Fuji looked at her levelly, "Sakuno, he slipped and fell." The little boy roughly wiped his tears away but wondered what made his mother so frazzled.

The strength in Sakuno's body left her and she dropped to her knees. Tears started streaming down her face in relief. They hadn't come… But they would. It was only a matter of time.

"Can I have him, Fuji-senpai? Please bring him to me…" Sakuno pleaded. Before Fuji could move, the little boy got up quickly and ran into his mother's arms. Sakuno held the sweaty little boy close to her. Somehow, keeping him close to her calmed her down somehow but still, she looked around the vicinity. She could not see them but she was sure they were there. A huge change in her life again was inevitable now that Tezuka has met Tahe but what change, she does not know. All she knew was that, she will not see Tezuka again after today. She has broken the conditions set by them.

Tezuka and Kikumaru (who obviously overreacted) had followed closely behind Sakuno and Tezuka did not know what to do. He knew logically he should love this child and be worried but there was so much happening. He did not know how to feel. He was worried over what Sakuno had been worried about and had been relieved that she had nothing to worry about (behind him, Oishi bonked Kikumaru's head for his overreaction).

"Is he alright?" Tezuka asked cautiously, squatting down to their level. He saw Tahe throw him a glare ("Neh Mamushi" "What is it, baka?" "That glare looks a lot like Tezuka's resting b-face" "Pshh"). Tahe was not happy. The bad man was too close to him and his mother.

Sakuno looked over to him and realised that she has not checked the state of her son in her panic. She quickly (but gently) pushed the boy back so that she could see his state better. She could see a bruise on his face from when he fell and the scrape on his knee was wrapped up so she assumes that there was a scrape. It was probably tended to by Fuji right before she ran over in her panic. After double checking, she finally looked over at her ex-lover.

"He's fine" she replied. Tezuka let out a breath that he did not know he was holding. Then he realised. Maybe he really did care about Tahe more than he thought.

"Sakuno," Sakuno looked up to Inui, who addressed her, "What do you mean by 'what did they do'?" He, Fuji and Tezuka (not everyone else because they're either too far or not as observant) noted that Sakuno's eyes widened in panic before relaxing in resignation. Sakuno looked around her and looked at every regular in the eyes before deciding, holding her boy closer.

"They probably know by now anyway…" They heard Sakuno say under her breath before looking up at Tezuka, "Is there anywhere private we could talk?" Tezuka blinked twice at her words and if he was a different man, he would have said "what?" but he was not that man.

"Home?" he suggested but Sakuno immediately shook her head and then glanced at Oishi instead. From what she last remembered, Oishi and Kikumaru were in the process of buying their first house. The silent question translated to Oishi.

"We can talk at my place." Oishi suggested.

"Thank you…" Sakuno replied. Her brain was working fast. She needs to make sure that nothing happens on the way over to Oishi and Kikumaru's so that mean… Sakuno turns towards Tezuka.

"Tezuka-san, can we go with you to Oishi's house?" Tezuka nodded but was still slightly confused. In fact, he has been confused this whole day it seems. It's either that or whatever god or author that is writing his storyline out doesn't seem to know what other words to describe his emotions than the word "confused".

"She doesn't want to go home but she would voluntarily be in a confined space with me after hiding from me for so many years. Maybe she is just nervous about coming back to the place where we had so many memories?" Tezuka silently wondered as the whole regulars team dispersed to go to their respective cars.

"Okaa-san, I'm sleepy…" complained the little boy who snuggled closer to his okaa-san.

"Go to sleep, Tahe. Kaa-san's got you," Sakuno assured, patting his back in a comforting way while they walked over to Tezuka's car. Soon enough, the parents could hear the small boy snoring slightly, worn out from his very active and eventful day.

"I can carry him," Tezuka offered without thinking before kicking himself in the head. Sometimes, he wonders if he was ever that man he was 5 years ago when every decision he made was after careful consideration but to be fair, he has been questioning his judgement and sanity for the past 5 years anyway.

At first, Sakuno seemed reluctant to relent but then she seemed to have come to some conclusion or decision inside her head before she nodded. Tezuka then slowly gathered his son into his arms while Sakuno kept a hand on Tahe once he settled into Tezuka's arms.

He couldn't describe his feelings with his son's childish body in his arms. He finally could see him closer as well as he could see a touch of Sakuno here and there. His son's hair was slightly darker than his and slightly more reddish toned and he slept like Sakuno which was that nothing could wake her after she falls asleep. Maybe he did not really get it then but now he was sure. This was his. His boy whom he will protect. The product of his love with…

Then he looked up to Sakuno who was having the oddest look on her face. She seemed happy, sad and lonely all at the same time as she looked at her son in his father's arms.

"Sakuno," Tezuka called out to her to get her attention. It worked and she looked up at him. "I don't know what's going on but no matter what, even if you don't want me anymore, I will love our son and I will love you." He reached out for her hand and she let him hold it. Sakuno's eyes then filled up with unshed tears.

"Thank you."

There were no more words exchanged as they walked to Tezuka's car. The father then responsibly strapped his son in. There was no child car seat and Tahe was too big to sit on Sakuno's lap so unfortunately they had to make do. Tezuka made a mental note to drive extra carefully for today. All this while, he was aware of the pair of chocolate coloured eyes that observed him as he made sure his son was comfortable because getting into the driver's seat.

"It's been a long time since we sat in a car together…" Sakuno commented, "You haven't changed your car since either." Nostalgia filled them as Sakuno traced her fingers along the headboard. There were so many memories within this car. Some better than others but after losing each other for so long, every memory, even the bad ones, were better than their lives without each other.

"Yes, it has…" Silence continued in the car before Tezuka broke it.

"So, he likes tennis?" to this, Sakuno chuckled. Usually she is the one that filled up the silence occasionally but that was in the past. It seems that Tezuka was very carefully trying to find out more information about her son and possibly about her.

"Definitely. Couldn't take his eyes off the TV whenever matches were on and the minute he started to walk, he played with the tennis balls and this year, he's been begging me to put him in classes."

"And you haven't?" Sakuno bit her inner cheek.

"I couldn't." She replied. This made Tezuka glance at her slightly before looking back onto the road and replying.

"I can help with the expenses. At least allow me to do that" he insisted.

"It's not… It's not about the money…" Sakuno fiddled with her skirt before continuing, "If he had gotten into classes… Someone would've recognised him…" At this, Tezuka made the connection. Any self-respecting tennis lover (or teacher) would be able to recognise his mini-me immediately. It did not bode well with him but he made the conscious decision not to be the careless man he was the whole afternoon with his rash attitude.

"You were hiding him from me?" he tried to ask in a level tone.

"I didn't have a choice." Sakuno thought to herself but kept quiet and gathered her thoughts on how to answer him. Tezuka took note of the silence that was being dragged out.

"Maybe this is not as simple as a 'yes' or 'no' situation" Tezuka thought deeply to him, keeping his eyes on the road as he carefully drove over speed bumps to ensure that the jolting movement wont interrupt his son's sleep. His son. Tezuka glanced at the rearview mirror to look at the innocent boy, putting his thumb into his mouth. Tezuka then chuckled which then drew Sakuno out of her thoughts.

"I used to do that." Tezuka said, using his head to indicated Tahe. Sakuno then looked back and laughed a little.

"He doesn't like showing that part of him to others. He says it's 'personal'" Sakuno used her two hands to create quotation marks in the air. Then it became quiet again before Sakuno broke the silence, "He's a good boy."

"You raised him well. For him to have come to attack me for upsetting his mother. He's going to be a fine young man one day." At this, Tezuka saw that Sakuno beamed slightly before looking a bit anxious and back at her hands. He wasn't sure of his movements but reached over to hold her hand and she let him. After that, it was silence until they pulled into Oishi and Kikumaru's house. They could already see their teammates gathering in the front lawn, out of their cars that were parked on the street. Kikumaru (as usual) was jumping and waving "Hoi Hoi!" as if Tezuka and Sakuno couldn't see them. Tezuka parked behind Fuji and made a move faster than Sakuno to pick up the sleeping boy. Sakuno just stood around him, like a mother hen watching her little chick being picked up. She reached over and smoothed Tahe's already-neat hair. The little boy smiled in his sleep and snuggled closer to Tezuka. Sakuno looked up to Tezuka and gave a little nod before they moved together to join their teammates at the lawn and then into the house.

"Tahe can sleep in the guest room upstairs-", Oishi suggested but was cut off by Sakuno's very quick "No!" All the regulars turned to look at her while the sleeping boy continued to sleep.

"I'll explain later but Tahe doesn't wake up until he wants to wake up… If it's alright, he could be with us?" Everyone looked at Sakuno in a way as if she has grown two heads. Usually the brunette girl would blush but right now, Tahe's safety is the most important to her.

"Alright…" Oishi said slowly, "We can talk in the living room." At this, all the regulars slowly filed into the modest living room. Oishi and Kikumaru gestured for everyone to sit on the available couches and this left themselves to sit on the floor across from them. Kawamura and Kaidoh sat on the two-seater whereas Fuji, Sakuno and Tezuka sat on the corner couch with Tahe on the long end and his head on his mother's lap. Inui just stood nearby, next to Kawamura. Momoshiro sat on the armrest of the two-seater.

"Would you explain everything to us now?" Momoshiro asked, impatient with all the tension that was built up. At this, Sakuno took a deep breath and remained silent for a few minutes before speaking.