Chapter Two
Himeno had to admit, saying her life was ordinary was the understatement of the year, and she wasn't even thinking about the Pretear drama as yet. And when it did happen, wee, that was sayonara to anything surrounding normal. But somehow, through it all, her family had learned to cope with it. Well, at least they appeared to, but this…this was just uncompromisable.
Her… a parent?
And even worse, the implication of referring to Hayate as 'papa' was…
Shuddering, she snapped out of her trance. No. This was wrong. This child obviously had to be utterly confused. Of course she was, she didn't even look like two. So, she probably didn't even understand what she was saying.
"Papa and Mama!" the child cooed obviously happy with herself.
"No. no. no. I am not mama," said Himeno pointing to herself and shaking her head so hard, she was sure it would fall off. If her father didn't get to that first if he heard some kid calling her mommy.
"Mama!" the child insisted.
"No," she deadpanned.
"Mama!"
"No"
"Mama!" Himeno sighed, and then was struck with an idea.
"Come here!" she said with outstretched arms.
"Mama?" the child appeared confused by the sudden change in personality, but then toppled over into Himeno's arms. "Mama!"
"I am mama," smiled Himeno. "Not!"
The child immediately begun sniffling and before Himeno could react, burst into tears.
"Uh, Oh no!" She awkwardly cradled the crying child, trying to calm her down.
Hayate, who had just recovered from his initial shock, stood.
"You made her cry Tulip head."
"Me? What was I supposed to do? She wouldn't stop calling me mama! What is this child thinking anyway? I'm waaay too young to be a mother and-"
"Uh, just-" annoyed, Hayate took the crying child who immediately stopped crying.
"Papa," she sniffed, her small hands reaching to curl around his neck.
Himeno frowned at the scene. Ok, she had to admit, Hayate seemed suddenly fatherly.
"Good girl. Don't cry. I know that tulip head over there is scary, but I've had to endure her for a year."
Himeno twitched as she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, at Hayate's 'comforting words,' which got the child to smile and coo.
"Ha-ya-te," she said with a dangerous glint in her eye, only to realize the jerk had disappeared. "Huh? Wait up!" She called as spotted him already carrying the giggling child away.
~Pretear fanfic~
"Hey, took you long enough," said Hayate on seeing Himeno pass out in front of him. She hopped back up almost immediately.
"What do you mean? After you left me to go through that hell by myself… huh? Where is the baby?" asked Himeno.
"Right here." Hayate moved to show the child playing with some flowers.
"Oh, I was hoping it was some weird daydream," she muttered to herself.
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing. It's weird how she suddenly appeared, but more importantly I wonder where her parents are?" Her expression suddenly darkened, "And if this is someone's idea of a joke…" she trailed off.
"Then, let's look for her parents. Maybe she just crawled away from them," said Hayate.
"Right," agreed Himeno.
~Pretear fanfic~
"There's no one in particular around the residence," said Hayate.
"I've seen no one either and plus she getting heavy," complained Himeno looking at the sleeping child. "Listen cutey. You're quite heavy, and frankly, I don't know how you could sleep at a time like this!"
"You expect her to wake up and answer you?"
"Hey Himeno!" Mannen's voiced called out to them.
Himeno stiffened. She did get the gut feeling she'd forgotten something. She turned with a nervous smile as the three younger knights ran up to her.
"We've been hiding for ages so that means we win!" Hajime said, approaching with Shin.
"You didn't forget about us, did you?" asked Mannen, with a look which made Himeno guiltily step backwards.
"Hey Hayate!" Mayune was suddenly approaching, "Oh!" she bent down to admire the sleeping child in Himeno's arms, "Who's the baby Himeno?"
"Uh…" Himeno was never a good liar.
"This is my cousin. I'm watching her today," Hayate intervened quickly.
"She's so cute. She looks like you Hayate!"
"What? Hayate doesn't-" Hayate clamped a hand over Mannen's mouth and shot him a silencing glare.
"Anyway Mayune, we have to go now," said Himeno.
"We? Are you helping Hayate?" she glanced between both of them before announcing," If that's the case then I want in."
"Actually-" started Hayate before Himeno held him back with a flat look on her face.
"Two words Mayune," she said, "Diaper changing."
Mayune immediately scrunched her nose in disgust. "Probably another time Hayate." She looked competitively at Himeno, "Because there will be. I'll never lose to you Himeno!" she declared before taking off.
"Okay, so will you guys tell me what's up?" asked Mannen.
"Yeah, who's the baby?" Shin questioned.
"Well, we don't know," Himeno said.
"We're looking for her parents now," Hayate added, "So you guys can help."
~Pretear fanfic~
Himeno sat down on a bench still holding the baby girl, as she panted.
"I can't believe this. In all this time we've come up with nothing!" She frowned. "And she's so heavy."
Hayate reached over and took the child.
"Huh?" Himeno raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're tired right? I'm just helping you out," he said.
"Well, what do we have here?" The highly energetic, amusement laced voice was easy to place.
"Gou!" Both jumped to their feet, frantically turning away as Gou came closer.
"Hey Himeno, Hayate! Someone suggested leaving the baby at a hospital!" called Hajime, much to their disappointment.
"Huh?" Gou looked back and forth between the younger knights and a very red Himeno and Hayate, "Baby!" he exclaimed with an accusing grin thrown Hayate's way while wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.
The sudden sharp cry of the child was enough to snap Himeno out of her embarrassment, "Great Gou, you woke her up!" she frowned at him.
Gou seemed affected in the least as he hovered over the now screaming child as Hayate tried to comfort her.
"Aw, isn't she the cutest! And big daddy Hayate looks so fatherly!" He slapped Hayate, who could only send a glare his way, as he was preoccupied.
"Papa," sniffed the child, rubbing her eye.
The moment of silence was broken by Gou's outburst of laughter.
"This is whack!" he managed, still wiping away tears, " And let me guess, she calls you mama?"
Himeno could only shoot him a brief look of annoyance before it happened again- a moment of complete silence. Except, this time, the cause was different. It was the familiar impulse that rendered them all frozen, the sudden urge to reach out to some life form dominating.
"What's…" she barely started before Hayate was on top of the game, thrusting the child to her.
"Guys, change!" he commanded immediately.
No sooner had the rest of them done this, out of nowhere, a swift motion shot towards the group. Wrapping his arms securely around Himeno's waist, Hayate lept out of the way with the others in the nick of time.
"What is that thing?" asked Mannen as the knights turned to get a good look of the creature before them with possibly hundreds of tentacles shooting threateningly outwards.
"Maybe that's what we were supposed to find out in the meeting," Gou suggested, all trace of humor wiped off after the latest attack.
"Himeno, get out of here, we'll handle this," said Hayate stepping in front of her superiorly.
Anger flashed in her eyes as she held up her head defensively. "Are you forgetting that I am the Pretear?"
"So you'll endanger the child's life as well then?" Hayate asked.
Himeno's mouth clamped shut. So, maybe he was right.
"Go on, leave this to us," he continued a little too cockily for her taste. But, for the girl in her arms, she nodded and began running.
The sounds of the battle lashed from behind of her as the guys fought to bring down their newest threat. Somehow, surprisingly, the child wasn't scared or alarmed and was happily cooing at Himeno, even though she herself looked back occasionally.
"Himeno!" Hayate called as he saw her fall. The monstrous thing had gotten a hold of her legs and was sucking the leafe out of her. He flew to her side and with two swift movements, had chopped the tentacle into pieces.
Himeno's eyes were still closed as he picked her up and squeezed her hand. "Himeno. Himeno!"
Her eyes fluttered open as her hand reached toward her chest. "Hayate…" She seemed to panic. "The baby!"
The child who had slid a distance away was being stealthily approached by a tentacle. Understanding Himeno's desperate grasp, Hayate quickly put her down and went towards the child. Another tentacle lashed out at him, giving the other approaching the child the advantage it needed.
Eyes wide and set in horror, Himeno could only watch as the thing attacked.
