Plantation 13 separated from the Garden barely an hour after midnight and crawled away, making its bid for freedom under cover of darkness. Everything was still and unsuspecting, but in Plantation 13's command center, everything was abuzz with activity.

"Nana, is everything ready?"

"Yes, sir. Hachi is in position. He has target one in his crosshairs."

"You're sure all communications are jammed?"

"Yes, Sir. All communications are disabled."

He turned to the command console, and an image of a security guard on patrol appeared. He took a deep breath. "Hachi, you are clear to fire."

"Roger."

He heard Hachi let out a long breath, and he stared his eyes glued to the screen, waiting. A moment later, there was a small spurt of blood, and the security guard crumpled to the floor. He stared at the guard and felt an eerie silence hang over them.

"I can't believe we just did that," Nana whispered.

He took a deep breath. "Nineteen more to go." He stated firmly doing his best to strengthen his resolve. "Let's get this done."

"Understood," Hachi whispered. "Proceeding to second target."

He sat his eyes glued to the screen, as one by one, the security guards were eliminated, Papa's grip on the plantation weakening each time one died.

"All targets eliminated," Nana confirmed quietly. "I'll… I'll go help with the cleanup process."

"Thank you. I'll finish up here." He said.

"Understood."

Once she had left, he accessed the Plantation's core programming and worked his way to the most critical settings installed directly by APE. The moment he tried to change on of them.

"Override code for Plantation 13 required." Said a computerized female voice.

He took a deep breath. "Override code 002016."

"Override code accepted. Welcome, Dr. Franxx."

Immediately he went to work disabling settings and protocols that would hinder their progress moving forward. Now he only had one more thing to change.

"Access location tracker." He said after a moment and watched as the screen followed his instructions. Pulling a memory stick out of his pocket, he plugged it into the computer. "Disable live feed and upload new program." He commanded.

"Warning, you are attempting to change core APE protocols. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

"I'm sure. Disable feed and run new program."

He watched with bated breath as his program uploaded into the system. The program that would falsify their location.

"Upload complete."

He smiled, quickly he saved all the changes he had made. Exiting out, he changed the display to navigation. "Set course for the great seed vault. It's time to get this show on the road."

Naomi awoke with a yawn, her mind still drowsy from sleep, She'd just had a fantastic nights sleep, and not once had she been awakened by her babies. As she sat there, she realized something was off. An uneasy feeling washed over her. Where were her babies? Were her children okay?

Hurriedly she sat up and quickly stared down at her belly. She felt a cold hand grab her heart, and she could feel fear gripping every fiber of her being.

Her babies weren't moving, in fact, they were buried so far into the walls of her womb that they looked stuck.

"Hey, are you guys okay!" She cried fear choking her voice.

What had happened to her babies!? What was wrong with her babies!? What if they were dead!?

"Please!" She pleaded. "Please move! Do something! Anything! Just please don't be…." She broke down in tears. What had happened to them!? Why! What had happened to her children!?

All of a sudden, a powerful wave of energy washed over her, and she felt calming bliss wash over her. Just then, she felt warm, loving energy nestled inside her, and with a massive sense of relief, she realized that her children were still alive and well. But just to be sure she counted the warms spheres of love inside her making sure that they were all okay. When she got to the twelfth one, she let out a massive sigh.

Tear's of relief was cascading down her face. Her babies were okay.

"Jeez…" She sobbed, a comforting hand on her belly. "You guys scared the crap out of me." Then with a smile, she looked down at all her precious babies. "I was so afraid that I'd lost you guys for a moment."

As she stared relieved at her children, studying them to see what condition they were in. And after a few moments, she frowned. All of her babies were fused half-buried in the walls of her womb. But as she stared harder, she saw that they were all gently pulsating almost as if something was beating inside them. She sighed. Hopefully, Maya would know what had happened to them. With a yawn, she worked her way off the bed and walked over to the desk picking the sleep out of her eyes as she looked out over the destroyed Klaxosaur city.

She sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. So much had happened these last few months. Inwardly she hoped that everything would turn out okay. As she sat there, her thoughts drifted to the poor little girl that Logos guarded. She felt a tightness in her throat, her entire being desperately wanted to find some way to help the little girl, but she had no idea what she could do. She spent as much time as she possibly could interacting with the child and giving her affection, but there were limits that her glass prison imposed. Worse still, if Logos was right, then the child was dying, and there was nothing that she could do about it. The thought made her feel useless. She was brought here to care for and nurture children. Beyond that, she was practically useless. So why couldn't she help a child in need? She closed her eyes in frustration. Why was it so impossible to find a way to help her?

As her thoughts swirled around the little girl, she felt a tingling sensation run through her breasts, and crest at her nipple, then a moment later she felt a drip of something wet and warm running down her belly. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, but when she felt more drips running down her stomach, she opened her eyes and looked down.

"What the!?" She yelped.

She stared utterly bewildered at the sight of a strange creamy golden substance leaking from the tips of her nipples and dripping onto her belly.

"What in the world?" She said, scooping up a droplet that was rolling down her skin, onto her finger.

Bringing it up to her eyes, she examined it, puzzled. This was the first time she had seen anything like this in her entire life, and the fact that it was coming from her own breasts was weird. For some reason, however, as she continued to stare at it, she felt the unquenchable desire to taste it. Unable to resist the temptation, she popped it into her mouth and tasted it.

"Creamy…" She muttered. "Odd… It kind of reminds me of milk after eating a bowl of cereal."

She looked down at her breasts again, which were still dripping with little droplets. Then in utter confusion, she ran her hands through her hair. Why was this so damn complicated? Why were her breasts leaking this weird substance again? What purpose did it serve?

She leaned forward onto the desk, her head in her hands. "I need a pregnancy owner's manual." She groaned, utterly confused. "Something that'll tell me what the heck is going on."

Just then, she saw the glass surface of the desk light up. To her astonishment, information started to appear on the screen, all having something to do with pregnancy and the babies that resulted from it.

"Jeez." She breathed, "I guess all I need to do is ask, and I'll get something here." Overwhelmed, she stared at the sidebar that had categories upon categories of information that she could tap on.

After a few minutes of searching, her eyes came to rest on a category titled "Baby names."

She chuckled and looked down at her children. "You know, I completely forgot that you'll all need names." She stared hopelessly up at the list. "But there are so many…" She whispered. "How could I possibly decide?"

Absentmindedly she scanned the list noting serval that she liked. When she came to the "N" section, she stopped as a name caught her eye.

"Numa." She muttered.

Just then, she heard a beeping from her door, and a moment later, she heard Maya's voice. "Naomi. Do you mind if I come in?"

Abruptly she sat up and spun her chair around. "Of course, come in."

The door slid open, and Maya walked in.

"Good morning." Maya greeted.

"Good morning. What can I do for you?"

Maya smiled. "Nothing actually. I just came to see how you were doing."

Maya pulled over a spare chair and sat down. They sat in compatible silence for a moment, not sure who was going to speak first.

"Do you just get up?" Maya inquired, getting the conversation going.

"Only just a few minutes ago." She said with a small yawn. "I actually managed to get a full night's sleep."

Maya gave a small chuckle. "That must've been nice. Have they finally settled in?"

"Yes." She said with a sudden start, remembering the incident that she had awoken to. Actually, I have a question about that." She gestured to her belly. "Um... Why have they buried themselves in there? Why aren't they swimming around like usual?"

Maya leaned forward and studied her for a moment and then nodded in satisfaction. Don't worry it's perfectly normal, I'll just simplify the explanation and say that this is the next step for them. They're finally ready to start growing into babies." Maya smiled playfully. "Which will take another two years or so."

She let out a massive sigh of relief. "Thank you for clearing that up. It gave me quite a fright this morning when I woke up and saw them like that."

"I bet," Maya said with a smile. "Although it's my fault for not catching you up to speed earlier, I'll endeavor to fill you in with more details, and answer any question you might have."

"Actually, if you don't mind, I do have a question for you already. It happened to me a few minutes ago, and I was wondering if you could answer it for me."

Gently she gave her breast a small squeeze, and a stream of that liquid lightly sprayed her hand. "Um… What is this stuff?"

Maya's eyes widened in surprise, and she studied the liquid in her hand. "Curious… Your breastmilk is coming in."

"My what now?" She asked, confused, not entirely sure she had heard Maya correctly.

"Breastmilk," Maya said. "Mothers feed their baby's with it when they're born. Although it's unusual for you to be producing it this early in your pregnancy."

"Is that bad?" She asked, concerned.

"No. It doesn't usually start coming in this early, although it's not unheard of." Maya said reassuringly. "A lot is going on in your body right now, and sometimes weird things happen. There's no need to concern yourself with it."

They sat in companionable silence, and Naomi found herself studying Maya, and almost immediately, something curious caught her eye."

"Maya," Naomi said, a little confused. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember ever seeing your nipples before."

Maya looked down at herself. "Oh.. Well, I guess you're right. I usually keep them hidden."

She stared at Maya, utterly confused. "H-How… Wha… You can hide your genitals?"

Maya nodded. "If I want to, yes." Gently Maya rubbed her hand against her right nipple, and when she removed her hand, her right nipple was gone.

She stared in utter shock. "Wha… How?"

Maya chuckled softly. "It's really nothing special. My nipple didn't actually disappear, it's just an illusion."

She looked at her, utterly amazed. "Still, it's a pretty cool ability." Then a thought crossed into her mind. "If I may be so bold. Um… Why bother with it?"

Maya smiled. "It's more of a phycological thing for me. The real reason I do it is for this."

Slowly Maya rubbed her hands over her belly, and she stared in utter shock at what she was seeing. Maya's belly had at first been simply the same color as the rest of her skin, but as the illusion dissipated, she saw that Maya's belly was huge and swollen with the golden energy that was shimmering and lighting up the entire room.

She watched stunned as the golden energy swirled and swam around almost as if it was alive. But whatever it was was so bright that it was almost blinding. How could have she have not seen anything this bright?

"How do you manage to hide all of that?" She asked, stunned. "H-Has, it really been there the whole time?"

Maya chuckled softly. "It has."

"So, how did you?"

"It's a psychological trick," Maya explained with a smile. "My belly has been there the entire time, but because I'm the Queen of the Klaxosaurs, I have the power to subtly hide my appearance." Maya smiled. "Although it's not foolproof. If I wear something like armor or clothing, it'll bulge out, which would obviously show that I'm pregnant. Hiding my belly then is much more difficult because I would have to focus on mentally changing your perception of reality, which is very difficult." She smiled and chuckled "Hence why I just walk around naked and conceal the parts of myself that I don't want you to see. It's so much easier."

"So you're pregnant too?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. In fact, I've been pregnant for over a hundred years."

Her eyes went wide. "Umm... What are you pregnant with?"

"Pure life energy. Earth is a living being, but ever since humans started drilling for magma, she's slowly been dying. If everything goes to plan, this energy that I've been carrying and nurturing will restore the world."

"How does that work?"

"Jeez. Well, I'll give you the quick version because that's honestly the only version I understand well enough to explain. Um... okay, so basically the Earth is a living organism right. Papa and his organization have been slowly killing off the Earth, by harvesting magma energy which is killing the planet's... let's call it soul... Logos and I hope that this life force that I'm carrying will revive the Earth."

She nodded eyes wide. "You know I'm just going to trust that you know what you're doing because I didn't understand a word of that."

"Probably for the best," Maya said with a smile.

"So umm… How far along are you?" She asked.

"Well, if this were a normal pregnancy, I'd say I'm due any day now. But I really have no idea. As far as I know, I might still be years away. I've thought I'm soon for the past five years or so it's hard to measure."

"I don't get it."

Maya smiled. "There are parts I don't understand either. It was Logos's idea for the most part. He was able to turn a bad situation into this."

"What bad situation?" She asked innocently.

Maya sighed. "For the moment, that is something that's between Logos and I."

"Sorry." She mumbled, hanging her head.

"That's quite alright. I know you have good intentions at heart. It's just something very personal to me that I'd rather not get into."

Changing the subject, Naomi said. "So, what do two pregnant women do on a day like this?"

"Well, my day is going to consist of staring at maps and redeploying the Klaxosaurs," Maya said with a smile. "But I could convince Logos to give you a tour around the castle."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

Maya waved her hands over her belly, and it disappeared, and then smiling stood up. "Come, let's go fetch him. It'll do him some good to get off his lazy ass and move around."

"I thought that he was there guarding the children?" She asked, following Maya out.

"Guarding against what?" Maya said with a chuckle. "He just likes to say that so that he can spend his entire day napping."

"So how is the war going," Naomi asked curiously as they boarded the elevators.

"Slow." Maya sighed. "That imbecile that you humans call Papa is being a pain in the ass. He keeps winning a lot of small victories before we can retaliate. It's nothing serious, but it's still a pain."

"Are umm... Are my squadmates okay?"

"As far as I'm aware." Maya consoled. "They're doing fine… You wanna know what? Hmm... Actually, never mind, I'll mention it later."

"Mention what?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on, tell me." She whined.

"Nope."

Just then, the doors to the elevator opened, and Maya strolled out as she followed behind, pestering her for details.

They strolled into the throne room and immediately realized that Logos was missing. Hurriedly they ascended the stairs, Naomi's stomach curling into a tight knot.

The door that Logos guarded was wide open.

"No..." Maya whispered in horror.

"What?"

Maya didn't reply, and they kept running, a moment later they were through the door, and they saw Logos at the far end. Ice cold terror stabbed at her heart as she realized that Logos was staring at the little girl in the cloning tube.

"Logos. What's going on!?" She asked in alarm as they skidded to a halt.

Logos stared at her. "She's gotten worse."

Naomi's head yanked around and stared at the little girl. "What's wrong with her?"

"Her heart rate." Logos muttered. "It's very weak. I fear what could happen if it drops any lower."

She stared at the child, her horror freezing her in place. The slow beeping of the heart monitor echoing ominously through the whole room.

"Why didn't you contact me sooner?" Maya choked, staring at Logos.

"There wasn't time." Logos said, quietly. "You were already here by the time I noticed."

Abruptly she started forward and pressed herself against the glass tube. "Hey!" She called desperately.

The little girl's eyes flickered open and stared at her for a moment. Suddenly beeping from the heart rate monitor became a little faster, and as the girl realized she was there, her heart rate began to accelerate.

Naomi's face broke into a relieved smile. "Hi." She whispered sweetly. "You scared us little one."

The little girl reached out one of her boney arms, and Naomi heard the girl's faint voice in her head.

"Naomi…." The voice whimpered.

She stared up at the child, and their eyes locked, and almost instinctively, she understood what the child wanted.

"Can I get in with her?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the girl.

"Why?" Maya asked protectively.

She stared at the girl. "Because. She's been deprived of a connection with someone for her entire life. She's... She's in pain and is scared. And… I don't know why, but I can hear her calling to me."

Maya looked over at Logos, and he gave an encouraging nod.

"I'll find you a breathing mask…" Maya stuttered, making her way over to a side room.

She glanced over at Logos, who stared at her and almost seemed to be holding his breath.

A few minutes later, Maya returned, holding a mask. "I hope this fits," Maya said with a sigh. "Most of them are too old to function, so this is one of the only ones that still works. Put this around your waist. It'll keep you from floating to the top."

She took the weighted belt and scraped it on and then placed the breather over her nose and mouth. The machine lit up and sealed to her face as she finished fitting it. "You said this works underwater, right?"

"Yes. It'll recycle the air you breathe…. Are you ready."

She nodded

"Unseal tube 12," Maya shouted. "Lengthen umbilical cord to keep subject connected."

She watched as the machinery at the top of the tube disengaged and lifted away with a loud hiss.

When Maya judge that there was enough space for Naomi to get in, she called a halt to the machine's progress.

"I'll help you up," Maya said, wrapping her tentacle around Naomi.

"Got it."

A moment later, she was lifted into the air, and Maya slowly guided her in. She flinched slightly as her toes touched the warm surface of the cloning fluid. She looked down and saw the little girl staring at her from beneath the fluid's surface. As she was lowered in, she guided herself around to keep from crushing the little girl. A few moments later, she was completely submerged, and her feet gently touched the bottom of the tube, and Maya removed her tentacle.

Satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere, she looked up straight into the little girls glowing eyes. They stared transfixed until the little girl reached out a trembling hand. The little girl's tiny fingers gently touched the side of her face, making contact with another person for the first time. The girl shuttered and tried to bring herself closer to the person in front of her.

She smiled, and gently reached forward and hugged the girl to her chest, cuddling her in a warm embrace.

"Hello," She whispered, giving the girl a tender squeeze. "I'm here."

She felt the girl cuddle against her, bony little hands touching every part of her they could find. Gently she let her hands run over the child's body, feeling the child's stiff joints and sagging skin. Silently she counted each one of the girl's tiny ribs.

Naomi desperately wanted to cry. The girl was in so much pain, and there was nothing she could do about it. And the fact that her death seemed inevitable made it a hundred times worse. No! She refused! She would not let this child die! But how? How could she save this poor child from the fate that she seemed doomed to meet?

"Na..omi.." The girl whispered in her head.

She nuzzled her cheek against the little girl. "I'm here."

The girl relaxed against her, and she held the child gently, supporting her and bonding with her. For a few minutes, she just held her, feeling a bridge forming between her and the child. An energetic cord that connected her to the child as she nurtured her with as much love and affection as she could. It didn't take her long to realize that she needed this child. Something inside her needed to protect and nurture this little girl. To restore and care for her, as only a mother could. To watch as all the children nestled in her womb ran after their big sister, laughing and giggling as she watched with a smile on her face.

"Do you want me to be your mother?" She asked softly, feeling a warm pulsating feeling emanating for her forehead.

She felt the girl nod and cuddle closer to her. A smile broke out on her face and nuzzled her cheek against her daughter.

"I won't let you die." She whispered. "I promise."

She held the little girl close, trying to imbue her with as much light and warmth as she could. She let it radiate out from her, imbuing the child with love and affection, imagining that she could heal the girl's damaged body.

"Do you want me to give you a name?" She asked sweetly, giving her little girl an affectionate squeeze.

She felt the girl nod, her assent. Holding her child, she sat there and thought until a name popped into her head.

"Numa." She said, smiling.

Gently she repositioned Numa so that she was cradled in her arms and gazed down at Numa, her eyes sparkling with love and affection.

The newly dubbed Numa smiled at her and cuddled against her chest, basking in the motherly warmth she provided. As she held Numa close, she felt her breasts aching with a desire that she couldn't explain. Something instinctual inside her was urging her to do something that she couldn't explain. A moment later, Numa's lips gently brushed against her nipple, and she felt a shiver run down her back. They were so overly sensitive today. She looked down reflectively and saw Numa unconsciously licking her lips. As she watched Numa, she remembered what Maya had told her about her breasts. Suddenly an idea came to her, and she knew what to do. She never really even consciously processed that thought it was just something primal within her that knew what to do. Gently she guided Numa's mouth to her nipple and held her breath as Numa latched on to her breast. Then barely a second later.

"Oh!" She gasped surprised, as she felt a warm tickling sensation in her nipple. Suddenly she felt a sense of gratification wash over her as she felt Numa's gentle sucking, and she realized with a thrill of joy that she was breastfeeding. She stared down, holding her precious little girl in her arms. She couldn't help the overwhelming smile of pure joy that crossed her face as she nurtured her precious little girl. She let all her love and affection flow into Numa as her life nurturing milk healed and restored her little girl, you had for so long had been drifting closer and closers to death's veil.

It seemed like no time at all, but a while later, her breast significantly lighter than it had been Numa gently released her nipple and stared up at her eyes full of gratitude. She smiled, and they reveled in a bond that they shared. She gave Numa a gentle hug and watched Numa gaze up sleepy at her. Not taking her eyes off her little girl, she watched Numa slowly drift off to sleep. For a long while, she just held her, but as her own hunger began to increase, she remembered that she had other children to look after.

Gently she separated herself from Numa and made sure everything was okay. Holding her breath, she reached up, she removed the breath mask from her face. Leaning forward, she gently kissed Numa on the forehead, and with one final look ascended to the surface. As her head broke the surface, she found Maya's tentacle waiting for her, and a moment later, it scooped her up and lifted her out of the tube. As Maya lowered her back to the ground, she watched as the cloning tube sealed itself again. When she was satisfied that everything was as it should be, she turned to face Maya and Logos as they stared at her. Tears were streaming down Maya's face and Logos seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Naomi." Maya choked. "Thank you…."

She smiled. "She'll be okay now."

"I'm relieved that she could be held and comforted, at least once. Before…" Logos said quietly.

Naomi turned and look at Numa sleeping in her tube. "She's not going to die… I made a promise to her, and as her mother, I intend to keep it."

She heard gasps of surprise from behind her and new she had caught them off guard.

"You'd do that for her?" Maya whispered hoarsely.

"Yes." She stated, a warm smile spreading across her face. "I vowed that I'd look after her."

"Did you give her a name?" Logos asked quietly after a moment of silence.

"Numa." She pronounced.

He smiled. "That's an excellent name."

She heard Maya give a loud, emotional sniff, and saw her wiping away tears. Logos slithered over to Maya and gently wrapped his tail around her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

Naomi looked back at Numa and smiled, watching as her precious little girl slept.

"Naomi," Maya said softly, her voice still thick with emotion. "I've been her guardian since the moment of her creation. Naomi, I'm passing that responsibility to you. She… She needs a mother who'll look after her and nurture her. She needs you…. Take care of her. Because if anyone can help her now. It's you."

"I'll do whatever it takes," She promised, her voice trembling with emotion.

Maya whipped away a tear. "That's all I could ever ask for."

Zero Two awoke snuggled close to Darling's chest, the scent of their lovemaking still prevalent, from the night before. She smiled. She and Darling had just connected in a way that was super special and was more profound than anything she had ever experienced. It was so special in fact that even right now, their love could be manifesting in her womb and growing into their baby.

She heard a yawn and looked up to see Darling's sapphire blue eyes staring into hers.

"Morning." He whispered sweetly.

"Morning, Darling." She replied.

Leaning forward, she kissed him and realized that their horns had broken away from each other in the middle of the night.

"How are you feeling?" Darling asked, smiling.

"Warm."

She snuggled closer to him and could feel their naked bodies pressed together, in their intimate embrace. Maybe she was just imagining it, but as they were snuggled together, she could almost feel a pulsating warmth cuddled in her pelvis.

"Do you think you're pregnant?" He asked in the most adorable voice.

She smiled and playfully rolled on top of him, and shifting herself around a little bit nestled the place where her womb was, as close to him as possible.

"I think so." She hummed. "I think that our little bundle of joy is nestled inside me right now, wondering what we're doing."

The biggest smile she had ever seen spread across his face. "Do you think It'll be a boy or a girl?" He asked, giving her a kiss.

"I think it'll be a boy." She hummed happily. "And I'm going to name him Hiro."

"But that's my name." He protested with a smile.

"No, you're Darling." She corrected.

An amused smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Hiro."

"Darling."

"Hiro."

"No, Darling." She said fiercely.

He smiled and hugged her too him. "Fine. I'll be Darling. But I think we're going to have a little girl instead. A little girl who looks just like her mother."

"I still think it'll be a boy." She whispered.

He laughed. "I think you just want to use the name, Hiro."

She blushed. "So..."

He smiled and kissed her. "Argh. I need to know now! Come on, you gotta know, tell me you have a little sensor that tells you if you're pregnant."

"Darling." She giggled. "It doesn't work that way…. At least, I don't think it does?"

"Where's that book?"

He felt Zero Two sit up and crawl over the side of the bed to retrieve the book. When she finally retrieved it, she sat up and flipped open the book. As she sat there reading, he simply marveled at how beautiful she was. He was so lucky to have someone as perfect as her. They were made for each other. They were meant to be together.

"Got it." She announced, still reading the book. "Um... Okay… It says here that we can't know for certain until a month or so has passed… Something about that if the baby implanted in the womb, there won't be any monthly bleeding." She looked up. "So, I guess that means we have to wait a month."

He smiled. "It's going to be agony waiting for that month to pass."

She smiled. "I know." She kept skimming through the pages. "You know I really should give this book a read through cover to cover. We're going to have a baby sooner or later, I should prepare myself for our baby."

He chuckled. "We both probably should. As the father, I need to be able to help you and be there for you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Darling."

He blushed and scratched his head nervously, looking for a diversion he said. "So... I wonder who wrote that book."

He watched as Zero Two searched the book, checking for some sort of name when she got to the back cover she gasped.

"What?"

She looked up at him. "This book was written by Dr. Franxx."

His eyes went wide. "Really!?"

Zero Two stared off into the distance lost in thought. She looked down at the book and stared at the name. "I don't know what to think anymore... I've spent my whole life hating him. He did so many horrible things to me and yet... Right now... I owe everything to him. He got me away from the Nines. He brought me to Plantation 13 when no one else would." She smiled at him. "I would have never have found you if he hadn't brought me here."

He sighed. "I know the feeling. My instant reaction upon seeing what he did to you was revulsion. But now that I think about it. He's the very reason I was able to recover my memories in the first place."

Zero Two absentmindedly flipped through the book. The very book whose knowledge had just inspired them to try and make a baby, which at this very moment could very well be nestled in her womb growing into their child.

After a long moment, she said. "You know I think I owe him a visit." She smiled amused. "And maybe even an apology."

He nodded. "I'll go with you."

Zero Two closed the book, and with a sigh, they both dressed, heading downstairs, they entered the elevators and descended into the plantation. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way over to the command center. The door slide open as they approached, and they stepped inside.

"Good morning, you two." Nana greeted. "What can we do for you?"

"We'd like to see Dr. Franxx." Zero Two asked politely.

"He's in his office."

"Thank you."

Strolling over to the door, they gave a gentle knock.

"Come." Dr. Franxx called, the door sliding open.

They stepped inside, and he felt Zero Two sneak her hand into his.

"Is there something I can help you two with?" Dr. Franxx asked with a smile.

"I..I wanted to ask you a few questions." Zero Two replied nervously.

Dr. Franxx nodded. "Please... Sit down."

They took their seats, and he sat, waiting for Zero Two to speak.

"Why?" She blurted, almost involuntarily. "I mean… Thank you for helping me reunite with Darling."

Dr. Franxx shook his head. "Don't thank me. Zero Two I owe you far more than I could ever repay." The doctor gulped nervously, and he heard the pain in the doctor's voice. "I am sorry… To both of you. That day that we caught you guys, I destroyed something special." The doctor sniffed and stared at Zero Two. "I'm so sorry, Zero Two… Not a moment goes by where I wish I could go back and fix those horrible mistakes. And to think that I sent you off to be with Papa and the Nines."

Zero Two stared at the doctor. "I.. I want to understand what made you change your mind. Why, after all you did to me, would you suddenly change your mind?"

"I don't know what happened or how it happened. But… I watched you beating yourself as you tried to regain your memories, and I felt something inside me shift. I don't know what happened. All I know was that by the time I was watching Papa drag you to his transport, All I wanted to do was protect you." Dr. Franxx sniffed in disgust. "Even then, I still was too much of a coward to do anything."

"Why… Why did it take so long for you to get me back from him?" Zero Two asked.

"You don't understand how powerful you are Zero Two. Your effectiveness on the battlefield is unparalleled. Papa wouldn't give that up. Not to mention that your DNA is the base of the Nines. It took Papa half a decade to duplicate even a fraction of your power." Dr. Franxx sighed. "Getting you back, when you were so valuable to him, without revealing my true intentions was almost impossible. Frankly, I'm still surprised that it worked."

"But, you did get me away from him." Zero Two mumbled, lost in deep thought.

"Yes. That and bringing you two together again were the least I could do for you."

She looked up at him, and they stared at each other, lost for words.

"I don't know what to say." She stuttered. "I have a million reasons to hate you for what you did to me, but at the same time... At the same time, you provided me with the opportunity that I was so desperate for... And that means more to me then you could ever appreciate."

He leaned over and gave Zero Two a squeeze, and she let out a pent up sigh. There were serval long minutes of silence, the gentle hum of far off machinery the only sound that anyone could hear.

"Dr. Franxx." Zero Two stated braking the silence "I.. I think I'm willing to try and move forward. I feel as though you and I are on a level playing field." She glanced up at him. "I have Darling back. And if you're willing. To let us live our lives together and promise never to try and interfere. Then I'd be willing to see if we can maybe improve our relationship."

Dr. Franxx, smiled a tear sliding down his cheek. "Of course, Zero Two. You have my solemn oath that I will never interfere with your wishes ever again. You two are free to live your own lives."

They both nodded.

"So, what are you going to do about Papa?" He asked, politely.

Dr. Franxx smiled. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. Everyone on this plantation has rebelled against him. The rest of your squad has already declared their willingness to be free from him."

His mouth fell open. "W-When did this happen?" He asked, stunned.

Dr. Franxx smiled. "Yesterday, we all went into the Garden, and the squad decided as a group that they were rebelling against Papa." Dr. Franxx frowned. "They didn't mention anything to you?"

He felt his cheeks warming. "We actually didn't really see them very much at all yesterday."

Dr. Franxx's frown deepened. "Why? What were you guys doing?"

He felt this cheeks flush, and he involuntarily glanced at Zero Two's belly. "Nothing, in particular, I guess we just missed them when they were around."

"So, what's next?" Zero Two asked quickly, changing the subject.

"For now, just sit tight. I have something big planned for everybody, but it's going to take a little while. But reassured, It will help in our quest for freedom."

Zero Two stared at him. "How long have you been planning this?"

Dr. Franxx smiled sadly. "Ever since Papa took you away, I've been gaining allies and developing strategies to bring down Papa. I've finally undermined him enough that we may have a chance."

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity.

Zero Two nodded. "Well, if that's the case, then I'm on board. The faster he dies, the happier I'll be."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's get this done as fast as we can."

His eyes met hers, and they gave a slight nod. It wasn't just them anymore because they now had something more to defend. Time wasn't a luxury they could afford. Zero Two's belly was the timer, and it was critical that this was done before that timer went off.

Dr. Franxx smiled. "One step at a time. We're going to spend as much time as possible gather what strength we can because when we're discovered, it's going to be a mad dash to the end."

"Well…" Zero Two said, taking a deep breath. "If you're serious, then we're with you." She looked over at him and smiled, "Because I want the freedom to live my own life."

Dr. Franxx nodded. "Then let's make that dream a reality."

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading Chapter 18 of The Jian Bird.

Sorry for the delay life has just been super hectic, but thank you for all your continued support.

Stay tuned for Chapter 19 of The Jian Bird: The Catalyst of Change