"I'm pregnant."
Tyson's stared at the tearstained face of his girlfriend for a few moments in silence.
"W-What?"
"Please don't make me say it again," she begged in a hoarse whisper.
He didn't say anything for a few moments, trying to figure out how this could have happened. They'd only slept together once, three weeks ago. He'd worn a condemn, but it had broken. He hadn't though much of it at the time. The thought of her becoming pregnant had never crossed his mind.
He was jolted from his thoughts by her soft voice.
"Tyson? Tyson, say something."
He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that he'd be there for her through everything. He wanted to tell her he loved her, he wouldn't leave her.
"Hilary, I…"
What about beyblading? Would he lose his title as World Champion if the press found out he'd gotten Hilary pregnant? The press didn't even know they were dating.
"Hilary," he whispered, avoiding her eyes, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I…I'm going to need some time to let this sink in. I'm sorry, Hil."
He felt terrible as he watched her walk away, head down. He thought about calling out to her, telling her he didn't need time to let it sink in. He already knew what he should do. But then a bus drove by with a picture of the Bladebreakers on its side and Tyson squashed the thought.
He couldn't give up his dream. He couldn't give up his title. What about all the little kids who looked up to him? He was their role model?
But what about Hilary? She'd have to give up on some of her dreams too. She'd probably have to drop out of the singing competition she entered. She couldn't travel all over Europe and Asia with a baby. There's no way they'd let her become a mentor for troubled teens down at the shelter. She was pregnant at fourteen. They'd think she was a hypocrite.
Not to mention the things people would say about her. They'd probably call her a whore and a slut. Some of her friends might ostracize her After all, what girl wants to be friends with a pregnant fourteen-year-old? It could completely ruin her reputation.
He sighed. He couldn't let her go through this alone. Even if he did have to give up on blading, which he wasn't even sure he'd have to do in the first place.
He stepped off his porch and called her name.
Tyson was torn from the memory by Hilary calling his name.
He looked at her standing in front of the stove. A pool of water was quickly forming at her feet.
"I think my water just broke," she said in a whispered panic.
He was silent as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. They'd gone to a class for this a couple of times and she'd forced him to sit through numerous documentaries about labor with her. But he was sixteen, he shouldn't have to worry about things like this. He hadn't planned on having to deal with things like this for at least ten more years.
His thoughts were interrupted again by Hilary crying out. He looked at her and saw her hunched over with her arms wrapped tightly about her largely rounded belly.
He took a couple of steps toward her.
"Hil, are you okay?"
She slowly straightened her back and have him a shaky smile, there were tears forming in her eyes.
"Yeah. I just had a little contraction is all." She let out a quivering breath. "I think we should get to the hospital."
He took in her unusually pale face, wide, panic stricken eyes and quivering lips. This whole labor thing would be much worse for her than it would be for him. He'd have to be strong and brave for her. He couldn't allow himself to panic, at least no in front of Hilary.
"Okay," he said slowly. "I'll go-"
"Hey, is breakfast almost done?" Max's voice floated into the kitchen, interrupting Tyson.
A few seconds later Max walked into the kitchen along with Ray and Kai. The three teens froze when they looked at Hilary standing in front of the stove with a puddle of water at her feet.
She smiled embarrassedly.
"Sorry, Maxie. But I don't think I'll be making breakfast today."
There were a few moments of awkward silence before Hilary cried out in pain, hunching forward and wrapping her arms around her stomach.
Kai immediately started doling out orders.
"Max, call the hospital. Ray go get Hilary's bag. Tyson, help Hilary out to the car. I'll start the car."
But before anyone could start on their assigned tasks, Hilary stopped them.
"Can I change first? I really don't like moving around in wet clothes."
After another moment of silence, Kai told Tyson to help Hilary change and then get her down to the car.
Ten minutes later, everyone was in the car and Kai was speeding out of the driveway.
Tyson guessed Hilary hadn't heard him because she kept walking.
"Hilary!" He called again.
She kept walking, turning the corner.
He bit back a cure and ran after her, clad only in house slippers and pajama pants.
Hilary squeezed Tyson's hand tightly as another contraction wracked her body. She bit her tongue to stop the cry bubbling in her throat, and fought the tears forming in her eyes.
She refused to let herself cry, especially in front of the doctors and nurses who had been ridiculing her for the past thirty-four weeks. They'd given her false smiles whenever she came in for her checkups and berated her that time, early in her pregnancy, when she nearly miscarried because she was so stressed.
Their accusations and cold stares hadn't done much to help the situation. It had only added on to the fact that her parents-really her father-had kicked her out of the house and were refusing to speak to her, the BBA was considering revoking Tyson's title as World Champion, there was a lot of bad press going around about Hilary and Tyson and she'd lost a good portion of her friends when they found out she was pregnant.
She'd been forced to undergo a month of hospitalized bed rest. The only things she'd been allowed to get up for were to use the rest room and take a bath. It had been really hard for her to do those two things though because her doctor demanded she have someone with her when she got up so she wouldn't overwork herself. Which was really stupid because it's impossible to overwork yourself using the restroom or taking a bath.
Her doctor hadn't listened when she told him that.
Hilary's reverie was cut short when as another contraction racked her body and her doctor, Dr. Humphrey, walked through the door.
She clutched Tyson's hand tightly against the pain and almost apologized when she saw him wince. She changed her mind when she remembered it was partially his fault she was pregnant in the first place.
Dr. Humphrey waited for Hilary's contraction to pass before he spoke, plastering a false smile on his face as he slipped his gloves on.
"Hello, Hilary, Tyson. How are we doing?"
Hilary released Tyson's hand for a moment and he took the chance to massage the appendage before Hilary was hit with another contraction and was clutching the appendage as tightly as she could.
"Her contractions are under a minute apart. That's much worse than it was an hour ago. Is it time to deliver the baby yet? We've been here for eighteen hours already."
Dr. Humphrey shrugged as he moved between Hilary's legs.
"It depends on how far dilated she is. She has to be at least ten centimeters to deliver the baby. And I've seen cases where the mother was in labor for 48 hours before the child was born."
Hilary glowered at him as he stuck his fingers between her legs to check her dilation. His attitude was not helping her feel any better.
The doctor removed his hand as the same time Hilary was hit with another contraction.
"Looks like its time to get you ready for delivery. You're dilated ten centimeters and I can already see the top of the baby's head."
Hilary tried her hardest not to cry as she walked towards the town. She had enough money to stay at a hotel for a few weeks and she could probably get a job at the diner even though she wasn't sixteen.
She didn't need her parents, and she certainly didn't need Tyson, especially since he was the reason she was in this situation in the first place.
She quickly shook the thought away. It was her fault too. He hadn't raped her, he would have stopped if she'd told him to. But she'd wanted him just as much as he'd wanted her.
"Hilary! Wait up!"
She jumped in surprise when heard Tyson calling her and stopped walking. Why was he coming after her? Hadn't he just said he need time to think?
"Hil," he panted from behind her, "thanks for stopping."
Hilary just nodded, not bothering to turn around.
"What do you want?" She'd meant for it to sound harsh, but it had come out soft and sad.
He was silent for a few moments before he wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't need time to think. You can come stay at the dojo with me."
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and resisted the urge to jump at the idea of staying with him. She knew how much he might have to give up because of her pregnancy. He could lose his title as World Champion.
"What makes you think I need a place to stay?" She whispered.
He snorted.
"I've known you for nearly ten years, Hil. I've met your father. There's no way he'd let you stay under his roof after getting pregnant."
She sighed. He knew her family too well.
"Fine," she said as she turned in his arms to return the hug. "But you're telling Grandpa and they guys."
She could sense the glower on his face even though she had her face buried in his chest.
"Fine." He hugged her closer to his body. "Fine."
"You're doing great, Hil," Tyson was telling her softly. "Almost done."
Hilary bit her tongue to keep from screaming at him. He'd been telling her she was "almost done" for the past hour. He'd been wrong all those other times, why should she believe him now?
"Okay, Hilary," Dr. Humphrey said, "give me one more big push. One more."
Okay. Maybe he was right this time.
She sucked in a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she prepared for the push.
"One. Two. Three…"
Hilary blocked out the nurses counting, putting all her focus on the last push.
She could feel the tears streaming from her eyes and fought the scream even though she felt like her intestines were being ripped out.
She squeaked Tyson's hand so tightly she heard a loud crack and heard him cry out in shock and pain. Good. She hoped she broke his hand, the jerk. It was his fault she was going through this.
A sudden, piercing cry rang through the air and Hilary fell back on the bed in relief, gasping for breath.
"Congratulations," Humphrey said. "It's a girl."
He held up a squishy faced, wailing creature covered in blood and Hilary allowed the sob that had been forming in her throat all day to finally come out.
"She's beautiful."
The baby was cleaned off and Tyson cut the umbilical chord. It only took a few moments, but it seemed like hours before her daughter was finally placed in her arms.
The wailing died down and Hilary felt the bed shift slightly as Tyson sat down beside her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She ignored it though as she stared at the mop of brown hair, the soft, pink skin, the two tiny little feet, the two tiny little feet, the ten perfect little fingers and the ten perfect little toes.
"She has your eyes," Hilary whispered to Tyson after a few moments.
She was happy about that; she'd always loved Tyson's eyes.
Tyson responded with a slight laugh before saying in a soft whisper, "How can you tell? Her eyes are barely open."
"I'm here mother. I know everything about her. She has your eyes."
He chuckled.
"Fine. Fine. She has my eyes."
Kai was training in the backyard of the dojo when Max called him into the house, saying Tyson had something to tell everyone. It was very important.
Kai grunted and called Dranzer back to him. He didn't understand why Tyson and the others couldn't come to him. He hated when his training was interrupted.
He trudged into the house after Max and stopped directly in front of the open door, letting everyone know he was going back outside as soon as Tyson was done.
He was surprised, however, to see Hilary standing pressed against Tyson's side, her eyes a little puffy and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. He was also surprised to see Grandpa Granger in there as well.
"You better have a good reason for interrupting my training, Tyson."
The bluenette was silent for a few moments, he looked nervous. He looked down at Hilary and sighed.
"Hilary's pregnant."
Kai shut the door and moved further into the room. Maybe he could put off training for a little while."
Kai, the rest of the Bladebreakers, Grandpa and Mr. Dickenson crowded into the hospital room 19 hours after rushing Hilary to the hospital.
Kai's eyes had been on the clock from the time Tyson and Hilary disappeared into the hospital room until Dr. Humphrey come out and said he and the others could go in to see Hilary, Tyson and the baby.
Kai would never voice it aloud, but he had been terrified. He'd heard of cases where the mother died while giving birth. He wasn't sure what he'd do if that'd happened to Hilary. He didn't even want to think about it.
Kai was the last one into the room. He didn't want to appear as anxious as everyone else.
Tyson and Hilary were sitting on the tiny bed staring at a bundle in Hilary's arms. They both looked tired. Tyson was nursing his left hand and had drooping eyes; Hilary's hair was plastered to her face by sweat, she was panting and she looked as though she was struggling to keep her eyes open. But both of them had a look of awe in their eyes as they stared at the tiny bundle Hilary was cradling.
Tyson looked up for a second when Grandpa called his name, but it didn't take long for his eyes to travel back to the baby.
"Hi, guys," he whispered.
"That's all you're gonna say?" Max asked teasingly. "Hilary just had your baby. Aren't you going to tell us whether it's a girl or a boy? What about a name?"
"Her name's Tyler Elizabeth," Hilary murmured softly. She looked directly at Grandpa. "Do you want to hold her? She's your great-granddaughter."
Kai watched Grandpa shuffle forward and gently lift the baby from Hilary's arms.
"I always wanted a granddaughter. Too much testosterone in the family."
Kai snorted as everyone else laughed.
The calm silence that followed was interrupted by a cry from Tyler.
Hilary's arms immediately shot out to take the baby and Grandpa sat the small child back into her arms.
They all watched as Hilary cooed and rocked her daughter until the baby fell asleep.
Ray looked at Tyson and Hilary in shock.
"What do you mean pregnant?"
Max nodded in agreement.
"Like with a baby?"
Hilary smiled wryly and spoke for the first time since entering the dojo, tucked in at Tyson's side.
I certainly hope so. I'd hate to be pregnant with kittens."
There was a pause before Ray began to sputter.
"But how? When?"
Hilary's face flamed and she looked at the equally red face of Tyson. He answered the question.
"Well, I'm pretty sure we all know where babies come from. If you don't, then you really need to speak to your parents. It happened about three weeks ago; Grandpa was at the store and you guys went out to see a movie."
Grandpa let out a frustrated sigh and interrupted the long silence that followed Tyson's statement.
"What did your parents say about it when you told them?" He sounded tired.
Hilary fidgeted uncomfortably before looking down at her feet.
"Well, I told my mom first, and after she was done crying, she said that everything would be okay. She said she'd support me whatever I decided to do. But when my dad got home and I told him, he just blew up. He said if I was old enough to have a baby, than I was old enough to live on my own. He didn't even let me pack any clothes. He just told me to get out and that he didn't want to see me again. Mom tried talk with him, but he didn't want to listen."
Grandpa nodded and covered his eyes for a second before letting out a long sigh.
"Someone will go to your house tomorrow to bring some of your things over here." He stepped forward and pulled Hilary from Tyson's side and wrapped her in a hug. When he released her he said, "You know you're always welcome to stay here, it doesn't matter how long."
Hilary's eyes welled with tears and she buried her face in his chest.
"Thanks, Grandpa."
Grandpa kissed the top of her head and nodded before pushing her gently away before going to his room and closing the door softly behind him.
As Leroy Granger, affectionately known as Grandpa, looked at Hilary and his grandson look at the tiny child they had created he couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride.
They had both given up so much for this child. Hilary hadn't been in contact with her family for months and her dreams of traveling the world had been put on hold. She had given up her role as class president and had lost a good number of her friends. Tyson, even though he'd been allowed to stay on the team and keep his title as World Champion, his reputation had been ruined. He was no longer the face of the BBA and all of his sponsors had dropped him. His name had been trashed and people who once looked up to him ridiculed him.
Grandpa knew it wasn't easy for either of them, but he was proud that through it al they had stood strong. He knew it would only get worse from here on out, but he had faith that they would be able to pull through this and that they would treat that little girl they way she deserved.
After Grandpa left, there was an awkward pause of silence. Ray broke it by clearing his throat.
"If you want, I'll go get your stuff. I don't think Tyson should go, you're father will probably murder him and I don't think you should have to go there again until he cools down."
Hilary turned toward him and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and managed to smile despite her trembling lips.
"Okay. Thanks, Ray." She glanced at the stairs for a second, before looking at the remaining occupants in the room, her eyes settling on Tyson. I'm going to go take a shower and lay down."
Tyson nodded.
"Okay." He pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later."
When she had gone upstairs and they heard the bathroom door close, they all turned to Tyson.
He sunk onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. When he looked up he gave his friends a weak smile.
"Okay, guys. Let me have it. I know you're all dying to kill me or at the very least beat the crap out of me. I know I deserve it."
Ray shook his head and let out a sigh. After sharing looks with both Kai and Max he sat on the couch beside Tyson and placed a comforting had on Tyson's shoulder.
"We're not going to try to kill you or hurt you, Tyson. Yeah, you got Hilary pregnant, which was pretty stupid, and there are going to be a lot of consequences. I'm not exactly sure what they're going to be, but I feel like in the next few months-maybe even the next few years-you'll probably get a lot of grief from people; both you and Hilary. You don't need to get that from us too."
"So, Tyson," Ray started after the nurse came in and took Tyler to the newborn nursery, "what happened to your hand?"
Tyson blinked in surprise at his left hand, as if just realizing that it hurt and began flexing his fingers.
"Hilary was squeezing it really hard. I thought she had broken it earlier, but I think it's just bruised."
Ray just nodded.
"Well, I guess she was in a lot of pain." He paused and looked at the two as they sat on the bed, leaning against each other. Hilary's eyes were already closed and her breathing coming out evenly. "She's beautiful by the way, Tyler."
Tyson gave a sleepy smile.
"Thanks, man. She is something else, isn't she?"
Mr. Dickenson spoke up then.
"I think we should all head home for a few hours and get some sleep, let these two rest before the nurse brings the baby back in here."
Grandpa nodded.
"I think that's a good idea." He nodded at Tyson. "Get some rest, we'll be back in a few hours."
Tyson just nodded.
"Okay. I guess I'll see you when you get back." He hesitated for a moment. "Let me know if you here anything from Hilary's parents. I left a message on their phone earlier saying she had gone into labor."
Grandpa nodded, frowning.
"If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."
"Thanks."
Max really didn't know how to react to this news. Tyson and Hilary had been dating for a while now, and he had always thought that at some point they would get married and have kids. But he hadn't expected anything like that to happen for at least ten years.
Tyson's career as a beyblader was at it's pique and Hilary would want to go to college when the time came. Having a child could ruin both of those things. It wouldd also change the whole dynamic of their relationships; not just with each other but with the whole team and everyone they knew.
It was a scary thought.
He glanced over at Tyson lying on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He couldn't even imagine what was running through Tyson's mind.
Max let out a little sigh and thought about what Ray had said earlier and smiled. The Chinese blader was right. No matter what happened, they had to support Tyson and Hilary. After all, that's what friends did; they supported each other no matter what they were going through.
A sudden thought crossed his mind and he straightened his back.
"How are we going to tell Mr. Dickenson?"
Max crossed his arms and looked at the nursery they had made for the baby. It was a bright yellow with nursery rhymes painted on the walls in white in certain areas. The crib was on the far wall, a couple of inches away from the window. The rocking chair was directly in front of the window, so the person sitting in it had a direct view of the pond in the back yard. On the wall opposite the crib, was the changing table. It was already stocked with diapers, baby powder and baby wipes. The wall closest to the door held a bookcase with toys and story books covering each shelf. Beside the bookcase was the dresser, which was filled with an assortment of different clothes for the baby.
In the closet he knew there was a stroller, an extra car seat and a playpen that needed to be set up.
He couldn't help but smile softly as he looked at the room, remembering when they had surprised Hilary with it. He still couldn't believe they'd been able to decorate and furnish the whole thing without her realizing it. It had taken a lot of work and planning.
He jumped in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ray and Kai standing behind him.
"You should get some rest, Max," Ray said.
Kai only nodded in agreement.
"I will," the blonde said. "I was just thinking about how things are going to be different once the baby is actually here."
Kai snorted.
"Yeah. We won't be getting any sleep for the next few months ."
Stanley Dickenson clasped his hands together and rested his chin on his hands and let out a sigh. He did not know how to handle this.
"We're going to have to hold a press conference," he said slowly.
"We were actually hoping to keep the press out of this for as long as possible," Tyson said calmly. "Having them buzzing around all the time will only complicate things more than they already will be."
Mr. Dickenson looked at the two teenagers sitting in front of him. Hilary was sitting in her chair, looking terrified and close to tears. Tyson was clasping her hand tightly and looking calm and confidant.
He realized that the boy was probably just trying to be strong for Hilary.
"How long are you planning to wait? If the press finds out on their own, they're going to be much worse, and much harsher than if you are open about this."
Hilary glanced at Tyson hesitantly before glancing back at the older man.
When she spoke, her voice was soft and timid.
"Um…I was thinking something along the lines of three months. That should be enough time to decide what to do with the baby, such as adoption or keeping it; and by then I'll probably be showing and won't be able to hide it anyway. Besides, I should probably make it through the first trimester before we go around telling world."
Mr. Dickenson nodded and let out another heavy sigh.
"If that's really what you want. We can set a date now and worry about the rest later."
"Thanks, Mr. D," Tyson said softly, squeezing Hilary's hand.
Mr. Dickenson ran his hand over his balding head as he looked in through the little window at little Tyler Elizabeth. She was really quite precious.
A soft smile came unbidden to his lips as he watched her sleep.
His thoughts drifted to her parents, sleeping soundly in hospital room. Loud, obnoxious Tyson with his childish ways and strong willed Hilary who was already so mature for her age. They each had a lot of growing up to do if they wanted to raise this child. Thankfully they had good friends willing to help them along the way, and if this child was anything like either one of them, they were definitely going to need the help.