Chapter 23

Melee was busy.

Not only was she hunting for Garou, she had to keep a constant eye on him too. This has been nothing like all the other births they have been through. Garou himself was acting strangely. He would eat when told, and yet he was retaining weight most of the time, when he felt himself slim down, he panicked and insisted he needed to get some food into himself. Melee had no other choice but to oblige him. It was this regiment that kept him calm, and ensured the health of the children contained within him. They were still very slow to develop and grow, Garou refuses to get into any sort of confrontations or fights, even arguments he avoids! It was strange to say the least.

Today was one of those days too. Drax turns back into a human, Amai is coming by to pick him up to get his school uniforms ready and promised to take Drax out for lunch. Alley has been oddly distant all summer. She has gone to the lab constantly, but hasn't utter a word as to what she was up to or doing.

If anything, she's been very secluded.

Pac and Hunter have been hard at work as the new M Class Dragons, the two work well and have been hunting for their father.

Garou keeps himself as still as possible.

He has been acting odd, a little too odd for her liking. Garou has taken the guest mattresses and every spare pillow possible in the house and plied it all up into the corner of the living room. From there he would nestle himself in and hardly move for the rest of the day! He did just that as she was going through the supplies in the kitchen, the moment he got himself comfortable, he went into a meditative state.

"I don't like this… not at all… you aren't acting like you, Garou!" she announced that morning.

His wings he kept wrapped around himself, his hand gently caressing his belly but he refused to move an inch. "I want them to be safe." Was all he would say.

She rolled her eyes. "I get that, I understand that too. But Snek said they have gotten stronger, he felt it. Hell you had Genos here just a few days ago who stated the triplets were nearly at the weight they should be!"

"Nearly!" he said defiantly. "But they aren't yet! Until then, I will keep doing this… I'm just starting to notice the ridges on me..."

There was no changing his mind, Garou was set in his ways of tending to the new brood. She knew nothing she says now will change his method other wises. With a sigh, Melee did the next best thing, going over the family pantry and seeing what needs to be bought. Drax going back to school meant lunches, so snacks are needed, drinks and what not. Yet as she went through the list in her mind, she paused. Checking the time it was 10:34am. Drax was usually up at nine, no matter what.

"Is Drax okay? He should be awake by now."

"Snek put him in his room last night, I haven't heard a peep out of him." Said Garou. "But he's back to normal now, he's not a snake kid. Maybe the turn tired him out?"

"But he woke early the last time, just before eight o'clock in the morning…"

THUD.

"There he is." Garou said with a smirk on his face.

She rolled her eyes. Snek had left early that morning to finish up that farm job with the monster rats. Apparently another wave of them struck and were caught just last night. She sat at the kitchen table and started the list needed for back to school items, when a knock came on the door. She sighed and answered it herself. Garou wasn't going anywhere to say the least.

As the door opened, she rolled her eyes as Amai stood there leaning against the doorway. "Melee…" he said in a coy tone.

"Come on, Drax is still sleeping."

"Ah, sleeping in before going back to school, understandable…" He paused and noticed Garou in the corner. "Garou… looking… well?" he said offhandedly.

But there was no response from the human monster. He wasn't even paying attention. "Don't mind him, he's not himself."

"Ah."

Suddenly they heard a bedroom door creep open. "Can… can someone help me?"

"Drax? Is everything okay?" called Melee.

"Uh… I don't know."

She was about to go see, until Amai cut her off. "Allow me." He insisted. With that he went down the hall. "Drax, don't think I forgot about our arrangement for lunch. But it appears… Oh…" Amai fell oddly silent. He returned a short time later, and appeared a little lost. "Uh… Melee… what do you do if a child has a very sudden growth spurt?"

#

He cringed.

The last of the rats was consumed once more, much to the dismay of Snek. "I hope that's the last of them. These hairy bastards are not the easiest thing to eat!" he announced.

The farmers were hoping so too, but no one knew for sure. With the job done, Snek decided it was time to head for home. Drax would be up by then, Amai probably already took him out for new clothing. Yet as he slithered along, his phone went off. "You got Snek" he said.

"Snek… Amai… Odd favor to ask of you."

"You asking anything of me is odd. What is it?"

"I need you to pick up some clothing for Drax."

He paused. "Wait, wait. I thought you were doing the back to school shopping with him."

"I am, but your son needs clothing so I can TAKE him back to school shopping."

The conversation was getting rather confusing quickly. He needed to get clothing so Amai could take him out to get clothes? "Okay… what the hell is going on!?"