Lei let out his held breath before looking over the edge of the boxes.
Bullets ricocheted off the metal as he quickly ducked back. Taking out his gun,
he prayed for a second before leaping out from behind the box, firing. 3 bullets
hit his targets, but the 4th missed. The remaining man aimed...
then...
Ling smiled as she walked down the street, not knowing of what surprises hid around the corner, or to be exact in the alleyway she was passing. 2 strong arms gathered the girl up as she squeaked.
"Lei!!!!!" She cried, smiling as she hugged him.
"So how have you been Little Phoenix?" He asked, using her nickname. "I've been better if a little SCAMP isn't kicking me in every 5 minutes." She said, placing a hand over her now swelling stomach. She was far in her pregnancy, the warm glow of motherhood radiating around her. It seemed she wasn't annoyed at all about being a mother.
"How's Jin taking it?" He asked, placing the girl down. At times like this, he felt like a father to her. Indeed, when they had been traveling together, they were like a daughter and father. He was proud of the little girl, no... Young woman.
"He's okay except when I ask him to go get me something at 3 am in the morning. Then he's grumpy." Ling said, pointing behind her. Jin as fast approaching her, a smile on his face. Time like this also made him feel old!
"Well, that's what happens when you become a father I suppose. So will I have a goddaughter or a godson?" Lei asked, smiling impishly.
"I'm hoping for a son, but Jin says he'd love either, though I have a sneaky feeling he wants a girl." Ling said, smiling as Jin wrapped his arms around her, resting on the top of her stomach.
"Indeed."
Lei groaned as he woke up, a splitting headache crashing through his mind. His partner sighed in relief.
"Almost thought you were never going to wake up." He said.
"Where was I hit?" Lei asked, sitting up. He didn't feel any pain other then in his head.
"That's the odd thing. You weren't."
"Huh?"
"How is Ling doing?" Lei asked, worried as the minutes passed by. Jin shook his head.
"The doctors say that she's not going to live very long. 2, 3 years at most." Jin said, his voice broken and filled with sadness. The 2 month old Koneko yawned from her crib and turned in her sleep. Lei glanced at his godchild and frowned.
"She's not going to remember her mother..." Lei said softly. Jin's fist balled as he exited his daughter's room. Lei followed and then stopped in the bedroom where Ling was supposedly sleeping. Following Jin in, he froze as he saw Ling there, struggling with her husband who was just about ordering her to get back into bed.
"I'm fine Jin, really!" She argued.
"Are you sure? Is there anything you want?" Jin asked, peering into her eyes.
"How about some ice cream? I've hadn't had any in such a LONG time." She asked, smiling. Jin nodded and left the room. Ling's smile disappeared as she turned to Lei.
"Lei... I want to ask you something." She said softly, looking out the window from the wicker chair. She looked as frail as a snowflake, and just as pale.
"What is it Little Phoenix?" Lei asked.
"I want you to promise to tell my daughter about me. I don't want her to forget me." She said, looking at him. Lei's forehead scrunched. "Your going to survive." Lei stated. Ling nodded, though they both knew it wasn't true. "But if you don't. I'll tell her that her mother is always watching her from heaven."
"I'll watch over all of you..."
"I'm sure you will Ling, I'm sure you will."
"The bullet was heading smack for you, I swear, but by some freak chance a bird of sorts was diving down at something and was blown to bits. It was the oddest thing." His partner continued.
"What... did this bird look like?" Lei barely croaked out.
"It was red... that's all I could tell." The rest of his partner's prattle was lost.
'You really are watching over us Ling... You really are...' A bird as red as the rose flew by, chirping.
Ling smiled as she walked down the street, not knowing of what surprises hid around the corner, or to be exact in the alleyway she was passing. 2 strong arms gathered the girl up as she squeaked.
"Lei!!!!!" She cried, smiling as she hugged him.
"So how have you been Little Phoenix?" He asked, using her nickname. "I've been better if a little SCAMP isn't kicking me in every 5 minutes." She said, placing a hand over her now swelling stomach. She was far in her pregnancy, the warm glow of motherhood radiating around her. It seemed she wasn't annoyed at all about being a mother.
"How's Jin taking it?" He asked, placing the girl down. At times like this, he felt like a father to her. Indeed, when they had been traveling together, they were like a daughter and father. He was proud of the little girl, no... Young woman.
"He's okay except when I ask him to go get me something at 3 am in the morning. Then he's grumpy." Ling said, pointing behind her. Jin as fast approaching her, a smile on his face. Time like this also made him feel old!
"Well, that's what happens when you become a father I suppose. So will I have a goddaughter or a godson?" Lei asked, smiling impishly.
"I'm hoping for a son, but Jin says he'd love either, though I have a sneaky feeling he wants a girl." Ling said, smiling as Jin wrapped his arms around her, resting on the top of her stomach.
"Indeed."
Lei groaned as he woke up, a splitting headache crashing through his mind. His partner sighed in relief.
"Almost thought you were never going to wake up." He said.
"Where was I hit?" Lei asked, sitting up. He didn't feel any pain other then in his head.
"That's the odd thing. You weren't."
"Huh?"
"How is Ling doing?" Lei asked, worried as the minutes passed by. Jin shook his head.
"The doctors say that she's not going to live very long. 2, 3 years at most." Jin said, his voice broken and filled with sadness. The 2 month old Koneko yawned from her crib and turned in her sleep. Lei glanced at his godchild and frowned.
"She's not going to remember her mother..." Lei said softly. Jin's fist balled as he exited his daughter's room. Lei followed and then stopped in the bedroom where Ling was supposedly sleeping. Following Jin in, he froze as he saw Ling there, struggling with her husband who was just about ordering her to get back into bed.
"I'm fine Jin, really!" She argued.
"Are you sure? Is there anything you want?" Jin asked, peering into her eyes.
"How about some ice cream? I've hadn't had any in such a LONG time." She asked, smiling. Jin nodded and left the room. Ling's smile disappeared as she turned to Lei.
"Lei... I want to ask you something." She said softly, looking out the window from the wicker chair. She looked as frail as a snowflake, and just as pale.
"What is it Little Phoenix?" Lei asked.
"I want you to promise to tell my daughter about me. I don't want her to forget me." She said, looking at him. Lei's forehead scrunched. "Your going to survive." Lei stated. Ling nodded, though they both knew it wasn't true. "But if you don't. I'll tell her that her mother is always watching her from heaven."
"I'll watch over all of you..."
"I'm sure you will Ling, I'm sure you will."
"The bullet was heading smack for you, I swear, but by some freak chance a bird of sorts was diving down at something and was blown to bits. It was the oddest thing." His partner continued.
"What... did this bird look like?" Lei barely croaked out.
"It was red... that's all I could tell." The rest of his partner's prattle was lost.
'You really are watching over us Ling... You really are...' A bird as red as the rose flew by, chirping.
