Can I Come... Can I See The... The, Um...

It had been the single most awkward phone conversation of her life, and Taylor had had a few. "Hi, uh, hey, uh... Hey, is this, um... hey, Mamouru, it's Taylor, I was just wondering if, uh..."

And with MAMOURU, of all people? How could she go on? The shame was so heavy it took her three tries to eat breakfast before jumping on the train to Kyoto.

She had to swallow some pride to call him in the first place, given everything else that had been said and done between them, but he was family, and there was no changing that. He was as much her family as anyone else had ever been, and as someone who had spent most of her life in need of one, she wasn't just going to throw this one away.

She drew a deep breath, and took a moment to check her hair in a window before ringing the doorbell.

Mamouru was surprised as much as anyone at the phone call he received from Taylor. The two had had their ups and downs and had nearly come to blows more than a few times. Still, There was something between them that Mamouru could appreciate. They always seemed to be honest with their feelings towards one another and Mamouru had opened his heart to his sister-in-law and Taylor had done the same. A lot went unsaid between them. A lot went SAID between them and in the end, she wasn't the worst person to have as family. Not by a long shot.

He was just thankful that Aurora was out. Now that she was no longer with child, he insisted that she go and see the world. He wanted to spend time with his daughter. He wanted her to be nurtured and taken care of by both his parents. In fact, her arrival had changed him quite a bit. More then he ever thought. Most of his old feelings and thoughts had disappeared, or... were pushed aside for more important things.

When he heard the doorbell ring, he sat up. Megumi was currently swaddled in a blanket in a rocker near the couch. He quickly rushed to the door. Now that she was a little older, there a wisp of blonde covering her tiny head even though she looked distinctly Asian otherwise.

He pulled the doorknob and looked at Taylor. He smiled and bowed. "Nee-chan, Hello." He said and turned to beckon her inside. "I'm... sorry..." He said and bowed a bit more deeply, his tone holding a bit more depth to it than a mere apology of inconvenience.

"Please come. I'm sure you're excited to see Megumi-chan! But... how are you?" he added.

Taylor gave a little bow back to Mamouru and slipped off her half-laced Converse to step inside. "Hey," she said quietly. "Is she, er, is Aurora gonna be back soon?"

To put it lightly, she strongly disliked the mother of this child. The bitch had come after both Cassie and Taylor, and Taylor still owed her a kick in the ass for all of it... One that now might no longer happen. Aurora was... nauseating as it was... family.

God, the thought of it made Taylor sick to her stomach. She didn't want to be there when Aurora got home, but it drove her nuts to have to swoop in while she was out.

"Um... How's... Married life, I guess? Congratulations, on everything. Sorry I didn't call, like, sooner..." She glanced around, while trying not to look like she was looking around.

"No." Mamouru said. "Aurora-chan will be out for most of the day. I.. have been wanting her to get out but... I also made arrangements when you called." Mamouru said and turned his head for a moment. He turned back and looked at Taylor. "I know... this isn't easy..." Mamouru said. "I can't say that I was expecting any of this either and, I know... more than anyone.. how this ... situation... is and how it must look. I owe a lot of apologies to many people but..."

Mamouru shook his head. "Arigatou, nee-chan." He smiled weakly at her and lead her to the main room. "Here she is." He said as he scooped up Megumi. "Higurashi Megumi. Isn't she wonderful?" He turned and faced Taylor with Megumi in his arms and smiled brightly at Tayor. A genuine smile that was rare for the young man. He knew that Megumi truly made her happy.

He held her out to Taylor. <Here is your aunt Taylor. Say hello!> He said to Megumi in Japanese.

"Yeah, nothing's ever easy," Taylor mused. She scuffed the floor with her feet while she strolled along behind Mamouru.

"But props to you for stepping up to the plate and stuff. I mean, you've been with a lot of girls and you probably didn't expect her to be the one that stuck, but here we are. And I really think that you guys, or like, anybody, can really make it work if you really try to-"

She gasped. She put a hand over her mouth and her wide blue eyes glittered as if she might cry. "Oh, wow..." She managed to say. She put both hands over her mouth.

She clutched her arms against her chest and had no idea what to do with her hands when Mamouru stepped toward her. "No!" Was the first word that came to mind. She spoke in a hushed voice, as if speaking out loud was too dangerous. "I mean... I can't... I'll drop her. Or... I'll hurt her, or something. I've never..."

She drifted off, staring at the squirmy little blonde haired nub.

Mamouru smiled at Taylor's reaction "You won't!" He said and offered Taylor the wriggling bundle. "If you can hold onto a hundred and fifty pound girl long enough to suplex her, then you can hold onto a six pound child." He teased. "She likes to be held, nee-chan. She needs to become familiar with her family." He insisted.

While he tried to get Taylor to take Megumi, he continued talking. "The child really made Aurora-chan and I come together. when we dated the first time, there was passion, but... Megumi-chan has brought us love. I care for Aurora-chan because she's the mother of my child and I think that a lot of our immaturity was cast aside when we knew there was something more than us." At least, he hoped. Aurora had never given any indication otherwise.

"Wow..." Taylor said again. She could hardly wrap her brain around how this tiny thing Mamouru held was a person, and where she came from and what she was going to be... It was overwhelming. She couldn't imagine what it was like for Mamouru and that bitch.

Er, Aurora.

Well, here goes nothing...

Taylor opened her arms, and was excessively careful when she cradled the newborn. She held her breath and bent her knees, as if she would have to be ready to react if the girl squirted out of her arms or something. She tried to hold her perfectly still so as not to disturb her.

She looked helplessly up at Mamouru. She had got this far, and now she was stuck, without the faintest idea of what to do next. When she looked back down at the baby, she was no less astonished than the first time.

"No way..." She whispered. "I've never held a baby before. She's so small, and... She's a little tiny person."

Though she had no blood relation to the girl, she was family all the same. The thought of someone else growing up with Taylor around, as part of the family, thrilled her and filled her with she had until that point not needed a name for.

"So, am I aunt Taylor?" She asked.

Mamouru smiled widely at Taylor's delicate handling of Megumi. "You're doing fine, nee-chan. She's settling into it. You can hold her close." He encouraged. "She's so beautiful." Mamouru added.

"Aunt Taylor, yes, Obasan."

Mamouru turned his head. "I know that telling you probably doesn't matter or mean much, but, you can understand why no one knew until Megumi-chan was almost born. The situation was..." Mamouru paused. "This was why I broke up with Alaina-chan. I really DID care for her... But I knew I had to take responsibility for Megumi-chan... I'm sorry if I caused you distress. I thought Alaina-chan would believe I was just cheating on her... I never did once though..."

"Haa, obasan..."

Taylor unconsciously began to bob and sway gently, and she held Megumi a little closer. "Oh, dude, no. Everyone knows why you did that, and like... No. Even if you did piss us off, fuck it. Priorities, man, and for once I can say that you've got 'em straight. I can't believe I'm saying this, but... You're a good guy.

"When I think about it, I don't know if I'm relieved or kinda bummed that things never worked with you and Bear. If they did, though, there'd be no Megu-"

Right on cue, the docile little bundle in Taylor's arms became a squirming human siren. Taylor was instantly afraid that she had done something wrong as the baby began to wail and cry, and she looked to Mamouru for help.

"Take her, take her! What did... I didn't do that, right?"

Mamouru was about to speak when Megumi began to express herself vocally. He smiled widely and took the child, rocking and shushing her. "Nee-san, can you get a bottle from the fridge and heat it up, please?" He asked. "She may be hungry. I'll check her diaper and see if maybe meeting her Obasan got her a little too excited."

Mamouru smiled and set Megumi on the blanket in the living room. He began to speak as he unwrapped her. " I appreciate the kind words, nee-San. Megumi-chan has made me want to be a better man, for sure. I still am not sure if I can live up to expectations, but I am trying very hard. At the very least I want to have a home and family for Megumi-chan. A mother and father who love her dearly and can raise her properly. If I can manage that, then... I hope the rest of my shortcomings can be forgiven.." He said. "And... Aurora-chan and I... it brought US together... in ways we never thought possible. We do truly care for one another now. More than we ever had the first time we dated..."

Mamouru pulled off the diaper and began to check it. "Ahhh... she did get a little excited..." He said and began to change Megumi.