a/n:

Sorry for the wait- I had a week long party/shopping spree in Tokyo for the bday! Much fun was had, much money was used on things like dojinshi! and other randomness... but I am back at my computer!

Before we finish this story, I want to thank everyone for reading and the reviewers for taking the time to comment! I was happy to see the level of interest in this fic. And all of the feed back has been very positive!

I don't have any more plans for writing in this fandom right away, but who knows when the bunnies will strike! So feel free to check out some of my other fics till then!

Enjoy!

Soon came in the form of two days later.

Hayami had awoken to a sound he had come to enjoy- the combined song of Mutio's sisters calling him out. Their level of interest in him was a little strange, but he appreciated the things they would bring. He had never seen so many different kinds of plants and fish before.

This morning, he exited his house towards the dock expecting to find a new array of gifts, but he was surprised to see a mass of heads bobbing above the water. The blue eyes staring at him left him a little confused.

When they all gave a happy sounding screech and disappeared below the waves, he was still confused.

Turning to go back to the house he noticed something on the beach below. A slow moving Mutio was coming towards the shore. She was not alone, in fact there were two swimming along side her. Not waiting another moment to get a better look at who it was, Hayami had a feeling and took off.

Running down the dock and jumping the deck, he could not be bothered with taking the time to get to the stairs to the shore; he needed to get near her. Splashing into the water he cared nothing about his clothes or making a fool out of himself, he saw the red eyes open to him as she pulled her head above water.

Hayami smiled as wide as his face would allow and he ran the remaining distance. Not caring if he scared her sisters, he grabbed Mutio and pulled her up and twirled her around. Getting a bright smile from the hybrid, he crushed her to him. He felt that if he would let go, she would disappear. Touching her face, her back, her hands, everywhere he just had to touch her... she was real. Dropping to his knees, the water splashed their faces and the water level was up to their chests.

Taking his hands, he looked through the clear waters and rested his palms on the bulge that was still present. How well it fit there between the black lines that came down from her hips.

"You're back." He smiled as tears mixed with the drops of water coming from his damp hair. She nodded smiling at him. "And you're healthy? You're better?" He continued to hold her close.

"Hayami." She smiled, her black slender hands went to touch his face. Her pink nails brushed a few of his tears away before she rested her head on his neck.

"Thank you!" He said looking up at the two Mutio that chirped at them. They came close and tenderly touched Mutio's hair, and then patted her belly. As soon as this all happened they turned and left.

The two figures sat on the beach not really caring to notice that they were alone, or not. It did not matter.

Hayami could not hold it back any longer... he claimed her lips again and again. Never tiring of the feelings such a simple act he could have kissed her forever. Wanting to talk to her won over the need to kiss her, and he pulled back a bit and looked at her.

"Welcome home." He smiled picking her up. It would be good to get her out of the water, and he was getting a chill as well. Not waiting for her to try and stand, he picked her up and made his way to the house.

"You will love the new arrangements." He smiled as she hung on his neck and nuzzled him happily. She was giving off contented sounds all the while and Hayami held her tightly to him.

"So here we are." He said opening the door and entering. The cleaned interior she found made Mutio smile. Hayami was not a clean man by any means and not that it was an issue with her, but the way things looked now was nice. In the kitchen there was a new tank filled with different sea animals that she would find only in the deepest reaches of the sea and off the side was a door to a darkened room where she heard the hum of a bubbler.

"We will be making sure you get a little more than fish from now on... your sisters brought us some sea delicacies." He smiled kissing her forehead and moving into the bathroom where she found a larger tub. The house was full of new items and subtle changes that often reminded her of her home back with the others.

"You like it?" He asked setting her down on their new bed. Mutio stretched out on the cool fabric and nodded. Closing her eyes she yawned and curled up as if she wanted to sleep.

"You must be tired." Hayami rubbed her shoulder tenderly.

"Hayami too?" She asked. Listening to her talk made him realize how much he had missed her.

"Yeah, a little... is everything all right?" He asked again his nerves still on edge. He could not help but worry. The last time he saw her, she was still in a comma like state... and now she was awake and moving. Granted she was a little more sluggish and quiet, but that was understandable.

"I am sorry I worried you." She said rolling to her back and looking up at him. "I was in a deep sleep and my body was trying to heal."

"And you're better now." He smiled leaning over her and got a nod. Bending at the elbows, he leaned in closer and nuzzled her neck before kissing her.

"I've missed you..." He said feeling his body come alive by her touch and the way she stretched below him.

"I know." She smiled reaching up and pulling his face down towards hers. Kissing him lightly at first, the heat grew.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he felt his heart race and his pants begin to feel a bit too tight.

"Hayami..." She moaned as she pulled him closer. He took that as a yes and was on her in seconds.

After the two had satiated the urges that had been put on hold for so long, the two lovers laid together letting their hands roam... she was really back with him... this was not a dream. He kissed her once again with as much passion as he could muster.

"Let's take a nap." She smiled back at him after the kiss.

"No objections there." He replied as he rolled on his back and pulled her gently to rest on his chest.

The passing months were definitely an eye opening experience for both Hayami and Mutio. Since the military base incident, the visitors seemed to come on and off be it Kino and the others or Mutio's sisters.

He was getting use to the creatures approaching the house more and more often. For all appearances, Mutio was no longer an outcast. That made him feel a great amount of relief. When they came, he was happy to see her smile and talk with them. She now had a support group. Something he wished had not attached itself to him.

Kino and the others could be rather annoying when they would stop in for their visits. More and more, the lighter side of the crew seemed to surface in the form of teasing him. The actual words didn't bother him; it was just rather annoying to go from a social outcast to media spotlight in such a short time.

He didn't know how much to trust that the government and military had assured him that his family was no longer going to be bothered. But they had done a good job of giving them security from the media and doctors wanting to catch a glimpse of the first cross species couple.

And that relieved a great deal of the stress as the days ticked away and Mutio neared her time. Hayami had enough stress to deal with, so one less thing was good. His plate was especially full when Mutio became more and more dependant on him.

He felt utterly guilty as her abdomen grew and grew. At times he wondered if the baby was bigger than she was weight wise. Carrying her into the tub or wherever she wanted to go wasn't the issue; it was how tired she was... she could hardly do anything now.

The mornings were the worst. Mutio tried her hardest to not wake him in the early hours, but the pain was just too unbearable at times. Hayami would be awakened by whimpers and her rolling away from him so she could curl up in a fetal position.

The morning that was the most clear in his mind was a particularly warm morning.　 The sun was not even in the sky, but the humidity level was rugged. She had been tossing for some time, unable to calm the little one she was carrying and deal with the heat. He had tried rubbing her belly, holding her close, everything he could think of to help her ease the pain. If he had known it was going to be this painful for her, he would have thought twice about changing the nature of their relationship. In fact he was not worried about becoming a father, but how the delivery was going to come about.

That morning nothing seemed to work for helping her, and Hayami was forced to face the reality of the situation. She was going into labor... and soon.

Picking her up, he took her into the bathroom, and filled the tub with water. The doctors, even Mutio and her kind had their own different views on what was going to happen when the baby came, but none of that mattered... well it would have if he could even think straight at the moment. He was, for the first time in his life a real scatter brain. He got her in the tub, but after that, he seemed to blank.

Mutio was surprisingly in better mental shape than he was. Reaching up to touch his cheek, she tried to ease his worries. After that, his thoughts returned to him. Getting his communicator he called Kino; then went about his mental check list.

The planning that he and the others had done before really came in handy as Mutio did indeed go straight into labor shortly after.

"Hayami!" Kino's voice screamed through the house. She sounded out of breath and frantic, but her voice was loudly echoed from the walls. "Hayami! I got here as soon as I could. The doctors are coming..." She continued as she ran through the house, she must have been looking for them.

"Hayami! Where are you?"

"In here... and will you quiet down a bit?" He turned to look at the girl making such a racket. Kino must have heard him because she stopped screaming.

"Did she have the..." She stopped in her tracks finding the dark haired man holding a tiny bundle in his arms. "...baby..."

A wet hand touched his arm and Hayami turned his attention from their guest to Mutio, who was lying in the tub. She had been in a half way sleeping state since the baby had been born. Balancing the little one against his shirt and supporting its head with one hand, he reached out and stroked Mutio's head. She was exhausted... and so was he. He never wanted to go through something like that alone ever again.

"You had the baby!" Kino's voice was happy, but for some reason it seemed to cause Mutio to become agitated. She was now fully awake from her sleep; her eyes wide with concern.

"Baby." She called out reaching for the child. Hayami didn't really understand why she wanted the baby all of a sudden, but then as Kino spoke again and walked closer. Mutio's reaction made sense.

"Mutio, it is just Kino." He said handing the baby over to its mother who then turned and tried to shield the baby with her body.

Kino looked at Hayami with confusion in her eyes. He gave her a slight smile and turned back to Mutio and his child.

"I figured she would be a bit protective when it comes to others... Mutio, it's only Kino. She won't hurt the baby. Come on..." Hayami finally coaxed her to roll on to her back in the water. The baby rested on her chest, and Kino was finally able to see the baby.

The tiny creature rested on Mutio's chest sleeping soundly. The black hands and feet were the same as the mother, but the lighter green color of Mutio's body and face were not shared with her child. Instead, Hayami's darker skin tone seemed to win out.

"Is it a girl?" Kino asked wanting to get closer, but watching Mutio's reactions, she decided to stay where she was.

"Yeah, it's a girl." He smiled rubbing the baby's back. Mutio still looked a little leery about letting others see the baby. "It's ok..." He said trying to soothe Mutio, she did calm down a bit. Once she realized how tired she was, she allowed Hayami to take the baby from her once again.

Shifting the baby in his arms to allow Kino a better look, the baby's light red eyes opened and it gave off a little screech. The smile the baby gave off was freakishly cute. Kino had been a little torn with the fact that Hayami had a baby with Mutio. Hayami having a baby period was something that baffled the mind.

But there it was right in front of her eyes... the little baby was cradled safely in his large arms. If she had not already seen the Hyena of the Sea change so much with Mutio's presence, she would have laughed at anyone that told her Hayami could be tender and so careful with anyone.

"Have you named her yet?" Kino asked looking at the baby girl. The forehead markings of its mother also seemed to be the dominant gene, because other than the coloring of its skin, aside from its legs and arms and a bit of dark fuzz on its head, she was such a copy of her mother.

"Well, not really. We have been thinking of Hope or Faith…" He stopped knowing how true and fitting such names were for the little tike.

"I like them both." She said smiling as Mutio finally seemed to be over her cautious stage. The hybrid was now looking at her and smiling. "You'll both make good parents."

"I hope so." Hayami said looking down on his girls. "They have changed my life."

"Yeah, I noticed." Kino smiled down on the new family. "What happened to the man I met some time ago? The one who didn't care about humans or anything else but money?"

"I woke up." He smiled as Mutio yawned and drew closer to the side of the tub nearest to him.

"So what now?" Kino asked shifting her weight looking around the room.

"We get something to eat. I am hungry." He smiled as he stood up and patted his newborn baby's back. The infant was sleeping soundly in his arms, and Mutio seemed to agree with the idea of getting something to eat.

"No, stupid. I mean what are you going to do now?"

"What a stupid question. We live our lives in peace. I am tried of trying to fix the relations between the two species… we've already shown that we can get along, now its your turn." Hayami said kissing his baby on the head.

And his words were true. The challenge that Zonrdyke had given them, to live together in peace was obtainable. He and Mutio had been the first to take up that challenge... not really thinking about it as linking the two species, but more out of coincidence. He had never expected to have such strong feelings for the creature that had bitten him while he tried to save her. He still could not give a good reason as to why he didn't let Kino kill her when they had the chance.

No matter the reason, he was glad she had survived. He was glad he too had survived it all. Because today was the happiest day of his life.

He was a father.

He was happy.

He was needed and loved.

Species or race could not change any of that.

"Now, about that food." He smiled bending down towards his love in the bath. Kissing Mutio he handed her the baby before he went to the kitchen to make them all some of the food Mutio's sisters had told them to give the baby.

Together they would be ok. They had already accepted the challenge and passed with flying colors. It was up to the others to follow their lead.

A/n: The End!