Ch. 10 Mr. & Mrs. Tidus Stone

"I'm fixing a sandwich, Ti. Would you like anything to eat?" Darcy asked, as she moved to the small kitchen area of her apartment. She looked over at Tidus, who was sitting on her couch, his head buried in a book.

"I'm okay," he muttered.

He wasn't really okay. Living with Darcy was exquisite hell on Spira. He had only been here for a week and already he was tired of being here. How the hell was he supposed to marry her and live here forever? Well, not forever. There wasn't any room for a baby here. He felt claustrophobic here.

Darcy fixed her sandwich in silence. Had she noticed how moody Tidus was all week? Of course. Did she care? Nope. In one week, they would be married. She had convinced him to go ahead and get it over with. Why the hell did he have to make this so difficult? Why couldn't he just accept the fact that they were supposed to be together? Sure, she wasn't really pregnant, but it was a sign, wasn't it? Some form of fate. Speaking of the fake pregnancy, she had almost been busted twice. She had to remember to always get dressed in the bathroom even when Tidus wasn't here. He had even tried to touch her stomach, but she had moved out of the way, claiming she was uncomfortable having someone else touch it.

The wedding couldn't come quick enough for her. She had decided that she would come clean with him on their wedding night. What could he do about it then? Zanarkand laws wouldn't make a divorce easy for him. It would take months before anything was finalized. And he still wouldn't be able to be with Yuna. Adultery wouldn't sit with the courts well. She was tired of the lying a little bit. But, most importantly, she was tired of the heavy pillow she was carrying.

She sat at the small table to eat her sandwich. "What are you reading? Is it for an assignment?"

"Uh, huh."

She took a hasty bite out of the sandwich. He was annoying her. He didn't really talk to her when he was at the apartment, which wasn't often. She usually didn't see him until late afternoon. She knew that he had been sick, but he was fully recovered.

"Who are you inviting to the wedding? You should invite your teammates," she said.

"I'm reading, Darcy."

How could he find schoolwork more interesting than her? Even "pregnant", she still considered herself a very good catch. She was going to look beautiful on Saturday. Her dress was beautiful. She hadn't even told her father about it. The last time she had spoken to him, he warned her that things were going to blow up in her face. What does that old bastard know? Tidus finally closed his book and placed it aside. He turned to look at her.

"Darcy, can I ask you a serious question?"

"Anything."

"Do you really want to marry me?"

"Of course I do. Even though it's the law."

"Yeah, but if it weren't…"

"I'd still want to marry you, Ti. I care about you a lot. I know that you think you're in love with Yuna…"

"I am in love with her."

"Guys like you don't fall in love. Besides that, I believe that with your full cooperation we can build something here. Something to pass on to our child. We could be happy together if you just gave it a try. We don't have to pretend to love each other. I'm just talking about a friendship. What do you say?"

"Friends, huh? I guess that would be okay."

"See? Doesn't that make this seem somewhat tolerable?"

"A little bit," he reluctantly agreed.

"Okay. So, stop acting so moody."

"I have been moody, haven't I?"

"Yeah. It's out of character."

"Sorry. I'm going to give this a real try. There's no reason why we can't be happy, right?" he asked, though his heart was singing another song. The first word to each verse began with never. Never gonna make love to Yuna again. Never gonna kiss Yuna again. Never gonna marry Yuna.

She got up from the table and walked over to throw her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd come around. We'll be happy, Ti. I promise."

"Yeah."

Yuna and Rikku stared at each other across the kitchen counter. After Wakka had stormed out of the house last week, they knew something was wrong with Lulu. Now, they sat, pondering what to do about it. After all, Wakka hadn't told them anything. He had just left.

"Should we go up and try to talk to her?" asked Rikku.

"We can give it a try."

They left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to the second floor. Yuna knocked on Lulu's door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's us. Me and Rikku."

"Come on in."

They entered the pink decorated room and found her sitting at her desk. It seemed like she was typing a report on her computer.

"Lulu, can we talk to you?" Rikku asked, sitting on her bed.

"Sure, Rikku," she replied, but she didn't stop typing.

"Why did Wakka leave?" Yuna asked, conspicuously looking around the room for any signs.

"You would get a better answer from him, Yuna. We had a disagreement. He got angry and stormed out."

Rikku's widened eyes met Yuna's. And you're not pissed about it? You don't want me to find him, jump on his back and pull his hair out?

"You seem to be taking it pretty calmly," Rikku observed out loud.

Lulu sighed. "Well, what am I supposed to do? When Wakka calms down and realize that there weren't any real problems, he'll be back. He even left most of his things."

"What kind of problems did he think you had?" Yuna asked.

"I would rather not discuss it. It's between us."

"That's not fair! We tell you everything!" Rikku complained.

"Not everything. Yuna, did you tell me that Tidus' ex-girlfriend was pregnant? Rikku, did you tell me that you were working with Gatta?"

"I was going to explain…" Yuna started.

"Wakka told me," Lulu interrupted.

"I could have sworn I had shouted it from the rooftops that I was working with Gatta!" Rikku yelled.

"Well, you didn't. How could you even consider working with him? Did you forget why you two broke up?"

"That's the pot calling the kettle black! How could you see Seymour? Did you forget?" Rikku retaliated. See, Lulu wasn't the only one that could find out things that no one was supposed to know. After all, she was on the hunt for the date rape crusader. She frowned. Gatta had begged her to change that name over and over, but she thought it had a nice ring to it.

"This is different. That was only a social meeting. You're working with Gatta. Didn't you once dub him Mr. Hot fingers?" Lulu asked, finally turning away from her computer screen.

"I did," Rikku admitted.

"Well?"

"I need the work. My Dad can't support me forever. I need to…um…feel independent. Yeah, that's it."

"Right. Or maybe you're still attracted to Gatta and couldn't resist?" Lulu teased.

"Lulu! Don't tease her!" Yuna warned.

"Is it my fault if she's still attracted to a certain dark-haired, dark eyed islander? The boys from the islands can be irresistible," said Lulu.

"Then why are you fighting with yours?" Rikku asked again.

"Never mind. If you girls will excuse me, I have a paper to finish writing. Thanks for dropping by," Lulu said, turning back to her computer screen.

Rikku resisted her urge to toss one of the big pink pillows at Lulu's head. It was just like her to close the subject abruptly. They left Lulu's room and headed back to the kitchen. They passed Baralai in the hall, dressed in his Abes uniform.

"You have a game tonight?" Yuna asked him.

"Yeah, that's right. But, a true Abes fan would know that."

"I am a true fan," Yuna complained.

"Well, that being the case, I don't have to tell you what time the game starts," Baralai said, heading down the stairs.

"I have to find out what time the game starts," she said to Rikku. It would be the first time she'd seen Tidus in almost three weeks.

"It starts at seven. They're playing the Psyches, that's how I know."

Yuna looked at her watch. It was five thirty. She hurried down the stairs to her room to get dressed. She had to get to the stadium early enough to buy a ticket. Abes tickets didn't last long. She frowned as she got dressed. Wasn't Lulu going to the game? She never missed the Abes games. Even before she begun to date Wakka.

"I can't believe I'm out here. It's cold as hell," Paine complained, as she wrapped her coat around her slim body tightly. It was the coat that Baralai had bought for her last winter. A fact that she still didn't know. She was glad to have it. The wind was merciless tonight. The sound of the screaming fans filled her ears.

"It's cold, but the Abes are winning," Yuna yelled into her ear.

"Go Psyches!" Rikku screamed. A few die hard Abes fans gave her dirty looks.

Yuna turned her attention back to the sphere pool. She could see that Wakka had the ball. He was making his way across when he was blocked by two Al Bhed Psyches. He was tackled hard by one, but still managed to hold onto the ball. This was the last four minutes of the game.

Paine sat pensive. What the hell was Baralai doing? He hadn't left the pool yet. His two minutes were almost up. This was the last game before blitz season was over. Blappa tackled Wakka hard, and stole the ball. He took off toward the opposite end of the pool. Wakka followed closely.

"Get him, Wakka!" someone yelled.

Datto appeared beside Wakka and he tackled Blappa hard. Blappa stumbled, but he managed to continue on. He was almost close enough to try to score. Wakka decided to take him out. He tackled him very hard, but Blappa refused to let go of the ball. He swam on and kicked the ball toward the opponent's goal. Keepa saw it coming. If he could just reach further…the ball went past his outstretched hands and into the net. The buzzer sounded. The score was tied.

Paine noticed that Baralai was still in the pool. She was beginning to get worried. Why the hell didn't he just leave already? She saw him in a huddle with Datto, Tidus, Wakka, and Jassu. They broke away and the game began again. Two minutes left.

Baralai breathed deeply. His vision blurred a little bit. He knew that his time was up, but there was no way in hell Coach Luzzu would let him leave the game with only two minutes left. He would just have to force his way through the pain. He took off down the pool after Nimrook. He tackled him hard, and stole the ball. He could feel his lungs collapsing. He had to at least make a good pass. He swam toward the opposing team's goal. He looked to his left and right for his teammates. Datto was too far to make the pass. Tidus was closer, but he didn't really want to pass it to him. He was about to pass to Wakka, when Wakka was grabbed from behind. He sighed deeply, the clock ticking. He made the pass to Tidus, who caught it and kept going.

Baralai saw his vision darken. He struggled to fight it. He could see three Psyches ganging up on Tidus, but what could he do? He could barely stay awake. He saw bits of blood seeping into the water from his mouth. He had to get some air.

Tidus saw the three Psyches blocking his path. There were only seconds left. What could he do? He was pretty sure he could make the shot if…he headed toward the surface of the pool. Baralai watched Tidus. What the hell was he doing? He watched him blast threw the water, letting go of the ball. He flipped upside down, and kicked the ball into the water. It swirled past the heads of the Psyches and into the goal. The crowd erupted into cheers. Baralai stared. He would have been genuinely impressed if he could breathe. He headed for the exit of the pool.

Paine was watching his every move.

"Look at Baralai. He's so selfish! He didn't even stay to congratulate Tidus!" Yuna fumed.

Paine didn't say anything. She stood up so she could see Baralai leave the pool. When his feet landed on the concrete, he collapsed. Without thinking or waiting to explain, she rushed through the crowds. She had to hurry. A big, surly guy stood in the way.

"Hey, missy. Slow it down. We're all here to enjoy the game."

"Move out of my way!"

"Why don't we just talk about it?"

Without thinking, Paine threw a punch into his chin and continued running. Damn Yuna for those crappy seats! She was almost out of breath by the time she reached the player's seats. Coach Luzzu and someone she didn't know were hovered over Baralai.

She ran up to their sides. "Miss, this isn't the time for an autograph," Coach Luzzu warned.

"I know what's wrong with him," she said, forgetting the promise she made to Baralai. Seeing his unconscious face lying there made the choice for her.

"We've called the paramedics. He's not responding," the other man said.

"Where is his coat?" she demanded.

"What? We've got a blanket here," Coach Luzzu said.

"Never mind. Just tell me where his coat is. Quickly. Please."

"Come with me, Paine. I'll show you," Wakka said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the locker room. They ran.

"I hope like hell he didn't decide to lock it tonight, ya," he explained to her. She didn't say anything. They found Baralai's locker. Thank Yevon he was careless enough to leave it open. She reached into the pockets and found his inhaler.

Wakka stared. "What's that?"

"I can't explain now, Wakka. We have to help Baralai."

He followed her back to the player's seats. She squatted next to Baralai quickly, putting the inhaler in his mouth.

"Breathe, Baralai," she demanded.

The Abes stood by watching in stunned silence. Coach Luzzu's eyes bulged. "What's he doing with an inhaler?" he asked.

Paine ignored him. Baralai hadn't responded.

"Damn it, Baralai! I can't lose you, too! Breathe, you son of a bitch!"

For whatever reason, Baralai made a small sound. The sound had come from the inhaler. His left hand reached up and held the inhaler. Paine sat back, trembling with relief. The paramedics ran on the scene. They loaded Baralai onto the stretcher quickly. The sound of the ambulance could be heard from inside the stadium.

"Paine. What's Baralai doing with an inhaler?" Wakka asked, his expression dazed.

"I'll let him tell you, Wakka."

"Is Lu here, too?"

Paine shook her head. Wakka felt his heart drop. He knew that Lulu never missed a game. That could only mean one thing: she was with Seymour and the pills.

"Paine, is everything okay? We heard the ambulance," Yuna said, falling to her knees to hug the shaken girl.

Paine nodded. "He's going to be fine."

Over Paine's shoulder, Yuna's eyes met Tidus'. They stared at each other silently for a long moment.

"Tidus, let's go," Datto said, grabbing his arm.

Tidus knew that this would probably be his last chance. 'I love you, Yuna' he mouthed to her as Datto dragged him off. Yuna felt the cold wind whip through her hair, but her heart was filled with warmth and happiness. Without realizing it, she was holding onto Paine tightly.

"Yuna, if you don't give me some air, we're going to need a second ambulance," Paine joked.

Baralai stared blankly at the white hospital wall. His career was over. He was going to be the laughing stock of Zanarkand. He wondered if he should move to Bevelle. His parents had left an hour ago. He looked around the room at the many bouquets of flowers and cards. Sure, his fans still supported him; they didn't know why he had collapsed. He had yet to see his teammates. He was sure they were all sitting somewhere talking about him and how they could have him kicked off the team now. Maybe even make Tidus the captain of the Abes. He probably deserved it. Coach Luzzu would be the first one asking him to turn in his uniform. It was such a mess. Why hadn't he just left the sphere pool? Stupid pride. He had wanted to score the winning goal. He heard the door to his room opening slowly. Great. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"Don't be pretendin' your sleeping," he heard Wakka say.

"You got some explaining to do, Baralai," he heard Botta say.

He felt someone shake his arm. "Wake up, man," he heard Jassu say.

"Maybe he really is sleeping," he heard Tidus say.

"Okay, let's see. I'm going to pour some water on him and make it look like he wet the bed," Keepa threatened.

"Try it and you're dead," Baralai said, opening his eyes.

"I knew you weren't sleep!" yelled Wakka.

"Yeah," Baralai said, as each pairs of Abes eyes settled on him silently. He knew they were waiting for an explanation, maybe even waiting for his resignation. What could he say? Should he just give them what they wanted?

"Listen, guys…I…." he began.

"You what? Kept the biggest secret ever from your own teammates?" asked Datto.

"Yeah…it's just that…"

"There's really no excuse you can come up with that's going to be good enough," said Jassu.

"Guys, just listen…"

"All just for the fame and glory, ya!" Wakka complained.

"GUYS, WILL YOU LISTEN?" Baralai demanded, looking at each tense face. He noticed Keepa's lip trembling. What?

"You guys are just fucking with me, aren't you?" he asked.

Unable to hide their grins any longer, his teammates smiled at him.

"Yeah. But why didn't you tell us?" asked Botta.

"Just being stupid now that I think about it."

"Yeah. Life threatening stupid, ya," said Wakka.

"So, you guys aren't really mad at me?" asked Baralai.

"We're just glad you're okay," said Tidus.

"You, too? Even though I kicked your ass?"

"Yeah. Even though you tried to kick my ass."

Baralai didn't know what to say. He had been expecting them to barge in, demanding that he allow Tidus to be captain. He guessed they were a team, after all. He would have to do something nice for them to show his appreciation.

Late Friday night, Yuna thought she heard the vague sound of tapping against her bedroom window. Was another hail storm going on? She looked at the clock. 12:30. There hadn't been anything on the news about bad weather this weekend. She had been in the bed early tonight, too depressed to go to the movies with the gang and see the new horror movie, Sinspawn.

She flipped over on her back and listened more intently. There. The tapping again. She sat up slowly. She didn't hear the sound of hail slamming against the house. She looked at her window. She almost screamed.

Someone was out there, staring in. Should she scream? Surely Paine and Reevo would hear her. She squinted. She could almost make out the outline. Was that Tidus? She left her bed and walked over to the window slowly. Braska had shown her how to throw a mean punch if ever the circumstance should arise. It was Tidus. What was he doing here? Without hesitation, she unlatched the window and pushed it up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I don't know. I couldn't sleep. I had to see you."

"Well, come on in."

She moved so he could climb into the window. He closed it shut again.

"Why didn't you just come in through the front door?" she asked.

"Because I didn't want anyone else to know that I'm here. I'm sure Reevo's not sleeping."

She nodded. She didn't really care why he was here. She was happy to see him.

"So, what have you been doing?" he asked, sitting in her desk's chair.

She sat on the bed. "Nothing much. I've been doing my schoolwork mostly. My father's doing better in his meetings. I went to an art exhibit with Reevo last weekend."

"Really?"

He didn't think much of Reevo's 'art'. As far as he had seen at the clinic, he mostly drew and painted naked women. In Tidus' mind, he was a little bit of a pervert.

"Yes. It was very interesting."

"Did you buy anything?"

"No."

"Have you finished your painting?"

"Almost. Reevo's been giving me some pointers."

"You've been spending a lot of time with him, huh?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Only because of our mutual interest in paint."

"If he asked you out, would you say yes?"

"Of course not! Dating your housemate is not a good idea. Besides, he's your friend, so that would be so wrong."

"Right. He might ask you."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, what guy wouldn't ask you out? You're single, pretty, and sexy."

"And in love with someone."

He didn't reply. That was mostly the reason he was here tonight. The night before his wedding. He had to see the woman he loved one more time.

"So, why are you here, Tidus?"

"Because I'm getting married tomorrow afternoon."

"What? Why so early?"

"It's not really going to make a difference if I marry Darcy tomorrow or next month. It's going to happen."

"I know…I just didn't realize…"

He got up and walked over to the bed. "The real reason that I'm here is because I had to see you. I had to talk to you. I had to touch you," he said, gently touching her shoulder.

"Tidus, we shouldn't…"

"I know, Yuna. But this is the last time," he said, leaning over to kiss her. She wanted to push him away, throw him out, but her heart wouldn't let him go. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him just as deeply.

Pretty soon both of their fingers were working on ridding the other of their clothing. Naked skin pressed against each other's, they fell onto Yuna's bed, their limbs entwined.

Darcy was pacing the bedroom floor. Where the hell was Tidus? At this hour of the night? She reached under the mattress of her bed for her pack of cigarettes. She had been hiding them there since Tidus had moved in. She lit one with a shaky hand. Had there been some sort of accident? Was he hurt? She paused, her mind racing. What if he had gone to Yuna? For one last tryst?

That son of a bitch had better not! He was her husband now. In less than twenty-four hours. She picked up her phone and dialed Reevo.

"Yeah," he answered. He sounded fully awake.

"Hey. It's me. Have you seen Tidus?"

"Nope. Why?"

"I can't find him. His phone is turned off."

"Yuna's here."

"I bet she is! Is she alone?"

"I don't know. I guess she's sleeping."

"Can you go check?"

"I don't think so," he replied, remembering the last time he'd caught Yuna and Tidus bumping and grinding.

"Don't you remember that we're a team? I've paid you a lot of hard earned gil."

"Right. Hold on for a second."

She waited impatiently as Reevo put the phone down. It seemed to take him forever to return.

"I'm back," he finally said.

"Well?"

"He's here."

"How do you know?"

"I could hear her moaning."

"That doesn't mean it's Tidus!"

"She's moaning his name. Now, unless she knows another Tidus…"

Darcy was so angry she could have punched the wall. How could Tidus do this to her? So, he hadn't had sex in three weeks. Big deal. Sacrifices had to be made. And Yuna…what an idiot. She's just a glutton for punishment. She should have invited her to the wedding! Tidus was going to pay!

"Okay. We're getting married tomorrow," she told Reevo.

"Really? That's fantastic. I'll take care of Yuna. You just make sure you take care of Tidus," he said, angrily.

How dare Tidus come over to his house on the night before his wedding and have sex with his girl? In his mind, Yuna was his girl. Well, she would be, anyway.

"I will. The next time we speak, I'll be Mrs. Tidus Stone."

"Good. Have a nice wedding."

"Maybe you should come."

"Nah. I'd rather stay here and lick Yuna's sweet tears."

"Fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She ended the call. However, she wasn't satisfied just knowing that she would be Tidus' bride tomorrow. She walked over to the dresser that he had claimed and opened the top drawer. She found the things that had belonged to his mother that he always kept with him. Her pictures, notes she had written to him as a child, and most importantly, her wedding ring. It was truly a beautiful piece of jewelry.

She grabbed her coat and headed out into the hall. She left the apartment. She went down the stairs and down the sidewalk. Sure, it was dangerous for a young girl to be out at this hour alone, but she wasn't going far. She knew that there was a hobo that slept under the bridge near the apartment building. She could see his barrel fire going. He stood over it, warming his hands.

He looked surprised to see her.

"Don't mind me, sir. I just want to burn some stuff. I can't afford to have a fire in my apartment," she explained.

"Got any gil?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, anticipating that he would ask. She gave him some gil, and began dropping Tidus' most prized possessions into the fire. She stood there watching them burn, the cold air whipping through her dark hair.

"What was it, miss?" the hobo asked.

"Just some junk," she shrugged.

Tidus watched Zalora buzz around the house with an exuberant energy early Saturday afternoon. He was dressed in his dress pants and shirt. This should have been the happiest day of his life, but two things were wrong. The first, he was one week shy of being nineteen years old, and the second, he wasn't marrying Yuna. He noticed Jecht had been very quiet all day. And that in itself was unusual. Maybe he was grieving for him.

The doorbell rang. He walked to it to answer it. It was Wakka, holding out a present.

"Wakka? What are you doing here?"

"Your stepmother told me you were getting married today."

"You didn't have to buy a present."

"I didn't. Auron did. But, did you hear what I said? Your stepmother had to tell me. Why didn't you?"

"Because I feel like I'm dying today and it's just a small, simple ceremony."

"Nonetheless, I wanted to be here."

"Shouldn't you be talking to Lulu?"

"No. She made her choice. So, don't spoil my mood by bringing up Lu, okay?"

"Fine. Come on in."

He led Wakka to the living room. At least he would have a distraction until it was time. Darcy was due to arrive at the house in an hour. The maester was already here, talking to Jecht.

"So, how's Baralai?"

"He's back at the house. Botta told me. I haven't been by the house in a week…"

"Wakka, are you really going to do nothing about Lulu?"

"When the time is right."

"That time is now."

"Right. Anyway, did you get a cake?"

"He didn't have to. I made it myself. Would you like to see it?" Zalora asked.

"Sure."

Tidus sat on the couch. In less than two hours, he would be a different man. He would be someone's husband, and next month, someone's father. How could life be so depressing? He was young, damn it! Being married and tied down with kids were for older guys, at least in their late twenties! Not teenagers!

"Excuse me, young man. You're the groom, right?" asked the maester.

"That's right."

"Let's have a word or two. I realize you're young. Maybe I can say something that could help."

I'm hoping someone can.

Darcy stood before the bathroom mirror, perfecting her makeup. She had to admit it. She looked stunning. She had brushed her hair up into a neat bun on the crown of her head. Her white, beaded gown was really beautiful. Too bad she had to stretch it because of the stupid pillow. Soon, this would be over. She would tell Tidus tonight about the baby. He would be trapped with nowhere to run. She would have to give the performance of a lifetime to convince him not to leave her. Then, they would celebrate their wedding night like two newlyweds should.

He would be upset. That was to be expected. But, she could make him understand her position. Even offer him a deal. She had been planning to offer to divorce him in six months. Of course, under the condition that he remained with her, at the apartment. He would go for it. Divorces in Zanarkand could take up to years to get settled.

Of course, there was the small chance that he could try to use fraud as his reasoning for divorce. She would just deny that. Where was his proof, anyway? A few people that he knew? He would need something more solid and he didn't have it. She reapplied her lipstick. There. Now, she was ready to be married.

There was a knock on the front door. Thinking it was Tidus, she called out that it was open. She pushed the bathroom door up a bit. Wasn't it bad luck to let him see her before the wedding? She heard the door open and close.

"I'm almost ready. But, Ti, shouldn't you have let your stepmother come get me? Isn't this bad luck?"

"We ain't had nothing but bad luck since you got your claws stuck into my son, missy," she heard Jecht say.

"Hello, Mr. Stone. I'm ready," she announced, opening the door. She wasn't going to argue with him today. She had won. That was the end of it.

Jecht stared at her without emotion. He was dressed in his suit, his dark hair slicked back. He was Tidus' best man, after all.

"What you think you're ready for isn't going to happen," he stated calmly.

"I'm ready to marry your son, and I will."

Jecht shook his head slowly. "You're never going to have my son."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"No. Because I got this thing that you obviously were born without. It's called a conscious."

"Spare me. I'm pregnant. I didn't ask for this."

He nodded. "Sure, you did. You've been after my boy since we were in Luca."

"That doesn't have anything to do with today. If you're not going to drive me to the wedding then…"

"Then what? You don't hear so good. I told you, you're not marrying my son. Not today or any day."

She longed to scratch his eyes out! What the hell was he doing here, anyway?

"Whether you like it or not, Mr. Stone, it's the law."

Jecht folded his arms. "I've been looking for your medical records. I can't find them anywhere. You haven't seen a doctor since you've been pregnant."

"Why are you snooping for my medical records?"

"Because I told you, I would pay the bills. Anyway, what kind of pregnant woman doesn't see a doctor? Would you like to answer or should I?"

Darcy's eyes shifted from him to the door. This was one of those times she wished she had a gun.

"I'll answer. Because she's not pregnant! That's why!"

"Of course I'm pregnant. So, I haven't seen a doctor. Big deal."

"Oh, it's a damn big deal, missy. But, that's not what really confirmed everything for me. See, I didn't feel right about this from the get go. I paid your dear old daddy a visit this morning. Want to know what he said?"

"My father's old and senile."

"Not by any diagnosis but yours. You're busted. Stay away from my son. I won't warn you again."

"I'm pregnant, you can't…"

Jecht moved swiftly, covering the space between the two. He reached for her stomach suddenly, tugging on her bundles. She screamed.

"Stop it! What are you doing?"

He didn't care. He squeezed the pillow with all of his might, his anger clear once he had physical confirmation that this girl had been lying to trap his son.

He released her and turned cold eyes on her. "I'll warn you one more time. Stay the hell away from my son. If you don't, all of this will be on the evening news."

He turned to leave.

"You can't do this…! I love him!"

She picked up a frying pan and ran after him, aiming for his head. He sensed her presence, and dodged the pan, twisting her arm behind her back. This girl was crazy. He would have to get the police involved before she tried to hurt someone. He threw her on the floor, on her stomach.

"Careful. The baby," he warned her. He took out his phone and called the police.

Darcy crawled behind the couch, out of his earshot and took out her own phone. She dialed Reevo, getting his voicemail. She left a frantic message.

"The gig is up. Do something. Expect Tidus in about two hours from this message."

End of Ch.10. Thanks for reading.