Unexpected
. . . . .
A routine summer's day brings news that may forever change the lives of the Sailor Senshi. This short addition to my series takes place two weeks after "Senshi at Sea".
Chapter 1:
"What on earth is keeping that girl?"
Kino Makoto uttered the words aloud but no one other than herself heard them within the confines of her small, quiet Tokyo apartment. "It's not like Minako to be late for a trip to Nerima to see her guy." The tall brunette sat drumming her fingers against the kitchen table, but abruptly stopped when a thought came to mind. "I hope she didn't get into an accident! With the crazy way she drives, it's more than possible." She stole another glance at the small wall clock and reached for the telephone. 'I'd better call her at home just in case.'
A rapid knock at her door stopped her in mid-reach. "Finally!"
The knock repeated, more frantic this time, and Makoto strode into the hallway to answer it. "Hold on, I'm coming!" The door unlocked with a click and she swung it open to find Aino Minako standing in the third-floor hallway.
"There you are! I was beginning to worry, Minako-chan." Makoto paused, noting her friend's pale complexion and the nervous, panicked look on her face. "What's wrong?"
The blonde hurried past her down the hall and dropped onto the living room sofa. Frowning, Makoto followed.
"Well? What happened? Did you just have a car accident or something?"
"No." Minako looked up at her with moist, wide blue eyes. "Mako-chan... I... think..."
"Go on" Makoto urged. "What's freaking you out so much?"
"I think... I'm..."
"Yes? You're what, Minako-chan?"
"I'm... pregnant!" Minako sniffled.
The brunette stared at her disbelievingly, her mouth agape. "You're what?"
"Pregnant, Mako-chan! You know, with a baby..." She pointed at herself, below her stomach. "Inside there."
"I know what pregnant means, Minako-chan." Her own knees suddenly began to feel as though they were turning to jelly and Makoto quickly joined her future sister-in-law on the sofa. "Are you sure about this?"
"I... think so. I've been feeling a little sick the last few days, especially in the mornings. At first I thought I caught a flu bug or something, but..."
Makoto stared unseeingly across the room, her expression a complete blank. "Well now. Isn't this wonderful."
Minako grabbed her arm, her voice wavering as she blurted, "It isn't wonderful, Mako-chan! Not at all! I'm only sixteen!"
"I didn't mean that in a good way" Makoto muttered. She frowned. "Hang on a second! This just isn't possible. We can't get pregnant, not unless we want to. Our Senshi powers are supposed to protect us from things like that, remember what Ami discovered last year? And Luna said we were protected too."
"I know! Isn't it the strangest thing?"
"I guess if it had to happen to any one of us, it would probably be you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Minako shot back, sounding hurt. "Taro and I haven't done anything that you and Yuji haven't. Or the other girls and their guys either."
Makoto breathed out a long sigh. "Gomen. Never mind. Minako-chan, I assume you tried using one of those test kits they sell in the pharmacies. To be completely sure?"
"No! I was too embarrassed to buy one, Mako-chan. Anyway, I'm sure the signs are all there. Trust me!" She paused a moment, staring down at herself. "I was hoping Ami could use her Mercury computer to confirm it instead."
"Hmm... I suppose she may be able to do that." Makoto stood and gathered her thoughts. "Listen, wait right here while I give Ami a call. She can come over and hopefully settle this question before it goes any further."
Minako quietly added, "I have to tell Taro the news too."
"Nani? Are you insane? You don't even know if you are yet, and you want to make Taro sick with worry for no good reason?"
"I guess I should confirm it first" the stressed blonde reluctantly agreed. "I already tried calling Ami half an hour ago but she's not home. Probably at the library with Ryo or some other boring place."
"Did you think of using your Senshi communicator to reach her?"
"Uh... no. I'm so worried, I didn't remember to try that, Mako-chan."
"Under the circumstances, I guess I can understand. Sort of. So do it now-" Makoto was interrupted by the shrill ringing of her telephone. "Hang on a second while I answer this call, then we'll track down Ami for you. Ok?"
"Ok."
Minako rested her fingers gently against her tummy while Makoto hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the black handset from its cradle. "Moshi moshi."
"Konnichiwa, Mako-chan!" Usagi's voice blared through the receiver. "Glad I caught you before you left home. Isn't Minako there yet?"
"Hai. She just got here, Usagi-chan."
"Good! The reason I called is to tell you that you and Minako don't need to pick me up today. I won't be riding to Nerima in Minako's car."
"No? Spending the day with Mamoru instead?"
"I wish! Mamo-chan is doing some extra-credit work at that dumb university this week so I'm still going to your house, but Ami and Ryo are here. They offered to drive me." Usagi grumbled, "And just in time too! Shingo has been making me crazy all day with his loud-"
"Ami is there with you? Now?"
"Hai."
"Great! Would you please put her on the line? I may need to have her come over here to my apartment for a few minutes."
Usagi instantly became cautious. "Why? I hope this isn't like evil Rei plotting to leave me behind in Tokyo! That sounds just like something she would try! She can be so mean at times!"
"It has nothing to do with Rei, Usagi-chan. Anyway, she's working at the shrine today. Please let me talk to Ami for just a minute, ok?"
"Not until you tell me exactly what's going on" Usagi replied with growing suspicion.
"Minako just needs Ami to use her Mercury computer for something. It won't take long."
Usagi stubbornly dug in her heels. "What does she need Ami's computer for?"
"To... uh..."
"Yes? If this is Senshi business, I'm supposed to know all about it, Mako-chan."
Makoto sighed. "Minako thinks she may be... expecting."
"Oh? Expecting what?"
"A baby, Usagi-chan."
The telephone went silent for a few seconds, followed by a hollow thump as the phone dropped onto the table. "Usagi-chan? Are you still there?" Makoto yelled into the mouthpiece.
The blonde's voice eventually returned to the line. "Hai. Still here" Usagi squeaked. She blurted, "I'll tell Ami and we'll be right over!"
"Arigatou, Usagi-chan. See you soon."
"Mako-chan, don't hang up yet! Do you realize what this means?"
"Well, I don't happen to think she is pregnant. It's probably just a mild case of food poisoning or something simple like that. But if so... it's really going to complicate things in Minako and Taro's lives."
"It will change all of our lives, Mako-chan."
"Oh?" the brunette puzzled. "How do you mean?"
Usagi's voice dropped to a whisper. "Remember when Setsuna-san brought our future daughters to visit us? Well, except for mine."
"Of course I remember, Usagi-chan. Yuji and I still miss our little Midori terribly."
"Well you may not miss her for very much longer, Mako-chan. Our future kids are all the same age."
Makoto's grip on the receiver slowly tightened to a firm clench as the realization struck home. "Usagi-chan, are you saying that... we could all be..."
"I am, Mako-chan. If not now, very soon! Ohh, if that happens Papa will kill me!"
The usually unfazeable brunette's hands began trembling slightly. "Well isn't that just great." She suddenly yelled into the phone, "Get Ami over here right away!"
"Hai! We're on the way!"
Makoto hung up and slowly walked back to the sofa, her mind flooded with conflicting emotions as she thought first of Midori and then the other little girls who visited her and her friends at the Hikawa shrine not long ago.
. . . . .
Before informing her blue-haired friend and Ryo of the news, Usagi took a moment to place one more quick phone call.
. . . . .
Thirty seconds later at the Hikawa Jinja, Hino Rei yanked the telephone away from her ear and stared aghast at it.
"She's WHAT?" the miko screamed.
Usagi grimaced as the girl's loud outburst echoed through the line. "It's not a definite thing yet, Rei-chan. We're on our way to Mako-chan's apartment now to find out."
In the shrine, Yuuichirou was strolling past his fiancee in the hallway and paused when Rei again erupted into the handset.
"That... Minako! Baka, baka, BAKA!"
'Oh-oh!' the young Shinto apprentice thought to himself. 'Something bad must have happened.'
Rei whirled around. "Yuuichirou-chan, you're not going to believe this!"
. . . . .
Chapter 2:
"Trouble afoot, my love?"
Rei nodded and spoke rapidly into the phone. "I'll meet you at Mako-chan's place in fifteen minutes, Usagi-chan. It's well past time to give Minako a piece of my mind! How could she be so careless about something so incredibly important?" Not waiting for Usagi's reply, she promptly hung up and again spun to face her man.
"Minako is pregnant" she spoke bluntly.
Now it was Yuuichirou's turn to stare wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "Please tell me you're joking, honey."
"Do I look like I'm joking?" the miko fumed. "Every time I think Minako has gone too far, she still manages to top it with an even bigger disaster. What was that girl thinking?" Rei stormed down the hall, still muttering to herself. "On second thought, she wasn't thinking at all! Baka!"
Her fiancee hurried after her. "This shouldn't be happening, Rei honey. I was under the impression it's impossible for the Sailor Senshi to become pregnant, at least by accident. Because of those powers you all have."
His girl rushed into their bedroom to quickly change into street clothing and he followed her inside. "I thought so too, but it seems like Minako has once again managed to perform the impossible. I should have known! I'm even willing to bet it happened during that sea cruise we went on."
Yuuichirou suddenly paled. "Uh... are you feeling ok, darling? I mean, do you have any symptoms of... you know..."
"I'm fine, Yuuichirou-chan. At least... I think so. Minako's insanity must be contagious. I'm not too sure of anything anymore."
An image rapidly formed in the teenage apprentice's mind of what the end result would be if his darling Rei also became in a family way at just sixteen. He gulped at the thought of Hino-sensei beating him to a bloody pulp with a broom handle and unceremoniously kicking him into Tokyo Bay.
"Wow! This is just-"
"This is an unmitigated disaster, that's exactly what it is!" Rei quickly slipped from her miko robe into a fresh top and skirt. "Let Grandpa know I'll be back soon, honey. But in the name of every Kami we hold sacred, please don't tell him what's going on!"
Yuuichirou nodded briskly. "I value my life far too much to say a single word about it, darling!"
Rei quickly kissed him and vanished outside.
. . . . .
Ami drove as rapidly as traffic would allow toward Makoto's apartment, but pulled off the busy road into a plaza after they had gone just two blocks.
"Why are we stopping here?" Usagi asked. "I promised Mako-chan we'd rush right over."
"I'm still not entirely sure if my Mercury computer is capable of accurately detecting a pregnancy, Usagi-chan" the blue-haired girl explained. "It would be prudent to purchase a pregnancy test kit for Minako as well."
"As a backup to your computer?" Ryo asked.
"Precisely, Ryo-kun. I've never been inside this pharmacy before, so I think it will be a safe place to get one without... arousing suspicion."
"Good thinking, Ami-chan. Ryo and I will wait for you here in the car. Don't be too long!" Usagi sat peering through the rear side window. "I still can't believe our Minako may be a mommy soon!"
"I can't believe it either, Usagi-chan. Something about this doesn't feel right." Ami parked her car and disappeared into the unfamiliar shop.
"I don't want this to come out the wrong way, Usagi-chan, but I hope Minako is just sick" Ryo spoke quietly. "Like you told Rei on the phone, this kind of situation may end up involving all of us."
Usagi grinned at the boy despite her own deep worry. "What's the matter, Ryo-chan? Not ready to be a daddy yet?"
"Not quite yet" he replied. "But if it's for real and it should happen to my Ami too, I'll try my upmost to be the very best father I can be." He rolled down his window and wiped the back of one hand across his brow. "I really need some air!"
"Don't worry too much abou it, Ryo-chan" the odangoed blonde teased. "After all, I'm sure one of those baby seat things will easily fit right here in the back of Ami's car."
The boy blushed bright red. "Usagi-chan! Please don't think or say things like that that! This is serious!"
"Oops! Too late! I already did!" Usagi giggled.
. . . . .
Ami soon located the shelf containing pegnancy test kits and took one, then as an afterthought reached for another kit for herself. Unable to hide her embarrassment, she clutched the small boxes and hurried toward the nearest register, hoping to buy them and leave without attracting any unwanted attention. But as she approached the cashier, a familiar voice from the next aisle over made her instantly freeze in place.
"Ohayou, Ami-chan! It's so good to see you again!" A woman about her mother's age approached, smiling warmly.
"Ohayou, Doctor Ueno" she stuttered in reply, trying to conceal the test kits behind her purse while her face reddened. "Um... nice day, isn't it?"
"It certainly is. Running an errand for your mother?"
"I... ah... I was just picking up something... for... for a friend."
"I see" her mother's co-worker smiled again. Ami tried inching sideways toward the register but the woman continued, "I do hope your... friend... is well. Oh, and let me congratulate you on your engagement. Urawa Ryo is such a sweet boy."
"Arigatou, Ueno-sensei. We're so very happy together." One of the boxes suddenly slipped from her grasp and clattered onto the floor. "Oh dear!" In a flash, Ami stooped down to retrieve it and vainly tried to hide it again.
The doctor chuckled, "I really must pay for my things and be going, my shift at the hospital begins at noon. Sayonara, Ami-chan."
"Sayonara, Ueno-sensei."
After the woman had left, Ami scurried up to a register, made her purchase and fled to her car, zooming away from the parking lot with a screech of tires.
"Ryo-kun, we may have some rather delicate explaining to do when my mother gets home tonight. What can we possibly tell her?"
Ryo shook his head. "I... have no idea." Her fiancee stared glumly out the window as she drove on.
. . . . .
"Mako-chan?"
"Hai?"
"Would you teach me how to knit and sew?"
Makoto stared at her blonde friend in puzzlement. "Why on earth are you thinking about knitting at a time like this, Minako-chan?"
"I thought that's what expectant mothers are supposed to do. You know, make baby clothes. Things like that."
"Would you stop it with all the baby talk?" the brunette flustered. "You still aren't sure."
"Gomen. I just thought I should be prepared... in case I am."
"There'll be plenty of time for that kind of stuff later. Hopefully much later. How about we find out what's really wrong with you first?"
"Ami can check you too while she's here. And Usagi. Mabe you can teach all of us-"
"Knock it off!" Makoto blurted.
Minako waggled an admonishing finger at her future sister-in-law. "Now now, Mako-chan, you shouldn't let yourself get so upset in your tender condition. It isn't healthy for the baby."
"My condition? And just what baby are you babbling about?" Makoto screamed. "I'm not the pregnant one here!"
"Not that you know of yet, silly!" Minako insisted. "It's possible we could all be."
"No it's not!" Makoto groaned, springing restlessly from her spot on the sofa and heading toward the tiny kitchen. "It can't be. I think I really need a nice cup of tea."
"Is tea good for the ba-"
"If you say baby one more time I'm going to lose my mind!" the flustered brunette warned. "So stop it. Now, please."
"Ok, I'll try. Just take a deep breath and try to stay calm so you don't upset the-"
"Shut up!"
Her phone rang again and she strode away to answer it.
. . . . .
Chapter 3:
"Moshi moshi."
"Mako-chan! I'm so glad I reached you." Ito Taro's friendly voice carried across the wires.
"Ohayou, Taro-chan. I guess you were wondering why Minako and I are still here in Tokyo. Are you waiting for us at my house?"
"Yuji is, but I went back to call you from my parents home. We didn't want to add any extra charges to your phone bill."
"That's very thoughtful of you" Makoto smiled. "Sorry we're so late, but... a little something came up. We'll be leaving for Nerima soon."
At that moment another sharp knock sounded on her door. 'Why doesn't anyone bother to use the doorbell?' the brunette thought. 'I do have one.'
"I'll get it!" Minako blurted and she hurried to answer the knock.
"Is there a problem in Tokyo? I hope it's nothing serious" Taro said, happy to hear his true love's excited voice in the background.
"I don't think it's anything to worry about at all" Makoto insisted. But the next words they both clearly heard made her cringe.
"Minna, we're here!" Usagi yelled as she entered the apartment. "Ami has her fancy Mercury computer with her, and she even brought along one of those pregnancy test thingies for you to use as a backup, Minako-chan!"
'Oh no!' Makoto thought. 'Did she have to announce it to the entire world?'
A sharp intake of breath burst from the receiver. "Mako-chan, did I just understand Usagi correctly?" Taro blurted.
"Heh. Uh... that depends on what you heard" the tall brunette mumbled.
"My sweet little Minako is... pregnant?" he gasped.
"Taro-chan, please don't be alarmed. I think she isn't, but she hasn't been feeling herself lately, so this is just a simple precaution to prove-"
Taro's words poured from the phone in a rapid-fire burst. "Please stay right there, Mako-chan! My Minako shouldn't be travelling in her condition!" The young man's voice became even more frantic. "We'll come to Tokyo instead!"
Makoto tried in vain to calm the boy down. "Honestly Taro-chan, there's really no need to-"
"I'll go find my brother and we'll catch the very next train to Nerima, then run to Tokyo! We'll be there as soon as we possibly can!"
"I think you have that backwards, Taro-chan." the brunette replied, chuckling despite the situation.
"I do? Well, we'll get there as fast as possible! Tell my love to stay warm and comfortable! See you both really really soon!"
"Taro-chan, wait-"
"Sayonara!"
Click!
The line abruptly went dead and Makoto hung up, sighing heavily. 'Fantastic! What else can possibly go wrong today?' She stomped back into the living room. "Thanks a lot, Usagi-chan!"
"What did I do?" the blonde asked innocently.
"Because of your ridiculously loud babbling, Taro overheard everything you said through the phone. Now he thinks Minako is pregnant, and he's completely freaking out like she's due to give birth at any moment. The boys are on their way here."
Usagi's eyes widened. "Did I do that? Gomen nasai, Mako-chan!"
"Usagi-chan, I was supposed to be the one to break the big news to Taro!" Minako steamed. "Now you've gone and ruined the big surprise! That wasn't very nice."
Makoto's temper went up another notch along with her tone. "Minna, there isn't any surprise!" She paused long enough to force her emotions back into submission. "Look, I'm sure Ami will absolutely prove for once and for all that you aren't having a baby, Minako-chan." Makoto glared at the second blonde. "And now poor Taro is probably worried to death, and all for nothing! And my Yuji will be terrified too!"
Minako sat back and began fanning herself. "All this yelling and stress is going to hurt my baby. Mako-chan, please try to calm down."
"For the last time, there is no baby!" Makoto bellowedat the ceiling. "That's it, I'm one step closer to going completely insane now!"
"You sound just like Rei, Mako-chan" Usagi muttered.
Minako placed a finger to her lips. "Ssshhh! There's too much noise and commotion in here! Minna, please think of my poor unborn child!" She gently caressed her tummy. "Don't you pay any attention at all to those mean, nasty girls, Emiko honey" she cooed softly.
"Oh for..." Makoto begged her blue-haired friend, "Ami-chan, please put a stop to this! Before I lose my last shred of sanity forever!"
"I'll certainly try my best, Mako-chan" Ami answered. "It will take some time to reprogram my computer for this kind of specialized task. In the meantime, why don't you have Minako use this test kit while I work on the problem?" She held out a box and Usagi abruptly reached out to snatch it from her.
"As your future Queen, I should be the one to help our dear sweet Minako in her time of need" she stated haughtily. "And anyway, Mako-chan is far too upset to be any use to us right now."
"Whatever" the brunette grumbled. "As long as we get to the bottom of this, I really don't care who does what. I'm going to go make my tea now, if that isn't a problem for anyone." Makoto began trudging back to her kitchen.
"Mako-chan, may I bother you for a cup too?" Ami asked as she flipped open the cover of her Mercury computer.
"No way! You can have tea later, Ami-chan!" Minako objected. "You're much too busy with important things to sit around drinking tea now!"
Makoto shot a sour glare at her future sister-in-law. "I'll be happy to pour you a cup, Ami-chan. Don't let Minako rush you like that. Let's do this thing right the first time."
Usagi tore open the box and removed a small plastic cup, a white stick sealed tightly in a cellophane wrapper, and much to her chagrin, unfolded what became a large white page of instructions in tiny dark script. "Ohh, this looks so complicated!" She scanned the sheet, frowning deeply from intense concentration.
Ami looked up from her computer's tiny glowing screen. "The procedure is quite simple really. Minako-chan, you need to provide a urine sample, then dip the stick into the cup. A color change will tell you if you're expecting or not."
"Urine? Ugh!" Minako made a face. "It sounds disgusting!"
Usagi passed Minako the plastic cup and tried freeing the stick from its snug plastic wrapper. "I don't think you need my help after all, Minako-chan. Just go to Mako-chan's bathroom and let us know what happens to the stick."
Makoto reentered the now-crowded living area with two china cups. She passed one to Ami who accepted it gratefully. "Ok, Minako-chan. Let's get this over with so we can finally get our lives back to normal." She paused to sip her warm beverage.
"I can't get this stupid wrapper off!" Usagi groaned while fumbling with the stick.
Makoto set her tea down. "Here, let me see that thing. I'll open it." She took the device from Usagi and easily peeled the wrapper away. "There."
"Wait a second, let me see it!" Usagi reached for the stick. "I want to look at it again. I've never seen one of these pregnancy test things before."
"Ok, but be careful with it" Makoto warned.
Usagi took it gingerly between her fingers but as she examined it, the stick slipped from her grasp and fell. Everyone's eyes followed it down as it plopped directly into Makoto's full teacup. "Oops!"
"Oh my!" Ami gasped.
"Good work, Usagi-chan" the brunette growled. "Now we can all find out if my tea is pregnant!"
"Gomen!"
"Well, that thing is useless now" Makoto sighed while gazing at her ruined drink. "I guess we'll just have to rely on Ami's computer for the answer." She looked up and scowled at the red-faced odango-haired teen. "And you spoiled my nice fresh cup of tea too. Arigatou, Usagi-chan."
"I said I was sorry!" the blonde wailed. "That stupid stick was so slippery!"
"No problem, Mako-chan. I have another one down in my car" Ami offered. She smiled sweetly at her young man. "Ryo-kun, would you mind?"
Her fiancee smiled back and nodded. "I'll go get it, my love. Be back in a jiffy." As he slipped on his shoes in the hallway, the doorbell rang and a split-second later the door flew violently open. A very angry raven-haired girl promptly stormed inside the apartment.
"Where is she?" Rei screamed. "I'm going to kill her!"
Chapter 4:
"Yuuichirou-chan! Would you mind coming into my office please? I want to talk to you."
Startled from his unsettled musings, the young Shinto apprentice abandoned his broom and slowly walked toward the shrine, still very much lost in thought. He found his teacher sitting behind his desk, wrinkled hands folded on its weathered wooden top beside a small stack of paperwork.
Yuuichirou hesitated in the doorway. "You wanted to see me, Hino-sensei?"
"Come in, boy. Take a seat."
The teen obediently settled his well-built frame into a nearby chair. "Is something wrong?"
The priest picked up a small silver picture frame from one corner of his desk and took a moment to silently study the photograph it contained, an image of Yuuichirou, Rei and their little Akane. The young girl proudly wore one of Rei's first miko uniforms and was smiling brightly, posing as cute as a button between her future parents. The old man regarded the image with a warm smile.
"Yuuichirou-chan, since you are, or will be," he corrected himself, "the husband of my granddaughter and father of my great-granddaughter, I am obviously concerned for your well-being."
"Arigatou, Hino-sensei." The boy felt a lump rising in his throat and wondered if his mentor would still feel that way if his precious Rei was soon discovered to be with child.
"So I find myself having to ask... what's gotten into you today?" The elderly priest gently set the picture back down and fixed his unblinking gaze on his Shinto student.
"I don't understand, Hino-sensei. Is there a problem with my work?"
"You tell me. I've been observing you this morning and you seem more than a little... preoccupied."
"I am?"
Rei's grandfather leaned back in his chair. "In the last half hour, you've emptied the same waste bin three times. And you also seem to have forgotten how to use a broom. The dust is to be gathered up, Yuuichirou-chan, not pushed back and forth as though you were idly toying with it."
"Uh... was I doing that?" Yuuichirou gulped.
The diminuitive priest leaned forward and refolded his hands. "Tell me. What's on your mind today?"
"I was just thinking about Rei, Hino-sensei. About how deeply I love her and how I'm so looking forward to the day when I finally become her husband."
"Understandable. Do continue."
The old man's eyes bore deeply into Yuuichirou and he found himself squirming uncomfortably in his chair. "And... uh... how much I miss our future daughter too."
"In the brief time she graced our presence here at Hikawa, I found little Akane to be a wonderful, delightful child. Of course," he continued, "with Rei being merely sixteen and still in school, your daughter's permanent arrival in our world is still quite some distance away."
"Hai... I hope so." The words spilled across Yuuichirou's lips before he could stop them and the teen groaned inwardly at his verbal blunder.
Rei's grandfather frowned. "You hope so? Boy, I expect so."
"Hai, Hino-sensei."
"I trust you are taking every precaution to ensure that things happen in an orderly way, and at the correct and proper time." His stare became even more intense. "And not a single moment before then. Am I making myself clear?"
Yuuichirou nodded briskly. "Of course, Hino-sensei!"
The elderly priest smiled. "Good. That is precisely what I expected to hear."
The apprentice felt his heart sink to the very depths of his toes. 'If Rei is pregnant too, I am so dead!' he thought.
. . . . .
At Makoto's apartment, after stepping around Ryo, Rei found her path down the short hallway blocked by Usagi. "Rei-chan, don't be so angry! This isn't a good time for your temper" the blonde implored. "Minako is in no condition to have you screaming at her."
"You think this is screaming, Usagi-chan? This isn't screaming. THIS IS SCREAMING! Now get out of my way!"
She pushed her way past the girl, only to be confronted by Makoto's much more imposing form. "You're all fired up for nothing, Rei-chan. Like I keep trying to tell everyone, Minako isn't pregnant, not in my opinion."
"Are you a doctor, Mako-chan?"
The tall brunette bristled. "No, but we both know how our powers make it impossible for-"
"If there's one thing I've learned in the past two years, nothing is impossible for our baka Minako! Nothing! This is completely uncalled for, not to mention entirely irresponsible! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with her."
The livid miko found her target sitting quietly on the far end of the sofa. Minako smiled up weakly and wiggled her fingers in greeting. "Konnichiwa, Rei-"
"Don't you dare konnichiwa me!" Rei fumed. "Baka! How dare you allow youself to get into this situation?"
"But... I'm not sure how it happened" the blonde replied. "Taro and I-"
"I think we all know exactly how it happened!" Rei shot back. "You were probably thinking too much about your future daughter. And at the worst possible time!"
"Honest, Rei-chan, I wasn't!" Minako insisted.
Ami looked up from her work. "The pregnancy still isn't confirmed, Rei-chan. I'm trying to adjust my computer to examine each of us for the... ah... condition. And my Ryo has just gone downstairs to bring up my second pregnancy test kit for Minako to use."
"Second kit?" Rei raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the first one? Did it read positive?"
"No" Makoto answered. "It didn't last long enough to read anything. I made the mistake of letting Usagi play with it and it got ruined."
Rei whirled around to glare evilly at her cringing odangoed friend. "No surprise there! I swear that you and Minako must have been separated at birth, Usagi-chan!"
"It was an accident!" the blonde sniffled. "The stupid thing slipped and fell into-"
The miko cut her off. "That's the problem with you two. Too many accidents!" She redirected her wrath back at the seated blonde. "Minako-chan, do you realize that if any one of us becomes pregnant, the other girls will soon follow? It's our destiny. Our future children were all born within a couple of months of each other, remember?"
"I know that" Minako mumbled. "But we can't do anything about it now. You know, it could have happened to you first, Rei-chan. Or to Ami. Or Mako-chan. Or-"
"Hey, leave me out of this if you don't mind" Makoto said.
"And all this stress you're giving me today is going to disturb my little Emiko" Minako added brusquely, while ever so gently caressing her tummy.
"She won't be any more disturbed than her mother already is!" Rei snapped back. "Are you aware what will happen if there's a chain reaction and we're all pregnant soon? How do you think everyone's parents and my Ojii-chan will handle the news? Not to mention what this could mean to our fighting abilities as Sailor Senshi!"
"I'm still convinced none of us are pregnant" the brunette standing behind her insisted.
"Really?" Rei spun to ask the blue-haired girl working intently at the opposite end of the sofa, "How long until you've finished setting up your computer, Ami-chan?"
"Another fourty-five minutes to an hour" Ami replied. "We should have a preliminary answer much sooner though, when my Ryo-kun returns with the test kit."
The miko took a deep breath. "Good. I'll feel more comfortable when we have both results."
Seconds later, Ryo rushed back into the apartment with the spare kit and handed it to Minako.
"Arigatou, Ryo-chan." The blonde stood up and began weaving her way through the crowded room. "Minna, this won't take long!"
"Remember, if the wet part of the stick turns pink, you aren't pregnant" Ami called after her. "And if it turns light blue, you are."
"Got it!" Minako grinned, and her fingers flashed everyone a vee-for-victory sign before she disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.
"And don't mess it up!" Rei yelled after her. The miko turned to mutter to Ami, "Somehow I just know she will", producing a nervous giggle from her studious friend.
Makoto gave Usagi a wry smile. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think Minako wants the result to be positive."
"Hai, Mako-chan" Usagi quietly replied. "It seems that way to me too."
. . . . .
At the Nerima railway station, a chime sounded as the Tokyo-bound train prepared to leave. Two teenage brothers sprinted gasping for breath across the platform and squeezed their way into one of the passenger cars just as the door was closing. Exhausted, they dropped heavily into the first pair of vacant seats they found.
"Whew!" Ito Yuji wheezed. "Just made it!" He grinned at his brother. "Another five seconds and we'd have had to wait for the next train!"
Taro said nothing at first, his mind still reeling from the news from Tokyo. Finally he softly spoke as he stared numbly through the window. "We're having a baby."
Imagining what turmoil must be coursing through his sibling's heart, Yuji could only think to murmur back, "Congratulations, Taro-chan."
"Arigatou, Yuji-chan. I... think."
Chapter 5:
From his spot on Makoto's pale green sofa, Ryo whispered to his love. "Ami-chan darling... look up for a second."
The blue-haired girl sitting snugly beside him momentarily diverted her attention away from her compact computer and giggled softly at the sight before her. The three other girls were randomly pacing around Makoto's small living room as they waited for Minako, all walking back and forth in different directions, and it amazed Ami that no one had yet collided.
"This is taking forever!" Usagi groaned as she passed near the bathroom door. "Minako-chan! What's going on in there?"
"I'm opening the box now" came a muffled reply, followed by a faint clatter and a familiar giggle. "Clumsy me! I just dropped the cup!"
"Please keep your mind focused on what you're doing for once!" Rei yelled at the door. "That's the last kit. Don't be like Usagi and wreck that one too!" The nearby odango-hared blonde stuck out her tongue.
"I won't, silly! I have used a bathroom before, you know!"
Makoto caught the impatient and extremely distressed miko's attention. "Rei-chan, I've seen you under stress lots of times. More often than I can remember, with all the youma fights and everything. But never like this. I know everyone's in for a very difficult time if our kids arrive so soon in our lives. To be honest, I'm not sure how Yuji and I will be able to cope, with our schooling and the extra bills and all. But it still won't be the end of the world. For us... or for you."
Usagi added, "Mako-chan's right, Rei-chan. No matter what happens, we'll all still be there to help each other. There's no need to be so miserable about it."
"It will be the end... for someone." The miko's faint reply was barely audible in the confines of the small quiet room. The girl surprised her friends by suddenly turning away from them, but not before Makoto caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a tear forming in the raven-haired girl's eye.
"Rei-chan? Are you ok?" the brunette asked softly.
"Of course I'm not ok!" Rei abruptly snapped. Her voice immediately softened. "Gomen, Mako-chan. I shouldn't have used that tone with you. It's just that..."
"What?"
Rei sighed deeply and stepped over to the sofa, sitting on the end Minako had occupied. Usagi and Makoto waited silently until their friend chose to speak again. "Minna, remember that day at the shrine when Setsuna arrived with our children from the future?" She glared at the blonde. "Except for your daughter, Usagi-chan. Trust you to upset her so much she didn't even want to come here."
"Never mind that part!" Usagi grumbled.
"Yuji and I will remember that happy time with our little Midori for the rest of our lives" Makoto answered. "You and Yuuichirou certainly seemed to be having a great time with your little Akane too. So... what's the problem? Other than the obvious stuff, I mean."
Rei again fell silent. Finally she stared into the brunette's vivid green eyes. "I asked Akane about seeing Grandpa in the future, and she told us that she only knew him through... photographs, Mako-chan." Her gaze dropped to stare at the floor. "Just pictures."
Makoto nodded understandingly. "Now I see."
"I don't!" Usagi objected. "If your daughter didn't meet your grandpa in the future, then where is... Oh! I'm really sorry, Rei-chan." She tenderly touched her friend's shoulder with deep concern.
"It's ok, Usagi-chan" the miko said. "I'll manage. Arigatou." Using every ounce of her discipline, she struggled with the thought of soon losing her dear grandfather, fighting her hardest to keep her emotions in check.
Rei suddenly stood and strode over to the bathroom door. "Well?"
Minako's voice carried faintly from inside. "Give me a minute!"
"Hurry it up!"
"I'll never be able to do this if you keep pressuring me, Rei-chan!"
"This is ridiculous!" Rei steamed.
The other girls joined the miko and clustered around the door when Minako exclaimed, "I'm putting the stick thingy in now!"
"Ohh! The suspense is killing me!" Usagi groaned. She heard a sudden gasp from inside the bathroom and everyone held their breath.
"What color is it?" Makoto called after a few more seconds. "Pink or blue? It's pink, isn't it?"
"It's... not pink."
The brunette was astonished. "It's not?"
After a long moment the door clicked and slowly opened and Aino Minako appeared, her complexion decidedly pale. "Minna... it's yellow!"
"Yellow?" Rei blurted. "It can't be yellow! You did something wrong, you imbecile!"
The blonde asked the nearby blue-haired girl, her voice quivering, "Ami-chan? What does yellow mean?"
Ami sighed. "I was afraid this might happen."
"It's bad news, isn't it?" Minako's pretty face paled even more and she began to visibly tremble. "I'm not having a baby! I'm having... a monster!"
"Baka!" Rei growled. "You're not having a monster! Stop babbling nonsense and pull yourself together!"
Ami handed Ryo her computer and rose from her seat. After carefully examining the stick she said, "It appears that your Senshi powers are influencing the test, Minako-chan. I think the result is completely worthless. It would likely be the same for any of us."
"Worthless?" Rei exclaimed disbelievingly. "Well isn't that nice!"
"Looks like it's up to you and your trusty Mercury computer now, Ami-chan" Makoto observed. "I really need another tea. Anyone else want one?"
Usagi stuck up her hand. "Me please!"
"I'll get right back to work on my program" the blue-haired girl said determinedly. "I will need more time though. I want my results to be absolutely accurate."
Rei shot a wicked glare at Minako. "Can't you do anything right?"
. . . . .
The high-speed shinkansen gracefully whooshed around a bend in the rails as it neared Tokyo. Inside one of the long chain of gleaming white passenger cars, Taro had resigned himself to the inevitable. Despite the concerns the boy carried, he was surprised to find himself smiling at the thought that he and his fiancee may soon be welcoming a new life into their world. A life they created together, conceived in purest, sweetest love.
"Little Emiko will look just like my Minako" he thought aloud. "So incredibly beautiful."
"We're all thankful for that small mercy" his sibling teased. "It'll be a disaster if she looks anything like you!"
Taro playfully jabbed his companion in the shoulder. "Very funny. You're such a nice, supportive brother, Yuji-chan. Remind me to ask Mako-chan to bake you a cake for your next birthday. Preferably an exploding one!"
"It would still be delicious" Yuji remarked.
"Hai. It probably would." He turned his attention back to the passing scenery. "We are two very lucky guys."
"That's so true, Taro-chan" his brother agreed. "The luckiest guys in the world."
"So... are you ready to face the music when Mako-chan tells you she's expecting too?"
"Sure!" Yuji replied confidently. "When that day finally comes, I'll be ready."
"Our kids are all the same age, Yuji-chan."
"Hai, I know..." The realization suddenly dawned, hitting his brother like a sledgehammer. "Good grief! That's right!"
Taro grinned at his sixteen-year-old brother now sitting rigidly upright beside him. "Can we call you Papa Yuji from now on? Just to help you get used to the idea?"
Ito Yuji's face instantly turned as white as a sheet.
. . . . .
Chapter 6:
Growing impatient, Usagi perched herself onto the very edge of the sofa near Ami and Ryo and asked the girl, "How much longer, Ami-chan?"
"I shouldn't need too much more time, Usagi-chan" the studious, brilliant teen replied with a smile. "The changes I'm making to my computer are going well. I'll hopefully be ready to test everyone in another half hour at most."
"Half an hour?" the blonde groaned. "That's almost like... forever!"
"Would you please stop pestering Ami and let her finish her work in peace?" Rei grumbled. "We'll all know where we stand soon enough."
Makoto stood nearby, calmly sipping her tea. "I already know" she spoke confidently. "Our special powers are still protecting us and we're all completely fine. Including you, Minako-chan."
"As much as I love and miss my Akane, I do hope you're right." Rei remained unconvinced despite the brunette's optimism.
"I hope you're right too, Mako-chan" Usagi added with a trace of nervousness.
"What's the matter, Usagi-chan?" Minako asked with a giggle. "Worried about what your parents will do if they find out you're pregnant already too?"
"I'm not too worried about my mother. She's very understanding and really likes my Mamo-chan a lot. It's how my father will react to the news that scares me" the blonde fretted. "There could be really big trouble ahead!"
"I just thought of something funny" Makoto mused. "After we all finally do get pregnant and we start showing, I wonder if our Senshi fuku will adjust to fit us."
"Nani?" Minako exclaimed. "Mako-chan, that's crazy talk! There's no way we could ever fight cardians or youma in that delicate condition!"
"What are you suggesting?" Rei growled. "That we just give up and let monsters run rampant across Tokyo? Sorry Minako-chan, but you should have thought of that little problem a lot earlier. Instead of spending nearly every waking moment of every single day dreaming up new ways to have fun with Taro."
"We didn't do anything wrong, Rei-chan!" the blonde pouted. "My Taro-love and I happen to love each other so very much."
"Obviously" the miko sneered. "And that's why we're all sitting here now. Because someone can't control their thoughts! Baka sex maniac!"
"Do you mind?" Minako muttered. "What if my little Emiko can hear you saying those things? She'll think she's not wanted!" The girl caressed her tummy and spoke softly to herself, "Don't listen to a single word Auntie Rei says, Emiko honey. She's just having another one of her grumpy moods."
"My moods?" the miko blurted. "You're the last person on earth who should bring that subject up! You and Usagi are the main reasons behind most of them!"
Makoto began to chuckle and the blonde with the red bow in her hair glared back. "What's so funny?"
"You are, Minako-chan. You're going to feel really dumb when you find out you've been patting yourself like that and talking to a stomach bug or something all this time."
Minako angrily leapt to her feet. "Are you calling my little girl a... bug?"
"Hai" the brunette snickered. "And that's exactly what you've been doing. Or should I say, the very opposite."
"Well! Such rudeness!"
"I'll be more than happy to teach you how to knit like you asked me to" her friend continued the tease. "Maybe you can make some tiny woolen booties for each of your little germs."
Ami giggled at the thought, sending Minako into an indignant rage.
"Mako-chan, that's really mean! I never expected any sister-in-law of mine to behave in such a rude way! Little Emiko and I are so offended!" Minako miffed.
"Ah... I certainly wouldn't want to take sides, Mako-chan" the blue-haired teen spoke up. "But there is still the very real possibility that Minako is in fact with child" Ami politely cautioned the brunette.
Makoto finished her tea and rested the empty cup on her coffee table. "I'm not too worried about it, Ami-chan. Not yet, anyway. If your computer says otherwise, that's when I'll worry."
"I'll have you know I'm so looking forward to being with my Emiko again. Taking her to the park" the blonde went on in a dreamy tone. "Dressing her up in really cute clothes, teaching her lots of new things and... you know, all kinds of mommy stuff like that."
"It's a real baby we're talking about here, Minako-chan" Rei sighed, "not a toy doll. I suppose you'll end up preparing her meals too." She sadly shook her head. "That poor, poor child."
Minako sat back down in a huff. "Fine! Minna, feel free to go right ahead and pick on us! Have your fun. You'll be eating every one of those nasty words when you realize I'm right and how great a mother I am! You'll see!"
"Better to eat nasty words than your dreadful cooking" the miko scoffed. "Remember how you nearly poisoned me and Artemis at the shrine when I was sick and you came over to help? And while we're at it, let's not forget my nice new stereo that you somehow managed to blow up while you were there."
"For your information my cooking has improved a lot since last year, Rei-chan" the blonde boasted. "I even prepared a really tasty fish dinner for my family just this past weekend. My mother and father said they loved it! So there!" Minako folded her arms indignantly and glared back at the miko.
"Really? You made your parents dinner?" Rei deadpanned, "Were there any survivors?"
"Hmph!" Her friend looked away, diverting her gaze to stare sullenly off into space.
Usagi piped up, "Minna, since we're all talking about food, how about we-"
"Not now!" Rei hissed. "You can stuff your face later, Usagi-chan. We have much more important things to think about at a time like this than you stuffing your face."
"I only mentioned it because-"
"No!"
"Meanie!"
. . . . .
The instant the train doors slid open, Taro and Yuji burst from their car and tore across the platform, dodging left and right through the thick crowd as they hurried through Tokyo's largest and busiest railway station. Just before they reached the exit, Yuji called out, "Taro-chan! Wait up!"
Puzzled, the older brother stopped and watched Yuji hurry over to a nearby vendor. The teen quickly chose a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers and Taro promptly did the same.
"This is an excellent idea, Yuji-chan. I have to admit, for a brother you're actually pretty smart... at times."
Yuji was too caught up in the moment to pay any heed to his older sibling's wisecrack. "If my sweet Makoto really is... well, I just want to remind her how dearly I love her and that I vow to be there for her no matter what happens in our lives" Yuji said.
The teens collected their flowers and rushed outside, hailing a nearby taxi and clambering into its back seat. The driver noted the address they gave and smiled at them in the mirror before pulling away from the curb. "You two boys look awfully excited. You have a big double-date planned?"
"A date? No sir, we're having a baby!" Taro answered proudly. "Uh... I mean my fiancee and I, not my brother and me."
"You are? In that case, please accept my congratulations."
"Arigatou."
"My fiancee and I are having a baby too!" Yuji added. "Maybe... uh... I think..."
"Oh?" The taxi driver chuckled, "Then congratulations to you too, young man... I think."
Taro grinned at his brother as Yuji blushed red and stared out of the cab window as they became immersed in a sea of heavy Tokyo traffic.
. . . . .
Chapter 7:
The minutes ticked slowly past for the girls in Makoto's apartment while Ami put the finishing touches on her new program. Makoto eyed the blonde on the end of the sofa, finding herself beginning to wonder, 'What if I really am carrying a new life inside me? How can Yuji and I possibly raise a child at our age?' Shrugging off her growing doubts, she thought instead of her Yuji and how deeply her love for the shy boy from Nerima filled her heart.
Rei continued to slowly pace around the living room, her tension growing with each step. Usagi again sat alongside Ami, fidgeting restlessly on the sofa. Only Minako seemed calm, almost serenely happy with her possible maternal fate.
Makoto decided it was time to give her too-bubbly friend a little reality check. Retrieving an old newspaper she kept around her apartment to use in repotting her plants, she thumbed through it and soon found the page she was looking for. Grinning evilly, she strode over to Minako.
"Still excited about the idea of raising a child, Minako-chan?"
"Hai! I am! I really don't understand why everyone is so panicky about it. It'll be great fun to have Emiko here with me and my Taro again. We'll be a complete family! And I can go shopping for lots of new clothes for her. She'll look so cute!"
"Shopping? Fun?" The brunette presented the girl with the paper. "In that case, you'd better get started now. You'll have a helpless infant on your hands, not a six-year-old."
"I know that!" Minako took the offered newspaper and peered at it curiously. "What's this, Mako-chan?"
"It's an advertisement for diapers, Minako-chan. You'll be needing lots of those soon."
"Diapers?" her future sister-in-law wondered aloud.
Rei's pacing took her over to the seated teen. "That's right, Minako-chan. You didn't think a new baby would clean and change itself, did you?"
"Well... no. I guess not."
"It's a really messy job" Makoto told her friend. "Getting up at all hours of the night and changing dirty diapers. But I'm sure you won't mind."
"Of course not! I'll do it!" Minako replied, though her eyes widened as she pondered this new and alarming thought.
"Don't forget all those feedings too" Rei said in a deadly serious tone. "Not to mention holding your baby to calm and burp her when she starts crying at three or four in the morning."
Makoto chuckled, "They do that a lot, don't they Rei-chan?"
The miko responded with a solemn nod. "Hai. Constantly, from what I've heard."
"Three in the morning?" Minako paled. "But... how am I supposed to stay awake during classes if I have to get up at all hours every single night?"
"I'm sure you'll cope" the brunette chuckled again.
"Oh. You know, I never thought of that!"
"It's all part of the job, Minako-chan."
The blonde stared at the paper and swallowed hard. But much to the other girls' surprise, her mood suddenly brightened once more. "Won't be a problem, no way, not for me! I'll do whatever it takes for my little Emiko!"
Rei whispered to her taller friend, "Nice try, Mako-chan. But I don't think it worked."
"She's going to feel so disappointed when-" Makoto's equally quiet reply was interrupted by a sudden loud, rapid knock on her door, accompanied by a frantically ringing doorbell. The brunette smiled, "That has to be the boys!"
"My man is here!" Minako tossed the paper aside, bolted from the sofa, shot past the other girls and flung the door wide open. "Taro-love!"
"My sweet Minako!"
In an instant the young couple were in each other's arms, kissing passionately. Yuji squeezed his way past them and hurried inside the apartment, straight into his own true love's warm, tender embrace.
"Mako-chan!" Their lips also pressed together in a deliciously deep kiss. "We got here as quick as we could! Oh, these flowers are for you."
He presented his girl with the bouquet and Makoto smiled happily. "Arigatou, honey! That was so thoughtful. They're beautiful!"
Still standing in the doorway, Minako and Taro finally separated. Minako took her flowers with heartfelt thanks and grabbed her fiancee's hand, briskly leading him inside.
"How do you feel, darling?" Taro asked softly. "Are you holding up ok?"
"So happy!" She slipped her arms around him again. "Especially now that you're here."
The teen from Nerima gazed into the sparkling blue eyes of the girl he loved as he gently stroked her long golden-blonde hair. "Is it really true? Are we... having a baby?"
"Well... it's not exactly a definite thing yet, honey-love" Minako admitted. "Ami will check us all out with her computer soon and then we'll know for sure. But..." she smiled, her pretty face glowing radiantly, "I think we are."
Yuji also looked searchingly at his future bride. "How about you, my sweet? Do you think you're..." He stopped in mid-sentence, hesitating to say the word.
"I honestly don't believe any of us girls are expecting at this point in time, Yuji honey. There's no need for you to get stressed out about it yet." She added, "Unless... that is... you'd like me to be."
The sixteen-year-old tenderly squeezed her hand. "If it happens now or happens later, I will still love you and our child with all of my heart."
Nearby, Rei muttered to Usagi, "All this mushiness is suffocating me!"
"I think it's beautiful, Rei-chan. So romantic!"
"You would."
"Quiet, you!"
The new arrivals scarcely had time to greet their other friends before Ami announced, "Minna, my computer is ready."
"And about time too!" Usagi exclaimed. "Ohh! This is so exciting!"
Taro exchanged nervous glances with his brother as the blue-haired girl pressed a final button on her computer to ready it, and stood up with her Ryo remaining faithfully right by her side.
"I'm ready to do this, Ami-chan!" Minako suddenly puzzled, "Uh... how does this test work, anyway? Do I need to take off my clothes first?"
"Like she needs an excuse to do that with Taro around" Rei muttered. "Maniac!"
"That won't be necessary, Minako-chan" Ami giggled. "Minna, I'd like to perform the first test on myself, since I currently have no morning sickness or other pregnancy symptoms" she explained. "It will make a good baseline for the computer to use when it checks everyone else." She added, "My Mercury computer has to be more than one meter away from the subject to do this, so I need someone to volunteer to operate it for me."
Usagi and Rei both reached out for Ami's computer but Minako beat them to it. "I'll test you!" She stared perplexed at the tiny screen. "How do I work this silly thing?"
Ami instructed, "I tried to make it foolproof, Minako-chan. Please ignore all those numbers you see, just point it at my womb and press that button on the far left. If the screen color changes to blue, I'm pregnant. If it turns green, I'm not."
"That sounds simple enough! Blue for baby and green for... no baby. Got it!" Everyone took a step back as the blonde excitedly pointed the device at the blue-haired girl and poised her finger over the button. Yuji grinned at Ryo, noticing his close friend taking a hugely deep breath.
"Here we go!"
Minako pressed the button and looked down at the screen.
"Oh!" Minako winked at her test subject. "What a pretty shade of... blue!"
Ami's eyes sprung hugely wide, while beside her, Ryo emitted a strangled gurgle and fell backward, collapsing heavily onto the sofa.
"You're joking!" Rei blurted.
"Actually... I am!" Minako admitted with a mischevious giggle. She held up the device for all to see. "It's green, Ami-chan."
Ami stomped her foot in what was for her a massive outburst of emotion. "Minako-chan! It isn't at all nice to tease me about something important like this!"
"You can breathe again, Ryo-chan" Yuji chuckled. "All clear."
Rei scowled angrily at the girl. "That was a new low, Minako-chan!"
"Gomen!" Minako apologized. "I just couldn't resist!"
With a comically stern glare at the still grinning blonde, Ami disdainfully took back her computer and quickly examined the numbers on its display. "Minna, I'm not pregnant, and the energy field that protects me is still there and working normally." She helped her shaken fiancee up off the sofa. "We aren't expecting, my Ryo-kun" she spoke reassuringly. "It looks like our little Chieko won't be joining us quite yet."
Her boy slowly nodded, his face numb, then slowly leaned forward to gently and wordlessly kiss her cheek.
"Who's next, Ami-chan?" Usagi bounced excitedly on her toes. "Me please!"
Ami nodded, proceeding to test Usagi, and then Rei. Both girls came up negative.
The raven-haired miko breathed a soft sigh of relief after her test, thanking the Kami for the fortunate result. 'Ojii-chan isn't leaving me yet' she thought happily. 'And Yuuichirou won't need to hide away from Grandpa until he cools off!'
"My turn!" Minako begged, but Makoto waved her away, having none of it.
"You lost your turn after pulling that stupid prank on Ami and Ryo" she sternly admonished the girl. "I'm going next."
"No fair!" Minako wailed.
"Too bad. Deal with it." With Yuji holding his breath, the tall brunette calmly told Ami, "Let's do this."
"Hai." Ami pressed the button and smiled up at her friend. "It's green, Mako-chan."
Makoto immediately locked eyes with Minako. "Told you so." She ignored the blonde's sour pout and took her love's hand in hers. "I hope you didn't get too worked up over it, Yuji honey."
Her young man shook his head and smiled. "It's ok, Mako-chan. It just means we'll have something very special to look forward to a little later on in our life together."
"Hai. We will."
"It's time for the big event!" Usagi announced to the crowded living room. "Good luck, Minako-chan!"
Across the room, the last girl nervously positioned herself directly in front of Ami. She blew a kiss at her anxiousy waiting Taro, who smiled back. "No matter what happens, I love you, my beautiful Minako."
"I love you too, honey-muffin!"
"Every chance she gets" Rei grumbled. "Can we finally get on with this?"
Ami suggested, "You're standing a little too close, Minako-chan. I'm up against the sofa, so would you mind taking two steps back please?"
"Sure, Ami-chan" Minako complied while asking, "That computer of yours won't harm my baby, will it?"
Ami tried hard to keep a straight face during her opportunity for revenge, with only the faintest of smiles appearing on her lips. "Of course not, Minako-chan. This test is quite harmless. Your bacteria should be just fine."
"My what? Ami-chan! How could you?"
"You were asking for it!" Makoto laughed. "Good one, Ami-chan!"
Ami giggled softly before pointing her small Mercury computer at the frowning blonde and pressing its start button once more.
. . . . .
Chapter 8:
A hush settled over the living room as Ami silently studied her Mercury computer's tiny glowing display.
"Move over, Mako-chan!" Usagi begged. "I can't see!" Pinned in one corner of the small room behind the brunette and her other friends, she craned her neck to peer around the taller girl.
With her emotions swaying wildly between nervous optimism and worry, Aino Minako pleaded with her studious friend. "Is it blue, Ami-chan? Is it? Tell me!"
Ami looked up from the video screen. "You... aren't pregnant, Minako-chan."
The blonde was stunned, hardly believing her ears. "Nani?"
"You were suffering from a very mild case of food poisoning. That's all it was." Ami observed a single tear quickly form and slide down the blonde's cheek. "I'm... sorry, Minako-chan."
"I'm... really... not... pregnant...?" Overcome with sadness, Minako began to weep. "But I was sure!"
In an instant, Taro stepped up behind Minako and slipped his arms around his distraught girl, cradling her in a tender embrace. "It's ok, my princess" he whispered soothingly. "Please don't cry."
"Taro!" She spun and buried herself against his firm shoulder, desperately seeking comfort from the despair that now flooded her aching heart.
"I was so sure!" Minako wept bitterly. "But now... there's nothing, Taro-love. Nothing at all!"
Rei and Makoto exchanged worried glances. "She's taking the news a lot harder than I thought she would" Rei whispered.
"Hai." Makoto reached for a box of tissues that sat on a nearby shelf and pulled out a handful. She passed them to Taro who nodded his thanks.
"You know it's for the better, Minako-chan" Rei softly spoke. "We're all still too young to-"
"I'm not too young!" Minako sobbed, her body quivering. "I wanted it to be our Emiko and I wanted so much to be a good mother to her!"
Usagi approached the couple with deep sympathy in her own moist eyes. "Someday you will be, Minako-chan. Someday, you'll be the best mother in the whole world! Just... not yet."
Minako reluctantly allowed her fiancee to carefully wipe away the bitter tears. "I was ready now, honey-love. Ready to start our family together. But..." she sniffled, "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
Usagi stepped in and gave Minako a gentle hug. "It will be, Minako-chan. It will be."
Taking her hand in his, Taro lead his love over to the sofa where they sat together. The remaining teens respectfully kept their distance, allowing the couple a few moments of much-needed privacy. Eventually the blonde's mood slowly began to change, gradually brightening as she and her young man held hands and chatted intimately together.
Rei made her way across the room to Ami and Ryo who now stood near the kitchen entrance. "That was rather... difficult" the miko breathed. "She had herself totally convinced she was pregnant."
Ami nodded. "Minako-chan wanted more than anything to be."
"I hope she soon realizes what a disaster it would have been for her and Taro" Rei replied. "Expecting a baby is something none of us should have to face at sixteen." She mused, "Ojii-chan is fond of saying that there are times when the best news is not necessarily what you wanted to hear. In this instance, I'd have to agree with him."
Makoto and Usagi joined the trio. "If I know our Minako, it won't be long before she bounces right back to her old self" the brunette said confidently. "Things will be normal again before we know it!"
Rei glared evilly at Usagi while saying, "Normal, Mako-chan? This time I was honestly hoping for more."
The odango-haired blonde scowled back. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You of all people should know."
"Miserable!"
Rei ignored the insult and glanced toward the girl on the sofa, trying to read Minako's changing emotions. "My only wish now is that Minako isn't still so set on having a child that she does something really stupid on purpose. Reliving this disaster is the last thing any of us needs."
"I don't think we have to worry about a repeat, Rei-chan" Makoto assured her. She grinned, "But you'd better keep that new pregnancy test program around, Ami-chan. Just in case!"
The blue-haired girl smiled, "Hai. I've already saved the program to my computer's memory banks, Mako-chan. I even gave it an appropriate name, something that will always bring back memories of today."
"Oh? What did you call it?"
Ami giggled. "Booties."
"That's just perfect!" Makoto laughed.
As though she were reading the brunette's mind, Minako suddenly stood up and blurted with her familiar bubbly cheerfulness, "Minna! My honey-love and I are driving out to Mako-chan's house for the night! Who wants to come with us?"
"You were right, Mako-chan" the miko nodded. "That didn't take long."
"I'm going!" Usagi agreed. "But I'm still riding with Ami and Ryo, Minako-chan."
"Why, silly? I can get us there even faster than Ami can!" the blonde insisted. "No wasting any more time today!" She stamped her foot down on an imaginary gas pedal. "And this time I'm going to show my car no mercy!"
"Have you ever?" Rei snorted.
"It's getting somewhat late for just a day trip" Ami told her friend. "I promised my mother we'd prepare dinner for her tonight. I'm sorry, Usagi-chan, but my Ryo-kun and I aren't going to Nerima today."
"No!" the blonde gasped. "You can't do this to me, Ami-chan! Minako always scares me when she drives!"
"You'll get used to it" Makoto chuckled. "Eventually."
"Are you and Yuji going too, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked hopefully.
"We have other plans now, Usagi-chan. We've decided to spend the rest of the day here at my apartment instead."
"Ohh! That's it! I just changed my mind! I'll stay right here and have dinner with you, Mako-chan!"
"Sounds like quite the romantic evening you and Yuji are going to have together" Rei snickered at the groaning brunette.
. . . . .
"Would you like more coffee, Mizuno-san?" Ryo offered. "There's a fresh pot brewing in the kitchen."
"I'd love a refill, Ryo-chan" Ami's mother replied warmly. "And again, please call me Sakeo from now on. You're marrying my Ami so it's nice to be on a first-name basis with your mother-in-law. Agreed?"
The shy teen blushed. "Hai... Sakeo-san." With a polite bow he collected the empty urn and disappeared into the Mizunos' well-equipped kitchen.
Sakeo sat back and quietly regarded her daughter for a moment. "Ryo is quite the young gentleman, Ami-chan. Is he always this sweet and thoughtful to you?"
"He is, Mama! My Ryo-kun is the most wonderful boy in the world. I consider myself so very lucky to have him."
"It's obvious for anyone to see that he feels the very same way about you, Ami-chan. I must admit, it's as though you and Ryo know and understand each other with a depth far more than any couple should have, considering you've known each other for less than two years. Perhaps there truly is something to that destiny business after all."
Ami tried to discreetly change the subject. "How was your day at the hospital, Mama?"
"Too busy. As it always is." Her mother paused. "I did happen to run into Doctor Ueno earlier this afternoon."
"Oh?"
"She mentioned that she met you in a pharmacy this morning." The woman continued, "Ami-chan, may I ask you a very personal question?"
"Um... of course, Mama."
"Tell me something... was it... blue?"
Ami's mouth fell open, her face reddening in utter shock. "Mama! Those... items I bought at the pharmacy weren't meant for me to use!"
"Honest?"
"They were for... a friend. I can truthfully say that I'm definitely not pregnant!"
Saeko carefully studied her offspring's deeply embarrassed face. "I believe you, Ami-chan. A good mother always knows when her daughter is telling the truth."
"Mama, you never need worry about that kind of... personal thing" Ami insisted. "My Ryo and I are very careful."
Satisfied, her mother smiled. "Good. I apologize for having pried into your personal affairs like that, but it's because I love you, my child. Some future day, when you and Ryo do start a family of your own, you will come to know then what a mother's love really means."
Ami immediately thought back to a very special day not long ago, when she and Ryo shared an all-too-brief but wonderfully precious time with their little Chieko. She found herself smiling as her mind relived that cherished memory.
"Hai, Mama. Some day... I will."
. . . . . . . . . .
Note: The next story is 'Most Wanted'.