I don't think I need to go into details about the pregnancy itself. It was what anyone would expect it to be like: weird cravings, backaches, ankles so swollen you'd think they were gonna explode, mood swings – although Linna and Nene would say those were nothing new – stretch marks…

Oh yeah, one other thing. People wanting to touch my growing stomach.

I didn't mind my fellow Sabers, Mackie, or Pops touching it, wanting to feel the baby kick. I DID mind, however, when Leon McNichol himself and I crossed paths one day and he wanted to do just that.

"Priss…you're beautiful," he breathed, looking at me as if he were the proud father.

"Stop brownnosing. It's not going to work," I warned him.

"I'm not. Pregnancy really becomes you. You just have this glow all over." He reached out his hand. "Can I feel your stomach?"

"No."

"I just want to feel the baby kick."

"The baby's been kicking all day. Watch my stomach for long enough and you can actually see it move."

Before I could back away – my sore ankles not wanting to move anymore – Leon put his hand on my stomach, making me jump. I grabbed his wrist to shove his hand away when suddenly, the baby let out a hard kick against his hand. He actually jumped in surprise; I, on the other hand, actually winced in pain somewhat.

"Even the baby doesn't like you," I chuckled, then frowned and tossed his hand away. "Don't do that again! I told you not to!"

"I didn't mean any disrespect," he apologized quietly. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"Well, no shit. If you want to feel a pregnant woman's belly, go get a girlfriend and knock her up, then you'll be able to feel her belly all you want."

Leon looked hurt. "Is that what happened? Just some quick fling?"

Why dontcha just call it a 'hump me, dump me,' asshole?

"I don't want to get into it." I rubbed my belly with both hands to calm the baby down, who was now doing flip-flops.

"Well…I don't know much about babies, I admit, but if no one's around to help you raise it, then I can help."

"YOU want to be a dad?"

"Yes. I just wish that baby was mine."

"I bet," I replied, pulling a few pretzels out of the bag I'd just opened. I shoved them into my mouth and chomped on them noisily. "But it's not."

He and I talked for a few more minutes, mostly about bullshit nonsense, before parting ways. Part of me kinda felt sorry for him; he did seem honest about his desire to help me raise the baby. The other part of me still wasn't sure if he'd grown up beyond being the lady's man he fancied himself to be. I wasn't going to take that chance. I didn't need a man to help me raise the baby; I could do that on my own, and the other Sabers had made it perfectly clear they were ready to help in any way. They were all I needed.


That night, back in my apartment, I laid down on my side on my bed, a pillow tucked between my legs to help me get at least somewhat comfortable. I massaged my stomach slowly, humming a tune. Even though he or she wasn't born yet, I'd already been lulling it to sleep with some of my songs. Another maternal part of me, or was it because I was a singer?

Did it really matter, anyway?

I sang a few songs to the baby, continuing to massage my stomach. It certainly seemed to like it when I sang Wasurenaide. And tonight, I actually fell asleep in the middle of singing it.

Aoi yami ni machi wa shizunde (The town sinks into blue darkness,)
Kaze ga otosu tameiki (and a sigh that entraps the wind)
Nemurenu mado o tataku. (strikes the sleepless window.)

Dooshiteru no? Imagoro kimi wa. (How are you doing these days?)
Sono mune o someru no ga (I hope that those are good dreams)
Yasashii yume da to ii ne. (coloring that heart of yours.)

Genki de iru ka? (Are you well?)
Sore dake ga itsumo kigakari. (That alone is always on my mind.)
Tsurai toki ni wa (When times get tough,)
Nakanaide nee hitori de… (don't cry alone, ok?...)

Drifting in my sleep, I heard a baby laugh, and then it appeared, floating in my line of sight. It smiled, its head full of dark brunette hair, darker than my own. Its eyes, however, were the same shade of red as mine. It laughed again, reaching out to me.

"Hey…" I called out. "Are you…?"

It crawled away, not even dignifying me with a response, and then, my dream ended. I woke up, thinking for a moment that I had an infant in my arms. When I sat up, however, I had nothing there except a pillow I'd been clutching tight in my sleep. I smiled and laid back down.

So the baby didn't answer me. So what? Probably couldn't talk anyway; it was a baby, after all! Was that what my child was going to look like? I suppose I'd find out soon enough.