The day Ai was born had to be the most wonderful and horrible one in his life. He'd never expected to be a father and now here he was, going with Ren into seriously unchartered territory, since DearS Gates before this had always had multiple children, who were raised by the community, not single children, who would belong primarily to only two people.

Yet there she was, lying all small and wrinkled in Ren's arms, suckling nosily at her mother's breast. She was so fagile, with her mother's hair and looks, but, in a brief moment when her eyes were opened, he'd seen his own eyes. He thought that it probably wasn't very amnly that the sight had made him burst into tears, but damn, his baby, his and Ren's.

He was a Father. The thought had been with him throughout the day and still made his heart flutter.

Smiling he went over and sat beside the aqua haired woman, sliding one arm around her back and feeling reassured when her head came to rest on his shoulder.

Peace and contentment emanated from the quiet room and all over the ship the DearS sighed in wistful hope of experiencing such a miracle themselves someday.