The next time Chris could open his eyes light struck them harshly. Blinking multiple times his vision slowly cleared. He looked around as much as possible, but he couldn't move his head. What he could see was a wooden ceiling and a wall with everyday fixtures.

Directly in front of him, he saw woman long past her prime. With grey hair and a sun-battered face. "Oh my Maria he's wonderful; a healthy boy," said the woman while holding him in her aged hands.

'Uhh?' Chris didn't know what was happening at first but soon gathered his bearings.

'I was just born wasn't I?'

The elderly woman passed him over to a young woman sitting upright on a bed.

The young woman seemingly exhausted and sickly in form. However, her current state did little to detract from her appearance.

'Wow!' Chis thought as he looked at her face.

The young woman's complexion was as fair as freshly chiseled alabaster; her skin smoother than polished marble. Long hair made of golden silk draped over her shoulders.

When the newborn reached her arms, at last, the young goddess' lips parted revealing a smile that softened stone.

A pair of fresh eyes explored her face with curiosity the baby's gaze halting on her eyes.

Maria's eagle-like eyes mesmerized him instantly; angular and sharp, the color of bright sapphire. Holding a dangerous beauty one look could cut a man down.

Chris peered into her deep blue eyes shining with the light of maternal love.

Mother and child meeting for the first time.

"Hello my little one; my love," Maria said.

"Gugha.." Chris tried to reply.

An intense emotion washed of his entire being an emotion long forgotten to him.

He began to bawl like the baby he is.

"Wah wah wah."

"There there are you hungry? Here mommy is here" Maria said with a tired voice.

As she brought him to her bosom, Chris felt at peace. For the first time in a world unknown, he felt the warmth home.

After being fed and coddled the baby began drifting into sleep.

SLAM the door to the small room shot open.

"Where the child let me see them!'' Said a man loudly while barging into the room.

The baby's eyes shot open, now looking toward the man as he towered over the bedside.

A tall, burly man with bronze skin and matte black hair. A dark goatee adorned his strong face.

Wearing a white and blue uniform, his shirt with the sleeves cut short, and a white overcoat was hanging on his shoulders. His thick muscular arms littered with scars and tattoos spread wide.

'Uh..who? That uniform a soldier...no those are epaulets he's an officer.' Chris thought.

"Maria, darling I came as fast as I could. How'd it go?" Said the bear.

Before the tired young mother could speak, an angry voice cut in.

"Sir.Francis! The madam is in need of rest, and this was very taxing on her body; you know her condition," chided the old midwife.

The man rubbed the back of his head with an uneasy look, not expecting the scolding.

"Ahh, umm...sorry"

"It's quite alright Sakura, (cough) could you leave us?" Asked Maria lightly.

"Madam... I'll go get the doctor," Sakura said. Then headed for the door shooting a knowing glance toward Francis while closing the door.

"Maria he's beautiful. What is his name?" Francis asked.

"Alva D." Maria began looking at Francis with such joy.

"Alva, yes a fine name for a Drake!" Francis replied with his maw spread wide.

He continued " D." you want to pass on that name?

"Yes like my father, and grandfather," Maria replied.

"I see, hello there Alva, my son."

'Alva D. Drake, not bad.'

'So he's my dad. Damn, he's big, tall, muscular and tan. He reeks like a mixture of fish and blood. A sailor?' Alva thought while looking at him.

Suddenly Maria broke out into a coughing fit, and blood flew out of her mouth.

She began gasping heavily before she passed out she handed Alva over to Francis.

Francis quickly ran to a nursery across the hall and placed Alva into a crib.

"Wait here son," Francis yelled as he shot through the door towards the hall at a speed Alva couldn't follow. 'He teleported!' Alva couldn't believe it.

Soon Alva could hear screams throughout the house.

"Mariaaaaa!"

'Mom!' Alva was worried about his mother he didn't understand the issue, but he could tell it wasn't right.

However being a newborn was difficult as he could no longer stay awake.

___________________________________________________________

When Alva woke up again, he saw his father was sitting by his crib with tears in his eyes.

Swollen and red-eye sockets sat on his pained face.

The fire in his eyes was gone extinguished by the tears.

"Maria..dammit why…" Called out the hoarse voice of Francis.

Soon Francis noticed Alva awake and looked at him. He rose to his feet picked Alva up and sat back down with the child.

"Hey, little guy," said in a low voice "You have your mothers eyes."

Francis looked down at his son unable to smile.

"Mommy loved you very much you know?"

"She left ahead of me...b-be-before she left, she said 'Make sure he grows up safe and make sure he knows mommy loves him. I'll miss you both with all my heart.'" Francis manages to say almost choking on the words.

The words hit like a wrecking ball onto a dam.

Alva felt a rupture deep in his heart; he burst into tears.

Francis followed suit crying along with his son.

A while later, Francis not knowing if his son could understand his words or be just hungry. Calling for a woman who stood just outside of the door in the hall.

She soon entered, she was a heavy built woman around the age of thirty or so. The lady had a large stomach and swollen breast. She also had a mournful look.

Francis handed Alva over to the wet nurse and picked up a bottle of whiskey from the nightstand.

With a short "Feed him," Francis left the nursery with a friend in hand.

Alva wasn't hungry, but he ate anyway, he was heartbroken.

'She...she died because of me' Alva could not help but think.

Spending the next months, eating as much as possible even when he wasn't hungry and sleeping when he wasn't tired. While this stage in life was boring, Alva knew that this was essential to development.

"I have to grow as fast as possible; this is boring as hell just laying here."

At five-months-old Alva began kicking his legs and holding them in the air as much as possible, when in his crib he would use the rails to stand until he couldn't anymore.

After a month of this, he could stand on his own. At six months he had figured out how to balance his odd body. Memories of balance helped much in this. As soon as Alva could walk he was running whenever no one could see him.

"I can't push it too much, but I should be able to develop quickly." Alva instinctually felt the need to grow as much as possible.

"It's sure inconvenient not being able to speak in front of Lisa or Sakura yet," Alva said.

Alva's wet-nurse and caretaker Lisa quickly noticed Alva was special. She would see him looking at her and listening carefully to her words when she spoke.

He only played with the wooden shaker for a toy, and almost never laughed at her faces. She caught him say a word or two. Lisa even saw him walk once. Lisa was a veteran mother with three children of her own, so she knew something wasn't quite right.

"I ought to tell the Cappin' his sons a gin-u-ine genius when he gets back to town," Lisa mused in an accent unique to herself.