Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

This is a complicated situation.

It started with a slight cramp pain in the morning that she didn't take any importance of, but as the day went by, a feeling of restlessness settled in her and now these cramps have become more intense and frequent. They even seem to come with some minutes apart, though she hasn't timed them exactly, however, it has become impossible to ignore.

She stifles a pained moan when another cramp starts from her lower belly, spreading through the rest of her abdomen and intensifying the pain to the point that she must lean against a nearby ledge for a moment. This is very different from the cramping she has experienced previously during her menstrual periods, and it’s also different from the baby's usual movements.

A small part of her fears that there is something wrong with her baby, but soon the realization what it could be hits her, making her break out in a cold sweat. It had a chance of happening during this week, but she seriously expected it to happen after Kiana's birthday, this is a mess.

Speaking of Kiana, where had she gone again?

Oh, right, she went out to run some errands I asked her…

A resigned sigh leaves her lips and she waits for the intense pain to ease a little before attempting to walk to the living room and take a seat on the nearest couch. She couldn't do much more than wait for Kiana to return; if one of these intense cramps starts while she is driving to the hospital, she could put herself and the baby at risk.

She just hopes Kiana doesn't panic when she finds out.

After the pain subsides enough to allow her to stand upright, she walks slowly towards the living room to wait for Kiana. She spends a few minutes calmly before the onset of a new cramp makes her shrink in place and take a deep breath to endure the stinging pain.

This becomes a small ‘routine’ for what felt like an eternity until she finally hears the subtle sound of keys and the front door opening, Kiana's cheerful voice sounded from the entry, making her presence known before she peeks through the entrance to the living room.

“Meei~, I got some warm bread right out of the oven! I was lucky to pass by that bakery on the other street on my way-” Kiana stops her announcement as soon as she looks up from the bag in her hands and notices her slightly hunched posture in the couch.

There is an obvious trace of confusion in her eyes before her expression turns worried as she walks further into the room.

“Kiana, I-I need you to promise me that you will stay calm…” Mei tries to straighten up when she sees her approaching, and even though she tries to speak normally, the beginning of a new cramp makes the task difficult.

“Stay calm? ...Why?"

Mei sighs heavily as she sees Kiana already starting to get restless and chooses to be direct, expecting a panic scene.

“I think my labor has started.”

Kiana's face goes blank and a dead silence fills the room, Mei tries her best to endure the pain with a neutral face, but seeing that Kiana still does not react after a couple of minutes, she gets a bit impatient.

“Kiana-”

The bag Kiana is holding suddenly falls to the ground and this seems to snap Kiana out of her stupor. As if it were a switch, she begins to stutter and turn in different directions without really moving, as if she is searching for something as panic settles in her.

Mei sighs quietly, this is exactly what she wanted to avoid.

After a few seconds, Kiana murmurs something that she can't quite hear and in the blink of an eye she disappears down the hallway that leads to the rest of the rooms in the house, but not before shouting that she would be right back. Mei blinks and having no other options to follow, she waits for her to return, leaning against the couch while she places her hands on her belly.

She closes her eyes for a few seconds while she concentrates on taking deep breaths to help endure the painful cramps. While she keeps her eyes closed, she hears in the distance the slight noise Kiana makes in the other rooms of the house; After a solid minute, Kiana returns to the living room, ready to help her stand up and leave the house.

Mei notices that Kiana is holding the bag that they both prepared previously for when the ‘moment’ came, this makes her chuckle weakly as she pushes herself off the couch with Kiana's help. Mei looks at her with slight pity at seeing her so nervous even though she tries to maintain a calm attitude.

Fortunately, the actual cramp doesn't last long and it allows her to walk normally as they head out of the house. The outside, freezing air hits her in the face when Kiana opens the door for her, Mei hurries to cover herself with her coat before leaving the house, yet she doesn't dare go out anymore as she waits for Kiana to turn on the car.

However, she soon hears Kiana complaining as she appears to have difficulty opening the driver's door.

“What's wrong?” she asks quietly, noticing Kiana’s upset attitude.

Kiana tries one last time to open the door before sighing exasperatedly and turning to look at her with an embarrassed expression.

“It's stuck... I forgot to put the car in the garage last night and the snow seems to have frozen the doors” Mei sighs lightly and directs her gaze towards the sidewalk of the street.

There was a heavy snowfall that covered much of the street last night, an event that was of no importance and pretty normal, now has become an unwanted setback. A slight shiver runs through her as a sudden icy current hit her, making her flinch as she hugs herself.

“Tsk, fuck it…” she hears Kiana suddenly mutter, she shifts her gaze to her only to notice how she takes a couple steps back.

“Ki-” Before she can call out to her, Kiana summons flames on one of her fists in the split of a second and fires a short burst at the car, melting the snow on it enough for the ice on the doors to weaken.

"What the-?! Kiana!”

“The snow is melted! Come on, we have to take you to the hospital.”

Mei watches perplexed at her partner while she opens the car door and quickly throws the baby bag in the back seats. When Kiana starts calling for her to get into the car too, Mei simply sighs and heads to the car before a new cramp starts. 

The road to the hospital starts with a bit tense silence, Mei leans against the back of her seat as she feels the beginning of a new cramp that feels more intense than the previous ones. When it begins to subside, Mei directs her gaze to Kiana while she is focused on driving through the traffic and snowy asphalt.

Her eyes shift towards one of Kiana's hands, where an almost imperceptible black stain covers the tips of her fingers, Mei's brow furrows at this, remembering the reason of this.

“You shouldn't use your Herrscher powers, remember what Einstein and Tesla warned” she scolds softly, directing her gaze to Kiana's face which turns conflicted.

“It was an emergency; I wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been necessary.”

“Can you avoid doing it again if possible? Please…"

Kiana groans quietly as she frowns, but after a few seconds she sighs “Okay, I'll avoid it.”

Mei smiles relieved, letting out a quiet sigh as she leans back against the seat.

“You should relax in the meantime, leave it to me.”

The quiet comment in an obviously nervous voice makes her chuckle as she closes her eyes for a moment. Even in moments when tension is through the roof, Kiana tries to provide calm to others, even if she is the more nervous one.

After their small talk, the rest of the drive is spent in silence, with Kiana's moody mutterings due to the traffic being the only thing that usually breaks it. Almost a whole hour of traffic later, they finally arrive at the hospital to do the check-in and wait a little longer before she is taken to a room with a couple of other women in a similar situation to hers.

By the time she can lie down on the hospital bed, the cramps or rather contractions have become almost unbearable, causing her to squirm from time to time on the bed as they reach their peak. Fortunately, there is still a considerable period between each one, which allows Mei to have a little relief in the midst of all this martyrdom. She can hear the other women complains and pained moans, which doesn’t help much in the whole thing.

As she concentrates on bearing the pain, she sees glances of Kiana moving back and forth around the her, trying to accommodate the small pillow under her head or asking if she can do something to help her ease the pain. It's an adorable behavior, but at that moment Mei can't pay much attention to so many questions.

Time passes this way, extremely slow and agonizing as they wait for regular check-ups from the doctor in charge. Apparently, they still have to wait longer before it's the 'right time', yet for Mei this is becoming a quiet long wait, and the pain of the contractions only seems to get worse as the minutes pass.

The only thing that gives her comfort in the midst of all this is the company of Kiana, who has not left her side any minute, not even to go to the bathroom, which is somewhat concerning. On more than one occasion Mei tries to convince her to go for a short walk outside the hospital or go eat something, but she flatly refuses each time.

As the wait only lengthens, Mei occasionally directs her gaze to the closed window of the room, noticing the slow fall of the night sky. At some point, she completely loses all sense of time, resigning herself to trying to rest her eyes during the minutes when the contractions momentarily ease; one of the women in the room is taken to another room after some more minutes, raising her impatience a little.

Kiana occasionally tries to start a conversation or make short comments of some video she sees on her phone, which is helpful in distracting her from the discomfort and growing anguish of the pain. The hours pass, with regular visits from the doctor and the occasional nurse, according to their instructions, she still has a little more to wait before the real labor begins; Mei can only think to herself this is just some kind of medieval torture.

Even getting up to go to the bathroom is an exhausting task, the nurses have instructed her on more than one occasion not to eat something heavy in case she has to have an emergency C-section, but honestly eating is the least of her worries now.

A pained whine echoes in her throat, no longer caring to retain any sound during this slow agony. She hears Kiana rush to her side with obvious concern, starting a stream of nervous questions regarding her well-being, but one look from her is enough to tell Kiana a silent request. Kiana falls quiet, but she doesn't move away from her side, simply looking at her with puppy eyes, which makes Mei laugh weakly in the midst of her pain.

“You don't have to get so upset, it's like having menstrual cramps” she says in an attempt to reassure her, but Kiana's expression only grows more distressed.

“But I can help you with a hot compress and painkillers for a cramp, I can't do anything here…” Mei sighs at hearing her comment, feeling a bit guilty.

Silently, she looks for Kiana’s hand and intertwines their fingers once she returns the hold. She is not sure if it’s because of the hospital's air conditioning, but Kiana’s hand is unusually cold.

"Are you cold?" Her question seems to leave Kiana a little taken aback, but she simply waits patiently as she starts stroking her knuckles. “Your hand is cold.”

“I…No, not really.”

Kiana looks away, staying silent as her worried expression remains. Mei smiles and wraps her other hand around Kiana's and then brings it close to her lips to blow some warm breath on it; The action catches Kiana’s attention, who seems intrigued but doesn’t try to take her hand away. Mei makes a small sign for Kiana to give her the other hand and repeats the process until she feels Kiana's hands grow a bit warmer.

“I think you should go get something to eat or maybe just take a quick walk around” Kiana's expression turns incredulous and it doesn’t surprise Mei how she immediately objects to her request.

"What? There is no way! I'm not going to leave you alone-”

"What time is it?" Kiana stops death in her words and remains silent for a couple of seconds at her question, looking a little dazed.

“Huh?”

“It's been dark for a long time; I bet it's almost midnight and you haven't eaten anything…” Kiana frowns slightly, biting her lower lip as if she seems to be thinking something.

"It does not matter…"

“It does to me” Mei whispers back, obtaining a shy glance from her.

“What if something happens while I'm gone? What if you need my help-?”

“Kiana…” this time she calls her in a softer voice, which seems to start breaking down Kiana's wall of resistance.

"But-"

“Just go out and eat something, anything; I have a feeling it's going to be a long night; you'll need it.”

Kiana makes a small whining sound in her throat, keeping her hesitant gaze on her for a moment before sighing in defeat.

"Alright...But I will return as soon as I do, understand?" Mei chuckles, nodding slightly.

“Deal, now go, get some fresh air.”

However, Kiana does not leave immediately, still seeming reluctant to leave her side. It takes a little more prodding on her part to finally get her to step away from the bed and leave the room. Mei lets out a breath once Kiana disappears from her vision and closes her eyes, feeling the beginning of a new contraction.

How much longer will this take?

___________

Kiana rushes at a fast pace towards the ground floor of the hospital, she remembers seeing a fast-food stand outside the hospital when they arrived, maybe she can eat a hamburger or a sandwich in a minute and immediately return to Mei’s side. It’s a foolproof plan, she receives a few warning calls for her hasty walking on the halls, but eventually she manages to reach her destination.

However, her foolproof plan falls apart in a matter of seconds when she sees a long line of people at the fast-food stand, a long-exasperated sigh leaves her lips and she looks around in search of another place to get food, but it doesn't seem to be one outside the hospital.

She'll probably find some if she ventures further, but she doesn't want to stray far from the hospital, so she shuffles her way to the fast-food stand to get in line. The minutes pass eternally slowly as she waits, glancing occasionally at the hospital doors and moving one foot as a sign of her impatience.

She seriously hopes that nothing will happen while she is here, the doctor mentioned that the 'dilation' was almost there, whatever that means; she just understands that the baby will be born at any moment. As she continues to wait on the line, her mind becomes tangled with various thoughts and questions, filling her with increasing worry.

She knew this day would be stressful, but she didn't think it would be to this magnitude, and she's not even the one who’s in constant pain and about to take a baby out of her body. Her hearts hurt just by remembering the expression of pain that floods Mei's face every time a new contraction begins; Even though Mei tries to control how much she shows in front of her, she knows that it’s not a minor pain or at the level of a usual cramp.

Not with the way she squirms and takes deep breaths in search of relive.

Once again, her gaze shifts towards the doors of the hospital, feeling the urgency to return to the room immediately, but she simply shakes the idea from her head and concentrates on something else while she keeps waiting in line, there are fewer persons in front of her.

Suddenly, her phone starts ringing, snapping her out of her bitter thoughts, she quickly tries to pull the device out of her pocket, barely noticing the way her hands shake slightly. After seeing the name on the screen, a small breath leaves her lips and she answers.

“Hey, dad.”

“Heeey! I just saw your message. How is everything going, Kiddo?” her father's enthusiastic voice brings her some relief, even making her smile weakly.

“It's fine, I guess.”

“Hmm, that doesn’t sound ‘fine’ to me… How is Mei?”

“The contractions have become more frequent, but the doctor keeps saying that there is still no proper ‘dilation’ or whatever that is. She is suffering a lot…”

"Oh, I see. This is… the part that is usually the most stressful, but it will go by quickly, Kiddo”

“It's been hours…” Kiana murmurs quietly, lowering her gaze to the ground.

She hears her father sigh on the other end of the line, followed by a short silence.

"You know what? Give me a few minutes and I will be there; can you send the address of the hospital?”

“…Didn't you say you had some backlog of work to do?” after making her question, she hears her father's laughter echo from the phone before he answers.

“In theory, yes, but the birth of my first granddaughter is more important, right? I'm sure Theresa will understand."

Kiana remains silent, but after a few seconds she thanks him in a low voice before hanging up the call, she looks up to check how much is missing before her turn in line and hurries to send the address to her father. Finally, it’s her turn and she order a double cheeseburger. The wait takes a while but soon they give her order and proceeds to eat quickly to not waste any more time.

Over the course of a few minutes, she receives a new message from her father indicating that he is about to arrive and he does just after she finishes eating her burger, Siegfried doesn’t waste time and immediately walks over to greet her warmly. Having her father here is comforting, yet she still has that uneasy feeling in the back of her mind.

Their meeting briefly distracts her from her initial plan, but she soon returns to it and walks back to the hospital, taking her father with her. On the way, her father begins a brief conversation that makes her slow down her pace; However, their peaceful walk is interrupted when they noticed some unusual mobility of the hospital staff.

“What's going on with all the fuss?” her father asks curiously, following with her gaze a nurse rushing past them.

“I don't know…” Kiana follows her with her gaze too, noticing shortly after she is heading the same way the room Mei was.

Kiana feels her blood run cold as she realizes what this meant and quickly rushes to the room, ignoring her father's calls behind her back. When she gets to the room, she finds it empty, which only makes her stomach drop.

Her gaze wanders to the surroundings and focuses on the hustle in a nearby room. Before the last nurse enters the room, she catches up with her to ask for an explanation. The nurse looks a little confused at first, but rushes to explain they are preparing the delivery room.

“Excuse me, are you a relative? Otherwise, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave, we will close the door.”

“I-I'm her wife” the nurse's expression softens at this, giving her a small smile as she nods.

“In that case, please follow me, we must hurry.”

Kiana nods silently and watches her turn around to enter the room, before following, she turns to see her father in the hallway, who just gives her a thumbs up with a smile. Taking a deep breath, Kiana walks into the room, definitely not expecting what she would find on the other side.

……

"This makes no sense! Who do they think they are?!”

“They are professionals, babydoll, professionals who know what to do in these cases”

“I doubt that! Mei is in a lot of pain and they don't even seem to care!”

“Yes, yes, calm down…” Siegfried raises his hands to the height of his chest as he tries to approach his frustrated daughter. “This is why they asked you to leave the room, you don't let them do their work.”

"This is unbelievable!" Kiana seems to be in a state of frenzy as she ignores her father's attempts to reason with her, beginning to murmur under her breath as she paces in circles in front of the delivery room door.

As the minutes turned into an entire hour, Kiana continues this endless circle walking, occasionally pained cries are heard from behind the door as well as various voices from the medical team inside, this only makes Kiana's nervous pace get worse. Just like the expression of anguish on her face.

After a long moment, Siegfried approaches again to put a hand on her shoulder, which causes her frenetic pace to stop momentarily. Kiana looks up to him, looking distressed.

“Come on, babydoll, let's go to the waiting room.”

"What?! But, Mei-!” Siegfried places his other hand on her shoulders, holding her firmly to look straight into her eyes.

"Listen, everything will be fine"

"But-"

“Kiana, calm down, she is in good hands”

Kiana tightens her lips into a thin line and lowers her gaze to the floor, remaining silent for a few seconds before moving her gaze to the delivering room door. The pained noise in the other side continues, which makes the anguish reflect on her face again; Siegfried insists on his request and eventually gets her to start walking towards the waiting room.

When they get to the waiting room, there is no one else there, which makes the place extremely quiet, the noises from the delivery room are distant, almost impossible to hear unless someone pays attention. Even so, Kiana's gaze is still glued to the hallway that leads towards it.

Kiana sinks into her thoughts eventually, until she feels a hand land on her head and ruffle her hair playfully. The action makes her let out a low groan and move the hand away, knowing who it is, she shifts her gaze to her father, who shows her a wide grin.

“Are you still nervous?” Kiana huffs and turns her head toward the hallway again.

“Of course, how can I be calm in the middle of all this?”

Siegfried chuckles and sighs, directing his attention to the bag at their feet. “Oh, is this the baby’s bag?”

Kiana hums in affirmation, leaning forward in her seat to rest her cheek in one of her hands. She glances back at her father when she hears a zipper open, seeing him start to rummage through the bag.

“Oh, look at this outfit, it's adorable!” soon he pulls out one of the outfits she and Mei chose as first wears for their baby, and starts examine it closely.

Kiana watches him hold the small coat that is part of the set, noticing a peculiar gleam in her father's eyes, soon his smile softens as he continues examining the rest of the set; This piques Kiana's curiosity, making her partially forget about her concern with Mei in the delivery room.

“…I haven't held clothes this small in a long time, it brings back memories” she hears his low comment before he turns to look at her “Aren't you excited? To finally be able to see her wearing this outfit?” Siegfried shows her the small coat, smiling happily.

Kiana's eyebrows raise slightly, before her expression finally softens, she reaches out to take the small coat and observe it silently, feeling the soft fabric between her fingertips and the sudden image of a small body wearing these clothes pass through her mind.

It's exciting, yes, but a part of her doesn't allow herself to fantasize about it while she knows Mei is suffering right now. It makes her feel guilty in a way.

“Does it make me a bad person to not be that excited about it? I…I really have contrary emotions right now”

“Hey, don't think that, it's normal to feel overwhelmed at a time like this.”

“I bet another future parent would be over the moon at a time like this.” Kiana looks down at the small coat in her hands and soon hands it to her father.

She resumes her previous position, returning her gaze to the hallway that leads to the delivery room and even one of her feet begins to shake nervously. Siegfried lets out a breath and carefully folds the set of baby clothes back into the bag.

“Every person reacts differently to things, I bet as soon as you see that Mei is okay, you will feel better” after a while, Siegfried comments in a calm voice, returning his gaze to Kiana, but she simply huffs quietly.

A long silence hangs over them as they continue to wait, Kiana eventually gets up from her seat and starts walking in circles again, at this point Siegfried doesn't even bother to invite her to sit down again, he knows it's useless. Kiana's impatience becomes more noticeable as the minutes pass and another hour passes without news of any kind.

During the tense silence, a cell phone begins to ring, making Kiana look away from the hallway toward the source of the sound. Siegfried quickly gives her a small smile before taking out his cell phone and answering the call, which is enough to bring Kiana's interest back to her previous target.

A sudden doubt settles in the back of her mind, making her pull out her own mobile device to check the time. It's past midnight, a heavy sigh leaves her lips and she puts her cell phone back in her pocket, feeling a sudden bitterness fall on her shoulders as she sinks into her thoughts. She was laughing at this scenario a few weeks ago and fate seemed to hear her and decide to make it happen.

Maybe next time she just needs to stay quiet.

“Hey, Kiana, Bianka told me she's on her way, she just arrived in town a few minutes ago” her father's announcement makes her flinch, taking her by surprise.

“Bianka’s coming?” she asks in slight disbelief. She hasn't been able to see her sister due to her work and constant traveling, she didn't expect she would really come at a time like this.

“She wants to be one of the first to see the baby, she sounded very anxious to find out if she had already been born. By the way, have you told Theresa and your friends?”

"I haven't had the mind for that... I sent you a message a few hours ago because Mei was the one who insisted" her small confession makes her father laugh, he mentions a few words about feeling 'hurt' by her indifference, but Kiana opts to just roll her eyes.

At her father's insistence, Kiana is drawn back to the chairs to take a seat and begin sending messages to her friends about the news. Due to the late hours, few responded to these, but those who did openly announced their excitement over the news, Bronya even made an immediate call as soon as she read the message. Even though she doesn't want to admit it, this small interaction with her friends helps calm some of her nerves, until she finally takes the time to sigh heavily and lean back against the chair to close her eyes for a moment.

A heavy feeling of exhaustion begins to settle in her, but she forces herself to ignore it and keep her mind busy with her phone in order to stay awake. More time passes and there is still no news about Mei, which begins to turn Kiana's impatience into annoyance. There were a lot of nurses in there, can't any of them come out for just a minute to announce how Mei is? Is it too much to ask for something so simple?

A low, annoyed growl echoes in her throat as she directs her frowning gaze to an empty spot in the room. She hears her father comment something, but at this point she doesn't bother to listen to what he says and just hums in response. She looms so much in her thoughts that she doesn't even notice Bianka's arrival until she gently shakes her shoulder.

With the arrival of the new member, the atmosphere seems to lighten considerably, Siegfried updates her on what has happened so far, including the incident with Kiana in the delivery room that caused the doctor in charge to ask her to leave. Kiana avoids her sister's gaze as their father tells this, feeling shame rise to her face.

As time passes during their pleasant conversation, suddenly a short lullaby melody resonates through the speakers of the place, leaving them somewhat confused. Kiana remembers hearing it before while she waited along with Mei, but they didn’t really ask what was about.

"What was that?" Siegfried is the first to speak, looking at one of the speakers on the wall with a raised eyebrow.

It's then that a small gasp leaves Bianka's lips, as her eyes light up with a hopeful gleam.

“Oh, I think I remember this! A few months ago, I came to this hospital for a medical check-up and that same melody played a couple of times during my wait”

“Do you know what it means then?” Siegfried intercedes, looking genuinely curious.

“According to what the doctor explained to me when I asked her, in this hospital the staff plays a brief lullaby every time a new baby is born.”

Kiana’s mind goes blank upon hearing her sister's words, but in a matter of seconds they settle in her mind, she gasps and her eyes sparkle with anticipation before turning towards the hallway that leads to the delivery room, without waiting, she stands up abruptly from her seat, waiting anxiously for some kind of movement coming from there.

“So that means-”

“Wait, she's already born?!” Siegfried exclaims with increasing enthusiasm, imitating Kiana in her action of jumping up from his seat.

The trio stay motionless as they wait anxiously for a doctor or nurse to come, but a few minutes pass without this happening, making Kiana considerably impatient; she clicks her tongue with obvious annoyance, beginning to march toward the hallway with a determined step. 

“That's it, I'm going in whether they like it or not, I can't stand this anymore!” she hears her father call her and he rushes to block her path, insisting to think things clearly.  

This ends with Kiana's patience, throwing any semblance of self-control she had out the window and simply trying to continue on her path despite her father’s attempts to stop her. A brief struggle breaks out in the waiting room while they discuss, eventually Bianka joins, holding Kiana back despite her complaints and attempts to break free.

All the commotion stops dead when they hear someone clear her throat exaggeratedly, the trio's gaze falls on a nurse who is standing at the entrance to the hallway, smiling politely even at having such a scene in front of her.

“Relatives of Mrs. Raiden Mei?”

Kiana takes advantage of the distraction to escape Bianka's grasp and rush to the nurse, presenting herself in hope of finally receiving news of Mei's condition.

“The birth concluded without major complications, both the baby and the mother are out of danger. The mother is currently being transferred to a private room for her recovery and the baby is being checked in the nursery room, but if you wish, you can come see the baby right now."

It’s as if a great weight falls from Kiana's shoulders after hearing the nurse's words, a long sigh leaves her lips at the same time she holds the bridge of her nose and close her eyes.

“By the way, we will need the clothes that you have chosen for the baby as well as some blankets to keep her warm, the hospital can provide some in case you don’t have them, but an extra charge will be added for it”

“Oh, r-right, I, uhm…” Kiana turns to the seats, more specifically the bag that is near her father's feet.

Before she can mention anything, Siegfried bends down to pick it up and approaches them with a big smile, being followed by Bianka, whose eyes seems to sparkle with an eager gleam.

“So, you want to go see your baby now or are you going to see Mei first?” Siegfried ask while he tilts his head to the side, Kiana glances at the bag her father is carrying and at the nurse momentarily, looking conflicted for a moment.

“I…C-Can I see Mei now? Or do I still have to wait a little longer?” The nurse smiles kindly and nods before answering.

“Of course, you can see her, I can guide you to her room, but the baby-”

“We will take care of that, lady, we just have to follow this hallway, right?” Siegfried interrupts the conversation, showing the bag in his hands with a broad smile.

After a brief exchange of words between the group, both separate to head to their respective destinations. Kiana follows the nurse in silence through some corridors until she reaches the next floor of the hospital, here, she is guided through some rooms until the nurse stops in front of a door.

“They are probably still evaluating her condition, but you can now go in to see her, with your permission I will leave. Oh, I almost forgot, congratulations!” Kiana gives her a slight nod before returning her gaze to the door, not wasting any more time, she makes her way in the room.  

Her eyes immediately go to look for the bed in the room and when she sees Mei talking to the nurse who is checking her vitals, a relieved sigh leaves her lips. They both notice her presence after Kiana closes the door behind her and the nurse quickly prepares to leave the room once she finishes her checkup.

Kiana walks unsteadily towards the bed, quickly examining Mei from head to toe before focusing on her face, a weak smile appears on Mei's lips, bringing her exhausted face a relieved glow.

“Hey, you” Kiana feels her heart squeeze as she hears the faint whisper, her voice even seems to be a little raspy, the thought of why only makes her feel worse.

“M-Mei…” she murmurs with a trembling voice, feeling a lump form in her throat and the corners of her eyes burn.

Mei chuckles and raises one of her hands towards her, Kiana soon holds it and squeezes it with a tight grip as she moves closer to the edge of the bed.

"How do you feel? D-Does it still hurt?” Kiana finally manages to find her voice, yet it trembles a little when she speaks.

“I'm not sure… I feel like I’m in the clouds… and I'm also a little sleepy” Mei speaks slowly, blinking as her tired eyes try to stay open.

The sight is enough to make Kiana smile, finally being able to have relief after long hours of anguish “You did a great job, I'm sorry I wasn't there…”

Mei chuckles, returning a light squeeze to her hand as her eyes fill with an amused gleam. “I still can't believe they kicked you out of the room, I don't blame you though… it was a very stressful night for everyone, I think I even give a little shock with my powers to one nurse by accident”

Kiana chuckles softly and puts her other hand on top of Mei’s, falling silent with a thoughtful gaze “I should have had better control of myself…” she murmurs quietly, feeling her shame rises in her again.

“Did you see her?” Mei's question makes her look up, Kiana blinks as she stares at her with confusion, but the realization of who Mei was referring about hits her soon after.

“Oh, n-not yet…a nurse told me you guys were okay, but I wanted to make sure you were okay in person” Mei's smile fades, looking a little worried all of a sudden.

“And the baby’s bag…?”

“Oh! No, don't worry about it. Dad and Bianka went in my place” Mei's eyebrows raise slightly before a tired smile returns to her lips.

“I see… that’s a relief.” Mei sighs heavily, settling into the mattress to look up at the ceiling with sleepy eyes.

“…Are you sure you’re okay?” Mei snorts softly, chuckling as she shifts her gaze back to her.

“I spent almost three hours trying to push a baby out of me, I'm just tired. You can rest assured; I'm not going anywhere."

Kiana nods at her words, lowering her gaze as she continues to hold her hand as if it were a lifeline; Mei's grip is a little weak but her hands are warm, the latter being enough to make her tense posture slowly relax. The burning sensation in the corners of her eyes returns, becoming somewhat annoying and difficult to ignore.

She blinks repeatedly, psyching herself to keep her composure, the last thing Mei needed right now was to have to comfort a big baby.

“By the way… What time is it?” Mei's voice brings her out of her thoughts, somewhat confused, she tilts her head as she looks at her.

“Past midnight, maybe it's one or two in the morning, I'm not sure.”

Mei looks a little disappointed for a few seconds, even like she feels guilty for something, which only confuses Kiana more.

“In the end, it did end up happening… I'm sorry, Kiana”

"What? Why do you apologize?" Kiana leans on the edge of the bed, looking at Mei with concern.

Mei lifts her other hand to cup her cheek, beginning to stroke it slowly. Kiana can't help but lean against the warmth of her palm, waiting for her to answer her question as an uneasy feeling settles in the back of her mind. Mei smiles sweetly as her eyes soften with a loving gleam.

“Because I ended up overshadowing your day, did you forget what day is it?” Kiana blinks, still confused with Mei’s words.

Mei seems to notice this and sighs softly to later bring her closer, Kiana lets her guide her until her head is resting on her chest, which is comforting to her distressed mind “I guess isn’t too late yet” she hears Mei whisper softly close to her hair, tightening her embrace.

“Happy birthday, Kiana” her eyes widen as she hears the sweet words, while that burning in her eyes returns with double the intensity.

“That’s why you’re apologizing…?” she pries with a shaky voice, taking a sudden breath at feeling the lump in her throat hurt “I-I said that wasn't a p-problem…I-I told you so, didn’t I?” Her voice comes out in a thread, shakier as each new word leaves her lips. Mei sigh quietly and nuzzles her nose against her hair

The great range of different piled up emotions from the night simply overflows without her being able to hold it back anymore, similar to a great dam opening its gates, her vision turns blurry before the tears start to fall freely from her eyes. A gasp chokes in her throat and this is just the beginning of a silent cry; Part of her scolds herself for not controlling her emotions again, but she just can't take it anymore.

“¿Kiana?” Mei calls her with a worried voice but she can’t help her crying.

“I’m so relieved you are okay, I-I was so scared… They d-didn't tell me anything about you and I didn't know what to do!” she stammers in a tearful voice, hugging Mei as she seeks to get closer to her chest.

She hears Mei chuckle and coo softly while she gives a couple of short kisses against her temple, which only makes the crying more uncontrollable. No longer caring about the image she might be having at the hospital, she hides her face against Mei's neck, stammering incoherent apologies as she keeps sobbing. Mei soon puts her hand on her head to caress her gently, whispering sweet words to her.

She shouldn't be crying at a moment like this, but it will only be a moment, a tiny one...

______

The night seems to be reaching its calmest point, finally.

Kiana also seems calmer; she still sniffles and tries to wipe away the occasional tears that escapes from her eyes but at least she is no longer openly crying. Mei can't help but feel a rush of tenderness wash over her at seeing Kiana so shaken by the whole situation, even though she can understand her side of the story.

"Do you feel better?" Kiana raises her tearful gaze to her and nods as she sniffles.

“I'm glad to hear that.” She smiles softly, using the back of her hand to caress one of her cheeks.

A nice silence settles between them, Kiana eventually pulls a chair near the bed and takes a seat on it, her hand reach for hers again and she begins to caress her knuckles with her thumb. It's clear that Kiana is still nervous, but maybe she’ll feel calmer with some time. However, a new doubt arises in Mei’s mind as the silent moment drags on.

“Kiana, do you think they will bring Celine soon? I wanna see her…”

“I don't know… You didn’t see her either?”

“No, I did. A nurse put her on my chest after she was born” a smile forms on her lips as she speaks, remembering how in the midst of the commotion and the sudden relieve after the intense pain, the loud crying and the warm feeling of the small body on her chest was like seeing a light in the middle of the darkness.

It was a few brief seconds, but the image of the small, blushing face twisted into an anguished grimace and the loud crying that came from such a small being was etched deep in her memory.

“She looked so small and fragile to me, but from what the doctor said she is in ideal size.”

"Is that so?" Kiana asks as a small smile spread across her lips and she wipes her cheeks quickly "How is she? Does she look like either of us?” Mei chuckles and shifts her gaze to Kiana.

“I think it would be better if you see her with your own eyes, I don’t think I can describe her properly” she mutters quietly, earning a soft smile from Kiana.

“I'll go talk to the nurses then…”

Suddenly, their conversation is interrupted with a soft knock on the door, Kiana gives the permission to come in as she gets up from her seat and shortly after, the door opens slightly to reveal Siegfried peeking out with a wide smile.

“Hello, hello, ladies! I have a special delivery for both of you.”

Her father-in-law's usual lively attitude is a calming trait; it usually means that everything is going smoothly. Shortly after the cheerful announcement, Siegfried opens the door wide to allow in what appears to be a mobile crib; Mei widens her eyes at this and forces her sore muscles to sit on the bed. Kiana immediately turns to her, helping her sit up with a worried expression on her face.

Mei tries to tell she's fine, but Kiana merely gives her a serious glare and she starts searching for the button panel on the edge of the hospital bed. With a touch, the top of the bed raises a little higher, allowing her to lean against it and maintain a semi-sitting position. By the time they finish arranging the bed, Siegfried and Bianka have already entered the room, leaving the crib near them.

"Here she is! Warm and safe between her blankets, but be a little careful with her crying, she has quite the strong lungs" Siegfried's comment is followed by laughter and he takes a step back to allow them space with their baby.

Mei lifts her chin a little to be able to see her, but she barely notices a slight movement among the bundle of blankets on the crib. Her gaze turns to Kiana, noticing the amazed expression on her face, this makes her chuckle before calling out to her softly. Kiana flinches a bit and turns to look at her with wide eyes, which only makes her chuckle more.

"What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, aren’t you going to pick her up?” Kiana mumbles something before nodding and walking over to her crib.

Once again, she remains motionless until she carefully tries to pick up the small bundle of blankets. However, as soon as the little baby lets out a small whine, Kiana freezes again and takes her hands away as if they were touching burning flames. A loud laugh from Siegfried erupts in the silent room, earning a glare from Kiana and slight giggles from Mei and Bianka.

"What are you doing? She's not going to bite you, don't worry, she doesn't even have teeth yet!” Siegfried speaks between laughs, approaching the crib as he looks at Kiana with mocking eyes.

“I-It's not that! She complained and I thought..." Kiana looks down at the crib while Siegfried bends down to pick up the little baby in his arms. She whines softly again and even stirs a little but soon falls silent.

“Babies whine all the time, not necessarily because you're hurting them, they're easy to irritate especially when they're this small.” Kiana looks at her father and returns her gaze to the bundle in his arms, frowning faintly.

Mei watches the scene with interest, seeing as Siegfried encourages Kiana to hold their baby in her arms. It takes some insistence, but Kiana finally gives in and accepts the little baby in her arms. An expression of uncertainty plagues her face, but once she manages to hold her properly and the baby remains still, her face slowly begins to light up. It’s a touching scene as well as funny.

Kiana soon turns to look at her with sparkling eyes and a wide smile, reflecting a palpable excitement similar to when she is eager to show her something. Mei smiles and watches her walk towards the bed, getting close enough to let her see their baby’s small face between the soft blankets; During the birth she could barely make out some features of their baby’s face, but now she can appreciate them as much as she wants.

She wasn't wrong in her first impression; she really is beautiful.

“You were right, look how small she is!” Kiana says in a happy voice, moving the blankets that covered the baby's face to expose it a bit more. 

Finally, she was here, even if she is seeing her in Kiana's arms the feeling that this is a dream linger in the back of her mind. However, she keeps repeating to herself how real everything is, the intense pain she experienced, the relief after it and the bubbling joy that invades her chest just by seeing this slightly grumpy face in the middle of soft blankets.

It was all worth it.

“So, how does it feel to be a mother? Living the moment?” Siegfried suddenly joins, approaching the bed along with Bianka to take a look at the new member of the family.

Mei notices the expression of palpable joy reflected on Bianka's face, a peculiar sight in the usually refined and controlled woman, yet, she knows it’s normal to feel happy in such a situation, even for the one who used to be the strongest Valkyrie. In a way, her expression is similar to Kiana's when she is watching something that excites her.

Their gazes meet as Siegfried and Kiana engage in conversation and she smiles at her friendly. Mei quickly returns the gesture, noticing that she looks a little restless as she gets closer, almost like she wants to ask something. Mei tilts her head to the side, making Bianka clear her throat before whispering something to her.

“Mei, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something…”

Mei blinks, nodding with a slight smile. “Of course. What's wrong?”

“This whole pregnancy process, how was it?” Mei blinks again, this time lowering her gaze to her lap as she gets lost in her thoughts for a moment.

“How was it? Hmm, it’s hard to put it in few words, but it was quite the experience to be honest, a unique one”

“Is that so?” Bianka murmurs with a small smile, turning her gaze to Kiana and Siegfried while they keep talking between themselves.

Mei watches her in silence, distinguishing what she thinks is a trace of longing in her eyes, a quiet gasp leaves her lips when she realization hits her.

“Bianka, do you…?” Bianka blinks and shift her gaze back to her, looking taken aback for a few seconds before her cheeks blush slightly.

“I-I just wanted to know what it was like to you! …I'm still thinking about it”

Mei chuckles at her bashful comment, but she quickly nods as her smile softens. “I see, I do wish you luck with what you have in mind” Bianka smiles shyly, looking relieved.

“Thank you…also, may I take some photos of your baby? I would like to show them to Rita” she asks while taking out her cell phone and show it to her. Mei nods almost immediately, smiling widely at her

“Sure, go ahead.”

Bianka's smile lights up with joy, thanking her again. Suddenly, Siegfried calls her to come closer, Mei directs her gaze towards him too, realizing that he’s now holding Celine in his arms. Confused by his request, Mei arches an eyebrow, paying attention to the group's conversation.

“Now, in the presence of the members of the Kaslana family, I officially welcome the new member to the clan, today the Kaslana family has grown…Behold, the baby!” Mei snorts as she watches the 'ceremony' take place, but her smile fades in an instant when she sees Siegfried raise her baby above his head, beginning to celebrate joyfully as he shows the baby as some sort of 'trophy'.

He doesn't make sudden movements per se doing his display, but it worries Mei how he raises her newborn above his head like that; the slightest slip and her baby would fall to the cold floor. As Siegfried continues his act, Kiana joins him soon after while Bianka looks a bit worried as she tries to join the other two's celebrations. Mei can feel the corner of her eye twitch and she almost immediately shoots a sharp gaze at Kiana in hopes that she puts an end to this,

It doesn't take long before Kiana stops in her tracks and turns to look at her with a fearful expression and Mei glares at her which seems to give her the message. Kiana quickly turns to her father, insistently asking him to put Celine down. The peculiar display stops amid nervous laughter and fleeting glances between them, as soon as Celine is back in Kiana's arms, Mei lets out a small sigh as she relaxes her expression.

Siegfried quickly apologizes, giving a nervous, apologetic smile. The atmosphere turns calm quickly after that; while the Kaslana trio hover around the new baby, Mei takes a moment to close her eyes and rest a little. Eventually, a nurse comes to the room, briefly complaining about the noise and asking visitors to leave until actual visiting hours.

After a series of goodbyes, only she and Kiana remain in the room, along with their small bundle of blankets. Kiana pulls the chair close to the bed again, and takes a seat while she holds Celine in her arms; Their little girl seems to have fallen asleep at some point in the early morning, and for Mei, there is no more adorable scene than seeing her peaceful face while she sleeps soundly.

“She's so cute even while she's sleeping, don't you think?” Kiana's voice takes her from her fixation, and she shifts her gaze to her, noticing the soft smile on her lips as she watches her with warm eyes.

"She is, looks like an angel, just like those portrayed in those great paintings in museums." Kiana chuckles, nodding as she continues admiring the baby in her arms.

Then, Kiana brings one of her fingers closer to carefully touch one of Celine's cheeks, slowly outlining the outline of it with the tip of her finger; Mei watches the scene as she adjusts herself to lie sideways on the mattress, letting out a breath once she finds a comfortable position for her tired body.

Suddenly, Celine makes a grimace accompanied by a whimper, this makes Kiana stop in her tracks with her caresses, concentrating on cradle her while the little baby begins to squirm and make uncomfortable noises. Kiana tries to cradle her closer to her and hush her gently, but the whimpers continue until a loud cry erupts, lacking of options, Kiana directs her fearful gaze to her, which makes her smile.

“Here, let me try” Mei whispers softly and Kiana has no choice but to get up from her seat so she can hand the upset baby to her.

Once again, Mei has her in her arms, but this time she won't be taken by a nurse to be cleaned, this time she has her completely to herself. The crying increases in volume just as her face begins to turn red from the effort, she squirms uncomfortably in the confines of the soft blankets allowing Mei to see a pair of small fists moving restlessly. The smile that forms on Mei's lips is as natural as breathing, as is the warm feeling that blooms in her chest.

She repeats Kiana's actions, this time whispering tenderly as she hugs her close to her chest. It takes a few minutes, but little by little, the incessant crying stops, starting a series of soft whines until all sounds of discontent stops. Kiana lets out a sigh of relief followed by a giggle, then she proceeds to take a seat in the chair, leaning close enough to allow herself to rest her forearms on the edge of it.

“Dad wasn't lying, she cries loudly” Kiana's casual comment makes her snort as she looks back to the little girl in her arms.

Silence settles again in the room, while both simply observe in detail every movement or grimace that the baby makes; Mei moves the blankets aside a little so she can see her face more easily, outlining the outline of her small hat with her fingers, lifting the soft fabric for a few seconds to see the crown of her head. A soft snort comes out of her when she sees what that she suspected.

“Silver hair, I guess the Kaslana gene won”

"Huh? Wait, really?!" Kiana stands up from her seat abruptly, keeping her voice low despite the disbelief present in it.

Kiana leans in to see her up close, lifting Celine’s hat to see with her own eyes what Mei had already seen. A somewhat grumpy huff comes from Kiana, making Mei raise an eyebrow, curious for her reaction.

"What's wrong? Don't you like she has silver hair?”

“It's not that I don't like it, I'm just a little…” Kiana pauses in her words, looking to the side for a second before returning her gaze to their baby, however, that conflicted expression soon softens and a smile form on her lips “I just wished she would have your beautiful dark hair, but it doesn't matter” she says softly, reaching out with her hand to carefully hold one of the baby's little fists.

Celine makes a small guttural noise as Kiana gently forces her hand open and lets out a small gasp when she touches the small palm with her thumb, quietly commenting on how soft it feels. In the middle of her inspection, Celine turns her hand into a fist again and ends up gripping Kiana’s finger in a firm grip, drawing a happy giggle from her.

“Woah, she has a lot of strength!” she exclaims happily, looking up at Mei “She also got the Kaslana strength, do you think it will be problematic in the future?”

“As long as she doesn't have that heroic desire for self-sacrifice, I don't really care if she’s an identical copy of you, it would be cute” Mei chuckles when Kiana look at her with a deadpan and puffs out one cheek, but she didn't have any malicious intentions with her comment.

“An identical copy of me? I think it would be nice if she also has something yours…”

Mei hums thoughtfully, looking down at their baby. She tries to find some trait that is similar to hers but it still seems to be too early for that; her small nose, lips and eyes have no specific kinship for her yet; Many of her co-workers who have been mothers told her how their babies began to show kinship to they or their partners as the months went by, they even showed her comparative photos of this.

Following that logic, their little girl could start to look like her or Kiana as the months go by. This left a little curiosity settle in the back of her mind as to who she would look more like, Mei is definitely looking forward to watching her grow up.

“You know, looking at her more closely, I think she has your eyes.”

Mei chuckles, looking at Kiana with a raised eyebrow. “You think so?”

"I know so!" She exclaims with that trademark bright smile of hers as she takes her finger out of their baby's firm grasp to point briefly at Celine’s eyes. “Look, she even has your eyelashes.”

"How can you know that? She's too small" Mei asks amidst laughter, curiously examining the feature Kiana points out, but she doesn't find a specific resemblance.

“She does! I could recognize those long-curved eyelashes anywhere” Kiana reaffirms her observation, looking somewhat proud of this.

Their conversation ends soon after and they sink into the quiet moment again, making occasional comments to each other. Kiana soon suggests to her to get some rest while their baby is calm, saying she must be exhausted after all the labor and, in a way, she is right, but despite feeling her eyelashes heavier, a part of her still longs to stay awake.

In the middle of a short conversation between her and Kiana, another nurse enters the room to do a quick check up on her and their baby, in addition to giving a few instructions regarding the care of the latter. Once the nurse leaves after doing her work, Kiana chooses to bring the crib closer to the bed and turn off the lights in the room, insisting that she should get some sleep.

With the dim light filtering in from the window, Mei is barely able to see the silhouette of their baby in her arms, but the new darkness that surrounds her is lulling, making her body feel heavier and drowsy. Kiana picks Celine up from her arms to lay her in the small crib next to her, repeating again that she should sleep a little while she ‘stands guard’.

She still feels reluctant to fall asleep, but it's getting harder to keep her eyes open, especially when Kiana reaches out to start stroking her hair with slow movements, making sure to bury her fingers in her strands to massage her scalp in the process. The fight seems lost in a matter of minutes, so she decides to stop resisting the sweet feeling of drowsiness and close her eyes.

The last thing she feels is a soft pair of lips resting on her temple, followed by a faint whisper which she can't quite understand before falling into deep sleep.

______

Mei finally fell asleep and Celine looks calm, maybe she fell asleep too. As long as she doesn't make noise she can keep this moment long enough for Mei to rest, so she is careful not to make the slightest noise as she returns to her seat. She lets out a soft breath in the darkness as she leans back in the chair and glances quickly at the crib and bed.

A small smile forms on her lips, feeling a pleasant tranquility invade her as she watches them sleep. She has her own family now, just thinking about it makes her smile widen until her cheeks hurt.

With no other options of what to do, she leans on her side and rests her cheek on her hand, keeping her gaze on Mei for a moment before moving it to Celine. Her eyes soften as she loses herself in the moment, observing every feature she manages to make out even in the darkness, the light that enters through from the window allows her to see a faint view.

The long-awaited moment that seemed so distant, is now here and if as nothing that happened that night feels real yet she knows it is, she has already verified she is not dreaming a couple of times, when Mei wasn't looking.

Time seems to stop as she stares at the slow rise and fall of their baby's breathing. Everything is so quiet that little by little she begins to feel sleepy, but she repeatedly shakes her head and repeats to herself that she can't fall asleep yet. It's her turn to stand guard, even though this is something she decided by her own.

After a long moment, she hears some voices in the hallway, thinking it’s a nurse or the doctor in charge, she straightens up in her seat and takes a deep breath to awaken her dazed senses. However, instead of entering, the people in the hallway simply remain silent and knock on the room door gently.

This is unusual so Kiana gets up from her seat carefully and goes to the door to open it and peek out outside. A couple of well-dressed persons smile formally at her once they notice her, quickly introducing themselves as part of Schicksal's team of genetic researchers. Kiana frowns slightly, observing their faces in detail, trying to find a familiarity with some of the faces she has seen before in Schicksal's laboratories a few times, but she cannot remember clearly.

“Excuse me, what are you doing here?” Her question seems to sound harsher than she intended, given the way both scientists look at each other and smile with a trace of nervousness.

“We have no hostile intentions, lady Kaslana, we have come to speak with you. But before that, we would like to give you our most sincere congratulations for your new baby” Kiana frowns and squints her eyes, not knowing how did they gained this information; she chooses to get out of the room and close the door behind her, there is something about this situation that she doesn't quite like.

Seeing her lack of response, one of the scientists clears his throat before speaking again, flashing her a kind smile.

“I suppose you have doubts about the reason for our presence here, but I assure you again that there are no hostile intentions behind. We have come to talk to you about your baby’s well-being” Kiana's frown deepens subtly, eyeing them both suspiciously.

“What would my daughter’s ‘well-being’ have to do with this conversation?” the other scientist shifts uncomfortably in her place before taking a breath to speak.

“As you may know, her conception was carried out in the confines of our facilities, your baby is the first embryo fertilized with same-sex reproductive cells to be successfully carried to term; This is a great advance for human genetics, a historic event in itself.”

Kiana grimaces briefly upon hearing the terms used by the scientist, but does not comment on it, letting them continue with their explanation.

“Such an event must be properly documented…” the other researcher joins in the explanation, looking at her expectantly with bright eyes. “If you would allow us to perform a few short tests to evaluate your baby's condition, you would be supporting a great cause in our research. We could have a clearer idea of what effects would a conception with this method affect a baby in contrast to the 'usual' way..."

Kiana watches them in silence for a few seconds, eventually she blinks dazedly and tilts her head slightly to the side, watching them with confused eyes.

“Let me see if I get this right, do you want me to allow you to do ‘tests’ on my baby…for your research?” the scientist nod at her question, looking at each other soon after

“I-I know it doesn't sound good, but we assure you that we will not harm your baby, it will only be some blood tests and a physical evaluation, plus you will be able to be present-”

"Absolutely not."

Her negative response leaves the scientists stunned, settling a tense silence between them as they look at each other.

“Lady Kaslana, we ask you to please-”

"I... I really appreciate your whole help in making all of this possible, but please respect my decision to keep her away from that world." One of the scientists looks confused at her words, while the other hardens his expression.

“I have no desire to turn my daughter into a circus phenomenon for a lot of people who will only see her as another ‘specimen’ or a simple number.”

The tension between them becomes more noticeable, though one of the scientists seems to have understood her decision. However, the scientist with the hardened gaze looks at her with obvious annoyance, which causes Kiana to give him a similar gaze.

"Lady Kaslana, I don’t doubt your compression regarding the issue, but you must understand that these measures that we wish to take are also to ensure the health of your baby. We don't know to what extent her physiology can be altered by the way she was conceived; this is an opportunity to prevent future health problems-”

“I think I made my opinion on this very clear.” Kiana stops him in his tracks, using a drier tone of voice as she notices the clear annoyance in the scientist's voice.

However, this man is not happy with her response, adopting a more tense posture that only makes the tension of the moment intensify.

"I can see that you are not understanding the seriousness of the situation, that baby's genetic material may have defects that we may not be aware of, and we should not ignore the fact of the possible Honkai trace in the parents' DNA-"

"No." Kiana interrupts once again with an icy voice, now glaring at him. “This is the last time I will repeat my words” she declares as she feels the familiar feeling of fury in the pit of her stomach and runs through her veins like fire, but she controls herself to avoid just kicking these guys out of the place.

The message seems to have finally gotten through his thick head, as the scientist softens his expression and takes a step back, looking defeated, but still annoyed. Kiana lets out a breath in an attempt to calm herself, and speaks in a calmer voice.

"Now, it's almost dawn and I haven't slept at all since yesterday, I would appreciate if you guys would leave us alone and get out of here." As she finishes saying this, she hears the voice of the other scientist behind her as she turns in place to enter the room, but Kiana chooses to ignore it and close the door.

She places a hand on the doorknob until she hears the voices on the other side disappear down the hallway, the scientists' grumbling make her frown with huge annoyance. Who do they think they are? Maybe she should have a word with her aunt Theresa later.

She sighs and closes her eyes for a second, feeling a slight headache rise to her temples; She decides to return to her chair, but on the way, her gaze is drifted by the view from the window, the faint light of a new dawn begins to appear in the sky, bringing the colossus sun out of the clouds. She sighs again, this time with a slight feeling of tranquility beginning to blossom in her, she returns her gaze to the bed where Mei is still asleep and stares at her for a few minutes.

Despite having a calm expression during her slumber, she can notice the traces of fatigue that still remain on Mei’s face, she even notices an unusual paleness on her, but decides to not focus too much on that, hoping it’s nothing serious. She walks towards the small space between the hospital bed and the crib, staring at them for a solid minute as a small smile form on her lips, they definitely have the same eyelashes.

Content with her observation, she proceeds to take a seat on her chair, letting out a small breath as she keeps her gaze on an empty spot. She eventually looks back at their baby and the previous conversation with those researchers comes back to her mind, bringing a bitter taste to her mouth. This was one of the fears she had when they started discussing about using Schicksal's technology to conceive their baby. Schicksal's scientist are brilliant, but they are also ambitious.

Many only take this up to the requirements of their job, but a few always seek more and more, without even caring what it means to get 'more'. She would even dare to say that a few still have Otto's mentality in that regard; Their technology and intellect may have been a great factor for this little baby's existence in the world, but that doesn't give them the right to do with her as they please.

The mere thought enrages her. There is no way she is going to let them get close to their daughter.

“…You're just a sweet, normal baby, aren't you?” she whispers into the silence of the room, leaning on her side as she stares at Celine's calm, sleeping face. “There's no need to put you through any of that…” she murmurs to herself, reaching one of her hands towards the crib to grip the edge.

Kiana sinks into her thoughts as she continues to observe the gentle rise and fall of their baby's tummy, for some reason, those disturbing blurry images that she has wanted to erase from her memory long ago, suddenly pass in front of her eyes. Memories of that broken girl full of hatred and resentment, very painful memories that sound and feel so vivid it gives her goosebumps. Kiana closes her eyes tightly and shakes her head trying to stop them.

I won't let it happen again, especially with someone who shares your name.

The reason behind her baby's name goes beyond the meaning she told Mei about in the comfort of their home, it's a promise. The promise to fight for those things that are beautiful in the world, such as the happiness of an innocent child; A promise that many were deprived of at the hands of the fight against the Honkai, including her.

A small part of Kiana fears that Mei will take this the wrong way, although she knows that Mei of all people would understand her reasons better than anyone else. She may be able to confess it to her when she musters up some courage, but in the meantime, it will be her personal promise to them. Kiana chuckles, sighing softly as she watches Celine grimace slightly before shifting her head to her side.

She dares to bring her hand closer, placing it on top of her tummy carefully, the warmth that radiates from the small baby into her palm is comforting as well as fascinating. She is so small but she seems to radiate the warmth of the sun itself. Following her curiosity, Kiana moves her hand to one of her chubby cheeks, gently caressing with her fingers the extremely soft skin as she smiles softens.

However, the moment is broken when the baby's breathing suddenly becomes irregular and she begins to grunt and whine. Kiana is immediately alarmed, taking her hand away for a split second before she places it back on Celine's tummy and begins to gently pat it, in turn to trying to hush her before she starts cry and ends up waking Mei up.

However, her plan doesn't work out because soon Celine starts crying at the top of her lungs, and oh boy... she sure has a strong voice.

Kiana stands up and this time she keeps hushing her softly as she picks her up in her arms, whispering softly to her and cradling her as she tries to walk away from the bed a little. However, her attempts to silence her are not working, as the little girl simply begins to squirms uncomfortably in her arms while she cries uncontrollably; It's impressive to Kiana how something so small can be so loud.

Short of options, Kiana keeps her attempts of hushing her, accidentally bringing a finger closer to her mouth while gently patting her stomach. To her surprise, the baby stops crying momentarily when she feels her finger touch her chin, yet she keeps whimpering and whining. Confused, Kiana decides to touch one of her cheeks with her finger, watching as Celine turns her head towards it as she opens her small mouth.

Oh.

The realization hits her at that moment, the inconsolable crying is because she is hungry. Well, that answers one question, but it only forms another one; Her gaze searches for the baby's bag that is in the corner of the room. If her memory serves her correctly, she thinks she remembers having saved a bottle and some formula, but how would she prepare a bottle here?

…Wait a second, how did you prepare a bottle again?

She clicks her tongue as she feels frustration rising in her, she suddenly feels something wrap around the tip of her finger, so she takes it away reflexively. However, this only makes Celine's crying to return, even more intense than before. Well, shit...

“…Kiana?” Oh, great.

Kiana slowly turns towards the source of the voice, hissing under her breath as she meets with Mei's sleepy gaze while she sits slowly on the mattress. Kiana forces a smile, approaching the bed and feeling a bit of defeat settle on her shoulders, it doesn’t help either that their small baby is still crying uncontrollably in her arms.

“Heeey Mei… Did you sleep well?” She tries to start a conversation to lighten the mood, but Mei's gaze immediately goes to the unruly little one in her arms.

“What happened?” Kiana sighs in defeat, looking down at Celine with a dejected expression. 

“She's hungry, I thought I could give her a bottle instead of waking you up, but she has a strong word to say in the matter” Kiana chuckles, giving Mei an apologetic smile.

Mei blinks slowly and yawns as she briefly stretches in place, soon after, she smiles before extending her arms towards her. Kiana gets the message and carefully hands her the little baby, deigning to watch with a defeated expression as Mei prepares to feed her.  

In a matter of a few seconds, the baby's cries slowly die before she falls silent once she begins to nurse; Kiana sighs with relief at no longer hearing the loud crying and decides to bring the chair to take a seat in front of the bed. Peace settles again in the hospital room, just as the first rays of sun begin to filter through the window, it’s a curious sight for Kiana, but in a way, it perfectly represents what many would call the ‘calm after the storm’.

Mei yawns again as she leans against the back of the bed and accommodates the baby in her arms. Kiana sees this as a sign for her to stand up, immediately offering help to make her feel more comfortable. She can still see tiredness in Mei's expression, but she also sees a deep calm reflected in her eyes once she starts watching their baby feed eagerly from her breast.

“Did something happen while I was asleep?” Mei interrupts the quiet moment with a question and Kiana hums thoughtfully, watching at Celine for a few seconds.  

“No, actually, everything was pretty calm” she says with a big smile.

At least for now, Kiana refrains from mentioning that ‘incident’ with the Schicksal scientists; Mei deserves to enjoy these first days with their baby without major worries.