A/N: so, I wanted to apologize to everyone for my irritability. It's your decision to review or not, although if you do, I love you. *insert guilt trip here.* Anyway, to make up for it, I'm giving you a double update. They're both pretty damn short, but two's better then one. I'm really sorry about the shortness of all of these. I know it's annoying that there's so little to each chapter, but I dunno, it just feels right to stop in those places. Wish I could make them longer for you guys. well, anyway, R & R pretty please!

Hiding the Truth

"Come on, Sheena! Just get some fresh air." Colette pleaded with the incapacitated chief of Mizuho.

"You really should, you know." Lloyd nodded, back her up. "You've been in here for days. Don't you have important things to do as chief?"

"Yes, now would you go away so I can do those important things?" Sheena knew she was being unreasonable and that she really shouldn't be taking her frustration out on her friends, especially Lloyd and Colette. Colette was the sweetest girl she knew, and probably one of Sheena's best friends. She knew the girl didn't deserve any ill treatment from anyone, especially Sheena, and Lloyd was, well, he was Lloyd, naïve, oblivious, kind Lloyd. He didn't understand her situation at all, although through no fault of his own since she had neglected to tell either of the newlyweds about her predicament.

"Oh Lloyd! Try to be a bit more sensitive!" Colette burst out exasperatedly. "Can't you see she's sulking?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek "Why don't you go train a little outside. We'll have some girl time."

It sickened Sheena to watch them so at peace with eachother and so in love. It only reminded her of how much she would've liked to have that sort of security. However, she had no time to wallow in self pity, for Lloyd's next comment was so typically Lloyd and altogether too funny.

"Girl time? You don't mean-" Sheena glanced up at Lloyd, who was sporting his all too familiar surprised expression. It took all of her self control not to laugh at him and his rather charming ignorance. She was moping, she couldn't afford to break that mood or she might be stuck in the land of bliss everyone else seemed to be enjoying. All she wanted to do was curl up under the covers and hope she was dreaming.

"You should know better than to listen to Zelos." Colette Laughed. "Off you go!" She placed both hands on her protruding stomach.

Perhaps pregnancy had somehow aged the chosen of Sylverant, for she sounded much more mature than Sheena remembered. For a girl in her early adulthood, Colette seemed to emanate motherly qualities Sheena would have never thought possible.

"When is it due?" Sheena asked, more to change the subject than to really strike up an kind of conversation.

"Any day no!" Colette exclaimed cheerfully, knocking over a vase. She was still the same old Colette, despite her newfound maturity, that was for sure. She smiled sheepishly before cleaning up the mess. As she picked up the shards of ceramic she asked in a businesslike tone, "So, Sheena, What's upsetting you? You won't make it to the wedding if you're still like this."

Sheena knew Colette didn't mean to upset her, she couldn't have known it would. "I'm not going to the wedding." It had taken every ounce of courage to say those words. She had known she wouldn't be going, but to actually say those words outloud was a different matter.

"What could be that bad?" Colette asked. "I mean, this is our friends life. He's getting married! Zelos! What could be bothering you so much that you'd miss the Casanova of the century taking himself off the market?" When Sheena didn't smile at her joke, she sighed. "Come on, at least you don't have a childish husband and a ten pound baby weighing you down." She said those last words as though there was nothing more delightful than having a ten pound baby to carry around and as if she would be content to stay like that forever.

Sheena shook her head. "I'm not ready to talk about it." That was a lie. She may not have wanted to talk about it, but she knew she'd have to eventually. Now was as good a time as any, but she was a champion procrastinator and if she couldn't procrastinate this as long as she could, then she didn't deserve that title.

"Maybe so." Colette shrugged. "Raine and Genis should be here soon, though, so you should try to cheer up. I heard Presea and Regal will be joining us here too." She smiled good naturedly. "It'll be the whole group, just like old times."

Just her luck. With everyone on their way to Mizuho, she'd be on display to everyone in her current state. She'd been surprised when Lloyd and Colette had shown up, but the thought of everyone else seeing her like that was less than appealing. She could only imagine what Raine would say, and Regal would be appalled. She simply didn't know what to do, but she was spared the trouble by Lloyd's grin bursting in upon her dark habitat with Raine, Genis, Presea and Regal in tow. It really just wasn't her day.

A/N: Hope you like. The next chapter will be up soon!