Till the end

Chapter 61

"This changes everything."

We were back in the hut, the sun setting outside as we prepared for dinner. Midorima had finished rerunning Mitsuki's bloods and checking her vitals as I was worried that something might have changed. He had declared her healthy and the only change was that it seemed to have exhausted her and she was sleeping soundly in my arm. But she was something else. To be able to control those that were infected, the undead, the wraiths. It was unbelievable and I wouldn't have thought it possible except I had been there and seen it with my own eyes.

"We won't be able to live in a settlement. If they were to find out about what the three of you were capable of we wouldn't be enough to keep you safe."

"We could just stay here. We have an escape route if we need. I can start growing the crops again. If Mayuzumi keeps up the patrols and with the both of you sensing the undead then we will have plenty of warning."

"We could build some fences, or a wall. Maybe some more huts to spread it out if we are going to stay here for a set period of time."

"If we could find another goat or a cow that would be good. The more milk the more we can expand our diet. There's plenty of fish in the lake that we can eat. Some chickens would be good to."

"There's something you haven't thought of yet."

Mayuzumi pushed off the wall and everyone turned in shock to hear him talking.

"I will take Kuroko and Mitsuki and we will stay in the forests. As you have discussed we will be safe from the undead with our senses and as she grows older we will teach her how to be secretive. Then we would be able to re-join humanity."

"No way!"

"That's not going to happen. Akashi gave me the responsibility for everyone here, including Kuroko and his daughter."

My heart ached at the mention of my husband and I blinked away tears, catching Midorima's apologetic look.

"It is the best plan of action. We do not know if she will develop any other skills. What if she throws a tantrum and send the infected on rampage? What if she becomes contagious and infects any of you? Midorima, you have said it yourself that the infection is stronger in her body than in ours. We have no idea what could happen in the future. This is the only plan of action that will keep everyone safe."

"And I said no."

"Midoricchi is right! No way are we going to bail on the three of you!"

"Kise. I don't want anyone else to get hurt or to sacrifice themselves for me. the guilt, I cant stand it. I lay awake at night and think of what would have happened if I hadn't met Akashi. If I hadn't bitten him as a child, none of this would have happened. Or if I had taken Aida's advice and gotten rid of Mitsuki, he would still be alive. Everything that happened could have been avoided but I made the wrong choices and now he is gone. It is my fault."

The tears were flowing again and I clutched the sleeping Mitsuki closer to my chest. I felt like I was being torn to pieces with all the different emotions running through my body. Loving the child in my arms with all my heart and then hating her as I saw her as the reason that Akashi wasn't by my side. Then that hatred would turn to myself. It was an endless cycle that I struggled against every day.

"Kuroko, I don't think you would have been able to change anything."

Midorima moved closer and stroked Mitsuki's red locks as he gazed down at her with a mix of sadness and amazement.

"I am a believer in fate. If two people are to meet the universe will make it happen. You and Akashi were bond by the red string of fate. If you hadn't had bitten him I am still sure the both of you would have fallen in love and he would have still gotten infected. It would have led to the two of you still leaving the village and eventually, I like to think, you would have met all of us in time. And this little angel would have eventually been born."