What can I say? I'm sorry about the delay though. Just me being lazy. Too lazy to edit an already existing chapter. I'll blame it on work. Going from having to spend approximately two hours a day in school, to working every day between nine and six…boy am I ever tired!

Papa, daddy, baby.

14/11 2007, morning.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

The sound of small unsteady feet running in his direction down the hallway made Kai slow down slightly, before coming to a completestop outside his and Rei's bedroom. "Hey Sasha." Smiling, Kai bent down and scooped up his son, ruffling the navy blue and black hair, and walked into the room.

"Daddy! Papa sicky!" The toddler flung out his arms, demonstrating the importance.

"Papa? What's wrong with him?" Still smiling softly, Kai grabbed a brush and sorted out his son's mess for a hair.

"Papa pukey."

"He threw up?"

"Ya, ya! Nasty!" Kai hummed, putting it off as child's play, and placed Sasha on the bed, gently taking of the child's pyjamas and redressing him in normal everyday clothes.

"Hungry?" The toddler nodded vigorously. "Hmm…does Sasha want pancakes today?"

The mottled golden and crimson depths lit up. "Yaya!"

"Alright then, tiger. Come on." Standing, Kai helped Sasha down on the ground.

"Daddy!" Sasha raised his arms. "Uppie!"

Mock glaring, Kai picked his son up. "You can walk on your own, little one."

"Uh-uh! High!" Sasha threw his hands up in the air.

"High?"

"Hai Hai!" Kai bent down, tossing Sasha up in the air, and catching him. He squealed, clapping his hands delighted. Chuckling, Kai walked to the kitchen, only to find it empty. Normally Rei would already be in here.

"Rei?" Calling out softly for his husband, Kai set Sasha down in his highchair.

"Silly daddy, papa sicky!" Kai flicked Sasha's nose, the toddler's eyes crossing to look at the finger.

"So papa's ill?" A vigorous nod.

"Saa see!"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You saw him?" Another proud nod. Kai narrowed his eyes, leaning down to press his nose against Sasha's. "And you didn't tell daddy?" Sasha gasped, eyes widening, hands flying up to cover his mouth. He shrieked, squealing with laughter as one of Kai's hands tickled his small tummy.

"Daaddyyy!" Kai chuckled, stilling his hand. The small boy blinked, raising his hands, lips forming a pout. "Kissie, daddy." Red eyes softening, he bent down, placing a sloppy kiss on Sasha's mouth, who giggled in delight. "Nosey!" Kai grinned, bending down again and rubbed their noses together, Sasha giggling the whole while.

"Do you think you can sit still here alone? While daddy goes to the bathroom?" Sasha nodded, grinning, small fang peaking out. Kissing the toddler's forehead, Kai deliberately walked slowly towards the bathroom. "Alright then. Sit still, tiger, daddy'll be right back."

Sasha turned his head around, and immediately shook it, hands tugging against the bar keeping him in the chair. His daddy was walking away. Sasha's eyes widened, lip trembling. "Daddy!" Crying out, the small child's arms reached out for him. Kai turned towards his upset child. "Daddy!"

Kai turned back, standing by Sasha's side, gentle smile playing on his lips. "Daddy just has to check on papa."

"Papa?" The toddler calmed down slightly, sniffing. "Papa sickey." He informed, voice slightly unsteady.

"Yes, papa's ill, and daddy has to check on him." Kai rubbed his son's back, and Sasha purred softly. "I'll make pancakes for you the minute I get back."

"Pomse?"

"Promise." Kai laid a spoon on the table attached to the highchair, kissing the small forehead, before leaving the kitchen to find Rei, smiling at his son's excited behaviour about the shiny spoon.

"Ya, ya! Shiny, shiny! Daddy!" Kai turned around, returning the excited wave sent his way. "Kissie papa!" The older Russian nodded, smirking.

Kai frowned, smirk vanishing as he neared the bathroom, opening the door to the bathroom, knowing Rei had to be in there. "Rei?" A weak groan was his response. "Rei! What's wrong?" Speaking worriedly, Kai hurried in, finding Rei curled up on the bathroom rug in front of the toilet.

A bleary golden eye looked up at Kai. "Hey…I don't feel so good." Kai kneeled next to Rei, who instantly snuggled up to him, putting his head in his husband's lap. "Feeling better already…"

Kai pulled him closer, hand finding its way to the still un-braided hair. "Rei…"

"Don't worry Kai, I'll be alright…I'm not ill." Kai's fingers stilled in his hair. "Not ill? You just threw up!"

"I-I know." Rei sat up, happy that the nausea had worn off. "I've been throwing up for the past week or so, Kai."

The Russian was incredulous. "What!" How hadn't he noticed?

Smiling weakly, Rei bit his lip. He reached for Kai's hand, placing it on his lower abdomen. "Remember?"

Kai frowned, thinking. What about his stomach? It's the same as always, ever since Sasha- Kai's eyes widened. "You- You-!"

"Yes?" Glancing upwards, he met Kai's shocked stare. "We're having a baby, Kai."

Thump!

Rei groaned, not again! "And here I was thinking your passing out episodes were out of the picture… Kai? Wake up, love. Kai? Hey…" Kai's red eyes slowly opened.

"Nngh…Rei?"

"Yeah, can you stand?" Nodding, Kai slowly stood, leaning on the sink. Rei watched from where he was seated on the floor, before slowly rising himself, and thankfully noted that he didn't feel the urge to empty his stomach's content further.

"You're pregnant? Again?" Smiling softly, Rei stroked Kai's cheek.

"Yeah…" Kai hugged him, hard and long. Not bothering to ask how, since he was very, very well aware of how exactly that happened.

"I love you, Rei. I love you…you're bloody fantastic…" Kai raised his head, and just like last time, his eyes were shimmering with tears. "When?"

"Around April, May I think…I don't know. I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow. We'll find out then…" Kai nodded, thinking back, remembering a spectacular night spent in Italy on their first real holiday with Sasha. Sasha loved the sun and sand, but feared the water, and at night, after a certain energy packet's bedtime…Kai grinned, eyes clouding. Crisp, white bed sheets, sunburned, tanned, soft, beckoning skin and alluring, passionate golden eyes… Tilting his head down, he went to kiss Rei, but Rei held up a hand, hindering him. "As much as I love you, I don't think kissing me just after I threw up is a very good idea." Rei glared, lips pursed. "And get your mind out if the gutter!" Chuckling, Kai nodded.

"…just as long as you make up for it later." He winked, throwing Rei a suggestive smirk. "…besides, I better go make those pancakes I promised Sasha. A spoon can only be entertaining for so long." Stroking Rei's stomach softly, Kai smiled once more before he left.

Rei stared after him, a happy, exasperated expression on his face. He grinned when the first cry of Daddy! Reached his ears. Chuckling, Rei set about brushing his teeth. Maybe he should wear his hair down tonight…

15/11, mid-afternoon.

"No, Sasha, not in you mouth. Here." Rei held out his hand, and Sasha obediently spit the rock he put in his mouth out in Rei's hand. "Rocks are not food, alright?"

"Ya, ya! Yucky!" The toddler squealed, clapping his hands.

"Yes, yucky." Rei smiled, and searched his pockets for a toy. "Here, take this instead." He produced a squishy toy for Sasha, only to discover it was too late. The little child was contentedly chewing away on Rei's braid.

Kai chuckled. "Never tell a kid what to do…" He reached for the rock in Rei's hand, depositing it back to the flower pot it came from.

"I know…" Rei absentmindedly rubbed his stomach. Kai's eyes softened, taking a hold of his hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know…nervous, I guess. What are we supposed to tell Sasha?"

He let go of Rei's hand in favour of slipping an arm around him, hugging Rei closer to himself on the couch, waiting for their turn in the doctor's waiting room. "That the family is expecting a new member?" Rei glared.

"No. We're having a baby." He held up a finger before Kai could open his mouth. "At least he'll understand that." Kai narrowed his eyes. The neko-jin grinned triumphantly, yellow eyes twinkling.

"Mr. and Mrs.- Oh! Hiwatari, this way, please." Smiling, Rei averted his gaze from Kai's, and picked Sasha up, following the blushing nurse. The Russian smirked, shaking his head slightly, and rose to follow, trailing behind them.

"Here, the door on your right. If you please step inside the doctor will be with you shortly." The nurse smiled embarrassedly, still blushing.

"Thank you." Rei's kind smile seemed to make her feel slightly better.

"Ya, ya. Sbasba!" Sasha beamed happily, before rediscovering Rei's hair, and promptly pulled at it, putting it in his mouth.

Kai snickered and turned to the young nurse. "Happens all the time, miss." Nodding, she quickly sped down the corridor. "Sasha, don't put everything in your mouth." Kai said, gently prying Rei's hair free from his mouth.

"Ya, ya!" Came Sasha's standard response, and held out his arms towards Kai, who gladly took him. "Daddy! Pwetty papa." Then the bundle of joy gasped, hiding his face in Kai's chest.

"Hm?"

"The doctor." Rei pointed behind Kai, where a middle-aged man stood, a kind smile on his face.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'm Doctor Petrova, pleased to meet you." Shaking Rei's hand, he nodded to Kai's as a greeting. "Mr. Hiwatari I assume, the both of you. And who might the little one be?"

"Sasha. He tends to be a bit shy with strangers."

"That's to be expected, I suppose. Children often are. Now, which one of you is it? You?" He nodded towards Kai, who shook his head, nodding in Rei' direction. "Ah." The doctor nodded, deep in thought. "Let's see. Lay down and pull up your shirt." Complying, Rei lay on the hospital bed, his shirt pulled up. "You're a neko-jin, correct?" The doctor made a tsking noise with his teeth, frowning.

"Yeah."

"And you've already had young Sasha here, yes?" The doctor pulled out a notebook, scribbling down every- and anything Rei said, every now and then checking Rei's hospital file for finer details and more precise facts.

"That's right. He's one year and four months now."

"Mm, and the pregnancy happened naturally? No doctors involved?"

"Well, yeah…the other way would've been to expensive, and-" The man's expression lightened slightly, as if relieved.

"And they would never have allowed you to go through with it, because of you height, weight, blood pressure and heritage, am I correct?"

"Yes…they said it would be too dangerous. But nothing happened, I mean there was a slight complication involving Sasha's birth, he was a bit early, but everything turned out alright." Rei frowned softly, biting his lip.

The doctor looked up from his writing, gesticulating with his pen. "Hm, well, they would. Medically creating a womb could be dangerous, maybe even fatal. Because neko-jin are part cat, your body will automatically try and 'push away' any other tissue than that from another blood related, matching neko-jin." He paused, looking between Kai and Rei. "The doctors you spoke with never mentioned it?"

"No. They didn't." Grumbling, Kai glared at a spot on the wall. Until Sasha decided that Kai's bangs was the next meal to be had.

"It doesn't matter anymore, you know now, besides, a natural pregnancy is a natural pregnancy. Very similar to a woman's, no worries there. So, Mr. Hiwatari-" He turned back to Rei.

"Rei, please. It gets so confusing otherwise." The man nodded.

"Alright then, Rei," The doctor smiled, putting emphasis on the name. "When did you first notice?"

The neko-jin bit his lip, thinking. The nausea had first come when he'd made Sasha breakfast…scones, with raisins. "About a week ago or so, maybe a little earlier…" Sasha hadn't liked the raisins.

"Mm, how did you notice?" Writing fast, the doctor nodded, deep in thought.

Re blinked, waving his hand in the air, trying to put into words the completeness, and the, difference, for lack of a better word, he felt going on inside of him. "Morning sickness. And I-I feel different…more full, complete, at peace in a way…I recognised the feeling." Dr. Petrov nodded, feeling and probing slightly at Rei's abdomen.

"Does it hurt?"

"No…a bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt." Rei watched with wary eyes as the man rolled up his shirt sleeve, and cleaned his arm with some antiseptic.

"Now, I'm just going to take a blood sample, then I'll use it for a normal pregnancy test. Standard procedure."

"…I don't like needles." Rei whispered quietly, watching the needle with fear as it moved closer, face white as a sheet. "Kai!" Crying out, Rei immediately latched on to Kai the minute he caught sight of him.

"Shh, it'll be alright, hey, look at me." Kai was kneeling on the other side of the bed, with Sasha in his arms, his and red golden eyes starring at him, evidently scared.

"Papa?" How does one act brave in front of your child when faced with one of your greatest fears?

"I'm fine…hey." Rei pulled at his hair, freeing it from where it was trapped under his body.

"Ya, ya! Haiy!"

Rei locked his gaze with his lover, absolutely terrified. "Please…" His whimper escaped the child's notice, who happily continued to suck on his braided hair. Kai heard it, stroking Rei's cheek, and he leaned closer and slowly kissed his lover. Rei melted, then suddenly squeaked.

"Don't move, relax. Shh, it'll be alright…Dr. Petrov just needs a little more, then he's done. Just another second, love." Soft lips moved against his own, offering comfort. Opening his eyes, he focused on how much Kai resembled a raccoon in such a close proximity, eyes larger than ever. Rei stared terrified at Kai, wincing and clutching Kai's hand tight with his own. Kai looked rather cute as a raccoon. And then it was over, needle removed.

"There we go Rei, I'll just take this and test it, it shouldn't take long. In the mean time, relax and wait here." Petrov nodded, capping the needle, and walked out of the room.

Rei smiled weakly. "Kai?" I want my raccoon.

The Russian sat down on the side of the hospital bed. "Yes, love?"

"Kiss." The slightly older man chuckled, but gave in to Rei's wish, kissing him softly on the mouth. "You look like a raccoon up close, honey." He mumbled against Kai's lips. Deepening the kiss, he efficiently erased Kai's sour expression about being called a raccoon. And honey.

Sasha looked up from his chewing at the smacking sounds and squealed. "Kissie! Ya, ya!" The men broke away, startled.

"Sasha, come 'ere." Rei held out his arms, helping the toddler to crawl over and lay on the older neko-jin's chest.

"Saa kissie!" Laughing, Rei planted a wet, sloppy kiss on the toddler's cheek, who squealed in delight.

Rei's eyes misted, watching his son's wide, beaming smile and his joyful laughter. "I still can't believe it sometimes, you know?" Kai nodded.

"When grandfather found out…I-I thought for sure he'd do something…"

"I know…I was terrified, I thought he'd take-" Kai kissed him.

"Stop. Don't even go there. I love you, I love Sasha, I love the new life inside of you. I promised you the day I married you that I would never leave you. Till death do us part, remember? I wouldn't let anything or anyone come between us, Rei." Bright eyes stared at each other. Rei opened his mouth to speak, blinking back hormone and fear induced tears.

"Daddy! Down!" Rei jumped, as did Kai.

"Oh, Jesus! You scared me, Sasha…" Kai put the toddler on the ground, heart still in his throat. Children could scream rather loud at unexpected times.

"Sweeties panda!" And they did blurt out the strangest things more often than not. Kai and Rei blinked at each other. Shaking his head, Kai settled back down on the hospital bed, with Rei snuggled up against him like the cat he was. Together, they watched their firstborn play with Kiska, the battered old cat, talk to himself, saying words of nonsense, half made up and nonexistent.

The door opened silently, revealing the doctor. Smiling he closed it behind him, and sat down in the chair across from the bed. "Well, papas, I have good news. Rei truly is pregnant, about two months along, so by May there will be an addition to your family." The Hiwataris smiled. The doctor had confirmed it, making it more real than it already was. "I would like you to make an appointment with the secretary outside, have it scheduled a month from now, and I'll see you then, alright?" Nodding, they all stood up, and Rei once again gathered Sasha in his arms, Kiska in a tight grip.

5/1 2008, early afternoon.

Sasha blinked, small hands pushing at the offending object hindering him from hugging his papa properly. Rei startled when he felt Sasha press against his growing swell. "Papaaaaa!" The toddler whined, frustrated expression on his face. "Take 'way!" Small fists hammered. Gently, Rei took hold of them, tilting Sasha's sulking face up to meet his gaze.

"Do you remember when daddy and I told you about the new baby?" He nodded petulantly, holding out his hands.

"Want hug!" Rei obliged, holding the small, warm body closer to himself. "No!" Sasha wriggled, hands once again pushing at Rei's stomach. "Off!"

"Sasha!" Sasha shrank back, bottom lip trembling.

"I Sowy, papa!" The neko-jin sighed, eyes softening. He lifted the hem of his sweater, exposing his pregnant stomach to Sasha.

"I can't take it away." He took hold of Sasha's hand, tenderly pressing it against the bump. "The baby needs a safe place to grow big and strong, and the baby decided my tummy was the best place in the world." Guiding Sasha's hand, he gently patted his stomach. "You have to be gentle and soft, Sasha, so the baby won't be scared." The toddler nodded, face serious, patting gently like his papa instructed.

It wasn't long before he grew bored, and stood on wobbly legs on Rei's thighs, reaching for Rei's hair. Frustrated that he couldn't reach, Sasha went to hit, raising his hand. He stopped, gasping, looking horrified at Rei, their faces almost on the same level. "Papa! Daddyyy! Daddy!"

"Yes, Sasha?" Came Kai's voice from the kitchen, soft footsteps approaching.

"Papa owie!"

Kai walked in sitting next to Rei on the couch. "Papa's hurt?" Sasha nodded, jabbing the stomach. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly withdrew the finger, patting several times. Sasha gasped again, pulling his hand back. Mottled eyes filled with tears.

"Saa sowy!"

Rei cooed, laughing softly. "Oh sweetie, it's alright. It's just the baby moving, talking to us." He gathered Sasha in his arms, holding him close, softly patting the two toned hair. "Since it can't come out yet, the baby wants to show how much it likes us." Sasha sniffled, calming down. "Here…" Rei took a small hand, holding it against his stomach. "That's just your baby sister or brother saying hi."

"…baby?" Rei nodded. "Daddy?"

Kai smiled softly, placing his hand over Sasha's smaller. "The little one." The round face split up in an impossible wide grin, eyes sparkling. Proudly, he placed a sloppy kiss on the protruding bellybutton.

"Hi baby! I Saa!"

...

I was a bit hesitant about this chapter. But well. Done is done.

Make my day and R&R, please. :)