Hidden Laboratory the snake's heart

Chapter 11

Eliot had already gotten up to take care of the children, while Mujika was still asleep. Izumi still seemed thoughtful and after a while he looked at his father in question: "Dad...?"
"Yes?", he looked at him, crouching down in front of him.
"Will mom love the other child more than me...?", he didn't dare to look at Eliot anymore and lowered his head ashamed.

"Noo Izumi!! Of course not! Mujika loves all of you the same! Julian, you and the baby that's still in her belly! No need to worry about that!", he smiled and ruffled through his hair.

"Are you sure?", he still didn't look completely convinced.

"Yes, I am sure!"

"And what about you?", Izumi suddenly asked. "Will you also still like me?"

"Izumi! Of course I will! I also love the three of you the same!"

"No need to worry about that Izu, you'll love having a little brother!", Julian suddenly answered, and Izumi looked at him surprised.

"How do we know that it's not a big brother?", he questioned, and Julian laid his head to the side.

"Because he's still going to be born, so he'll be a baby, younger than you, got it? He's still in mom's belly!"

"Mom eat him!!!????", Izumi looked at both of them in terror while they shook their head trying not to laugh.

"No, daddy put it there!", Julian explained but then grimaced and laughed.

"How...? Did you open up mommy's belly!? Dad! The baby must be dead by now!", now he looked even more terrified.

"Nooo! Look. The baby is small now. It will grow up and live in her belly and when it is big enough it will come out!", Eliot explained, and Izumi nodded but then looked even more confused.

"But how did you put it in there?"

"This I will explain to you when Julian is not around. This boy is finding this way too funny!", he looked at him seriously, but Julian just kept on laughing.
When Mujika arrived in the kitchen stretching, the three of them were still discussing and Izumi was the first one to notice her running up to her and hugging her belly talking close to her navel.

"Little brother... are you alive in there?", he whispered and then looked at his mother. "Mommy... did it hurt a lot when daddy put our little brother inside?"

Mujika gasped and her face turned red: "W-what? I mean... No!"

Julian was sitting a little sloppily, his hands supporting the back of his head as he laughed at the situation, while Eliot had gotten up ready to make him regret, Julian started running through the living room still laughing trying to not get caught by his father.

"It probably hurt! But I don't think she cares!", he laughed even more.

"Julian!!!", Mujika answered strictly but still embarrassed while Izumi looked angry at Eliot.

"How mean! Poor mommy! How could you do this", Izumi asked terrified while Eliot had finally caught off to Julian throwing him over his shoulder holding him tight, while Julian tried to free himself. "That's right... how mean!!", Julian agreed in laughter while Eliot whispered angrily. "Will you be silent now?!", he had trouble himself to not start laughing too.

"Izumi believe me. It didn't hurt, okay?", she smiled slightly ignoring the two others.
"Is it really true?", Izumi asked unsure and Mujika nodded.
"Alright... I am hungry! Can we eat??", Izumi seemed to have lost interest in this matter by seconds, while Eliot had lifted Julian up running to the garden ready to throw him into the pool.

"No!! N-no dad!!!", he tried to struggle while still laughing.

"Izumi! Help me!!", Julian screamed stretching his arms out to Izumi, while Eliot kept on laughing mean, approaching the pool.

"If you try to help him, I will throw you too!", Eliot warned Izumi and the little boy laughed excited. "Yes!!"

"Ah!! No!! Mommy! Help me!!", Julian tried his best and Mujika came after them, holding Izumi in her arms.

"Throw him in the middle of the pool!!", she yelled, and Eliot let go of Julian, letting the boy sink into the water.

Julian came up again still laughing at them, while swimming backwards. Eliot didn't wait long to jump into the water too, pushing him under the surface.

"I want to join too!!", Izumi yelled while he climbed off his mother's lap and jumped into the pool too. Julian also had pulled his father under the water by now and Eliot held out his hand to his wife. "Mujika! You have to help me!! I'm going to die in here!"

"Sorry, no! It must be really cold!!", she complained, and the boys looked at each other climbing out of the pool.

"Izu! Help me here!", he said already trying to pull his mother inside. Izumi soon began pushing her towards the water and she fell in laughing.

"Pool party!!", Izumi shouted and jumped in again, followed by Julian. They spend more time in the pool, having fun and left it all freezing again. Later when they were sitting to eat breakfast, talking excitedly, Mujika suddenly jumped up as if she'd remembered something. "We have to get ready to go!"

"Where?", Julian looked at her confused.

"Oh... truth...!", Eliot was not really sure, if he should look forward towards what was going to happen, or not.

"Where do we go?", now both boys looked at them questioning.

"To your grandparents' house!", Mujika explained.

"I thought they are in vacation now", Julian asked and Mujika looked at Eliot taking a deep breath. "It's not Eliot's parents, it's mine", she explained and the boy's eyes widened.

"I am going to meet my other grandparents??", Izumi looked excited.
"Yeah...", she agreed. 

"One more thing son, you can't tell grandpa and grandma that mommy is pregnant, right?", Mujika reassured herself.

"What is pregnant!?", the little boy asked while Julian kept on staying silent.

"That's when we're waiting for a baby to be born! So... can't tell anyone you're going to have a new baby brother, right? Our secret!", she smiled lightly, and Izumi returned the smile with a grin.

"Right!! A secret!!", he jumped onto her lap, wrapping his arms around her. It was for those moments, that made her even happier than she already was. Feeling the love of her family right beside her. No matter what was going to happen, no matter how her parents would react. She'd always have this family. And they were the only ones she really needed. They would love her through all times and never let her go. Eliot, Julian and Izumi. Their little family, which she held warmly in her heart. Not just them. Also, Mikaela would always be there for her, and his family was also her family. Additionally, she had many friends she could put her trust on. Friends that loved her family deeply, friends her family loved deeply. The more she thought about it, the more she noticed that she never had been all alone. There always had been someone by her side. Even in the worst times, she had people to trust. So, no matter of the outcome today, she would not be alone after it either. Mujika felt herself calm down and she hugged Izumi deeply. "Izu...?", she whispered, and he nodded. "If you feel unwell there, you'll tell me and we're going to leave right away, understood?"
Izumi looked at his mother in surprise, but then nodded again, without asking anything more. "Julian. For you the same".
"What?", he looked at her as if he wasn't really present just now. "If you feel unwell when we're there, we are going to leave. Just tell me, alright?"
"Right mom", he murmured and seemed a little nervous.
"Is everything alright?", Eliot asked, looking at the boy, who just nodded. "I am just scared if they'll like me, I guess...", Julian admitted a little embarrassed. "Why should someone not like you??", Izumi looked at him not understanding and Julian smiled slightly. "Izumi is right! You're an amazing person! Don't worry about that!", Eliot smiled, and Julian smiled sheepishly. "Your dad doesn't like me either!"
"My dad likes you! He just has a hard time forgiving people that step onto his garden!", he smiled, and Julian chuckled. "Right... I should help him out in the garden a little, next time we'll visit them", he suggested and Mujika smiled and went to Julian to pin the back of his hair together, like they did often, when they left the house.

"Let's go then?", she asked, and the others agreed.