Disclaimer: We still don't own anything... And we are very sad that Get Backers has ended. This calls for an OAV!

Riyuji's Notes: Rabid Lola did most of the work in this one.... I'm not worthy!

Rabid Lola's Notes: Whatibir, Riyudzi. I'm gonna make you do the next chapter...mwahahaha. But Riyuji does all the tedious html-ing. And editing. That's a lot. Belib me.

-=-=- Chapter Three: ...Yet. -=-=-

The Ladybug drove up the driveway of a large, extravagant estate, with plenty of gardens…and an oddly plentiful number of animals. A tall figure, dressed in gray, black, and white, turned at the slightly familiar sound.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiidooo!!" Ginji yodeled, leaning out of the sunroof. Seated on the roof itself, anchored by Ginji's grip, was Chibi, whose eyes went even larger and rounder at the sight of so many animals.

Shido waved, waiting until the car parked at level with him. "Oi, Ginji, Midou."

Ban climbed out of the car and nodded in reply, holding his hands out for Chibi. "Hand me the kid, Ginji. Don't pull my hair," he remarked sharply, as Ginji moved to comply.

"Say hi to Shido, Chibi!" Ginji chirped cheerfully as he passed the baby to Ban, who set him gently on the ground.

If Shido had had any eyebrows, he would have raised them. "I saw your flyers, and in case you're wondering, that baby isn't ours."

"We aren't here for that, monkey man," Ban growled.

"Mankee?" Chibi said, confused.

"No, no, Chibi, Shido. Not monkey, Shido," Ginji said hurriedly, coming up beside them.

"Shiduh," Chibi repeated, smiling.

"Why are you here?" Shido asked, ignoring the child.

"Ask Ginji," Ban said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Can you babysit Chibi while we look for a job?" Ginji asked cheerfully, not noticing the sudden flash of panic that flew across Shido's face.

Ban noticed it, though. "Hey monkey trainer, is it too hard for you?"

"No!" Shido said quickly. "It's just that Madoka and I…don't have children…"

"Oh, that's ok," Ginji said cheerfully.

"…yet."

Long silence.

Very long.

Some crow in the distance started cawing. "Caw…caw…"

Shido silently cursed his involuntary slip of the tongue.

"Eh…" Ginji said, sweatdropping.

"Yet, monkey man?" Ban drawled, an evil glint starting in his eye. To Shido's discomfort, he continued. "When do you plan…"

"I'll ask Madoka if we can babysit him," Shido said, cutting off Ban's words with a punch. He whirled, face red, and began to stride towards the house.

Then he heard a low, familiar growl and high-pitched giggles, accompanied by Ginji's frantic "CHIBI!!"

"Monkey man! Get the baby off your lion!!"

-=-=-

In the end, Ban ended up calling Madoka while Shido and Ginji tried to persuade the lion and the baby to separate.

They had given up, though, by the time Ban and Madoka arrived.

Ban came to find Shido and Ginji sitting beneath Shido's tree, Shido calm, Ginji a little edgy. Chibi was seated in the curve of the lion's body, playing with its mane and face. He giggled as he mashed the soft fur with his tiny hands, pinching the lion's cheeks. It grumbled, not in an unfriendly manner, as the baby did this. Several crows, and a few dogs were watching this display with something close to awe.

"Ginji, for the last time, I'm sure he doesn't mind. Calm down," Shido said, as Ginji asked about the safety level of the lion for the nth time.

Madoka walked unerringly to Shido's side, and sat down beside him. "Konnichiwa, Shido-san," she said softly.

Ban grinned as he saw Shido remove a hand from the back of his head and place it gently over that of his blind girlfriend's. The Beastmaster shot him a warning look, which stalled the remark on his tongue, but didn't wipe off the smile.

"Hi, Madoka-chan!" Ginji said, smiling at the girl. She could feel it, even if she couldn't see, and she smiled back.

"Hi Ginji-san," she said. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Iie, Madoka-chan," Ginji said, still with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Then why do you sound so tense?"

"Eh…the baby's fiddling with the lion, and I'm not used to seeing babies play with lions."

"Baby? What baby?"

"The one Ban and I have."

You could see the huge sweatdrop at the back of Madoka's head. Then light dawned in her eyes. "Oh! That's what Shido-san was giggling about yesterday."

Ban would have taken offense, but he was laughing too much at Madoka's choice of words. A tic throbbed in the Beastmaster's forehead.

"Shido-san? Are you upset?" Madoka asked, sensing the change in his mood.

"No…it's okay…." he said through gritted teeth.

"We wondering…could you babysit him for us while we look for a job? Coz Hevn-san's not here right now and we can't take Chibi around. We might have to take too many rest stops with him around. Can you Madoka-chan? Pleeease?"

"See Midou? You're not up to taking care of a baby either," Shido smirked.

"I've survived a day and you can't even start," he shot back.

They were about to brawl when Madoka said, in reply to Ginji's question. "I'm sorry Ginji-san, but I'm not experienced with children…yet."

Shido noticed the pause before the 'yet' and cursed silently again.

Ban and Ginji stared once more. Chibi noticed and stared too.

"Yet?" Ban asked.

"Again?" Ginji said.

"Is there something we don't know about?"

The couple blushed.

-=-=-

In the end, they took Chibi with them. They didn't find any jobs that day, though, and consequently had no dinner. To Ban's humiliation, they had to ask Madoka for food, at least for Chibi. The kind-hearted girl gave the Get Backers nutrition, too.

That night, Ban was awakened by a persistent tug at his hair, as well as a foul smell.

"Ugh! Chibi!"

The baby looked up at him, startled by his shout. His mouth began to tremble.

Ban cursed. "I'm not mad, I'm not mad. Just…ah forget it. Ginji. Wake up."

His partner refused to comply.

"Ginji. Wake. Up."

The blond man rolled over in the passenger's seat and faced the window, sound asleep.

Chibi continued staring at Ban, hope in his green eyes.

"GINJI! WAKE UP!"

Tears streamed down Chibi's cheeks and he let out a wail.

"I'm not mad at YOU…I give up."

He grabbed another dishtowel previously borrowed from the Honky Tonk, gathered Chibi in one arm, and got out of the Subaru, headed for the fountain.

He was getting better at the diaper-changing business…it took only fifteen minutes this time. Big accomplishment, he thought to himself. Chibi had stopped crying and was now messing with Ban's hair gently. He'd almost gotten used to it by now. Almost. He only reacted at the particularly hard tugs. He hung the washed diaper on one of the windows. He'd gotten good in laundering, too.

They got into the car, and Ban decided to take revenge on the currently-sleeping Ginji some other time. He settled down to sleep when a small and warm weight climbed into his lap.

"Ehk…Chibi…" Ban groaned sleepily.

"Banchan," the baby said, snuggling into his chest.

"Eh…?" Ban bolted upright, nearly dislodging the kid. "No. Midou Ban-sama. Ban-sama. Or Ban-san. NOT Ban-chan."

"Sama?" Chibi asked, staring up at Ban in utter confusion.

"Ban-sama. Or Ban-san. Or Ban." He got engaged in a staring contest with the baby. "Ban. Sama."

"Banchan!" Chibi said, giggling.

"Argh…" Ban picked up Chibi and placed him back in the backseat. "Go to sleep."

"Baanchaan…" Green googly eyes came into his line of sight again.

Ban stared, and sighed. "Oh, all right," he said, giving up. Googly eyes work pretty well on him. "You can call me Banchan. But ONLY you and Ginji."

"Banchan nice," Chibi declared, climbing into his lap and snuggling once more.

For the sake of getting some sleep, he gave up on dislodging him, too, and draped his arm around the baby. He decided to just put Chibi back once the kid was asleep…

But he reached dreamland before the baby did.

Ginji rolled over in his sleep, cracked open one eye, and smiled. "Ban-chan's getting soft."

To be continued...

-=-=-

A/N 2: Does Ban seem...OOC to you or is it just Riyuji? -Rabid Lola

Thanks to all that reviewed: anonymous, November, DaftSage, Moronicus, Aeris, Invader Androgynous, dream-eater-is-hungry, KarotsaMused, Kawaii-Nezumi, LadyAnnaKyouyama, Millie-chan, and Wielder of Paperclips. WATTA MOUTHFUL! Jes kidding...

anonymus, DaftSage, and KarotsaMused: Thanks for the props! :D

November: KABAYAN! XD Thanks for the props!

Moronicus: Well, that's what happened next. Rabid Lola likes your bio. :D

Aeris: Expect more non-yaoi from the both of us. :D

Invader Androgynous: Can you send me the comic?

dream-eater-is-hungry: Storks? We're not sure...

Kawaii-Nezumi: Yes, we wonder too.

Faye-chan: Sana nagustuhan mo ang chapter na ito. :D

Millie-chan: Yes...both Rabid Lola and I are GinjiXNatsumi and KazukiXRen supporters.

Wielder of Paperclips: No, Master wasn't the victim...yet!