Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

He wasn't sure how long he had been waiting, gazing at the old grandfather clock as it mocked him with its little hands and annoying ticking.

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

The grandfather clock was an old piece. The body was made from the wood of a dying Jyureimon centuries ago. According to Barbamon, the Digimon was too badly damaged and during that time, with all the massacres going around, he would have just been deleted, never to be reborn. It was a sad thing to think about.

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

The clock's circular face was made from a very expensive and rare stone. The Star Sapphire, he believed it was called. The star on the stone was gold, golden trimming surrounded the edges of the face. The clock's hands and pendulum were also gold, standing out against the polished wood and white sapphire stone.

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

The second slowly moved around the face of the clock, mocking him as it got closer and closer to midnight. His eyes lingered on the pendulum for a fraction too long, memorized as it swished back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. That was how he spent the last three hours after Barbamon concluded the meeting, watching the clock as he laid on the sofa.

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

He hadn't really paid attention to Leviamon and Barbamon as Mega Seadramon emerged from the underground lake to report his findings when he and the others were leaving. It wasn't good was all he knew. The young Demon Lord sat up from his position on the sofa to glare at the clock that was now playing an annoying tune once it hit midnight. He had a terrible headache because of that thing. Noted, he could have just went to his room, but Lilithmon was by his door for some reason. And to be honest, he really didn't want to get into another fight with her. So here he was. Annoyed, with a headache, and with the last of his patience giving way rapidly along with the annoying tune. As the stupid rhythmic tune echoed across the room, coming to the end of its song before resetting for the next hour, Beelzebumon could not stop the irritating whine that left him upon the realization that Lucemon had been gone for more than twelve hours (or was it twenty-four?) and had yet to return.

"Where the hell is he?!"

"Who are you whining about now?" Beelzebumon froze for a fraction of a second before he glanced at the archway behind him.

"Where the fuck have you been, Lucemon? I thought you said you will be gone only for a couple hours. Do you not know the hell I had to go through for covering for you?" Lucemon walked into the room, his features apologetic as he regarded the other. Beelzebumon immediately noticed the cotton-like material wrapped around his chest and shoulder. Had he gone shopping while in the Human World? And then there was his posture. He seemed tired. His movements were slow and his body seemed somewhat stiff. But there was something else too. One hand was under the material wrapped around his middle, holding whatever he had brought home with him. Beelzebumon began to wonder what that was and where was the Digimon that he was supposed to bring home.

"Sorry, I lost track of time."

Beelzebumon grumbled under his breath. He figured as much. Although, he could understand why. He wasn't sure what he would do if he was finally allowed to mourn a sibling. Not that he would know what that was like. He was an only child as far as he could remember, but he did consider the other Digimon he grew up with as siblings. Kinda. They weren't close or anything, so maybe that didn't count. They were all distant from each other and none of them seemed to like him, considering he had been quite adventurous and determined back then. He wasn't exactly a pushover, not that he fought or argued with them at that age or anything. He just happened to know how to act and what he wanted to do once he was of age. He had wanted to return to the battlefield, to continue the fight to protect those that couldn't. He believed that was what caused the others to distant themselves from him.

Beelzebumon sighed, stretching his arms out over his head as Lucemon made his way over to him. "I probably would too if I was in the Human World," Beelzebumon admitted, allowing the instant frustration to melt away without a second thought. Lucemon was his friend; he wanted the other to understand he would always have his back. But that didn't mean he couldn't tease him or give him a hard time when the time arose. Beelzebumon leaned against the sofa, relaxing against it as he watched his friend take a seat next to him, mindful of whatever valuables he had in that carrier of his. The younger Demon Lord's interest was definitely perked. What did he bring home with him? "You owe me a new vest."

Lucemon gazed at him in confusion, his eyes momentarily gazing away from whatever was within the carrier. "Why? What happened to your...?" Lucemon's voice trailed off, his features twisting into a knowing grimace. It was a grimace that stated that Lucemon had already figured out the answer to his question. "Lilithmon."

"Princess seemed pretty worried. You might want to talk to her before she decides to hunt you down and tear those pretty little feathers off your back." Lucemon grimaced again, this time with a scowl; however, he seemed distracted this time. Lucemon's eye went back to the carrier. "Hey, what's..." Beelzebumon didn't get to finish his question, for at that moment a small movement, followed by a small noise came from within the cotton-like material wrapped around Lucemon chest. "What?"

Beelzebumon watched as Lucemon reached into the carrier and, to his surprise, picked up a small baby. The baby couldn't be more than a day old. He was very small with violet eyes and purplish-bluish hair. The little guy was cute. Beelzebumon's thoughts stilled for a moment as he thought back to what Pinochimon told him, his mind reeling with realization. This is the member Piemon was talking about?!

"It's okay, Ken. It's okay," Lucemon spoke gently to the baby. "I'm sorry, did we wake you?" Beelzebumon wasn't surprised how gentle and loving Lucemon was being toward the innocent child. He had done the same thing to him when he was younger. "What's wrong? Are you hungry? Do you need to be changed?" Lucemon asked the baby when he whined in response, followed by his bottom lip trembling and his eyes filling up with tears. Lucemon seemed to take that as a yes and proceeded to unwrap the baby from the blanket. Lucemon scooted over a bit to place the blanket in between them. Lucemon smiled gently at the baby as he was placed on the blanket. As he did this, Beelzebumon noticed that the child only had a makeshift diaper.

"Where's his clothes?" he asked.

The frown that the leader of the Demon Lords gave him was all he needed to know. "He doesn't have any," Lucemon said, gazing at the baby sadly. Ken blinked innocently at them as he gazed back at the two Digimon that were staring at him with sad eyes. "They're both gone. He had no one to protect him."

Beelzebumon found himself speechless. He personally knew of the evils of the world. There were Digimon out there that would hurt the young and the innocent to get what they wanted. There were young Digimon without a parent or elder to help raise and care for them. Many ended up dying in the end or turning towards the path of killing with no remorse.

Beelzebumon swallowed nervously. It remembered him too much of the Baby Massacre. There were so many Digimon that died that day, including his caretaker, and the months that followed after that. It still hurt remembering him and his sacrifice. "What happened?" he finally asked softly.

"His mother died when he was born." Lucemon's eyes were dipped with sadness. It ached to see that. His heart fell as he eyed the small, innocent child, seeing little hands reaching out for Lucemon. Poor little guy.

Beelzebumon wanted to ask more, yet he didn't. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it right now. Beelzebumon silently watched Lucemon soothe the baby as he proceeded to remove the makeshift diaper. Ken gazed up at him in curiosity. Beelzebumon tilted his head slightly, wondering what the baby was thinking about as they gazed into each other's eyes. "You know, he cried when he saw Piemon."

"Really? I wonder why?" The sarcasm was right on point, causing Lucemon to shake his head in amusement. "The kiddo must like me better than him then." At the mention of Piemon, Beelzebumon suddenly remembered the two bags Pinochimon gave him. "Speaking of Piemon, he gave me something to give to you." Lucemon paused mid-untying to look up at him. He had been untying the knot on the right side of the diaper when Beelzebumon spoke.

"Piemon?"

"Well, more like Piemon gave to Pinochimon, to give to me, to give to you." Lucemon blinked, confused, as Beelzebumon grabbed the two bags from the side of the sofa to place on the floor in between them.

"What's in it?"

Beelzebumon shrugged. "Don't know. I was told not to open it until you got here."

"When have you ever listened to what others tell you?" Lucemon deadpanned.

"Hey! I listen sometimes!" Beelzebumon retorted to the comment. "I've been busy."

"Lilithmon?"

"Demon too."

"Ah," Lucemon said in understanding as he reached over to open the two bags. For a second time that day, the two Demon Lords found themselves stunned into silences at what they were seeing. Within the bags were a variety of items, specifically for Ken. In the first bag, he was able to make out different outfits, several diapers, several bottles of lotion and creams, blankets, towels, shampoo, and body wash for babies, several pacifiers, bibs, socks, hats, and wipes. In the other bag was about three jars of baby formulas, several bottles, a baby monitor, and some type of baby food maker/bottle warmer machine. "How long has he been spying on me?" Lucemon asked softly as he picked up a diaper, eyeing it in confusing.

Beelzebumon's eyes twitched. His annoyance momentarily spiked. "When was he going to tell me that the member you were bringing home was a baby?" Lucemon looked at him in surprise. "Seriously?! I would have known who you were bringing home if I had just looked in the bags! I'm so stupid! Why do I even listen to him, anyway?!"

"You're not stupid, Beelze." Said Demon Lord pouted but smiled when Lucemon actually said the nickname for him. Lucemon didn't say it often, being so uptight and all, but it brought a smile to his face when he did.

"If you say, so."

Lucemon chuckled in amusement as he continued to sulk. "He knocks sense into you." Beelzebumon glared at him.

"I am very capable of doing that without him," Beelzebumon huffed.

Lucemon hummed disbelievingly at him as he returned to his task. It took the other three tries before he figured out how to open up the human diaper. In other words, he broke the first three before figuring out how to open it without ripping out the belt that held the diaper in place. Beelzebumon silently watched his friend, noticing how gentle he was when changing the baby. Lucemon seemed to be at peace as he gazed at the baby, caring for him, making sure he was nice and clean. It reminded him of something.

Lucey loves the kid. I wonder if he plans on raising him. The thought didn't seem that far off, given the way he was gently handling the child. Beelzebumon had noticed the bruises on the kid's chest, arms, and back when Lucemon lifted the kid up slightly to apply some cream on the slightly red skin. I wonder how he got those. Once the kid had his new fresh diaper on and while Lucemon was getting up to throw the diaper and dirty wipes into the trash on the wall behind them did Beelzebumon word his question. "Are you planning on raising him?"

Lucemon didn't even pause as he answered, his eyes focused on the trashcan in front of him "Yes." Well, that explained one thing, but...

"Where did you find him?" Beelzebumon wasn't sure if Lucemon noticed the baby's slight shivering. The room was a bit cold. Maybe one of them should turn on the fireplace.

"In a basket..." Beelzebumon's eyes widened in horror before gazing at the small child who was staring straight at him with those innocent eyes of his. "In an abandoned alley." The poor little guy was abandoned? But by who? If the mother had died when he was born then what happened to the fa-

Beelzebumon didn't even bother to finish that thought. It was obvious what had happened. The asshole abandoned his own child?! The Demon Lord could not stop the flood of rage and disgust that filled him as he gazed at the small, innocent child who was unaware of the horrible fate he had been saved from. He hoped the Human died for his crimes. Abandoning a child was unacceptable. Besides, the child probably would not have survived the night if Lucemon hadn't decided to take him in.

"So, does this mean you are adopting him?" Beelzebumon was still very angry, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease his friend. "Are you going to be his Papa?" He asked next, not giving the other time to process his first question. Beelzebumon smiled when Lucemon seemed taken aback by the question, considering he dropped the outfit he had been looking at.

"I...a..."

Beelzebumon's smile only grew as he gazed at the baby, the soft texture of the pad of his claw gently caressing the baby's stomach. "You hear that squirt? Lucey here is going to be your new Papa." Despite his very young age, Beelzebumon swore the baby knew exactly what they were talking about, to some extent anyway. "And I'm your awesome older brother! The Great Beelzebumon! Lord of all things fun and cool!" His little face lit up at his words and he chuckled as the baby kicked his little feet happily. He wondered if Ken had been waiting to hear those exact words since the moment he had been saved from that dreadful Human.

"You are?" Beelzebumon glanced up at Lucemon.

"Why not? I love kids," he said with a cheeky grin. "Besides, I always wanted a baby brother!" Beelzebumon turned his gaze back to the baby when he felt little hands on his claw. "You and I are going to be the best of friends," he sang, much to the baby's enjoyment. "We are going to watch TV together and play games and we can create plans to annoy the big bad Demon together and - OH! - when you're older I will teach you how to ride Behemoth!"

"Not until he is twenty-five," Lucemon deadpanned. Beelzebumon pouted upon seeing the crossed look on the other's features, his arms resting tightly across his chest. Lucemon was dead set on prolonging Ken's motorcycle lessons as long as digitally possible.

"You're no fun." Looks like he's going to be one of those parents.

"Ken is far too young," Lucemon insisted. "You are not endangering his life with that monstrosity of a machine."

"Behemoth is not a monster!"

"Tell that to the last owner of that thing!"

"Behemoth doesn't like smartasses who think that they can do what they want with him," Beelzebumon protested as he pulled the baby off the blanket and hugged him, much to the baby's liking. "Besides, who could hate this little guy?" The baby's joyful squeals seemed to soften Lucemon fierce expression and, quite frankly, seemed to erase the disgust and rage he had felt just moments ago. The baby was quite the influence.

"We'll see," Lucemon said finally as he reached down once again to grab the outfit Piemon had been nice enough to gather for them. Once Lucemon had it in his hands, however, they realized they were faced with one of the many problems they would be facing that night.

"That looks a little too big for the squirt," Beelzebumon said, ignoring the feeling of gums sucking on his claw. Lucemon frowned as he reached into the bag to grab another outfit. That one was a bit too big as well. They all were actually. The only thing that seemed to be small enough for the baby was the diapers and socks.

"Dammit," Lucemon swore under his breath as he straightened, offering Beelzebumon a green pacifier. "You wouldn't happen to have any newborn clothing by any chance?"

Beelzebumon wiggled his claw out of the baby's mouth before popping the pacifier into Ken's mouth. The newborn blinked, surprised by the odd sensation between his gums before happily sucking on it. "I should." He remembered snatching some interesting baby clothing when he and Pinochimon traveled to this odd looking planet about two months ago. It was some kind of alien market and they were selling human merchandise, along with other species across that galaxy. He had gotten a lot of stuff for cheap that day. "Why don't we head to my room?" Beelzebumon suggested as he got up, the baby still secure in his arms. Small little fingers curled around the material of his blue nightshirt. Beelzebumon smiled as he glanced down to gaze into curious eyes. "I don't know about you, but I will feel better once he has something warm on. He looks a little cold."

Beelzebumon looked at Lucemon then, noticing an odd look on his feature. At this very moment, Lucemon was as readable as an open book. He was in awe, surprised even. Was it really that strange that he and Ken bonded so quickly? Beelzebumon wasn't at speed on what the kid went through, obviously. He assumed it was bad. But Ken seemed like a tough kid. His innocence had not been tainted. He would be alright. He just knew it.

But seeing the baby cold and hungry did not sit well with him. And neither did Lucemon. The elder Demon Lord's soft features morphed into one of concern. Lucemon gently followed Beelzebumon example, stepping away from the two bag to stand in front of them. Lucemon noticed the shivering then. A warm hand rested on the baby's forehead.

"He's a little warm," Lucemon said, his frown deepening. Beelzebumon frowned as well. Was the baby getting sick? They both looked at the baby then. Ken was still sucking his pacifier happily as he was being held, unaware of the bubble of worry forming in the pits of his new caretakers' stomachs.

"Maybe its the change in temperature," he suggested. "It's a little colder here than at the Village of Beginnings." Beelzebumon had recognized the blanket being from one of Swanmon's homemade collection. The Digimon was a master seamstress and tended to create blankets, outfits, and quilts for the surrounding villages and them. Beelzebumon really wouldn't be surprised if the Digimon was at home gathering materials to create cute little outfits for Ken. He vaguely wondered what cute designs she would weave into the material.

"Maybe," Lucemon said, unconvinced. "Could he have gotten sick from the rain?" The question wasn't spoken to him. Lucemon seemed to be talking to himself now, looking torn and disturbed all at the same time. He was lost in his memories, most likely thinking back to the moments when he found the baby all alone, soaking wet, and crying for help.

"Rain?"

Lucemon shook his head. He didn't want to talk about that right now. Or at least didn't want to talk about it while the baby was present and gazing at them with those wide eyes of his. Dropping the subject, for now, recognizing the look of concern on Lucemon's face. Ken didn't seem like he was catching a cold. He seemed fine. "I'm sure he'll be fine," Beelzebumon tried to reassure his friend as he tucked the blanket around Ken's body. Ken seemed absolutely delighted that he was being cared for and loved. "He's probably feeling the draft coming from the windows. He'll feel a lot better once he's dressed in something warm and fed."

"I hope you're right," Lucemon said as he smiled worriedly at the baby. When Ken showed no indication that he was feeling under the weather, the other relaxed a bit, relieved that the baby was okay. "Are you hungry, Ken?" Lucemon asked as he bent down to grab the clothing, wipes, and creams he had been using earlier, returning them to the bag. He even removed the cloth carrier and single toy that was within it and placed them in the bag as well. Ken excitedly hit his little hand against Beelzebumon's chest, making little baby noise as he did so. Beelzebumon chuckled.

"Hey! Easy where you hit, squirt," Beelzebumon teased as he continued to laugh. Lucemon laughed as well as he zipped up the bags, holding each one in his hands.

"Don't worry, Ken. Once we get you something warm to wear, we'll make you a nice warm bottle of milk. How does that sound?" Ken repeated the gesture, seeming even more excited than before. The two Demon Lords smiled at each other, laughing at the small baby's antics as they made their way out of the living room and towards Beelzebumon's bedroom, where they hoped to find a suitable outfit for the new addition to their group.

It was about a quarter to nine when he had gotten a message from Piemon for this unexpected meeting. It wasn't exactly odd for them to have their own meetings, separate from their Lords. The meetings were sometimes less tense then the ones Lord Barbamon had with the other Demon Lords. Majority of the time, they would get together to exchange information after reporting to their respective Lords. Other times, they would gather together to figure out their best move or to deliver messages from their respective Lords or Mistress. More often then not, it was Piemon who delivered on those messages, considering he had the rare ability to teleport, traveling quicker than the rest of them. That ability sure helped a lot when they needed to relay messages to each other when they weren't close to each other.

However, it was still rather puzzling that Piemon would want a meeting now after having one the night before. They had all been aware that the Demon Lords would be having a meeting, given the destruction that had occurred that morning. He paused in his inner mulling, his mind reeling to that morning. It was still very painful to see the homeland of his birth completely destroyed. He wasn't as attached to the land and the Digimon that lived there as his sister was. He hadn't really fit in with the other Digimon during his youth. He had been a rebellious, unusual Digimon, even at such a young age. He had been considered a weak Digimon, being too small and too weak to amount to anything, and deemed unusual for his ideas.

For so long, he had been seen as a waste of space. His parents had not wanted him. He was a disappointment. He couldn't fight like the warriors of their village could. He wasn't as smart as his sister. He couldn't protect anyone with his size and power. He couldn't help cultivate the land or create weapons or even wield them for that matter. All he had been good for was to sit around and be mocked at and be alone with his strange little dreams for a better world. He had been the Digimon that everyone pitied, for he wasn't good for anything. He wasn't a warrior, a Medicine Man, a Chief, nor a hero. He was nothing.

His parents had always favored his sister. He hated it and, at one point, he had hated her. But Lady Devimon was the only one that understood him. She practically raised him when he had been kicked out of the village. They had hoped he would die or man-up as his father would always tell him. He had been so young at the time, but he was just glad to have his sister. It had been because of her love and effortless searches that he had been taken in by Barbamon. The great Demon Lord had seen great potential within him and had taken him in as his apprentice.

Within three long years, he had finally achieved the impossible - he evolved. That one evolution and the powers he wielded and learned as the years went on had allowed him to surpass his own sister and the warriors of this homeland. But it had only gotten better. He knew his sister was very proud of him and supported him when Barbamon recruited them to be this second in command. It was the highest position one could get at the Virus Court.

It was funny how fast things got turned around after the damaged had been down. His parents had actually had the nerve to send a telegram to welcome him back home once they got wind that their son was the Lieutenant General of Greed. And now...they were gone.

Vamdemon wasn't sure how he felt about that. He didn't feel happy, nor sad, nor relief, just empty. Vamdemon had spent hours trying to understand his feelings. Why did he feel nothing for them? And then he remembered why. There had been only one Digimon that had taught him what life had to offer. Only one taught him the true reason why they continue to fight in this war, despite the odds, despite the pain. There was only one that taught him that there were still 'mons out there that were still kind. That hope and light still existed in the vast darkness that had covered the lands and sky. That they could still fix it. That they could still restore the peace that the hatred of war had damaged, someday.

Barbamon had done so much for him. He owed Barbamon his loyalty and life. He would do anything for his Lord. If Barbamon asked him to gather a team to hunt down the remaining members of the Holy Alliance, he would. If he was asked to go on a secret mission (without his sister), he would. If he asked him to finally remodel this old castle as his own and accept the position as King of the Undead by the many Digimon that looked up to him, he would. He owed Barbamon everything. The elder had done so much for him, why wouldn't he do the same?

And then there was their current predicament. It was worrisome that not just one, but five supply bases had been discovered and destroyed. It didn't make any sense. How was the Holy Alliance (at least what was left of them) managed to find and destroy the bases without a single survivor? It was a very bad situation. With this much death, it could take years before the fallen could be reborn.

"It sure has been awhile since we've been here." Vamdemon shifted his gaze away from the enlightening conversation between Pinochimon and Mugendramon to gaze at the 'mon standing behind him. Well, it had been quite some time since he had seen the other.

"Don't you mean that you've been too busy to attend a meeting with us, Gennai?" Devimon asked from across the table. He seemed to have grown bored of the "mysterious bags" that Piemon had given Pinochimon several hours ago to give to Lord Beelzebumon.

Now to say that Gennai was a Digimon was a bit inaccurate. Gennai's origins was a bit unknown. He couldn't evolve and didn't have an evolution line that they were aware of. He also didn't have any attacks or set moves, like the rest of them. He did have the ability to manipulate data, much like Nanomon, and had the ability to change his appearance at will. At the moment, Gennai was a young man, in his mid-twenties. He had brown hair, baby blue eyes, and wore a blackish-grayish rob.

"I do apologize for that," Gennai said sheepishly as he took a seat next to him. Skull Satamon, who had come in with Gennai, took up a seat next to Devimon. The two soon got caught up in their own conversation. "I'm afraid I've barely had any free times these days."

"Let me guess..." Vamdemon crossed his legs over each other as striking blue eyes stared into baby blue, resting one arm on the table. His finger tapped on the smooth surface of the huge oval-like table as he spoke to his friend. "Demon has become even more paranoid since the destruction of one of his weapons base." Gennai grimaced accordingly, his hand running through his hair in an exhausted manner.

"You have no idea," Gennai replied tiredly. "It's one assignment after the other. I'm lucky that I actually get a few hours of rest."

"I hope you're not overworking yourself again." Vamdemon, Gennai, Lady Devimon and even Devimon, Skull Satamon, Mugendramon and Pinochimon (who had been engrossed in their own conversations) looked up to see the beautiful Mastemon walking in, along with Archnemon, Mummymon, and Devidramon.

"Believe me, I try not to."

Almost everyone was here. All they were missing was Piemon and Metal Seadramon. Vamdemon glanced towards the huge open pool that Pinochimon opened up when he arrived an hour ago. The pool of water remained as still as the night. Where was that clown and that overgrown serpent? As if the two could read his thoughts, the pool of water began to shift and move. It wasn't long before Mega Seadramon emerged from the hole in the ground, followed by Piemon teleporting in his usual dramatic fashion.

"Well, I guess everyone is here then." Piemon's smile was broad as his feet landed on the stone floor, the huge stone door stood innocently behind him. Piemon stood at the far end of the table, where several buttons and his throne resided.

"You better have a good reason for this meeting, Piemon?" Archnemon snarled from her throne. Many of the others nodded their heads in agreement, silently wondering what this unexpected meeting was all about. "I have better things to do than be here and chit-chat! Don't you even know what time it is?"

"I assure you, my dear," Piemon said dismissively, "there is a general purpose for this meeting. In fact, it is crucial that you all pay attention to what I'm about to tell you today." This caught everyone's attention. Vamdemon glanced at his friend, noticing that he was just as alert as the rest of them. Had something else happened?

"Did something bad happen?" Mastemon spoke softly, her angelic and demonic wings twitching in her anxiety.

Piemon regarded them all with a smile. His smile didn't help put them at ease. It was one of those unreadable smiles, a smile that suggested that if it was bad or not was entirely up to them. "That my dear is up for your interpretation, but I wouldn't call it a bad thing. Maybe more...surprising, if anything else."

"Meaning?" Mummymon asked next, hoping to get a straight answer out of Piemon and not one of his mind games.

"I'm sure you are all aware by now that Lucemon had gone missing some time this morning." Piemon's eyes shifted to Gennai, who nodded in confirmation.

"He left just before dawn. No one seems to know where he went, though."

"I did."

"WHAT?!"

"YOU DID?!" Mummy yelled

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?!" Devimon growled, his claws slamming the table.

Piemon regarded the now furious Devimon and Mummymon calmly, not all that disturbed by their outburst. "It was not my place to tell. I was told by Lord Beelzebumon to keep an eye on Lucemon. To make sure that he was okay, considering the circumstances of today."

"What's so great about today?" Vamdemon had to ask. It was now nearing midnight, making it almost twenty-four with no word from Lucemon. They all knew that Devimon and Mummymon had been searching tirelessly for Lucemon for hours. They had stopped their search just about two hours ago and were going to restart the search early the next morning.

"Today, many centuries ago, Lord Lucemon lost someone very precious to him. Someone so precious that he never got to properly mourn until today." The anger and rage that Devimon and Mummymon had been sending at Piemon died down instantly. None of them were immune to the effects of war. They all lost someone precious, but not to the extent of the Demon Lords. They had been in the war longer, meaning that they had lost a lot more. More then one should. "I will not go into details on what happened. It is not my story to tell. What I will tell you is that Lucemon had been on Earth this whole time, mourning the death of a young one."

No one dared to say anything. They all took a moment of silence for the life that had been taken. For the young life that had been ripped from Lord Lucemon's hands all those years ago and for causing him so much pain that he had to escape the Digital World, just for a little while, to mourn and to grieve.

"Guess we can cancel the search party," Mummymon commented weakly into the silence. Devimon nodded, looking just as disturbed and stupid as the other must be feeling.

"So he's returned then?" Devimon asked then, searching Piemon's eyes for confirmation. Piemon nodded. The two physically relaxed at that.

"So what was in those two bags that you told me to give to Lord Beelzebumon to give to Lord Lucemon and what about that new member he's supposedly coming back with?" Pinochimon asked impatiently. He was never the one for patience.

"I'm getting to that," Piemon replied, looking only slightly annoyed at his fellow lieutenant for revealing so much in a matter of seconds.

"What new member?" Everyone else asked, gazing at Piemon questioningly.

Piemon sighed. "Like I was saying, I was tasked with keeping an eye on Lord Lucemon," Piemon continued with his story, but not before eyeing Pinochimon with a disapproving glare. The other paid no mind. "While he was there, he witnessed a horrible incident." Everyone stiffened, not liking where this was going. Piemon pressed a button on the table, activating the hologram machine. A hologram of a Japanese man holding a basket was seen on the screen. Vamdemon stared at the screen in part confusion and part dread. The man's clothing was worn, obviously, he was poor. His cheek was somewhat sulking and misery, pain, and hatred filled the man's eyes. From just the hologram alone, Vamdemon could tell this man was up to no good. But what really concerned him was the sound of a wailing baby. The Human Hologram shook the basket vigorously. His features were hard as he glared at the basket.

"THERE'S A CHILD IN THAT BASKET!" Mastemon, who had since removed her helmet a little while ago, gazed at the hologram with absolute horror. Tears filled bright green eyes. Damn, even his own sister's were looking a bit misted.

"This Human is the child's father." The disgust in Piemon's voice did not go unnoticed. "The child's mother died due to childbirth." Piemon paused, allowing the information to sink in. "His man blamed this child for her death and had tried to end his life." The image changed, revealing the man tower over the frightened child. The child was incredibly cold. He was being drenched in the rain of what they assumed was in the middle of the beginning of a bad thunderstorm.

"How dare he? How dare he? How dare he?" It was not uncommon knowledge that Mastemon had once been a mother herself, having raised two children before they died in combat, forcing her to return to the battlefield to seek justice for their unfortunate deaths. So seeing Mastemon completely losing it for a small child that was not her own, who was obviously cold and hungry and terrified, was something they had seen coming a mile away.

"I hope you have a reason for showing us this," Archnemon snapped at Piemon as she and Lady Devimon attempted to calm down the enraged Ultimate. Piemon was not fazed by the emotional tirade of his female comrades. Vamdemon, not for the first time, wondered about Piemon's sanity.

"Actually, I do," Piemon said with a smile as he pressed another button. The image changed once again. Only this time, the man was nowhere in sight.

"Shh, it's okay, little one." For as long as they have known Lucemon, the Demon Lord of Pride was very well known for being cold and ruthless, and very distant. He was an excellent leader and did care for the wellbeing of his comrades. However, this was the first time they have ever witnessed Lucemon being so very gentle and kind. "I'm here, now. I promise everything's going to be all right." Lucemon was getting drenched in the rain that was pouring on top of him, his wings sagged a bit from the added weight, but that didn't seem to matter. Lucemon was not concerned about his own discomfort. In fact, his full attention was on the small child being cradled in his arms. Vamdemon was actually quite surprised to see the fierce and at times emotionless expression morphed into one of gentleness and love and concern. Lucemon was being so very caring and protective of the small child.

The image soon changed again. This time, Lucemon was at the Village of Beginnings and he was feeding the small child. The child was happily eating from the bottle and to their immense surprise, Lucemon was smiling. Vamdemon couldn't remember ever seeing Lucemon smiling before, nor ever seeing this side of him. This was certainly a surprising change.

"Oh! He's so cute!" Vamdemon winced, covering his ears as Mastemon got over her distress in a matter of seconds, squealing in delight as she fluttered to the hologram in the middle of the table. The rest of the lieutenants did the same, minus Mega Seadramon, Mugendramon, and Devidramon, who did not have hands. The female angel cooed at the image of the happy baby. "He's adorable," she said with a giggled as she fluttered around the hologram. Vamdemon groaned. Mastemon was the most bipolar Digimon he had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting. She was a powerful ally and not one to take lightly despite her annoying girlish traits. After a moment of cooing at the child, Mastemon planted her feet on the table and shot a dark look at Piemon. "Lord Lucemon better have killed that loathsome creature."

"Mastemon!" the other two female members yelled.

They all groaned in exasperation. Yes, Mastemon was definitely bipolar. It still baffled Vamdemon how such a sweet and kind Vaccine Digimon could be nice one minute and downright cruel the next. She's just as crazy as Mistress Lilithmon.

"Do not worry my dear, Lord Lucemon took care of it."

Mastemon's features softened, pleased at what she was hearing. "Good. If he didn't, I would of." Correction, maybe more so. Mastemon gently traced the small baby's cheek with a soft, loving smile. "Lord Lucemon will be a wonderful father." This caught everyone (minus Piemon) by surprise. Everyone gazed at her like she had lost whatever common sense she had.

"What makes you think he'll be raising the child?" Archnemon questioned, her red eyes narrowing in disbelief. "He'll probably just give the child to Swanmon and Elecmon."

Mastemon turned to look at them. There was a knowing look in her eyes that revealed the caring, knowledgeable side of the mother she had once been. "Archnemon, you have never had children, nor a sibling to protect, so you will not understand the extreme urge to protect the young and the innocent." Archnemon scoffed at that. "But by looking at Lord Lucemon caring for the small child, it is quite obvious that, given his age and his history with women, the 'mon he had lost was most likely a sibling." Vamdemon stiffened, shocked that Mastemon had managed to figure out so much by just a simple hologram. Then again, Mastemon was directly connected to the aether, able to gather information and travel to other dimensions at will. It was no wonder why she was Lilithmon's second in command. "He is not going to give up that child, not after saving him from a fate that must have reminded him of his own sibling."

"She right." They all turned to Piemon who was, too, a bit taken aback that Mastemon was able to pull so much information so quickly, but he was also rather pleased. "Lord Lucemon didn't save the child to simply give him up to another."

"WAIT?!" Pinochimon jumped to his feet, his face morphed into one of total shock. "Don't tell me that this new member is...is..." Pinochimon pointed to the hologram, his eyes wide as they all connected the dots. A collective of gasps filled the underground chamber, followed by Mastemon's and even his own sister's squeals of joy.

"Ladies and gentlemon," Piemon announced with a broad smile, his arm waving in front of him as if he was introducing someone of high standards. "Let me introduce you to Ken, our newest Lord."

"LUCEMON!"

Lucemon should have known that Lilithmon would be annoyed with him. He'd barely spoken to her in months, only talking to her when they needed to discuss strategy against the Holy Alliance. He would always leave or give her the cold shoulder when she wanted to talk about them. And when she finally managed to corner him, he would brush off her concerns, her feminine desires to reconnect what they once had, and the truth of what really happened that day. He had been too afraid to learn the truth. So, as a result, he ignored her pleas. He ignored the feelings that dwelled within him. He ignored the overwhelming want to make her smile, to laugh, or to simply kiss her. He pushed her away over and over again. He was afraid. And now, it might be too late.

Lucemon stood frozen, staring into furious blue eyes as the female Demon Lord marched down the hall towards them. Lucemon gazed at her, truly gazed at her. Lilithmon was beautiful. She wasn't the strong-willed angelic blond that strived to be better than her father, to treat and save others with peace and love. She was much more than that. She was a strong, independent beauty. She was even more stunning now than when she was Ophanimon. Lilithmon was more curvy, more outspoken, more demanding, more feisty, more headstrong. Had he really ignored her for that long?

Lilithmon had every right to be mad at him. He had ignored her for what? Weeks? Months? Years? He couldn't be sure, but it was enough to make him gaze at Beelzebumon with a nervous look. Beelzebumon shrugged, unsure of what his friend should do. The two of them turned their attention to the newborn briefly when he began to hit his small hands on Beelzebumon's chest. No matter what Lucemon chose to do, they still had a baby to cloth and a small mouth to feed.

Beelzebumon smiled at the baby as he turned to open his door. "Come on, squirt. Let's find something nice for you to wear."

Once Beelzebumon was within his room, Lucemon turned his attention to the furious Demon Lord. Lilithmon stood mere inches away from him. Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes were narrowed slits, and her teeth were grinding against each other. She was obviously holding back the rage or at least going through what she should yell at him first.

As the two stared at each other, Lucemon saw anger and hurt in her blue orbs. Lucemon could stare into those sea of blues for hours, but seeing that soul-ridden hurt deep within those orbs caused a deep ache in his chest. He so desperately wanted to pull Lilithmon into his arms and just chase those feelings away, to express how sorry he was because after all this time, after all the things he had done, he still loved her. He felt like a fool. He pushed her away for so long, all because he feared of the damage he must have caused her that day. He truly believed that he failed her when he arrived late that day. Truthfully, he had only been late because he had wanted to propose to her. He just didn't know how to ask her. His foolishness had cost her her life. He had been unable to save her. But the guilt he felt was greater than that. He knew he failed her when he realized that he had changed her - both in soul and body.

"Lucemon?" Lucemon didn't remove his gaze from those blue orbs as he spoke.

"What is it?"

"If you and Princess are going to argue, ya might want to do it at Barbamon's study. You and Princess missed a pretty important meeting. He would want to brief you."

This time Lucemon did remove his gaze from those blue orbs to gaze into red ones. "A meeting? What meeting?"

"Barbamon's gonna have to tell you about it." The youngest of the Demon Lords was leaning against the doorframe of his room, his eyes sparkling in amusement. Lucemon frowned slightly. He had a bad feeling that something had happened while he had been gone. It had to be about the Holy Alliance. Could it be that the Four Great Leaders finally came out of hiding? Had another one of their camps been attacked? Had the prisoner revealed something troubling? "Don't worry about the kiddo. I'm sure I can find something suitable for him to wear before your briefing is over." Beelzebumon stepped away from the doorway, allowing Lucemon to finally spot Ken on his bed. The baby looked so happy laying on a huge soft bed, gazing at the various colors and toys Beelzebumon had neatly displayed around his room.

Lucemon was unaware of how quickly he was falling into the role of a parent as he gently smiled at his new little charge. The sudden smile startled Lilithmon, causing her to just watch in stun silence. The smile soon fell when Lucemon thought of something. "Don't forget to feed him. He hadn't eaten in a couple hours. I'm sure he's hungry by now."

Beelzebumon groaned sourly, his eyes narrowing at him like he had grown two heads. Obviously the other was annoyed with him too. "Ugh. You're going to be one of those parents."

Lucemon narrowed his own eyes at the comment, slightly offended at the tone the other used. "What's that supposed to mean?" If he had been paying attention, he would have seen Lilithmon's eyes widen slightly in surprise and those same eyes gazing at him in confusion and a hint of hurt.

"It's exactly as it sounds," Beelzebumon stated simply as he snatched the bags out of his hands. "Annoying and waaay overprotective." Lucemon felt a migraine coming. Annoying and overprotective? Where in the hell did he get that idea from? "Now if you excuse me, I believe the squirt needs some proper clothing," said Beelzebumon as he stepped back into his room. Beelzebumon then smiled teasingly at him. "Oh and Angel Boy? Princess?"

Lucemon groaned at the stupid nickname, while Lilithmon perked up at hers. "Yeah?" she asked, still very confused on what he and Beelzebumon were even talking about. But Lucemon had a bad feeling that she was putting the pieces together and picturing the most worse and untrue case scenario.

"Do me a favor and don't argue outside my door or even in this hallway." They both frowned. One in confusion and the other in realization. "You wouldn't want to frightened poor Ken with all your arguing and bickering." Lucemon stiffened. That would definitely not be good. He had just saved Ken from one nightmare. He didn't need to be brought into another. The poor baby must be traumatized enough. Lucemon already knew he was not going to be sleeping well tonight. "What would he think when he hears his Mama and Papa ar-gu-ing?" Beelzebumon practically sang the last part.

"MAMA?!" Lilithmon sputtered next to him, her voice filled with surprise as she gazed at Beelzebumon, who was now bellowing in a full-fledged laugh. Lucemon could only watch in horror, his own face very warm at the bombshell his comrade had just revealed. He hadn't even gotten to make amends with Lilithmon yet and Beelzebumon was already declaring her as Ken's new mother figure. Hell, he wasn't even sure if Lilithmon even wanted to help him raise a baby. He was already making a huge risk bringing Ken here. He could get hurt so easily. He was an easy target for the Holy Alliance. Lucemon knew he would need to put Ken's needs first over his own. But would Lilithmon be able to do that as well or even want too?

Lucemon closed his eyes, signing deeply as Beelzebumon closed the door with his foot. The other was still laughing from their reactions, but he wasn't done. "And no making-out either!" Lucemon groaned, deciding it was not appropriate for a small, innocent baby to hear such grownup things. In a way, Beelzebumon was right. Ken didn't need to hear the events of their personal affairs, nor did he need to be reminded of the events that had transpired that night. All Ken needed to know was that he was loved and would never be abandoned ever again.

With an exhausted sigh, Lucemon turned towards Lilithmon who was stilling staring at the door. Lucemon opened his mouth to say something, but Lilithmon's words beat him to it. And what she said felt like he was being stabbed with a sharp, bloody knife. "What did you do, Lucemon?" Lucemon's mouth felt dry as bright sea blue eyes stared into deep sky blue. "When were you going to tell me that you were seeing someone else? That you had a child together?" Her eyes were bright and shiny, the depths hurt of betrayal and pain.

"Lilithmon, it's not what you think. I am not seeing anyone else."

"Then why?" she shouted desperately. "Why don't you speak to me? Why do you push me away?" Her voice shook a little with a sob. "All you do is push me away. You've shut me out of your life ever since that day! It's like you don't want to remember all the good times we had in the past." Lilithmon finally broke eye contact, leaving him to feel quite hollow inside. "I know I'm not that 'mon anymore, but what we had together...had it truly meant nothing to you? I love you! I've always had!" Tears freely leaked from their confinements. Lilithmon did nothing to wipe them away. "You used to be so sweet to me. You used to make me feel so special and loved." She sniffled. "And now...it's like I don't mean anything to you."

Every word felt like he was being cut open, one after the other. He knew he did her wrong, but he never realized it was this bad. He never realized how much of an ass he had been. No amount of sorries would ever heal the wounds he inflicted on her, but he would try regardless, just to get that sadness out of her soul and mind.

What Lucemon did next was purely by instinct. He moved his hands to gently cup the now tearstained face. He lifted the face to gaze into tearful eyes. Lucemon didn't even think as he rested his lips upon Lilithmon's.

The kiss had been so unexpected that it took her a moment to realize that this wasn't a dream. That she wasn't being fooled by her mind, only to find herself waking up from one of those wet dreams, all alone and in tears. But as Lucemon held her so gently, pouring his heart into how sorry he was, revealing how much he still loved her, Lilithmon knew. She knew this was not a dream. He was here with her, kissing her, and not walking away like she wasn't there. He wasn't leaving her behind. For a frightening moment, she had believed that Lucemon didn't love her anymore, that he had found someone else. Why else would he have a child? Why else would he be trying to distance himself from her? Why else would he avoid her like she was the plague? But that one kiss seemed to chase all the doubts away. If only they could stay that way forever...

"Will you two get a room?!" Beelzebumon's obnoxious voice was heard from the other side of the door. "You are going to corrupt the kid with your mushy-mushy nonsense! Yuck!"

Lucemon broke the kiss but didn't pull to remove his hands from her face, or their closeness. She smiled, seeing the look of total bafflement on his face from Beelzebumon's last comment. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," he said as he rested his forehead on top of hers. "I don't think it's wise for Ken to hear this. He's too young. Besides, he's been through enough for one day. Why don't we head to Barbamon's study as Beelzebumon so kindly mentioned earlier."

Lilithmon pouted at him when he pulled away. She had wanted to keep kissing him. It had felt so nice, something she had not done since she had been Ophanimon. She kinda wanted to strangle Beelzebumon now for interrupting such a perfect moment. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "I am sorry for the way I treated you. I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I am prepared to answer any questions you may have."

Lilithmon smiled up at him, her beautiful face brightening. Lucemon didn't need any forgiveness. She had forgiven him long ago, even for the stuff that wasn't in his control. But there was still something that bothered her. "I'm annoyed that you left without telling anyone. Not even Devimon and Mummymon knew where you were and they have been conducting a search party all day." Lucemon cringed at that. Lilithmon narrowed her eyes slightly in disappointment. "I want to know why you left and where you have been all day." But that could wait, there was something else she wanted to know first. "But first, I have to know, who is this child and why did you bring him here?"

Something about the conversation between the other two had been bugging her. The way Lucemon was talking about the child and the way his body language was talking gave the bad impression that something bad must have happened to the child. Something so bad that Lucemon had to take the child away from whatever environment he had been in and then bringing him here of all places. The caste wasn't exactly the most safest place for a small Digimon. Lucemon had been very worried when he told Beelzebumon to make sure he fed the child. Just how young was this child? And how long had it been since he last eaten?

Lilithmon felt a roll of disgust in the pit of her stomach. When she was a small child herself, when her mother had still been around, her mother had always talked about how she would be a wonderful mother when she grew up. She had always been so gentle with her toys and to the plants that scattered throughout their yard. She had even helped her mother take care of the young babies. That dream had always been a part of her long after her mother had died from a raid. She had hated the feeling of helplessness when her mother passed. She had been closer to her mother then her father and when they were forced to travel, he tried to change her, to make her into a warrior, someone he could control. He had disapproved of a lot of things that she knew her mother would have encouraged her to do. This war had changed him, that was a fact she hated even 'til this day. She remembered wanting to help other Digimon that were neglected or abused. Those who could not afford to care for their young. Those who were too sickly and would have ended up dead in a matter of hours, days even. It had deeply disturbed her when her father told her to just keep walking when she saw several Child or Baby Digimon being neglected or terribly abused by their parent or attempting to fend for themselves due to losing everything.

"It is all part of war," he would always tell her and she would hate it to the bottom of her core. She knew that one day, when she found a kind, loving Digimon to settle down with, she would cherish that child and make sure she or he were always protected and loved. It had been a long time since she welcomed those thoughts. Centuries ago, there had been many Digimon that wanted her hand in marriage. They had all been handsome, strong, intelligent and were even likable and wealthy. However, they had been a bit too controlling, not approving of her independence. They had wanted to separate her from the outside world. She had refused to be a trophy they could brag about, while she was stuck at home, unable to help those that truly needed protecting.

And then she had met Lucemon. Oh, she knew Lucemon had been different from the start. He had many high ranking female Digimon in his unit. He had respected them to the fullest and never belittled them or restricted them. They had been allowed to speak their ideas, without backlash. As they got to know each other, she saw the Digimon for who he truly was. She had seen the mon hiding underneath that cold, emotionless mask. On the outside, he was seen as a cruel, ruthless Digimon, that had no emotions, that only cared about defeating his enemies and ending this god-awful war. But that was not true at all. He was honorable, fair, very strong, and very gentle and kind. But what truly took her heart was his determination to protect life, all life. The young, the poor, his allies, and even former enemies.

Lucemon valued the lives of the young, the innocent. He had always made sure they were cared for first and protected from the horrors of this war. It was a hard thing to do for one mon, but it had been a dream so similar to hers and so unlike her father's. It wouldn't be until they went on one of their secret dates, well into their relationship, when she learned of Puttimon and of his childhood friends. Lucemon had loved his brother and the way he died was cruel. It had been Puttimon's dream to live in a world in where they would all live in harmony, in peace. He had looked up to his brother, knowing he would make it happen. She was sure that Lucemon was slowly losing sight of that dream, they all were.

They had been in this war for far too long. They had unfortunately gotten used to seeing many young Digimon (both young children and babies) being abused, neglected, and even abandoned by their parents. Many children were orphaned, left alone to die, either by the hands of nature or by the enemy.

Lilithmon had always hated that part of the war. It was an evil she wished no child had to face. It was the worst kind of evil in the world. Seeing it always filled her with a strange kind of emptiness. An emptiness that reminded her of their failures, the promise that they could never keep, the lies they had to tell themselves to sleep at night, to continue fighting the next day.

"His name is Ken." As Lucemon talked, Lilithmon couldn't stop thinking of the horrors this small little Digimon had to go through. Had this little darling been abandoned or neglected by his parents, forcing Lucemon to take him away? Or had the child lost his parents by the hands of the rebellion or by one of the Great Leaders? It sickened her to think that, so much so that she had to move her legs to follow Lucemon as he began to walk away from Beelzebumon's door. "And before you get the wrong idea," he added upon seeing the pained look on her face, "no, he is not my child. I found him."

She kinda figured that out already. No offense to Lucemon, she loved him dearly, but he could be so stubborn at times when it came to opening up and getting close to others. With how busy the war had been keeping them, she doubted Lucemon would have allowed someone to get close to him enough to conceive a baby. It was very unlikely, considering how long he had been pushing her away with that well-constructed wall of his. But this did confirm her fears. Lucemon had found a child being neglected by his parents, being abused, or he had been an orphan with nowhere to go. Despite what others believed, Lucemon wasn't cold-hearted. None of them were, actually, despite the rumors and how they lead their troops in this war. Well, Demon might be cold-hearted and cruel. She could never really tell with him, but that was not the point. The point was that Lucemon would never allow a child to be harmed any longer if he could do something about it. It was what she loved about him.

"Where? What happened?" She was afraid of what horrors he would reveal. It pained her to think about what horrors this child must have been through. And if she was right, the reason Lucemon's body language tightened as if he was holding back his rage and disgust, was because it was sinister and inhumane.

"In the Human World."

"The Human World?" Lilithmon stopped walking, gazing at Lucemon with wide eyes. "Why were you there?" Had he been in the Human World this whole time? She was surprised he hadn't been spotted by them. He didn't exactly blend in after all.

Lucemon's eyes took on a very sad look. It was one she was very familiar with. There were so many emotions in those eyes, which were usually guarded and cold. She had to pause for a moment, to think. There was only one Digimon that Lucemon ever showed sadness, and loneliness, and regret for. And then she remembered the date.

"Puttimon," Lilithmon gasped. The Goddess of Darkness never met the little darling, but she had heard enough stories from Lucemon to know that he had never truly properly mourned his death. "You went to mourn his death, didn't you?" It was moments like this that she was glad she didn't have any siblings. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to survive the loss of one. As soon as that thought came, however, Lilithmon immediately felt disgusted with herself. How could she possibly think that? She wasn't heartless to look down on one who had siblings that had died. She had sometimes wondered what her life would have been like if she had a younger brother or sister when she was younger. She should not be thinking like that. She was not her father.

"Yeah," Lucemon said with a sad smile. He had that far away look in his eyes. There were so much loneliness and guilt in them. Lilithmon hated seeing him like this. If only she could make it all go away or at less make the loneliness and sadness reside just a bit. "Sometimes I wonder if I had been just a little bit quicker..." Lucemon's face pinched up slightly in pain. "Maybe if I had just been a bit more powerfuller...a bit more smarter...he might still be alive today."

"Oh, Lucemon." Lilithmon didn't know what to say to that. None of the things she wanted to say would make him feel better. Puttimon was gone forever. His data forever deleted thanks to one of the low lives that served under one of the other Four Great Leader. Lilithmon gently placed a hand on his bicep, unsure of what to say. Lucemon's shoulders were shaking ever so slightly. "I'm sorry. I know this much be hard for you. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Lucemon placed a hand over hers, shaking his head ever so slightly. "No, it's fine. I'm. Fine," Lucemon added softly. She wasn't sure who he was trying to convince: her or himself. It was a while before he spoke again. "For a long time, I had blamed myself for allowing us to get caught on that day. The Holy Alliance had wanted a powerful angel on their side and...I refused. They thought that kidnapping and killing my brother would convince me to cooperate." Lilithmon gave his shoulder a small squeeze. She remembered this story all too well.

"You evolved instead."

"Yes," Lucemon said, his eyes closing to block the tears that wanted to fall. "He...he had been so scared...and you know what?"

"What?" she asked, her own eyes misting.

"He was the bravest out of all of us," Lucemon voice cracked towards the end, a sob finally escaping. "I don't know how, but he...he knew he would die. He accepted it, despite being scared." Lucemon wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "The last thing he said to me was to never give up, to remember our dream."

Lilithmon wiped at her eyes. He was right, Puttimon was the bravest out of all of them and he had only been a baby. He would have been a wonderful leader. "He would have been proud of you, Lucemon." She knew Lucemon didn't believe it, but she did. Lucemon had saved so many, more then all of them combined.

Lucemon smiled at her after several moments. "Thank you." Lilithmon smiled in turn, gently lacing her fingers with Lucemon's. Lucemon didn't pull away as they returned to walking down the hall. "He would have liked Ken." Lilithmon hummed at that, waiting for Lucemon to continue. "Ken is just a baby himself. He's so innocent, so full of life and hope." Lilithmon's eyes widened in horror. A baby? He was just a baby? "Ken lost his mother when he was born," Lucemon continued, his eyes filled with sadness and rage. "His father had abused him and attempted to leave him in an alleyway in the freezing rain. He didn't even care that the little one was scared and just wanted to be protected and warm and loved."

Lilithmon was horrified. How could someone be so cruel to a small baby? It was worse then she thought. "The Human did not deserve a quick death." That caused her to stop in her tracks, which caused Lucemon to stop as well, considering they were still holding hands.

"A human?!"

"Well, it's about time they kissed and made up." Beelzebumon silently watched the two demonic angels walk away. The two were standing so close together. Gag! It was like that hadn't been avoiding each other for years and years. How was that even possible? Oh, well.

Beelzebumon shook his head as he closed the door behind him, turning to face his little charge. The two were so alike that it was kinda scary; like he wanted to bash his head on the wall and down in the water scary. They were both so stubborn, both so annoying, and both so love crazy that they were driving each other insane and everyone else for that matter. Beelzebumon had been so tempted to lock the two in a cell somewhere in the dungeons and not come back until morning. Was that a horrible thought?

Beelzebumon pondered that thought for a moment, pondering the pros and cons. Technically, yes. It could be, but he didn't need to do that now, now did he? The two practically came together on their own and he had a funny feeling there was a certain baby to thank for that, even if he was unaware of what he was doing. Beelzebumon smiled at his self-proclaimed little brother, who was still gazing at the splotches of paint he had thrown at the walls the other day when he had been in a...creative mood. "Mama and Papa are so silly, aren't they Ken?" Ken blinked in response. The Demon Lord hadn't really expected much from the baby, but the widening of his eyes and the toothless smile he gave him was something to ponder over.

Beelzebumon only vaguely wondered if calling Lilithmon "Mama" was a wise move or not. Was it wrong for him to make the little guy think that his Mama was Lilithmon? Lucemon had said she died giving birth to him, but did Ken know that? He was a baby. A baby who had been abandoned by this father.

Beelzebumon gazed at the cooing baby, chuckling softly as small hands reached out for him. Well, he guessed it didn't really matter. If Lucemon was going to be the kid's father, then it's only fair that Princess becomes the kid's mother. Beelzebumon smirked, thinking about Lilithmon's reaction, as small little finger attempted to wrap around his smallest claw. "Okay kiddo, this is what we are going to do. Your big brother is going to see if he has something warm for you to wear and then we're going to go to the kitchen to get some grub." Ken squealed happily at the idea. Beelzebumon smirked as he pulled away from the baby and made his way to the wooden chest located near the foot of his bed.

Beelzebumon had lots of clothing he had gathered throughout the years. Now it was only a matter of finding something that would fit Ken. The Demon Lord had quickly realized that finding the right outfit was not an easy task. He had a variety of clothing of all sizes, coming from a variety of planets and dimensions. Beelzebumon frowned, tossing the clothing aside as the ones he picked were either too big or too girly. Why was it so hard to find a simple newborn outfit Ken's size?

"Where is it? I know I had newborn clothing here somewhere." Beelzebumon continued his search. Clothes were now scattered on his floor, but he didn't care. He needed to find something for the kid to wear. He refused to allow him to wear nothing for the night. After what felt like an hour of searching (though, it was only twenty minutes or so), Beelzebumon finally found three newborn outfits that were Ken's size. "Ah, ha! Here we go!"

Beelzebumon smiled broadly as he held the three onesies. The fleece material of the sleepwear felt very soft to the touch and quite warm. It was a plus that the onesies had little footsies. Beelzebumon took comfort in knowing that Ken's feet would be protected from the cold; he wasn't sure if Ken would stay still enough to allow him to put socks on him. Beelzebumon held out the outfits to Ken. Hopefully, these will last a couple of months. It was hard to tell, given how fast humans tend to grow.

"So what you think?" he asked as he showed Ken the onesies. The first was a pearl white with different colored shapes decorating the outfit. The second was a green outfit with yellow sleeves. It had an elephant on the right breast. The third was a light blue outfit that was decorated with several green and pink caterpillars. Beelzebumon eyed that one curiously for a moment. It kinda looked like him when he was younger. It was kinda cool, actually. Ken must have agreed with him since little hands were reaching out for that one. He smiled. "Ha, me and you are so going to be best friends!"

Beelzebumon tossed the other two aside before starting the long, confusing process of dressing the small baby. Beelzebumon was more careful then Lucemon, making sure he didn't rip the zipper when he tried to open it. He wasn't sure how he managed it, but he had and the proof was right there in front of him.

"How's it feel?" Ken moved around in response as he felt the soft material on his skin. Ken seemed very pleased, which meant that he was pleased, which would also mean that Lucemon would be happy and would not bother him about the kid being cold tonight. It was supposed to be a bit chilly tonight. Beelzebumon had to chuckle at that. Who would have thought that Lucemon would be that kind of parent? He never thought Lucemon would be the overprotective type.

With a smile, Beelzebumon turned his gaze to the duffle bags and proceeded to search for a baby bottle, a bib, and the jar of baby formula. Once the desired items were in his claws, Beelzebumon returned his attention to the baby. Unfortunately, Ken had decided that his hands were now food.

"Hey," Beelzebumon scolded playfully as he placed the items on the bed and began to take Ken's hands out of his mouth. "Your hands are not food." Beelzebumon reached for the wipes and began to wipe the drool off of them as well as cleaning Ken's pacifier, which was on the bed a few inches away. "Suck on this until we get to the kitchen, alright?"

Ken, however, did not like that idea. Instead of sucking on the pacifier like he had been doing earlier, he'd spit it back out. Beelzebumon sighed at the baby's antics, slightly glad he had decided to clip the thing to the outfit beforehand. He was sure the thing would have ended up on the floor.

With a roll of his eyes, Beelzebumon placed the bib on the baby, before scooping him into his arms. "Alright. Alright. We'll do it your way." Ken squealed happily as Beelzebumon grabbed the bottle and formula and made his way out of the bedroom. However, Beelzebumon had not been expecting Piemon to be on the other side of his door, his hand raised. "Dammit, Piemon! Don't scare me like that!" Beelzebumon had been careful not to drop the baby when he jumped back. Although, Ken seemed quite happy for the ride.

"My apologies, My Lord," Piemon said, not looking sorry at all. Beelzebumon would have come out with a retort if it weren't for the fact that Ken squealed when he saw Piemon.

"Why hello again, Little Lord. What a cute outfit you're wearing. Did Lord Beelzebumon pick that one out for you?"

Beelzebumon puffed out his chest, about to respond to the question. However, that was before he realized what his lieutenant called the baby. "Little Lord?"

Piemon smiled at him, quite pleased with the baffled look on his face. "It would be rude to not address him as such," Piemon said. "He is one of us now."

Beelzebumon frowned slightly as he exited his room, allowing Piemon to close it for him. "Lucemon is not going to like this. I doubt he would want the kiddo involved in this war."

"Of course he wouldn't," Piemon agreed, "but that is not the reason for the title."

Beelzebumon remained silent as he waited for his lieutenant to respond. "Well?" Piemon didn't answer until they were in the kitchen, which was empty. Beelzebumon wasn't really surprised. It was well past one. The majority of the staff would be in their bedchambers by now.

"You and the other Demon Lords are going to be raising him. He will change the way we do things and change all of you," Piemon said as he grabbed the jar and bottle from him in order to prepare Ken's meal. "He will change all of us, actually." Beelzebumon was stunned for a moment. He's been looking at the Viewing Tree again, he concluded. But what did he see?

"What you mean?" Piemon didn't pause as answered the question.

"He is the key to the survival of this world." Once he was finished preparing the bottle, Piemon turned towards him. "But enough about that, I have some important matters to discuss with you."

"Like?" he asked as he grabbed the bottle, offering it to Ken.

"About what Lucemon didn't tell you about what happened on Earth."

The two demonic angels found Barbamon exactly where Beelzebumon said he would be. They hadn't expected Leviamon to be there though, talking to the other. The tension in the room had already been high and thick from the briefing, but it was even more so as Lucemon came to the end of his story. No one said anything as Lucemon finished, not even Leviamon, who tended to be just as talkative as Beelzebumon. Lilithmon looked around the room and it was obvious that they were all feeling the same thing: rage. Absolute rage. And horror. Horror for the human baby for what could have happened to him if Lucemon had not been there.

It was a horrible thing to have a baby being condemned to death even before he got to take his first breath in the world. Only a monster would attempt to deprive a child of his first sight of the amazing colors life had to offer, his first sounds, his first crawl, his first words. It horrified them to know that Ken could have lost his life if Lucemon hadn't heard those little wails; if he hadn't seen the baby held hostage in that cold, wet basket; if he hadn't been in the Human World in the first place.

All the annoyance and anger Lilithmon had felt just hours ago were now replaced with dread and sadness and a new wave a pain. Lilithmon absolutely adored children. It scared her that a human could be so heartless, so cruel to a small innocent baby. Lilithmon had wanted to torture the human, to tear his heart right out of his chest and then to see his lifeblood flow out of him as he died, praying to whatever god he believed in. That filth should not have died a quick death, her thoughts roared in her mind. The baby deserved justice!

Lilithmon gazed at the others, her eyes misted. He wouldn't have survived the night. Humans were such fragile creatures. They didn't have powers, like them. They couldn't evolve or get stronger. Their bodies were weak, fragile, in comparison to Digimon and other creatures. They were prone to getting sick easily and could die from the simplest of things. It was sad really. Maybe this was why humans were never happy with what they had. They were always trying to find ways to improve themselves, to better themselves; and yet, they ended up hurting others of their kind, belittling them, making themselves better than those under them. Those creatures seemed to thrive on war, on hatred, on competition.

If it wasn't for the fact that they knew there were kind, compassionate humans out there, they would have thought that the humans had no soul, no compassion. They were so quick to judge, to harm, to blame. But they were only human after all. They were a newer species. They didn't even have the ability to travel to other worlds. They didn't know of the wonders of the universe and maybe it was best that they didn't. They were not ready if they could not protect their young and old.

Lilithmon shook her head at the thought. Are we any different? They had many Digimon that were suffering because of this war, a war that was still going. It was never ending! But at least they weren't heartless monsters. No, they certainly were not. They might be the Demon Lords. Many Digimon fear them, fear their power. But they would never harm a child, a baby, an innocent. They were not murderers. Babies were precious beings. They were the future of their world, fragile creatures that needed to be loved and cared for, protected until the very end.

Ken was no different, despite being a human. He was more fragile and grew at a slower pace than a baby Digimon. But they weren't so different. Ken might not have powers and he wouldn't be able to protect himself at this age. He wouldn't be able to protect himself against a Digimon regardless. But that didn't mean he didn't deserve to be loved, to be raised in a loving environment. He deserved that and so much more.

"Lucemon, you do realize the harm of bringing a baby here, don't you?" They all gazed at Barbamon. Along with Belphemon and Demon, Barbamon was one the oldest. He had been around for a very long time and had seen many horrible things in his youth. The centuries had molded the elder Digimon to be wise and cautious. Most of the time, he was the voice of reason as much as they hated it at times. He made them think before they did something rash. This was exactly what he was doing now. They all had to know Lucemon's reasoning for thinking that bringing a child, a human child, to the Digimon World was a wise move.

"I do."

Barbamon turned his gaze away from the vast ocean and land to gaze at Lucemon. "Then you must know that he will be targeted by the Holy Alliance. They don't care that he is a baby. They will attempt to kidnap him, use him against us or even worse - kill him."

Lucemon's eyes hardened as his hands gripped the armrest of the lounge chair they were sharing. Lilithmon held Lucemon's other hand, giving it a small squeeze. Lilithmon hated that Lucemon was hurting. She knew that Lucemon must be thinking about Puttimon's death. If Ken died, he would never return. He couldn't be reborn. It would have been final, just like Puttimon's.

Ken's life would still be in danger, however. Her father would eventually find out about him and would try to harm Ken just to get to them if they weren't careful. That truly scared her. She gazed at Lucemon for a moment, knowing that he would not change his mind.

"I am well aware of that," he said tightly, his face blank of emotions.

"Really, Lucemon?" Barbamon asked with a questioning frown. "You could have just left him at the Village of Beginnings. Swanmon and Elecmon would have been fully capable of raising the child. They do it all the time."

Lucemon didn't miss a beat. "I have known Swanmon and Elecmon for ages. They are my best friends, my childhood friends. I am well aware that they could have protected Ken and raised him into a nice young man."

"But?"

"But," Lucemon took a deep breath. "I have to do it. For a long time, I have forgotten what it was like to protect another. Puttimon's death had affected me so much. It blinded me.

But, seeing Ken...seeing him being harmed...seeing him crying for someone to help him...to protect him...to love him..." Lucemon's voice broke for a moment and it took him several more deep breathes before he could talk calmly again. "I have to do it," he said firmly. "I failed to protect my brother when he needed me. He never gave up on me. He always trusted me to do the right thing. And I know this had to be a sigh from him."

Lucemon paused for a moment and just gazed into Barbamon's eyes. The other held it calmly, patiently. "You weren't there to see the way Ken looked at me. He wasn't afraid of me. He wanted me to protect him, to save him. He knew I would. I can't abandon him. Not now. Not ever."

Silence filled the room and this time the tension seemed to slowly ease away with the smile and nod Barbamon gave him. "Very well. That's all I needed to know." Barbamon gazed at the both of them for a long moment before continuing. "Lucemon, I believe you are right. Your brother wouldn't want you to keep mourning his death, fighting aimlessly until the day you die. He would want you to find something or someone to fill the void he left behind. And I think the baby you saved will be the one to heal those wounds."

Lucemon smiled, a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Barbamon said, dismissively, his hand slowly running through his long beard. "You are a good leader, Lucemon. The best. You will always have my support."

"Mine too," Leviamon and Lilithmon added with smiles of their own. Lucemon smiled at them, looking genuinely happy. Maybe they could really become closer, like a family.

"Where is the little guy?" Leviamon asked curiously.

"With Beelzebumon," Lucemon said, more relaxed now that the tense conversation was over. "He had made it his mission to be the best big brother Ken will ever have."

This caused Leviamon to laugh and Lilithmon to groan. "Don't you mean he's going to spoil him rotten and teach him all sorts of bad habits?"

"Hey! I resent that!" Lilithmon blinked, turning her attention to the door. And surprise, surprise, Beelzebumon was there in all his frightening glory.

She lifted her chin and gave him a leveled look. "So you're saying that you won't spoil him and teach him your bad habits?"

Beelzebumon gazed back at her with a smirk and a shrug, his head tilted ever so slightly. He was obviously pretending to think over the question. "Well, I never said that."

Lilithmon snorted. "You are such a bad influence."

"Am not!"

Before the argument could continue on, which they all knew was going to happen any minute now, Lucemon released her hand. Everyone watched as Lucemon raised from his seat and made his way towards Beelzebumon. A genuine smile was still gracing Lucemon's features as he inspected the little bundle in Beelzebumon's arms. It was only then when they noticed that the bundle was a baby.

Lucemon gently plucked Ken from Beelzebumon's arms. Ken cooed at Lucemon as he was cradled in his new father's arms. The baby looked so happy, so at eased. Though, that could be because he was now fully clothed and warm. "Now this is more like it," Lucemon smiled at the baby, his finger gently wiggling in front of the baby's face. "So much better than that old blanket of yours, hmm?" Ken only squealed as he attempted to grasp Lucemon's fingers. The baby looked so genuinely happy. He was content in being held, in addition to being given so much attention in such a short amount of time.

Beelzebumon chuckled. "Squirt here likes caterpillars." Lucemon's brow raised at that.

"You let him pick, didn't you?" Beelzebumon smile only grew.

"I might take him to Stingmon Village one day. He'll love it!" He didn't exactly deny the question.

"Not until he's a little older," Lucemon said protectively. Everyone chuckled in amusement, while Beelzebumon groaned in total exasperation.

"Are you serious?! Don't tell me he has to be twenty-five just for him to spend time with other babies his age!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Beelzebumon," Lucemon said, looking at the other Demon Lord with an unamused frown. "Ken is too young right now. Maybe when he begins to crawl then we can discuss a trip to Stingmon Village."

Beelzebumon grumbled under his breath along the lines of "overprotective parent" and "he will rebel when he gets older." Lilithmon covered her mouth with a hand to hide her laugh. It was always amusing to see Beelzebumon not getting his way. Said Demon Lord glared at her. "Oh, don't think you are in the clear Princess!" She scowled at the nickname. "Just wait until Ken wiggles into that cold heart of yours." Who was he calling cold? He smirked. "I'm sure kiddo here would want to be in his Mama's arms just as much he would want to be in his Papa's."

Lilithmon froze. Her whole body tensed up slightly as the words sank in. Her? A mother? She had always dreamed of having her own kids. But to raise a human baby, someone else's child? She's dead, a sly voice told her. He has no one else to be his mother figure. But wouldn't that mean she would potentially be replacing Ken's real mother? She was dead, yes. She would want him to be happy, to be loved by whoever took him in. But it wasn't right. She couldn't make the little one think that she was his mother. It would be cruel. Besides, he wouldn't even know the difference. He was so young.

"Lilithmon?" She wasn't sure what to think. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before lifting her eyes to gaze at Lucemon. Lucemon had returned to sitting next to her, looking at her in uncertainty. "Don't listen to him. You don't have to help if you don't want to." Lilithmon's eyes widened slightly. Why would he say something like that? "I don't want to pressure you into caring for him. I can raise him myself."

She didn't say anything once he finished. All she could do was gaze at him and the small child. He was so small, so young. There would be things that Ken would need to know as he got older that only a mother could teach. Lucemon was obviously going to be the father figure and Beelzebumon the non-overprotective, goofball of a brother. But Ken needed a mother figure as well. Lilithmon bit her lip, torn between what to do. But that all disappeared when violet eyes turned towards her.

Ken's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing her. Lilithmon found herself in awe. He was adorable. How could anyone seek to harm such a cute little thing?

"A! A!" Lilithmon found herself a bit surprised when she saw wonder, happiness, and relief in those eyes. The baby's whole face brightened as he looked at her. He thinks I'm his mother? That was the only logical thought that came to her as Ken reached out for her, wanting to be reunited with his mother. Relieved that the words the horrible man had told him were lies.

But she wasn't his mother, not the biological one. When Lilithmon didn't respond right away, a look of hurt crossed Ken's feature. It was starling to see the baby looking like he had been kicked. His hands lowered and his big violet eyes gazed at her in disappointment and hurt. Why was he so close to tears?

"Lil," Beelzebumon said from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. It was always a surprise when Beelzebumon becomes serious. He was a very laidback and go with the flow type of Digimon. So hearing him so serious was surprising. "I'm not sure if Lucemon knows this, but I was told by Piemon that the Human," the word rolled off his tongue like he had eaten something sour, "yelled at him that his mother left because of him. That she was gone because of him. That he was not wanted, not loved. That he was a mistake."

All the Demon Lords looked stunned and outraged, but Lucemon and Lilithmon were even more so. They both looked at the baby, finally understanding what the baby must be thinking as he gazed back at them, close to crying his little heart out. He truly thought that Lilithmon was his birth mother. And he thought that she didn't want him, that she hated him, just as that horrible, horrible human told him. Lilithmon could not stand the thought of the horrible things the baby must have been told and what was now swirling in his little head.

Without a second thought, her mind made up, Lilithmon reached out her hands towards the baby. "Can I hold him?" Lucemon nodded, gently helping her hold Ken correctly so that she was supporting his head. She smiled sweetly at the baby, using the tip of her knuckle to dab at the tears that began to gather at the edges of his eyes. "There, there, darling. There's no need to cry." She cradled him, rocking him gently. All the teachings her mother taught her ages ago came flowing back. "Mama was just surprised, that all."

Lilithmon smiled at Lucemon, who was looking at her in surprise. But he didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Lucemon returned the smile, relief reflecting in those orbs of blue. Is this what it feels like to be a mother? "You are such a brave boy," she said lovingly, "going through that all alone with that awful man." The two of them smiled down at the baby, watching as the tears all but disappeared. "He won't hurt you ever again." Lilithmon gazed at the baby lovingly, watching as he smiled at her. Seeing that innocent joy seemed to lighten her soul, reminding her of the love she had been missing ever since her mother died. "I promise, Mama will always protect you." The baby returned to cooing, genuinely happy as he nuzzled her breasts ever so slightly.

Everyone froze. The last time someone touched Lilithmon like that died a slow and painful death. Four pairs of eyes looked at her expectingly. Their expressions were so funny that Lilithmon laughed. Did they really think she was going to hurt a small child for just expressing his basic needs? "I'm sorry darling. I'm not carrying any food for you."

Beelzebumon chuckled nervously behind them. Lilithmon glanced over her shoulder to see Lucemon glaring at Beelzebumon sharply. In one claw was a baby bottle, still filled with milk.

"I told you to feed him!"

Beelzebumon handed her the bottle. "He gave me an attitude when I tried," he protested weakly, looking slightly offended.

"How in Shakamon's name can he give you an attitude?" Lucemon growled at him, his eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance. "He doesn't even know the meaning of the word!"

"He didn't want me to feed him!" Beelzebumon growled back, his right eye twitching slightly. Lilithmon simply shook her head. Everyone was on edge; she just hoped they didn't start killing each other.

Lilithmon took the bottle from Beelzebumon, offering it to the baby. It took a moment for Ken to latch on to it. When he did, he happily began gulping down big, hearty gulps of milk. "Hey," she chided the baby gently, "Slow down. You're going to give yourself a tummy ache." The baby paused for only half a second before resuming his gulping. Lilithmon didn't comment, deciding to simply watch the baby as he ate. She wondered how long it would take for the baby to understand that no one was going to deprive him of his meals? It was a hard thought to swallow. Lilithmon pushed that thought and several others away, for now, opting to gaze at the baby as he had his meal.

It wasn't long before the baby's eyes began to droop, his sucking slowing as he got sleeper and sleeper. Lilithmon assumed it was due to his tummy becoming full. Though, it could also be from exhaustion finally catching up to him.

Lilithmon gently removed the bottle from the baby's gums, noticing that he hadn't finished it. She frowned. "Is it okay that he didn't finish?"

Lucemon shrugged. "I believe so. Swanmon mentioned that due to his age, he will eat less during the initial feeding. But he would need to be fed frequently. Every three hours or so. So we would need to be on top of it. Same with his changing."

She looked at him. "So we are taking turns then," she yawned. "It wouldn't be fair for you to say up all night feeding and changing him."

"I would appreciate it," he replied with a yawn.

"I think it's time to call it a night," Barbamon said, causing them to all nod in agreement. "We will discuss arrangements for a nursery in the morning as well as discussing this matter with Demon."

"There's an extra room on my floor," Lilithmon suggested. She knew many of the other ladies lived on the same floor, especially Archnemon, who had her own issues regarding men. Many of the ladies had negative feelings regarding them. She just hoped it would be fine. Ken was technically just a baby. They couldn't hate him or judge him just because of his gender.

"I will discuss this with Demon in the morning," Barbamon said with a nod before he left the study. Leviamon and Beelzebumon soon left afterward, with Beelzebumon talking to the other about what Piemon had told him. She and Lucemon were soon left alone in the study with the sleeping baby.

"So what do we do now?"

Lucemon looked at her. "What you mean?"

"Ken doesn't have a bed or a room. Where will he sleep?"

Lucemon rubbed his eyes. "He can sleep in my bed for now. I wasn't planning on him sleep anywhere far from me anyway. Not after what happened today."

Lilithmon gazed at the sleeping baby, frowning slightly. It would be hard to take turns caring for Ken's little demands and needs. They were both on different levels and just thinking about going up and down those stairs was enough to make her sigh and want to crawl into bed and sleep the night away. The different floors and rooms were an issue, but what if... "Can I sleep with you too?" That may have come out wrong. Lilithmon flushed, realizing how inappropriate and intimate it sounded.

Thankfully, Lucemon seemed too tired to think of the alternative. "I guess that could be fine. It would be a pain waking up just to go up and down the stairs."

Lilithmon smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking."

Lucemon yawned before gently taking the sleeping baby from her. "I'll let you go change then. I'll see you later."

Lilithmon smiled as they left the study, parting ways. Lilithmon was a little embarrassed at what she had suggested. They still had some issues to work out and Lucemon was obviously not ready to be that intimate with her. But with the new addition to their family, she knew they would get there. Lucemon was actually talking to her, actually touching her. He was openly allowing her back in. She smiled as she made her way to her room. Maybe having a baby was what they need to finally bridge the gap that had widened between them. Maybe it was what they needed to finally heal, to form a new beginning.