Avery stared up at the morning sky; though given she was in Makkura it was still relatively dark, morning or not. She had grabbed a book from the library in the tower, one that looked a tad more interesting then the rest with a title that was too faded to tell, and had gone to the park. Why? Because she hoped that the fresh air would help with the constant nausea that had plagued her for many weeks now. She likely should have gone to Dez, Holeman, Emiko, or Hikari, and been looked at for it but stubborn was as stubborn was. She didn't want to bother them over something as simple as her not feeling good when an emergency, or someone who was sick worse than her, could show up at any time and need their full attention. She didn't want to be a pest. So, she had seated herself down on one of the many park benches. She was seated sideways with her legs stretched out on the rest of the bench and her back leaning against the arm of the bench.

Her knees were slightly bent and she had the open book resting on them; propped up at just the right angle so that she could read it without having to hold it. She was flipping through the pages slowly, eyes moving back and forth as her brain ate up the letters that told some fantasy about a beast who fell in love with a human; and how the whole world was against them.

Every so often she would shift her weight around when the wooden bench began to get too uncomfortable against her ass, but otherwise she was relatively still: still and ignoring the sick feeling that the air was doing nothing to help against. She paused after several minutes of reading, thinking that if this sickness, whatever it was, didn't go away by tomorrow she would cave in and go see one of Makkura's many medics and find out what was going on.... yes, that was definitely what was going to happen. That is, if something didn't make her go see sooner than that.

”She's with child.”

”The top lady is pregnant, huh...”

”She exhibits the symptoms, i've seen it all too many times before. The Kane family will soon have a new edition.”

A small brown monkey would drop and land in front of the bench that Avery was sitting on. The brown was lighter on the monkey's face, mid-section, hands and feet. The monkey had a long tail that sometimes looked like it had a life all it's own. Were the monkey to intend any sort of violence, it's demeanor would be far different, but such wasn't the case now. Seeming to know that something was up with her, Little Kong just sat there staring at Avery.

Little Kong:

With Avery's attention on him, Kurai wondered when she'd noticed that he too had dropped down from above and landed ever so silently and crouched, balancing himself on the back of the bench with the tips of his bare feet. Kurai looked like he usually did; He was wearing a black body suit that had various straps he let hang, and was baggy around the legs and waist. Kurai donned a long black jacket with diagonal symbols on the back of it: ほこり(Dust) 熟達 (Mastery). It would sometimes billow around behind him in the winds and breezes, resembling a cape of sorts.

This kid who hadn't combed his hair in a while didn't say anything for now either, crouched on the back of the bench with his forearms resting on the tops of his thighs, only staring with red eyes. His face was blank and he didn't intend her any harm, made obvious by his body language.

”...”

Avery noticed something out of the corner of her eye while reading; something brown and rather fuzzy looking that looked as if it had dropped in from above. Blinking she turned her head in the direction of Little Kong, an eyebrow raising in silent curiosity. She had heard that Little Kong could actually speak, but for now he seemed only interested in staring at her.

She shifted her gaze back towards her book with the intention of dog-earing the page so she didn't lose her spot before attempting to see what Little Kong wanted when she noticed a black mass on the back of the bench. This time she jumped slightly and then chuckled when she noticed it was Kurai. She folded the corner of her book down and then closed the thing slowly. "You two might not want to get so close... I have a stomach bug or something. Don't want to catch it, it's nasty stuff."

She then looked back and forth between the two, still wanting to know why they had suddenly dropped in on her reading; they likely needed or wanted something. "Something I can help you two with?", she asked curiously. More and more people had seemed interested in seeking her help recently, such as Kaia-Mai with needing that explosive phoenix sealed inside of her, so she could only imagine that it was something along those lines.

”Sorry... didn't mean to startle you.”

It seemed she didn't know yet. Perhaps she wasn't aware of the symptoms which told Kurai that this was her first kid. How was Alec going to take it? Was this what they were intending? It was none of Kurai's business, and if he knew Alec, he would probably take the news well. Another Kane running around, possibly becoming just as talented as Alec, Avery, or even Jr.

There was no use playing any games or beating around any bushes. ”...And that's not a stomach virus you have there, Kua says you're pregnant.” Kurai rubbed a hand through his wild black hair. ”...Uh, I know that has to be sort of a shock, and I don't mean to come off as a creep or a perv or anything toward the top ma'am, but Kua can see these things... He's a giant hammer wielding 2 tailed bull that once tried to kill me in an avalanche--”

”Happened totally by accident, of course,” Kua's voice could be heard casually adding.

”...Anyways... You know my sister is a doctor, and we're both all for making ourselves useful for the village's sake, so let me know if there's some kind of way I could help out through all of this...”

Little Kong added in a screech sound to let her know he was on board as well.

”...And that's not a stomach virus you have there, Kua says you're pregnant.”

God... that was what was wrong with her? She had just been thinking it was because of all of the training she had done, the massive amount of chakra she used when sealing that chakra beast into Kaia-Mai, and everything else she had done recently.. But no... she was pregnant. It all made sense. It also worried her. She had been doing an awful lot to herself, using up massive amounts of  chakra, doing a large amount of physical training: all things that would stress out her body, and... her baby.

".... That.. " She took a deep breath, figuring she'd try again and trying to collect her thoughts. "That explains a lot." She then nodded to the rest of what Kurai said. "Speaking of your sister... I should go see her. Thank you... If I need anything I'll let you two know." Yes, that was sound advice. She needed to go see Hikari; she knew she had dealt with pregnant people before so she figured she would be the best medic to go see. "I've done a lot of training... used a lot of chakra sealing that beast into Kaia-Mai... I should.. go make sure everything's okay."

With that said she was on her feet and walking towards the hospital. She didn't bother to bring her book with her, leaving the thing behind. She was in a slight daze; though the growing excitement in her was causing a smile to grow across her face. She walked into the hospital; not really paying attention to who was around her or why and went up to the receptionist. "I need to see Hikari..." The receptionist gave a nod and had Avery follow her; which she did. Avery followed her back to an exam room and walked inside. She figured she wasn't going to wait long for Hikari.

Hikari had been busy dealing with a patient with a mild cold when she had seen Avery of all people enter into the hospital. Her ability to lip read allowed her to know through her chakra radar that Avery was looking for Hikari specifically. Her sensory... told her why. Avery was pregnant; and she assumed the conversation she had witness just minutes ago in the park between her brother and Avery had been what had informed Avery of the issue.

She handed over the medication her patient needed, washed her hands, and slipped out of the exam room with a remark from the nurse to discharge the patient. She then slipped into Avery's room and closed the door behind her. "Hello, Avery. I'm going to call Alec in, okay?" With the approval from Avery, Hikari focused on the wireless communicator she never took off. In a steady, even-toned voice she spoke, "Alec, can you come to the hospital please? Exam room two."

While she waited for Alec to arrive she turned her focus to Avery. "I know you've done some training, so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that's why you're here since you already know you're pregnnat. Lay back on the table and let me check you out..."

He'd washed his hands of 3 villages and made friends with the 4th. Some of the other villages were being populated with new numbers, and there was always the chance of some new hot blooded hero eager to make a name for themselves by getting into a fight with the “villains.” Alec welcomed such challenges and looked forward to some knight in shining armor appearing in their quest to vanquish evil. There was also the matter of that maniac that was still out there on the loose somewhere, Ranmaru. No other villages had been attacked, and his eyes and ears had seen nor heard any activity matching those the day Kori burned.

Alec wasn't worried in the slightest. Even if that guy happened to turn up causing trouble, Alec was ready for him. He'd been standing out in the streets letting his mind wander to the next episode of this ninja drama when he was summoned to the newly built hospital by Hikari Yanagi. At the moment, she was in a room with Avery. Had something happened to her? She didn't look hurt from here.

He took off running anyway, speeding through the dark streets, easily dodging and slinking his way around people walking. In seconds, Alec was inside of the hospital and walking into exam room 2, bringing with him a gust of wind that smelled of cologne. He stood in front of the door with his walking stick in front of him like a cane as usual.

”What seems to be the problem? Everything alright?”

Avery nodded and leaned slowly back so that her back was on the exam table. The thing was padded, purple in color like a lot of the decorations of the hospital, and rather comfortable to lay against. She stared up at the ceiling, keeping her hands away from her stomach so that Hikari could see if something was wrong; all while hoping that nothing was.

However, as she heard the door open again she lifted her head up and looked over to Alec. She could have allowed Hikari to explain everything, but wanted to do the job herself. A smile spread back across her face which quickly turned into a grin, "I.. well. Nothing's exactly wrong. I'm... pregnant." She laid her head back down since keeping her head up like that was straining her neck.

Figuring she should explain why she was having Hikari look her over she stared up at the ceiling while she spoke again, "I didn't realize I was pregnant until Kurai said something; I guess Kua could see I was pregnant... which is why I haven't been feeling good for weeks now. Since I didn't realize I was pregnant I did all of that training; and then I went and sealed that explosive phoenix inside of Kaia-Mai. I just want to make sure I didn't do something stupid and hurt the baby."

When she finished explaining she looked over to Hikari, hoping to be given the okay; to be told that the baby was fine, that she was fine. She also looked over to Alec, wondering how exactly he was going to take all of this news.

When Avery leaned back on the exam table she didn't waste any time and checking her over; however, unlike a normal medic she didn't have to start using jutsu to examine her. She could see her with her sensory alone, and the baby. However, she did pull Avery's shirt up enough to expose her stomach and started to do some measuring. She worked while Avery spoke, and when she was finished with the measuring she turned her attention to taking some blood.

When she was finished taking three vials of blood she set those aside and then placed a small square of gauze on the tiny puncture hole and taped it there. "I'll be right back, I just need to check these and I prefer to do it myself instead of letting a nurse do it for me.", she said before grabbing up the three vials and slipping past Alec and outside. She took them down to the hospitals lab and spent several minutes checking the blood. The whole process was relatively quick and so she returned to the room; knocking before slipping back inside.

She looked between Alec and Avery and then nodded towards Avery. "You're healthy and so is your baby. You're farther along then what you're showing; which would explain why you've been feeling sick for months compared to just two or three weeks. From what I can guess you're going on your fourth month of pregnancy. I'll know more soon; one of the tests I've run takes slightly longer, but it'll tell me the exact day you'll be due." She folded her arms across her chest, grinning. "Given you came in here to be checked out after realizing all of the hardcore training you've done, and the amount of chakra you used when sealing a beast, I know I don't need to tell you to take it easy. No training. No fighting. No sealing anything into anyone."

Pregnant... Destiny and Jr would soon have a little brother or sister. Alec hadn't really considered having another child, but he thought sooner or later it would eventually happen. He wasn't against the idea, made evident by the grin that spread across his blindfolded face. Another edition to the Kane family, possibly becoming stronger than him even before they reach their teens? Who knew what sorts of adventures and trials the child would face. Who knew the sorts of abilities they'd be able to wield?

Avery was worried that she'd possibly done the child harm by all of the training and work she'd done, but Hikari assured her that she and the child were fine. She also informed Avery that training and fighting were out of the question, and that it would be a good idea to go easy. Alec had already mumbled several commands into the wireless comm, asking that Kinzoku and Emiko be vigilant in their roles as heads of village security. He came closer to speak to her as Hikari looked her over.

”I don't think the Tower would be safe right now. We could live in one of the new houses across the drawbridge for now, ground level so you don't have to go up any stairs... For the moment I think we should keep this quiet, at least until it's obvious. News of this spreads, and some clown might get a bright idea or something simply because it's me...”

Alec was interested in how this new child of theirs was going to turn out. Girl or boy, he knew the kid was going to turn out just as smart as Destiny was, with probably the same temper of Jr. Would some of his as well as Avery's abilities be passed on, and possibly altered to fit a new generation? It would be exciting to watch a new story unfold...

She listened to Alec mumble into the wireless communicator even if she wasn't paying attention the exact words spoken; however she did heard as Emiko responded with "Got it".

Avery grinned fully as she heard Hikari say that both her and the baby were completely fine despite everything that she had done recently. As Alec came over she reached over and slipped her hand into his. She then turned her focus back to Hikari as she said that training, fighting, or excessive amounts of chakra usage were out of the question while she was pregnant: all things that she figured anyway. She wasn't going to risk putting the baby and herself in danger like that, so she simply nodded in compliance.

She then turned her attention back to Alec when he spoke of them staying elsewhere besides the tower, one of the houses on ground level so that she didn't have to go up and down all of the steps. She listened as he also spoke of keeping this quiet for as long as possible in case some idiot tried to try something just because this was Alec's child. She nodded in agreement. "Alright, sounds good. I don't plan on really going anywhere without someone coming with me. You're right.. if those villages we've had problems with wanted to try something now would be the best chance. Especially if they decided to come after me and the baby while I'm vulnerable." Yup, going around with a bodyguard of some kind sounded like a great idea; especially because Avery herself would be incapable of fighting, and if one of the villages who were pissed off with them wanted a shot at doing something that would seriously affect them then attacking Avery and the baby would do just that.

She also had no intentions of leaving the village while pregnant; by no means was she going to travel long distances unless it was one hundred percent necessary. Nope, she was going to play this right and safe. So, she then looked back to Hikari as she sat up slowly. She placed her free hand onto her stomach with a smile. "How often are you going to want to see me?", she asked curiously.

Hikari listened to the pair of them speak, thinking they were all good ideas that they were talking about. She finished with her exam with Avery and then looked to her as the female spoke to her once more. "I want to see you weekly; we'll figure out exactly how far along you are and then the time frame may change. Or, if you're further along then I think then it'll become even more frequent. If you need anything, anything at all, just stomp your foot twice. Something my brother used to do when something was up to let me know. I've trained myself to notice it; it even wakes me up from a sound sleep."

"You two are free to leave; it's going to take a while for the last blood test to come back and there's no use in you having to wait here for it. When I've read it I'll come find you and let you know what's up, alright?" Hikari would wait to see if either of them had anymore comments or questions and if not would turn and walk out of the room and down the hall towards the hospitals lab; off to check the blood sample she had taken from Avery and run tests that would take longer than a few minutes.

[Exit unless prevented]

”Thank you, Hikari.”

If she needed anything, she'd know that Alec or anyone else were just a comm shout out away. Avery would have to start coming here every week, so it was a good thing that the house was only a couple of streets over. Alec wanted things to be as comfortable as possible from now on, and would take extra care to see that everything ran smoothly for the next 5 months, even if things resorted to someone else being killed.

Alec helped Avery up and put an arm around her as he began walking out of the exam room. He'd walk through the hospital with her and out of the front exit, then head toward one of the rebuilt family homes on the main street closest to the tower. There were among some of the finest homes in Makkura, and no expenses were spared in their creation. The house seemed to be constructed specifically for someone with leg and back problems, or a woman who was pregnant, since everything they'd need was on the ground level. The house had several floors, but the person living there would practically have no need to go up there. Alec had this particular house reinforced to be able to withstand the worst of natural disasters.

”I had this house stocked with at least 5 years worth of food and drink, and it's built to take a beating... But I have to help run the village and sometimes I may have to leave, so that bodyguard thing you mentioned is a good idea, for when i'm not around. Kurai... I don't want him to feel left out like he did up there in Hinowa, I think he'd be up for watching your back. That kid is something else; the amount of techniques he knows to be only 15.”

Alec helped Avery over to one of the very comfortable recliners in the front room. From the nearby cold storage cabinet he gave her a bottle with a fruity liquid inside.

Avery watched Hikari walk out with a smile; she knew that the girl would do all she could in the weeks to come to make sure that everything went smoothly. She smiled as Alec helped her up and off of the exam table and then walked with her through the hospital, out the front doors, and down the streets towards the house he had previously mentioned.

She listened as he explained that he had had the house built lto withstand a beating, and how it was stocked with five years worth of food and drink. When led to the recliner she got comfortable and took the bottle of fruity liquid from Alec. "Thanks." She unscrewed the cap and took a sip while letting her mind focus on everything. She knew that Alec would have to leave from time to time, maybe even the village itself since they were playing nice with Kumo, so a bodyguard such as Kurai wasn't a bad idea at all.

So, she nodded in agreement with a smile. "Kurai sounds like a perfect choice for a bodyguard." Kurai was strong, and with Kua he was even more dangerous than most shinobi could hope to be, so he'd be perfect for the job should Alec have to leave. "Why did you have this particular house built? Were you expecting someone to be injured, or did you guess something like this might happen?", she asked Alec curiously before taking another sip of the delicious fruity liquid; all while the smile remained on her lips and a twinkle remained in her eyes.

Alec nodded his head when she agreed to have Kurai around to keep an eye on her when he couldn't be around. An occasion such as this just further fueled his desire to protect Avery during this time period, and he'd began working on a long range weapon. This way, one wouldn't even have the chance to get close, and even being far away he would still be able to defend her. On a desk in the same room were the parts of this new bow and tools for fixing it. Alec went to stand behind this desk and continue construction.

”With as many people that we have here now, I figured sooner or later someone would end up pregnant. There's a whole block of these kinds of houses for the females, where everything is in reach. Just wanted to make things a little easier and comfortable is all. I had this one done up extra good for family or you.”

He was lucky to have been able to grab more of the “Cold Steel” from Korigakure before it burned. It was a metal nearly unbreakable, used in the construction of the Kane Katana and his Blind Fury stick, and now for this new Folding Bow. Alec was also lucky to have had many years of Archery experience from back in his original home, which was why putting it together was going so quickly. The weapon would allow him to eliminate threats long before they could become dangerous, and possibly take them by complete surprise.

Avery nodded as she listened to Alec explain the purposes behind having the houses prepared. It all made sense of course; there were a lot of people in Makkura now and a lot of couples roaming around so it would only make sense that eventually someone would end up pregnant - she just happened to be the first.

She took another sip of her drink while her free hand rested on her stomach. She watched Alec go to work on something that looked to be a bow of some kind. She tilted her head to the side in curiousity as a soft smile spread across her face. "Who all do you want to tell beforehand?", she asked curiously. "It wouldn't surprise me if Dezzy knew as soon as I got close to her; Hikari did after all as did Kurai." She figured at least his family should know, especially since this would affect them as well.

She reached to the side of the recliner, pulling at the bar that would cause the feet to raise up. Once comfortable she turned her attention back to Alec and waited to hear what he would say.

Alec fixed upon his new weapon for a while. He tested out the mechanism in his left sleeve that would unfold the bow quickly to be fired, and fold back up again to be stashed conveniently away. He tested out the quiver mechanism that would hand him arrows directly into his right hand. The mechanism which took a few weeks to put together was working flawlessly for now.

”Jr will figure it out on his own just like Kurai did, as will Dez. Pretty sure Aella and Emiko will see it for themselves too when you all cross paths... I'd have figured it out eventually. That leaves Kinzoku, Kaia-Mai and Hanako... All I ask is that you keep this info close to home.”

Alec had a new weapon. He estimated that he'd be able to hit anyone within 500 meters, and unless they had some sort of freakish way of making themselves faster such as Mitsukai, Kurai, Avery, or even himself, there would be no avoiding an arrow once it left the bow. But even with a weapon such as this, there was still that part of him that was worried. Paranoid. Past actions of clowns in other villages told Alec to relax, because none of them were stupid enough to try something. But one never knew...

Avery nodded in agreement. She was sure the others would figure it out soon enough; and she really had no plans in having the conversation with anyone who really needed to know before she ended up showing. She found herself wondering how far along she was and hoped that whatever test Hikari had ran would tell her soon enough. It would let her and Alec know, after all, how much longer she had until she gave birth to their child.

"I don't plan on telling anyone who doesn't absolutely have to know before I start showing.", she settled on saying.

She downed the rest of the fruity liquid and then closed her eyes with a content sigh. She was tired and the recliner was as good a place as any to fall asleep. So, she shifted into a more comfortable position and then drifted off to sleep.

[Exit]