into her lap. "So no matter what happens, I want you to know that you will always have a family here, even if the law says you don't… and everyone in this house loves you," Lacey said and placed a kiss on my head.

It was such a relief to know that I wasn't really going to be taken away. It was so heartwarming to know that the people here weren't trying to force me into a spot where I didn't fit. They wanted me to find my own place on my own time and they were willing to make room.

I felt like I could finally see about being a part of this family without betraying the one I already have.

The one that won't ever change.

"So you don't mind that I have a family with Daddy and 'Tou-san too?" I asked.

"Not at all… I'm happy that you have so many people that love and care about you," Lacey said and I turned and smiled at her.

I really smiled at her, it was the first time I had done it since I got here.

"Can we go wake up Sai and Rai?" I asked.

"Sure, but before we go. I wanted to ask you something," Lacey started.

I looked at her.

"What would you say to spending the day with me, just us girls?" she said.

"What would we do?" I asked.

"Have you ever gotten a manicure and a pedicure?" Lacey asked.

"What's that?"

"It's when you get your fingernails and toenails painted. Have you ever seen any of your friends have their nails painted pretty colors?" Lacey asked and I remembered that one time I saw that Kelli had pink flowers painted on her fingers and toes. I was a little jealous and I wondered how she got them but never asked.

"Can they put flowers on your fingers and toes?" I asked.

Lacey let out a small laugh that chimed like a bell, "Yeah, they have all different kinds of designs. You get to pick one out for yourself,"

"Wow! That's cool! When do we get to go?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, I think we should all eat breakfast first, huh?" Lacey suggested and I ran off to wake up Sai and Rai.

Today was gonna be a good day.

A/N: Sorry it's short… and late… been busy! PLEASE REVIEW! :D