The planning for Kyoko's birthday party was progressing well. Kuon had ordered a massive six tier cake with white frosting, pink roses, rose gold edible glitter, and several different flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, and raspberry cream. Yashiro and Ayame had gotten together a few times over the last week, alone, to discuss entertainment and catering options. The venue had been playing hard to get, but after spending much money and dropping a few names, The Dayjowey Land Princess Castle had been secured for the event.

Kuon had never been so excited. He had personally called his parents to invite them, and it was close enough to the birth of the babies that they were both free. Invitations had gone out to everyone that had been at the Happy Grateful Party… and there had even been a begrudging invitation sent to Sho Fuwa. He couldn't wait to see the look on Kyoko's face when everyone who loved her was there to celebrate her.

He was lounging around watching tv at home when his phone rang. He was surprised to see that it was his lawyer.

"Good afternoon, Tsuruga-san. I'm calling because I have received word from Mogami-san that her client is looking to settle out of court."

Kuon raised an eyebrow. Saena's questioning of him had undoubtedly put the defense in a much better position. So why would they all of a sudden be wanting to settle?

"Right. For how much?"

"They're offering 5 billion yen."

Kuon's eyes popped open. That was more than 30 million USD. That would ensure that each one of his children had 10 million dollars right out of the womb. He wanted to punish the MPREG director for putting him through all of this, but as they said in the states, money talks. He was also aware that if they continued, they ran the risk of losing the case entirely…

"... I'll do it."

"That is wonderful to hear, Tsuruga-san. I'll get the paperwork filed and get the process moving so we can get your money."

"Thank you."

They hung up and Kuon rubbed his belly. "You hear that? We're going to invest, and you're all going to be nepo babies with gold toilets. All thanks to Saena, of all people." He had never been more perplexed in his life. After her line of questioning, he had been sure that he would lose the case. He wondered if Kyoko would get to the bottom of all of this when she asked her mother for permission to marry him that afternoon.

Ayame and Kyoko stood outside of the law firm where Saena worked. Ayame put her hand on Kyoko's shoulder. "Are you okay?" She had only been recently informed of the goings-on between Kyoko and her mother, and was unsure of the outcome of this meeting.

Kyoko nodded. "Let's get it over with." They entered through the revolving door in the front of the building and approached the front desk. The receptionist smiled warmly up at them from the desk.

"Hello! How may I help you?"

Kyoko cleared her throat. "She's not expecting me, but I need to speak with Saena Mogami."

"Are you Kyoko-chan?," asked the receptionist.

Kyoko blinked. That was almost like her mother had been expecting her… "I– yes. I am."

The receptionist nodded and picked up her phone. "I'll let her know you're here."

This made Kyoko even more nervous. If Saena had been expecting her, had been waiting for her to show up, then she was sure to really rip into her. Kyoko took a deep breath; it couldn't be worse than all of the other times that Saena had unloaded on her. She knew what to expect.

The elevator down the hall opened and Saena stepped out. When she reached Kyoko and Ayame, the River Mogami was in full effect across her forehead. "Kyoko."

"Mother. It's nice to see you." It wasn't, but Kyoko had manners.

Saena gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment. "We have much to discuss." Her eyes fell on Ayame. "And you are…?"

Ayame bowed to her. "Ayame Hinamori, Kyoko-chan's manager. It's nice to meet you."

Saena nodded. "Please wait here for Kyoko to return." She turned on her heel and made for the elevator. Kyoko whispered a quick apology to Ayame before following her mother to the elevator.

The ride up to Saena's office was filled with a silence that was more pregnant than Kuon. When they reached her floor, they exited the elevator and turned left toward the office. It had glass walls that were blocked by closed blinds. Saena went inside the office first. "Please sit."

Kyoko took one of the chairs in front of the desk, and Saena shut the door behind them, and locked it. She crossed the room to the chair behind the desk, sat down, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So," she said after a too-long moment of silence. "Ren Tsuruga is pregnant with your babies."

Kyoko nodded. "We plan to marry as quickly as possible. If you will give your consent, I'll be out of your hair."

Some unidentifiable emotion flickered in Saena's eyes for just a moment and then was gone. She opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a manila folder. She slid it across the desk to Kyoko. "I have prepared and signed the appropriate consent forms already. Though this situation displeases me, I would rather the children grew up with both parents present." Kyoko's becoming a parent had forced Saena to take a long hard look at herself, and she had come to realize that the anger she felt toward Kyoko… was actually anger she felt toward herself. Anger that she had been fooled by a handsome face, anger that she hadn't been strong enough to pull it together. She even felt anger that she hadn't been able to hack it as a mother, and felt shame that Kyoko's father was not around. If she could prevent that from happening to her grandchildren…

Grandchildren, she had thought bitterly. I've barely been a mother to their mother, so it doesn't feel right to call them that. Though, that is what they are. The whole situation filled her with conflict. She wanted to chastise Kyoko for making the same mistakes that she had made herself; for being young and dumb and careless.

But was she, really? If Ren's story were to be believed, these babies were the result of a kiss. And it was perfectly normal for a 17-year-old girl to kiss someone, and not really shameful in the least. Saena wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure what she had the right to say, if anything. For the first time in her life… she felt concern for her daughter.

Kyoko picked up the folder from the desk. "... Thank you. I thought you might object to this."

Saena's mouth tightened into a straight line. "I don't like it, but denying my consent would be like shutting the barn doors after the horses have already fled, don't you think?"

Kyoko bowed her head. "I-I'm sorry." She straightened up. "Is this folder all we need?"

Saena gave her a curt nod. "That's it."

"Then I won't waste anymore of your time. Thank you for this." Kyoko got to her feet and headed for the door. Saena wanted to say something, but she kept her silence.

Kyoko walked toward the elevators, thinking about what had just transpired. She had caught the tiny flicker of whatever-it-was in Saena's eyes before it had disappeared. Had it been concern? Worry? She had never seen those things appear on Saena's face, especially not in regards to herself. She realized that she must be mistaken. Silly me, she thought.

"Psst."

She stopped and looked to her right. Saena's coworker, Todoh, was waving Kyoko over through a small crack in his door. Kyoko smiled. He was a bit weird, but Todoh was nice enough.

"Todoh-san. It's been a while."

He looked toward Saena's office, and when he saw that the door was closed, he opened his door a little wider. "I need to talk to you, Kyoko-chan. Come in here, please."

Kyoko entered his office and sat down in one of the chairs. "What's going on, Todoh-san?"

Todoh shut the door behind him. "Did your mother give you the consent forms?"

Kyoko nodded, surprised that Saena had mentioned them to him. "She did. Is that what this is about?"

He sighed and nodded. "Your mother made a phone call to Tsuruga-san's lawyer this morning. They're going to be settling out of court."

She was surprised to hear this. "Why?"

He sat down on the corner of his desk. "She'll never admit it, not in a million years, but she's taking the hit for you, and your family. Congratulations, by the way."

Kyoko blushed. "T-thank you, Todoh-san. What do you mean she's 'taking the hit'?"

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Quite frankly, Tsuruga's goose was cooked after he was questioned. She had him nailed to the proverbial wall about not having the blessing of the pharmaceutical company to put the product on his skin. But once Saena found out about the babies, everything changed. She's been shut up in her office for days, except for when she came in here to confide in me. I've known her for the better part of 20 years, Kyoko-chan. She doesn't do that. Once it goes public that you are the mother of Tsuruga-san's children, and people start to make the connection between you and Saena…" he sighed. "She's preparing for an enormous lawsuit. Potentially career-ending."

Kyoko stared at him. "S-she's willing to do that? For me?" She looked at him as though he had gone completely insane. "Why?"

He crossed his arms. "I think she feels bad."

"I don't know what to say," she said, flummoxed. Her mother hadn't felt bad for her a day in her life, as far as she knew. What had caused this change of heart?

Todoh sighed. "I don't think she knows what to say, either. But, I thought you should know all of the details." He looked down at her with a small frown. "I know she hasn't always been kind to you, Kyoko-chan. Despite that, the old Saena is in there somewhere. I have faith that she is." He had to have faith; he had been in love with Saena Mogami for years. He peeked out the blinds of his office, and when he was satisfied that Saena had not come out of her office and would be making no move to do so, he crossed the room to open the door. "I won't keep you."

Kyoko bowed to him. "Thank you, Todoh-san."

She left the office and took the elevator back to the first floor lobby. Ayame got to her feet from the chair she had been sitting in. "How did it go?"

Kyoko held up the folder. "I got what I came for. Let's go."

"It was so weird, Corn. She didn't tear into me, she didn't accuse me of being a failure. I fully expected her to go off, and… nothing."

They were lounging on the couch in their pajamas, eating out of matching tubs of ice cream. Kuon took another bite from his, that was balanced precariously on his belly. "Yeah, and if what Todoh said is true, it makes me question what she's thinking. She could have won that case, Kyoko-chan. I know she could have. I… I fucked up pretty good, really." After a lot of introspection, Kuon had come to the realization that this whole thing could have been avoided if he hadn't been so damned fancy and just stuck to the script. This really was on him. "5 billion… that is really serious money."

Kyoko nodded. "And they're going to come after her for it, too. I feel like we owe her."

Kuon's eyes narrowed. "I hate owing her anything."

She chuckled. "I know it. But… I don't know. Something in her seems to be changing. Todoh said he thinks that the old Saena is in there somewhere. Maybe he's right."

He set his ice cream tub on the coffee table and picked up the manila folder that lay there. "I still can't believe she consented so easily. So," he turned to her, grinning, "When are we getting hitched?"

Kyoko pulled her phone out and scrolled through her calendar. "Gonna have to be my birthday, I think. All my other days are full up."

Kuon, who had already booked a giant cake, invited all of their friends, got a caterer, and live music for her birthday, almost laughed at how well that plan had worked out. Now he just had to put in a call to Julie for a dress. "I like it. We'll get married, have a nice birthday dinner, come home, and do married people things." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Kyoko blushed. "Are you up for that?" she gestured at his belly.

He slumped against the couch with a deep sigh. "Honestly? No. But," The Emperor turned his eyes on her. "After these babies come, we're going on our honeymoon. No belly, no babies, and no one to question the things I'm going to do to you."

Kyoko turned bright pink and leapt up from the couch. "I-I'm going to go put my ice cream away!" She dashed into the kitchen, and he laughed, his belly bouncing up and down.

The next day, after Kyoko went to work, Kuon put his laptop on the kitchen counter and logged into a Zoom meeting.

"He's here! Hi, baby!"

He smiled at Julie. "Hi, Mom. Is Dad there?"

She turned the webcam so Kuu was in frame. He waved to Kuon. "Hi, Son. Let me see the grandkids!"

Kuon laughed and angled the laptop so they could see his massive belly. Julie gasped. "Oh my goodness! Kuon!" It had grown at least twice the size since she had last seen it.

Kuu's reaction was different. He screwed up his face in an expression that clearly said 'ew'. "That is really weird. Really cool, can't wait to meet them, but it is weird."

Julie elbowed him. "Hush up, you." She turned back to Kuon. "Where's the kidnapper? He's supposed to be here, right?"

As if on cue, Lory appeared in the chat. He waved a hand in greeting. "Good Morning, Kuon. Good evening, Kuu and Julie!"

Kuon smiled. "I've asked you all here for something really important, so I don't want to beat around the bush. Kyoko and I are getting married."

Julie gasped and jumped to her feet. "REALLY!?"

He nodded. "Yes. We've agreed to do it on Kyoko's birthday."

Kuu frowned. "What about the party?" He had been looking forward to the food.

Kuon rolled his eyes. "We're still having the party. Only now, it's just going to be a wedding with everyone in attendance."

Lory laughed. "Christ. Even when you don't plan for it, things always seem to work out perfectly for you. It's a gift."

Kuon looked down at Lory's square. "You can officiate, right?"

Lory's jaw dropped. "I–well, yes!" As the LoveMon, he was able to officiate weddings in several countries. "You want me to do that!?"

Kuon nodded. "I really can't think of anybody better." He turned to his parents. "And Mom, Kyoko needs–"

She burst out laughing maniacally, and disappeared from the frame. Kuu smirked after her. "If you were going to ask for a dress, your mother has had one made for the last six months." She returned with a dress bag a few moments later and unzipped it to reveal a mermaid gown, covered with Swarovski crystals. She barely gave them time to see anything before zipping the bag right back up.

"You can see it properly once she's wearing it."

Kuon smiled softly down at his laptop. "I love you guys."

Lory dabbed at his eyes with a peacock-embroidered handkerchief. "Oh, stop. My mascara will run."

Kuon raised an eyebrow. "Why in the hell are you wearing mascara?"

Lory put his handkerchief away. "Because Ten thinks it looks sexy."

Kuon wished that he hadn't asked.

"Yashiro-san, what do you think about this one?"

Ayame emerged from the dressing room in a red off-the-shoulder dress with a slit up to just above her knee. She had asked Yashiro to accompany her to find a dress that would look nice for Kyoko's birthday-turned-wedding. He hadn't asked why; he had simply agreed and turned up at the store she had given him directions to. After all the birthday preparation they had been involved with over the last week, he didn't dare hope that this could be anything more personal.

He did his best to keep his tongue in his head as he looked her up and down. "That one is really nice, Hinamori-san. The color looks great on you."

Ayame turned this way and that in the mirror; exposing the completely open back to him. Yashiro stared at the shapely angles of her shoulders. Don't be a pervert, he thought. Don't be a pervert, don't be a pervert, DON'T BE A PERVERT!

"I don't know," she said. "Don't you think it's a bit much?"

He took a deep breath to fight the nervous stutter that he was sure would come out. "Not at all. You pull it off quite nicely."

At that, she sighed heavily and turned to him. "Yukihito, what gives?"

His eyes widened at her use of his first name. "I– excuse me!?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "We've spent most of the week together shopping and running errands for the party. You've been acting funny the entire time like you have a school boy crush, which is actually kind of cute. So, I invite you to help me pick out a dress for the wedding, and all you can give me is 'that color looks great' and 'you pull it off quite nicely'?"

Yashiro stared at her, his brain shutting off completely. "What do you want me to say?"

She got a little closer to him. "Maybe, 'You look stunning in that dress, Ayame.' 'Your back is sexy in that, Ayame.' 'Would you like to get dinner, Ayame?' You could start there."

Yashiro got to his feet and looked her in her eyes. "Would you like to have dinner after you buy this stunningly sexy dress, Ayame?"

She giggled. "I thought you would never ask."