Mitsuru thrashed around in bed, dreaming that he had missed the baby's birth and that there were some major complications. He was running endlessly down a hospital hallway, desperately trying to reach Kokoro's room, afraid of what he would find.

He had almost reached the door when someone grasped his arm, and he awoke with a startle. His eyes shot open, and he found beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a light orange hue over the room. Kokoro was leaning over him, staring at him, concerned, with those soft blue eyes.

"Mitsuru-kun?" she asked quietly.

He shut his eyes and breathed while his rapid heartbeat echoed through his whole body

"I'm okay," he breathed, reaching his hand up to swipe the sweat off his forehead.

"Were you having a bad dream?" Kokoro asked, sitting up. His eyes fell on her enlarged stomach, and he breathed in relief.

He nodded as his breaths became more stable.

"You've been having a lot of poor dreams lately. You're always tossing and turning," Kokoro explained.

"It's okay. I'm sorry to wake you," Mitsuru mumbled, his eyes staring at the blank ceiling. "You can go back to sleep."

Kokoro shook her head. "I was awake anyway. What were you dreaming about?" she asked, propping her pillow up and leaning her back against it.

"I-I dreamt that something happened…with the birth. I don't know what it was, but it was something bad," Mitsuru said quietly, not wanting to scare his wife.

"Oh? Is that all? I get those dreams sometimes too," Kokoro said.

"You do?"

She nodded. "I would be lying if I wasn't a bit scared, but everyone is ready to take good care of me and the baby."

"What…what if something goes wrong?" Mitsuru wondered.

Kokoro laced her fingers through his hair, instantly calming him.

"It won't," she promised. "It's been a very healthy pregnancy so far."

Mitsuru nodded, though it was still impossible to shake the fear away. He reached a hand forward to pat Kokoro's swollen abdomen before resting his head back in the pillow.

"Any day now, huh?" he muttered.

Kokoro giggled. "Yes. I can't wait to meet him or her." She glanced down at her stomach and being speaking to it affectionately: "Come out, won't you, little one? Your mama and papa are waiting."

Mitsuru slowly sat up and wrapped his arm around Kokoro. They rested their heads together as they sat in the silence of their room.

"I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby," Mitsuru whispered. "I want to protect you both."

Kokoro grinned and interlaced her hand with this, gently rubbing circles with her thumb. He smiled, growing to love the bond that had formed between them.

...

Kokoro rested on a nearby bench with her friends gathered around her. Now that she was set to give birth any day, she'd been taking it fairly easy, not venturing too far from her living quarters.

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" Miku asked excitedly.

"Oh, I don't know," said Kokoro. "It doesn't really matter to me."

"I can't wait to hold the tiny thing," Ichigo said. "Babies must be so adorable."

Kokoro nodded, glancing down at her stomach. She was getting more and more anxious to give birth to her child.

"Everyone is so excited for a baby to be born," Ichigo explained, resting her hand on Kokoro's. "You're really setting an example here."

Kokoro blushed. "I didn't intend to become such a role model."

"We'll help you as much as we can when the baby's born," Ikuno promised.

"Thank you, everyone," Kokoro spoke sincerely.

...

That night, Kokoro sat up with Mitsuru. They both discussed their days and once again spoke of how excited they were to meet the new addition to the family.

Kokoro leaned back against her pillow, fantasies coming to her mind of raising the new child with Mitsuru by her side. She couldn't help but grin in satisfaction.

"Kokoro-san?"

She turned her head, staring into Mitsuru's green eyes. He cupped her cheeks and brought her head forward, pressing his lips against hers. Kokoro hummed before breaking away.

"I think I love you," he said.

"Love?"

"I know it's a word we were never taught, and I don't even really understand it fully, but remembering the interactions between Hiro and Zero Two and reading books where people had deep bonds helps me to understand what love is. These past nine months I've grown closer to you than I have with anyone. I always want to be by your side. I don't want to live without you. I love you, Kokoro-san, and I love the baby you're carrying too," Mitsuru confessed.

Tears sprung from Kokoro's eyes.

"I-I feel all those same emotions too," she wept. "I love you, too, Mitsuru."

She watched as tears began to gather in his eyes too as he pulled her close. She buried her head in his shoulder, weeping happily as he held her.

Love had always been such a foreign word for Kokoro. But sitting here now with Mitsuru, her pregnant belly pushing against him, she had a feeling that she truly understood what love meant.

"I don't think we'll ever get our memories back," Mitsuru murmured near her ear. "But it doesn't matter. I'm just as happy now as I probably was back then."

"Me too. Me too," Kokoro cried.

...

It was a particularly cold day out in the fields. Mitsuru was busy harvesting crops before the next snowstorm came in. While the wind was brisk, sweat continued to coat Mitsuru's body as he performed hard labor.

"Mitsuru!" came a sudden shout. He turned, watching another parasite run across the field toward him.

"What is it?" he asked, his hands beginning to shake.

The parasite paused, resting his hands on his knees as he gathered his breath.

"It's Kokoro. She's having the baby!"

Mitsuru dropped his tools and took off sprinting toward the hospital wing. He had a feeling that she would be giving birth today, but he had decided to work anyway since there was a lot of farming that needed to be done.

He rushed inside the facility, dodging other parasites.

"Sorry! Excuse me!" he called with each person he nearly bumped into.

He rushed up the stairs toward the hospital wing, panting heavily. Mitsuru couldn't remember a time that he'd run so fast in his life compared to now. His heart was racing as his adrenaline soared. He felt like he could keep running this speed forever.

Mitsuru's stomach twisted into knots as he ran down the hall. He glanced ahead, noticing a few of his friends and some other parasites were stationed outside one of the doors.

"Mitsuru, hurry!" Goro shouted.

He stepped inside, finding a group of crying women inside.

"Kokoro-san!" he gasped.

He rushed over to her bedside, finding a bundled infant squirming beside her. Kokoro was lying in bed, looking more exhausted, but more beautiful, than ever.

"Look, there's your papa," she said quietly to the newborn.

Mitsuru reached his hand forward, watching as the baby grasped its hand around his finger. He glanced down at the baby, his own child. Mitsuru had never known new life could be so beautiful.

His throat went dry, and tears gathered in his eyes. Before he knew it, he was joining the others in his sobs. Kokoro turned her head, glancing at him.

"It's a girl," she said quietly.

Mitsuru sniffled, gently touching his daughter's small, pale hand.

"I'm sorry," he said to Kokoro. "I missed the birth."

She shook her head, reaching her hand forward to grasp his.

"Everyone took good care of me. She's nice and healthy," she said, glancing down at their child.

Mitsuru nodded, his eyes still transfixed on the infant in front of him. How was it possible that he was a father now? All he knew was that when he stared at his daughter, he wanted to protect her and care for her more than ever.

"Should we name her?" Mitsuru wondered. "Just like Hiro gave us all names?"

Kokoro nodded, grasping the baby's other hand.

"How about Ai? For love."

Another wave of tears overtook Mitsuru, and he nodded. Both he and Kokoro glanced over their newborn daughter. They had both made their first mark on the future.