Heyyyyyyyy, long time no see, right? Sorry for such a long delay, life and all that has kind of gotten in the way and all that good stuff. But here we are, finally, and hope to not leave ya'll hanging as long for the next one. This one kind of bounces a little, hopefully not too much, see how it goes though.

As always, thank you all for the reviews, they mean the world to me. Truly. And hope ya'll are doing well through this crazy and messed up year.

Till next time.

4 Months Later:

Waddling his way from Kain's bedroom, Ray eased himself down onto the couch in the living room that was situated under the window. Holding the bottom of his now seven month stomach as he climbed onto the couch to lay down, needing to get off his feet for the time being as his ankles had swelled throughout the day and was glad that his feisty one-year-old was finally down for a nap.

Granted it'd only been two months since Kain turned one, he'd learned how to walk at ten months and now with full mobility, the tot was sure to keep Ray and Tala on their toes at all times. The world was a big place to them and a thousand times bigger to such a little person, and he wanted to explore it all.

Not only was he becoming more of a handful, Ray's fears of what he inevitably had done to him in utero was finally coming to light. Although they knew he could heal (like his father), once the others from the American and Japanese BBA branches arrived three months back and had set up a decent enough lab they could run their tests, it was concluded that Kain did indeed harbor more powers than just the ability to heal.

The only solace Ray and Tala were given about it, per Emily's words, was that Kain wouldn't come into his full powers till he hit puberty. What that meant in the long run, whether he'd favor Dranzer's power over Driger's or vice versa they weren't sure yet, and after a runaround and long night of back and forth back in their home, Ray finally gave up the fight with Tala about what to do with the news and agreed there was absolutely nothing they could do.

Since then, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks began to bleed into months and Ray's stomach consequently got bigger, he was pretty much benched now being as far along as he was. Tala taking over in his stead when Lee needed him for a briefing to go over something with the progress their teams were making with the Reversal Process, which had to be built up from scratch now since they lost everything after the headquarters in Russia was brought to the ground.

When they all arrived to an already cramped village, it became an even tighter fit but somehow Lee made it work out. Everyone had a place to stay, food on their tables, and if it weren't for the daily newscasts about what was happening on the outside no one really would have bat an eye about it all since nothing on the inside had changed all that much to their day to day lives.

Lee's duty was and had always been to put his people first and that was what he had managed to accomplish while juggling and pulling in Ray's people beside his own. They were safer that way, they needed them in the long run, and even if it had been a hard adjustment to some over the course of the months that had passed things eased out for them all.

Tyson and Hilary and Makoto had their own home now, which was just a short hop skip and a jump from Ray's own. Mariah still had her own place around the bend and another block away, being kind enough to let Salima and her two kids to live with her for the time being as well. Max and Spencer had been boarded up in a home together, and when Bryan was finally released from jail after a two month stay he too moved in with his ex-teammate and Max while still being heavily watched. Gary wasn't too far away either with his still ever growing family, and Lee was where he always was.

Despite Ray and even Judy's best efforts neither of them could contact anyone from the old European team. Though by now, as the months had progressed and the attacks in Russia had only gotten worse since they had to flee, they were sure that those who were left behind saw the damage and knew what was going on. Why they weren't returning their calls neither knew, but for now there was nothing they could do about it.

Their numbers had grown, that's all they cared about, their base of operations wasn't nearly what it was or had been or could have been, but it was better than nothing, and those that were most important to him were where he wanted and needed them.

All but one…

It was hard having to wake up without knowing what had happened to Kai or where Anette had taken him or what she was doing to him after all this time. It'd been four months, his birthday had passed not even a week ago, and not only that he'd gone and missed his son's first birthday because of this entire mess.

If it wasn't Ray finding himself being held in the middle of the night by Tala drying his tears through a bad bout of hormones and general anxiety and fear, it was him holding Tala up and doing the same exact thing for him. Both promising and swearing to each other that they'd find Kai, bring him back, but when the sun rose on another day those sweet promises were always broken as they still weren't a step closer to answers or a solution.

With the Savages that Anette had been releasing now, the same ones that had flooded the streets of Russia and wouldn't go down with a simple bullet between the eye, they were only increasing in number by the day. The newscasts they all sat around and listened to only getting more harrowing and hard to finish. Innocent bystanders were being slaughtered all for her selfish and sadistic plan, while they sat in hiding and awaiting for the right time to strike, but at this point they weren't even sure when that was now.

Brooklyn's vision had been a warning, but eight years of this was a long time and it was only going to get worse.

Lee worked tirelessly with the others on plans day in and day out, trying to find a solution that wouldn't just end up with them all slaughtered too, but even he was nearing the end of his rope and the stress was starting to weigh down onto him from keeping his people afloat on top of the new role he'd gone and taken over for Ray while he was benched.

Tala did what he could to help lighten the load, but even he was beginning to get stretched too thin between home life and helping Bryan set up what they needed to override the chip Boris had implanted into his head years ago. It wasn't the main solution, but it was one solution to a problem that he hoped would somehow give them an upper hand somewhere if he could harness Wolborg's powers fully.

Yet so far, it was a slow process even with Emily's extra help when she could get in with them amid her own work. And as promised, the second she'd arrived and had set up an ample lab Tala had Ray tested to make sure he wasn't going Savage. As much of a relief to it was for all of them that he wasn't, it was still a shock and brain scratcher for why now his powers were suddenly manifesting the way they were and rapidly so.

Emily did her best to conclude that with the added stress, while carrying another child that would more than likely have powers themselves given Tala and Ray's DNA, it triggered something inside him that sped the process along to where he could harness Driger's powers now at his fingertips. Not having a better explanation for it themselves, Ray and Tala were left with accepting that as one weight of many had lifted from their shoulders.

Even with that weight off, it did nothing to stop the slight fear that Ray still harbored over it all. He never had the proper training for harnessing Driger's powers like this, and the last time he did he passed out and was hurt by it himself. He didn't know how to control it, wasn't even sure if he could control it, and his last mentor was gone just like Kai was. And currently in his state he couldn't train even if he wanted to, once more being reminded what a failure of a leader he truly was.

As he laid there, curled up on the couch where he had been for the last hour and getting lost in his thoughts of failure and problems with his feet propped up over some pillows, he breathed through his teeth heavily as his back muscles tensed and a wave of pain coursed through his stomach, making it tighten before it slowly eased up on him.

He didn't really pay it much mind though; he'd been experiencing Braxton Hicks for a few days now which wasn't uncommon with how far along he was. Was just his body's way of getting ready for actual labor, which he still had two months left till, was nothing to worry about.

Relaxing and sinking into the cushions some more, trying to get a little nap in while Kain was down, another contraction hit him. This time stronger and longer, making him shift and hiss out harder and deeper breaths till it faded.

Maybe there was something to worry about…

Reaching for his phone in his back pocket, he went to Tala's number quickly to get him home just in case he needed him. Though it was probably really nothing.

He still dialed him up anyways, just to see how late he would be in coming home since he was back at the lab with Bryan and Emily. Last few days Tala wasn't walking into the house till past dinner time, so if anything he could just ask him what he wanted for dinner.

As the dial tone rang in his ear, the front door opened, and Tala's ringtone was going off in his own back pocket as he stepped into the house with a questioning look on his face.

"Everything okay?" He asked, shutting the door behind him and heading to where Ray laid on the couch.

"Yeah, was just calling to see when you'd be home." Ray answered, ending the call since it was clear it wasn't needed and placed his phone on the table by his head.

"And wanted to see what you'd want for dinner if you were going to be late."

"Oh, well home now." Tala responded as he sat down on the armchair beside the couch, eyeing Ray a bit skeptically. "And whatever you want is fine with me, you sure you should be up on your feet though?"

"I'll be fine, the swelling should be down by dinner time anyways. What're you doing back so early though, everything okay?" Ray diverted, holding his breath almost immediately after as another contraction began to sweep through his body and hoping Tala didn't notice his slight shift.

"Yeah, I mean everything's coming along as it should finally. Bry says we'll be able to do it at the end of the month if he can get the program to work right."

"Mhmm. That's good." Ray responded in a hiss, shifting harder as he held his stomach as it tightened again and let out another breath through his teeth.

"Ray? Are you okay?" Tala asked, eyes going wide and sliding off the armchair to kneel in front of the couch where Ray laid.

"Yeah, just these stupid Braxton Hicks…." Ray panted back, feeling winded after that last one as a small sweat started to form under his hair line.
Tala gave him a soft look, brushing his bangs back from his face lovingly. "You want me to get you some water?"

"No, I'm alright. Thank you though." Ray smiled a little at him, taking the hand that was in his hair and kissing the top of Tala's fingers gently.

"Lee say anything new?" He questioned while holding Tala's hand in his.

Tala shook his head to him, "Nothing useful at least, same thing as yesterday and the day before that. Still no actual sign of Anette or Kai or Brooklyn. It's just those damn Savages right now." He said with an eye roll, moving his free hand up to rub the swell of Ray's stomach.

"I ever tell you how cute you look pregnant?" He asked with a grin coming along his face, clearly not in the mood to talk shop right now with him.

He didn't want Ray stressing right now, he didn't want to be stressing either over things neither of them could change right this very second. And although Ray kept saying nothing was wrong he was a shit liar, yet all Tala could do was try and make him comfortable until he was ready to tell him what was wrong and whether or not they needed to get to the hospital.

Ray's own mouth stretched into a grin, "A few times."

"Never seen so many pregnant men in my life till we moved here." Tala joked with a light chuckle, causing Ray to chuckle back with him.

"Only place you will, too."

"Can you imagine Lee ever being pregnant?" Tala asked almost off handedly, just to see if he could really get Ray to laugh; it'd been so long since he'd heard him laugh…

Instead, Ray frowned a little at the question. "Not really, no. But he'd be a good father none the less. Looks at Kain like he's his own anyways, as does everyone from here." He said between shifting himself around again to get more comfortable, flopping his head down onto the armrest of the couch and staring up at the ceiling above his head.

Tala's brows furrowed in question, "Why is that a problem?"

"Because given what we know what will happen when Kain comes into his powers, Lee will want to train him…. And I don't want that." Ray answered in a low whisper almost.

"Well neither do I, he's not a weapon. He's a child. He wasn't given a choice in this, we were."

"Exactly. But Lee won't see it as that, he'll just see it as someone to add to our numbers." Ray added, rubbing a hand over his stomach. "And if this one is the same way… Then that's just one more number to him."

"Over my dead body." Tala nearly bit out in a growl, shifting on his knees to get more comfortable on the hardwood floor.

"They're our kids, not his. He doesn't get a say in this."

"He's Head Elder." Ray sighed out.

"And you're still the Director! Sure, right now you're benched, but not forever."

Ray shook his head with another sigh, keeping his eyes up at the ceiling while his hand rubbed at his stomach and feeling it starting to tighten on him again.

"Whatever happens… Because I know him… It's not going to end good." He hissed out between breaths, sitting up this time as the pain jolted him up.

Tala let out a sigh of his own, placing his hands on Ray's thighs. "Kit… Are you in labor?"

Ray shook his head at him, fangs sinking into his bottom lip and eyes screwing shut as another contraction came rolling in right after the last and hitting in harder.

"I think you are." Tala said in a sing-song voice, rising to his feet and pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"I'll call Mariah, have her come sit with Kain."

"I'm not!" Ray cried back at him, nearly doubling over where he sat as he breathed through it best he could.

"Yeah… I don't think that's selling it to me Kit." Tala just shook his head at him, the dial tone ringing in his ear as he went back to their room to pack up a bag for them quickly while he called Mariah up.

As the last contraction released it's hold on him, Ray threw his legs off the side of the couch, once more feeling winded and tired. That drink of water not sounding too bad now but legs too weak to stand and get it himself, so stayed on the couch waiting for Tala to come back and help him stand when another contraction coursed through his back and stomach more painful than all the others.

"TALA!"

The loud echo of heels clacking along stone was almost deafening as Anette quickly rushed down the halls of the underground tunnels below the Abbey, the cold air not even nipping at her as her heat kept it at bay. Hey crimson eyes nearly blazing as she made her way through the winding halls and towards the heavy metal doors before throwing them open, everyone who was behind their computers typing away and focused on their work all jumped at the sudden and unexpected entrance as the doors hit the back walls.

Everyone who had been standing stood up to attention as they faced her, Anette's burning eyes sweeping through the room till they landed on shaggy brown hair and round glasses that were starting to tremble once they made eye contact.

"You, come with me." She pointed out at Kenny with a slim finger, staying by the doors.

Kenny, despite shaking like a leaf, nodded back to her and peeled himself away from his work station and headed over to where she was by the doors. A sweat starting to form on his skin just by the heat coming out from around her alone as well as the fear he felt coursing through his veins.

He'd been harbored and held captive for months now under her, knew well enough not to cross her given her temper and what she could do with a simple flick of her wrist.

He'd never heard of her before until she came waltzing into the lab back in Russia when he'd taken Kain down to run tests on him. When she'd come in and knocked him out cold with some drug she'd gone and injected into him with no way of him being able to fight back.

What happened after that was just a blur, waking up in a cold cell and on an even colder and damp stone floor. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been knocked out for or how long it was till someone came in to feed him or inform him of where he was or what had happened, and when he was finally graced with someone's presence it was her that came to his cell door informing him of what had happened to him and his friends.

He'd never felt so sick in his life as she gave every fine detail of the kind of destruction she'd gone and caused, what she'd done to him and ultimately what her grand goal all along was. The only slight relief he felt was that she still hadn't gotten her hands on Kain, though that relief was quickly washed down the drain when she went on to bragging about having both Kai and Brooklyn in a cell just down the hall from his own.

It'd taken almost a month before he'd gained her trust enough for her to let him out of his cell, though even before that she had him working under her. Needing his brains for her plans to keep moving forward and giving him Boris' old blueprints to the memory wipe she wanted to put Kai through.

Kenny slaved over it, day and night, looking for a way to do it properly without dismantling everything Kai was as a person seeing as how she was looking to release Black Dranzer and he had no idea what that would ultimately do to Kai's mind if she achieved her goal.

Though of course if he didn't do what she asked of him then he was no use to her, and in the long run, if he couldn't figure out a way to put in a fail safe somewhere in Boris' old blue prints, then he was no use to the others if he was dead.

It'd been a slow process from the first time they put Kai under, where he eventually fought back and came out of it and the second and third time were no better. Each time he seemed to come back out of it, a little dazed but no worse for wear. The fail safe Kenny had placed in it working as well as he could see, until they continuously kept Kai under.

Kenny stayed beside him as he slept, twisting and turning against his restraints as they pumped drugs into his veins and clouded his mind with the serums that would take away his memories of who he was and everything and everyone he knew and loved.

The longer they kept Kai under like that, Kenny wasn't so sure now if his fail safe would work anymore, and when they finally woke Kai up after a month and a half of keeping him under he wasn't just dazed he was confused and lost. Like a little boy who didn't know where his parents were or what even his name was.

That day, Kenny could remember it clearly, as it was the first time he'd ever seen Anette actually smile.

Although that had been three months ago, Kenny hadn't been privy to anything more on what was going on with Kai or Anette's plans, so with her calling him forward like this he was scared out of his mind about what it was she wanted from him.

"Come with me." She ordered to the shaking leaf, turning on her heels and leading the two of them down the damp halls again.

Kenny had no choice but to follow her through, swallowing the bile that was steadily rising in his throat as the sounds of her heels sounded more like gunshots ringing in his ears with every step she took before him until they finally stopped at the end of another winding hallway.

With a hard shove she pushed open another heavy set of metal doors, stepping back and letting Kenny walk in first where his legs nearly gave out on him instantly at the sight he'd walked in on while his mouth gaped open in silent shock.

"I must thank you, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have come this far." Anette's voice seemed to coo from behind him as she looked past his shoulder into the room she had brought Kenny into.

Between them, set up in the middle of the room, was a wall of glass that gave them a front row view of another room behind it. Inside the smaller enclosure there was nothing but a wall of blue flames licking up the glass, the heat coming from inside radiating out to where they stood that it made the hair on Kenny's arms and head curl while his heart slammed in his chest.

Through the blue flames they were staring at, a pale hand shot out and pressed against the glass making Kenny jump and his bones nearly rattle around inside his body as the heat from behind the glass stretched out around the room like it was trying to reach him and him alone.

With the pale hand that was pressed up against the glass, it was soon joined by a pair of coal colored eyes and a familiar face that soon came out of the blue flames as they licked around the pale body yet didn't burn or singe him. The same coal colored wings at his back folded over his shoulders, and although Anette was stood there in the room behind Kenny, Kai's eyes were focused solely on Kenny as his pale lips curled up into a smirk.

"It's alright Kit, we're almost there. Just breathe." Tala reminded as he drove the jeep along the bumpy dirt road, his free hand being crushed to death over the center console as Ray twisted it in his grasp.

"QUIT TELLING ME TO FUCKING BREATHE!" Ray spat out at him, his voice getting drowned out by the sound of thunder roaring overhead of them across the sky.

"Okay, okay… I'm sorry. Just.. Try not to call up a storm while we're on the road, yeah?" Tala tried to bargain instead, finding himself sweating more than his partner at the moment and taking a glance up at the darkening sky over their heads.

"I CAN'T HELP IT!" Ray screamed at him, lifting himself out of his seat to try and relieve the pressure from his hips as a contraction coursed it's way through his body.

"I know, I know Kit…" Tala sighed, trying to go as fast as he could but at the same time didn't want to jar them so hard along the bumpy roads that he was hitting the gas and breaks at the same time.

He couldn't remember the last time his nerves were this close to snapping, from having to call Mariah over to watch Kain and getting a bag packed for them and the baby and then trying to get Ray in the damn jeep to start with he was fixing to just call it a day and actually give Ray what he wanted at first and just go home.

Why Ray thought the baby wasn't coming was beyond him, the idiot nearly doubled over when Tala got back into the living room with their bags and tears in his golden eyes, yet still insisted it was nothing to worry about.

Yes, it was two months too early, but clearly their little bundle of joy was ready and come heaven or hell they were coming now.

When Mariah pulled up to the house, it took both her and Tala to get Ray to the jeep kicking and screaming that he didn't want to go. That he just wanted some water and to go take a nap. He was fine, it was all fineeee.

About as fine as Tala's ass….

"Alright, alright. We're here." Tala said as he threw the jeep in park and cut the engine, wrangling and shaking his crushed hand from Ray's hold before jumping out of the truck and rushing over to Ray's side to help him out.

Shaking from the pain and the fear that had filled every inch of him, Ray clung to Tala's neck and shoulders, legs buckling the second his feet touched the ground and hissed through his teeth again as he tried to breathe.

"What about the bags?"

"I'll get the bags later, let's get you in!" Tala snapped at him, and if it wasn't for Ray fixing to give birth to their child he'd smack him for such a stupid question.

Keeping most of Ray's weight against his side, Tala led them into the hospital which wasn't what he was accustomed to at all. Even if most of the village was more modernized it looked as though this was one place that was still slowly coming together, and Tala was hit with a sudden bout of nerves.

They were going to have to cut Ray open, and back home he wouldn't had a problem with that, but here he wasn't so sure about that. Images of them using a hacksaw coming to mind as he helped Ray up to what he thought was the receptionist desk situated just near the front doors.

"Help, please. He's in labor." Tala nearly begged, reminding himself that this place saw more pregnant men than anywhere else in the world, they could handle this…

"Oh… Ray, you're not due for another two months sweetie."

"WE KNOW!" They both shouted at her, making the woman behind the desk recoil some.

"Okay, just hold on a second and let me call." She shakily said, holding a hand up to them and grabbing the phone off her desk.

Whatever she said into the phone next was lost on Tala as she went into Mandarin quickly, his hold around Ray tightening some as he glanced around the wooden shack.

Wasn't exactly where he'd ever picture his child being born, but to Ray it was home in a way… And right now it was his home too…

"If you can just take a seat, fill these out, they're preparing the rooms now and will get to you as soon as they can." The receptionist behind the desk said as she held out a clipboard towards the two of them, snapping Tala's attention back to her from his wandering.

"What do you mean rooms?" He asked with clear nervousness in his tone.

"Well… With the baby coming early, we'll need to get them into the NICU right after delivery." The receptionist explained.

Tala's pale face paled even more, though took the clipboard that was still being held out between them and nodded stiffly back to her.

"C'mon, let's get you off your feet." He cooed at Ray, dragging him towards some really uncomfortable looking chairs by the doors.

"I don't want to sit…" Ray whined at him, pulling away from the chairs and Tala's hold.

"Just let me stand. It hurts too much to sit." He begged as he got out from Tala's hold.

"O-okay…" Tala just nodded, plopping himself down into the chair and brought the clipboard up to fill out the forms he'd been given which he was surprised they had at all given they were in the middle of nowhere in China.

As Ray paced up and down, hissing through his teeth and rubbing at his back and stomach with each contraction, Tala was quickly scribbling down everything that he could on the forms they'd been given only to pause at the last line that made his heart drop to the pit of his stomach when he was presented with the question on what to do if things didn't go the way they needed to and he lost either Ray or the baby, or both during the procedure…

Tears sprung in his eyes at the question alone, his mind running in twenty-one directions as his hand shook with the pen against the paper as he didn't even know what to write down as his answer.

How could he even answer that kind of question?!

"B-but you don't know if he's stable enough!" Kenny yelled as he rushed after Anette, his entire body still shaking after what he'd witnessed and seen not even an hour ago.

"I don't need him stable; I need him exactly the way he is." Anette bit back at him over her shoulders, once more rushing through the winding tunnels of the Abbey back to her own office.

"But if you can't control him then he'll burn everything to the ground!" Kenny shouted after her, and even in his older age his voice pitched like it used to do when he was a teenager.

Anette stopped mid-stride, whipping around where her crimson eyes blazed dangerously, and a sprout of fire flared up between her and Kenny along the floor making Kenny jump in the air and back from her.

"And do you really think I care?! This is what I've been waiting for! For months I've waited for some kind of sign that we didn't lose his powers while he was put under and now that we know he hasn't lost them then now is the time to use him!" She scorned, the flames between them growing in size along the stone floor.

"Let him lose control, it's exactly what I want anyways. Now get out of my sight before I make you a pile of ash." She sneered and Kenny didn't need telling twice to leave her be and run in the opposite direction to where the safety of his desk was.

Anette watched him go, the flames along the floor dispersing as she turned on her heel once more to her own office.

There was much left to be done now that Black was finally awake, and at long last her plans were finally coming together perfectly even without her nephew in her clutches. Though, that was still something she could always work on later.

Tala glanced at the clock on the wall with worried eyes, what had only been a few minutes since coming in and sitting down felt like hours to him with Ray still pacing up and down the space in front of him and the forms finally being filled out.

He was sure by now Ray was tired being on his feet, no doubt it wasn't helping the swelling in them either at the moment, but truth be told he didn't want to get yelled at again so kept his mouth shut and eyes darting from Ray to the clock until they were finally approached by who he hoped was the team of doctors to come and end their torment.

"Ray, they're ready for you now sweetie." One of them gently cooed like nothing was amiss, and Tala was sure Ray wanted to punch her in the face.

All at once, like those words had cast a magic spell on him, Ray's pacing stopped dead in his tracks while he lost about three shades of color in his face.

Tala was up by his side, sensing his hesitation and placed a hand to his lower back.

"It's gonna be okay, I'm right here."

"Actually, we need you to come with me so we can get you sanitized first. Once that's done then you'll be able to go in the room with him." Another, more shorter, male nurse explained and for whatever reason Tala wanted to punch him.

Granted he did this when Kain was born, knew how to go about it and all and knew he had to wear those godawful looking blue scrubs and hair cap, but given that this one was coming early and Kain came on time, he didn't want to be away from Ray's side for even a second.

"A-alright… I'll be there before you know it. Okay?" He turned to Ray, his hand slipping from around his back and placed a quick kiss to his sweaty cheek as he followed the short male off down the hall.

The sooner he was in and out the sooner he'd be back by Ray's side.

"Do you want a wheelchair?" The head doctor directed at Ray once Tala and the other male were gone now.

"I just want them out." Ray cried, trying his best to hold in the look of pain that crossed over his face as he got his feet unglued from the floor and waddled up to the team of doctors so they could get it over and done with. He was beyond done being in pain.

The head doctor just smiled sympathetically and Ray really did want to punch her then for it, though continued to follow the team down the hall to the room they set up for him.

Tala held his breath as the room he'd been ushered into had fallen into a deadly silence, hand clutched in Ray's where they'd finally set him up with some pain medications and a large blue tarp strung up from the ceiling that made a barrier between his chest and lower stomach now with the team of doctors behind it as they cut him open.

To Tala's great relief there were no sounds of a hacksaw being started up, but the silence was beginning to grate and flare his nerves up even more as he sat on the stiff backed chair they'd placed at the head of Ray's bed.

All the while, with an almost dazed and glossy sheen in his eyes, Ray just stared up at the ceiling. Numb from the waist down yet even without feeling the pain anymore, his nerves were just as frayed as Tala's were at the moment.

With a heavy and slow breath coming out of him, Tala brushed the bit of bangs that the doctors hadn't been able to collect in Ray's own hair cap from his face. Words of encouragement sitting on the tip of his tongue but unable to actually speak them to him at the moment lest they miss the first cries of their baby when they finally freed them from Ray's womb.

He tried to recall how long it'd taken them to retrieve Kain, though Tala was sure it hadn't taken as long as this was, and even the sound of the clock on the wall grated on his sensitive eardrums.

When all hope seemed to be lost, that whatever grand secret the doctors were hiding on the other side of the blue tarp they'd place between them, the sounds of a newborns cries filled the room and the rushing of feet and orders being given left and right came right after.

Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Tala's muscles relaxed as he peeked around the tarp best he could to get a look though amongst all the blue smocks and hair caps it was hard to really see anything going on, though noticed the blood on the gloves and sleeves just fine.

"Little girl, two pounds and fifteen inches long." He heard one voice announce.

Tala didn't even notice the small tear fall from his eye when he turned around to Ray on the bed, who now had tears in his eyes as their daughter continued to cry on the other side of the room over the other voices.

"A little girl." Ray's raspy voice whispered up to him, a wobbly smile setting in on his drying lips.

Tala kept looking back and forth between the masked minions and Ray a little dumbfounded. He had a baby? And a little princess at that?

He nodded for some reason, bottom lip fighting to stay in as he made a noise that sounded something like a wolf pup trying to howl for the first time.

"Its hnnnn!"

For the first time in what seemed forever, Ray belted out a laugh, the tears that had accumulated in his eyes finally rolling as he nodded back to him. Too choked up to really form anything coherent back to him as he squeezed Tala's hand only for their attention to get drawn to a nurse walking up and carrying said hnnnn towards them swaddled and cleaned up.

"Here you go Papa, just for a little bit though as she'll need to get to the NICU for tests and under some light." The nurse said as she held out the little bundle that looked as if they'd put a blanket around an eggplant.

The weird strained pup howl came out full pelt as the minuscule weight got put in his arms.

"Hi baby girl!" He wept, "Ray look! She's looks like you could put her in a salad!"

"Don't put my daughter in a salad." Ray lightly chuckled as he took in the sight of the tiny little bundle pressed up against Tala's chest.

As much as he wanted to hold her too, he couldn't get enough of the sight before him. All his broken nerves seeming to mend right then and there as Tala gushed over their little girl.

"Ray her hand just moved!" He wolf wailed, though managed to keep the decibel low as to not deafen the poor thing.

"And she's the wrinkliest thing but she's still the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen!"

If Ray wasn't already madly in love with him, he was now. Although Tala had been teary eyed over Kain when he held him the first time this was different, and even if Tala always saw Kain as his own and always would, he knew this moment meant the entire world to Tala. Regardless of how painful it had been he was glad he could give this kind of happiness to him when they both needed it most.

"She is. Probably a good idea to name her now, so we don't just keep calling her 'her'." He chuckled.

"Princess is fine by me!" The other sniffed as he kept studying the new and goopy face that he was going to love and protect for the rest of his natural born life and then some.

"We're not naming her princess. Pick something else." Ray lightly scolded around the dumb grin that had permanently settled on his face.

Tala managed to tear his eyes away for a split second. "Feels right that you name her really. You're the one that grew her... And you're amazing for it!" He broke down again.

"Aw, babe." Ray gushed back at him for once and lifted his head to get a better look at their daughter so he could try and think of something on such short notice.

With Kain he had time to think of a name, not that it was an overly impressive name in the end when he thought about it later, just stuck an N at the end of Kai and called it a day... Probably couldn't do the same with his or Tala's name.

"I'm not really sure... Are you sure you don't want to? She's taking your last name after all."

Tala shrugged. "Well if you insist! I wanna call her Nikita!" He grinned through puffy tears. Had names in the bank since she was a speck in his belly.

"Nikita?" Ray questioned, trying how it sounded and gave a nod in approval.

"I like it."

"Oh thank fuck for that..." The other sighed out before going back to gushing. "Hey Nikita... I'm your daddy... Yes I am!" He baby talked at her.

Ray just rolled his eyes even though Tala wasn't looking his way anymore, letting his head fall back onto the bed while Tala gushed some more, and he fought sleep off for a bit longer.

"Sorry hun, we have to take her now. But you can come with if you'd like." The nurse from earlier approached again, coming for Nikita to put her in the NICU.

Tala held her away. "Hang on a minute, we're bonding!"

The nurse coiled back a little, not sure what to do with her outstretched hands she'd put out for the babe and warily glanced over at Ray slowly passing out from the exhaustion of the day.

"You can carry her?" She offered instead.

Tala still whined. But it was something. "Damn right I am... I'm her father." DAMMMMNNNN that felt good to say out loud.

The nurse just nodded as she pulled her top and bottom lip in to keep her unkind comments to herself, wasn't the first time she'd dealt with an overly excited Papa and he wouldn't be the last either...

She motioned for him to follow her out of the operating room quietly while the others were moving in around Ray to take down the tarp now that he was cleaned and stitched back up.

"I'll be right back..." He told him quietly before he went to focus on carrying her.

Out of fear of dropping her, he suddenly was struck with panic as to whether he could remember how to walk properly. Eaaassssyyyy Tala... You can shoot a man between the eyes from 20ft. You got this...

How did Kai seem so calm when Kain was born? Emotional, sure. He sunk a little at the thought. He should be there meeting his new daughter... Freaking out with him.

"Okay, see you in a few." Ray waved them off, a little smile back on his face that Tala barely caught before walking out the room.

"Once we get in, we'll have to do some blood work and get her fed. If you'd like to do that while we're getting the blood work done? After she feeds she'll need to go under the light for a few hours, have a heart monitor placed on her for a while. You're free to come in and see her anytime, of course, but we won't know how long her stay will be until her blood work comes back.

"As long as she's gaining a good amount of weight though, and everything looks to be in order, she shouldn't be in here no longer than a month." The nurse informed Tala as they wandered down the halls.

Tala stopped wandering. "A month!?"

The nurse nodded back to him, "If all goes well, yes. Given she's premature there's a lot of complications that can arise. Although all her organs are developed they're weaker than what a fully developed babies would be. Normally we like to keep them for the remainder of how long they should have stayed inside the womb, but it's mainly circumstantial."

Tala pouted. Of course they needed to do their thing, make sure she was healthy. But still... Wanted her home with them.

"She's in good hands, I promise you. Not the first preemie we've had delivered here." The nurse tried to soothe, "Our main objective is to make sure she keeps a steady weight and body heat."

Coming up to a wooden door she pushed it open and let Tala in first into a small room that was fitted with a rocking chair in the corner beside what looked like a fish tank and oversized heat lamp hovering above it with wires laid out on the small padding inside it that ran to a machine.

"Can sit there and I'll get a bottle prepared, another nurse will come in to draw some blood in a few minutes." She gestured at the rocking chair for him.

Tala nodded, getting himself sat while the nurse left him to rock her back and forth while some more tears came. He'd been so excited to meet her, it hadn't registered how dangerous it was for her to be out. And he thought he had to wait til her teens to worry about that kind of crap...

He gave her tiny doll head a gentle stroke. His poor baby...

Bringing the new Papa the bottle of formula and giving him a few pointers, the nurse left him to it. Shutting the door behind her as she left while down the hall the others had gotten Ray moved into his own recovery room for the night.

Even though he was beyond exhausted, body and mind begging for sleep with the drugs flushing out of his system and the feeling in his lower half slowly returning, he sat there on his bed staring at the wall in another mindless daze almost.

While they'd gone and moved him they'd given him the same run down Tala had been given about Nikita, how long she'd be staying and that was only if things for her progressed well and continued to do so.

While not only was his heart heavy with worry about his daughter, it was heavy with worry about his son he'd left back home in Mariah's care without really a word on where he went or what was going on (even if a one-year-old wouldn't really understand it all) he still worried about what kind of havoc Kain was causing Mariah right now.

And although he'd done his best to keep the worst thoughts at bay for as long as he could, now that he was alone they crashed into him anyways as hard as they could and brought out the water works.

Kai should be there with them, celebrating, worrying, holding both of them up right now and telling them that things would be okay. Be the rock that they knew him for when neither of them could really find it in themselves to do it.

The worst thought that hit him the hardest; he hadn't even gotten to hold her yet...

He didn't have to wait too long for a different baby to show up though , bright blue eyes puffy as he sniffled his way in.

"How you holding up, Kit?"

As if trying to hide the fact he'd been a horrible mess, Ray went to furiously wiping at his face with the back of his arms while nodding to him to try and signal that he was fine.

"How is she?" He asked back, she was more important right now than him anyways.

Tala nodded back at him as he continued to shift to his bedside. "Oh she's fine!"

"Are you okay?" Ray asked as he took in the redness of his eyes, shifting over to give Tala room beside him on the small bed.

"Oh I'm fine!" He bullshat in the same tone as he climbed right in beside him and buried his head in his shoulder.

Putting an arm around him, Ray pulled Tala closer and ran his hand up and down his arm.

"No. You're not. So what's wrong?" He asked in a soft tone.

Tala wanted to rub his belly out of habit but managed to stop himself before he did. That woulda hurt.

"I just don't understand why she came out..." He sniffed, "Did something happen, and you not tell me?"

Ray sat quietly for a minute as his tired brain processed the question, "What do you mean? Nothing happened, she just came. If anything it's probably all the stress I've been under." He offered, feeling horrible suddenly as if Tala was blaming him.

"But I did the best I could to make it less for you!" Tala cried back at him.

"I know you did; you did amazing. Really. It's not your fault, Tal. It just happens." Ray tried to explain, hand rubbing harder on Tala's arm and really feeling worse.

"Our daughter is an idiot! Why else would she chose to come out two months early!?" He cried before the tone switched completely, "Did you see her!? She's so fuckin tiny!"

"Well... I mean you are her father..." Ray tried to joke before he nodded and smiled a little, "She is tiny, and perfect, and will be fine. They're going to take good care of her. She's going to be okay."

"Course she's gonna be fine! She's a wolf-tiger!" He forced a smile as he looked up at him. He had to pull himself together. Ray was the one who just went through childbirth. It was his duty to make sure his mind was put at ease.

Ray snorted a laugh and continued to nod, "Are you gonna be fine?"

Tala got himself more comfortable and nuzzled in to him.

"Of course I am. I have everything I ever wanted..."

...All but one, at least.

"Okay." Ray sighed, figuring if Tala wasn't going to crack he'd stop trying to pry.

Resting his head over Tala's he let his eyes finally close, not minding the cramped space since it meant he wasn't fully alone right now and needed him there beside him more than anything.

"When you go back to see her, wake me up so I can go too. Okay?" He asked quietly.

"Course I will. Let's all three of us get some rest and we'll go see her in the morning hm?" He offered softly.

"Mmk, sounds good. Love you." Ray whispered out.

"I love you too, baby mama..."

Ray's lips curled into a soft smile, nuzzling into Tala's hair and letting sleep finally take hold as a low purr seeped out of his chest. It had been an exhausting day, yet it was just the start and they both knew that.

"Kain Taxon Hiwatari, I said give it here!" Mariah scorned, hand out in waiting for the glass bowl the little boy had clutched to his chest, corned in the kitchen by the cabinets.

"NO!" Kain shouted back, holding his precious bowl closer to his chest with his tiny fangs being bared back at her.

Mariah let out a deep sigh, wanting to pull all of her pink strands from her head. She couldn't ever remember a time when Ray was this badly stubborn… Obviously it was due to his other father.

"I'm going to count to three, and that bowl better be in my hand by then young man." She warned sternly, beginning her count down slowly.

"NO! MINE!" Kain cried over her as she reached two, only for both of their attention to snap to the front door nearly flying open on it's hinges and smacking into the wall behind it.

"Mariah!" Lee's voice bellowed out, making both woman and babe jump at the sudden surprise and harsh tone he had used. The bowl in Kain's hand being dropped where the glass shattered along the floor under his bare feet and tears quickly springing to his crimson eyes at both the loud sounds and his bowl breaking.

"Jesus, Lee. The hell is the matter with you?!" Mariah snapped at him, her eyes slit at being startled and hair standing on end as her brother stomped his way into the kitchen.

With his face flushed and sweat running down his face, Lee panted slightly as if he'd run the entire way to Ray's house. His own yellow eyes slit and hair a mess around his head.

"H-have you looked at-at the news?" Lee panted out, holding onto his side where it cramped on him.

Mariah arched a brow at him, "What, no? Why would I? Been a bit busy." She gestured at their screaming nephew.

"Turn it on…" Was all Lee gave her through another pant, pushing past her to pick up Kain from the shattered glass on the floor.

Mariah continued to stare at him with a questioning look though did as he said and went into the living room, turning the TV on and flicking through the channels to find a news station before sitting down on the couch where Lee came and sat down beside her with Kain more content on his lap with his crocodile tears rolling down his pale cheeks.

"Lee…. What on earth?" Mariah asked, her mouth gaped and eyes wide at the screen in front of them as the cameras panned over a raging fire of blue flames over a city.

"It's happening." Lee breathed back, his eyes too glued to the screen with hers as the cameras continued to pan over the destruction of the city and more fires and buildings that had been burnt to the ground.

"What do we do?" Mariah asked in a whisper.

Lee went silent for a moment, his hand gently rubbing Kain's back as the little boy hiccuped from his crying fit earlier on his lap.

"We kill him…"

Mariah swallowed hard, eyes shifting to the little boy on her brother's lap and let out a soft sigh as her hand reached out and carded through the dark strands of messy hair, the bits of slate catching in the light.

"Okay." She whispered again, as if she were afraid talking any louder would upset Kain somehow like he'd know what or who they were talking about and turned her attention back to the TV.