A/N: Thanks again to those that took the time to review. You guys are amazing and I dunno what I would do without you!

o-o-o

Six.

o-o-o

I was actually nervous to come to class today. As I strolled down the hallway, the realization that I would be walking a very fine line from here on out played over and over in my head. I was heading into paranoia, almost, and it was troubling to say the least. I could no longer hear student's chatter as I neared my classroom. My mind was preoccupied with tons of 'what if's,' and it wasn't getting any easier. Part of me hoped that Kairi wouldn't be in class today.

"Ven!" A cheerful voice rang out. It was none other than Aqua.

"H-Hi," I managed as I clutched my binder tightly in attempt to calm my dreadful state. It has been said that if you squeezed something, you could ease whatever stress you were going through, but I didn't have a squishy red ball at the moment, so I had to make due. She noticed that something was amiss right away.

Man, I need to get better at this.

"Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," I said with a gulp as my eyes averted away from her. I spotted Kairi in her seat and became even more vigilant than before. I knew I wasn't making this any better for myself, but I guess you could say that I've never been required to hide such a huge secret like this, either. I just couldn't act normal. I wasn't proud of what was going on, and pretending was not one of my strong suits. Aqua didn't believe me, but I wasn't going to give her time to question it.

"Well, my class starts now," I said, more fearful with each passing word. "See you."

"Hold on, Ven," Aqua chimed. I stopped. "Do you want to join me and the other teachers for lunch again today?"

"I can't," I answered immediately. "I… I have too much to catch up on." Although I felt bad for rejecting her invitation, I knew that there was no way I could be in a social setting with anyone right now. I wasn't even sure why I came to class. We waved to each other before I went into the classroom. Without looking up, I made it over to my desk and set my briefcase down. I didn't even bother to take the roll. That was how bad this was.

Teaching today seemed next to impossible, so I came prepared.

"Movie day," I said, still avoiding all sorts of eye contact. Eventually, I knew I would have to face them, but I just needed a moment. Just give me a moment…

"Mr. Ishida?" Olette's subtle voice was heard. Well, here goes nothing.

"Yeah?" I responded as my eyes traveled over to her—and—inevitably, behind her where Kairi sat quietly. I focused back on Olette.

"You don't look so good," she pointed out; concern written on her face. Thanks. Let's just make the whole world aware of my distress; not that I was helping my own case, anyway.

"I just feel a little sick today," I fibbed, but I guess it was partially accurate. "That's why we're having a movie day. How does Back to the Future sound?"

"Totally educational!" Riku blurted out. "You're awesome!"

It never failed.

"Uh, yeah. Let's just relax," I said as I put the movie on and sat back in my desk chair. With one last glance in Kairi's direction, I closed my eyes and tried to do just that.

It didn't work.

o-o-o

Once class was over, I remained at my desk and ignored everyone in the politest way possible. Other than Olette and a few others, they didn't really seem too bothered by my restless demeanor. In fact, they were probably happy to get a small break. I knew I couldn't keep doing this, so I had to figure something out by Wednesday. I was sure that I would be able to handle any other class a little better, simply because Kairi wouldn't be there to remind me. As I waited for everyone to leave, I started to feel a little more relieved.

"Hey, Kairi," Riku's charismatic voice sounded over the commotion, "You coming to the bar with us tonight?"

"I can't," she replied apologetically.

"Aww, why not? It's no fun without you." In a glance, I saw him nudge her.

"I have to catch up on homework. I did miss a week or so," she said effortlessly as she stayed in her desk. Riku pouted and headed for the door.

"Well, if you change your mind, you've got my number," he said just before leaving me alone with Kairi. I wondered why she wasn't getting up. After the coast was clear, I looked up at her.

"You are terrible at this," she said bluntly. Before answering her, I got up and closed my door. I half expected Sora to come and see Kairi, but I still didn't want anyone to hear our conversation. Turning back to her, I thought about what I was going to say.

"It's been a pretty hectic week for me, but… how are you doing?" I asked, throwing her off a little, but she adjusted accordingly by simply shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm here, I'm alive, and I want to make up the test now."

I blinked a few times. I wasn't expecting that so soon. "Oh, okay," I said as I reached for my binder to retrieve a copy of the test that I had in there specifically for her. Looking over it, I didn't really anticipate decent results, but I guess I didn't really know, either. Regardless, she did have the right to take it. I walked over and handed her the test.

"Thank you."

"Um, right," I said as I paced back to my desk, but sure enough, Sora was at the door. Kairi noticed this as well, but instead of paying attention to him, she just started writing. I looked from her and back to him again and sighed. "I'll take care of it." I went over and opened the door slightly. His anxiety was obvious.

"Am I interrupting?" Sora asked in a low tone.

"Kind of. She's taking a test right now."

"Oh, sorry," he said as his eyes lowered. "Well, wish her luck for me."

This guy was hopeless. As he turned to walk off, I couldn't help but stop him. I glanced back at Kairi for a moment before stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door quietly. Sora stayed put as he waited for me to say something.

"Listen, kid, I'm sorry to say this, but please, take my advice. You have to let Kairi come to you."

"I know we can work this out if we just try. I don't want to lose her."

"That's very admirable, and I think you should keep that stance, but right now, you can't smother her. She's going through a lot."

"So… she talked to you?" Sora said, seeming hopeful as his gaze met mine.

"Well, I couldn't exactly leave her there when she was bawling her eyes out."

"Wow. You're such a great person."

Shit… I didn't deserve praise from him. With a faint smile, Sora straightened up.

"You'll take care of her, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you'll look after her for me? If Kairi doesn't want me around, then maybe the next best thing is for you to be there when she needs it?" Sora asked, seeming a little uncertain of himself. I wasn't exactly sure of what he was trying to imply. "Kairi seems to trust you, and I do too, so I would feel better knowing that she at least has some sort of support."

Big words coming from someone that was seemingly so bent up over this. Was this kid blind?! No, I don't want to take care of your girlfriend who is soon to be the mother of my child!

That is, if it's really my child. What? I still have the right to be skeptical!

"Just ask her how she's doing every now and then. She likes that."

Sora sure knew how to inadvertently make someone feel guilty. As he turned to leave, I found myself even more confused than before. When he finds out, he's going to be devastated and will probably end up loathing me for the rest of his life. I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle that. Lying to him was pretty difficult. Striding back over to my desk, I knew that Kairi was watching me.

"What did he say?" She asked nervously. I waved it off.

"Nothing. Just finish your test."

I had never met anyone like Sora. Although he seemed to care a lot about Kairi, he was also pretty stubborn, and sometimes his excessive worrying even came across as annoying. He was overprotective to a fault and definitely didn't know when to give up. I could only imagine how volatile their arguments were. It was a bunch of drama that I didn't want or need in my life, and I wasn't sure how it was going to affect me, or the child in the future.

Maybe I should just let Sora take on the fatherly role. He seemed to have the motivation, despite the anger he so deliberately displayed.

No…

If the child ends up being mine, then it would only right for me to be there. Like Vanitas said, I didn't have to get involved with her. The nuclear family wasn't all that common anymore, anyway. There were lots of blended families out there, and we no longer had to get married just for the sake of the child. That wasn't something I was planning, but I still wanted to be there for him or her. If Kairi and Sora wanted to be together, I guess I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as the child knew who their father was and identified me as such. Although I preferred to be living in the same house, I knew that it wasn't likely to happen. With the exception of Vanitas, the father usually didn't win when it came to cases like that.

"Here," Kairi said, interrupting my thoughts as she held the paper out to me. "I'm done."

"Already? That was fast," I said as I took it and looked over it. "I'll grade it now." I straightened up and started going through her answers. Kairi stood there in silence. My eyes widened as I scanned over the page.

Whoa.

Not only did she get twenty-three out of twenty-five questions right, she even spotted one of my own mistakes that not even I had noticed.

"I think you meant something else there," she said, pointing directly to it.

"Yeah, um, wow," I said, still stunned. Looking up at her, she merely shrugged once more. I wrote her grade down and handed the test to her in awe. "Why haven't you been showing me the same potential until now?"

"I've had other things on my mind. Besides, if I want to give this baby any sort of decent life, I'm going to have to start acting like I actually care."

This was astounding. I didn't know she had it in her.

"So… you're going to stay in school?"

"I think so. I'm going to try. Don't take my word for it."

A smile stretched across my face. "That's good." Kairi headed for the door, but before exiting, she turned slightly.

"By the way, I think I'm going to schedule that prenatal appointment sometime within the next two weeks… so… if you want to come…"

Oh, right.

"Yeah, uh, sure."

"Okay. Just let me know what your schedule is later," she said before walking out.

I didn't know what to expect anymore.

o-o-o

As the week went by, I found myself getting more comfortable with the class again. I had to train my mind not to think so much, just like I had to do after Namine died. Granted, that was much harder to accept at the time, but even this was pretty bad. It was easier when Kairi wasn't around, obviously.

The appointment was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Kairi said it was the only time she could get. She and Sora seemed to at least be on talking terms again, but he wasn't being very affectionate to her. He would just walk beside her with his hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead as he pursed his lips together in a thoughtful manner. Kairi wasn't too talkative, but when she did speak, it was usually one or two words at a time. I guess they felt that they were taking the necessary steps to reconciliation, and actually, I was happy for them. The only thing that bothered me was what Sora would think of me when he found out the truth. As I followed them over to the University Center that morning, I could hear a little of what they were saying.

"So, are you going to keep it?" Sora asked glumly. Kairi nodded slowly and avoided his gaze. "I guess my next question is… what about you and me?"

"I don't know, Sora."

Ouch, right in the heart.

As much as I wanted to listen, I decided to detour through the side doors and stop eavesdropping. It wasn't my business what Sora and Kairi decided to do with each other. I really needed to stop caring. Just before I entered the cafeteria, I heard my name being called in the distance.

"Ventus!"

Upon looking back, I saw Principal Eraqus heading in my direction as he waved his hand happily in the air. He caught up to me.

"Hello, sir," I greeted, a little intimated by his overly excited manner.

"How are your classes going so far?"

"Uh, they're going pretty well, I suppose."

"So I saw!" He exclaimed, slamming his hand into my back and nearly knocking me over in the process. After regaining my balance, I let out a courteous laugh and started walking away from the cafeteria with him. "I looked up the grades that you posted the other day and I have to wonder, have you been going easy on them or something?"

"No, sir. I've just been my… normal self," I responded, stumbling over those last several words.

"That's impressive," he beamed as we turned the corner and entered the main lobby area. "I don't think any other teacher here has a higher mark-up than you do."

Okay, you could stop exaggerating now. There were plenty of other great teachers here at the university. I didn't know why he singled me out so much. I was just doing my job. However, all I did was nod and thank him for thinking so highly of me.

"That's why I want you to be the spokesperson when Channel Five news comes tomorrow," Eraqus added.

"Tomorrow?" I questioned. "Um, what time? I kind of… have plans…"

"Plans?" Eraqus asked, blinking a few times as he stared at me in disbelief. "They'll be here around ten thirty. They want to do interviews and talk about the success of the students at the school."

Kairi's appointment was at ten. I simply couldn't.

"I'm sorry, I'm very flattered by your offer, but I'm going to have to decline. I have to—"

"Nonsense! You'll be here, right?" He pleaded, blatantly disregarding my rebuttal.

"But I—"

"I knew you would come through! Meet me here in the lobby a few minutes before ten thirty!" He said before hurrying off. Did he not know how to listen?! I stood, dumbfounded as to what in the world just occurred. Although I didn't accept his offer, I still felt like it was mandatory to show up tomorrow, regardless of any previous commitments.

Great. I went back to the cafeteria and ordered some food. Riku and a few of his buddies were sitting at a table nearby.

"Teach! What's up?" Riku shouted. I pretended not to hear him, but that was kind of hard considering he was pretty much right next to the register. Equipped with an uneasy grin, I waved to him and tried to walk off, but my attempt to escape was futile as the overly exuberant younger man hurried over to me.

"Hey, Riku," I said unenthusiastically. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, actually, there is. I'm applying for this job that requires a teacher's recommendation, and who better to ask than someone as noble and caring as you?"

Oh, stop already.

"What job would that be?"

"Some state job. I get to research stuff if I get it."

"In other words, you don't know exactly what it entails?"

"Not really, but that's what training is for. Could you give me a good recommendation? Please?"

My reputation preceded me.

"I'll think about it," I simply answered. "You'll have to show me you're willing to work harder, though."

"Of course! This is the job of a lifetime!"

Yeah, the mystery job that you don't even know that premise of will lead you far, young grasshopper. He skipped back over to his table. I guess I should have been proud, but I couldn't help but question that guy's mentality. He didn't exactly convince me that he was cut out for some corporate job, but at least he had the passion to go along with all of that ego.

I had way more important things to worry about.

o-o-o

Remember how Hermione used time skipping portals to make it to all of her classes in one day? That was the power that I wished I had right about now. I definitely wasn't going to ditch Kairi, but I also had obligations to the school that I couldn't seem to get out of no matter how hard I tried. I had a feeling that this appointment would last way longer than twenty minutes, so I hoped that by getting there about fifteen minutes earlier, that we would be able to be seen at an earlier time. My hopes were tarnished, however, because we were still called back just a few minutes before ten. I was once again the supportive teacher, a role that I had to exercise with caution in order to avoid any sort of suspicion. Dr. Gainsborough asked Kairi a lot of questions pertaining to her medical history, as well as if she knew anything about the father's.

I was a pretty healthy guy, but unfortunately, colon cancer ran in my family. That was all I really knew of, but of course, I couldn't mention that.

"Have you started taking the vitamins?" Dr. Gainsborough asked.

"Yes," Kairi answered.

After a collage of questions, it was already nearing ten thirty. Although I hated it, the involuntary commitment I made to the principal would have to be broken. This was very difficult for Kairi and I had already promised that I would be here. Now that she was nearly eight weeks along, it was time to have the very first ultrasound. I was asked whether or I wanted to participate in this, and although I was reluctant, Kairi insisted to them that I be there. Dr. Gainsborough led us into the dim room and helped Kairi onto the narrow bed. She made herself comfortable on the pillow and gave me an anxious look before turning back to the computer screen and pulling the sheet over herself. As the sonographer prepared the items and washed her hands, we waited in silence.

"Thank you for being so patient," she began as she sat in the chair and clicked a few things on the computer. "My name is Xion and I'll be doing your ultrasound. Are you excited?"

"Um, a little," Kairi said, but I could sense the fear in her voice. Even my nerves were getting the best of me, and I was having trouble focusing on the screen while Xion prepared the jelly scanner. (What were those things called?)

"Now, this jelly is a little cold, so don't be too alarmed," Xion said. "Let me give you a few towels so we don't get any on your clothes." She got up and brought back several towels. Kairi tucked them in and lifted her shirt up just far enough for what was needed. Seeing her bare stomach was a little weird for me. Even though it wasn't exactly a private area, the unwanted intimacy of the situation dwelled over me.

Kairi fidgeted a little as soon as the gel touched her skin, but eventually, she got used to it. The image appeared on the screen. I almost didn't want to look.

"Looking good," Xion said cheerfully as she moved the instrument over Kairi's abdomen. She snapped a few pictures from different angles and didn't really talk much. Kairi kept her mouth shut as she watched the screen. Based off of images I saw of Lilah in the womb five years ago, I had a pretty general idea of what I was looking at, but I almost didn't want to believe it.

"Is that… the baby?" Kairi asked, pointing to the small, grape sized image.

"Yes, ma'm!" Xion pointed to the outline. "See here? It doesn't really look like it, but this is the baby's right arm in formation. You can also make out a few toes down here."

Wow. Now I was overwhelmed again. No matter how much I wanted a breather, this fetus was not going to slow down for nothing.

"Now, I'm going to switch to a Doppler. This will allow you to hear the baby's heartbeat if we can pick it up," she said as she pulled another one out and placed it over Kairi's exposed stomach. "If you listen really carefully…" she trailed off as her eyes stuck to the screen. Suddenly, a faint pumping sound was heard. "Oh, there it is! Hear that?"

My lip curled and I became a little shaky as I listened to the steady, amplified heartbeat. I didn't really know how to describe this moment, but for Kairi, it was definitely an emotional experience. She began sniffling as she tried to hold back her tears.

"The heart rate is 145bpm. That's good!"

After Kairi was able to compose herself, she took a few deep breaths before she was able to speak again. "When will I know the sex of the baby?"

"Oh, you have another eight weeks or so to go for that. Remember, whatever is said in here is tentative. The doctor has the final say, but based off of these images, you seem to be doing pretty well! If you want copies of them, please let her know." She said as she put the instrument back into its proper place. "I'm going to let Dr. Gainsborough review the photos and then she will meet you back in the other room." With that, she helped Kairi wipe the jelly and sat her up in the bed. Kairi gave me an uneasy look as she stepped down. Once we got back into the room, it took a few minutes for us to even say anything.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Kairi asked carefully, a bit apprehensive about the results. Sighing heavily, I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged.

"It is what it is." She didn't even question my response. I guess she realized how tough this was for me. I had absolutely no idea how to handle this properly. Glancing at my watch, I was already well past the time to be back at school, but even if I did go, I probably wouldn't be able to function anyway.

A few minutes later, Dr. Gainsborough rejoined us in the room with the scanned images. "Well? What do you think? Pretty neat what technology can do, huh?"

"Y-Yes," Kairi said.

"I bet you want to know your due date," she continued.

I wasn't ready for this.

"I suppose… it would be good to know."

"Well, based on the images, so far I don't see anything wrong. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. Eight weeks is right on target, which means you're already two-thirds through the first trimester."

"Right."

"The baby measures about 1.70 centimeters, which is a pretty normal range. I can clearly see the umbilical cord as well as outlines of hands and feet forming." She reconfirmed this by showing us both where they were on the images. "All things considered, I believe your due date is estimated to be somewhere in mid-November. Let's say November 15th, just to be precise. It may or may not happen on that day, but it's nice to have a little more clarity, isn't it?"

Well, it was late March now. Therefore, I only had about seven months or so until this baby arrived.

"November 15th…" Kairi processed aloud. "Okay."

The pressure was real.

o-o-o

We rode back to the university in silence. It was almost noon and we had spent nearly two hours at the doctor's office. Kairi looked over the images as I drove.

"This is really happening," she mentioned as she traced her finger around the outline. "I'm… really going to be a mother…"

I guess I hadn't really taken the time to ask her how she felt about all of this. To me, it was still pretty surreal. Kairi seemed to feel the same way, and for the first time, we actually had a mutual understanding that this wasn't just going to go away. This was a commitment that we would have to keep for the rest of our lives.

"I guess I'll have to tell my dad," Kairi added. "He's going to be pissed. He already hates Sora enough. He's going to blame him for everything."

I wished I knew of a way to help her with that, but there was nothing I could do.

"Why does he hate Sora?" I asked instead. The kid was basically heaven sent. (Don't ask why I keep referring to him as a kid; I'm not even sure of that myself).

"He doesn't trust him, but then again, he doesn't trust me either."

"I'm sorry."

"Sora used to do a lot of bad things. My dad believed that he had a huge influence over me, which he did, but I never went to some of the lengths that Sora used to go to."

Wait, hold on. Sora, the quintessential poster child for righteousness, had a dark past? Stunned, I sat in silence as she continued to ramble.

"When Sora decided to turn his life around and go to college, my dad still didn't want anything to do with him. They've had an ongoing rivalry for years, and it has really affected the relationship with my father and I."

"That's… surprising."

"Yeah. Sora still has some anger issues. I'll admit, we provoke each other a lot."

"I can tell."

"But despite all of that, I still love him."

"Yeah."

"I just don't think I can give him what he wants, though."

I wasn't really sure why she was telling me this, but I kept quiet and listened anyway. Her eyes watered as she curled up in her seat and looked out the window.

"I'm a horrible person. I really hate myself for doing this to him…" she cried.

Damn it. I was at a loss one again.

"Sora does everything for me. He even promised to stop stealing and whatnot just so he could become responsible and take care of me," Kairi stopped when she realized what she said. "Sorry. Please don't tell anyone what I've told you today. Sora would like to leave that stuff behind."

"Sure, no problem. I guess what matters now is that he's doing better, but, Kairi," I paused as she looked over at me with tears in her eyes. "You're going to have to stop dwelling on stuff that has already happened. What matters now… is this baby. It should come first."

"It's nice that you came with me and all, but I don't think you understand. The only thing I want from you is your half of the bargain. You are the only one in the world that could be the father to this baby. I don't need any pep talks or lectures on how to live my life. I know what I have to do. Just because you're a few years older than me doesn't mean you have it all figured out," she snapped.

"Sorry. I won't say anything else, then," I groaned in annoyance. Kairi stayed quiet for a moment.

"No, I'm sorry," she said in a hushed voice. "I'm just really stressed out."

"I am too. We're just going to have to come up with the best way to work this out for the both of us."

"Yeah, I guess we should," Kairi said as she placed her hand on the door handle. Just before she got out of the car, there was a knock on her window. Kairi gulped as she saw Riku standing there. Even I panicked a little.

"Kairi? What are you doing in his car?" Riku asked as she quickly got out. He leaned over and gave me a bewildered look before going after her.

Shit.

This would be the one time where Riku's ignorance would come in handy. As Kairi hurried down the sidewalk, she held on tightly to the papers in her hands. Riku caught up to her. Upon rolling my window down a little, I could hear them from here.

"What are those?" Riku prodded as Kairi tried to hide them from his view.

"N-Nothing," she said as she took a few steps past him. As much as I wanted to help her, I was paralyzed. Suddenly, I saw Kairi fall to the ground. Her papers, including the images from the ultrasound, scattered all over the pavement. Without a second thought, I quickly got out of my car and raced over to her. Riku held one of the images in his hands.

"Whoa, Kairi, are these yours?"

"N-No, give those back!"

"I'm going to be an uncle?!" Riku exclaimed, ignoring her incessant pleas. I marched right up to him, tore the scan out of his hand and gave it back to Kairi. I was more furious than I should have been.

"Teach, what's your deal?" Riku asked as I helped Kairi gather the rest of her stuff.

"My deal is, this is her business and you're intruding. If she doesn't want to tell you, then back off."

"Damn, well excuse me," Riku said and rolled his eyes before walking off. Kairi hugged the papers close to her chest.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded slowly as she checked her surroundings to make sure that she didn't miss anything. Upon inspection of the ultrasound image, she noticed that it was ripped. Her lip trembled as she struggled to fight the tears. Was she really that sensitive?

"He's going to tell everybody. I'm done for," Kairi cried. "Only you and Sora know, but now that Riku saw it…"

"Calm down. He won't tell," I reassured her, but I wasn't even sure myself. Whatever impression that Riku got from this was up in the air and I really had to be on my guard now.

"Sora… Sora can help me…" Kairi said as she desperately pulled out her phone. "Sora will talk to him…" I covered her trembling hand with mine to stop her from making any rash judgments, but in that moment, I was plagued by the tons of possibilities that surrounded us.

Little did I know that this one incident would set off a chain of events that I couldn't even begin to imagine.

o-o-o
o-o-o

A/N: This is the beginning, peeps. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks!