Epilogue
At a well-known mansion in the peaceful town of Tomoeda, just some minutes away from the busy and crowed Tokyo city, two creatures can be seen arguing in the sunny kitchen over a poor bacon strip.
"I said it's mine!" cried out a ruby eyed female, fighting with her fork over a beautiful plate.
"Of course not! You've eaten many today! It is mine!" yelled back a black, winged cat doing the same as her, taking some advances over their battle arena.
"Suppi-chan, I said it's mine and mine alone!!!" the girl continued, loosing her temper.
"You pig!" said the tiny one, not giving up.
From the stairway, a dark haired woman in her twenty-six sighs and smiles at the every-morning event. She always finds it amusing the relationship between her husband's creations. Placing a hand over her round belly and taking the handrail with the other for support she continues her way down.
"Ohayo minna! What is it this time?" asks Tomoyo in a motherly voice, smiling sweetely.
"Hi Tomoyo-chan! It's just that Suppi-chan doesn't want to leave me the last bacon" answered Nakuru with a cute pout. "How mean!" crossing her arms in front of her chest.
The amethyst eyed lady turns to face the female guardian counterpart like some kind of refery or judge, arching gracefuly a perfect shaped eyebrow at him. "Well?"
"That's not fair Tomoyo-sama! That big cow ate like six straps when I only had two!" Spinel said moving his paws in exasperation. "And my name is NOT Suppi-chan for the THOUSANDTH time!"
A giggle escapes from Tomoyo's throat as she covers her mouth it with a pale hand. "I think you should give it to him Nakuru-chan" she says carefully, reading the guardian's expression. "If you so kindly do so, I promise I'll make you a cake, just for you!" and smiles brightly for she knows Nakuru's extreme-liking of sweet things.
The ruby-eyed woman looked suspiciously at the fellow guardian and then her frown changes into a radiant smile. "Okaaay!" again in her cheerful mood. "How's the little one?" she asks walking towards Tomoyo and placing a hand over the woman's belly.
"Restless than ever... it's been kicking and moving all the time, I barely slept last night" looking down with adoringly eyes though her voice gave away her tiredness.
"Such a strong baby!" exclaimed Nakuru all smiles and Spinel used the moment to eat his treasure, shewing it carefully, tasting it bit by bit.
"I'm going to the office for a while Nakuru-chan so you and Spinel are in charge" Tomoyo informs, but then remembering something adds. "And please, don't play tricks on the maids... they get scared easily... give them a break" taking a glass of orange juice that a smiling but frigthened maid handed her.
"Yes mistress!" agreed the moon guardian saluting like an army soldier.
"I'll keep and eye on her Tomoyo-sama... but I don't think that master would be glad if he finds out that you went out" adverted the black cat with a small frown.
"I know, but he won't be mad if he doesn't find out... I'm not gonna tell him... and you?" she says like a child who is about to sneak out when grounded.
"We'll keep our mouths shut!... right Suppi-chan?" giving him a stern look since he was the one who kept Eriol informed about everything concerning his beloved wife that she wouldn't tell herself. Especially, when she desobeyed orders; but he did so because he is very concerned and protective of his mistress.
"I will" he says solemny.
"Okay, so I'm leaving now... see ya!" placing the emptied glass on the table.
"Bye, take care!" chorused both magical beings. Some minutes later they heard the front door closing shut.
In one of the tallest business buildings in Tomoeda, a man, comfortably siting in a tall, leather chair behind a desk typing absent-mindedly over a keybord frowns. "I told her not to leave the house, especially not now..." he says to no one in particular, being alone in his spacious office. "That girl won't ever understand... so childish... so cute" a tender smile crepts on his seductive lips.
After their marriage, they had decided to settle down in Tomoeda so Eriol decided to test the Asian leasing market, without neglecting his European branch of course. They left the Hiiragizawa Manor in London as a summer/winter house and sometimes rented it for social events for it is one of the very well-kept old houses in all of England.
Annette was doing very well in Japan. She has very good friends and her school grades are the best. The girl now smiles each five seconds and her shy attitude developed in a cheerful, friendly one though she tends to pick her friends cautiously, not entirely forgeting the mean treats she was object in her homeland. The Hiiragizawa family couldn't be any happier for they had everything they dreamed, longed and wanted.
"What are you doing here Tomoyo-sama?" asked surprised the CEO's Assistant when she saw her boss walking towards her office.
"Ohayo! I just came to check on e-mails and paperwork" she says smiling at the puzzled girl. "I believe the pile of papers is spreading out the whole office since I wasn't coming so often" her voice sounds worried.
"Not at all since we've been sending over your house most of them... but still, Hiiragizawa-sama won't like a single bit of this" her frown deepens at the thought. She knows her boss' husband and he made personally the arrangements for Tomoyo to work at home and they couldn't object. Who could say "no" to such a handsome gentleman anyway?
"I know, you are sounding like Nakuru-chan... it's just for a short time, I don't plan to lock myself in there... he's so overprotective!" Tomoyo exclaims with a cute pout. "Come in and tell me what happened last week" opening the treated crystal door of her office so that nothing can be seen from the outside but for the inside.
"Well..." she began, following her kind boss orders, telling her everything that was of importance.
Tomoyo's assistant, by the name of Akihito Saiko, gave her a resume about the last transactions, stock reports, requests and everything that was of the CEO's interest. She helped her to read the stack of papers neatly piled up in the desk with utmost delicacy. Things were like that for three hours when Saiko began to notice Tomoyo's pained expression.
"Is there something wrong Tomoyo-sama?" she asks, worry showed up in Saiko's clear-blue eyes.
Tomoyo couldn't answer inmediately, feeling a terrible pain inside and her breath was getting quicker "I-itai!" she manages to say with her eyes closed shut, holding the armrest of the executive chair for support.
"What's happening? Want me to call the doctor?" offered the fellow worker alarmed at the situation.
"No, it's fading away" answers the black-purplish haired lady catching her breath, feeling the intense pain to decrease slowly.
"Are you sure?" Saiko inquires concerned. "I think it's time for you to go home and rest Tomoyo-sama" she says, praying for the woman to do so instead of getting stuborn.
"I'm fine... it's over now" Tomoyo answers wiping away some sweatdrops off her smooth forehead.
"I insist" replies back the assitant with confidence. "You should have stayed home"
"Let's get through this okay, and I promise I'll go home right after" flashing a reasuring smile to get her way and the other woman nods, still uncertain. "Good"
The pair work continued but not long enough since Tomoyo was again suffering from intense pain that disturbed the calm mask of her pretty, flawless face.
"Breathe Tomoyo-sama!" urged Saiko watching the woman's face turn a pale-blue.
"I try..." the lady answered through a clenched jaw.
"Oh Lord... I believe you have contractions..." says the clear-blue eyed woman more for herself than for the pregnat lady.
"P-please... call Eriol" manages to say Tomoyo before riding another wave of unbearable pain.
In a split of a second, the aforementioned man storms into the office, stoping at the side of his beloved, taking her hand.
"How are you feeling darling?" he asks to an exausted and pale woman who inmediately holds his hand as if it is her only salvation.
"Not so good... it damn hurts" she cried out, amethyst locked with sapphire.
"I'm gonna take you to the hospital now, remember how to breath... one, two, three... one, two, three..." he says while taking her in his arms and walking towards the elevators followed by Saiko. "Thanks for staying with her, I'll keep you informed" smiling at her.
"Don't worry Hiiragizawa-sama" she said almost drooling at his dazzling smile moments before they were gone.
Spinel is reading a thick book and Nakuru is watering the flowers in the greenroom when a maid comes to them with a black cordless phone in her hands.
"Sumimasen Nakuru-san... Eriol-sama it's on the line" informs the woman handing her the phone.
"Arigatô!... hello Eriol?" she thanks the maid and greets over the phone, her attention still on the gorgeous flowers. "WHAT?!... Tomoyo-chan's on delivery?!" she screams droping the watering-can to the floor and Spinel's head rises from the ancient book. "Okay... I'll do that and meet you there!" and then hangs up.
"What's the matter Nakuru-san?" asks the maid quietely.
"Tomoyo-chan is having her baby!" beams the female guardian and the maid smiles brightly, happy for her dear mistress. "C'mon Suppi-chan... we have to go!" she says and grabs the cat like creature floating in mid-air.
The quiet class session is interrupted by someone who requested to talk to the teacher, saying it's something important.
"Hiiragizawa-san, somebody's here to see you... please take your things with you" he says solemny, dissmising the messenger.
Annette has a look of pure confussion on her cute face, wondering who it might be and what it's so urgent to take her stuff with her. "Hai Ikari-sensei!" she answers and placing her books and pencil case inside her backpack quickly she leaves the room, hearing her teacher's voice in the hallway.
In the principal's office, Nakuru is talking with a middle aged woman, explaining something. "Come in!" commands the headmistress hearing the knock on the wooden door. "It's okay Nakuru-san, please send my congratulations to the lucky parents".
The girl enters the office and sees Nakuru bowing at Miyazaki, the Principal. "Is something wrong?" she asks with a tint of fear in her girly voice.
"Hi Annette-chan! No, nothing at all... it's just that Tomoyo-chan is having your little brother!" she exclaims all smiles, looking at the girl's wonderful expression.
"No, way! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" and she exites the room grabing the brown-reddish haired woman's hand.
In the hospital, a handsome and distinguished man holds his wife's hand while she fights to give birth to their son. Her face shows a lot of pain and distress, her skin paler than usual while her cheeks are rosy with the effort.
"It's almost here Mrs., please one more push!" says the doctor, ready to receive the new born child. "One more time!"
Tomoyo tried her best to do as told without passing out which is pretty difficult due to the intense pain of labor.
"I swear to God, Hiiragizawa, that you won't set a foot in that room ever again!" threatened the raven-haired woman through clenched teeth while pushing as hard as she could. Her husband only sweat-dropped.
"Are you sure, darling?" he asked a bit preoccupied with that.
She turned her face to glare at him. "I'm damn sure boy! Unless you want to get castrated by my," she showed him a fist, "very own hands."
The doctor looked at him with an scared look all over his face while Eriol swallowed, hard.
Minutes later of bitter agony, the room is filled with the loud cry of a baby and its mother smiles satisfied right before falling unconscious out of sheer exhaustion while Eriol gives her hand a tender squeze.
"Congratulations, it's a healthy baby-boy!" cries out the doctor with a huge smile, showing the baby to its parents before handing it to an awaiting nurse.
Some hours later, the family is gathered in one of the rooms in the hospital. Flowers and balloons are everywere giving it a merry environment, way much different than the default settings of pure, cold, blinding white and pale pink. The baby is being carried by its smiling father, sitting on a chair besides the bed where his wife is laying comfortably now wide awake.
"He's so cute!" squealed Annette smiling at the figure of the little one. "I'm so happy!" clapping her hands in delight.
"Sure he is... look at those little hands and feet!" says Nakuru amazed at Mother Nature's hability to create such perfect things.
The baby smiles and giggles at Spinel, who is floating above him while his tiny hands try to clasp the curly tail without success.
Someone knocks at the door and enters the room. "It's time to feed him Hiiragizawa-san" announces the nurse writing something down her control file. "Do you know how to do it?" the smiling woman asks, ready to give her a brief tutorial about the matter.
"Yes, I think..." Tomoyo answers, taking cautiously her baby from Eriol's arms and placing it on her chest, loosening the knot on her gown to free one of her breasts.
It doesn't take long for little Ío to find his way towards food and soon Tomoyo is breastfeeding him with a pleasant smile. The nurse leaves without much noise and the family gathers around the bed with smiling faces, looking at the babe with bright purple-blue eyes who gazes around the room, somehow knowing who each person is.
Annette witnessed that unforgetable moment that now is very vivid in her mind, like a movie being played in front of her gray-blue eyes. Looking down at her own new born child, with the same motherly love she saw in her mom's eyes who is now looking at her like she once did thirteen years ago being just a child.
Owari