The day Momonoki returns to work has finally arrived. Early that morning while Shizuka slept away, Momonoki carried her to Sullivan's mansion. She held her baby close to her as she flew through the sky until she landed outside the gates.

After ringing the doorbell, Momonoki glanced down at her still sleeping child and smiled at her adorable peaceful look. She never gets tired of seeing her face. Now she has to be away from her for a heavy portion of the day.

Opera answered the door quietly as the residents of the house are still asleep. "Good morning Ms. Momonoki."

"Hello Opera." Momonoki entered the mansion.

"Lord Sullivan and young Master Iruma have yet to awaken." Opera informed her as they closed the door behind the teacher.

"Okay, I'll try to be as swift as possible." Momonoki said as she quietly went to the nursery and gently placed her sleeping babe in her crib. She pulled the fluffy blanket over her, making extra sure she's nicely snug and warm.

Momonoki straightened to her full height, her light blue gaze never left the human infant. In the month since she adopted Shizuka, Momonoki has grown used to the baby's natural aroma. It no longer smelled appetizing to her, rather, it soothed her nerves like a scented candle. Though she still applies the scent masker religiously to keep other demons from noticing.

Momonoki sighed and looked at the clock with discomfort. She needs to go to work soon, but she finds it very difficult to be away from her daughter. Taking a deep breath to summon all the strength and courage only a true demon can muster, she shuffled her feet backwards away from her sleeping baby. She made her way back downstairs looking guilty as she reached ground floor.

"Everything alright Ms. Momonoki?" Opera asked at the bottom of the stairs.

Momonoki sighed, "I feel really bad right now. Maybe I should post-pone my return." She looked up at the stairs.

"Ms. Momonoki." Opera said, getting her attention, "You're still a teacher at Babylus."

Momonoki sighed again, "And I have a duty to the school and it's students. This just feels harder than I realized." She looked down at her shoes.

Opera laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at the butler. "I know. You're doing so well as her mother. I understand what you're going through, we all do. Please be assured we won't let anything happen to her while you're working."

Momonoki digested their words before taking a deep breath and exhaled. Resolve returned to her face, "Right, I leave it to you Opera."

Opera nodded with a hum.

"Okay, I'm off then. You give me a call if something's wrong. Okay?" Momonoki said as she opened the door to leave.

"Of course."

Momonoki let out a breath and left the mansion. "Good luck Opera."

Momonoki opened her wings and flew towards the school. She glanced behind her at the shrinking mansion with regret then faced forward. "Alright, nine hours begins now!" She declared, then with powerful flap of her wings she sped towards the school, determined to get through an entire school day.

Standing in front of the door to the Teacher's Office after one month felt odd to her. Taking a deep breath, she touched the door handle and pushed it open.

"Welcome back!"

Momonoki jumped back in surprise at the sudden chorus along with balloons and streamers hanging around the banner that said, "Welcome Back Momonoki."

The teaching staff smiled upon seeing their clearly surprised friend and colleague back in their humble abode.

Momonoki placed a hand on her rapidly beating heart, "What is going on?"

Robin slid up to her, his ever-energetic smile lit up his face. "It's your 'Welcome Back to Work' party! We got cake!" He pointed at the table that had a large, decorated triple layered cake.

Momonoki smiled, "Oh guys, you didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense, this is a special occasion." Dali declared grinning mischievously, "Especially knowing you have a baby of your own."

Momonoki laughed nervously, "Hellcat's out of the bag."

"Congratulations, yis." Stolas said from among the crowd.

"Yeah, Professor Morax and Chairdemon brag about your daughter's cuteness and shared pictures with the whole staff." Robin explained, making Momonoki sigh at her grandfather.

"So..." Raim appeared at her side with a coy smile, "...when can we meet the little cutie?"

"Well, I can't bring her here just yet. With all the students attending this school, I don't want to overwhelm her." Momonoki stated, nixing the idea immediately since the demon fledglings aren't disciplined to handle the presence of a baby.

Robin sighed in disappointment, "Oh, okay. Just thought it'd be nice to have one come visit the school. How about the dorms?" He asked with hope shining in his eyes.

"Nope." Momonoki answered without hesitation, bringing Robin's mood back down.

"Speaking of students, many of them really miss you. They even begged the Chairdemon to bring you back early." Dali grinned at the memory, "Having Kalego and Balam sub for your classes is considered a nightmare for them." He added with a chortle, the most villainous Guard Dog and the gargoyle with skinship has been nothing but torture for the students.

"I can only imagine." Momonoki knowingly said as she imagined the agony her students suffered.

"We've got one more hour before classes begin, let's have cake!" Robin cheered as they guided their fellow teacher to the tasty confection.

Momonoki laughed as she got caught up with the latest gossip among the teaching staff, many of them updated her on recent events and how they were handled. She tried to enjoy herself, but glancing at the clock made it difficult for her to do so.

'Only eight hours and thirty minutes to go.'

The second she entered her homeroom class, the students burst out into a cacophony of tears and relief.

"Professor Momonoki, you returned to us!"

"We'll never complain about the material again!"

"Just please don't leave us to Kalego and Balam again! UWAAAHAAAHAAAA!"

Momonoki sweat dropped at the emotional breakdowns of her students. Perhaps a month-long absence was too long for these kids.

"I apologize for making you all wait that long. I'm back now." Momonoki assured them, making everyone sigh and clap.

Just as Momonoki was about to take roll, one of her students raised their hand. "Yes?"

"Are the rumors true?"

Momonoki raised an eyebrow, "What rumors?"

"That you have a baby."

Momonoki smiled and laughed, "Yes I do."

This confirmation brought more questions. Is it a boy or a girl? How old are they? How long are their tail? Do they have horns?

Momonoki decided to give them the most basic explanation, "Her name is Shizuka, she's about a month old." She sighed as she thought about her baby girl, "Today is my first day away from her so it's going to be a challenge for both of us."

The students saw how their teacher's eyes softened as she thought of her daughter but kept a strong front and maintained her dignity.

"Now then, without further ado, I believe it's time we review Chapter 6." Momonoki announced as she began her class.

By lunch time, Momonoki was eating the food she packed for herself. She looked up at the clock, watching the hand move at an agonizingly slow pace.

'Four more hours.' Momonoki groaned to herself as she swallowed her food.

Her hellphone chimed, making her put her utensil down to answer it. A text message from Opera with a picture attached to it.

Opera: Shizuka just finished her bottle and will be due for another nap in an hour.

The picture they sent her was of Shizuka propped up by a soft pillow as she held a stuffed demon bunny with one of its long ears in her mouth.

Momonoki breathed out a small laugh as she stared at the picture. Seeing her daughter's face soothed her nerves. 'I guess she's handling this better than I am.' She thought to herself with a sigh.

"Professor Momonoki?"

She turned when her name was called and nearly squeaked upon seeing Kalego standing close by.

"Oh, Professor Kalego, I didn't hear you before." Momonoki blushed as she set her phone down.

"It's fine, I just came by to inform you I already left some of the transitional lesson plans on your desk." Kalego said as he glanced at the phone with her daughter's picture on it.

"Motherhood treating you well?" Kalego asked before he sat down at the table.

Momonoki gulped, he's sitting at the same table as her. "It was a bit trying the first week, but I'm confident that I've got a handle on it." Momonoki answered with a smile, feeling sure of herself.

"I see. No trouble for your first day back, I hope." Kalego asked since this is the first time he's interacted with her since Shizuka arrived in the Netherworld.

"No trouble at all. My students cried when they saw me enter the classroom." Momonoki laughed softly, "Thanks for watching over them for me."

"I'm only too happy to give them back to you. I already have my hands full with the Misfit Class." Kalego grumbled to himself.

"Right, sorry about that." Momonoki said as she looked away with a hint of guilt at literally dumping her students and classes on him.

"It's fine. It wasn't so bad. This will make them work hard and appreciate your lessons." Kalego added, feeling a tad bit smug when he found out about how they cried upon seeing their homeroom teacher return.

"It certainly does." Momonoki couldn't help but smile. Many of her students whom she hasn't seen in a month were ecstatic to have her back and have worked extra hard to impress her so she wouldn't leave them again.

"Your daughter, I take it she's adjusted as well for today?" Kalego asked, watching her face fall slightly.

"About that...since today's my first day back, it's also the first time I've left Shizuka alone. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Opera's help, and they've already learned the ropes of caring for a baby." Momonoki sighed as she glanced at her phone, "To be honest, it's me who's not doing well. It's been nearly five hours and...I really want to see her again. I thought I was ready to teach again after a month, but it's harder than I thought it would be."

"No one said it would be easy." Kalego's words made Momonoki look up.

The Guard Dog of Babylus leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're still new to motherhood, so it's only natural for you to feel this way. Temporary separation is normal, especially for working parents. You'll get used to it, and so will Shizuka. Staring at the clock every five minutes won't make the day go by faster."

Momonoki blushed, "You noticed that?"

"Iruma informed me, he said he's worried about how you and Shizuka are holding up. But yes, I noticed it too." Kalego answered, remembering when the worrisome brat caught him between classes and informed him.

"Oh, I see." Momonoki let out a breath, "I'll try not to make a habit of it."

Kalego nodded, "I should hope so, infants pick up on their parent's emotions and vice versa. If you're anxious so will she. Best you be careful about that."

Momonoki took a deep breath and exhaled, "You're right, I'll try harder for her sake."

"Good." Kalego said before the warning bell screamed around the school. "Best we return to our classes."

"Right." Momonoki packed her lunch as they got up to leave. "Um, Professor Kalego, thank you."

Kalego nodded and walked away, "Good luck."

Momonoki smiled, feeling giddy as she walked back to her classroom. It's been a long time since she actually held a conversation with her former mentor, and honestly, it's the best thing that's happened to her today so far.

"Ayaaaya!" Shizuka exclaimed upon seeing her mother.

Momonoki's blue eyes sparkled as she held her arms out and received her precious baby from Opera.

"Shizu, I missed you so much. I'm sorry I left you alone for so long. Forgive me?" Momonoki blubbered as she nuzzled her baby girl who let out exclamations of joy and happiness.

Momonoki glanced up at Opera as they stood in the living room. "Thank you for watching over her Opera. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"There was no trouble at all. Although..." Opera paused, hesitant to speak, "...she was quite upset when she didn't see you at breakfast. Sullivan and Iruma woke up a bit earlier than normal. Sullivan almost didn't leave this morning." Opera recounted to Momonoki who pictured the Chairdemon skipping work to spend time with his grandbaby.

"I'm sorry about that." Momonoki glanced down at her daughter who sucked on her fingers.

"She also cried nonstop before lunch time. She's a very impatient child." Opera then smiled a little as their ears went up, "She finally stopped when Kalego called to check in."

Momonoki's face filled with surprise, "Kalego called?"

Earlier that day

"Professor Kalego!"

The teacher in question paused his journey in the hallway to see his student Iruma rush up to him. His two minions weren't with him this time.

"Iruma, what happened?" Kalego asked as the blue boy panted.

"Well...it's about Professor Momonoki." Iruma answered, still breathless.

"Oh?" Kalego asked, as he waited for the boy to elaborate.

"She's doing okay today, but she keeps staring at the clock every now and then. Honestly, I'm a little worried for her. Shizuka wasn't doing too great either this morning." Iruma explained with an anxious look on his innocent face.

"I see, thank you for informing me." Kalego said after a moment of silence. "Go on to your next class. I'll take care of this."

Iruma nodded then ran off to join up with his friends.

Kalego watched the boy leave then sighed, "Honestly."

Reaching into his pocket, he dialed the number of his least favorite demon in the Netherworld. It didn't take long for the hell cat to pick up.

"Hello Kalego. To what do I owe this pleasure."

Kalego could hear a baby screaming in the background.

His eyebrow twitched at the noise, "I take it babysitting is going well for you."

"She refuses to drink her milk unless she sees her mother. Which won't be for another five hours."

Kalego could hear a hint of worry and anxiety from the feline.

"Put her on the phone." Kalego requested. One moment later, the volume increased, making the Guard Dog pull his phone away from his ear.

Taking a deep break, he spoke into the phone, "Silence."

Strangely enough, this actually got the baby to stop crying, but he could still hear the sounds of hiccups and sniffling.

"Listen well young lady, while I understand how much you miss your mother, that does not give you the excuse to starve yourself. Your mother is working really hard and is already having a difficult time with the separation just as you are." Kalego sighed, but he wasn't finished, "There is also the fact that you woke Iruma up too early, he needs as much sleep as he can get to attend his classes and learn his lessons. He would appreciate it if you didn't make a habit of it. Let's not forget-"

"Kalego, she's drinking." Opera cut Kalego off.

Kalego faintly heard the baby making suckling sounds as she drank from her bottle.

"Hm, so she is, good girl." Kalego praised he infant, surprisingly happy the little human did what she's supposed to do.

"I'm surprised, but thanks for that."

"You're welcome. After she's finished, inform her mother." Kalego sighed, "It would seem Momonoki is unable to fully concentrate unless she sees her daughter's face."

"Understood, and thanks for checking in." Opera said before they hung up the phone.

Kalego sighed as he put his phone away and resumed his walk.

"He actually did that?" Momonoki asked, completely and utterly surprised at what Opera described. It's so unlike Kalego to do that, but it's so like him to scold an infant for skipping lunch.

"Yes, I'm still surprised as well. He hasn't seen Shizuka for a month, and yet Shizuka seemed to recognize his voice." Opera noted with a thoughtful expression.

Momonoki couldn't help but blush at the thought of Kalego checking in on her baby for her. He even asked Opera to send her an update to help her get through the day. She smiled to herself, 'Even though I'm no longer his underling, he's still looking out for me.'

The next day at school, Momonoki found a book on top of her desk. She picked it up and read the title, "'The Guide to Being a Working Parent: How to Balance a Job and a Baby.'" She opened the book and saw some notes written besides some sections and paragraphs. It took her a moment to recognize that handwriting. 'Kalego.' She flipped through more pages that had the same penmanship she's most familiar with.

Momonoki glanced over at Kalego working diligently at his desk with his back to her.

'He...read through this too.' Momonoki blushed as she closed the book and placed it gently in her book bag.

'Still looking out for me.' She smiled to herself, feeling giddy and fighting the urge to squeal. He's just so nice.

I personally love this story because NO ONE has done it yet. I hope I depicted Momonoki's internal struggle enough. Bet some of you weren't expecting Kalego to do that for Momonoki. ;)