Okay, guys, sorry this one took so long. My muses definately didn't agree with me on this chapter, leaving me to fend for myself. But this morning, one of them came to his senses and came to help me. Now remember. Yolei is pregnant. Do not forget this important detail I established in Chapter one.

"Hey Dad? Daddy?"

Ken squinted at his son, then at the red block numbers of his alarm clock. "Sam," he sighed, "it's five in the morning."

"You said you'd play soccer with me."

"Not at five in the morning."

"The sun's already up!" A faint glimmer of light could be seen over the horizon.

"Wait a few more hours, sport." Ken mumbled.

"I can't wait that long! What'm I apposed to do?"

"Sleep?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm 'fraid of the dark."

"Just let the kid sleep with us." Yolei said sleepily. "It is so early." Sam smiled happily and crawled between his parents. He was asleep almost instantly.

"We have to do something about this dark thing, honey," Ken pointed out, "This is the third time this week, and it's getting way to crowded in here.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yolei demanded indignantly, propping her head up with her arm to look at her husband.

"It means that you're not getting any less pregnant, and this is a small bed for three people and a baby."

"Yeah," Yolei said thoughtfully, "Honey, do you notice that Sam never talks about this baby? He always avoids the subject."

"He does beat around the bush, doesn't he?"

"I don't know what's the matter. Nori is always going off about his baby brother or sister."

"Well, I'll talk to him today." Ken said, and Yolei, pleased, lay back down on her pillow and dropped off, but Ken stayed up, thinking. Hadn't he been afraid of the dark at Sam's age? Ken's older brother, Osamu, had done something to help, but what was it?

Ken smiled as he remembered. Yes, that might work for Sam. Ken hoped it was still there. He'd have to look for it. It's way too crowded. Ken decided before he drifted off.

Ken woke up two hours later to find himself hanging onto the bed for dear life. Yolei and Sam had taken up all the space, forcing him off. He got up and made breakfast.

Oh, no. He thought as he glanced out the window at the increasingly darkening sky. Sam will be so disappointed. He set out plates for his wife and son, and then walked toward the attic.

"What are you doing, Ken?" Wormon asked when they met in the hall.

"I'm going to get something of mine from the attic." Ken made a beeline for the attic door, Wormon at his heels. Ken dug around for a minute before pulling out an old shoebox. As Ken wiped the layer of dust away, Wormon saw that it said 'Osamu Sr.'

"Perfect," Ken smiled just as a thunderclap rang out.

"Dumb ol' rain!" Sam pouted in his room, "I was gonna play soccer with Dad today!"

"Cheer up," comforted Minomon, "You still have your Mom's thing."

"Oh yeah!" Sam brightened.

Yolei sighed happily and watched the rain drizzle down the window. In her mind, the rain could go two ways. It could keep her inside the house with nothing to do, trapped between four white walls, a ceiling, and a floor. Or it could seep into the dry soil, quenching the thirst of millions of seeds, bringing new life, new hope, new beauty to her world. Yolei preferred the latter, which is why every rainy day, she celebrated. It was sort of a tradition now, something her family recognized and looked forward to. It was fun.

"Almost ready?" She peeked over her husband's shoulder eagerly, watching him smooth the peanut butter, back and forth, so even.

"Only a few more sandwiches," he replied.

"Don't forget the croutons," she reminded him, and Ken retched playfully at her recently favorite sandwich. She ignored him and went into the hall.

"Sam!" She called. "Did you find it?"

"Coming, Mom!" Sam hurried down the hallway carrying an oversized blanket that was almost as big as he was. The only part of him Yolei could see was a tuft of purple hair on top.

"Here, let me help," she offered and together they laid the blanket out on the living room floor. Sam promptly sat down on one corner and waited for his mother to do the same. "Arrgh! Oof! Eeeek! Uhhhhh…there!" Yolei said after trying to sit on the floor in numerous positions before finally settling down.

"Honey, we're ready!" she called.

"So am I!" Ken said from the kitchen. He set a large basket on one end of the blanket and sat down. "Let's see… peanut butter and jelly on white for Sam," he handed a small bag to his son, "Turkey and mayonnaise on wheat for me, and peanut butter, croutons, sardines, bananas and green Jell-O on raisin bread for Mommy." Ken winced and handed Yolei the hideous and slightly dripping bag.

"Yum!" she said and took a bite. Sam and Ken looked on in disgust. "Well, aren't you going to eat?" Yolei asked, and the two quickly dug into their lunch, somewhat ashamed at being caught staring.

"Wow. It's really dark outside," Ken observed, "This is one heck of a storm. I'm sorry we didn't get to play soccer today, Sam. We'll play tomorrow."

"Okay," Sam smiled disappointedly.

"Wow," Yolei said as a large bolt of lightning lit up the sky, "I hope the power doesn't go-" The lights flickered and died. "Out." She finished sadly. Sam whimpered at the dark house.

"I'll get the flashlights," Ken volunteered. He handed one to each of them. "Now Sam, I'm going to give you something that my brother gave me."

Sam and Yolei looked at him curiously. Sam took a small box from his father and opened it delicately. Anything that came from Uncle Sam was very special. Inside the box rested eight small dolls.

"They're Guatemalan Worry Dolls," Ken explained. "Every night, you tell the dolls what you're afraid of or worried about, then put them under your pillow. They make your worries go away."

"Wow!" Sam said, lifting one of them. "Do they have names?"

Ken thought. "I think I did name them when I was small, but I don't remember. You can give them names."

Sam giggled at one doll whose hair seemed like it was taking over its face. (A/N: If you've ever seen these things, you'll know that they're not very well made.) "I'm gonna name this one Tai!" Sam exclaimed.

"At least someone is," Yolei mumbled. Sam busied himself by lining up the dolls again and again on the blanket.

Ken watched his son play. Now or never, he thought. Finally he said, "Sam. Mommy is having a baby."

"Now?" Asked Sam in surprise. He looked toward his mother.

"No. Three months from now."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Yeah, but you never talk about it."

"Sweetie, we need to know how you feel about all this." Yolei smiled inside about how 'motherly' she sounded.

"I feel… wike a mookshake."

Ken and Yolei stared.

Sam sighed impatiently at how clueless his parents could be. "When Mommy makes a mookshake, she puts lotsa stuff in the blender and turns it on and the stuff goes wound and wound and gets all mixed up." He took a breath and continued. "I feel wike dat."

"Oh-kay…"

"I jus' haveta wait for it to, you know…" Sam blinked. "Settle." Ken and Yolei were looking at him funny. "Um," Sam started again, "I'm gonna play with Minomon now. Bye." He picked up the dolls and ran off, leaving his parents to wonder how a two-year-old could find such a straightforward way to express his feelings.