Chapter 13: Owari da yo
The Mew Mansion consists of one mansion with 5 additional wings about the size of a condominium each. Each of the partnerships has a wing. The Red Duo stay in the North Wing, the Blue in the West. The Green stay in the East, The Yellow in the South West, and the Purple in the South East. This was arranged so they could all live in the same place, but have their own privacy. Adding up all the wings and the center mansion made the entire estate about 50,000 square feet.
Nagia yawns as she descends the main stairs and heads toward the kitchen. There, she finds Lindsay, Taruto, Ahimsa, Shirogane, and Anton, all assembled, watching the television. Partially blocking it stood Iva, completely glued to the program.
"Iva, would you move out the way? I can't see." Nagia starts as she pours herself a glass of orange juice. Iva moves and Nagia turns back to the screen. She almost drops her glass when she sees Sofia on the screen.
In big letters, the screen says, "Sofia Quits." The story was about how she suddenly told the director of a mega million dollar film that she would no longer be participating. Now, he wants to sue her for hundreds of hours of footage he will have to redo.
Nagia was just about to pick up her phone when they heard someone enter through the front door. Nagia peeks out and finds Pai. From the pep in his step, she wagered he hadn't heard. She ducks back in the kitchen and motions for the others to turn off the tv. Catching her drift, they oblige.
Pai walks in the kitchen and sticks a couple slices of bread in the toaster.
"Oh! Pai! What a pretty day it is!" Lindsay starts.
"Yeah... if you like the rain," he responds. As if on cue, thunder rattles the mansion.
The others give Lindsay angry looks.
"Um," Taruto starts, grabbing Lindsay's hand, "We've gotta go," he drags her toward the South East Wing.
One by one, everyone escapes leaving Pai alone in the kitchen with Nagia. He reaches for the remote.
"Uh!" Nagia starts, "Let's talk! How are things with you and Sofia?"
He sets down the remote. "Well," he starts, "I'm not sure. Things have been a little weird since I had surgery. It seems to have shaken her up a lot, I guess."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Nagia responds.
The toast pops up, and he places them on a plate before getting the butter out of the fridge.
"Ya know, I think you should go talk to her. Right now," Nagia suggests, smiling and nodding. "Surprise her. With these." she hands him a vase of fresh flowers.
"Think so?"
"Yeah! She'll love it, and it will get you talking, and... you know," she says as she starts to exit the kitchen. "You're a bit early, so I'm gonna go get dressed right now. Why don't you sit in the garden?" she suggests, dashing toward the stairs.
"But... It's raining..." he says to no one in particular. He picks up the remote and turns on the television. Immediately, he drops it. He grabs his cell phone and dials Sofia's number. Busy signal. He dials again. Same.
He runs to the foyer and grabs his coat. Just as he was about to leave, he hears the siren. Horrible timing... he thinks. All the Mews and Knights in the house meet in the foyer, transformed as Ichigo checks the computer screen, "Giant beetle!" she reads aloud.
The group nods to one another and heads toward the city where they can already see the beast.
By the time Pai arrives, Zakuro is already there. She looks at him and smiles like nothing is wrong, but stops when she sees his expression. Part of him wanted to pull her aside, but the other saw an old woman and a baby carriage carried by two of the Beetle's arms.
"Purple Team! Old Lady! Yellow Team! Baby Carriage! The rest of you, let's go for the head!"
"Got it!" they all respond as they head toward their destinations.
Pai and Zakuro kiss and use their angelic forms to remove the bug's leg, freeing the woman. They carry her a ways away from the fight. Along the way, Zakuro sees herself on the television. Wow. And I just quit this morning... She looks over at Pai, realizing he saw this before she could tell him. Oh crap... And today I was supposed to tell him about the baby! I am in such big trouble...
They set the woman down just as they hear the sound of the bug falling to the ground. Content they can handle the rest of it, Pai walks toward Zakuro until her back is against a tv station. Through the glass behind her, the "Sofia Quits" story played on 20 different screens.
"Um... Pai?" she says, looking up at him. She freezes when she sees his face. He was hurt.
"What's happening to us?" he starts. "Ever since I came back, you've been different. You didn't even tell me you were quitting! Why?"
Just as he asked this, a photo of Sofia in her bathing suit two months ago popped up on screen next to her latest bikini shot in a scene of the movie. The caption read. "Sofia Estrella, pregnant?"
Pai looks up, then at her.
"I'm pregnant, Pai."
He steps back, dumbfounded.
She continues, "I'm sorry! I found out while you were in ICU. Seeing you lie there... I was... scared. I-"
She feels his arms around her.
"It doesn't matter!" he kisses her cheek, then her lips. "It's okay. We're going to have a baby. How far along are you? We're going to have a baby!"
"About a month," she touches his cheek gently, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." she kisses his lips, softly. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. I love you, Sofia."
"I love you, Daniel."
"She's what!" the Mews and Knights exclaim as they stand over the slain bug.
"She's pregnant," Pai seems to glow. "I'm going to be a daddy!"
"Does anyone else think fatherly pride looks weird on him? Or is it just me?" Purin whispers to Taruto.
"Nope," Taruto whispers back, "It isn't just you."
They laugh to themselves, but Pai couldn't care less. He was on Cloud 9.
"I'm going to be a father!"
That night, Zakuro smiles as he kisses her stomach.
"Those are kisses from your daddy!" he says.
"They can't hear you yet. They don't have ears," she tries to stifle her giggles.
He kisses her tummy again, "I'm sure our baby knows Daddy is out here, just waiting to meet it."
"I think I've fallen even more deeply in love with you," she whispers to him, then she sits up. "Well, I guess Sofia is going into hiding now."
"Why? You've already paid off the director," he lays against her lap as she strokes his hair.
"Yeah, but won't it be weird to have Sofia and Zakuro at the same stages of their pregnancy?"
"That's true," he pokes the outside of her thigh, "You know, I won't be able to lie here anymore in a few months."
"Cause I'll be fat. Like a balloon. And bloated. And I won't have a lap anymore," she jokes, "Will you still love me when I get even more moody?"
He sits up and kisses her, "Hmm... we'll see." he jokes around.
"Hey! Mr. 'I-wanna-be-a-daddy'," she lightly pokes his forehead.
He wraps his arms around her waist, letting his head lightly rest against her abs, "Yep. And this is the best gift you could have ever given me."
She strokes his head again. And you are the best gift you could have ever given me.