Four days passed before Hitomi was able to look at any reflective surfaces. She was afraid of what she might See but avoiding windows and mirrors for the rest of her life seemed a bit extreme. With Van at her side Hitomi finaly pulled their bedroom mirror away from the wall. The mirror rippled as Hitomi's gaze fell on it but other than that nothing too odd happened and Hitomi was thankfull.
Hitomi had spent the last four days with Rosie. After Tar's warning Hitomi realized just how little time she spent with her friend anymore. The Queen's breakfast and lunch was brought to Rosie's room every day and Hitomi did her best to keep Rosie company. She told Rosie about all the gossip that was going around the palace and about the fight she over heard between Tina and Merle. Rosie was very interested in what she was missing now that she was bed bound and could no longer hear it all first hand.
"I wish I had been there. Has Christopher given Tina any pressents, yet?" Rosie asked, brushing her wild curls away from her face.
"None that I've heard about. I think he's afriad she'll reject him." Hitomi smiled. She could remember days like that. There had been so many times when she wanted to tell Van how she felt but was afraid that he didn't feel the same. There had also been many days when she'd wished he would just admit how he was feeling towards her. Good or bad, anything would have been better than constantly wondering.
But then again there had been Allen aswell.
The image of Allen's broken body being forced to keep fighting entered her mind and Hitomi pushed her lunch away from her.
"Ah, puppy love." Rosie laughed, her hands on her swollen belly, "Pennin had been so nervous that he use to circle our tent four or five times before getting up enough nerve to ask my father if he could take me for a walk." Rosie's sweet laugh filled the room and Hitomi smiled.
"Was your father a big man?" Hitomi asked, getting a visual of a younger, paler Pennin cowering as he asked to take Rosie for a walk.
"Not realy. He was an entertainer just like the rest of us. Pennin and I met when I was twelve. Our fathers saw our romance starting long before we even knew that our friendship had changed. Our shows were usualy in the same towns at the same time and we saw alot of each other. Thinking back on it now, I know I loved him right from that first moment." Rosie sighed happily before turning to Hitomi, "Sorry if I'm boring you."
"You're not." Hitomi smiled, "I love hearing about people falling in love, as sappy as that is."
"Was it love at first sight for you and Van?" Rosie asked.
"Actualy the first time I saw Van was in a vission and I thought I was losing my mind and then when I actauly met him he was very rude and I slapped him for scaring me." Hitomi smiled as Rosie looked at her in complete shock.
"Well, it started like this..." Hitomi started telling Rosie the part of the story no one other than Van, Hitomi and Merle knew. She told Rosie about the day she had the vission and about the track meet and about the request for her frist kiss from Amano.
Before she knew it Hitomi had told Rosie everything that had happened, even Allen's purposal.
"You really should write all of your adventures down. The only thing written about your part in the war was done by one of the council. The personal details about what it was like to be thrust from your world to ours have never been mentioned." Rosie was silent for a minute, "I can't even begin to think of how yu must have felt."
"I knew I had to help Van because I felt he needed me and he had promised to help me return back to the Mystic Moon." Hitomi leaned back in her chair and smiled, "Though I did blow up at Van a few times about wanting to go home. Poor guy, I think I cried too much for his tastes. He didn't know what to do with me most of the time. He also had to save me more than once..."
Rosie laughed, "Men never know what to do with a crying female. It took me years to convince Pennin that not all tears are sad tears."
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Van listened to Hitomi breathe as she slept. He was tired but not sleepy. He was worrying about Zaibach. Not exactly a new worry for him but this night he couldn't get his mind off them.
What would happen if they got Hitomi and the baby? She would be 6 months pregnant by the time all the snow was gone and she wouldn't be able to run away if she had to.
Van knew what would happen if Zaibach captured Hitomi and the baby. If for some reason Hitomi couldn't fight her way out with her powers he would pull the place apart stone by stone and kill anyone who tried to stop him.
Rolling over, Van wrapped a protective arm aroudn his wife. He knew it was unlikely that Zaibach owuld get anywhere close to Hitomi without her 'fading' back to the Mystic Moon. His worries were useless but he couldn't push them aside.
It felt as though had just closed his eyes when he felt Hitomi jump up out of bed.
"Whats wrong?" he asked, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all but the sun could be seen though the windows.
"Rosie's baby." is all his wife said before rushing out of the room in her nightgown.
Van quickly followed to find that the healer had already been called and Pennin stood outside the door as pale as his white button up shirt.
"What's happening?" Van asked, grabbing the man's arms as he swayed.
"The baby's coming. Rosie's in so much pain and there's blood everywhere." Pennin swallowed and if it was possible paled another shade or two.
Van gently helped Pennin to the floor before opening the door to his friend's room. Inside he found complete chaos.
Rosie was screaming in pain, the healer was screaming in frustration and Hitomi was screaming in anger.
It was his wife's voice he heard above the others, "What do you mean you can only save one of them!"
"She's bleeding so bad." the healer, an older woman said with a growl, "I've seen this before. If we wait for the baby to be born the mother will die from blood loss and if we try to heal the mother first then the baby will drown."
"You can't heal her untill the baby is out anyways!" Hitomi yelled.
"No, we could give her some herbs to quicken the delivery." the healer said witha tone that gave Van a sick feeling.
"And what do these herbs do to the baby?" he asked, startling the healer.
"Nothing good." the woman admitted, "But if we're to save the mother..."
"Get out!" Hitomi pushed the older woman to the door, "Get out!"
"B-b-but my Queen-" the woman stuttered, "they will both die."
"No they won't." Hitomi slammed the door in the woman's face and turned to Van, "Tell Pennin I wil be back for him and you in an hours time if I can."
"Hitomi." Rosie groaned, "It hurts."
"I know." Hitomi knelt beside her friend, "I'm taking to the Mystic Moon. They'll be able to handle this. I won't let you or baby die if I can do anything about it."
And just as quick as that Van found himself standing in an empty room with a blood soaked bed in front of him.
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As soon as HItomi felt solid ground beneath her feet she started yelling for help. Within seconds her family was standing in front of her looking dazed and lost. All of them had hastily pulled on robes and slippers.
"Hitomi who is that?" her father asked, unnerved by the woman covered in blood.
"Mom, call for help. Rosie's baby is coming but theres something wrong. I don't know how to fix it." Hitomi barely realized that she was using her 'Queen' Voice but it seemed to help because her mother snapped into action with out anyquestions.
"Chiro go get a towel, and hurry." Hitomi turned to her father as her brother ran from the room, "If you say one thing negative I'm not sure how I will react so if I were you I'd keep my mouth shut." she warned.
"Are you threatening your own father?" he was shocked to say the least.
"Just warning you, dad." Hitomi didn't spare him a glance as she moved slowly past him with Rosie clinging tightly to her side.
"Towel." Chiro said as he sprinted back into the room.
"Help's on the way." Hitomi's mum said from the kitchen.
"Good." Hitomi helped Rosie to a chair, "Now, I'm gonna try to get some of this off you." Hitomi began to gently wipe blood off her friends hands and feet, "Help is coming. Just try to breathe."
There was a banging at the door and Chiro ran to let the men into the house. Rosie was quickly carted out to the waiting vehicle and then to the hospitol with Hitomi right by her side.
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Pennin couldn't stop pacing. He was worried about his wife and son. Yes, he was happy that Hitomi had taken her to get help but he was going crazy with not knowing what was happening. Van had tried to calm him down but the King was just as stressed as his friend and soon they had resorted to staying silent and out of each others way.
Pennin paced and Van polished his sword.
Nearly two hours had passed and Pennin was begining to go into a full panic when Hitomi was suddenly standing in front of him.
Pennin stopped quickly, trying not to crash into her as she held out a paper bag, "Put these on and then we'll go." she threw another bag at Van and then left them to scramble in to the jeans and sweatshirts she had quickly purchased in a moment of clear thinking. They had to look as though they belonged there or else too many questions would be asked.
Hitomi returned as Van pulled his grey sweatshirt over his head, "I didn't know what size shoes either of you wore and I figured no one would be looking at your feet in the hospitol. Pennin, I know it will be hard but I need you to stay as calm as you can once we get to where we are going. Things are very different on my world and I will do my best to explain everything I can to you as it happens but for Rosie's safety and the safety of your baby, please don't ask any questions. I will be right by your side. I won't let anything bad happen, I promise."
Pennin nodded. Hitomi was talking quickly and she looked as though she was about to rip someone's face off.
"Are you ok?" Van asked his wife as she rached out and took both of their hands.
"I will be fine." Hitomi said as the room faded around them.
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The three of them ran from Hitomi's parents house out to a cab Hitomi had waiting for them. Pennin hesitated for half a second before climbing in after Van and Hitomi. He trusted them completely and he needed to be by Rosie's side. All he could think about was how scared his wife must be in this strange place with no one she knows.
As if she was reading Pennin's mind Hitomi reached out and squeezed his hand, "She's ok. My mom is with her. The doctors said that once the baby comes they can fix what ever is wrong with Rosie."
"Thank the Gods you acted quickly." Pennin said quietly.
"I acted as any friend would." Hitomi looked out the front window clutching Van's hand tightly.
Pennin felt his stomack drop as he looked up at the large white building the cab was pulling up in front of. Surely, this was a palace of some kind.
"Come on." Hitomi reached across Pennin and opened the door, "Your wife is waiting for us." she shoved a bunch of money into the driver's hand before climbing out.
Van and Pennin were both nervous and unsure about what this building was and as they followed Hitomi up one set of stairs after another they were both left wondering who was in charge of such a place.
Hitomi finaly went through one of the many doors they had seen as they climbed and imemdaitely they were face to face with her mom.
"The baby was born a few minutes ago. They've taken him to give him a full check over while the doctors take care of Rosie." Hitomi's mom smiled at Pennin, "You married a very brave woman. You'll be able to see her in a few hours."
"Thank you." Pennin looked around, "Where is my son."
"He should be down this hall with all the other babies." Hitomi's mom nodded down the left hand side of the hall, "Would you like me to help you find him?"
"Yes, I would like that." Pennn followed Uchida as if he was in a daze.
That morning he had thought he was going to loose both his wife and his son and now he was being told that they would both be ok. Whatever Gods had a hand in it, he would have to thank when Rosie and his baby boy were back in Fanelia with him.
"So what happened?" Van asked as he led Hitomi over to a waiting area.
"They said it was a blood clot. I'm not exactly sure where or how but it was big. It would have killed them both. I hope Pennin's not mad at me for making him miss the birth of his son." Hitomi slumped into a chair.
"Men aren't usualy in the room for births." Van sat next to his and wrapped an arm around her.
"Realy?" Hitomi looked up at Van, "Well I hope it's not a taboo because I want you there when this baby is born. I don't want to have to do it by meself."
"If you want me there I will be there." Van laughed. What he didn't say was that men usualy avoided birthing rooms because they were always in danger of having something thrown at them by their wives.
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A/N: This chapter doesn't feel done to me but I've been holding onto this for days. I hope you all are happy with what is here and excited for what will be coming.
QueenTatooine- I coud have died when I got your review. That is how it was going to be but I decided to give them a few days of rest.
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