Arakawa lounged in the bath with a washcloth over her eyes. She let out a long sigh, enjoying her only luxury in the confinement she suffered.

"You've got five more minutes," Lucy said as she toweled herself off.

Arakawa's face scrunched up into a brief frown. Lucy, the homicidal diclonius, was her captor. For how angry Lucy's words were, Lucy had yet to strike her with one of her lethal vectors. "All right," she said with a sigh. Arakawa was sure that even if she did manage to escape, no one would ever believe that she had not only been near Lucy and lived to tell about it, but had also taken a bath with her.

A knock sounded on the door. Nana's voice drifted in. "We're next."

"Where's Yuka?" Lucy asked.

"She's in the study with Kouta," Mayu said.

"Time's up," Lucy said abruptly.

Arakawa felt something wrap around her chest. She was then lifted out of the bath. As she flailed and screamed, her washcloth fell away to show nothing holding her up. Lucy stood her on the floor, and a towel flew to her.

"Get dried off, move it!" Lucy barked.

Arakawa caught the towel. "But, you said I had five more minutes!" she complained.

"I changed my mind. Get dressed fast, or I haul you out of here naked."

Noting Lucy was putting on her nightgown, Arakawa hurriedly put her skirt on. Lucy headed for the door, and cast her a scowl. Arakawa managed to shrug her shirt on as something grabbed her arm.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Arakawa cried as she fumbled with her buttons. She HAD to get her buttons done up, seeing how she wasn't given time to put her bra on.

Lucy opened the door and let Nana and Mayu into the bath. Arakawa got most of her shirt buttoned up.

Mayu pointed to Arakawa and said, "You're shirt is mis-buttoned."

Arakawa looked down to see she'd missed by two button holes. Lucy then hauled her out. Stumbling into the hall, she asked pleadingly, "Please, at least let me get my shirt buttoned up."

"Do it along the way," Lucy stated.

"What's the rush?"

"None of your business, just move your ass," Lucy grumbled.

Fighting with her buttons, Arakawa looked up only enough to be sure she was right behind Lucy. Apparently, Lucy could use her vectors in other ways than instant death. She knew if she fell behind, Lucy would drag her along like a sack of garbage. She'd just taken a bath, she didn't want to get dirty before she was even dry.

That thought did stop Arakawa in her tracks. Gripping her head, she said, "Lucy, my hair is wet, it's dripping all ...ACK!" Her last sound was crimped off as a vector wrapped around her throat and pulled her forward.

"I'm coming!" Arakawa croaked as loud as she could. Stumbling along, she hurried up beside Lucy, hoping for the chance to breathe.

They came to the study. Lucy stopped just inside and bade Kouta a sweet sounding greeting. "Kouta, can I get you anything?"

Arakawa stumbled in just past Lucy. The pressure from her throat gone, she bent over to suck in a deep breath. Looking up, she saw Kouta and Yuka sitting at a table with their books open. They also were both staring at her. Arakawa looked down, and saw the whole top of her shirt was wide open. Her nipples poked out from the edges, both breasts clearly in view.

"Ghaaa!" Arakawa cried and turned around to clap her shirt closed.

"I ... ahhh," Kouta said weakly.

Lucy scowled down at Arakawa. "Trying to flirt with him, are you?" she asked in a heavy growl.

Arakawa gapped at Lucy in shock. "You didn't give me time to get dressed!"

"Kouta, you pervert! You just had to look, didn't you?" Yuka said accusingly.

"Sorry," Kouta said sheepishly.

"I can't believe you had the nerve to flirt with Kouta," Lucy said in a growl as her eyes changed.

"She did?" Yuka asked, then said, "The garden is fine to bury her in."

"Whoa, wait!" Kouta yelled as he stood up. "Lucy, she came in gasping for breath, I don't think she meant to do that. What have you been doing to her?"

Lucy turned her gaze to Kouta, her eyes returning to their normal color. "Less than she deserves." she stated.

"I did finally have a nice hot bath. Thank you," Arakawa said meekly. She prayed Lucy wasn't going to slice her up. At least, not until she got another wonderful bath.

"I let you get clean because you're sleeping in my room and I don't want you to stink," Lucy stated.

"Still, thank you," Arakawa said sincerely.

Yuka rose and said, "Lucy why don't you and Miss Arakawa sit? I'll go get us all some tea."

"I can help you," Arakawa offered, seeing a chance to get away from Lucy.

"No way, park it," Lucy said, pointing at the far seat. Noting Arakawa was still holding her shirt closed, she added, "Button your shirt first."

Once her shirt was buttoned up correctly, Arakawa sat where Lucy told her to. Feeling the cloth against her bare nipples, she crossed her arms over her chest. The last thing she wanted was Lucy thinking that she was flirting with Kouta. Which, was something that Lucy herself was engaged heavily in. Lucy took the spot next to Kouta, and moved closer to lean against him as she wondered how he was coming with his studies. With her breast against his arm, the only way Lucy could have gotten closer was if she crawled into in his lap. Lucy greeted Kouta's gaze with a bright smile – and an occasional glare Arakawa's way.

Yuka returned and passed out the tea, also was very pleasant to Kouta. Arakawa noted that even though it was obvious Lucy was flirting with Kouta, Yuka paid no attention to this, and cast flirts of her own at him. Unlike the instant rage Lucy exhibited when she though Arakawa was flirting with him, Lucy paid no attention to Yuka's advances.

Arakawa was burning to ask why Lucy didn't treat Yuka with the same hostility, but Lucy's random glares kept her quiet.

Wearing a pink robe, Nana came running in with a cry of, "Kouta, Kouta! You gotta feel this!" Racing around the table she grabbed Kouta's hand, opened her robe to show it was her only garment, and planted his hand on her belly.

"Can you feel it?" Nana asked cheerfully.

Kouta blushed and closed her robe. "You can't feel the baby yet, Nana, you just put on a few pounds," he explained gently.

Again, Arakawa noted that Lucy had no problem with Kouta obviously being the father of Nana's child.

Nana frowned and sat down on the floor beside him. "Aww darn! How long is it going to take?" she asked in a whine.

"A few more months before you'll be able to see anything," Yuka explained.

"Months!" Nana cried. "What's she doing in there all that time?"

"Growing," Kouta said.

"Nana, I'm going to pick up a baby book tomorrow. There is much we need to talk about anyway," Yuka told her.

Nana nodded to Yuka, and asked, "So, when can we go shopping for her?"

Mayu appeared in the doorway. "Nana, there you are! We're sleeping in my room, OK, Yuka?"

Yuka nodded and said, "That's fine. Don't stay up too late, you have school in the morning."

"We won't. Night everyone, come on Nana," Mayu said happily as she waved.

Nana bounced up, bade everyone good night, and left with Mayu.

Unable to take any more strangeness, Arakawa said, "May I ask a question?"

"Do you want to live?" Lucy asked in return.

"Lucy, please," Yuka scolded, then said to Arakawa, "Go ahead."

Seeing how he seemed to be the only rational one here, Arakawa directed her question to Kouta.

"How is it you can all live together? I mean, even normal women would scratch each other's eyes out if they both wanted the same man ... but two of yours are diclonius. This place should be wrecked, with blood everywhere."

"We're family," Lucy stated, "What we do is none of your concern."

"Lucy is right," Yuka added, "All these girls need a home, and someone to watch out for them."

"I won't send any of them away, they have been through too much agony already," Kouta said, then added, "Even if it does cause problems from time to time, everyone here needs to know they have a home. No matter what."

Arakawa's face opened up as she realized the truth. "You all truly love each other."

"But we don't even like you, so watch your ass," Lucy said heavily.

"She is trying to learn about us," Yuka said in Arkakawa's defense.

Pointing to Arakawa, Lucy said to Yuka, "SHE would gladly have our house attacked by those murdering bastards. Keeping her alive is a danger to us all!"

"You promised not to kill her as long as she stays with us," Yuka reminded Lucy.

Lucy's face crooked into an unpleasant smile. "I know," she said calmly, "And before long, she will try to flee, or contact someone to rescue her. When she does, our agreement no longer applies. Don't worry, I'll make sure she dies quietly."

Lucy then gave Kouta a peck on the cheek and rose. "Come on, bed time," she said just as calmly.

"I think I'm about done for the night too," Kouta said with a yawn.

Shivers went up Arakawa's spine as she followed Lucy. Somehow, when Lucy had spoken calmly, it terrified her more than all of the growling and yelling.

Lucy put Arakawa's futon against a wall, far from the door or windows. Lucy herself laid down in the middle of the room between Arakawa and any form of exit.

Feeling she had to say something so Lucy wouldn't kill her in the middle of the night, Arakawa offered, "I would very much like to learn the truth about you. Please, let me live long enough to learn the truth."

"Lie down," Lucy ordered.

Arakawa did so, getting under the covers. Propping herself up on one elbow, she said, "I really want to ..." Suddenly stars flashed in her eyes as something hit her hard. She fell limp, knocked cold.

"And good night to you, too," Lucy grumbled, then left to go see Kouta.

Arakawa came around with a pounding headache. Voices drifted to her as she winced from the pain.

"I really appreciate WHY you did it, but please don't do that again," Kouta said.

"How else was I to spend some time with you?" Lucy asked softly.

Opening her aching eyes, Arakawa noted she was in bed. On Lucy's futon, Kouta sat up, holding Lucy in his arms as she laid up against him. Her arms were over his, hands intertwined.

"So, how long before I have to stop taking those pills, and it's my turn to have a baby?" Lucy asked.

Kouta shrugged and said, "Let's support Nana before we think about that. She is going to need a lot of help."

Sporting a cute frown, Lucy looked up at Kouta and said, "I really wanted to be first you know. I've known you longer than anyone."

Kouta chuckled and said, "No one knew Nana could get pregnant. Besides, Yuka has known me a bit longer," he teased.

Letting out a playful growl, Lucy sat up and turned to him. "OK, so I'm next, right? I already have a name planned. Kanae, that is if it's OK with you. In honor of your little sister," she said, saying the last part sheepishly.

Kouta was quiet for a moment, then reached up and cupped her face. He kissed her and said, "Thank you."

Wanting to hear better when was going on, Arakawa pulled herself up to lean on her elbow – which shot more pains through her head. "Oww!" she complained.

"Oh great, the wicked witch awakes," Lucy grumbled.

"Are you OK?" Kouta asked as he looked over at Arakawa.

Seeing the scowl Lucy was giving her, Arakawa held up a hand, "I'm be good I swear! Please don't hit me again."

"Be happy I haven't killed you yet," Lucy shot back at her.

Kouta eyed Lucy and asked, "Is it really OK for you to be watching her?"

"No, it's not even OK that she's here. But since she is, someone capable has to do it." Lucy said.

Kouta nodded briefly. "I realize that. Just try not to hurt her unless she does something."

Lucy gave a begrudging nod, then planted a kiss on Kouta's lips. "I will try," she said. She then leaned over and whispered in Kouta's ear.

Kouta's face blushed, and he laughed. "That sounds like fun. I have to get to bed now."

Lucy opened her mouth to say something, then cast a glare at Arakawa. "If SHE wasn't here, you could just lay down with me," Lucy noted with an acid tone.

Kouta gave Lucy a hug, kissed her, then said, "I'm off to bed. Don't worry, things will work out."

Arakawa watched Kouta leave. The second he was out the door, Lucy's pleasant demeanor shifted. She turned to glare at Arakawa and said, "Wasn't enough to put you out all night, HUH?"

"I'm sleeping!" Arakawa said quickly, flopped down and shut her eyes.

Arakawa didn't think she could sleep. She knew better than to move, other than rolling over, else Lucy would whack her in the head again. Spending her time thinking, she puzzled about the strange relationships of this house. So far from what she gathered, Lucy, Nana and Yuka all were intimate with Kouta. Yet, being diclonius, Lucy or Nana shouldn't even be here.

By every account she read and the findings of the institute, that girl Yuka should be splattered all over the back yard along with Mayu. If Lucy's primary goal was for Kouta to sire a child for her, then why did she allow Nana to do so first? If reproduction was Lucy's main goal, then there was no reason for her to allow Yuka to live, let alone share an equal footing with her in this house. Again, Yuka should have died the moment Lucy laid eyes on her.

She realized that no one had found either of the missing diclonius just for this reason. No one could comprehend that they would settle into a house inhabited by humans, and live peacefully. The watches were in rural areas, where a diclonius could hide in secret. Not in heavily populated areas. Was that Lucy's plan? She couldn't even believe Lucy had planned it, for their intermingled relationships were too honest to be faked.

Another thing bothered her as well. She heard that Lucy had known Kouta a long time, but how was that possible? Lucy had been captured eight, almost nine years ago. Had they been childhood friends or sweethearts? Even that didn't make any sense, because back then, the trail of bodies and dicloni infections was how they found Lucy.

Arakawa's thoughts drifted to all of them together as Nana had Kouta feel her belly for presence of the baby. A baby Nana shouldn't be able to have. Lucy, the lethal diclonius killer, sat by as her boyfriend felt the bare belly of another woman. Her memory shifted, and Nana doft her robe to sit on his lap. Lucy also shed her clothes and began hugging and kissing him while Yuka looked on with a satisfied smile...

"UP!"

Arakawa awakened to find herself being lifted up. She felt like straps had been attached to her as she rose. Not remembering where she was, she flailed to get away from some attacker, and found Lucy glaring at her. She then remembered the previous day.

"I can get up myself," Arakawa complained as she struggled to get her feet under her.

"What's your point?" Lucy asked.

"You just don't have to be so rough with me, that's all," Arakawa countered.

Wearing a blank face, Lucy walked up stand toe to toe with her. "You're right. You only came here to kill Nana's baby, and prevent any of us from having children. Perhaps I should be more respectful of you, say chain you naked to a wall and shoot cannons at you. Or maybe wrap you in armor and hang you from a post in some steel bunker. That is confinement you could understand, yes?"

Arakawa paled as she stood gazing into Lucy's angry eyes, wishing to be anywhere else but here. "I had nothing to do with any of that," she said weakly.

"If you had, then even my family wouldn't be able to save you. Move," Lucy growled.

Arakawa wished she could at least go to the bathroom by herself, but Lucy was ever present. She got a brief reprieve at breakfast, she was allowed to eat in peace as Nana proclaimed Yuka a genius for making the apple crisp so tasty. Lucy's attentions were turned toward Kouta. Mayu, the young girl Arakawa thought had no business being here, talked about her schoolwork and tutoring Nana so one day, Nana could join her in class. The more Arakawa listened, the more they sounded like any other family – with a strange bit of twist.

"No, you can't do that," Nana suddenly said to Yuka. "Lucy lost her turn so we have to also. I'll go shopping with you. We're going to go get that baby book, right?"

"That's right. We'll learn all about babies together," Yuka assured her.

"Since the turns can't happen any more, we don't need to take those stupid pills, right?" Lucy asked off hand.

"Yes, we do," Yuka said evenly. "No turns doesn't mean..." glancing at Arakawa, she finished with, "Anyway, we still need to take them."

Nana frowned at that. "You know Yuka, it's not fair that I'm having a baby, and you're not."

"Tell me about it," Yuka grumbled.

"Oh no, I'm next," Lucy said, eyeing Yuka.

"We really can't afford to have three babies all at once," Kouta said. "If it wasn't for us thinking Nana couldn't get pregnant, Nana wouldn't be having one now."

"But I'm happy I am!" Nana chirped.

Lucy cast a Nana a dark look that wasn't quite a glare. "We know."

Yuka let out a sigh and said in a forced cheerful voice, "Well, if Kouta wasn't such a pervert, then we wouldn't have to worry about it. But since Nana is having a baby, let's all do our best for her!"

Once again, Arakawa felt the need to say something. "It's not like Kouta forced any of you is it?" Seeing all eyes shift to stare at her, she mumbled, "OK, I'll shut up now." She dropped her eyes to her plate.

"Kouta would not do that!" Mayu yelled as she hit the table with a fist.

At Mayu's outburst, Arakawa looked up to see Mayu glaring at her with tears in her eyes. "Kouta is a GOOD father! How DARE you accuse him of those things!" Mayu yelled.

"Mayu, calm down," Yuka said.

"NO!" Mayu screeched. Pointing a finger at Arakawa , she yelled, "You come here to cause trouble, now you're accusing Kouta of being a bad man. I WON'T HAVE IT! Why don't you just GO AWAY!"

Lucy put a hand on Mayu's shoulder, "Mayu, hon, calm down. She's an idiot, she doesn't know any better."

Nana hugged Mayu. "It's OK, Mayu. We all know Kouta is the best father in the world. What she thinks doesn't matter."

Arakawa watched as they grouped around the sobbing Mayu. Holding onto Mayu on her side, Lucy cast Arakawa a frighteningly calm stare, and said, "You just pissed me off. After breakfast, we're talking a walk."

"Where to?" Yuka asked tentatively.

Keeping her eyes riveted on Arakawa, Lucy said, "Just a short one. No need to worry."

"Oh god," Arakawa whispered. This was it, she could tell by the look in Lucy's eyes. Lucy was going to take her outside and kill her.

In a rough tone, Nana said, "I'll do it." Looking at Arakawa sadly, she said, "Lucy has been very good and trying very hard. I can't let her start killing again."

"Nana, you don't have to." Lucy told her.

"Yes, I do." Nana stated.

"Nana, Lucy, we don't have to kill her," Kouta said.

Nana looked at Kouta sadly. "I wish that were true. I hate the idea of it, but that woman is a danger to us all. She can't stay here forever, and she if she leaves, then she will bring those awful men down on us. " A tear formed in Nana's eye as she looked at Arakawa. "WHY did you have to track us down?"

"I... didn't mean to." Grasping at anything to keep from dying, Arakawa said, "I can see you are a true family, and love each other very much. We hadn't thought diclonius could do that. PLEASE, not only for my sake, but for the sake of any other diclonius out there, let me live. Let me go tell people that you are just.."

"Shut up," Lucy said calmly. Arakawa quickly complied.

Nana rose and said, "Lucy, if you could keep everyone else here, it would be easier for all of us."

"Oh dear," Yuka said in a sob as she hugged Mayu.

Mayu lifted her tear stained face and said, "Nana, please don't. Not because of me. I don't want you to be sad."

Nana offered a sad smile to Mayu and patted her head. "Not because of you Mayu, but because of the danger she carries. I'm going to be a mother, Mayu. If I can't do my best to protect my own child, what kind of mother will I make?"

Kouta, who had been deep in thought, suddenly announced, "I've got it! Nana, please go get Miss Arakawa's things together. Yuka, we still have most of that bottle of saki left, don't we?"

Yuka eyed him. "What does saki have to do with Miss Arakawa?"

Enlivened, Kouta told Lucy, "Just keep her here, Yuka could you get the saki?"

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

Kouta grinned at her, then went around the table and whispered in her ear. Lucy glanced at Arakawa, and giggled. "That might just work," she said with an evil grin.

.

.

Arakawa stood before the director with a throbbing headache. The director sat in his chair, eyeing the reports with a stonic face.

"So," he said in his gravely voice, "You claim you went to an Inn where you found Lucy and number seven living with a human male, and two other human females."

"That is correct, sir," Arakawa said.

"Number seven is pregnant with a child, and you have evidence that this man is not only father to number seven's child, but is also having intimate relations with a human girl AND Lucy all at the same time, and they all agree to this?"

"Yes sir, they do bicker between themselves, however,.."

"And you were found passed out drunk after a man called in your whereabouts." he stated heavily.

"Sir, that man and Lucy made me drink three quarters of a bottle of saki. I had no choice, it was drink or die." Arakawa insisted.

Slamming the reports down on his desk, the director scowled at her. "Don't you realize how ludicrous that sounds? I'll tell you what happened! The man that called said you had spent the night at his place. You made a total fool of yourself and insisted he make love to you while you wore a pair of fake horns, wanting him to call YOU Lucy! After you passed out, he found your phone and called here, then carried you down to the bench where we found you. He wanted no more involvement with you, and begged to remain anonymous. "

"But, sir! That man is Kouta, Lucy's lover."

"You are a sick woman!" the director roared.

"In my purse is the address where they live, I am not lying!" Arakawa insisted.

"We checked everything in your purse," the director said. "The only address we found was of a hotel, near the place where we found you. We also found a headband with fake horns attached. DO NOT attempt to carry this charade any further."

"But ... Nana, I mean number seven's baby.." she said weakly,

"A silpelit having a child. Think about that claim for a moment, Miss Arakawa."

"I'm not lying, I can take you there!" Arakawa cried.

Studying her, the director said, "Maybe you believe you're telling the truth. That is the sad part." He picked up the reports and stuffed them in an envelope.

"Sir, please believe me. Diclonius are not how we think they are. Lucy was very protective of the others she calls family, even though they are humans. I know this sounds very strange, but it's the truth!"

Shaking his head, the director said, "Miss Arakawa, you will report to the mental health ward and check in. They are expecting you."

"But ... "

"That will be all, Miss Arakawa. You are excused. The men outside are waiting to escort you."