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

"O-okay," Taylor nodded, and hurried off to the kitchen. She got a bottle from the fridge and then froze. She held the bottle tightly in both hands, as if she could warm it up with just her hands.

"Yeah..." She said. "Um... How do I..."

She turned back to Mamouru and saw him in mid-diaper change, and recoiled from the sight like she'd been slapped. She pantomimed an exaggerated gag, and looked around the kitchen.

"How do I heat it up? In the microwave?" She asked. She shook up the bottle, because that would help.

"Microwave!" Mamouru called out as he finished changing Megumi.

Taylor looked at Mamouru, then the microwave, then the bottle, then the microwave again.

"Well, for how freakin' long?"

"Fourty five seconds! You just want it warm!"

Mamouru couldn't help but laugh. Megumi too as she squirmed with her new diaper. Or maybe it was just gas. Mamouru hoisted her up in his arms and cradled her and walked to the kitchen.

"When you and Junichi-kun have children, I wish I could be there first hand to watch how it unfolded." He teased as he rocked Megumi in his arms.

Taylor's finger hovered in front of the numbers on the microwave while she struggled to figure out where the hell the stupid button was to set the thing with the time. She eventually pushed the numbers and hit start, and that worked, and the bottle went in a slow circle while the timer ticked down.

"Wait, should I take the cap off, or..." She trailed off, and then looked at Mamouru like he'd just grown a second head. "You wanna watch us do it?!"

Mamouru blinked. He didn't quite get what Taylor was saying until... he did. His cheeks reddened. "What!? No... of course not! That's not what I meant! I mean... After you have a child! Watching you try..." He motioned one hand towards the microwave. "This!" He said and turned his head. "Nee-san I haven't thought about you like that in a long time and I certainly wouldn't want to... see my brother... and you..." Mamouru fidgeted and focused on Megumi, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.How could she misinterpret THAT!?

"Oh... yeah."

Duh.

Taylor shook her head and touched her hand over her face while humiliation washed over her like a tidal wave. She was mercifully rescued by the beeping microwave.

God, why was she so dumb? She took the bottle out and felt it in each hand to see if it was a good temperature, and then shook it again for whatever reason before handing it to Mamouru.

"Well, anyway, I don't know about that. I'd be like the world's worst mom, so..." She shrugged. "I'm good at beating people up and getting beat up. This isn't really in the cards for me... Just don't tell mom. Your mom. She'd kill me just for thinking that."

Mamouru took the bottle and began to feed Megumi. He smiled at Taylor. "I think she'll be satisfied for a while. I bailed you out for now, at least." Mamouru said with a soft chuckle. "But, you would make a good mother, nee-san. This stuff... You get the hang of it quick enough. All you really need is love and you have plenty of that."

Taylor snorted. Her eyes lingered on little Megumi for a moment before trailing off to the floor. "I don't think that's all you need."

She leaned back against the countertop and folded her arms. "Know what the first thing is in my head when I think about having one of them? What I would do to protect her. Because, apparently, to me, the whole world is just out to get everyone, and I need to be ready to fuck somebody up if they might hurt her." She shrugged, resigned to her life of constant struggle. "I don't think I'm well adjusted to mom-hood."

She stared at Megumi, watching the tiny pink potato suckling on the bottle, clutching it with her funny little hands. Her fingers looked too small to be real. She looked more like a life-like, latex-skinned robot than a real baby.

She just couldn't understand it. Her brain had no landmarks to navigate by when she thought about it. Before there was nothing, and then out of thin air there was a new person, totally dependent on Mamouru and Aurora, two people that Taylor had never thought capable of caring for anyone, let alone someone so... precious. So delicate.

"I don't know if she makes me want to fight harder, or just quit altogether..." She mused. "Like, my biggest accomplishment in life is a gold belt." She paused, as if to add more, but instead only shrugged.

"I think that's every parent's thought. It's how parents should act." Mamouru said. Megumi had a little bit of milk but was becoming fussy. Mamouru set down the bottle and began to rock Megumi, trying to get her to feel better.

"Having the child changes you." Mamouru said. "I certainly wouldn't try and pressure you into having a child. you and Junichi-kun are still very young. This was unexpected but..." He said. "I just don't think you should sell yourself short. The idea that you might not be the best parent out there isn't a reason to avoid having children. After you've had your successes, just... think about giving it a try. IIt will change your life." He repeated once more.

"You're a good woman nee-san. You've already done a lot more than many people would accomplish. There's nothing in your life that you shouldn't be very proud of." He said sincerely.