Reviews: Thank you so much to; Surrealtraversity, Painted Ys, DarkBombayAngel, Taijiya Mizu, Rapunzelle, dragonfire7654321, Olivia, Petalwhisker X Fireheart, Destiny Kitty, pheonix80, dark-phoenix-4eva, Mizuki hikari, marishka91, grey-shadow-horse, Tenshi of Freedom, Miako6, babyvicz, NapoleonDaGreat, sanctuarydreams/cowardlyon and Blaze Queenie for reviewing!

I would like to thank Taijiya Mizu once again for the wonderful piece of fanart she drew. It's of Kai and Toshiro, the link is on my profile and I highly recommend that everyone check it out! Toshiro is sooo cute! –glomps-

Chapter 7:

My Child, My Son

Flickering his eyes open, blinking away the heavy sleep, Kai glances at his surroundings. He soon realizes that he is sitting propped up in a single bed, light blue blankets carefully folded up to his chest. He immediately remembers that he's been taken to hospital, but the events leading up to his arrival are still very hazy. All he can truly remember was the pain in his abdomen when he went into contractions. But he does recall everyone fussing over him.

Subconsciously, Kai places his hand on his stomach, now finding it flat, and winces when he fingers trail along the thick white bandages and gauze now circling his stomach. He won't be able to do anything too strenuous for a while; as he's pretty sure he has a whole lot of stitches.

Rubbing his hand over his stomach, Kai realizes that he has to get used to it being flat again. Over the last few months, he had taken up a habit of holding his pregnant stomach, subconsciously protecting it.

The room is quiet, big and surprisingly empty. Sitting up a little further in bed, Kai looks to his side to see a baby crib, but there is no baby…

A look of sheer panic makes its way onto Kai's face and he sits up a little further. He ignores the pain on his stomach, his mind too occupied with thoughts of the worst case scenario.

Where is his baby? Is his baby ok? Dr Tenzen promised that his baby would be ok!

Suddenly, the door to his room opens and standing in the threshold is a certain aqua haired doctor, carrying rather carefully in a blue blanket is a small child. The child's mass of blue hair sticks up in every direction, his eyes shut off from the world as his sleeps soundly.

"Congratulations," Tenzen says, holding the child up in his arms. "You gave birth to a healthy baby boy."

"Where did you…?" Kai asks, his panic subduing a bit.

"We just gave him a quick bath," Tenzen grins as he walks into the room.

Kai immediately breathes a sigh of relief and sinks back down against his pillows, closing his eyes for a moment to steady his rapidly beating heart. He doesn't have the energy to feel angry with his doctor for scaring him like that, he's just happy that his son is in good health. He opens his eyes again to find Tenzen now standing next to his bed, carefully cradling the small blue bundle in his arms. He then leans down and places the little one in Kai's arm, laying the child's head in the crook of Kai's elbow.

At first, Kai holds his child a little awkwardly in his arms. He's never held a new born before; toddlers, no problem, but never a new born.

But the moment the child touches his arms; Kai knew instinctively what to do. He supports the baby's small and soft head in his arms as he gently strokes his chubby cheek with his fingertips, earning himself a content yawn from the child.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" Tenzen asks in a hush tone, almost afraid to break the father-son moment.

"Yeah…" Kai says softly as he takes his son's tiny little hand in his fingers, smiling warmly when the child wraps his small and chubby fingers around his index finger, emitting yet another yawn.

"There is a certain group of people who are waiting ever so patiently to see you," Tenzen says, a grin appearing on his lips, but with his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly, he gives the impression that his grin is more of a grimace than a smile. "I'll be right back."

Kai suppresses a chuckle when he realizes why. For his teammates, Grev, patience is simply not in their vocabulary. Not just picking on them as Bruce and Gramps are probably getting very nervous and impatient as well. They are about to come grandparents after all.

A frown appears on Kai's lip as he gives a small sigh. Once again, he lets his mind subconsciously wander to his son's wayward father.

Hiro Granger…that jackass! Why isn't he here? And why hasn't he made contact with home, yet? Doesn't that inconsiderate prick know he's making his family worry?

It's almost like he doesn't care. Kai feels used, and rightly so. They had one night together, which in hindsight is pretty reckless and stupid, and then he takes off to gallivant around the world without a care. While Kai is stuck in Japan, pregnant with their love child, living with Hiro's family.

Hiro did say that it was for one night, but Kai never imagined that it would be the last time he has any contact with the infuriating coach.

Looking down at the fragile life in his arms, Kai's anger grows with a hint of sadness. Even if Hiro doesn't want anything else to do with him, the least he could have done was be there for his son's birth. How much longer is Hiro going to be away? How much of his son's life is he going to miss out on?

What angers Kai the most is that Hiro doesn't even know he has a son. Would he care if he did?

That one night, all those months ago was a mistake, but this child in his arms is not. Gazing down at the little one, Kai gets the feeling he might be the best thing that has ever happened to him.

A soft knock at the door pulls Kai out of his thoughts and he can't help but give a tiny smile as a certain group of people he has come to loved as if they were his own family enter the room, immediately swarming around his bed.

"How are you feeling, Kai?" Ray asks tentatively, his amber eyes looking at Kai's face for a moment before shifting to the bundle he is cradling against his chest.

"Just a little tired," Kai answers truthfully, noting that everyone is now looking at his son.

Also turning his gaze back to his son, Kai gives a small smile as he lifts his head again and looks up at Bruce, silently beckoning him over. Wordless, he carefully picks up his son, being mindful to support his head and gingerly hands him to Bruce, who just as carefully takes him in his tender hold, the tiny child being dwarf by the older man's muscular arms.

Kai lays back down against the pillows and stares sleepily up at his son's grandfather, smiling softly at the way the bulky man practically melts when the tiny newborn gives yet another big yawn, curling his tiny hands into fists.

There is a series of coos that echo through the room and Tyson wonders over to peer at his new baby nephew, Hilary lingering on the other side of Bruce.

"Aw," she coos as she gently strokes his cheek with her finger. "He's so cute."

"Of course he is," Tyson says proudly. "He's my nephew after all."

"Bruce, my main man, I dare say you're smitten," Gramps laughs loudly, refraining himself from slapping his son on the back.

"Bruce looks like a proud grandparent," Max comments, a bright smile on his lips, looking as though he would like nothing more than to give that child a big hug and coo how cute he is.

That will definitely have to wait until later, Kai muses to himself.

Glancing to his dark haired teammate standing just next to Max, Kai frowns when he notes that Ray has this far away look on his face and he remembers the conversation they had before he was rushed to hospital.

His family and village back at home are pressuring him to come back and start a family with Mariah. He's no doubt thinking about it now. Ray isn't ready for that, yet.

"Ray," Kai says as he lifts up his hand, letting Ray take it within his own. "Don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do, ok?"

Ray has a look of confusion on his face for a moment, but soon realization and gratitude takes its place and he nods his head. "Thanks Kai," he says as he gently squeezes Kai's hand in his.

"What are you going to name him, Kai?" Hilary asks, still cooing over his son. "Something exotic and cool would fit him to a T."

However, Tyson shakes his head. "No, something short and easy to remember."

Daichi folds his arms over his chest and nods his head firmly, looking as if he just made a serious business decision. "You should call the kid Bob."

Kai feels like smacking the little redhead. Oh, hell no. There is no way he's going to name his son Bob.

"No, we can't do that," Max says quickly, his face screwing up into a look of disbelief and disgust. "There is no way I'm going to call a cute little kid like this Bob."

"Yeah," Ray chides in, he too appalled at the idea. "Besides, Bob sounds more like a nickname."

Tyson sticks out his bottom lip in a pout and folds his arms defiantly over his chest. "Then we should call him Bobby."

"Ah!" Kenny cries out, his arms flailing about at his sides. "That's a terrible name!"

"Try telling that to all the Bobby's in the world," Tyson practically hisses as he lowers himself down to tower threatening over the little brunette.

Kai can't help but shake his head at his teammates' antics. They like to argue over the tiniest things. Really, though, as if they have the right to name his son.

"Toshiro."

Everyone immediately snap their attention to the teen on the hospital bed, a flicker of guilt and surprise on their faces when some of them realizing they seemed to have forgotten Kai was here. "Huh?"

Kai simply smiles, his eyes half lidded. "His name is Toshiro."

"Toshiro…" Hilary repeats, tapping her cheek in thought as she gazes at the little baby and after a few seconds a smile makes its way onto her lips. "I like it. It's cute, yet exotic at the same time."

"I like it, too," Max agrees happily. "We can call him Toshie as a nickname."

"I think that's enough excitement for one day," Tenzen says as he walks into the room, taking his time to stare at each individual. "Kai needs his rest; a lot of rest. I suggest that everyone goes home and get that dojo you're living in baby proof."

"Oh right," Tyson groans, his posture slumping forward. "We still have to build that crib."

A sense of protectiveness immediately overwhelms Kai as Bruce carefully places little Toshiro into his hospital crib next to his bed. There is no way on God's green earth he's letting his child anywhere near that death trap Tyson and the others are building.

He grabs Bruce's arm before he leaves. "Take my wallet," he says. "And buy the safest crib you can find. I don't care how much it'll cost."

Bruce laughs and pats Kai's hand. "Don't worry; I was planning to do that anyway." He then wishes Kai a good night sleep and leaves the room, taking a moment to pause and seemingly apologize once again to Tenzen about the other's impatient behavior, but Tenzen simply waves him off dismissively.

Turning his gaze back to his son, his little Toshiro Kai is unable to stop a sense of uncertainty from appearing. He has no fear for his financial future; money isn't a problem which is one load off his mind. But will he be a good father to Toshiro? Will he ever hear from Hiro again, and will he even want to be Toshiro's father?

Sighing, Kai sinks back into his pillows, finally letting his eyelids fall shut. All he can do is take it one day at a time. Toshiro is all that matters now.

Whoo! Toshiro gets to go home in the next chapter X3

Please review.