So sorry, comrades, but I'm a little spent for time right now- which is why I haven't been able to update until now, even though I've been back for about two weeks (so sorry about that, by the way!)- so I can't afford my customary greetings and the like- just this cheap little form greeting that I'm gonna put in the header of all my updates today, damn me. I will return to you all as soon as I can- probably sometime this weekend, hopefully, or maybe even tomorrow night- but until then, please enjoy this update.

Shiori put down the morning newspaper and nearly jumped out of her seat when she came face-to-face with Kurama. "Um, hello," she said. "How are you?"

"Fine," he immediately replied. "And you?"

"I'm… just reading the paper." He nodded and sat on the floor next to her chair, not saying anything, with his head leaning against her leg.

His behavior didn't startle her. About three weeks prior Kurama had suddenly abandoned the icy personality he'd temporarily adopted, and resumed being warm and cheerful toward everyone he encountered, and then some. It was as though he would latch onto the nearest person and not leave them alone until someone new came by. Until evening fell, Shiori would find herself constantly accompanied by her son no matter what activity she was doing. He would leave her around dinner to haunt Suichi or Kazuya for a few hours, but by the end of the night would always find his way back to her.

The only other time she found a moment to herself was while he was sleeping. He slept a lot. There were times where he'd be in the middle of something and would fall asleep, and sometimes not wake up for several hours. Those were Shiori's most productive hours while working in her office, when she was free from concern for Kurama. He'd gone from almost complete isolation to constantly seeking interaction, doing a 180-degree turn in his behavior, in the blink of an eye.

She glanced over at him and noticed he looked troubled. "Suichi, are you alright?" she asked.

He visibly jumped and his eyes darted wildly about the room. "Um, I'm fine," he answered hastily. "It's nothing."

That didn't convince her. "What is it?" she asked nervously. Kurama was hastily approaching the end of his ninth month, thus creating a sense of apprehension in the home. Everyone kept an eye on him, fearing he may go into labor anytime. The Fox had grown so large movement was difficult, and he spent most of the time in discomfort. Shiori couldn't help but feel a little guilty- as there was little she could do for him.

Kurama blushed. "Um, it's, ah…" he trailed off, unable to look her in the eye.

"Yes? It's what?"

"Uh, my, um…" he mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?"

"My, um, my… birth canal. It's um, beginning to open." He stared at a nonexistent stain on the carpet.

Her heart skipped a beat. "W-What?" she stammered. "Are you okay?"

Still unable to look at her, he nodded slowly. "I'm fine," he stated shakily. "It just hurts a little, and I'm bleeding some." He heaved a sigh. "As fair warning, I should go into labor within the next few days."

"Yes, I know-" she stopped mid-sentence when she noticed how bright her son's eyes were. Upon closer inspection, she realized he was trying not to cry. "What's wrong?" she exclaimed.

The Fox turned his face away and wiped his eyes. "Nothing," he muttered.

"I can tell something has upset you." She gently held his jaw and forced him to meet her gaze. Alarm plagued her when she saw the pure terror in his eyes. Then it dawned on her. "Suichi, are you afraid of what will happen?"

"What?" he sputtered, feigning shock. "No. No. Why would you ask such a question?"

"You're scared to death. I can see it." Shiori paused to examine her son. "You're trembling! Why are you so frightened? Everything will be fine." Kurama cradled his head in his hands, refusing to look at her. "Don't be afraid," she said, rubbing his back. "The labor may hurt, but it'll only be a short while, and I'll be with you, okay? And this time next week, you'll have two little babies of your own. You don't need to be scared, okay?"

Kurama forced himself to smile, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "Yes," he said, pretending to sound calm. "All right."

She could see he was still very nervous. "It'll be fine," she said, patting his back. Then he caught her off guard by jumping up (quite swiftly, considering his physical state) and giving her a big hug.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Um, how about I make us lunch, okay?" He disappeared into the kitchen, successfully masking his previous mood.

That had been three days ago. Since Kurama had told them labor wasn't far off, neither Shiori nor Kazuya were able to rest easy. One or the other kept the redhead in sight constantly, sometimes even while he slept. Not a hard task, as Kurama had maintained his clingy behavior. So far, nothing had happened, though occasionally the Fox would do something that betrayed his nervousness. Often they found him in the nursery, doing something like taking out all the baby clothes only to refold them and put them back in a different order. Or at times, he'd simply sit there and look at everything, an odd expression upon his face that neither of them was able to decipher.

Shiori was preparing dinner when she heard both Suichi and Kurama yelling from the second floor. She and Kazuya rushed upstairs, finding the two boys in Kurama's bedroom. Suichi stood helplessly by the bed, looking to be at a loss as to what to do, while the redhead was huddled on the floor. "What's wrong?" Kazuya asked, though he had a terrible inkling he already knew.

The older boy looked up, body shaking, eyes brimming with fear. "It-" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper, "it's time."

For a moment no one could move, still absorbing what he'd just said. Suichi managed to snap out of it first. "Uh, shouldn't we be taking him to Genkai now?"

Kazuya nodded. "I'll start the car," he said shakily, quickly disappearing.

"Can you walk?" Shiori asked her son. He nodded. "All right. Don't worry; everything's going to be okay." She took a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Kurama's trembling frame. "Everything will be fine," she said firmly, rubbing his back soothingly. "Here we go."

"I love you, Mother," he said suddenly. Shiori smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I love you, too." She and Suichi helped him downstairs and into the waiting car, Suichi taking the front passenger seat while Shiori accompanied Kurama in the back. The Fox clutched his belly and uttered a pained cry. Shiori wrapped her arms around him and held his hand. "Shh… this'll all be over soon." She meant it to be reassuring, but he tensed and gripped her hand so tightly it was painful.

Kazuya watched them in the rearview mirror and pulled out of the driveway. "Hang on, Suichi," he murmured.