Childcare

"No! Don't play with that!" called Stahn, "You could hurt yourself or someone else!"

He had just noticed Andre, one of the young orphans, swinging around his sword like it was a toy. Fearing he'd cut himself on the sharp edge, or take a limb off if another child walked by, the young man raced to pry it away. Stahn saw the boy drop the weapon, and begin to pout.

"But I wanna be a swordsman like you and Rutee! You saved the world; you're strong. I don't want to be a weakling all my life," Andre whined to his caretaker.

Stahn informed him, "That may be, but swinging around a weapon when you have no idea what you're doing is not the way to go. My grandfather, who was once a soldier of Seinegald, trained me when I was about your age. We started with a wooden sword which, though it can hurt if swung too hard cannot cause the damage a regular blade can. Then, I moved on to steel blades when I got older and more experienced. Eventually, I could train myself in the art of battle."

He looked up into Stahn's eyes. "Can you train me? It would be so cool!"

"Yes," the man replied, "I'll train anybody who wants to. Even a basic knowledge of the blade can protect you from monsters and brigands. And perhaps you might one day want to become a soldier."

"Yeah! I'll be a strong warrior who will protect the towns! And everyone will know that the great Stahn Aileron was my teacher, and I worked hard to be where I was! Then, maybe I can keep others from feeling the pain I felt when my parents were killed," he exclaimed.

It almost broke Stahn's heart to hear him say that. Andre, like several other orphans here, was a victim of Kronos' monster increases during the war. Most of those were from Armeida, and their parents had given their lives to get their kids to escape when the town fell. Sometimes, Stahn wished he could have done more for them, could have stopped Kronos at his first appearance and prevented that.

But he knew he couldn't blame himself for that weakness; nobody had expected Kronos to appear after they fought Hugo nor that he would be even more powerful than in the war. However, as an orphan himself, Stahn felt extreme sympathy and understanding for Andre and the other kids. Rutee felt the same way; that was why the two had decided to go into this partnership together, instead of starting up a business or continuing to work as warriors for hire or soldiers.

Stahn knew that his beloved felt an especially strong bond to the war orphans. They were all victims of Kronos' plot to revive the Aetherians, as had Rutee herself. Though the circumstances were different, both Rutee and those children had their parents robbed from them by that madman.

She'd have cared for them anyway, even if they weren't in the same boat; she loved children and felt that they all deserved a future. Rutee believed that if she could help other victims of the war, she might be able to help her own father rest in peace; he felt guilty for the things that Kronos did while using his body. Even though she barely remembered him, Rutee knew that the love she felt for her deceased father was still strong.

Stahn told Andre to go find a pair of long sticks that they could spar with; he figured that it could do until he managed to get a few wooden swords since funds were pretty tight. But right after the boy ran off, and his mentor was planning on sitting down for a minute, a girl's scream lit up the air. In came Carly, a girl orphaned even before the war. Following close on her heels was Loni, a six year old war orphan who had taken a shine to Rutee and Stahn more than most.

Carly yelled, "Stahn! Loni tried to kiss me on the lips. It was disgusting!"

Stahn got up out of his seat; there was no rest for the weary today. "Loni…why did you do that?"

"I saw you and Rutee last night," Loni admitted, "You were doing that and I wondered if it was what a boy does to a girl. So I wanted to try it out on someone."

"Loni…boys do that to girls when they're in a romantic relationship. You do not try to kiss your friends on the lips. When you're older, and have a girlfriend, then you can do so," warned Stahn.

He made both Loni and Carly make up, and the two ran off to play. Thinking he could finally relax, Stahn again sat down in the chair. Caring for all these kids was harder work than he thought…and he didn't even have to deal with all of them today. Though Stahn still wanted to do this, he knew it would take some getting used to; he was used to just waking up and relaxing all day.

At that moment, Rutee entered the room with a few bags of groceries. She'd just gone to the market to get their weekly meals. He could see her holding the huge burlap sacks, pulling them with all her weight. Despite the immensity of the task of getting food for all those orphans, Rutee always insisted on carrying most everything. She dropped them on the floor, resting her aching wrists.

Stahn told her, "I'll finish that for you; you've already carried them all the way."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Stahn. I have to go back and get some more out of the cart in the front yard, and I need to have these put away." The cart in question was just a large wooden structure on wheels that they used to lug the pounds of supplies from the market to the orphanage.

"No," Stahn said, "You sit down and rest. You just carried the cart all the way here; I'll be glad to give you some relief. All I did was have to keep the kids in line, you did heavy labor."

"Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I've done this many times before so it's no big deal," she replied.

But Stahn told her, "I still can't refuse to do my fair share. We both can do the heavy lifting; it's not like either of us is a weakling. If we work together, we can accomplish anything."

The young woman blushed; even though she'd started in a relationship with Stahn, it still was hard to not blush when he spoke like this to her. "Thanks, I guess you're right. But I don't want to not help you. So I'll continue with these bags once I rest my wrists, and then you go outside to where Charlotte and Marie are waiting with the cart."

He agreed; compromising was the only way he'd get Rutee to take a break and not work herself too hard. So Stahn went outside to where the two girls were waiting around. Though Charlotte was just about Loni's age, Marie was almost a teenager. Stahn and Rutee knew they could rely on the older kids to help them out with watching over the younger ones, just as Rutee had done when she was younger.

"Helping Rutee-neechan out?" asked Marie, "We're all happy such a nice person as you wants to be with her. Us kids have always cared greatly for her, and she for us. It's like having a big brother now too. And, we can all be like a family together…right?"

"That's what we want. Everyone deserves a family…and we'll make it together. Besides, I wouldn't feel right about leaving her all alone; there are times we need adults to be in two places at once to help the kids out, and Rutee can't split herself in half," joked Stahn.

The two girls, understanding it was a joke, began to giggle. When Stahn lifted the last few bags out of the cart, they moved to push it back into the shed. Then, they ran to play with the other children while Stahn continued to drag the food towards the kitchen.

After he arrived, Rutee told him, "Well, it's time to put the food away. Would you like to help me out with that as well? It will go much faster if we do it together, and we'll have someone to talk to."

Stahn could never say no to a friend, much less his girlfriend. He began taking supplies out of the bag and putting them in their proper storage area. Non-perishable foods went in their supply cupboards and pantry. Perishables were placed in the icebox to keep for a later date.

Finally, they were done. The couple went back to the living room, where the orphans were playing together. Some were working together to build a tower out of blocks. Andre had found the two sticks like Stahn said, and had begun dueling with Loni. Charlotte and Carly had grabbed some dolls and were playing a game of House with them. And one boy, Sean, was reading a fantasy novel.

Stahn looked relieved. "All in one place for once. That's good…at least we can be together while we make sure nothing happens." He sat down on a chair and pulled Rutee into his lap.

"Down boy!" she exclaimed, "We're in front of the children, after all." But she snuggled closer to his body, just happy to be with Stahn. He was so important to her, the one who helped her through the dark times in her life. And now, he wouldn't ever leave her again.

"Look! Rutee-neechan and Stahn-niichan are hugging!" exclaimed a boy named Jake.

Marie hushed him and said, "They're adults, and they like each other; they're supposed to be hugging and kissing even in front of us. It's not gross; it's a part of life. Besides, if they get married they'll be like our mommy and daddy rather than our big brother and sister."

Jake laughed. "So we'll have to call them 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' then?"

"No, we don't have to," Marie replied, "But they'll be together like our mommies and daddies were before they died. So it will feel more like that than a big brother or a big sister."

"Well…we can't get married just yet, as much as we'd want to," Rutee told them.

Loni asked, "Why? If you love each other, shouldn't you be able to get married?"

Stahn shook his head. "Well, we won't be able to have even a small wedding on our funds. Right now, your care is the most important thing. A wedding, even a tiny one for just friends and family, would cost too much money. We have to set a little bit aside and plan for it."

"I thought you just had to say you love her," remarked Sean, "Like in the books."

"Well, the ceremony involves that, however the party afterwards involves a whole lot more. You have to feed everyone and even limited guests would eat more at the party than the orphanage does in a week. Plus, decorations for the party, small favors for your guests, the musicians, people to serve the food, the list goes on. We can't get the money unless we save for it," Rutee stated.

Stahn added, "Besides, right now we're just happy being together. We'll eventually get the money together. But until then, we're still a family; a family is not just those who are related by blood, but those who you love. And you can always go to Rutee or me with problems you might have."

Andre smirked. "Can you start teaching me swordsmanship tomorrow? Loni and I are trying to have a duel, but it's not so easy. If we knew some moves, it would be more fun."

"Sure!" exclaimed the young man, "Just as long as you only use the small sticks for now; I don't want anyone getting hurt on a large branch or a wooden sword. When you get more controlled and stronger, we'll find you something better to use."

Both boys began to cheer; they were going to get trained by one of the Four Heroes. Stahn had to spend some time calming them down while Rutee glared at him; she was nervous that they still would find a way to get hurt, and she no longer had Atwight to care for injuries. Finally, he had them sit down to build a block tower with some of the other kids.

"Stahn! Why are you giving them lessons in fighting?" hissed Rutee.

He informed her, "So they'll be able to protect themselves one day. I mean, when they grow up we won't be able to look after them anymore. And there are dangerous things in this world. So I don't want to leave them unable to fend for themselves; besides, it's not hurting anyone."

She pouted a bit, then smiled. "Okay…just keep them out of trouble. Make sure to set some ground rules before this starts. I don't want anyone losing limbs to training."

"That's why I want to start with those twigs," he replied, "I mean, how much damage can a little thing like that do? It can cause a stinging whipped sensation, that's about it. I'll sand down any rough edges till it's just a smooth stick that won't hurt anyone."

"As long as you take precautions, then I won't be mad. Heh, the other Sisters used to call me a mother hen the way I worried about the children," Rutee told him.

Stahn said, "Well, that's not a bad trait to have when you're the director of an orphanage like this one. You'll make sure they're not hurt; the kids are important to you. Heck, if I were to start them on metal weapons, I could see where you'd go over and rip me apart."

She giggled. "Well…not even you're that stupid." Before he could protest, she put her finger on his lips to close them. "But, even though you're an idiot…you're still my idiot."

"Awwwwww…Rutee," he whispered, "You're making me blush. I…you're so nice under all that tough bravado and the fears of the past." With that, he pulled her even closer.

Rutee let herself snuggle against Stahn's body, feeling the warmth of his arms around her. This was the peace she'd always dreamed of, even though she didn't think this was how she'd find it. It felt like time itself had stopped as she looked into those sapphire orbs, watching him smile at her.

"Stahn…I wish we could get married right away. But I'm happy to know you'll wait and still love me with all your heart until we can," the young girl told him.

He mused, 'How can we get the extra money for a wedding, anyway? With Oberon Corporation gone, there's no more selling Lens for Gald; warriors like us could make a fast buck that way. And we can't do something that would leave us gone for too long, since we need to stay here with the kids. I so want to be with Rutee…want to give her the best wedding possible. There's got to be something….'

S...S

Stahn woke early in the morning, before it was dawn. It was mainly because he felt his beloved moving closer to him, practically pushing him against the wall. He knew by the look on her face that she was having a nightmare. Pulling Rutee close to his body, he began to rub her back gently for comfort.

She moaned in her sleep, the sound reflecting sadness. "Father…please…don't leave me. Don't die! You can come back with me; we'll be a family again."

"Rutee," he whispered as he rocked her, "Ru-chan. Please, wake up."

Eventually, after a little more crying out, she woke to find him rocking her in his arms. Stahn lay Rutee back down on the pillow, putting his head next to hers. It was easy to see she was upset as beads of sweat were sticking to her forehead and matting her hair back.

"It was…just a dream. I wonder why I always relive those memories at night?" she asked herself.

He said, "I don't know. It could be because you haven't yet learned to live with your pain. Or because you regret not using your powers to save Hugo; you were so distraught that you couldn't even think straight until he'd already passed on. But don't worry…I'm here."

She smiled at him. "Yes, I know. I just wish I could move on. I mean, it's not like my family would be upset that I wanted to stop crying, that I wanted to live again."

"Yeah. But pain can grip us hard and you had some tough losses last year," he replied.

She told him, "I thought defeating Kronos and avenging them would stop the nightmares. But it didn't happen; revenge is not a tool for helping you cope because even if you feel better for a moment, it will never bring back your loved ones. However, I know that at least by stopping him I've made it so that no other person will suffer at his hands; he'll never divide a family again."

Stahn put his arm around Rutee. "Yes, that's true. Can I make a promise to you?"

"Sure," she replied, "Any promise you make is a good promise. Because I know you'll go through with it till the very end. You're not the type to break them without a good reason."

"And this is one that I'll never break till the day I die. Rutee…I want to protect you. Not because you're weak, but because you're strong. You're strong and sometimes that causes you to lose focus and fear letting your feelings show. But I want you to tell me those feelings so I might help them heal. You can always cry in my arms, or on my shoulder and I'll never be mad. And I'll be happy to stay awake and talk to you if ever you can't sleep because of a nightmare. Hopefully, with me there to help you fight them, we'll drive those bad dreams away so the happy memories of your family can replace them," he vowed.

Rutee blushed, but stated, "I accept your promise. Because that means you'll always be with me. And the one thing I never want is to be left alone."

He pulled her closer and let his lips move to hers. Stahn began to kiss with all his might, letting his tongue cross the bridge between their mouths. Rutee did not resist his touch, longing to be loved with all her heart. The young man rubbed her back as he continued kissing, giving her all the love and comfort he possessed. This young girl was a treasure that he wanted to keep at all cost.

S...S

The next day, Loni came running up to them as they ate their breakfast together. "Stahn-niichan! Rutee-neechan! We all have a wonderful idea for what to do about your problem."

"What is it?" inquired Rutee, "I'm sure that most of you couldn't earn money for the orphanage or us; businesses don't hire out people younger than ten and most likely they want someone older than sixteen. And if they did hire some of the older kids, it would probably be low paying work."

"Well, we might not be able to get the money…but why don't you hold a ceremony for fun? Have that priestess friend of yours lead the service, then have a party when you do have money," he said.

Stahn replied, "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I mean, I wasn't planning on doing it for several months, but we can always just have a service that will make our marriage legal. And then on one of our anniversaries we can have another service and add the food in."

Rutee pat the boy on the head. "You children are so smart; why couldn't we think of that. The party isn't even what we really wanted. I guess we just expected we'd have to feed everyone seeing as most of our friends come from out of town. But perhaps we can get Lilith or Mary to help out there; they would love to cook for everyone. So that can cut down on the catering since it would just be simple things. And we can save a little money aside for a few months for that."

"Yay!" exclaimed Loni, "Then you two will be married. Stahn makes you happy…right?"

"Of course he does; he's the best thing to ever come into my adult life," she told him.

Loni said, "Then you need to be with him. We kids want you happy cuz you're so good to us. And Stahn is good to us too. Our mommies and daddies are probably happy as well since you're there for us even though we coulda been left alone." Then, he ran off.

Stahn chuckled a little. "Well, I'd better finish up so I can give those boys their lesson. How about we set the wedding for around your birthday…right before you turn twenty."

"That's quite a few months off," she replied, "Any real reason it has to be close to my birthday? Worried you'll forget our anniversary but since you'll have two events so close you won't?"

"No…it's just that then I get to give you gifts two times in the same month," commented Stahn.

Rutee told him, "That's an…interesting excuse. So you'll shower me with gifts in one month but the other eleven will be just normal. But sometimes, the dumbest statements are the cutest."

He blushed. "Thanks…Rutee. Heh…maybe it is a pretty dumb reason. But I'll be happy to just finally be yours forever. Besides, then that gives us the time to save up the Gald to get the food; even if Mary and Lilith agree to do the cooking, it'll still cost us some money to buy the stuff."

"Yeah," Rutee said, "Well…I promised Angeline and Carly I'd play paper dolls with them today. You have that sword practice with Loni and Andre, right? Just don't go too hard on them; they may be overexciteable boys, but they're still just kids."

"I won't. I don't want to hurt them. When they're older, I'll be able to be tougher because they'll be closer to my strength and it won't cause them pain," Stahn replied.

S...S

Several months passed and Stahn and Rutee were finally able to get married. When the people of Seinegald heard about their wedding, they wanted to rush and donate the money for them to have a lavish spectacle that neither really wanted. But the citizens of the world felt that their heroes deserved nothing but the best food, drink and celebration that they could offer.

They were given use of the biggest hall in Aigrette for free, and a professional chef agreed to do all the catering with the best ingredients money could buy. Though most people weren't going to be there, Stahn and Rutee just wanted their friends and what could pass for their families, they still insisted on buying gifts. Finally, Rutee had to put an end to it by telling them that if they wished to give them a gift, they could make a donation to the Dunamis Orphanage, or buy toys for the children.

Finally, the big day arrived. Rutee was as nervous as they came as she sat in the back room with Lilith, who had appointed herself Rutee's personal stylist. Even though the bride's hair was short, and in no way could be given a fancy style, Lilith kept trying to rearrange the fall of her bangs as well as what she felt was even the slightest mess in the style.

Rutee exclaimed, "Lilith-chan! You're going to make me more neurotic than I already am."

Lilith gave her a smile. "Oneechan needs to look just perfect. This is your wedding day; you shouldn't let anything be out of place. I'm going to go check up front; wait for me to call you."

With that, she left. Rutee looked at herself in the mirror; she couldn't see any flaws. Lilith was just worrying too much. She was still a little upset that her big brother had left her; even though she probably knew it would happen even before Rutee or Stahn.

Suddenly, as Rutee put her hand on the mirror, she felt a strange sensation run through her body. Looking up at the glass, she saw not herself, but a woman who looked exactly like her…or what Rutee would have looked like if she grew her hair. A smile, the same smile that Rutee saw when she normally looked at herself in a mirror, was plastered on her face.

"What in the?" inquired the girl, "This isn't me. But…we look alike. Could it be…? Mother?"

The mirror image didn't answer back; she only smiled. But there was a strange sense of warmth coursing through Rutee's veins. Whether it was a vision, a memory or simply a longing, she knew that her mother was there within her. And her father, brother and faithful Swordian were there as well.

"This is my special day. I'll finally be with the man I love," she whispered.

Suddenly, Lilith called for Rutee to go up front. It was time for the wedding to start and they didn't want to be without a bride. With one last look at the woman in the mirror, Rutee rushed off to become a married woman, and to say hello to the rest of her life.

S...S

The local doctor said, "Well…it looks like you're about a month along. Congratulations."

Stahn had to hold his wife up before she fainted. He didn't blame her; he was just as excited. "Do you mean it? Rutee and I are going to be parents…."

"That's what usually happens when a woman is pregnant," the doctor sarcastically replied, "Now you're going to need to take care of her a little more than normal over these next few months. She'd better try to avoid fighting; if a monster hurt her in just the right way, it could kill the kid. And I wouldn't let her do any heavy lifting either so she doesn't wear herself out."

"I don't mind. I promised I'd do anything for her and I will," vowed Stahn.

Rutee added, "And because you're the perfect gentleman. Dang! I hate being helpless. But I'll find other things to do around the house until the baby is born. I still can't believe that I got pregnant on my wedding night. Then again, this was the one thing I wanted more than even my marriage."

He nodded. "Yes…now we can start a family together…just you and me."

"You, and me and the orphans," she reminded him, "And now, our little one. We'd better start thinking of names for the kid; I wouldn't want us to come to the day and suddenly have nothing to call him or her. I kind of like 'Emilia' for a girl."

"I'm clueless as of now…and that goes for both girl and boy names. But we've got a full eight months to think of one, so I'm not worried. We'll just have to keep thinking," Stahn joked.

Rutee muttered, "Yes, keep thinking. Maybe we'll teach you how to think in the process."

She burst out laughing, as did the doctor. Stahn was a little embarrassed, he did think from time to time, but eventually joined in. Rutee was a tease, but she was a well meaning, fun loving tease.

He smiled at her as she laughed. 'What can I say…I love her too much.'

S...S

"Everyone!" called Stahn, "Come here and meet your new baby brother, Kyle!"

"Yeah! Rutee's home!" screamed a chorus of little voices.

Stahn was holding the door open as his wife was walking through it, holding the baby. Both Philia and Lilith, who had come to watch over the kids in her absence, were relieved to see her come home; now the little ones would stop asking questions as to when she'd be back. They all watched as she sat down on a cushioned chair, holding a little bundle wrapped in white.

"One at a time!" ordered Lilith. It took all three adults to keep the children in order as they all wanted to be the first to see the new baby. But eventually, they were able to get in a nice, straight line.

Loni, who had been up front, stood on the stool and looked up over Rutee's arms to the small form within the bundle. He saw a baby boy with soft, blond hair and bright blue eyes. There was definitely a lot of his father within him.

The eight-year-old asked, "So…his name is Kyle? And can I be his big brother?"

Rutee smiled at the boy. "Yes, you can be his big brother. We're all a family here and I want you to be able to think of one another as real siblings."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Loni, "I've got a little brother now!"

He stepped off the stool so the next kid could see the baby. But he, like all the other kids, were happy that their Niichan and Neechan were able to have a kid. This birth would only serve to bring their whole family closer together. And now, there was a new generation born of two of the Four Heroes. Kyle would have a large name to live up to, but with the love and support of his parents it could be done.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words...

Yup, another piece of fluffy fun. Ending with Kyle because he's so adorable and I just love how Stahn and Rutee ended up with such a sweet kid.