Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction. I own nothing except the storyline.

-x-x-x-

Chapter 15

It took another two days before Shizuru and Natsume were released by the former's parents. It took her a lot of convincing and bargaining that they will visit the two elder Fujinos some other time. Shizuru was just thankful that Natsume did not grow tired of looking for her Mama Natsuki that the two elder Fujinos had no choice but let them go.

"Mommy, when will I see Mama Natsuki?" The child kept asking her for the nth time that day. She can see another series of tantrums coming as the child's pout never left her chubby face.

"We are seeing her now, Natsume-chan." Shizuru smiled at her daughter but the child did not look convinced.

Natsume retrieved her little hand from her mother's to embrace the stuff animal which Natsuki gave her. "But Mommy this is not Mama's place." She continued to whine.

Right then, Alyssa came out and joined them in the living room. After giving them a day to settle down and get some much needed rest, Alyssa decided to have them fetched and be brought to her private villa.

"Good morning, Shizuru. I'm really sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up and I had to take care of it immediately." Alyssa gave Shizuru an apologetic look.

Shizuru smiled at the woman who was a big help to her despite her busy schedule. "It is alright, Alyssa-san. It is me who should apologize for causing you trouble." She gave the woman a grateful smile.

"Oh, please. We're family, Shizuru." Alyssa dismissed Shizuru's unnecessary concern. "I did that because that's what anyone would do if placed in my shoes." She turn her attention to the pouting Natsume. "I take it the ride here was not that great?" She glanced at Shizuru.

"No, Alyssa-san. It was fine. Thank you for fetching us. It's just that-" Shizuru started but was not even able to finish her sentence when Natsume interrupted her.

"Where is Mama Natsuki, Alyssa-sama?" The child did not anymore hide her sadness as tears started rolling from her smooth face.

"Oh." Was what Alyssa said as realization dawned on her. She glanced at Shizuru who was looking at her daughter with masked sadness. She approached the child and stooped down to her level. "Stop crying, Natsume-chan. Mama Natsuki will be sad to see you like that." She patted the child's head.

"But I missed her, Alyssa-sama. Does Mama hates me?" The child kept crying while hugging the toy closed to her.

"No, Natsume-chan. Mama loves you." Alyssa glanced at Shizuru who was giving her a grateful smile.

"But where is she?!" Natsume whined once again. Her voice was raised which startled both Shizuru and Alyssa.

As if on cue, Natsuki emerged with a dog in tow. She looked like she just came out of the shower. Probably after her morning run. She was only wearing a white cotton shirt and denim shorts with slippers on.

"Mama!" Natsume's mood suddenly changed to an elated one. She ran as fast as her small feet can carry her towards the woman whom her eyes had been wanting to see.

Natsuki met her halfway and scooped her with ease. She held the child as tight as she can without constricting the young one' oxygen passage. The child immediately wrapped her small limbs around Natsuki. She can feel the small arms holding her tightly as if she will disappear again. She gave the child's head a longing kiss.

"I miss you, Mama." The child whispered. "Please don't leave us again." She pleaded while tightening her hold that Natsuki felt like she was starting to suffocate.

The child's last sentence caused something to constrict in Natsuki's throat. Suddenly, emotions rushed through her. The fear she had during those waiting days where she had no idea what was happening to Shizuru and Natsume was finally gone. The longing for their presence was unbearable but she had no choice but to trust Alyssa. It was not as if she had a choice because despite the expansive area of the villa, securities were tighter than normal. As if Natsuki was a prisoner. She was not allowed to go anywhere and Alyssa never left her despite the woman's hectic schedule.

She looked at Shizuru. The only woman who was capable of making her feel a roller coaster of emotions all at the same time. She saw guilt on those crimson orbs she loved the most. She saw longing in them. The tears which the woman wiped discreetly were not lost to her as she tried to pacify Natsume in her arms. They stood like that for probably a minute or two until Natsuki's dog barked. Natsume suddenly snapped her attention towards the friendly beast.

"Mama, put me down please." Natsume begged and her face lit up like she had just seen a candy factory. She curiously looked at the animal. "Mama, can I hold it?" She glanced at Natsuki momentarily before her curious eyes were glued to the beast which was wagging its tail.

"Well, that was fast." Alyssa chuckled. The child's change of mood was really something. A minute ago, she was crying and now she was just ecstatic.

Natsuki let out a chuckle. "Here I thought you missed me, baby." She faked sadness in her eyes.

"I missed you, Mama." Natsume hugged her legs but her eyes were still glued on the beast which was just sitting near them watching their interactions. The dog did not sense any danger hence, the behavior. "But can I play with it, please?" She looked at Natsuki once again.

"Of course, baby." Natsuki smiled before calling the dog. "Duran, come here."

The beast approached them without a second thought. Natsuki lowered herself behind Natsume and guided her small hand on Duran's head. "Duran, this is Natsume-chan." She looked at the dog which stared back at her like he understood him. "Natsume-chan, this is Duran." She introduced the two.

Natsume was patting the dog tentatively. Fortunately, Duran just allowed her until he decided to lick her hand which caused Natsume to yelp and embraced Natsuki with fear.

"He doesn't like me, Mama." The child whined in Natsuki's neck and everyone released a small laugh.

"No, baby. Duran likes you." Natsuki smiled at the child and gestured Duran to come closer. She patted the dog's head. "Come on, pet her one more time."

The child did as told and Duran lowered himself and just allowed her to play with him. They just watched Natsume played with Duran until Alyssa broke the silence with a loud clearing of her throat.

"Natsume-chan, would you like to feed Duran? He has not eaten yet." She addressed the child whose eyes lit up.

"Really, Alyssa-sama? Can I really feed her?" The child squealed with excitement.

"Of course, honey." She smiled at the child before gesturing at Duran to stand up. "Come with me." She held the child's small hand. She then, addressed Natsuki. "I believe you two have matters to discuss."

"Thank you." Natsuki mouthed with a smile.

Alyssa turned her attention towards Shizuru who was giving her a genuine smile. "Thank you so much, Alyssa-san. I hope she won't be a handful."

"No worries, Shizuru. I'm good at handling a child's temper." Alyssa's words had double meaning and Shizuru understood it clearly when she saw Alyssa smirked toward Natsuki while the latter rolled her eyes.

Seconds passed when Natsume and Alyssa were no longer in sight but none of them was moving. Natsuki looked at Shizuru whose eyes were now glued to the floor. She cannot see any emotions on her face but the fidgeting of her hands was enough for Natsuki to know that the woman's mind was probably turning like a machine doing overtime. It was rare to see an uncertain Shizuru. The woman never fidgeted and she always exuded confidence. But the woman in Natsuki's presence right now was a different one. She can sense her nervously and anxiety. Natsuki released a breath before slowly approaching Shizuru.

She was a step away when she held Shizuru's chin up and the sight of crimson orbs glistened with tears broke her heart into pieces. She almost cursed herself for letting Shizuru felt like this. She smiled at Shizuru genuinely before slowly covering the woman's mouth with hers. She noticed the surprise in the woman's rigid posture and her unresponsiveness to the kiss. Truth be told, Natsuki had a lot of questions in mind but the moment she saw those eyes filled with sadness, all she wanted to do was to protect the woman from getting hurt further.

She gently held Shizuru's face and pulled her by the waist, leaving no space between their bodies. She continued kissing her despite her momentary stiffness until she felt the woman's mouth joined her in this dance only they knew the music to. Only God knew how much she missed Shizuru. Oh, how much she long to taste those soft lips and explore every crevice of it.

The kiss was gentle, enough for Shizuru to know how much she missed her. Enough for Shizuru to know that no matter what, she will always have faith in her. Enough for Shizuru to know that the Natsuki she had now was the better version of her past self.

Soon the kiss had to end because their lungs cried for oxygen. Natsuki buried her face on Shizuru's shoulder, inhaling her intoxicating yet addicting scent. "I missed you, Shizuru." She whispered.

"You're not mad at me?" Shizuru asked as she basked in the embrace. She missed the woman dearly but she was more concern of what she felt when she made the decision to leave her out of the problem.

"I am." Natsuki answered shortly but did not release her from her embrace.

"I am so sorry, Natsuki." Shizuru apologized. "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I thought it was the best solution at that moment."

"I know." Natsuki answered shortly before breaking from the embrace. She saw Shizuru's eyes started to water. She held the woman's face in her hands, wiping the tears away with her thumbs. "I trust you, Shizuru." She smiled at her. "I trust your judgment." She released a breath. "Yes, I was mad at first. I was offended that you excluded me from solving our problem." She emphasized the word "our". "I was angry because I thought that you still do not trust me to be matured enough to deal with this kind of situation."

"I'm sorry, Natsuki." Shizuru apologized once again as tears kept flowing from her face. "I know my decision will hurt you. I am truly sorry." She wrapped her hands around Natsuki's hands. The sincerity in her eyes were not lost to Natsuki.

Natsuki shook her head before continuing, as if telling Shizuru to let her finish first. "But more than anything else, I was afraid to lose you again. This time, it will not just be you but it will be you and Natsume." She paused because fear started to engulf her once again. Her hands fell limply on her sides. She started to have difficulty breathing just by the thought of losing two of the most important persons in her life. "But I was more afraid that I will be the reason for that." She paused. "That's why I trusted you. I set aside my emotions because it was not just about me. I realized I was being selfish again and I'm glad Alyssa was there to knock some senses to me. I believed Alyssa when she told me that you are doing that for us. I should be the one apologizing to you. I can't do anything but distance myself while you deal with monsters out there."

Shizuru immediately hugged Natsuki back when she noticed the woman started to let her guard down and just let herself be vulnerable in front of Shizuru. She did not say anything but her encouraging hand continued to sooth Natsuki's back, urging her to continue.

"I don't know how to live again without you and Natsume in my life, Shizuru. I might lose my mind if that happens. God forbid! I don't want to lose you, Shizuru. Not again." Natsuki begged like a helpless child.

"You will never lose me, Natsuki. Natsume and I will always be by your side as long as you want us." Shizuru tried to reassure her. Natsuki was silent for a moment. She did allowed her to stay life that for a moment, listening to her breathing.

"Thank you, Shizuru." Natsuki removed herself from Shizuru's warmth. She gave the woman's forehead a lingering kiss. "Thank you for giving me another chance with you."

Right on cue, Natsume came giggling running after Duran as the dog bit on her stuff animals. The two immediately fixed their selves. Fortunately, the child was too busy running after the animal that she did not notice what she had just disturbed.

Alyssa came in tow. "I'm sorry but I don't think I can match their energies."

"Probably high time for you to retire, Alyssa-obaa-sama." Natsuki jested which earned her an unbelieving look from Alyssa.

"Excuse you." Alyssa was clearly offended. She stood up straight and pretended that she was not catching her breath from running after the two. "I'm not the one who asked for medicine just to keep up with Shizuru in bed." She blurted out suddenly without realizing it.

"Ara?" Shizuru asked amused before glancing at Natsuki who was now sporting a full-blown blush on her face. She looked like a ripe tomato.

"That's not true!" Natsuki denied but the blush on her face was enough confirmation.

"What is not true, Natsuki? That you asked for medicines just you can have more rounds with Shizuru?" Alyssa challenged her.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at Natsuki who was throwing daggers at Alyssa. If looks could kill, Alyssa would have dropped dead on the floor.

"Shut up. Don't listen to her Shizuru." She covered Shizuru's ears but the woman just laughed at her before gently removing her hands.

"It is alright, Natsuki. You should have just ask me directly. I'm a doctor, remember?" Shizuru added, winking at Alyssa.

"Exactly what I told her, Shizuru!" Alyssa did not even hide her mirth as Natsuki kept fuming. "But no. She said she's too embarrassed to do that. I even asked Miyu for that. Don't worry, she have the medicines now."

"I don't think medicines are necessary, Alyssa-san. Just some more practice and she'll get the hang of it. I'm sure Natsuki is a fast learner, right Natsuki?" She continued teasing the woman who looked at her unbelievingly.

"Jesus Christ, woman!" Natsuki held her head like she was about to lose her sanity. "You two are impossible. How could you say that like I'm not here listening to you?" She pinched her nose.

Natsuki was grateful that Natsume came back with Duran. But the sight had them shocked. The child was riding Duran like she was a horse. The only difference was that she was holding unto the dog with her arms circled around its neck and her body hugging Duran to keep her from falling off. Good thing that the dog was not running but merely walking slowly. Probably because it was the first time that the beast had to carry a heavy load. The child was oblivious to the danger until Natsuki swiftly came beside them. She gestured for Duran to stop. She felt bad for her dog but she was more afraid that Natsume could have fallen had it not been for her dog walking slowly.

"Good boy." She ruffled the dog's head. The dog looked at her like he was pleading to be relieved of the weight. "I'm sorry." The dog seemed to understand as it whimpered after Natsume was removed from his back.

"Natsume-chan." Shizuru approached them. "Duran is not a horse. You should not do that." She said firmly, looking at her daughter but the child did not meet her gaze.

"Shizuru, it's okay." Natsuki kept petting the exhausted dog. "Natsume will not repeat that again, right?" She addressed the child who was now fidgeting with her stuff animal.

The child approached the animal and caressed her back. "I'm sorry, Duran-chan." She kissed the animal on the head and hugged him. She got up and glanced at Shizuru with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I will not do it again."

Natsuki smiled at Natsume when the child faced her. "Come here." She spread her arms and Natsume was engulfed in them in seconds.

A smile was plastered at Alyssa's lips as she silently witnessed the interaction between the three. She glanced at Natsuki and her heart suddenly felt lighter. The feeling she had at that moment was the same feeling she had when she held her first championship trophy. She was there when Natsuki was miserable. She was there when Natsuki felt like giving up. She was consulted by Natsuki when the latter made big decisions in life. She literally witnessed Natsuki during her highs and lows. As a sister, what she witnessed right now was more than enough to believe in destiny and fate.

"Finally, the happiness that you deserve." She thought before glancing at Shizuru who was looking at the two with loving gaze. "If that is not true love, I don't know what is. Natsuki is lucky to have her."

Her phone suddenly rang which made the three turned to her. She just gave them an apologetic look for disturbing that magical moment but the two elder women just nodded at her as she excused herself.

-x-x-x-

They were finally back at Shizuru's place. Their sweaty naked bodies were entangled between the sheets after some rounds of lovemaking. Shizuru was resting her head on Natsuki's bare shoulder as she drew some pattern on Natsuki's firm stomach.

"You know that you do not need that medicine, right?" Shizuru asked Natsuki who snapped her head towards her.

"Shizuru-" Natsuki called her name with a hint of warning. "Can we please drop the topic? You're ruining the mood."

Shizuru elevated herself, elbow on the bed as she hovered above Natsuki. "I'm just saying, Natsuki." She traced the woman's feature starting from her pointy nose down to her soft lips then, her well-defined jawline until it went south and her palm landed once again on Natsuki's well-toned abdomen. Her favourite place. "Did you take it tonight?" She asked, searching for any lie that will come out of Natsuki's mouth.

"No." Natsuki answered shortly like she was in a daze. Shizuru's hand was like a catalyst to her raging hormones even though they had just made love minutes ago.

"Good. Now, we'll test your endurance." Shizuru replied in a very low tone as her orbs darkened. Natsuki did not have the chance to protest when Shizuru claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.

The lovemaking was more adventurous this time and Shizuru became rough. The kind of roughness which made her guess what Shizuru's hands were capable of doing. The woman was really full of surprises and she was even surprised that her body seemed to have a mind of its own when it was her turn to please Shizuru. Natsuki was not really complaining to see this side of Shizuru.

But no matter how good Shizuru was in bed, she was still human and her body craved for rest. They laid in silence until Natsuki broke it.

"Shizuru, I think I'm pregnant." Natsuki said out of the blue, her eyes were focused on the white ceiling.

Shizuru released a genuine laugh before lightly slapping her shoulder. "Silly."

But to Shizuru's surprise, Natsuki became muted. She thought that the woman was just kidding. She rose from the bed when Natsuki did not say anything. "Wait, are you-?" She asked with confusion and hurt.

She did not know what to say after. It was like Natsuki just dropped a bomb and she was not ready. She glanced at Natsuki and the woman was just looking at her with blank stare. She totally got up from the bed and looked for a robe as she tried to calm her nerves. The exhaustion was long forgotten as thousands of thoughts flooded her mind. Natsuki being unresponsive was not helping her at all. She faced the woman who was now standing in front of her. Natsuki did not care if she was standing in front of Shizuru only in her birthday suit. At least that was what appeared to Shizuru. The younger woman suddenly became unreadable.

What did Natsuki do during those short period of time? Shizuru could feel that her stomach tightened and it was not in a good way as she thought of some answers to her question. Her heart was beating at a fast speed. She was hurting. She can feel needles piercing through her heart repeatedly. She slowly released small but calculated breaths, hoping that her voice will not break for she had a very important question to ask. "Did-did you try to experiment while I was away, Natsuki?" Shizuru had difficulty uttering the question which answer might break her.

Silence. No answer came from Natsuki as the woman slowly approached her. Shizuru cannot stand the silent confirmation. She turned her back towards Natsuki as her vision started to get blurry. She soon felt Natsuki's strong arms around her torso.

"How did you conceive, Natsume-chan?" Natsuki asked in a whisper as she tried to pull Shizuru closed to her.

For some reason, Shizuru felt offended. Hurt and anger were evident on her contorted face but the other woman cannot see them. Natsuki allowed her to make love with her without even telling her about her little escapades. She knew that Natsuki was mad at her but her decision was for the best. Did Natsuki not agree with her on that? Did Natsuki not love her enough to trust her? Does Natsuki even love her at all? Now, she thought that she was a fool for jumping into conclusions.

"I did not sleep with any man if that is what you are implying." She removed Natsuki's arms around her body in a not so gentle way as she tightened her hold on the robe as if to protect herself.

"Natsume was the result of another foolish decision of me. I was so afraid of losing the love of my life and was selfish enough to not let any other woman to carry her child because I feel like I just let her make love with somebody else if I allow that. I was so stupidly in love and desperate to fulfill that person's dream of having a child that I jumped at the opportunity as soon as it appeared before me." Shizuru paused as she looked down memory lane. The path that she wished she did not have to revisit again. Her voice became fragile as she resumed.

"I thought I will lose her that's why I agreed to do the experiment because it was our last shot." She glanced at Natsuki who was just staring at her. Her emotions were all over the place as she looked at Natsuki's empty stare. Did she just use Shizuru for pleasure? Well, might as well give her the truth if it will be their last conversation.

"Saeko-sama was absolutely certain that she will not make it out alive when the pandemic broke out and she trusted no one to do the procedures. I wanted to have a piece of the person I love the most if-" She paused as the pain and fear she felt during those times suddenly came rushing back to her. "if-if God decided to take her away from us." She had to clear her throat to continue speaking.

"I made that decision even if I know that that person will loath me for the rest of her life for making the decision without her consent, if ever she survives." She allowed the tears to run down her face. She was silent for a few seconds as she gathered herself. Natsuki did not utter a word.

"But can you blame me, Natsuki?" Shizuru's question came off as desperate. "Can you blame me for loving you too much that I even decided to distance myself from you because I was causing your self-destruction? My heart shattered whenever I want to see you because I badly miss you. But no, I had to endure the pain. Your love became obsession and I don't want you to blame yourself later on for completely losing me. I did that to protect you."

"Shizuru—" Natsuki tried to hold her but she stepped back. "No, Natsuki. I do not want to hear it."

But Natsuki did not listen to her. But instead she saw the younger woman smiled as tears started to stain her beautiful face. Natsuki chuckled which earned her a confused look from Shizuru. The woman was shaking her head as she wiped away her tears. She also started taking in a lungful of air to calm herself. Shizuru's brows furrowed at the woman's response. What did Natsuki find amusing in their conversation?

Natsuki soon took calculated steps towards Shizuru and held her arms. She looked into crimson orbs before kissing Shizuru's forehead. "I'm not pregnant, Shizuru." She confessed. "You're the only person I slept with." She engulfed Shizuru in a comfortable hug. "I love no one except you. Thank you for confirming that Natsume is my daughter."

Shizuru froze. Did Natsuki went through all the trouble just to do that? "Why did you not just ask me directly?" She whined as she punched Natsuki's shoulder lightly. Truth be told, she was relieved that the woman was just messing with her. It was as if a heavy load was lifted off her shoulder but that does not mean that she approved of Natsuki's method. "I hate you." She continued pounding her fists on Natsuki's shoulder but the woman just let her.

Natsuki's mirth was now evident in her voice. "I did Shizuru but you never answered my question." She rubbed the woman's back soothingly.

"That was before." Shizuru answered defensively. "You should have just asked me again instead of letting me make a fool of myself." She slapped Natsuki's face lightly as she frowned at the woman.

"I love you, Shizuru." Natsuki kissed her cheek. "I love you." She uttered as she started showering Shizuru's face with kisses. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

"Silly. Stop that." Shizuru laughed but Natsuki just continued her ministrations.

"Nope. You're mine. Deal with it." Natsuki said before pulling Shizuru with her to the bed.

-x-x-x-

Hello, readers!

Okay, I know that it was a very long hiatus but I was really busy. This is the only week when I had the time to breath. I already feel guilty for not finishing this story as promised. I don't want to end the year without giving you the ending. This feels rush, I know. But I don't have much time. The holidays are not that long and I still have deliverables.

I just want to say happy holidays to all! Please stay safe. Let me know your questions because the last chapter will be the epilogue. A little more patience please.