The next couple of chapters will be a bit Takari-based, but we'll be back to Mimi and Tai soon enough :) Enjoy!

CHAPTER TEN – Frustration, Nerves & Sickness

The past two months had flown by in a blur of police visits, intense cleaning and replacing of upholstery, and concerned friends visiting, using the excuse that they were 'in the area'. Mimi knew this wasn't true. Everyone had been tiptoeing around her, checking up on her and being generally worried for her wellbeing. She appreciated their concern, but she was starting to feel like a prisoner in Tai's home. He had gone back to work after a week of not letting her out of his sight, but she was under extremely strict orders to stay in the apartment, keep all doors and windows locked, and not answer the door or phone to anyone. Mimi had had enough. She had spent the last eight weeks accepting that there was someone out there who had some kind of violent grudge against her, and Tai, judging by the blood-smeared photo discovered in her bedroom, and although the idea of going out by herself didn't exactly make her feel safe, she didn't see why she couldn't leave the apartment with someone. Besides, it was her birthday in a few days, the day after Tai's. Did everyone expect her to sit inside feeling sorry for herself when she should be celebrating turning twenty nine? She picked up her phone and tapped out a message.

U feeling better today? I'm super bored, wanna hang out? X

Walking into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water, hesitating when she remembered the incident involving her and Tai when they had been cleaning up her house. Was it just me? She thought. Or did he feel it too? There had been no close calls since then, just a bit of an awkward silence if they ever found themselves with nothing to talk about. Mimi wondered if she had imagined the whole thing. She was snapped out of her thoughts when her phone vibrated on the counter, making her jump. She picked it up and read the new message.

A little, still feeling a bit gross. Hope it's not food poisoning. TK's not the best cook in the world. Urgh. Yeah we can hang out, I look as disgusting as I feel though, so don't laugh at me! I'll be over in ten x

Kari had been feeling a little under the weather for a few days, and had told Mimi in the strictest confidence, knowing that if Tai knew she was sick, he would be frantic with worry about her, like he always was when she just looked a little pale. She had been off work for the last three days and she was not pleased about it. She was a kindergarten teacher, and she loved everything about it. She loved her colleagues, the kids and her bright, colourful classroom, and she absolutely hated spending time away from it. But since she still felt like shit, and Mimi was still feeling a little depressed, they figured maybe they could cheer each other up. Texting TK to tell him she was spending the day with Mimi and that she would order takeout instead of cooking tonight, Kari hauled herself out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and grabbed a hair tie. Her hair was dark, the same colour as Tai's, and it was at that awkward length just above her shoulders so that she could never do anything pretty with it. Sighing, she pulled it back into a ponytail, her bangs falling to the side of her face, and picked up her bag and keys. Just as she placed her hand on the door handle, she had a lurching feeling in her stomach and she ran to the bathroom. Reaching the toilet just in time, she threw up her breakfast and slumped on the floor. I hate this, she thought. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Mimi sat flicking through the channels on the TV, sighing in frustration. Hundreds of channels, and there was never anything good on. She walked over to Tai's impressive collection of DVDs, scanning through them and settling on a Narnia film. Prince Caspian. She laughed inwardly. Ha! Who'd have thought? She giggled at the idea of Tai watching such a film, and put it on. Just as she pressed play, she was startled by a knock on the door. She looked over her shoulder for a second, and then mentally slapped herself. You invited Kari round, idiot. It's just her. She walked over to the door and opened it slowly, making sure that the latch was still on.

'Just me.' Kari whispered.

Mimi shut the door and took the latch off, opening it again for her friend, relieved. It wasn't until she'd closed the door behind Kari and locked it again that she noticed her appearance. Kari looked dreadful.

'Oh god, Kar, are you ok?' She placed a hand on her friend's forehead. Kari stepped back abruptly.

'Don't come too close, I don't know if I'm contagious or not,' she replied. 'And no, I feel like shit.'

The two of them sat down in front of the TV, and Kari couldn't help but laugh.

'I know,' said Mimi, glancing at the film playing on the screen. 'I can't quite believe Tai owns it.'

'He doesn't,' giggled Kari. 'It's mine. I stayed here the last time I was sick because TK was away on business and Tai, being the crazy over protective freak he is, looked after me and had Matt, Izzy, Sora and Joe phoning to check in on me every five minutes when he was at work. I bought this film, and forgot to take it home.'

'You know he watches it in secret,' Mimi laughed.

'Probably.' Kari smiled, then bought a hand to her mouth and heaved. Mimi moved away and braced herself.

'Bathroom, now. I don't want to have to explain the mess to Tai,' she said, half joking. She watched as Kari took a deep breath and steadied herself.

'I'm ok,' she said. Noticing the look of concern on Mimi's face, she smiled in an attempt to make it seem less serious.

'Seriously, what's going on? Have you seen a doctor?'

'No, I'll be ok soon, give it a couple of days and I'll be right as rain.'

'Somehow I don't believe that,' said Mimi. 'Could it be a bug? Do you have a temperature? Oh god, you don't have the runs, do you?'

'No!' Kari exclaimed, defensive. The two of them laughed at Mimi's directness. 'Just an unsettled stomach.'

'That's it? You're sure?'

'I've put a bit of weight on recently, but it's probably because TK's trying to feed me up since I'm not keeping all of my food down.'

'Surely if you're throwing it up, you should be losing weight,' Mimi pointed out. She mentally prepared her next question, not wanting to freak her friend out. 'Kari… you have had a period, haven't you?'

Kari snapped her head up in a moment of realisation, and looked at Mimi, who was staring at her with a knowing look on her face, a smirk playing on her lips. Kari's reaction answered Mimi's question for her.

'Come on. There's something you need to do.' She stood up, picked up her bag and car keys and extended her hand. Kari nodded and took it with her own shaky one. Mimi briefly thought about Tai's strict instructions to stay put, but ultimately decided that this was more important. His sister, her friend, needed her.

Tai paced his office, a million thoughts running through his head. He strode over to his desk and came to an abrupt halt, staring at the phone sitting on it. It had a message typed out, a message he had spent nearly a half hour planning and typing, a message that had been waiting, unsent, for an hour. During that hour, Tai had gawked at the message, read it a gazillion times, stared out of the window, taken a few brief calls, and paced. He'd paced a lot. But no matter how much thought he put into the whole godforsaken situation, he couldn't bring himself to hit the 'send' button. He picked up the phone and read it once again.

I don't know if you've picked up on the tension between us lately, but it's been driving me insane. YOU'VE been driving me insane. I like u a lot more than I should, and I think we really need to talk and I know it's either going to make or break us, but I need to get this out in the open. Can we talk tonight? X

A simple text with a very simple message. And it sucked. Tai pressed his lips together in determination and made a decision. Hovering his thumb over the button for a second, he shut his eyes and pushed it, holding it down. He opened his eyes again and stared at the screen. A blank message. You pussy, Tai cursed himself. Can't even tell her over a fucking text. Angry at himself for deleting the message he'd thought about so long and hard, but too nervous to actually send one at all, he groaned and sank into his chair, wondering how he was going to get himself out of this sticky situation.

'I hate emotions,' he mumbled.

Mimi and Kari perched on the side of the bathtub, their hands intertwined, in silence. Mimi wondered what Kari was thinking. Looking at her flushed cheeks, she wondered if she was scared, excited or embarrassed. The truth was, Kari was experiencing all three of these emotions, and more. She was scared out of her wits, she was excited to discover her fate, and yet she was embarrassed, because as natural as it was, it had not been something she had even considered when she fell sick. Suddenly a wave of panic washed over her.

'TK! What do I tell TK?' she asked, her shaky hand covering her mouth.

'Nothing at the moment because you don't know anything yourself yet. Chill out Kari, everything's going to be fine. And if it comes down to it, TK's a good guy, it's not like he's going to be mad.' Mimi put her arm around Kari and looked at her watch.

'It's time.'

'Oh lord,' Kari bit her fingernail violently, making herself bleed. 'Shit.'

'Here, do you want me to do it?' Mimi offered. Kari hastily wrapped tissue around her bleeding finger and nodded, barely able to breathe. Mimi stood up and walked over to the counter where the life changing object lay next to the sink. She picked it up and almost dropped it again. Straightening her posture and taking a deep breath to steady herself so as not to startle her friend, she turned and looked her in the eyes. Kari looked back, hope and anxiety marring her pretty features.

'Kari…' Mimi started.

'What?' Kari stared at her, silently begging her to just get it over with. Mimi smiled warily, since she didn't know what Kari wished the outcome would be, and gave her the answer they'd just spent what felt like an eternity waiting for.

'You're pregnant.'