By Mad Meg Askevron
Spreading Light
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: Duh.
Chapter Two: What Are Friends For?
"I'll be okay Toharu." She held her friend's hands in her own.
"I want to keep it, it's mine not his! I will raise it and defy its father. Good things will come of this child!"
"Yes, yes they will. Never forget that. Even when it's hard, and it seems like you can't take it any more, remember this child." Toharu smiled, really smiled.
"His name is Jomei, he will live up to his name."
"And if it's a girl?"
"No it's a boy, his name is Jomei. I don't know how, maybe it's a mother thing, but I know my child."
My mum was the same, though she and my dad wouldn't name my sister and I until after we were born, dad secretly hoping one of us was a boy. No such luck. They separated just after thanks giving when I was three . I love my dad, but I'm glad I live with my mum. Soz, back to the story!
"Uh Mr. Hatori?" Uo stepped into his office. Toharu had fallen asleep, for once the plague of nightmares were at bay.
"Call me Hatori, and how can I help you?" He turned and looked through his good eye to see her shifting nervously.
"Well seeing as Toharu is asleep, I think it's okay for me to talk about this...Toharu is pregnant. She seems...well happy! She's decided it's a boy and his name is Jomei."
"Spreader of light, yes she would choose that."
" Huh?"
"Jomei means spreader of light. See as how the child came to be the name is only fitting. Well we have a long nine months ahead of us. Go ahead to bed Arisa. Good Night." He turned and checked his watch. Oh well. The phone rang three times before a sleepy voice answered.
"Hello?" Yawn
"Shigure?"
"Hatori? What is it? What's the matter?"
"Well, I don't want you telling the boys, but Toharu is pregnant."
"OH MY GOD!" Shigure bellowed making Hatori hold it at arms length. "Is she okay? Is she upset?"
"No, actually she's over joyed." Stunned silence.
"Why?"
"I think she has taken this as proof that even when something vile like that, something good and pure can emerge from the ashes. So to speak."
"That was very Poetic Hatori. You should write that down."
"Same old Shigure."
"I Am Not Old! If that is all good bye." Hatori laughed and hung up. Hatori ran his fingers through his black hair, which was getting kind of long. He walked into the room he called his own and shut the door behind him.
Two Months Later
Toharu's pregnancy was now evident. I'm not sure what is visible by which months so I assumed that two months was efficient. I may botch this, oh well. Suck it up and walk it off. Uo took her shopping for maternity clothes. It was hard to find anything in her size since she was so small. Through the months of her pregnancy she was glad that Uo and Hatori were there to help her, she didn't know how she'd have gotten through the months without the help they provided. In embarrassing situations when some one asked whom the father was. Hatori would look at them if he wasn't already and say, "I am." In a very firm mater-of-fact voice, Toharu would beam and remind herself to do something nice for Hatori.
Toharu didn't really have cravings for strange food, but she drank nearly a gallon of milk a day. The diet the doctors recommended for her to eat so her baby would be healthy weren't much of a difference since she ate healthy already. She wasn't grouch or terribly moody but sometimes she would just stare off into space. She would sleep a lot of the time, she always seemed tired. She made her son a blanket of many beautiful colors. It was a small quilt. Every time she got a square of beautiful or interesting cloth it went on the blanket. She even took a square off the lining of her favorite dress, a piece from Uo's skirt, and once of Hatori's old shirts.
6-7 months later.
She was hooked up in a bed at the hospital. Her baby had been moved around in her womb and it was almost time to have her baby. She had a very difficult birth, even though the baby had been moved, it had managed to move to breech again. The feet were to come out first; this would not be easy on her body. Hatori held her hand and was a silent presence that gave her the will to manage just one more push, some how she had made that last push stretch and she cried out when the baby cried out.
"It's a baby boy, he's wonderful. Look at those large brown eyes!" The nurse handed Jomei into her arms. He giggled as he met his mother. He was truly a beautiful sight.
Three Years Later
Jomei wanted to go on a trip to Japan, and Toharu decided to go. How could she be soiled when something this beautiful called her mother? He had gorgeous brown eyes of honey toffee. His hair was a cap of gleaming chestnut. He was lively and sweet. He had, in fact, lived up to his name. He spread light into all their lives.
Shigure waited for them as they left the plane. He hugged Toharu fiercely. He clapped a hand on Hatori's shoulder and bowed to Uo. Finally he knelt down and grinned at the toddler.
"Hi, I'm you uncle Shigure! What's your name?" The boy giggled.
"I'm Jomei! Uncle Shii is funny!" Shigure scooped up the toddler and whirled him around and offered to carry him for Toharu who smilingly agreed. They arrived at the house and it was sparkling clean.
"Wow, Shigure! How did you manage this?!" He looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his head and mumbled something. "What?"
"I hired a maid after you left." She laughed, she took her packs and with Hatori they went to Toharu's old room. Kindly, Hatori carried his bags and Jomei. Jomei went with them.
"Mr. Shoma, I need to talk to you privately." Uo asked, he nodded and stepped outside with her. "I know this will seem strange, but I'm sure of it!" He leaned forward.
"What?" He seemed to bounce.
"I think Hatori, is, well...in love with Toharu." She whispered the last part making sure no one could hear her.
"And you want to hook them up?" He pulled out his matchmaker fan and Uo laughed.
"I think so. Toharu has become fond of him since the first time he helped her. He scared off mean people by telling them that he was the father of Jomei. Jomei even thinks so, though they will tell him once he's old enough to understand. I'm just glad that he looks exactly like Toharu. But I think that by now, Hatori's the only one she would trust to love." Uo leaned back in her chair relieved to share her thoughts with someone and sighed.
Toharu came back with a sort of strap on seat over her stomach and placed Jomei in it. He giggled and clapped his hands once he was in and Toharu left to reacquaint herself the kitchen. She immediately began to make onigri. She and Jomei were suddenly squeezed in two sets of strong arms. She would have jumped had she not been so firmly held in place by her two friends. She laughed, "You guys, don't squash the child! He can't breathe!" The two men jumped back and stared at her stomach.
"Miss Honda? Is that your child?" Toharu nodded beaming.
"Is Hatori..." Kyo trailed off. Jomei hearing Hatori's name began to giggle and say.
"Daddy Hatori! Daddy Hatori!" Hatori poked his head in and took the smiling child to leave the three of them alone.
"Since when were you that close to Hatori?!" Kyo held his words to a shocked whisper.
"No Hatori's not the father, if I knew the father he'd be jail if he isn't already." She said dryly. The two simultaneously hugged her. It had been so long since they had seen her and Shigure wouldn't tell them where she was and the other zodiacs weren't happy the two had fled. Then her friend Uo left to but Hanajima wouldn't tell them where. Akito had come storming over looking for Hatori, but they couldn't answer that either. So the two men held onto this girl who had captured their hearts. She patted them and went back to make her Onigri while Kyo sat on the counter and Yuki sat in a chair and they talked as if Toharu had never left making her heart warm and glow. She made tiny onigri for Jomei with tiny plumes.
That night she took Jomei from his crib and slept with him curled next to her stomach she had just lain there and stroked his hair the whole time. She was so lucky, she was so lucky to have this child who she loved and was loved in return. She couldn't wait to see what kind of person he would become.
On the other side of Toharu's Wall
Hatori leaned against the wall hearing Toharu mumble lullabies to the child she so loved. He closed his eyes and sighed. He only wished she could love him as much as she did that child but no, he was too much her senior. Ten years was a lot.
'But maybe, she won't care...'
End Of Chapter Two
I know short! But it didn't need anything else. I know that Hatori is older then 31 but oh well.