Chapter one- Rekindled Relationships

Everything inside her was calm. She felt so utterly at peace it would not matter if she was kneeling in the midst of a rainstorm. A gentle energy passed through her like a golden river, and she embraced it with tenderness. There was such a glorious abundance of magic on the island, and yet Coco could only gaze at it in admiration. She lacked the ability to actually reach out and touch it. As she continued her meditation, she suddenly felt a cool wind brush against her. Her eyes remained closed as she waited with perfect posture. Suddenly, the shadow disappeared and she was alone once more. She was not fooled.

She allowed a few moments to pass, and then opened one green eye. In a flash she had leapt to her feet and lifted her leg into a perfectly executed side kick. Her foot passed through empty air, and she used her momentum to whirl back into a ready stance. She caught sight of her intruder stumbling backward in his quick haste to avoid being kicked in the face. When he looked up and their eyes met Coco was the first to break into a wide grin. In response, Kieran Bilby's handsome face crinkled into a smile.

"I don't even know why I bother trying. No one can sneak up on you."

Coco flipped her blond ponytail over her shoulder. "Not easily anyway."

Kieran and she had been spending more and more time together, and Coco was happy for his friendship. After years of trying to have fun with her immobile brother, she was very thankful to be able to do the things she wanted without a constant battle. She and Kieran had plenty of things in common, including their adoration of martial arts. Kieran brushed a few strands of charcoal hair out of his face and offered a little half smile.

"So, want to try a little one-on-one spar?"

Coco grinned heartily. "Think you're up to it? By the way, sorry again about nearly breaking your rib last time we sparred."

Kieran winced. "My guard was down, that's all. It won't happen this time."

"Don't go easy on me Kieran, or you might actually break something this time." Coco sneered teasingly.

Kieran's grinned and set himself back in a ready stance. Coco moved about lazily, using her cockiness as a shield to mask her intentions. Kieran lunged first, bringing his arm down in a forward chop. Coco danced out of the way and grasped Kieran's wrist as she twirled behind him. Kieran, off balance, teetered forward and dove into a perfectly executed shoulder roll that brought him back to his feet directly in front of her. Coco tossed her ponytail to her other shoulder and narrowed her eyes. At last, some competition.

Crash was having a pleasant time lounging about the house on yet another gloriously lackluster day. He wasn't guilty for not exercising, because he figured that moving from the couch to the chair was enough physical exertion for one day. Although he slept off and on for the entire day, every time he opened his eyes he would see Crunch in his sights, scurrying around in search of something. When he woke up for the fifth time that day, Crash was feeling a little daring. When he saw Crunch come rushing through the door Crash quickly stretched out his legs and caught Crunch's foot.

Although Crunch was far too agile to actually fall on his face, Crash was rather amused to see how clumsily he stumbled. Crash knew, of course, what was constantly occupying Crunch's mind, and this time it wasn't Cortex's internal injections. Tawna was pregnant, and this fact had everyone in the house on constant alert. Well, Crash a little less than the rest. That wasn't to say he didn't care. Of course he did. However, since Crunch was falling all over himself to fulfill her every whim, Crash didn't feel particularly needed. Crash grinned as Crunch straightened himself up. Crunch glared at his pint-sized companion acidity.

"I'm not in the mood for your absurdity right now." He growled.

Crash leaned back on his arms with an easy smile. "Your fault. You keep waking me up with your noisy bustling. So, what are you hunting for now? Eucalyptus leaves garnished with sea kelp?"

"Mushrooms sautéed in banana sauce." Crunch sighed heavily. "I don't know what kind of mushrooms she wants."

"Cravings can be brutal." Crunch leaned back and closed his eyes. "Fortunately the only thing I crave is wamba fruit."

"Thankfully I'm not concerned about your cravings." Crunch grumbled as he marched toward Tawna's room. "Do me a favor, huh. Stop pestering me."

Crash smiled and stretched out on the couch as Crunch disappeared through Tawna's door and closed it behind him. Having a pregnant anthro to care for was definitely a new experience for everyone. No one, not even Aku, really considered the details of a pregnancy involving a woman half human and half animal. The instance never came up. However, after some examinations Aku calculated that an Anthrian woman would most likely develop closer to the timeframe of a human then that of an actual bandicoot. However, there was certainly a fair amount of deliberation in such a situation. Crash's thoughts were interrupted as Crunch quickly stepped through the door for the umpteenth time that morning and headed outside. Crash sat up and leaned his chin on the back of the sofa.

"So?"

"Shitake."

"But of course."

Without pausing Crunch headed through the front door and closed it behind him. Crash felt a small smile creep to his face as he lay back down and stared up at the wooden ceiling. Despite enforcing his self image of being a hardhearted brute, Crunch definitely had the capacity to be a downright softy. He was completely attentive to Tawna, and fulfilled her needs without question. Crash was almost jealous. With Crunch away constantly to satisfy Tawna's requests, Crash was hardly able to get Crunch's attention long enough for a simple joke. However, he was genuinely happy to see Crunch's obvious devotion to Tawna. She deserved someone to take care of her, and, though he would never admit it, Crunch needed her too. Since Tawna first came to live with them, Crash wondered whether or not he was envious of the blooming affection between Tawna and the oversized lug. Truthfully, Crash could say he was not. In fact, he felt a sense of relief. Even when he had first met her Crash had cared for Tawna very much, but his feelings had never extended so far as to consider her as a potential girlfriend. His mind didn't work that way. He had always ever wanted the best for her.

The sound of pained moaning brought Crash out of his thoughts once again, and he quickly sat up. He furrowed his brow when he realized the gasping sounds were coming from down the hall.

"Tawna?" He called out tentatively.

"Crash!" Although Tawna tried to shout her voice was weak. "Could you please come here, quickly?"

Despite the fact Crash heard Aku say that Tawna's baby wasn't due until a couple of weeks, a cold jolt of terror crawled through Crash as he considered what he might have to do. He leapt to his feet and headed for Tawna's room at a run.

Okay, Crash, don't panic. You've saved the world a billion times. You can handle this. You can...oh dammit, just don't faint.

Crash threw himself into Tawna's room, his every nerve tingling with apprehension. To his utmost relief Tawna wasn't ready to deliver yet. She was much like he last saw her. She was lying in bed, her back pressed up against the multiple pillows stacked up behind her. Her baby bump looked even larger then last time, and Crash couldn't stop a wistful smile from emerging. Tawna offered a smile in return, and seemed a little embarrassed as she fiddled with one of her curls.

"Sorry to bug you Crash."

"Not at all. What's up?"

As Crash waited for Tawna to answer, he noticed she was rubbing her stomach back and forth unconsciously. She seemed to be trying to comfort the baby inside her, but the movement appeared to have become a habit. Crash actually didn't even know whose baby it was. At first, he'd assumed it was Crunch's, but after a moment of figuring and Coco's assurance that the timing simply didn't add up he decided against it. Of course, neither Crash nor Coco asked Tawna, and Crash suspected Crunch hadn't either. What did it matter? Even if Crunch wasn't the biological father, there was no doubt that once the baby was born Crunch would fall all over it as any doting father would do. Tawna tilted her head to the side and winced.

"The cramps started again. Could you get me some water?"

Crash grinned. "Water? Coming right up."

Before Crash disappeared through the door he leaned back into the room.

"Just water? I mean…you don't want anything weird in it to fancy it up like moss or tea leaves?"

"Well, now that you mention it, if you could put a few raisons in the bottom that would be lovely."

Crash lifted a surprised brow. "Raisins?"

Tawna's face fell. "Well, you don't have to…"

"No no. Raisins it is. I'll be right back, just hang tight."

Crash quickly rushed to the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water. It took him a mad effort to locate any raisons, but thankfully they still had some in storage from when Coco had attempted to sneak some into his chocolate chip cookies. Crash was back in Tawna's room in less than a minute. Tawna took the glass gratefully, but she didn't drink at once. She was staring out the window, and for a moment Crash thought she forgot he was in the room. Determined not to disturb her quiet contemplations Crash stepped backward toward the door. Suddenly, Tawna spoke.

"Crash, am I a good person?"

Crash was startled by the comment, but it wasn't difficult to answer.

"Of course you are girlie."

"After what I did to you… I can't understand why you'd ever want to face me again let alone let me live in your house."

"Well, technically half the house is Crunch's, so I don't deserve all the credit."

Although Crash was attempting to make light of the situation, he regretted the comment. One tear rolled down Tawna's cheek, and Crash was so unnerved he didn't know how to react.

"I left you to be with someone I thought loved me. Even after everything you did to rescue me all those years ago, I ignored everything I owed to you and followed him. I was a fool. A stupid, selfish fool."

Crash swallowed nervously. If she was going to have a mood swing, couldn't she wait until he left? There was no escaping the situation now. Crash was silent as Tawna continued.

"Do you know what I did, Crash? Do you have any idea? Even as I think about it I feel utterly sick. But I chose it; it was the life I chose for myself." Tawna dropped her head and stifled a sob. "I have no right to bring a child into this world. I'll be a horrible mother."

Without hesitation Crash stepped forward and eased himself down on Tawna's bed. He focused his eyes on her, and waited until she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. Her eyes were full of tears, and a faint redness flushed her cheeks. Crash offered a small smile.

"Come on Tawna, don't give me that. Sure you went off on your own, and sure you may have made some choices you weren't proud of. But big deal. You can't erase the past, all you can do is keep moving forward. But to do that, you need to first do something that may seem really hard." Crash leaned forward and took her hand in his. "Forgive yourself. That's all that really matters anyway, isn't it? And I for one don't worry about you. You're an amazing girl and you are going to be an amazing mother too."

Suddenly the door crashed open, revealing a disheveled Crunch with a bowl of mushrooms glazed in a yellowish liquid. He frowned slightly at the scene before him. Crash grinned and faced Tawna a final time.

"And if you're not up to it, Papa Crunch certainly will be."

Crunch growled. "Crash…"

"It's okay Crunch." Tawna said with a small laugh. "He's just teasing."

Crash gave Tawna a quick wink, and felt her give his hand a squeeze before he could reclaim it.

"Thank you." She murmured with a smile.

Crash nodded as he got to his feet and strode past Crunch, who was still rather unsettled about the entire thing. Crash gave him an encouraging pat on the back as he passed.

"Don't be surprised if she wants raisons on that." He said before returning back to the living room, anticipating another pleasant snooze.