A/N: yes it has been forever since I updated this story but I hope you enjoy this chapter because I plan to hopefully get back into updating my fanfics :)

Chapter 2:

Tomoya arrived back at his apartment later that night. He hadn't planned to stay gone so long since work finished earlier that afternoon but he didn't feel like going home right away and then remembered he had to buy groceries because despite not caring about much lately he figured if he was going to force himself to work he would need the energy from food to be able to work. He almost forgot who agreed to watch Ushio for him until, to his surprise, he opened the door and saw Tomoyo still there.

She was asleep on the floor next to the bassinet. He set the grocery bags down on the kitchen counter then walked into the room and looked down at Tomoyo, she actually looked peaceful sleeping there and Ushio too. He sighed and kneeled down to nudge her shoulder, "Tomoyo? Yo, wake up."

She stirred in her sleep before her blue eyes opened and spotted him. "Oh, Tomoya," she sat up and rubbed an eye before looking at the clock. Her eyes widened and she jumped up in alarm, not realizing how late it was getting.

"Did you just get home?" she asked. Tomoya nodded as he sat down and relaxed against the table, it had been a long day. "Yeah, I had to stop by and get groceries," he motioned with his head toward the kitchen. When she looked back at him he continued, rubbing his neck, "Look, uh thanks for staying and watching Ushio. I doubt you'll have to stay like this again. Usually Senae and Akio watch her but they were busy today," he explained. "It was no trouble actually," Tomoyo said, "...well I better get going."

She turned and headed for the door, but stopped. Everyone had started tip-toeing around Tomoya and giving in to his mood lately. While she felt it was completely understandable for him to be grieving and even depressed, she also knew he had to make some kind of change because he couldn't expect Ushio to get tossed around the way she had been for the past few weeks, it wasn't fair to her. She turned slowly, preparing herself for a fight that was surely to come.

"Tomoya," she started softly at first, "I know this has been hard for you, we all miss Nagisa and no one expects you to be ok right now, but Ushio is a wonderful little girl who you've seem to be neglecting." Tomoya had been rubbing his aching muscles when he heard Tomoyo speak again and looked at her as if he couldn't believe what she was saying.

"Neglected?" he said, his temper rising faster than Tomoyo had inticipated and he was up like a shot and storming over to her with a frown. "I keep working so she has the things she needs. I make sure she has someone to stay with 24/7," he argued, fuming.

Tomoyo's eyes widened at his sudden outburst and not surprised when she heard Ushio start to cry. She frowned, "You're not giving her what she needs Tomoya and as far as supplying her with things like diapers, food, blankets, her grandparents have been doing that," at the sudden realization in his eyes she continued, "that's right I talked to Senae because I've been worried about you and she tells me that you haven't been giving them any money. You just hand her over expecting them to take care of her."

Tomoya frowned once again, "She's better off without me," he stot back, looking away some. "No she's not and maybe, just maybe you need her too," Tomoyo walked over to the bassinet and picked the crying infant up and rocked her, looking down at her, "you haven't even gotten to know her."

Tomoya watched her with Ushio as she conintued to talk, now with a smile on her face, "She's so sweet. While I was watching her I didn't think I could do it either, take care of her while you were gone, but once I relaxed and figured out what I was doing it was actually pretty amazing. I actually don't mind looking after Ushio while you're at work if it would help you take the time to.."

but Tomoya cut her off. "You're not her mother," he frowned more as he took Ushio from Tomoyo and looked at her as if her words had triggered something in him , "I said I appreciated you looking after her today but it's not your place to say things like that. I'm her father and I'll decide what is best for her."

Tomoyo felt tears trying to reach the surface of her eyes but she turned from him before she shed them, "I was just trying to help because like all the others I care about you and Ushio, just as we did Nagisa and I know she would want all of us to come together and maybe I.." she shook her head. "Nevermind," she added quietly and left, closing the door a little more forcefully than she meant to.

Tomoya was left speechless and still holding his crying daughter in his arms.

It had been a week since that night and he had barely talked to any of his friends who had come by to check on things, deep down he was feeling too many things. Now on top of being depressed and empty, he was feeling guilty and regretful for how things ended with Tomoyo. He still wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to Ushio but he still tried to make some sort of effort where she was concerned, but mostly he ended up relying on Senae and Akio to take over parenting duties.

He really did feel as if they did a much better job at it than he could at the moment, his heart was just not in it. It wasn't until the following Friday, when Tomoyo was expected to show up, that he knew he really messed up. The door knocks sounded different than usual on Friday morning and after changing into his work uniform he got a surprise when he opened the door.

There in front of him was Kyou, her arms crossed and a particular scowl on her face.

Tomoya tried to look innocent, "Where's Tomoyo?" he even asked innocently.

Kyou shook her head and put a hand on his chest pushing him further back into the apartment, work could wait. "Oh Tomoya," she said, still shaking her head, "you are in trouble. You really think she would come back after what you did?" Tomoya didn't seem phazed by her action, he actually expected more physical violence from her, "Oh..she told you."

She slapped him over the head. And there it was.

"Of course she told me," Kyou put her hands on her hips, "ok so I kind of forced it out of her when she said she couldn't come check on you, but that's neither here nor there."

"I didn't think she would get that mad," Tomoya said, his tone actually a little surprised in itself.

Kyou sighed, "You really don't get it do you? Out of all of us you can tell she's the most worried about you. I mean yeah we all want to see if you're ok and we all like looking after Ushio, but you should see how worried Tomoyo has been over you for the past few weeks. She can't even concentrate at work." She shrugged dramatically, "I heard she even cooked you breakfast one morning and you didn't think she'd get that mad at the things you told her?" She knocked on his head with her fist, "Wake up Tomoya."

Tomoya looked down, taking in all that she was saying then something seemed to click in his head, as if Kyou's knocking woken something. He looked back at Kyou, "Will you watch Ushio for me?" He barely stayed long enough to hear her agree before sprinting out of the apartment. Kyou crossed her arms as she watched him leave with a smirk.

How could he be so stupid? Tomoya thought as he ran down the street toward Tomoyo's place. He knocked on the door, but no matter how many times he knocked there was no answer. He hurried to the bus station to take the next bus to the university she attended. He made a dash around the school looking for her without any luck. It was the middle of the afternoon when he gave up his search and walked along the path near the beach.

He was looking down and only glanced up a couple of times to look at the water when he saw a girl his age with silvery hair sitting on a blanket on the sand, looking out at the ocean. The girl he was looking for.

He made his way toward her amd stopped a few feet behind her, "You really think I can do it, raise Ushio myself?" he asked. Tomoyo turned to look at him, "I always believed you could do it Tomoya," she answered then looked back out at the water.

Tomoya sat down beside her on the blanket and looked out too, "I'm sorry," he spoke quietly, causing her to look back at him. "Ever since Nagisa died none of this has felt real. I don't even feel real anymore. It's like I'm alive but I'm not, just wandering around breathing but not so sure I want to," Tomoya's fists clenched in the sand at his sides as tears rolled down his cheeks, "Nagisa's gone and it's like my light is gone and I'm in constant darkness now. My body automatically continues doing things like going to work, eating, sleeping but my heart is gone. Nagisa was everything to me." By this time he was shaking from crying so hard, as if he hadn't let himself properly get everything out until now.

He then felt a hand on his trembling fist and looked over to meet Tomoyo's eyes. He could see the sadness for him in her eyes. "You didn't completely lose Nagisa," Tomoyo spoke softly, "she is still with you, in Ushio. Everytime I look at Ushio I see Nagisa in her," she lightly squeezed his hand, "she will always be with you Tomoya."

She was right. He couldn't believe he was so focused on losing Nagisa that he missed to look for Nagisa in their daughter, even at a month old he could see a lot of Nagisa in her. Tomoya opened his mouth to speak, he felt so foolish at ignoring Ushio, for treating his friends poorly and for taking advantage of Nagisa's parents, but he couldn't think of what to say.

Tomoyo on the other hand smiled, she could feel what he was trying to say. She stood up and held her hand out to him to help him up, "I'll walk home with you." Tomoya blinked in surprise at her being so willing to help him after all he said to her and how he treated her, but slowly took her hand and stood.

"I assume Kyou is watching Ushio right now," Tomoyo said on their way back to the apartment. "Yeah," Tomoya answered then looked at her curiously, "so how did Kyou convince you to tell her what happened between us?" Tomoyo rolled her eyes some, "She threatened to get into a fist fight with me if I didn't spill all the details and I didn't want to embarress her by kicking her ass in front of all the daycare kids she helps look after as part of teacher training."

For the first time in at least a month Tomoya laughed. Tomoyo looked at him and a smile spread across her lips.