Sorry for the long over due update, but I've been busy lately! Read and review!

Chapter 4

The Truth is Unspoken

She just laid it out there.

Quick and painless was the only way she wanted to do this. If she was given the chance she would have herself a heart attack before she spilled, but this way she didn't give herself the opportunity to think about it.

Keiko quickly pulled away at those words. Her shoulder length chocolate brown hair flew forward from the momentum.

"What?"

"I'm…pregnant." It almost pained her to say it.

Keiko stood there utterly confused. Her nutmeg eyes swiftly landed on Botan's abdomen. Her baffled gaze shot back and forth between Botan's soft pink orbs and her gut. There was quite a bit of a bulge, definitely something there.

Yusuke stepped forward, ready to say something, but Keiko stopped him in his tracks with a flick of her hand. That made Botan feel even worse, it almost seemed like she was being separated, like she was to be kept away from.

So many questions ran through Keiko's mind. She needed information! She decided to start from the beginning. "Who's the father?" That is where all of this started so it felt right to start the interrogation from there. Truly who could it be? Botan was too busy to even have an active sex life. They hardy saw her as it was.

Botan sighed. This is where it was going to get awkward…She didn't have the heart to look at their faces. She felt like she was ratting him out to all those near and dear to them both. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, she knew they were waiting patiently, but it wasn't like asking how the weather was. This was her personal business and life they were talking about! She was about to admit to what happened all those nights ago, without the gritty details.

"Hiei…"

Yusuke's choke echoed from the barren walls.

"WHAT?!?"

"Shut it Yusuke!" Keiko hollered. Suspicion flickered in her eye. She seemed to waiting for the punch line.

'There isn't going to be one,' Botan sighed in defeat. Her eyes casted down in a shameful manner. She messed up and she was going to pay for it, her friend was already acting cold towards her and she feared that others will follow in her example and leave her. She wouldn't be able to handle that.

Keiko was having a hard time absorbing what had been said. She hadn't seen Botan in a long while and this wasn't how she expected to be greeted. She suddenly felt very selfish, she hadn't given any consideration on how Botan must be feeling and felt sorry for her, it must be hard answering all of these questions and the boys standing at the door gawking at her…well, Yusuke gawking at her. She looked like a mess, she needed to get out.

"Girls night out!" Keiko screamed catching Botan completely off guard.

"…What?" She couldn't help but find herself asking. A smile was plastered on Keiko's bright face as she went to grab for Botan's hand.

Where was the seething hate? The punishment? The scolding? Where was it all!? She deserved all that and so much more. She left her amazing friends in the dark with her secret and here they were supporting her. A smile broke out on her face.

"Keiko!" Yusuke started "I believe we deserve some answers." Mostly implying that he and Kurama needed more answers. He couldn't help but feel very left out and VERY confused. Damn it he deserved some answers! Keiko wasn't going to win this time!

"Now I need an-"

Keiko went on as if he never spoke. "We haven't had a shopping day in months! I think you need some new clothes!"

That was a given.

Botan rushed out with Keiko leading the way. She was able to give an apologetic smile to the two boys before they rounded a corner.

'Damn it! She won AGAIN!' Yusuke ground his teeth together. He wanted to at least succeed once.

The boys stood there, neither one saying a word. Surprise clear one both their faces. After a few minutes the lost duo slowly walked into the girl's apartment, awaiting their much anticipated return.

"I don't like it." Keiko blatantly stated.

Botan held up a rusted yellow shirt dress against her chest. It was horrendous. What motivated the creator to design and produce this shirt in that color was beyond her. It looked like someone had drank a yellow slushy after eating some mysterious meal, puked, took the pile, and spread it all over the dress.

"You were the one that picked it." She couldn't help but throw that fact back in her face. Everything looks nicer on the manikins anyways. Misleading bitches.

Damn hormones.

"Okay, next!" She glared, almost daring Botan to question her fashion senses.

She regretfully picked up the next dress. A green, blue, pink, and black abstract print of a disaster.

"I don't think this is the store for me." She calmly announced. A vein pulsated against her head. Everything was so…weird. The clothing here were things you would only catch at a fashion runway. Women wouldn't be caught dead parading around the crowded streets in half the stuff they stocked. It was too flamboyant.

"Okay...where to?"

"I'm not too familiar with the stores in this world." She confessed, looking over her shoulders to make sure that no one overheard her words. "So we could explore around a bit so I can get a better idea of my surroundings."

Keiko looked pleased at the thought. She truly missed the girl. She loved her other friends with all her heart, but she could relate closer to her than the others. They had been side by side from the beginning, she was glad that that wasn't going to changed. "I'm glad we finally got a chance to hang out. Yusuke is always gone, working or doing spirit world stuff, and sometimes I feel like I'm by myself, you know?"

The stores they passed seemed to look a lot like the one they went to, so they didn't even bother to enter.

"You have no idea…"

Keiko giggled. "This will give us the opportunity to have more girl time."

The store they stopped in front of was a simple shop, garbed with things that seemed compliant with her needs along with classy accessories. The shirts ranged from simple tank tops to dressy blouses. Pants scoped from shorts to long jeans adorned with different colors. Dresses came in all shapes and sizes; there were modest short dresses side by side with the long classic dresses. This could seriously be her new favorite store.

An hour or two later they walked out of the store with several bags in hand.

"I'm getting a bit hungry, what about you?" Keiko asked.

In response to her question Botan's stomach growled. Botan blushed as she glared at it.

"Then it's settled then." She declared, trying her best not to giggle.

They stopped at the first restaurant they came across. They were seated near the back, a good distance from the other costumers. Botan ordered a heavy meal while Keiko ordered a light one. Two milkshakes were place on the list, one strawberry and one vanilla. They had a quiet conversation about how the marriage between Keiko and Yusuke was going. Keiko laughed with Botan about some of the embarrassing stuff he does. If Yusuke knew about what she told he would kill her.

Soon their shakes came. Keiko claimed the strawberry while Botan took the vanilla.

Keiko stirred her shake with her obnoxiously pink straw then took a large sip. "Well," She didn't lift he gaze from the frosty beverage. "Was he any good?"

Botan spit out half the vanilla milkshake that was sitting in her mouth. "What?!" she asked partially choking on the remaining half. Keiko looked up in an amused fashion.

"Was he any good?" She repeated.

Botan turned eight different shades of red. The darkest being burgundy.

Keiko laughed out loud. "He must have been something if he's got you this riled up at the thought."

Botan looked down at her shake taking large sips to cool her steaming face down. What kind of question was that? She has definitely been around Yusuke for to long. Such perverted thoughts coming out of Keiko? One would have never expected it.

"Okay if you won't answer then I won't bother you about it…for now." She finished with a smirk.

Botan gulped.

Their meals arrived shortly after and they where finished not too long after that. They would have left sooner but Botan had to take five separate bathroom breaks.

The wind was starting to pick up and the sun was soon going to set. Botan hadn't put her hair up this morning so she was constantly blowing cerulean strands out of her face. They walked over to Keiko's new car. A simple four door car. She got it during her absence.

Yusuke shared the vehicle with her, but she claims that when she gets in the car with him she drives and left it at that.

They talked about what had happened during the time they didn't see each other, they left the supernatural events for the car ride, just incase someone at the restaurant was eavesdropping on their conversation. Botan did a lot of listening while Keiko explained what went on. She would rather not share her three months just yet, but it would certainly come up soon, she couldn't expect them to wait patiently for some answers.

From what she gathered Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara have been sent on a few missions in Makai that involved some heavy rebellions. Some unknown demon was starting uproars in the Demon World that was causing some concern in the Spirit World. The usual.

She stared at the pedestrians making their way to the shops or work, such busy little bodies. Cars zoomed passed their own, blocking most of her view on the people. Botan never liked cars, they were so cramped no matter what size they were, and with all the smoke that comes out of them they smell awful. She preferred flying over all. It's a more unrestrained way of traveling.

Soon the streets were becoming familiar to Botan. In couple blocks she would be home.

Kuwabara must be with Yusuke and Kurama by now, his college classes were finished by this hour and they had a mission to fulfill. She could almost hear his loud screeches now. Demanding to know what was going on, if they haven't already explained anything to him yet.

She closed her tired eyes and rested her back against her chair. She was not looking forward to that.

Thanks for reading! Review please! I'll try to get the next one in as soon as possible!