Kō and Callie stood outside of the building under the awning waiting for Kei, Izumi, and Tosaki to return. The three had gone to retrieve their new allies who, until recently, had been their enemies.

Kō was still apprehensive about trusting those guys. His eyes slid over to the corners to watch Callie as she sat beside him staring out into the night. He was afraid for her - and their baby. His hand reached out, pressing against her belly.

Callie jumped in surprise from his unexpected touch. She turned her head to look at him, giving him one of her sweet smiles that melted his heart. A warm sensation spread through his chest. He loved her so much.

Mira. Her name is short for miracle. Their baby girl, he thought to himself remembering what she had said.

The black car pulled into the driveway followed by a white van with a fox logo on the side advertising a cleaning company. Every muscle in his body wound tightly at their arrival. Their coming here signaled the beginning of the end. Hopefully, the only end would be Satō's.

Kō took Callie's hand, positioning his body in front of her as all of the people exited the vehicles. He recognized all three of the men who got out of the van.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kō questioned Kei. "Working with terrorists? Our enemies? The enemies of all Ajin?"

"Do you have a better plan?" Kei shot back, confident in his plan as always. "If you do, I'd really like to hear it."

"No," he admitted, lowering his head. He could feel Callie's hand on his back. She gave him courage and strength he did not possess on his own. She was also his source of reasoning when he had none. "I guess we really don't have a choice considering the desperate circumstances."

The men, including Ikuya Ogura, who were left in their dwindling little group of rebels walked outside to greet the newcomers who were viewed with suspicion and distrust by all. They had fought these men, lost comrades because of them, yet here they were in their midst to help kill Satō.

"Everyone, this is Takahashi, Gen, and Okuyama," Kei announced to introduce them.

Kō glowered at the two men in coveralls. He remembered them from that day he had gone to join Satō's group. They shot the man who helped him get away. Anger swelled in his chest and exploded like a bomb going off in his head eradicating rational thought. Even Callie couldn't save him from the consuming anger.

"It was you! You assholes!" he bellowed, letting go of Callie's hand and rushing forward.

"Huh?" Takahashi grunted just before Kō landed a roundhouse punch on his left cheek.

"Hey! Stop it, you idiot!" Kei shouted.

"Kō! What the hell are you doing?" Callie yelled, rushing forward.

Kei put his arm out, barring her from leaping into the fray. He turned to look at her with a warning glare in his maroon-brown eyes.

"Don't," he said, his voice calm but firm. "If that moron wants to fight, let him."

"What the hell is your problem, stupid kid?!" shouted Gen, snatching Ko off his friend by grabbing him by the back of his t-shirt.

"You shot that man! He had a wife and family! You killed him, you bastards!" Ko hollered, striking the man who pulled him away with an uppercut.

"Ko, stop!" Callie begged without moving past Kei's arm that held her back.

Takahashi punched Ko in the stomach. When Kō grunted and doubled over, Gen seized him by both arms, pulling them behind his back.

Despite coughing convulsively from the sucker punch in the stomach, Kō slid his leg back between Gen's legs, hooking his foot around the man's ankle. In a move Callie had taught him, he jerked his foot forward, setting the man off balance before he swung his head back using the back of his head to head butt him in the face.

"We didn't kill him, dumbass!" Takahashi shouted when Kō charged him again.

There was too much momentum behind Kō for him to stop. He bum-rushed the man, pushing his shoulder into Takahashi's stomach and sliding him along the ground into the front of the van.

"He's not dead, stupid kid!" Gen yelled.

"What?" Kō mumbled, glancing from one man to the other.

"We let him go," Takahashi wheezed, panting for the air that had been knocked out of him.

"Really?" Kō inquired skeptically, lowering his fist that had been poised to release another punch.

"Yeah. That guy's probably hanging out at home with his family right now," Gen said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Dumb kid," Takahashi muttered, using the back of his long sleeve to wipe away the trickle of blood from of his mouth.

"Quit calling me names, you son of a bitch!" Kō hollered, going after him again.

"He really is all brawn and no brains. Idiot," Kei mumbled shaking his head.

The fighting continued with insults and fists flying.

"You should go back inside," Kei suggested, lowering his arm. "Don't forget. You have more to think about than yourself."

"Yeah, I know," she returned.

Callie left the brawl outside that was making her sick with anxiety. She was tired of the fighting. Sick of the bloodshed and absolutely done with the violence.

Pressing her hand to her belly, she contemplated what would happen now. How would this thing finally be brought to an end? Who would survive?

Rubbing her tummy that had developed a slight roundness, she knew she had to save this baby, to protect the innocent life inside of her at all costs. Therefore, her time had come to withdraw from the fight. She abhorred the idea of having to sit on the sidelines. All she could do was sit and wait, to worry about if and when they would come back. But she had no choice.

Rather than returning to her hospital bed, Callie retreated to the room she shared with Kō. She lay down on the bed, covering herself up with the soft blanket. She was tired and needed to rest. For the baby's sake.

~\..'../~

When Callie awoke an hour and a half later from her nap, she was still alone. Sitting up, dizziness swamped her head making her remain seated for a few extra minutes. Her stomach viciously growled at her reminding her she had not eaten in many hours. Between nervous tension and tiredness, she had completely forgotten about food.

Carefully rising from the bed, she made her way to the cafeteria. Everyone was there in the usual meeting place, plotting and planning. She wished they would do that anywhere but here yet it was the best place having tables and chairs.

She remained in the shadows, further hidden by one of the columns in the room. Everyone's gaze was transfixed on the map on the TV screen behind Kei as he talked.

Kei the strategist. The planner. The absolute genius in tactical maneuvers of war games. The perfect adversary for Satō.

"So what exactly are you planning?" Takahashi asked.

"Bury him alive," Kei said with an ominous finality that sent chills up her spine.

But would it be enough to take Satō out?, she contemplated without asking the question aloud. Satō seemed to be truly immortal with no weaknesses like those of vampires or werewolves or other legendary creatures with supposedly unending lives.

The need for food overpowered her desire to stay hidden and eavesdrop. Besides, with that epic line spoken by Kei, it seemed their meeting was done anyway. She emerged from her hiding place, walking across to the kitchen.

A squeak of tennis shoes on the kitchen tile grated across her nerves setting her teeth on edge. Pretending she did not hear the quiet pattering of the rubber soles approaching her, she opened the door of the big silver refrigerator to peruse the contents.

Cantaloupe chunks, leftover roasted chicken, salad, pasta, chocolate cake...Nothing looked good at the moment due to her diminished appetite but having no appetite did not eradicate her need for food.

"How long were you there?" Kō asked.

"Long enough," she replied, purposely being evasive.

Callie settled on combing the salad, pasta, and chicken into one dish and having the cantaloupe and chocolate cake for dessert.

"I need to talk to you," Kei proclaimed as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hungry?" she inquired, placing a handful of salad greens into a bowl.

"The end of the world might be coming and you're casually making a salad?" he complained.

"What would you expect me to do? I have to feed myself and the baby. After all, weren't you the one who told me I have someone to think about besides myself?" she rejoined keeping her voice as neutral and free of sarcasm as possible.

Ko's head swung back and forth between them as if he were observing a tennis match. His eyebrows drew together in confusion. The poor guy always suspected their was something going on between her and Kei. Maybe there was but it was more of a sibling thing - and not what he was thinking.

"You're right," Kei agreed, hanging his head as if ashamed.

That's a first, Callie thought to herself. Kei Nagai showing some degree of humility and, shockingly, admitting he was wrong.

"I've made some phone calls. I've arranged for you to get out of the country," he announced. "You're going back to the United States."

Callie's head whipped to the right toward Kō. Judging by his lack of reaction, Kei had already discussed this plan with him. Otherwise Kō would have been off the walls and losing his damn mind.

Although she loved him, sometimes Kō could still be incredibly immature and annoying. However, he was showing signs of maturation like his calmness at the present. Everyone gets forced at some point in their lives to abandon the childish things including their actions and reactions. Going through something like this, he had no choice but to begin growing up.

"So what do you think about this?" she asked Kō.

"I think you should go. You and the baby will be safe there. That matters more to me than anything else, even my own life," he said, placing his hand over hers that was lying flat on the silver food prep table.

"Okay," she agreed. There was no need to argue. She could not disagree with their reasoning. "What happens now?"

"Eat, then go pack a few things. I called a friend who is coming to pick you up to take you the airport. He has your ticket and money," Kei explained.

"You trust him?" she asked, abandoning preparing her salad to gaze at him directly. Her eyes met his, holding them in anticipation of his answer.

"Implicitly. Before you two, he was the only friend I had. He's always been there for me no matter what. If I didn't trust him with my own life, I certainly wouldn't trust him with yours," Kei said in a way that made her immediately trust this guy. "His name is Kai. He will be here in an hour. Enjoy your meal."

Silence filled the room as suffocating and palpable as smoke while Kei walked away to leave them alone together to say their good-byes.

"Callie, I - " Kō began but she cut him off.

"Please, don't," she interjected, tossing more food into the bowl. "Don't make this anymore difficult than it has to be. Have a last meal with me before I leave."

"Okay," he submissively agreed, coming to stand close to her. He placed a hand on her hip, his lips grazing the back of her neck. "Thank you for not fighting against us on this."

Callie took his hand, placing it on her belly.

"She's the reason. Only her. It's my job to protect our baby," she murmured, turning her head to glimpse at him over her shoulder. "It's your job to save the whole damn world."

~\..'../~

A year and a half later...

Callie stood at the glass sliding door staring out at the people gathered in her backyard. Today there was an important celebration happening.

Kō sat with their daughter in his lap at the head of the table laden for Mira's first birthday party. Callie emitted a sigh of contentment as she watched her husband bounce their daughter on his knee after she started to fuss a little. He hated it when Mira cried and would do anything to stop her tears and make her smile.

Kō took care of both of his girls, giving them anything and everything they wanted. After arriving in the United States, he got a job doing construction work. The work was hard and the hours long, but he kept at it, determined to take care of his family.

When Kō was promoted to site manager, he gave Callie a ring and asked her marry him. A month later, Mira was born. Just after Mira turned nine months old, they moved out of their apartment into a house he had built with his own hands - complete with picket fence.

Yū Tosaki sat to Kō's left holding the hand of his wife next to him. On a whim, Callie had tracked the man down to invite him her child's first birthday. Him being here pleased her very much and meant so much to her. After all, he was instrumental in saving them all to live another day.

On Kō's right side sat Mrs. Fujiwara holding out her arms to hold the cranky baby with a copper colored tuft of hair gathered in a pink bow on top of her head. Kai sat beside the nurse, cooing at the baby and trying to make her smile.

These people had come a long way to see them, to celebrate the first birthday of an extremely special little girl. These people were family. However, one member of their little family was missing. Both she and Kai both had tried to track Kei down with no luck.

Inhaling a deep breath, Callie picked up the small round cake covered in pink icing and purple sprinkles with a candle in the shape of a number one in the middle. Plastering on her best smile, pushing away her sadness to concentrate on the joy of the special occasion, she pushed open the door and stepped outside.

"Time for cake, birthday girl!" Callie announced, placing the cake on the table in front of her.

"Yay!" everyone cheered, clapping their hands.

"Mama! Mama!" the baby cried, extending her chubby little hands to her mother. Her tiny fingers curled and uncurled, making grabby hands in her desire to be held by her mother.

"You only want me because I'm standing up, you little rascal," she admonished the child good naturedly. "It's your fault, Daddy."

"Hey, I had to do something to quiet her all those nights and walking her around the house was best way to do it. Besides, it helped you get the extra sleep you needed," he said in defense of his spoiling the baby.

"Oh, dang it," she muttered, placing the baby on her hip. "I forgot to light the candle. Tosaki - "

"Sorry, no lighter," he said, squeezing his new wife's hand as he smiled at her. "I don't smoke anymore."

"Hmmm, well, I'll go get the one out of the drawer," she murmured, handing the baby back to Kō.

Callie returned inside, opening the junk drawer that every kitchen required. Shuffling around the random items, she found the small lighter and snatched it up.

The doorbell rang.

"Really? What now?" she grumbled.

Glancing out the glass door, she saw that Mira had already stuck her hand in the cake and was licking icing off of her fingers.

"Dammit, Kō," she sighed only slightly miffed.

That man couldn't say no to that child about anything. She laughed when Mira slapped her daddy's cheek with her icing and drool covered hand. Kō's face scrunched up in disgust, but he refused to stop his little girl from smearing the icing laced with baby spit across his cheek and mouth.

The doorbell rang again followed by a knock.

"What the hell?" she muttered irritably. "I'm coming!"

Callie stomped to the door, snatching it open while yelling, "Yes?! What is it?!"

A man stood on the doorstep who appeared to be a vagabond. Living at the end of a long country road in the middle of nowhere, unusual types had a tendency to migrate toward their house.

His black hair reached down to his shoulders. Although in bad need of a haircut, his hair was clean. He was wearing a khaki colored trench coat, a wrinkled but clean white button down shirt, and rumpled black pants. His black patent leather dress shoes were dull and covered with dust as if he had walked here.

"Can I help you?" she inquired haltingly, carefully enunciating each word.

"Sorry, I'm late," the mystery man said, pushing aside his long bangs so she could see his eyes. "Did I miss the party?"

"Kei?"

She stared into the deep brown eyes that always held that hint of crimson. She recognized the defiance, the hardness. Yet as she stared into those reddish tinged irises she watched them soften with a tender emotion.

"Oh, my god, Kei," Callie breathed, stepping forward to throw her arms around him. "I can't believe you're here. Oh, my god..."

"You're still strong as ever," he wheezed, enclosing her body with his arms. "I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, letting him go and backing up. "How did you - "

"You know me, I have my ways," he returned with a shrug.

"Yeah, you definitely do," she agreed with a little chuckle. "Where have you been?"

"Traveling the world. Going to remote villages and places people never knew existed. Treating sick people who can't afford doctors or hospitals."

"You're a doctor?"

"Not officially, but - "

"You achieved your dream. I'm so proud of you," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Looks like you achieved yours as well." He smiled at her. "White picket fence and all."

Well, that's the end folks. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry if it's a little anticlimactic, but I tried to do my best. Thank you so much for reading!