...."Oh don't be scared." Seto said softly to Masato. He held his body to him one more time hugging him tightly. He then put the little boy down. Niko looked at them together feeling her own tears slip down her face. She wiped them away and walked over to the kitchen.
"You've been walking a long way...you must be cold..would u like some tea or something?" Niko asked, back turned pulling two green and blue striped cups from the cupboard. She glanced back as Seto was still on hs knees speaking to Masato. "Seto?" She called softly. He looked up at her, his eyes slanting and smilng.
"Yes, I want some." He then looked back at Masato. Niko brought an old silver tea pot out from under the sink and filled it. She placed it on the burner and leaned against the counter crossing her arms. It was cold in the apartment. She walked back into her bedroom and looked at the thermostat. It was at 62! She turned it up to 75. She laughed at herself for thinking that she was living dangerously. I guess old habits die hard. At her house growing up there was a limit on money and how it was spent, at least a far bigger limit than now...He's so good to me, to take care of me. She glanced back at the bed. It was a lovely dark amber wood. Seto would know what it's called..I can't remember the name...He bought it..
She walked back out to the sound of the water boiling. She put the teabags in the cups and then took the silver pot off of the stove. She poured the water. The steam rose to her warmly. He and Masato had made their way to the toys on the floor. Seto was sitting up, back against the black couch, listening intently to every word his son was saying. His own eyes sparkled looking at the tiny bundle of energy. Inside he was still amazed at the fact that he was even here, that he had the nerve to be doing this and become successful. I can't believe this....he melted.
Niko brought the cup over to Seto along with hers. She handed it to him and he took it, still sidetracked from the little guy. She sat her cup on a smoked glass end table beside the couch.
"Seto, let me take your coat." He looked at her and smiled.
"Thanks." He took it off and handled it to her. She brought it to a wooden hook by the door. It trailed all the way down to the floor, flowing against it. It seemed to have a life of its own. It dripped sand and water on the carpet. I don't care if it makes my carpet dirty. I am just so happy he is here!
She turned and walked back to the couch and sat down on it.
"Want to see my school papers?" Masato urged Seto. Seto smiled.
"Yes, bring them to me." Masato jumped clinging his hands together and walking quickly to his room. Niko drank the warm tea. It made her whole body instantly warm. Seto leaned his back against the couch. He turned to Niko and looked at her.
"Why didn't you tell me I could visit him?" He asked, voice deep. Niko looked down at the tea cup between her legs an bit her lip.
"I didn't want you to see him. To be in his life only part of the time. "
"So you figured it was all or nothing?" He asked, frusterated, his eyes flashing.
"Yeah, I guess I did. I didn't want him to get hurt the way I was hurt by you..."
"Never being around, I know. You've made that pretty clear.." He looked away. Niko looked down feeling completely guilty. No! Why should I feel guity? He had choices too and he didn't make them. Well I am an adult and what I chose was right at the time. She could feel defensiveness creeping across her face. This wasn't expected. I hadn't planned for this possiblity of him showing up. I can't seem to control myself hatred right now, I have deprived my boy and his father time together. She looked at Seto's black shirt, rolled sightly at the edge, his hand propping his weight against it, leaning to his left. She looked down at his hand, noticing something she instantly became happy about. He still has his ring on! She felt elated in light of all of the possibilties he had turned down wearing that ring...Had he been with anyone else? The thought nearly crippled her.
Seto looked to where Masato had gone. "He's beautiful." He said then, softly. Niko smiled, somewhat proudly. He looked at her. "And he remembered me." Niko shrugged and smiled again softly.
"Yeah well, who wouldn't?" She got up and took his empty cup and hers to the sink. She took out the tea bags trying to get the burn from her cheeks before turning back to him. She could feel him looking at her. She turned to him, a small smile on his face. She looked down shyly, pulling at her long black hair, smiling. Niko wanted to go and touch him as he sat there strongly, yet softened by the presence of their little boy. She walked to the snowy window, pulling the thick curtains back slightly. She watched the snow fall, sparkling in the car and city lights.
Masato then came out holding a huge pile of papers in his hands. He was gripping them to his little chest. Before he knew it, a few papers slipped out of his hands throwing off the balance of the others and all of the papers fell in a heap, floating across the floor.
"Oh!" He exclaimed, annoyed. Niko looked back, noticing Masato's plight. She walked over to Masato and started helping him pick them up. "I can do it, I can do it!" He said blowing her off, pushing her away.
"Okay little man..." She said standing up. She waved her hands and said, "Hands off for me..." He's cute, so self conscious around Seto yet confident as well.
"Here Daddy..." He said plopping down beside Seto, blowing his bangs out of his face with a quick puff. The pages spilled across Masato's lap. He picked them up one by one and showed Seto. He looked at them intently, making comments to Masato as he moved thru the pile. Seto layed down on the floor on his side propping his head up with his hand. He knew he would have to be there for a while. He shook his wrist, a gold bracelet falling down to his black shirt. He smiled, happy to at least have this option to be bored to death by 100 little papers his son had finished. Some were math papers, some were pictures, but most were writings. A writer...just like Niko..Seto held one in his hand and read it to himself. It had caught his eye. He smiled laughing out loud.
"What?" Masato asked setting down the current page in his hand. He scooted over to see.
" 'How to run a million dollar company' huh?" Seto looked at Masato. Masato smiled moving a Transformer car back and forth, sitting on his knees looking at Seto. He moved the car back and forth, antsy.
"Yeah...that's enough of this, I'm bored. I want to watch movies.You like movies Daddy?" Masato cocked his head to the side. I can swear I can see a little devilish grin in there...a half Niko and half my smile. Seto grinned back at him, laughing under his breath.
"Yeah..What have u got?" He asked knowing he'd get the movie selection pulled out. Masato beamed and walked quickly to the small wooden trunk close to the tv. He opened it and looked in. He dove inside, scooping up as many as he could. He turned dropping a couple not caring as he dumped the others in front of Seto. Seto pretended to look at them and to not be able to decide.
"You want to know which one is my favorite?" Masato asked. Seto smiled, knowing that Masato would tell him anyway. Masato picked one up and held it in both hands. "Ta Da!" Seto looked up at it. He squinted to see if he was really seeing what he was seeing.
" 'Annie' ?" Seto asked in disbelief. I don't know if I should cry or laugh.
"Yep!" He marched over to the DVD player. Seto dropped his head in his hand.
"Oh c'mon, he can like that if he wants..." Niko scoffed at Seto. He looked back up at her and then at Masato.
"He knows how to do that?" Seto looked up at Niko, referring to the DVD player. She nodded forgetting what it was like to see these things done for the first time. He pressed play and got the DVD going. Masato ran over to Seto and layed down in front of him. He was very excited. Niko got up and went to a closet on the left side of the couch and brought a blanket to him. She got in front of Masato and handed the blanke to him.
"Yeah, yeah mom, get outta my way!" Masato said looking desperately around Niko's body. He grabbed it and pulled it down. Niko turned off the lights and the movie was on, flashing over them. She noticed the ring in the dark, sparkling to her. She looked at her left hand.

She had taken hers off pretty close to the exact day they separated. She remembered the day. Her hand was up to her head, anxiously awaiting Seto's return from his company. That stupid job! She had waited and waited. The lights eventually had gotten lower. She got more and more tired. She sat on a stool in the kitchen. He had finally shown up, very much later. All of her stuff had been removed and all of Masato's. She had looked up at him angrily, her eyes piercing. He had looked around and then dropped his briefcase.
"W-what?" He had been peering around the place, looking into the living room, the kitchen. He had turned to her. She stood holding her final bag. It was just some old notebooks that didn't fit in her trunk. He had come over to her, in front of her. "Wait, wait.." He had breathed in disbelief. She remembered looking up at him, her eyes sparkling with pain.
"I can't Seto..."

It wasn't long after that, that I had taken off...It seemed like it had been a long time coming anyway. The ring is still in the little wooden jewelry box with the tiny drawers. The one Jill had given me....
She grabbed a couple of pillows from the closet and threw them at Masato.
"Heyyy!" He yelled, annoyed but smiling. She looked back at him and walked over to the rub. She picked up all of the Transformers, the DVDs, the papers and the towel.
Seto layed his head down on one of the pillows Niko had given them. He curled his hand around Masato's tiny body and leaned into him. He smelled him again, trying not to disturb him. He heard Masato yawn. Masato turned to him. He was sucking his thumb, the blanket wrapped around him. Seto looked down at him gently. Masato played with the buttons on Seto's shirt. Then Masato pulled himself to him and hugged him. Seto gripped him. I'm so sorry baby...that I wasn't there more...He reached his other arm under the pillow and closed his eyes, the TV flashing, volume low. He wanted to feel only Masato against him. He rubbed his tiny back. So tiny...but obviously so much bigger since I last saw him.
Niko walked into her bedroom and changed into some soft clothes. She grabbed another pillow and a blanket from the bedroom. She walked out, holding the pillows and blanket. She looked at her son and her husband, huddled together, falling asleep. She joined them on the floor, dropping the pillow and the blanket to the floor. She and Masato had done this many nights to relax him into sleep. She closed her eyes and then brought her arms up under the pillow.
Niko had fallen asleep for about a half hour when she felt a hand on her foot, up under the blanket. She jumped and looked back. Seto smiled at her. He beckoned to her. She sighed rolling her eyes. She climbed back switching pillow positions. She sat up looking at Masato.
"Oh he's out." Seto whispered deeply. He smiled propping his head up. She looked down, moving the blanket. Masato was sleeping deeply. She smiled admiring her son. She ran her hand over his head. He didn't even flinch. She climbed over to him and gripped him, pulling him up. He shifted whimpering. He looked up softly and then closed his eyes, sucking his thumb. She gripped him to her, holding his body tightly, kissing his cheek. She beckoned to Seto. Seto stood up and they started walking down to Masato's room. Seto pulled the covers back for Masato and Niko layed him in the bed. He moved in turning over and then Niko turned on his little blue shell nightlight. That shell, Seto stared. It's just like the mermaid's at the fountain...
Niko stood up and they walked out. She left the door open a crack and walked back to the living room. Seto looked at her and he sat down. He leaned against the couch relaxing. He smiled softly at her.
"Does you think he'll have school tomorrow?" He asked quietly, pointing to the snow falling against the window. She nodded.
"Probably. It won't last...the snow, I mean" She replied. Seto thought about little Masato in school. I bet he is such a little brat in school! Well maybe a well behaved genius, but a brat at heart. He smiled at the thought.
"So..." Niko said sitting down in front of him. He looked over at the snow again, a soft look on his face. He turned back around and dropped his head.
"I just really really wanted to see him Niko." His hands rested on his legs.
"Yeah," She sighed. "I know." He looked up her seriously.
"And see you..." He said strongly.
Oh ...I have missed you too! Niko thought. My essence must be showing thru my eyes. I feel so strongly for him still...I can't control it! She looked down and closed her eyes. Inside her mind, she could see him. She could feel his inner essence crawl over to her on the floor. She kept her eyes closed, too afraid of the emotion he would cause. She could see the two of them, behind her eyes, her essence and his. His was crawling closer to hers, while hers shook nervously, yet smiling. His reached and ran his hand down her face, his palm open upon it, travelling through it. Hers looked up at him in admiration. His was on his hands and knees, like a smooth dark cat slinking towards her. She opened her eyes.

Chapter 3