Chapter Eleven; The Unthinkable
The next morning, after Michiru had done a second pregnancy test and found out that she was pregnant, she was on the phone almost far too quickly. She patiently waited for someone to pick up on the other line, finally he did.
"What do you want, Michiru?" Aito's voice slurred in her ear. "Need money?"
Michiru frowned to herself, "No, I need you to come home, Hikaru keeps asking for you and I can't keep lying to her."
There was a click on the other line, devastated, Michiru collapsed on her bed. She didn't know what she was really doing. She didn't want Aito back in her life, but they had made a commitment. It didn't matter that it was a forced marriage, the commitment was still there and they needed to be there together for their children. Wasn't that what marriage was? You make it through no matter what?
Michiru forced herself to get up off her bed and pull herself together. She was falling apart on the inside, but she had to make it through for her children. She knew without Aito's help, she would eventually lose the house and be pushed out onto the streets or into her daughter's house. She couldn't go to Haruka's house, things just seemed awkward between the two. Morgan's inquiry had also been racking her nerves, had they made it that obvious? Or had Haruka said something to the youngsters?
She silently cursed at Haruka for telling her children such a thing. How could she when they needed to hear about their own father, not Michiru. Michiru had never mentioned to her children about Haruka and herself. It was in the past, and Hikaru and Kaimu were too young anyway to understand anything thing like that.
Michiru frowned, she did miss the past days. And if there was anything she could change about it, she would be with Haruka. But things were looking highly impossible right now. She was pregnant with a third child. It scared her to death.
She thought back to yesterday, Taylor Aino was talking excitedly to the other children about her new baby sisters. Everyone had been under the huge assumption that Haruka was pregnant, but she hadn't been. She had only found Michiru's pregnancy test strip on the bathroom counter and not wanting to spill the beans to Hotaru, she told her it was hers when she saw it. Haruka had told Hotaru not to tell Michiru because Haruka wanted to talk to her before the news got out and make sure everything was okay. Unfortunately, Hotaru hadn't kept her mouth shut to the others and had went out and told them. She forgot to mention not to say anything around Michiru and so when everyone was at breakfast the news accidentally slipped out that Haruka was pregnant.
Which, honestly, it could have been true, but it wasn't. But just to make sure Hotaru made Haruka take a pregnancy test. She wasn't pregnant, which was truly a blessing in itself since she hadn't exactly been taking care of herself.
Michiru couldn't bare the fact that she was pregnant. She should've finished reading the directions first, instead of running out before the strip showed the answer. She had never done a test though, she had always just known with her other two children. She thought, because she was under loads of stress, that her missed period simply meant her body wasn't acting properly, but she was wrong.
---
A week later, Aito had made a known appearance that he was home. He dropped all his suitcase at the door and a six-pack by the door. Michiru was appalled to see that he had brought alcohol into the house. He put a case of beer into the fridge, taking one of the cans he brought himself into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
Kaimu and Hikaru came in to greet their dad, but he barked at them to get out of the living room, "You two aren't welcome here, so beat it."
Hikaru's eyes started to water, "I want my daddy!"
"Oh, shut up," Aito said.
Michiru quickly rushed in and ushered the children upstairs to go play in their rooms. Hikaru was greatly upset, as she sat on her bed crying, her little brother trying to cheer her up. The scene broke Michiru's heart. She knew she had made a terrible mistake. All because she was fearing the outcome of this pregnancy. She should've just left Aito alone and stayed with Haruka. That's where her heart truly wanted to be.
After a rough day, of constant yelling and demands from Aito, Michiru was finally bathing her two children. She had put them in the bath together in fear that Aito would get mad and start beating them. She washed Hikaru's hair, she was being awfully quiet along with her small brother.
Michiru sighed and whispered to them, "I'm sorry. I was trying to do what was best."
"I want to go live with my sister," Hikaru said, tears welding up in her eyes. Michiru felt like her heart had just split in two. She knew Hotaru wouldn't be able to watch Hikaru with her two children, but it was almost tempting to try.
Michiru combed Hikaru's hair behind her ears, "I'm sorry sweetie, you have to stay here."
"I hate you," Hikaru screamed. She got up and climbed over the bathroom wall. She snatched a towel off the counter and walked out dripping wet into her bedroom. Aito was walking past at the time and saw the water trail going from the bathroom to Hikaru's room.
He barged into her room and yanked her up by the arm, her towel falling to the ground. "You got water on the carpet young lady!" He brought his hand back to swat at her, but Michiru ran in screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Don't put one hand on her or so God help me I will kill you myself!"
Aito shook his head and dropped Hikaru onto her bed, "I'm going to bed. I expect breakfast when I wake up."
Michiru shook her head disgusted. She walked over toward Hikaru and went to dry her off with her towel, but Hikaru shook her head, glaring coldly at her mother.
"I'll take you over to Hotaru's after I get you dressed," Michiru promised, holding back her tears. She had made a terrible, terribly mistake. Hikaru finally let her guard down and let her mother get her dressed. Michiru went into the bathroom and got out her son, while Hikaru curled up on her bed. She thought the devil had invaded her dad's body, she didn't remember him being this mean. She hoped he wouldn't wake up.
Finally, Michiru came back into Hikaru's room and started packing some clothes in one of Hikaru's going away bags. When it was fully stuffed full of clothes, she took Hikaru's favorite pillow and blanket and put it in the car. She came back inside, gathering up the children, and put them in the backseat. She cranked up Aito's car and put it into reverse.
It didn't take her long to pull up into Hotaru's driveway. She could only hope that Hotaru and her husband wouldn't be angered by the sudden appearance. Hotaru's husband stepped outside a bit unnerved. When Michiru got out of the car his facial expression quickly turned to concern. He popped his head back inside and hollered for Hotaru.
Hotaru walked outside. When she saw Michiru she ran over to her worried, "Is everything okay?" She looked back and saw that the kids were in Aito's car and Hikaru was crying silently in the backseat.
Michiru walked away from the car so she could be out of earshot from her children, "I did something really stupid, Hotaru."
"What?" Hotaru asked, glancing back at the car. She already knew. Matthew put his hand on Michiru's back, trying to comfort her.
"I freaked out when I found out that I was the one pregnant and I thought Aito deserved to know. So I called him back about a week ago. He didn't show up until today," Michiru said, breaking into soft sobs.
"He didn't take the news so well?" Hotaru asked.
Michiru shook her head, "I never told him. He's drinking, heavily. He snapped at his children earlier. I was giving the kids a bath and Hikaru said she wanted to come live with her sister. I told her that couldn't happen, but---" Michiru bit the bottom of her lip.
Matthew, unexpectedly took Michiru into his arms, gently rubbing her back supportively, "It's okay, Michiru. None of this is your fault. And of course Hikaru is allowed to stay here while you work things out with Aito. Kaimu can as well, if he'd like."
Hotaru looked at her husband, she pointed toward the car and started walking backwards that way. Matthew nodded, and Hotaru went to the car. "I hear you want to stay here for a little while?"
Hikaru nodded, "Daddy is mean now."
Hotaru took Hikaru into her arms, "Shhh… It's going to be okay."
She saw that there was a bag already ready. She grabbed it and carried Hikaru inside. Ginny was sitting on the couch watching a movie. They were just about to put her down for night, when Michiru's car pulled up. Hotaru had told Matthew to go check to see if it was Haruka and if it was to send her away because she wasn't going to watch her children tonight. When she found out that it was Michiru her heart gave in and there was no way she was going to tell Michiru no.
She sat Hikaru down on the couch next to Ginny and went back outside. Michiru had stopped crying and was now talking normally to Matthew. Michiru smiled at Hotaru when she appeared again. "Thank you. I need to get back home now."
"Do we need to take Kaimu?" Matthew asked.
"Nah, he'll be okay for now. He'll sleep through the night. He hasn't asked me to take him anywhere yet. I don't think he can fully comprehend what's going on right now," she explained.
"Take care," Hotaru said giving her mom a hug. Michiru nodded and went back to her car. Matthew and Hotaru watched her together as she pulled out of the driveway and away.
"This battle has only just begun," Hotaru sighed deeply.
Matthew brought Hotaru closer to him, "I'll love you forever and always."
"I know," Hotaru stood on her tiptoes and kissed Matthew passionately on the lips. They could have stayed kissing all night, if that front door hadn't opened and their daughter standing there. They broke away, smiling and chuckling lightly.
"Karu's hungry," Ginny said.
"Alright, I'll be in a second to get her something to eat." Hotaru replied. Ginny went back inside and Hotaru and Matthew went into another deep, passionate kiss.
Authors Note: I hope that made the last chapter a little bit more clearer. Haruka is not pregnant. Michiru and Minako are pregnant.
