Naomi sat at the edge of the bed, smiling pleasantly at her daughter, who sat confused down at the other end of the bed.

"Come on," Naomi said sweetly, patting the bed next to her. "You can do it."

She was trying to get Numa to start crawling on her own. Instinctively she had the feeling that it was time to start doing so, and she knew Numa was ready for it. The only trick was actually getting her to do it.

She giggled softly. "Come on, Numa, I know you can do it."

Numa, however, still just sat there and stared at her, not showing any signs of wanting to move.

Naomi sighed. Parenting was hard sometimes… Staring at her daughter, she did her best to come up with a solution. She was not about to give up, but she couldn't deny that it was a little frustrating. Absentmindedly she glanced around trying to think of a solution, and after a moment, her eyes came to rest on the bulge of her pregnant belly.

Glancing up at Numa, she gave her a knowing smile and diverted her attention to her belly. She stared inside herself, admiring the children that were nestled inside her. She marveled at how much they had grown, The once tiny orbs had grown and now resembled small little children; little pale bodies with adorable little faces distinguishable even at this stage. She smiled as she saw all their little hearts beating, admiring the life that she had nestled inside her. Gently she stroked her belly, feeling its already distinctive bulge. The feeling of it made her a little nervous because she knew that she was still at the beginning stages of pregnancy as far as the babies were concerned. They still had a lot of growing to do, and the belly she had now would be nothing in retrospect. Not for the first time, she reflected on all the things that had happened to her and felt a slight twist of apprehension. She loved her children and wasn't resentful that she had to carry them all at once. But it couldn't be denied that this wasn't entirely natural and that she'd been designed to basically just make sure that they could be carried safely to term and be born. Inwardly she knew that the last few months of her pregnancy would be really hard. Her belly was going to be so swollen, and it would be hard to even move. Consideration hadn't been given to how she was going to feel only that she be able to carry them all. Shaking her head, she sighed and did her best not to dwell on it. Ultimately she was a mother, and regardless of how uncomfortable the future might end up being, she had a responsibility to fulfill.

It was then that she heard a shuffling sound, and inwardly she smiled. Looking up, she watched as Numa shakily crawled towards her, determined to regain her mother's attention. Naomi smiled and felt herself swelling with pride.

"You got it." She said encouragingly, her arms outstretched, "Come to mommy."

"Hmmm," Numa hummed as she continued to crawl.

Naomi's smile got wider and wider, as her little girl continued to crawl. Finally, Numa managed to crawl into arms reach, and Naomi scooped her up, laughing.

"Good job, Numa!" She said, hugging her little girl to her chest, "You did it."

Numa hummed softly and gently nuzzled against her chest, Naomi smiled and gently kissed the top of Numa's head, smiling as she felt Numa's tiny little horns digging into her throat. Naomi smiled. Her little girl was growing up so fast. Only a few months ago, she'd been on the verge of death. Now she was a healthy little girl, growing up faster then she'd ever imagined.

Naomi just sat for a while but was hit with the inspiration to go for a walk. To be honest, she was feeling a little restless and wanted to do something. Walking over to a corner of the room, she strapped on the baby carrier, and gently placed Numa in it.

Numa bobbing gently on her back, she set off, taking the elevator, down to the main lobby. The doors opened, and she began walking towards the main entrance when she saw Maya and Logos sitting at the top of the steps talking softly. Logos heard her coming and turned to greet her.

"Good morning, Naomi." He said pleasantly.

She smiled. "Good morning,"

Maya nodded a greeting and saw the baby carrier. "Going somewhere?"

"I was thinking of taking a walk in the city." She said simply.

Maya and Logos looked at each other.

"Would you mind if we join you?" Logos said pleasantly.

"Not at all, please be my guest."

They descended the stairs of the palace, all chatting pleasantly, but Naomi could feel that something was going on. Logos and Maya seemed to be hesitant about something. She didn't know what, only that it was there. Once they descended the stairs, Maya began to guided them down a street that she'd never been on before, and as they walked, she felt like this route was much more scenic than the ones she'd previously taken.

"So, Naomi." Logos said, "Maya tells me that you've been mass connecting with the Klaxosaurs."

She nodded, a little bit of a knot in her stomach. It was true she had mass connected with the Klaxosaurs. For a moment, it had been a wondrous feeling that presence of so many people around her. But the pain of then feeling half of them get murdered was too much to bear. It had taken her a while to recover from that, and ever since, she'd been afraid to try again.

"I have." She said hesitantly.

"You know, Naomi, that is a very rare ability." Logos said. "Many people aren't capable of doing it at all."

"Only specific individuals, in fact." Maya said.

Naomi stared at them, confused where were they going with this? They seemed to be hinting towards something. But what? They continued walking, a strange silence hanging over them. As they pressed forward, Naomi couldn't help but sense that they were moving towards a large gathering of Klaxosaurs. She could feel their presence, and a few moments later, she was able to pick out the presence of children and newborns within the mix.

She breathed a relaxing sigh, regardless of her previous experience, this was soothing. The presence of love and innocence was comforting and helped to heal the hole left by her previous experience.

"Welcome to the nursery." Maya said, smiling, "This is where many of the mothers come to lay their eggs, and there is also room for the wounded who make it here as well."

"Wow!" Naomi exclaimed, her mouth agape. "Who.. Who built all this."

"They did." Maya answered simply. "It started as just a small group of them, but over the past hundred years, many others have contributed. To expecting mothers who've lost their homes, this is where they hope to end up. The nests outside this area are from those who couldn't make it here in time."

Naomi stared in wonder. "Could we go down there?"

Maya smiled. "Of course."

They descended down a set of stairs, and Naomi watched as a pack of children ran in circles in the central courtyard. Numa squirmed on her back, and she chuckled softly as they continued to make their way down. The stairs leveled out onto a street, with magma rivers running along the side. They continued forward, and she couldn't help but notice that every Klaxosaur that saw them seemed to get respectfully quiet and gave them a slight bow. She could imagine why. The sight of the royal couple and their ward, couldn't have been a too common sight.

Suddenly Maya and Logos stopped.

Logos said, "Go on ahead, Naomi."

"Why?" She asked plainly.

"We'd like you to experience this for yourself, and I want them to meet with you. I'm afraid our presence right now is too distracting."

"O-Okay." She said,

Logos nodded reassuringly, "Don't worry, we'll be close by if you need us."

She nodded and continued walking down the street, watching as Klaxosaurs emerged from their nests to study her. Suddenly a pair of children dashed out of a nest but came to a screeching halt when they saw her. She smiled and squatting down, so she was level with them.

"Hi," She said beckoning to them.

They eyed her suspiciously, but with gentle encouragement, she coxed them over to her. Slowly she reached out her hand and touched one of them, feeling the tough skin to was so distinctive to the Klaxosaur. She smiled and stared into the child's big golden eyes, watching as the little creature studied her. Numa not wanting to be left out, let out a cry, and the Klaxosaur's attention went to her.

Curious, the Klaxosaurs ran around the back of her, and she chuckled softly as she listened to Numa's hums and grunts as she tried to interact. Naomi smiled and stood up, walking forwards towards the heart of the nursery. The Klaxosaur followed behind her, and as she continued walking, more children streamed out behind her eager to know what was going on. Eventually, even adults started following her. Naomi continued walking her procession of Klaxosaurs trailing behind her. Eventually, she entered the plaza and stoping she looked around. Magma energy flowed in rivers branching off in a thousand different directions she saw nests full of Klaxosaurs. Some bustling with children, others filled with eggs, and serval were just spaces for mothers close to term, their belly swollen with their offspring. She continued walking the hubbub of this communal space dissipating as her presence was noticed, children and Klaxosaurs alike spilled out into the plaza to see who the newcomer was. Several of the adults stared in shock at her the sight of her and Numa, an impossibility they thought they'd never see.

Naomi took and deep breath and continued to walk forward, making her way to a slightly elevated spot in the center of the plaza. She stood and looked out over the crowd. Everyone was staring at her. Children were gathered around the plaza, and behind them, the adults all stood watching. She stared out at them all, and she felt her horns pulsating, the desire to connect with them all becoming more and more prevalent. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes and let her consciousness go. She felt as a web of golden energy spread out from her and intertwined itself around the Klaxosaurs. Children, adults, even the unborn still in their eggs she connected to all of them, feeling their presence, allowing herself to bond with them. Gently she opened up more of herself connecting her children in with her allowing the Klaxosaurs to feel her children. Suddenly she felt a wave of reverence and gratitude wash over her. They all knew the significance of the children she nurtured, and especially to the older ones. The ones that had lived through the atrocities of their genocide. Gently she invited their presence in close, allowing them to actually experience being with her children.

Naomi didn't know for how long she was there, time seemed to fly by. But when she felt her Klaxosaurs parting and making way for Maya and Logos, she opened her eyes. She watched as they approached, both of them looking proudly up at her.

Maya stopped below her and smiled up at her. "You really are something, Naomi… You're more than I ever could have dreamed of."

She blushed. "I'm simply a mother who loves her children."

Maya shook her head. "No.. Naomi, you're more than that. And that's why I have a request to make of you." Maya looked her straight in the eye. "Naomi. I would like you to be the next Queen of the Klaxosaurs. You are the leader we need when the war is over, and you are the mother of our future. Naomi, be my successor and lead our people into the new day."

Naomi stared out at all the Klaxosaurs, feeling their presence radiating within her as they waited for her answer.

She looked down at Maya and Logos, feeling a tightness in her throat as she struggled to find the words. "Maya… If this is your desire, then so be it. With your blessing, I will take on this responsibility and be the next Queen of the Klaxosaurs."

Ikuno sat in her bedroom, staring out at the night sky, her purple hair still damp from the shower. To any outside observer, she'd be the very definition of calm and peaceful, but inside her head was a web of chaos. She felt hopelessly lost and confused, her mind so endlessly at work, that all her ideas were so hopelessly entangled in her head, that it made it hard to think.

Just then, her communicator beeped and checking it looked down at it. It was a message from Dr. Franxx. "Ikuno, I have a request to make. I've been thinking about your question, and I'd like us to work together on a project I've had in mind for a while. The truth is that there aren't enough humans in the squad to successfully repopulate the human race, but I have an alternative. In the Garden, there are hundreds of samples of human DNA that Papa uses to clone more humans. I've come to the realization that we will need to clone more humans in order for the human race to survive. You asked me if it was possible to get pregnant without having sex. For now, unfortunately, the answer is no, but if you desired a child of your own, it would be possible for you to clone one. You could make it a copy of yourself or merge someones else's DNA in with yours if you so desire. Papa should have plenty of genetic samples to choose from if you decide that's the path you want to go. Regardless of what you choose, I'd like to work with you on this project. You're the smartest member of the squad, and you have the potential to really help in our efforts to start anew. I hope we can work together more closely in the future."

"Dr. Franxx," She typed. "I'd be pleased to work with you on this project. Let me know when you wish to get started, and I'll be happy to join you in this endeavor."

She sighed, this wasn't really what she'd been hoping for. Sure she'd loved to work on this project. It would be a fascinating challenge and would contribute to humanity's continued survival. But personally, it wasn't what she was looking for. She wanted to be pregnant. She wanted at least once to go through the whole process conception to birth and have a child. Cloning one out of a tube just wasn't the same.

She'd been thinking long and hard about this. Her desire to actually go through the process of creating a miracle had been simmering inside her for so long now. And watching Zero Two go through it and hearing all about what Naomi was going through, had made her extremely jealous. Women had a magical power that was beyond compare to anything else in this world, and she'd be damned if she didn't use hers. Sure it sucked that she couldn't do it all herself, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made. And the price of admission was something she was willing to pay.

She looked down at herself, her heart hammering in her chest. And now was the time to do it. After months of research and observation, she had deduced what time of the month she was the most fertile. And right now was her window of opportunity. Right now was her opportunity to perform a miracle, and she couldn't resist. If Zero Two and Naomi could do it, so could she.

Her heart was like a drum in her chest as she picked up her communicator and open a new message to Futoshi. She typed it out almost as if in a trance. "Futoshi. Could you come to my room please." Her breath was coming in excited gasps her heart on the verge of exploding out of her chest. Then in an instant, her finger tapped the send button, and she watched as the message processed and then confirmed.

Her heart stopped, and time seemed to freeze. She'd did it. She'd really did it. For serval minutes, everything seemed to be silent, and then, she heard a door close far off in the distance. She froze almost paralyzed as she listened to footsteps, make there way across the house. In what seemed like no time, they were right outside her door.

She heard a knock.

"Come in." She said nervously.

Futoshi opened the door and looked around his glowing blue eyes, searching the room.

"What's up, Ikuno?" He said curiously, a little bit of concern edging into his voice.

Ikuno gulped her eyes, scanning Futoshi. She hadn't taken the time to notice before, but Futoshi had lost a lot of weight over the past serval months. Ever since he'd been attacked by that Klaxosaur, he seemed to be eating less and less. Suddenly she wondered if he was okay; maybe there was something wrong.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" He pressed, his concern growing.

"Futoshi are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah…" He said, his brow furled. "What makes you ask that?"

"I've noticed that you've lost a lot of weight. I was wondering if something was wrong."

"No, I'm perfectly fine." He said, "I've just found that normal food is just less and less appealing to me. Somedays I can't even stomach it…" He shook his head. "Nevermind that it's not important. Ikuno, I cannot help but notice that you seem restless. What's going on?"

She blushed. This was getting embarrassing. She realized that she hadn't been prepared for this. She hadn't planned out what she was going to say. She acted on impulse and now found herself facing the consequences.

She shook herself. No. She knew what she was doing and what she wanted.

"Futoshi, would you please sit down, and close your eyes."

"Okay." He said, confused.

She stood and turned her back to him. Grabbing her nightgown, she pulled it over her head and blushed at the sight of her own nakedness. Shaking slightly, she stepped out of her underwear and turned to Futoshi.

"Ikuno, what are you doing." Futoshi asked, concerned.

She walked over to him and pushed him to the bed and crawled on top of him. "I have a favor to ask."

Hiro sat in the library, beaming, looking at the wedding ring he held in his hands. He'd been working on this thing for just about a month. Every morning he'd woken up hours before everyone else to work on it, and now he held the proof of his labors in his hands. The ring was simple but elegant. It was nothing more than a simple band, but his horn seemed to have a unique beauty after he put so much effort into it.

He smiled his heart racing, now that the moment of the ring's completion was finally upon him. He'd been waiting to propose to Zero Two for a while now, but now that the moment was finally here, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. His mind was running wild. Today was the day. He had to do it today. Today was the day that he'd ask Zero Two to be his wife.

He stood up, hardly able to breathe. A plan was forming in his head on how to construct the most perfect day, and culminate it with his proposal. He looked outside at the predawn light and knew what he had to do. Rushing to the door, he slipped on shoes and hurried outside, making his way to the grove of cherry trees hidden deep in the forest. His heart alive with excitement, he practically ran across the forest path, clearing it of any unsightly obstructions that might hinder the progress of his princess. After a while, he came to the clearing and gave a shout of excitement. The cherry trees were just now beginning to come into bloom. Many of the beautiful blossoms were still locked away in the buds, but enough of them were flowering to give off a subtle beauty. And even more perfect, the blossoms where the exact same color of Zero Two's hair, and in his opinion, every one of them perfectly encapsulated her beauty.

"This is so perfect." He whispered excitedly.

Eagerly he paced the clearing looking for the best spot for his proposal. He found it towards the end of the grove, where two branches met in the middle of the path, their tender pink blossoms almost kissing as the branches gently intertwined around each other. He gasped. This was the spot. He had to do it here. Quietly he stood under it, and closed his eyes, imagining the scene. Getting down on one knee, he took the ring out of his pocket and said. "Zero Two, we were destined to be together. Would you marry me?"

He shook his head and stood up. No, that wouldn't do. It was too long-winded and foolish. For the next serval minutes, he rehearsed under those branches testing out different versions of his request, while changing up the way he held the ring. That had to be perfect too. He couldn't ruin his proposal by holding the ring stupidly.

After a while, he found a combination he liked and stood up. He was confident now that this part of the plan was solid. Now he had to prep the rest of the experience. He began to walk back, but before he left, he grabbed a branch of blooming cherry blossoms. That was definitely going to come in useful.

As he walked back to the house, he blinked rapidly as the new morning sun blazed down upon him, he smiled and gently raised his branch of cherry blossoms to block out the sun, the suns rays gorgeous as it shined through the petals.

He smiled and made his way back inside the house, discarding his shoes at the door he made to ascend the stairs when he heard a moaning sound.

Curious, he backtracked slightly and saw Zorome and Miku in the living room kissing furiously. He blushed as he watched Zorome slide his hand up Miku's nightgown, and massage her breasts. Still blushing profusely, he retreated, ascending the stairs as quietly as possible. He knew what it felt like to be in love, and he and Zero Two had found themselves in their fair share of passionate moments. He'd liked to think that they'd been a little more private about it, but one never could tell. As he heard Miku let out another groan of pleasure, he hoped that things didn't progress too much farther. It would be a lot harder to sit in that room if things ended up getting too passionate.

Walking by the boy's bedrooms, he noticed that Futoshi's door was ajar, poking his head in he noticed that Futoshi wasn't there and his bed looked like it hadn't been slept in. Inwardly he wondered where Futoshi had been all night.

Again he shrugged. It was none of his business, and as he ascends the stairs to the third floor, his thoughts returned to Zero Two. Arriving at their room, he quietly slipped inside and saw that his sleeping beauty was still fast asleep, her pregnant belly hidden beneath the covers as she slept. He smiled as he gently walked over to a folded pile of clothes and picked out Zero Two's favorite set of maternity clothes. Nana had done a fantastic job with these. They fit Zero Two perfectly and were stretchy enough that they could adapt to Zero Two's changing body. But the thing that Zero Two appreciated the most was that the clothes were designed in a way that didn't make her look helpless. Zero Two hated it when things made her look weak, so she appreciated the fact that she could be comfortable and not look like she was walking around in pajamas all day.

Inwardly he smiled and picking them up placed them by the bed. For a moment, he stood and just listened to her gentle breathing, smiling as he admired her sleeping form. Then turning, he quietly made his way out of the room and began to go back downstairs. Since he still had time, he mine as well prepare a few more things. As he descended to the second floor, he saw Miku's hair disappear into Zorome's room as the door slammed shut.

Inwardly he chuckled. Maybe this was why Papa didn't want them all to have their own separate rooms. Soon after the battle for the Archives, they all decided to do away with the combined bedrooms. Now that there wasn't the pressure of being observed, everyone seemed to be at least experimenting with sleeping with their partners. Frankly, he was surprised that nobody had done it earlier. He and Zero Two and done it soon after getting together and we're never going to go back, he couldn't blame everyone else for trying. As he continued down, he saw Miku's bra lying on the stairs, and chuckling threw it in the direction of Zorome's room.

As he exited into the lobby, Ichigo stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Good morning," He said pleasantly.

"Oh! Good morning Hiro." Ichigo said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Staring at her, he noticed that she looked a little pale. "You alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She said straightening, "How about yourself? You got this big dorky smile on your face, something happen?"

"It's a surprise." He said,

"You get her a ring?" Ichigo said almost as if reading his mind.

He stared at her, astonished. "How did you figure that out?"

"Oh, please, Hiro, I'm not that stupid. You're up at ridiculous hours in the morning, and they're always shavings of your horn in the library."

"You caught me," He said shrugging,

She smiled, "Well you just tell me when you want the wedding."

He smiled, "I will."

Just then, Ichigo's communicator beeped, and she pulled it out.

"What is it?" He said, a pit forming in his stomach.

"Nothing," She said, putting the communicator away, "Hachi was just telling me that they're moving the plantation to investigate something, but It'll be a day before we get there."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

Just then Ichigo groaned, and placed a hand on her stomach. "I'll see you later, Hiro," She groaned, opening the door to the bathroom again. "I'm just not feeling well this morning."

He nodded, "I'll see you. Do your best to get better, okay."

She nodded and retreated back into the bathroom.

He turned and made his way over towards the dining area, finding the door that went down to the kitchens. Depending down a quick flight of stairs, exited into a simple room with all the necessary accommodations to prepare a meal. Grabbing a tray, he began grabbing food from the pantry, making sure he grabbed all of Zero Two's favorites. His tray full, he grabbed an unopened jar of honey and made his way back upstairs.

As he rounded the corner back into the dining room, he almost bumped straight into Goro.

"Oh! Sorry." Goro said, staggering back.

He shook his head, his hands full. "No that was my fault, sorry Goro, I got a little tunneled visioned."

"This all for Zero Two?" Goro asked with a knowing grin,

He nodded, "More or less."

"You need help carrying anything?"

He looked at Goro and gave a meaningful glance at his arm, which was hung at his side in a cast, the wound he'd sustained at the Archives still not healed.

"No, I'll be alright." He said, "Zero Two's still asleep. I don't want to wake her with unnecessary noise."

Goro nodded, "Well good luck with your breakfast. I guess we'll see you guys in a couple hours?"

He nodded, "Yeah, we'll see you later,"

Grinning, he turned to leave, but before he could go, Goro called him back. "Oh, hey, Hiro. Have you seen Ichigo? I can't seem to find her."

"Last time I saw her, she was in the bathroom," He said, "She mentioned that she wasn't feeling well."

Goro nodded, concerned. "Okay. Thanks, Hiro."

"You should go see her." He said, gesturing towards the bathroom.

Goro nodded. "Your right. I'll see your later."

With that, he disappeared, and a few moments later, he heard the bathroom door open and close. He sighed and trudged his way back up towards his bedroom, balancing the massive plate of food in one hand and the jar of honey in the other.

Opening the door, he slipped inside and quietly set down the food. Hurriedly he began the finishing touches on his set up and adorned her plate with a few of the cherry blossoms and spread more around the bed and side table. For serval minutes, he flitted around the room like a bird, making their nest as beautiful as ever.

A few moments later, he heard Zero Two beginning to stir and knew that he was running out of time. Hurriedly he checked himself in the mirror and ran his fingers through his wild black hair. Luckily the horn he'd used to make Zero Two's ring had grown back and checking himself, he made sure that he had everything in order.

Satisfied, he picked up the last cluster of blossoms that he had been saving and gently tucked it into Zero Two's hair. His heart hammering in his chest, he backed away and watched his sleeping princess awaken.

Gently he sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Zero Two's eyes fluttered open, her nose already twitching as she picked up the scent of food. He smiled as Zero Two yawned, and rolled onto her back, her pregnant belly making a small hill in the sheets.

"Good morning, Darling." She yawned, rubbing her eyes.

He smiled and crawling over to her, kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good morning, my love. Sleep well?"

She nodded, "For the most part. I woke up a few times during the night but nothing too bad."

Sitting up on her elbows, she spotted one of the cherry blossoms lying on the bed. "What's this?" She asked, picking it up.

"Its a cherry blossom," He explained, "Remember that flower that I said looked just like your hair? These are those blossoms."

"Really." She said, examining it, "There so beautiful." She looked at him, "Where did you find it?"

"There's a grove in the woods," He said.

"Could you show me?" She asked, fully sitting up.

"I'll take you a little later," He said, unconsciously fingering the ring he had in his pocket.

As she sat up the cluster of flowers she had in her hair, fell to the bed, and startled, she picked them up. Seeing them, she glanced around the room, taking in everything he had done.

"Darling, what have you been doing?" She asked,

He smiled, "Nothing."

She gave him a sidelong look that made him blush. "You're up to something,"

He squirmed, "Well regardless, you should eat," He said, hurriedly getting up and grabbing the tray of food.

Her eyes went wide as he sat down and presented it to her. "Darling… What's going on?"

"Nothing," He said, "Do I need a reason to do something special for you?"

"Well... No, but…" She stuttered.

"I just wanted to have some alone time with you," He said, "After everything that's been going on, I need some family time."

"Won't everyone be curious as to where we are?" Zero Two asked as she leaned back against the wall.

He shook his head. "Everyone else seems to have an agenda this morning,"

"Oh," She said, sitting back and resting a hand on her belly.

He smiled, "Come on, let's just enjoy ourselves."

She nodded.

Grabbing up a warm bun, he spread honey over it and offered it to her. "Here I know that these are your favorite."

She took it. "You know I feel spoiled whenever I'm around you."

He chuckled. "It's not like I have anything better to do with my time. Besides, you got all the hard work." He said, glancing meaningfully at her belly.

She shook her head, "It's not that hard. Besides, I'm not hindered all that much."

"Well, you do waddle around a lot." He teased.

"I don't waddle." She protested,

He burst out laughing. "Oh, yes, you do. I'm sorry, Zero Two, but you can't go anywhere without at least partially doing it."

"Oh Yeah?" She said, "I'll show you."

Clumsily she did her best to get out of bed but quickly found herself stuck, with no good away to get up without rolling on her belly. She looked at him her face flushed scarlet. "Help me up."

He chuckled and reached out a hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet, pulling her into an embrace. They stood there as a couple gently holding each other Zero Two's belly, the only thing that was separating them.

"I love you." He whispered,

She smiled. "I love you too."

Suddenly he felt a jab, from Zero Two's belly and Zero Two let out a gasp. They looked at each other, opened mouthed.

"The baby just kicked me," Zero Two whispered, looking down, she reached down and pulled up her nightgown, exposing the rounded bulge of her belly. He crouched down and gently kissed the spot that they'd felt the first signs of life from their child.

Gently he hummed lovingly to their child and was rewarded with another little kick.

They stared at each other, their precious child revealing it's first signs of life to the outside world. Tears started to cascade down her cheeks, and he stood up.

"Darling!" She cried, pulling him into a hug and kissing him. For serval moments, he let the feeling of love and bliss wash over him overtaken with joy at this special moment. Gently he knelt down and rubbed her belly.

"Hi, little one." He whispered, "I want you to know that Mommy and Daddy love you so much, and we can't wait to meet you." Again he was rewarded with another small kick, and he felt tears beginning to well up in his own eyes. "Mommy is going to take good care of you until you're born okay, so make sure you be nice to her." He chuckled softly, "And Mommy and I can't seem to agree on if you're a boy or a girl. Could you give us a little hint?"

Nothing… It appeared that the baby was going to keep that a secret for a little while longer.

He chuckled. "I don't blame you. It's probably amusing to watch us argue over this."

"I still think I'm carry little Hiro." Zero Two said sweetly, running her fingers through his hair.

He smiled, "Well, if its a girl, I have a name for her."

"Really?" Zero Two asked, "What is it?"

He smiled. "Hikari,"

"Hikari," Zero Two said, thinking, "That's not bad…"

He chuckled and stood. "Well we still need to feed our little one," He said, leading her back over to the bed. "Will you have breakfast with me?"

She smiled. "Of course, Darling."

His day had gone perfectly, but now was the moment of truth. He looked out the window and saw the evening sun as it painted the sky with its scarlet beauty. Smiling, he looked over at Zero Two, as she quietly finished reading her version of The Beast and the Prince to their baby.

"And the prince and the princess lived happily for the rest of their lives." Zero Two finished closing the book. Gently she sat back and rubbed the bulge of her belly, humming a soft tune to their child.

He smiled, and fingered the ring in his pocket, then standing he walked over to her. "Zero Two. Could you come with me, I want to show you something?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Gently he took her hand and helped her up, and quietly they began to slowly descend the stairs, taking it slow. Quietly he led her through the woods, the birds of the forest singing their cheerful songs as they played in the last of the days light.

After a while, he saw the distinctive pink blossoms of the cherry trees up ahead and stopping pointed them out to Zero Two.

"Really!" She exclaimed, starting forward, "Come on, let's go see them."

This time it was her leading him as she flew towards the grove, her beautiful hair streaming out behind her. Abruptly she stopped and gazed in awe at the sight of the trees, the gentle pink blossoms fluttering in the wind.

"They're so beautiful…" She gasped as she looked around.

He smiled. "Wait until they're in full bloom, then it'll really be a sight to see."

"Would you bring me back here, when they do?" She asked, smiling.

"I'll bring you here whenever you wish." He said, smiling.

Quietly they walked along the path, Zero Two admiring the magnificence of these flowers, as he anxiously fingered the ring in his pocket. His heart was hammering in his chest, as the spot of his proposal drew closer. The time was almost upon them, and the moment that he'd been planning for so long was mere seconds away.

They came to a stop beneath the branch, the ends of the blossom brushing the tops of their heads as they stopped under it. He felt like his heart was going to explode. He had to do it. He had to do it now!

"Wow!" She exclaimed, "These are so pretty."

He smiled, and while she was distracted, reached into his pocket and grabbed the ring. "Zero Two." He said, getting down on one knee.

She looked down and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as tears sprang to her eyes.

He smiled his most loving smile and presented the ring to her. "Zero Two. Will you marry me?"

She sobbed, tears of pure joy cascading down her cheeks as she trembled, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Yes!" She cried,

He smiled, and gently grabbed her left hand, then with the utmost care, slipped his ring onto her ring finger. He stood, and she leaped into his arms, pulling him close as she sobbed into his chest.

"Darling!" She sobbed. "Darling! Darling! Darling!"

He smiled and gently kissed the top of her head.

"I love you so much," She sobbed, squeezing him. "I'll spend every last moment I can with you, now and forever."

He sobbed, tears cascading down his own cheeks. "And I promise to be the best husband and father I can. I swear that for as long as I live, I will protect and provide for you and all our children."

She looked up. "And I promise that I'll always be your supportive and loving wife. And to all of our children, I promise to be the best mother I can be."

Leaning forward, they sealed their vows with a kiss. As they broke apart, their child kicked, and they both smiled, their love radiating off them as cherry blossoms gently fluttered into the wind.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too," She whispered, leaning against his chest. "Thank you."

He smiled and gently held her. "You don't wanna know how long I've been waiting to ask you that."

She chuckled softly, "I've been waiting since the moment a little boy broke my window and set me free."

He laughed. "You didn't even know what marriage was back then."

She hummed softly. "Maybe… But I think a part of me knew we' ed always be together."

Gently he gave her another kiss. "Well. Now we can. And nothing will ever tear us apart. Till the day I die, I'll always be by your side."

She smiled. "And so will I."

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Chapter 25 of The Jian Bird

I'll do my best to get the next one out as soon as possible.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of The Jian Bird: Broken Pieces