Author's Note: This story is a figment of my imagination. Any similarities to others' situations/predicaments are completely coincidental.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, Higuchi Tachibana does. All the song lyrics I'll be using here are owned by their corresponding artist and I will definitely give them credit for it as the story goes.

Chapter 10: Cards On The Table

Mikan's jaw dropped.

"Natsume-"

"Mikan, I am in love with you. I know that you're probably overwhelmed by all these, but I do. And I think that whatever circumstances we are in or how incredulous our love story is, all that matters is we are in love with each other. Are you in love with me?" he looked in her eyes searchingly. He pressed both her hands to his lips as he patiently wait for her response.

Mikan had asked herself the same question even before he did.

"I am."

He released the breath he's been holding.

"How do you know that you are?"

"I feel it. I just now that I am. But it confuses because these are all going too fast and then my fear for the worst keeps growing every time you do something wonderful for us. You know, for four years, you are the only person who has broken through the walls I've built around me and the twins. And for twenty six years, you are the only one who made me feel this burning emotion in my heart. I know this has to be love."

Natsume moved closer to her and and gave her a kiss on the lips. His lips felt so soft on hers and the kiss was so gentle that Mikan felt regret the moment he pulled away after a few seconds.

Because he knew their talk is not over yet.

"I know there is a 'but'."

She took a deep breath and sighed, "But I am afraid. I am petrified of you realizing that you don't need this. That you'll soon realize that your once simple life will get complicated just because of me and the kids."

"Mikan, I have told you-"

She placed one finger on his lips, "But because I know that a person cannot decide when or where she or he will fall in love, I accepted that my feelings for you must be real. I stopped denying them yesterday when I agreed for us to be together. But marriage is a different matter. I will impact your life much more than you may have bargained for."

He looked at her with confusion in his face. "Mikan, I don't care what people will think about us. And I have already come up with the perfect solution for what I assume is worrying you."

"Natsume, because I love you and I seriously care for you, I am giving you a chance to think things through over, more carefully, this time before asking me again to marry you."

He was about to say something when she said in an almost inaudible voice,

"My real name is Yukihara Mikan."

His eyes widened and Mikan knew he realized what some of the complications she said earlier .

She continued,

"My parents are Yukihara Izumi and Azumi Yuka. I have an older brother, Tono. My brother and I have always been close but when I decided to leave our family, I've kept away from him, too. He's reached out to me countless times but I kept refusing him. Since I have an older brother, I believed that I will never be used as a business pawn. I have always dreamt of pursuing music so I entered Alice Music Academy right after high school. But after two terms, my parents pulled me out, sent me to America, and had me study Business and Finance. I obliged, thinking it is probably to help Tono-nii once he takes over our company. I graduated top in my class and even finished school earlier than supposed to, which pleased my parents. But then my parents proved again that they control my life when only two months after I returned to Japan, they announced to the media that I was engaged to be married to the heir of SGC, Serio Rei."

Natsume remained silent but his hold to Mikan's hand tightened a little. He remembered this because he was invited to the business dinner as well. Media clamored over the two powerful families and a month after that, an engagement party took place. He did not attend that party because he went to London and stayed there for two years for business.

"Tono and I were beyond furious with our parents. I mean, I do not even know that man. And Tono argued that he is taking over the reins of the family business so there is no need to use me by marrying me off to another powerful family. Obviously we lost the argument because the engagement took place and everyone who watched the news knew of it."

Mikan averted her eyes from Natsume's gaze and focused instead on a blank space on the wall. He held her chin and gently made her face him again. He kissed her on the nose and silently encouraged her to continue her story.

She swallowed before continuing, "Rei and I would go on dates, trying to learn more about each other. After about three months, I've learned to enjoy his company and even learned to trust him. You see I have never gone out with anyone before. My parents won't let me and having an overprotective brother doesn't help either so I can't date anyone even in secret."

She felt Natsume touch her cheek and she realized she was crying. He got up and returned holding a box of tissues. He wiped her cheeks and she looked at his angelic face.

'This is it'

She took another deep breath, "One day, I just woke up and my body ached all over. My head felt like it was being hammered and will break into pieces."

Natsume froze and stared at Mikan's eyes. He already know what she's going to say and he is trying his best to stay calm as to not scare Mikan from finishing her story. He knew that she needs to get all of these out of her. He held one of her hands and used his other hand to wipe the constant flow of tears down her cheeks.

"Servants came inside the room and tended over me. When I asked them, they said that I was in Rei's room and that their master asked them to prepare me for the day. I was at loss for words; I was in too deep of a shock that I can't even scream or get angry. I can't remember anything from the previous night except that we were having dinner at a fancy restaurant. Rei came in after two hours or so and acted like a loving husband. He kissed me and asked me what I'd like to have for lunch since I have obviously overslept." she laughed dryly.

"I guess that's when something inside me finally snapped. I slapped him hard and scratched his face. He yelled back and hit me. I accused him of rape and he you know what his answer was?"

Natsume remained silent. Afraid that he might lose control of his anger.

"He said it wasn't rape because I am his fiance and we will be married anyway in three months. And that he had our parents' consent to take my virginity away." she spat out the word. "He said it like everything he did was a natural thing to do. He even told me with so much pride in his voice how he added something in my wine so that I will get drunk easily."

Her tears had finally stopped and Natsume reached for her other hand.

"When I told my family what happened, imagine how I felt when only my brother comforted me. Tono-nii was murderous and he almost broke every vase in my mom's study when my parents refused to take the matter to the police and to the court. They said that we are bound to get married soon anyway so it shouldn't be a big deal. We couldn't believe it. I remembering feeling lightheaded then Tono-nii lifted me up and carried me out of the study and upstairs to his room. He asked one of his trusted lady-doctor-friend, Kaho-san, to perform different tests on me to check the drug in my bloodstream." she swallowed, "I even went through the rape kit." She said in a softer voice. She shook her head and cleared her throat before continuing,

"They tended my wounds over the next few days. My face was pretty swollen after Rei has hit both my cheeks and I have a lot of bruises in some parts of my body. I also continued to stay in Tono-nii's room because I know that if I am with him, I will be safe from our parents and Rei."

She looked up at the ceiling and tried to fight back a new batch of tears. Natsume squeezed her hands and she forced herself to look back at his face and allowed the tears to flow.

"After a month, the three of us found out that I was pregnant. Although I did not want the child nor do I love its father, I still refused to have abortion. Tono-nii respected my decision but wanted to send me to any country I want to and stay there for the meantime while he try to formulate a plan on how to break my engagement. I agreed. On my second month of pregnancy, just a month before the wedding, I was downtown trying to cheer myself up by looking for baby things. Little did I know that Rei had a long-time girlfriend who is madly in love with him. She's been following me and when I was near the subway entry way, she pushed me down the stairs before running away. The next thing I know, I was in a hospital with Tono-nii and Kaho-san beside me. I have lost my baby."

Natsume couldn't take it in anymore, "Mikan." Then he cradled her in his arms. She cried in his chest and he kept kissing her forehead. "I'm here honey, I'm here."

Mikan hasn't cried in someone's arms for a long time and she felt a dam break down inside her.

She let out all the tears she's been holding back just so she can tell him her story.

She cried out all the tears she kept bottled up in order to keep her kids from seeing her sad.

She cried, remembering how she was raped, got pregnant, and then lost her child.

She cried, realizing again how it pains her to stay away from her only family, Tono-nii.

She cried, because now that he knew her deepest and darkest secrets, Natsume will definitely retract his proposal. He might even break up with her now.

Mikan cried her heart out on her and Natsume's first, and maybe last, night together.

--XOXO--

They were lying on the bed facing each other, with Natsume's arm draped over Mikan's waist. He pressed her nearer to him until their noses almost touch.

"Are you feeling better? Your eyes must be hurting. Did the cold towel help? Do you want me to prepare one again?"

"I'm alright. In fact I think I have never felt better. It's been years since I cried like that. Although I am sorry I ruined your shirt."

He kissed her nose. "Did not matter at all."

Mikan closed her eyes and sighed in contentment as she felt warmth emitting from his body. She hugged him and continued with her story,

"Tono-nii had enough of my misfortunes. While I was in the hospital, I learned from Kaho-san that on the day I was confined to the hospital, Tono-nii called for private meeting with our parents and the Serios including Rei. He showed them the medical records of my being drugged, raped, and pregnant. That is when I realized why he had Kaho performed those tests to me. He never planned to let it all go. He also told them that he already had the police investigate my accident and ordered them to find the culprit who pushed me and made me lose the baby. He told them that if the criminal is in some way involved with any of the Serios, he will definitely make all of them pay. The Serios and my parents were outraged that Tono-nii was threatening the Serios but he kept his stand. He also told them that the engagement is now null and if any of them refuse, he will sue Rei of rape and have the media know of it. That got all of them to shut up and agree to everything Tono-nii demanded. The following day, both families held a press conference regarding the engagement and as soon as I was discharged from the hospital, I went overseas as Tono-nii originally planned. He thought it will be best for me to get away from the media circus for a while."

"Honey, we can continue this tomorrow. I know you are exhausted. It is almost 4 in the morning. What time do the kids usually wake up?" he placed her head on his shoulder and arranged the blanket to cover her properly as she snuggled closer to him.

"They usually wake up at 6 but since they slept late last night, I guess they will wake up around 8. Don't worry, I'll take a nap in the afternoon before I leave for my gig. Are you sure you don't want to know everything right now?"

"As much as I want to know every little thing about you, Mikan, I would rather that you rest first. We will continue this in the morning. Alright? Now, go to sleep please."

She closed her eyes and Natsume can feel her soft lashes on his skin.

"Natsume?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Now that you know who I am and you've also learned part of my past, do you -"

"Yes Mikan." He pressed her tighter against him, "I still do and I did not even falter once. I want us to get married, and as soon as possible. I have just learned a lot of things about you so your argument that we don't know anything about each other is not valid anymore. You know, I love you so much more right now compared from two hours ago."

She turned up to face him and asked, "Really?"

"Really. Now please go to sleep sweetheart. You have been through a lot today. I love you Mikan. Sweet dreams."

He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, and finally, her lips. It was a short kiss but the two of them has put in their true feelings in that kiss that when they parted, they gave each other a meaningful smile. They settled back to each other's arms and fell into deep sleep.