ini sementara

by Bignis22

Senang sekali mendengar kabar darimu hari ini dan waktunya sangat aneh, "katanya." Ini akan terdengar lucu dan sedikit aneh, tapi kamu berada dalam mimpi yang aku alami beberapa hari yang lalu. Saya ingin sekali berkumpul dan memberi tahu Anda tentang hal itu jika Anda ingin minum kopi, "lanjutnya, memasang jebakan yang telah dia rencanakan selama bertahun-tahun.

Tight Stitches

by Hoehomi-Chan

Category: Animal Crossing Genre: Angst, Tragedy Language: English Status: Completed Published: 2012-01-30 Updated: 2014-01-11 Packaged: 2015-06-05 15:25:11 Rating: T Chapters: 37 Words: 120,612 Publisher: .net Story URL: s/7789430/1/
Author URL: u/3393572/Hoehomi-Chan Summary: Everyone knows that Sable and Tom Nook have been diving in and out of a relationship all of their lives. Once Tom returns from the city after six years, and an exhilirating night ensues, Sable discovers not long after that she's pregnant. But Tom doesn't want a baby; and bluntly rejects her. How can Sable cope? Will she pull herself together in time for her baby? Without Tom...?

1. Prologue

_How should I tell him? Should I tell him? _

_One voice tells me to be confident. Another tells me this is dangerous. The Doctor's voice echos in my mind;_

_"Congratulations..." _

_I squeeze my pillow tight in the darkness. How did this happen? _

_I knew how it happened. I open my eyes and wipe them with my paw. Why was I so cowardly? So small... So frightened..._

_How would he react? _

_That questionwas etched in to my mind. Several scenarios flicked through my head._

_"No...It can't be..."_

_"Really? Wow... I'm... so happy..."_

_"I don't have time for you!"_

_I hug my pillow tighter as fresh tears spill. Why couldn't this be prevented? Or stopped? _

_I swallowed and thought of my sister. What would she say? _

_Tom. Oh Tom._

_I'm pregnant._

2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

This is crazy. It can't be.

I woke up in the early hours of the morning. I had not slept well at all. The thought that... That I was pregnant...

I shuddered and gazed down at my stomach. Something was growing in there? I knew it but couldn't quite beleive it... I was forcing to myself to know that I was going to be a mother. I would need to prepare myself.

Supressing another shudder, I slid out of bed and sighed as I saw the bed. I had tossed and turned so much that the blanket had become twisted and my pillow was at a jaunty angle. Even the sheet over my mattress was rumpled. I decided I would concern myself over these matters later.

With a yawn, I ran my claws through my quills and pattered to the bathroom. I peered blearily into the mirror. What a sight I was! There was matted fur underneath my eyes and each quill I posessed was sticking up in some awkward way. Dark rings circled my eyes.

I cocked my head to the side as I heard the soft snores of Mabel as they wound their way from the other room. She was so lucky, she had no man in her life, no worries, no baby...

I solemnly placed my hands on my stomach and closed my eyes, breathing slowly.

Innnnnn... Ouuuuuutttt... Innnnn... Ouuuuutttt...

After I finished my 'therapy' I had a quick shower, brushed my quills and tied on my apron for a days work. Though I didn't know how I could work with... with... This knowledge... I stepped downstairs cautiously as if I might trip if I was quicker I probably would.

I threaded up my sewing machine and selected a patterned piece of fabric. Carefully, I placed the foot down and slowly pushed the needle down.

But I didn't start to sew. Instead I simply stared at the machine, nibbling the end of my claw.

"Gooooood morning, sis!" Mabel bounded down the stairs, fumbling with the ribbons on her gingham apron. "You're up early! Usually you wake me up before coming downstairs..." She paused when she got to the bottom of the steps. "Unless... Something's wrong?" Her eyes filled with concern.

"No! Of course not! I'm completely fine," I forced myself to say cheerfully. My voice wavered a little.

"You-are-lying-Sable," Mabel sang, raising her eyebrows. She knew me too well. She knew if I lied.

I sighed for about the sixth time that morning and scratched the back of my head. How do I explain that I'm pregnant to my sister?

"Well... It's just..." I glanced up at the wall where the family portraits were hung. I gazed into my parents' soft, grey eyes which stared back at me lovingly. My parents...!

"I was just thinking about Mum and Dad... You know..." I felt myself blushing and quickly averted my eyes to the window so Mabel wouldn't see. I drew breath. "That day... T hey died..." I heard Mabel shift on her feet behind me.

"Really? You've never been bothered before." I glanced over my shoulder at Mabel. She shrugged and began talking again in her usual sunny manner. "Anyway, can you tie my ribbon for me?"

I smiled, feeling the blush rapidly disappearing from my face.

"Honestly Mabel, you've been wearing an apron every day of your life and you still struggle with tying it?"

"Hey! Quit fussing!" Mabel cried jokingly and we shared a grin.

But as soon as Mabel left to get a drink I was worrying all over again. I wrung my claws in frustration. Just twenty four hours ago I was happy and trouble-free... What went wrong?

The bell on the door rang as Mint, one of our regular customers stepped in to the shop. It was already past our opening time. I leapt behind my counter and re-threaded my machine all over again, just as Mabel dashed in to the kitchen to greet our customer.

"Hey! Welcome to the Able Sisters-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Mint purred smoothly and walked over to the rack of clothes on display, peering critically at each design. "You tell me each and every time that I'm welcome to look around. Well, duh!" She let out a smooth, tinkly laugh. "It's a shop! Hel-lo? Of course I can look around,"

Mabel pursed her lips tightly, looking peeved, but she knew that our buisness was important so she didn't say anything.

After a little wander, Mint shook her head dismissevly.

"It's not here," She said sorrowfully.

"What isn't?" Mabel asked.

"The polar shirt!" Mint wailed. "I've looked EVERYWHERE for one and I've even asked Portia for hers- not that I ever get anything second hand normally," She added. " But I was desperate! And she wouldn't give it up! Hmph!" Mint pouted childishly. "I have a party tomorrow too- out of town, you know, in the city, a big 'do, so I NEED it now!"

"Hey..." Mabel murmured suddenly. "Sis?" I looked up from my work (Which I still hadn't started). "Do you think you could run up a polar shirt for Mint here? Y'know, just quick... I think we have the pattern and fabric... It shouldn't take too long, right?"

"R-Right...?" I repeated.

"Oh really, you would? OMG, I'm like, so happy!" Mint gushed, turning on the charm to ensure she did get that dress. "I really need it, like, now..."

Before I knew it I was sewing frantically to finish Mint's cursed dress. How could they press this on me so suddenly? I had ran out of matching thread for the Polar pattern too...

"So, um... What are your plans for today?" Mabel attempted to make conversation with our demanding customer. "

"Oh, nothing much," Mint replied, whipping out a compact mirror and inspecting her face. "Just a little bit of this... And some of that... Oh yeah!" Mint snapped the compact mirror shut. "I'll need to get the party host a present, y'know, I guess I'll drop in a Nooks',"

Nook... His very name reminded me of what was happening. Why...? Just why...?

"MY DRESS!" Mint suddenly squealed. Confused, I looked down. Oh damn. I had zoned out and not concentrated on my sewing. And I had just let the machine stitch right across the body of the pattern.

"You can fix it, right?" Mint was gabbling to Mabel. "Like I said, I REALLY need it for tomorrow, so... HEY!"

Unable to bear it any longer, I ran out of the shop.

3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I spent the rest of the day skulking round town, staying well away from Nookington's and our shop. I was too embarrased to show my face at either.

I snacked on cherries for lunch and sat down in the cool shade of the cherry tree.

_I need to tell Tom._

I clenched my fist around my handful of cherry stalks.

_I need too. He's the father. He needs to know._

With a long, shuddering breath, I stood up and leant against the trunk of the tree and stared at the ground.

_What if he doesn't want to be a father? _

A shudder of repulsion went through me at this thought. But it was possible- Tom already had two nephews to look after. Would another child- or rather a baby- inconvinience him more? Especially since he worked fifteen hours a day... I chewed on my lower lip.

_Then again, I could always look after the baby._

But I had my own buisness to run- Mabel couldn't take it on by herself. She couldn't even do her apron strings, let alone run a tailors' shop. She couldn't even sew all that well. I was the one who provided our stock. I pressed my knuckles to my eyes. Coloured lights danced behind my eyelids.

_An abortion._

My eyes snapped open.

No. No way. There was no chance on earth I would go with that decsion. I pressed my paws against my stomach.

"I will NEVER kill my baby," I muttered quietly.

I nibbled on my lip a little more.

I would need to tell Mabel she was going to be an Aunt (An image of 'Aunty Mabel' trying to feed a baby made my smile a little).

Perhaps Mabel would be better off looking after a child.

I put my head on one side and deliberated for a moment.

Yes, I could run the shop and Mabel could look after my child. Then when we closed for the night I could spend some time with it. Yes... That seemed like a good idea. Mabel had always liked the idea of becoming a mother. I had once asked her if she would ever consider having children, but she wrinkled her snout and said, "I'de like to look after one, but they're too much fuss."

I sighed remembering this. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea. Besides, Mabel might not be mature enough for such a responsibility- she was still young herself.

Label- or 'Labelle', whichever- sprang to mind.

"Sable, you're going crazy. Labelle wouldn't care that you're pregnant. Pleasing that giraffe is all that matters to her," I mumbled to myself sharply.

Was the first child ALWAYS like this?

I tipped my head back and gazed at the sky, the leaves and branches obscuring my view a little. It was a pink-blue colour, and orange coloured clouds floated past dreamily.

I cast my mind back to the past.

If my parents had never died, I could have seen Tom more often. We could have dated. We could have bought a house together, and left home, and got married, and settled down with a family, as planned... Not popping up out of the blue like this.

I wandered miserably through the thicket of trees.

Would I have wanted that...?

I was always a little shy at school, where I first met Tom. Still, he was the one who opened me up. Let my grey aura burst into a rainbow of dazzling colours and sparkle throughout eternity.

But it wasn't eternity.

He left for the city and I was snapped shut again.

If he had stayed...?

I stopped when I reached the beach and dug my toes into the soft, powdery sand. The familiar _whoosh whoosh _of the waves lapping at the land was comforting. I sat down, right there on the bach and hugged myself tight. The pink sky faded to orange, and the sun began to sink in to the horizon like a blazing balloon. I stared out at sea, watching the tide roll around softly and the sun descended lower and lower. I put my cheek one one shoulder and rubbed it for comfort. The picture must have looked so fiction like: the lonely heroine sat on the beach, covered by the sunset's orange glow, her tragic expression as she stared out to sea...

I closed my eyes and let my head droop.

"Sable...?" I spun round to find Tom Nook standing behind me.

"Ah...T-Tom..." I stuttered. I stood up and brushed myself of sand. "Good evening..."

"Good evening," Tom replied, looking surprised. "May I ask what are you doing here, sat on the beach so late, hm?"

"That..." I felt myself blush madly. Tom looked concerned. He took my paw gently in his. I gasped at his touch.

"Mabel told me that you ran from your store this morning, yes? And that you've been missing all day, hm?"

"Yes..." I mumbled in reply. "Well, I've been in town all day, not really missing."

"May I ask why?" Tom prompted.

"No, not really." His grip loosened and I removed my hand. I clutched my elbow and shivered.

"Cold...?" Tom's overbearing kindness was a little out of the blue. He wasn't usually so... caring.

"No," I replied. There was a long pause.

"Sable," Tom was the first to speak. His arm snaked round my shoulders, and his other one gripped my waist, so I was forced to look at him.

"Sable," He repeated. "You haven't been yourself. What's going on, hm?"

I stared into his lidded blue eyes panicking. How could I tell him? I had to eventually, but not now, not just as I was getting over it.

"T-Tom..." I began, building up my courage. He gave a wry smile. "I..." At this my confidence fell. I pushed away from him so he was forced to let go of me. I stood a metre or so away from him, shivering madly. "Leave me alone!"

"Sable..." Nook began stepping towards me.

"Please, Tom." I begged. I looked up, tears filling my eyes and trickling down my snout. He stopped in his tracks. For a moment we both stared down, Tom smoothing out the creases in his tuxedo, and me sniffing.

"Sable," Tom said again. I looked up at him. He didn't move and nor did I. "Tell me what's wrong. Or at least let me take you home so we can talk about this in a more civilised way..."

"Why are you here?" I asked bitterly. He frowned at me. I continued further. "You're usually at your store, working untill eleven. Why finish work so early? I thought the buisness meant everything to you,"

"It does," Tom muttered. He suddenly rushed foward and grabbed me into a tight embrace. I was trapped. "But you mean more."

I gave a hollow, humourless laugh, tears still running down my face. "Since when?"

"Since always," Tom breathed into my ear. His grip tightened.

"Tom, don't be stu-" I began, but was cut off by his kiss. His warm, soft lips against mine, his smooth, pink tongue over mine... I was soon kissing him back, kissing passionately, wrapping my arms round him properly and crying, half with sorrow and with joy. He was the man I loved. No one could say otherwise.

Tom stroked my quills gently and I moaned appreciatively into his mouth. He pulled back and continued to pat the top of my head softly.

"Have you calmed down, hm?" He asked softly.

I put my head on his chest and nodded. He placed his chin on my head and rubbed it back and forth.

"Sable, tell me what's wrong." Tom murmured.

Now I can see what he was doing. He had calmed me down, almost hypnotised me, and now I was calm and peaceful, I would answer his questions properly.

But I didn't notice that then.

"Tom." I breathed, nestling into his warm chest. "Tom, I'm pregnant."

4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It took me a moment to realise what had slipped out of my mouth.

Then I noticed. Tom's whole body had stiffened. His grip was too tight, his jaw on top of my head rigid.

I didn't want to look up. I didn't want to hear his reaction. I wanted to disappear, to take back what I said... To... To...

"Sable, don't cry," I squeezed my eyes shut at Tom's words.

"Out of all the things you could say to finding out I was pregnant, you chose that?" I muttered into his suit. He gave a small, hollow chuckle.

"That was all I could think of," He murmured. He kissed my head softly."So who's the father, hm?"

I stared at him.

"Who do you think?" I spluttered. He still looked confused. "It's YOU,"

At this Tom stiffened again.

"Oh really," He murmured softly.

"Really," I sighed in reply. I stroked his chest gently, tickling it with the tip of my claw.

"Sable, I..." Tom began. He took a deep breath. I sniffed and wiped my eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, looking up at his face. He had his eyes closed and was chewing on his lower lip.

"I..." There was a long silence. I held my breath- my lungs were tight from lack of oxygen. What was he going to say? Something good? Bad?

Would...

Would he reject us?

With yet another sigh, Tom took his arms away from my sides and took a step back. I felt lost, lonely without his warm arms wrapped round me, keeping me safe...

"Sable, I'm not sure I'm ready for a child," He finally said. He deliberatly avoided looking at me by staring at the sun as it's light began to subdue and darkness take it's place.

"I'm not sure I am either," I said quickly. I grabbed his arm, clutching it tight. He didn't flinch. He didn't even look at me. I hurriedly continued. "But that's the whole point of having a child, right? To make a sacrifice, and... and..."

"Sable, I've already got two kids to look after. A third will be too troublesome, yes?" Tom protested, easing my paws off his arm.

"T-troublesome...?" I bit my lip and let a couple of tears fall.

"And about the buisness! I work fifteen hours a day- there's hardly any time for a baby, hm? And then there's you! You have a shop to look after, too. There's simply no time to look after someone, hm? And where will the child live? I can't possibly have another extension on my house, there's no room for a nursery, and your flat above your shop is barely big enough for you and Mabel, yes?" At this he turned his gaze on me, his expression unreadable. "It won't work out."

I shook my head fiercly and put my fists to my eyes.

"I told you! It's a sacrifice for a child. I'm sure it's worth it, Tom, and we can find out a way to work things once the baby's born- we have nine months before then! Tom, please. Please."

"I'm sorry Sable," Tom shook his head sadly. "You're getting too worked up. Calm down. You're not ready for a baby at all. How about an abortion?"

I glared at him through my tears. "How could you be so heartless as to kill a poor, innocent child? I'm NOT getting an abortion, not in a million years,"

"Sable, stop it," Tom took my paws in his and gripped them tightly. "Have you told Mabel?"

I shook my head, choking out a few more sobs.

"Well, she needs to know. And stop crying- stress is bad for the baby." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Are... Are you sure you're pregnant?"

"Of course I'm sure!" I cried. "What, you think I'de lie about it?"

"No, no, just in case... You know, it was a mistake," Tom reassured me. He sighed. "If you have your heart set on this child, go ahead." He let go of my paws, and I dropped them to my sides. "But I'm not getting involoved." He turned and began to walk away slowly.

"Tom, wait. Tom! Please, come back. Come back! Tom! Tom, please! Please!" I shrieked and stumbled after him. I tripped on something lodged in the sand and fell- the thought of hurting my baby crossed my mind, and I quickly covered my stomach, but I only landed on my back so I was alright. "Tom," I sobbed. "Tom..."

He was already gone.

Sobbing harder than ever, I felt around for what I had tripped on. My claws came into contact with something smooth... Glass...?

Pausing in my crying, I pulled it out from underneath me. A message in a bottle? It was sealed tight with a crok stopper, and the glass gleamed in the moonlight. I unscrewed the cork and took out the faded pink paper. I began to read;

_You who reads this!_

_Your fortune for the future: Something big will- or has- happened. Do not let anyone deter you in your choices! Seek comfort in those around you. Your future looks bright, but alas! If you make the wrong descsion, your life will be thrust into darkness, and someone else's life too..._

_~A fortune teller~_

I crumpled the note into a ball and threw it back into the ocean.

It wasn't my fortune! Just something someone just scribbled randomly and chucked it into the sea. It looked really old too- it had probably been bobbing around for months. And been swallowed by a whale or something.

I stood up and trudged back up to the shop. I was utterly miserable. Tom had indeed rejected me- and our child. I bit back another sob just as I reached our shop. Taking a deep breath, I turned the door knob.

It was locked.

Frowning, I looked up. There was a 'Closed' sign pasted on the door, written with a thick black pen in Mabel's unmistakable scrawly script. I pulled the notice down to read the smaller print at the bottom.

_Flow of stock postponed. Will re-open when supplier is back in buisness._

My face crumpled. That's all I was to Mabel? A supplier...? No one loved me. No one. Not even my own sister... I scrunched the notice into a ball and tossed it over my shoulder.

I was about to knock on the door when I noticed black ink smudged on my paws. But I hadn't _touched _the writing on the sign. Unless...

There was more writing on the back. I hurriedly retreived the notice and smoothed it out. There was the stock postponed side- I flipped it over. Yes! There was more! I walked around a little untill the moonlight allowed me to read.

_Sable,_

_Only you wood flip a note over! I'm realy worryed abowt you, sis. Realy. Cum bak soon, I'll cook something delishus to eet and we can tourk. You wern't yourself this morning. I dout I'll get to slep until you're bak, so don't wory about waking me up. _

_Mabel XXX _

Underneath her name Mabel had scrawled a little smudgy hedgehog. It was like her signature- we always used it when we wrote notes to each other as kids. **(1) **I giggled about her crazy spelling. We never really had a great education when we were little- I had done my best to teach her but I wasn't particularly good at it either.

I let out a sigh of relief. So Mabel did care. She had just put the 'stock supplier' so as to keep what was going on private. I could imagine Mabel begging Mint not to gossip as she left.

My life was such a mess...!

I knocked on the door. Somewhere above my head a yellow light was flicked on. I heard Mabel stumbling around as she could be heard mumbling. "Who IS that at this time- oh, maybe Sable's back..."

At the mention of my name you could hear her hurry down the stairs and trip. I winced at the racket. I would really need to get an upgrade on our shop, like Tom had on his. Maybe thicken the walls, and make the flat bigger... We would have to sell alot more then...

The door was thrown open and a bundle of blue threw itself at me.

"Sable!" Mabel sobbed into my apron. "Sable, where were you? I was so worried..." She gripped me even tighter.

I smiled and hugged her back. "I was still in town, you know."

"Don't go running off like that!" Mabel ignored this and scolded me like a mother. "You could've told me where you were going."

"I could have - I mean, I SHOULD have," I replied. Mabel stepped back and I got a good look at her for the first time since this morning. She was wearing a pink towel dressing gown with _Able _stitched on the chest and matching pink slippers. These garments used to be mine, so they were a little bobbly, but very warm, and more or less soft.

I shivered.

"C'mon, sis, let's get you something to eat," Mabel said, dragging me inside and locking the door behind us. She gave a yawn. "I dozed off, waiting for you, and it's only seven..." She mumbled.

"Oh Mabel," I teased her. She grinned and lead me into the kitchen.

"Here, what do you want to eat?" She went to open the fridge.

"Wait," I grabbed her arm, stopping her from continuing. I sighed and said, "Never mind food. I'm not that hungry. I... I..." I stopped and bit my lip.

"Sable...?" Mabel mumured quietly.

"Come into my room." I finally pushed out.

We ascended the stairs and sat down on my bed. I leaned against the wall, and Mabel curled up near the pillow. I was quiet for a long time.

"I need to tell you something... Something very important."

pstrong1) strongWhen I say 'as kids' I mean, like, when sable was 13 Mabel was 3 (Ten years age difference) so I figured Sable would introduce Mabel into the world of secrecy for play when she was little, even though Sable was too old for secret notes. Not that anyone's pointed it out, I was just worried about it myself...

5. Chapter 4

**Sorry if this chapter is a bit repetitive or rambling. I sort of had to stretch it out... Other than that, I think I did a pretty good job. :) strong

**Chapter 4**

Mabel waited. My mouth went dry. How should I word it? I searched the dark passages of my mind for an answer. Should I do it like Cerissa did to Reginald on Pointed Love...?

"My...my dear, I have something very important to say. Do not fear for it is a lovely thing really. My love.. I beleive... I am pregnant with our child..."

Maybe not.

"Um... Mabel..." I began. "This... It's quite important and... and..."

I pressed my knuckles against my eyes as a flow of tears began to trickle down my cheeks.

"Sis? Sable? Sable...? Oh... Oh, don't cry... Sable..." Mabel said, panicked. She sat up and hugged me tight. I leant on her robed chest, breathing in her pine needle-fresh scent, mixed with tailors chalk and the faint aroma of paper.

She hugged me tighter as I continued to sob and rocked me back and forth.

"I though I was the big sister," I mumbled, sitting up as Mabel released me. I rubbed my left eye with my wrist and sniffed. "You're not supposed to comfort me when I'm down. I'm such a baby,"

"No you're not," Mabel assured me. She leant on my shoulder and I put my head on hers. "You're so brave. You didn't cry when Mum and Dad died. You just held me tightly all through the funeral and didn't shed a tear."

"But this is different," I replied. Another tear slipped down my cheek and onto Mabel's head. I brushed it away.

"What is 'it' anyway?" Mabel questioned. She removed her head from my shoulder and sat cross-legged on the bed staring at me straight into my eyes. "C'mon, sis you've been hiding something since this morning. I won't be mad. Well, as long as you don't plan on shipping me out or commiting suicide, or anything extreme," She said this as a joke and I gave a small smile.

"Mabel. Mabel. Oh, Mabel this is so hard."

"I know," I shot her a look. What did she mean 'I know'? Did she already know I was pregnant? Oh no, oh no, oh no...

"Hey, chill, I didn't mean 'I know about it.'" Mabel said once she saw my shocked face. "I mean, I know it's dificult for you to tell me. After all, we've been here for half an hour and you haven't done anything but cry,"

"Don't," I said gloomily. "Don't tease me," I sighed and gazed at the bed cover.

"Sable." I looked up at Mabel's voice. She was looking at me with genuine sympathy and understanding in her eyes. "Sable after three, just say it, and I'll mull it over elsewhere. See? I'm by the door. Once you've spoken I'll go. OK?"

"OK..." I agreed reluctantly as Mabel positioned herself by the door and waited.

"One..." She breathed softly. I sucked in a breath of air and exhaled slowly. "Two..." I gripped my fists tightly. "Three." I opened my mouth.

"Mabel you're going to be an Auntie. I'm pregnant."

At this, as promised, Mabel stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She did it so calmly I wondered if she had heard me.

I sighed, a huge weight off my chest. But the fear and anxiety still engulfed me in sadness. I dropped down into a lying posisition and burrowed under the covers. Just as I got to hot (Moments after I ducked under the quilt) and re-surfaced, the door flew open and a very shocked Mabel's head whipped round.

"You're WHAT?"

"Pregnant," I whispered.

"Oh God. Oh God. When...? How...? Who...?" The questions were fired at me like gunshots. Mabel's eyes were as wide as saucers and full of panic, but also awe..

"Mabel, you said you would leave..." I groaned. I massaged my throbbing head furiously.

"Yeah but... Woah. I'm going to be an Auntie," Mabel sat down on the bed next to me. She said it as if it wasn't real.

"And I'm going to a mother," I replied weakly.

Mabel sat on her hands and rocked forwards and backwards a little. She clicked her tongue against her teeth.

"Somehow 'Auntie' sounds much older than 'mother'. How weird."

"Mabel!" I cried at her. "This isn't the time!"

"You're right," Mabel sighed before resuming her rocking. "Um... Sable..."

"What?"

"Um... Who... Who's the dad?"

I tensed at this question. Poor Mabel. Poor, innocent Mabel asking such an innocent, necessary question that I was so upset about.

"I think you know," I said huskily, pressing my face into the bed

sheets. Somehow I felt so much safer with my face covered.

"No, I dont. I don't have any clue." Mabel twitched the corner of the duvet. "Sable...? Who is it?"

"It's Tom," I mouthed.

"Sable...? Please..."

"It's Tom," I repeated, only out loud. I burrowed even further down in the bed.

"Please, Mabel leave me alone. Please."

"But-" Mabel protested.

"Mabel...!" I snapped at her. I could feel her wince through the bed clothes.

"OK... G-goodnight sis." She sounded so forlorn.

There was the click of the door as it was closed. I stayed under the quilt for a little longer, trembling at my sharpness with Mabel. I had always been a good sister to her... And now I had just told her to go away. It sounds pathetic, I know, we all tell people to go away, but I had never used it with so much meaning. I told her to 'go away'- I was rejecting her. Pushing her away. All she wanted to do was help.

I must have dozed off at one point, because I woke up with a jolt. I had kicked my quilt off and was lying on the bed, still in my work apron, shivering in the cold air.

I glanced at the clock. It's glow in the dark hands read 01:07am. I groaned softly and rubbed my face. I hadn't dreamt of anything to do with my baby, or childbirth or anything like you might expect in a heroine to do in a story.

I lay on my back for a while, staring at the ceiling through the darkness, my hands laid protectively over my stomach. I wanted what was best for my child. I needed to devise a plan soon.

Sighing, I got out of bed and padded over to the door. I needed to make up with Mabel. I was about to turn the door knob when I stepped on something and almost lost my footing. I bent down and picked up a crumpled piece of paper. Oh great. ANOTHER note. Is that all I was doing? Reading notes untill I unravelled my destiny? Nonetheless, I unfolded the paper and flicked on the light.

_Sable, I'm so sory. I did'nt realize that you were so upset abowt becoming pregnant. I thinc it's a wunderfull thing that youre going to hav a babee. But I have a cuple of qwestshuns. Firstly, I was wundering were you would hav a babee's room. Hour flat is to tinee. Second, we don't hav anee time to look after sum wone else. You ar to buzy and so am I. So we need to tourk agaen, only this tyme in a mor sivilized maner. Mxxx_

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the tears welling up in my eyes. All I had done was CRY since I had found out I was pregnant. I sank down onto the bed and stared at the wall across from me, fighting back tears.

Not only was my baby causing me trouble, but for other people too.

One resoloution rose into my head, and another, untill, one after the other, clouded my mind up untill I didn't know what was real. There were heaps of them. But they all seemed too farfetched and unrealistic.

There was only one real answer.

I had to run away.

pstrongOnce you've read this and maybe left a review (Maybe?) please visit my profile and visit my poll, because it's about Sable's baby. It'a a vote on it's gender and name. Please visit+vote! (V+V? Like RR?)strong

6. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

It was the only way. The only way possible to ensure all of my worries were mine alone. No one else would get involved. I wouldn't make anyone concerned anymore.

I had to go immediately.

Full of a weird sort anticipation mingled with dread and wondering if what I was doing was right, I went into my tiny chest of drawers and retrieved a small shoulder bag about the size of two closed Nintendo DS consoles.

I tossed it on the bed and immediately began to rifle to the drawers. What should I pack? Clothes and beauty meant nothing to me- instead, a plain paged notebook, two pens, a photo album from when our parents were alive, my favourite romance fiction, 20,000 Bells, my sketchbook full of designs for clothes and a locket that belonged to my mother were packed. I also managed to squeeze in my hair brush, just to be sensible.

I changed into a loose maroon dress that reached my knees and a black silken cloak with a hood, very warm and surprisingly practical. I tied it's string in a bow under my chin and lightly pattered down the stairs. Here, I entered the kitchen and packed a small parcel of food. Things like bread, cheese, fruit, basic things that could be eaten without cooking them first. I wrapped each item individually with cling film and then packaged them together in brown paper which was usually used for packaging clothes to be delivered. This was put in a separate carrier bag, along with a large flask of water. Once I found somewhere to stay I could get more things to eat.

I sat down at the kitchen table and stared around. The small fridge nestled in one corner and the microwave on a rather wobbly unit in another. The many shelves built all around the tiny room holding materials, half-finished clothes, old designs that never sold, jars of food and sugar and coffee and tea, bottles of juice, bowls, cracked plates that had been in the family for years, chipped glasses and other such things nested between everything else, made the shelves groan under the weight. I wouldn't see this kitchen again.

Sighing, I pulled out of my bag the notebook and the blue pen. I tore out a page, and, resting on the front cover of the notebook, began to write a note to Mabel. My spelling was as crazy as hers, since I skipped a considerable amount of school and had never quite got to grips with spelling rules and proper English, etc, but never mind; Mabel and I had been writing notes to each other long enough to understand each other's mistakes.

_Dear Mabel,_

_I am so so sory. I have to do this. I'm sory, but I am coresing you to much trubble. I'm leeving this town. I have to. I never ment things to tern out like this. But I'm leeving, and I'm not teling you where I'm going, else I'll just end up here agen. This is the best thing to do. It's the best thing for me, you, the babey, and Tom. I told you he was the farther. He wasen't very hapy when I told him I was pregnant. Infact, he rejekted me compleetly. I no you haven't shown me any ill will but wonce this babey is born it will bee to much fuss for me to both sew and look after a chyld at the same tyme. I'll continu to send clothes to you from my new home and write you letters and maybe even visit once your niece/nefew is born. I no I am beeing very selfish and I am very very sory. Please forgiv me. I'll always love you, litle sis. _

_Lots of love, I will miss you,_

_Sable _

I hastily scribbled a small hedgehog at the bottom of the page and added tears flowing down it's cheeks with a speech bubble saying, "Please forgive me" in my blotchy handwriting. Then I crept back upstairs. I paused just outside Mabel's door before knocking softly on her door.

"Mabel?" I murmured quietly. There was no answer. I knocked again. "Mabel...?" Still silence. I took a deep breath and twisted the door knob.

It was utterly dark in the room. I blinked several times, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dark.

Mabel was curled up in bed, her small form moving up and down slowly as her breath rattled through her snout. "Mabel...?" I murmured one last time. Mabel mumbled a little in her sleep but didn't stir. I sighed and stepped towards her bed, peering at her face. She had the angelic expression that everyone seemed to get while they were asleep plastered on her face, but you could see the fur under her eyes was matted and slightly damp. I bit my lip and choked back a sob. I had made her cry. I felt so bad. So, so bad. My parents would be disgusted with my selfish reasons for running away. I wonder if Labelle had felt this way when she ran away... I shook my head fiercly and placed the note beside Mabel's head on her pillow. I tenderly kissed her on the cheek. Once again, her pine needle scent filled my nostrils and tears pricked my eyes. I loved Mabel. I loved her so much. And now I was leaving her alone...

"Goodbye, Mabel," I whispered my voice thick with tears.

When I went back downstairs I thought about what Tom had said. 'Stress is bad for the baby.' I hated to admit it, but he was right. I needed to stop crying and be more positive. Mabel would learn to be even more confident if I left her. She could practice her seamstress skills and her work on the sewing machine. She had plenty of time to do that- we only ever got a few customers every day, Mint and Tallie (A human in our town) who checked out the shop for new clothes and accsessories. Yes. I would have to look on the bright side.

I gripped the carrier bag tightly in my hands and squeezed my eyes tightly shut. I was ready. With a trembling heart, I unlocked the front door of the shop and stepped outside. The sky was a light blue colour, indicating the sun would rise soon, with a few wisps of dark clouds drifting across it. Nervously, I slipped the hood of my cloak over my head and began to walk in the direction of the bus stop.

That short walk seemed to be the longest of my life.

Each step I took sent new worries whirling though my mind. I trembled at each new thought my legs shaky and unstable. They felt as if they would give way at any moment. Then I was assualted by fatigue. My worry and anxiety had made me tired,and now, walking when my body would rather sleep at two in the morning didn't help. Perhaps I could doze on the bus to where ever I was going...

I stopped in my tracks. Where WAS I going? The idea of running away had occured on the spur of the moment. I hadn't considered where. A new town? Then again, I didn't know somewhere which was suitable for child upbringing. I paused and leaned against a post for support. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

But I had to.

I had to go somewhere where I could sew, and where there would be people willing to buy my hand-sewn clothes. That would be the only way for me to make a living. I didnt really know anything else- I couldn't spell, or work with numbers, or really do anything useful...

Ah, this was so hard...

Where had Labelle run away to?

The city. Yes. The city. I'm sure I could find a flat somewhere for two... And then sell my clothes I made to a boutique! Yes! I could become their supplier. It seemed like the best bet I had. And if it didn't work out, I could always move somewhere else.

Feeling a little better, I continued to trudge on and found myself at the bus stop at long last. I checked my watch. Two twenty. The next bus would arrive at half past... According to the rotor.

I still had ten minutes. I sat down to rest my weary legs. How long that short walk from my shop to the bus stop had seemed...

"'Ere, lass. Are ye catchin' this 'ere bus to the city? Or are ye just kippin' there on the pavement?"

I jolted awake at this rough voice. Huh...? Huh? When did I fall asleep? I quickly wiped my eyes free of sleep to see the single green striped, bright yellow bus had pulled up right next to me and the driver, Kapp'n was staring at me expectantly. I felt blood rise into my cheeks and quickly stood up. I twitched the hood down even further so he wouldn't see my face.

"Um... Yes, I'm catching this bus." I said, trying to disguise my voice as much as I could whilst I stepped onto the vecihle. "Um... One single to the city, please,"

"O' course, lass. That'll be two 'undred Bells." Kapp'n replied, as he punched in something on his ticket machine and my ticket was spat out. I handed him the two hundred bells, took the ticket and sat down on the totally empty bus.

Kapp'n started the engine, and pretty soon we were rumbling down the

country roads to the city. I stared out of the window quietly. All my worries had gone. But not exactly in the best way. I now felt empty. I had no fear or dread, or excitement or whatever emotions might have run through me during the past forty eight hours.

"Yer a quiet one," Kapp'n suddenly said, breaking the silence that contained only the faint buzzing of the radio. "Doin' somethin' special up in ther city?"

"Not particularly," I replied. "Well, I'm looking for a flat to buy."

"Arrr, yer movin'. I see. Might I be as so nosy to pry why?"

"Um, no real reason." I lied. "Just... fancied a change."

"Ah, outta the nest, are yer?" Kapp'n chuckled at his rather poor metaphor. "Yer just left...errr... Whassat town called..."

"Wenton," I squeaked.

"Thass it! Went'un." Kapp'n nodded appreciatly. "Strange, not many folks move from there, narr. Iss su'posed to be a very nice place. I ne'er had the luck to live in such a lov'ly place when I was young... Narr, I lived on a wee boat, always on the rollin' tollin' tide..."

I let Kapp'n go on about his past and watched as the hills began to peter out and the dirt track became tarmac beneath the bus's wheels.

"And... Arr, we be upon the city." He stopped the bus outside the square and I stood up to leave. He turned to wish me well. "Good luck with yer move, lass, I-"

"Kapp'n," I said quietly, cutting him off. He looked confused that I knew his name- I still had my hood up and he didn't recognise me. We had conversed several times before and he had labeled me as 'the prettiest lil' ol' lass to step on his wagon,'. I continued speaking. "I ask for me coming to the city to be kept a secret, if you will," To my surprise, Kapp'n nodded knowingly.

"I understand, lass. I'll keep it a secret from yer fella," He wasn't exactly right, but I decided not to point that out. The truth was much more complicated. I thanked him again and stepped off the bus. With one last wave, Kapp'n revved up the engine and rumbled away. I watched as the yellow behind rolled off untill it disappeared. I turned aound, gazing at my stomach and rubbing it with both hands gently.

"Oh, how much trouble you've caused," I muttered to my baby.

7. Chapter 6

**Chapter six**

I couldn't find a flat anywhere.

I looked and looked in vain for somewhere I could rent, but they were either one roomed flats which were too small, or large, luxury ones, too big and far too expensive. I simply found myself walking in circles untill I ended back in the square again.

I stopped outside a shop called GracieGrace. Just outside the automatic doors, there were two huge stone dishes holding red roses. I dropped down beside one of those and leaned against it. I was on the verge of tears. Why was life so hard? I pressed my knuckles to my eyes to stop myself from crying. _Its bad for the baby, stress is bad for the baby, stress is bad for the baby..._

"Excuse me, could you cry somewhere else? We're about to open and Miss Gracie will not be pleased to find a tramp outside her shop," Someone nearby said coldly. I looked up abruptly, my hood slipping off as I did so. In my shock I didn't pull it back up. My mouth fell open.

Labelle looked just as shocked as me. We stared at each other for several moments, totally lost in our own thoughts. There was silence for a long time.

I stood up and took a step closer to my sister.

"Label..." I murmured.

"Please," Labelle pulled a face. "Its Labelle. Oh God, sis, what are you DOING here? It's been years,"

"It has..." I replied breathlessly. "Label... I mean, Labelle, you've changed so much..." Indeed, my sister looked very, very different. Firstly, her purple fur was sleek and shiny and flicked back in some complicated manner. She had PIERCED EARS and wore a designer suit, complete with a silky necker tied in an elegant knot. She was even slimmer than before, and had large curves jutting out awkwardly from her otherwise flat body. Her skirt was hitched up so high that the hem rested on her mid-thigh, and she tottered around on high heels. But it was her FACE that shocked me the most. Her eye's were outlined in black kohl, and she was wearing fake eyelashes with mascara (?). Her lips were coated with a thick layer of purpley-pink lipstick, her cheeks smudged with blusher, her eyelids coated in blue eyeshadow, and a single stud pierced in snout. I gaped at her piercings.

"Labelle, you have-? How the... Wha...?"

"Oh, you like my piercings?" She asked, touching each one. "I got this one done last week," She pointed to the nose stud.

"But our parents..."

"Our parents are dead now, Sable, it's pointless to think what they would say." She chewed thoughtfully on a piece of gum. "So whatta you doing down here? Come to pay me a visit?" She sneered.

"No, actually."

"Oh," Labelle looked more than surprised. "So uh... How's Mabel?"

"Fine... Oh, Labelle!" I squeaked. I lunged forwards and hugged her tightly, despite her squawk of protest. "Labelle it's been so long..."

"SABLE! Let go... And quit saying 'it's been so long' in your dreary voice!" Labelle ordered. I did as I was told and stepped back as she re-did her necker for no reason and smoothed back her purple spines.

I looked at my younger sister almost in awe. She had run away AND become successful, much more so than the Able sisters... I suddenly frowned as I realised what Labelle had done. She had left us because of her 'Big City Dreams' and just let us struggle on, barely finding the money to pay for matireals and taxes, bills and the like... Never visiting home ONCE or sending us a letter...

"Labelle." I began. Labelle, who was tweaking around with her eyebrows whilist examining them in her compact mirror, looked up from her reflection and raised her eyebrows.

"Why... Why didn't you stay in touch? Or come visit? You just left us..." I bit my lip hard. "YOU SELFISH IDIOT!" I shrieked. "We've been struggling so hard for EVERYTHING, while you just decide you don't like it here anymore, so you just swan off to the city with a 'nothing can go wrong I'm just perfect' attitude and leave us desperate for everything...!" I finished in a daze. Those words had come out of my mouth? I had SCREAMED? I hadn't raised my voice above a call in years...

Labelle was looking at me in a shocked disgust. "You... Sable... You crazy... What..." Her mouth twisted into a hateful sneer. "It's just as well that I didn't stay in that miserable stink hole of a town after all! You obviously have got some sort of mental disorder. Did my disappearance scar you that much?" Her sneer turned into a smirk. "Stay away from us 'upper class' and find some other tramp to listen to your screeching, you half demented bitch!" I gasped at her insult.

Then ten years of fury built up inside me, like throwing more and more logs on to a tiny fire... And the fire then bursts into a roaring torrent...

"How dare you call me a bitch! Label-!"

"It's not Label, it's Labelle-"

"No it's not! It's Label! THAT'S whats down on your birth certifcate! THAT'S what you answered to for fifteen years! THAT'S-"

"That's quite enough," Someone said from behind us. We both turned to see an orange fox wearing an apron standing behind us.

"Redd," Labelle purred, smoothing down her hair again. "Meet my half-demented sister, Sable,"

"My, my, I see she's causing you some trouble! Mind if I take her away for ya? Before this argument goes CRAAAZZZZYY!"

"Yes. Do so," Labelle pursed her lips and glared at me.

"I'll take her for a minimal cost of 1,000 Bells, if you please, a price no other would offer..." Redd began, taking me by my shoulder. "Fine, fine, whatever." Labelle reached into her pocket where she kept a coin purse and fished out 1,000 Bells. "Here," She tossed them at him.

"Thanks for your buisness!" Redd caught the money and grinned slyly before yanking on my shoulder and dragging me across the square.

"Hey... I... Please... Let go..." I weakly protested as he took me down a back alleyway. My energy was spent after screaming at Labelle. I didn't feel like resisting his firm grip. I was shaking from my sudden outburst. It wasn't like me at all...

"Relax. Errr... Cecil, was it?"

"Sable," I corrected. "Um, Mister Redd where are you taking me?"

"To my place," Redd replied and, conincedently, we stopped just infront of a dark blue door hidden behind a pile of discarded, wooden crates. Redd rummaged in the pocket of his apron and pulled out a key. He inserted it in the key hole, turned it then opened the door.

He let go of me.

I paused, not sure if I wanted to go in.

"Well? Go on." Redd urged. He gave me a small push forwards so I stumbled in through the door.

It was utterly dark.

Redd entered behind me and shut the door. I heard him walk round me, humming tunelessly through his teeth.

"Just a minute my dear friend... A ha!" There was a a small whirring noise as two dim lights gradually began to glow. I blinked, straining in the poor light, to see Redd pottering about, adjusting the position of a wooden chair, brushing the dust off a painting... He turned to smile at me.

"This is my little shop. It's members only, very hush-hush. It's three thousand Bells to join, but it's worth it!"

I politely nodded during his little speech, but my attention was elsewhere. I stepped forwards, peering closer at the picture. It portrayed a young woman smiling sadly out of the portrait, dressed in dark flowing robes...

"That there's my famous painting." Redd claimed, appearing beside me, rubbing his hands together. "A mighty fine piece if I do say so myself..."

"It's a fake." I muttered quietly. Redd stopped abruptly.

"Say wha...? Now look here, Miss Sable, I don't go round selling counterfeits. How desperate would that be? Selling fakes would be CRAAAZZZYY!"

"But's it's still fake," I persued. "It has no signature. See?" I pointed at the corner of the painting.

"Well, well, Miss Sable, you sure do have a keen eye! But what can I say? Real, original pieces are hard to get hold of nowadays. Anyway, I was just testing you to see if you could spot a fake! Like I'd sell counterfeit claiming it was real! It's a good imatation, dontcha think?"

"Um... Yeah." I replied. "Um, what do you want with me?"

"Why, I was rescuing you from that spiny Labelle!" Redd exclaimed as if it were obvious. "She's your sister huh? My heart goes out to ya, but we can't help having CRAZZZYYY families. Say..." He paused and put his head on one side. "I've never seen you around before. Me, I know this city and it's contents like tha back of my paw. How 'bout somethin' hot to drink and you tell me where you're from and what you're doing up here?"

Before I could refuse, I was in the back room which had clumsily been converted into a grubby, pokey little kitchen, sat at the tiny kitchen table on a rather wobbly chair.

"So then," Redd began. He placed down two steaming hot mugs of cocoa and looked expectant. Nervously, I took one and sipped at the burning hot chocolate. It was surprisingly good. I sighed and began to talk.

"I came here from Wenton, my hometown, where I was born. I've lived there all my life. When I was twelve, my parents died in a car crash. They left us the shop-"

"Whoa, whoa, friend! Slow down! 'Us'? 'Shop'?" Redd interuppted.

"I have two sisters- Mabel, who's still in Wenton now, and Labelle, who was called Label back then. And we had a tailors' shop. My mother and father used to run it. When they died, I took it upon me to continue their buisness. I could already sew. So we all helped, even though Mabel was only two. Everything was OK- well, OKish for a while. But then, when Label was fifteen, she decided she couldn't take living with us anymore in our 'dreary' shop and 'backwater' town, scrimping and saving and working so hard for little reward," I paused for breath and took another sip of cocoa. "So she ran away. She changed her name to Labelle and decided she would work with Gracie, the designer. I guess her dreams came true,"

"So whaddabout you and Meeble?" Redd persisted.

"Mabel," I corrected. "Well... Mabel was eight and I was eighteen, so we just carried on I guess. But..." At his I bit my lip and paused. I had barely known this fox for an hour, yet I was telling him things I had never told my dearest friends. I nibbled on the skin a little more, then tucked my legs up to my chin. I continued, "Before the incedent with Labelle, I went to school every other day, and I met this raccoon, Tom..." To my surprise, Redd nodded knowingly.

"As in Tom Nook? Successful buisness man, no?"

"That's him," I murmured. I could feel a hot blush creeping across my face. "Well... We got on well... And..."

"To save you from CRRAAZZYY embarrassment, I take it you and him had a thing going?"

"Y-yeah." I cursed myself for just coming out with that. I had suddenly lost all sense of privacy... "But he moved to the city and I didn't see him for years. He wanted to start a buisness and... Well, it didn't go as well as he planned. So he moved back to Wenton but we were like strangers to each other. I was so distraught he had moved I just became... Closed up. A nobody. And when he came back I didn't change. It had been too long. But then a couple of weeks ago..." I took a deep breath. I needed to stop. This was something so private. I musn't tell... Not even my own blood relative, Labelle, knew about this, or Mabel... But I couln't stop myself. "A couple of weeks ago..." A couple of tears slid down my cheeks. "All our years apart caught up with us and... Just two days ago I found out... I found out... I was... expecting..." I slid down even further into my knees so my face was hidden.

There was a long silence and I didn't look up. I could sense that Redd was surprised. I heard him place his mug on the table, and

imagined him racking his brains for a reply.

I gathered my courage and stood up, trying to smile.

"Thankyou for listening, Mr Redd. The cocoa was lovely. Now, I really must go..." I turned to leave.

"Hey, hey!" Redd stood up too and blocked my way. "Now, sit down and repeat what you just said." He gently pushed me down by the shoulder

untill I was seated again.

"I said... I said I was expecting," I replied awkwardly. Redd considered this for a moment.

"As in, expecting, child-wise?"

I nodded.

A smile immediatly broke out on Redd's face.

"Well congratulations!I'm very, very pleased for ya, you know! Though I must say, I could specially order a wonderful cot for you... Waitta second..." He paused and frowned. "You still haven't answered my question. Whay ARE you here in the city?"

"Um..." I paused and scratched my neck. "Well, no one's reactions back home in Wenton were what I was hoping for, including Tom..." I bit back tears at the memory of his casual rejection. "And Mabel was... Worried... So I, uh..."

"Ran away?" Redd supplied, raising his eyebrows.

I nodded again.

There was a small silence where upon Redd took our empty mugs to the sink and dropped them in some greyish-brown water.

"So where are you staying? Where do you live?"

"Actually, I only just left Wenton this morning. I-I can't find anywhere to stay." I explained reverently, taking the corner of my dress and toying with it.

There was another pause as Redd continued to frown and gaze at the grubby wall before him.

"What kinda place are you looking for?" He asked.

"A small flat, something for me and the baby..." I trailed off at the end.

"Well ain't that a CRAAAZZZYY coincidence!" Redd exclaimed, whipping round, a joyous expression on his face. "C'mon up stairs," I had no choice but to follow him. He led me out of the kitchen and back into the shop, where he tossed back a sandy coloured drape to reveal the stairs.

"Come on up, Miss Sable," He encouraged, letting me go first. Gripping the hem of my dress firmly, I began to ascend the staircase.

It was much narrower than first anticipated, and each step groaned under my weight. If it weren't for Redd gently pushing me from behind I don't think I could have made it up.

We eventually reached a small, dingy landing which stank of mould and damp. I resisted the urge to cover my nose. There were three doors leading off it, all a similar dirty canary yellow that had faded and cracked. I gulped softly.

Humming yet again, Redd went over to the least damaged door and took a different key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.

"Here we are," He said quietly. He pushed the door open and gestured for me to go in.

I stepped inside and immediatly was speechless.

Compared to the rest of the old, dingy, mouldy building, this room was beautiful.

The walls were painted a smooth, sky blue colour, and the floor was wooden, but had a lovely patterned rug placed on the floor. There was a bed with snowy white sheets near the window, which overlooked the road, and was crystal clear. Placed against the right hand wall there was an oak chest of drawers and matching wardrobe, then against the left hand wall a table with a small CD player and telephone set on it. Nearby there was a bookshelf with an assortment of books on it, and a fireplace near the end of the bed, and an armchair positioned at a jaunty angle in the right corner.

"It's lovely," I breathed. The room was fairly spacious- probably larger than our flat back in Wenton...

"This room... Belonged to someone special," Redd choked out. I glanced over at him at the doorway. His eyes were misty. He stood there for a moment, reminsicing, before blinking hard. "So whaddya think?" He asked, his charm returned. "You want it?"

"I-I-I-I..." I stammered. This room...? For me...?

Redd chuckled softly. "Don't worry. This room hasn't been used in a long time. I'll rent it to you ya. I'm CRAAAZZZYYY, right?" I stiffened at the word 'rent'. Redd stroked his chin purposely. "Less say... 10,000 Bells a month?"

"Um... Great but... I... Only... have... mmemmy nousand bells..." I mumbled into my chest.

"Come again? Say what?"

"I only have... 20,000... Bells..." I repeated. I looked up at him. "I appreciate your kindess, but I can't afford 10,000 a month. So I'de best go now," Still, I was devastated that I couldn't afford such a lovely room.

"Fine, fine," Redd interuppted. "How about 1,000?"

"I... guess that would be better." I replied.

"So you gotta job?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Hmmm..." The fox thought for a moment, tail swishing back and forth slowly. "What can you do?"

"What can I DO?" I echoed. "Well, I sew, obviously. I make clothes."

"Clothes, huh?" Redd closed his eyes for a moment, leaning against the door frame. He began to mutter to himself quietly. "Whole new clothes range... By designer in... France, imported specially, offers, priced around 2,000 Bells..." His face lit up.

"Well I just had the CRAAAZZZIIIEST idea ever! Why don't I sell your clothes! That'll pay part of your rent, so I'll lower it to 800 Bells, OK?"

"O-OK," I replied. "I'll need a sewing machine and some fabric... I-I don't mean to sound pushy, or demanding, or anything..." Redd waved me down dismissvely.

"No worries. We'll sort something out. Now you get settled in, OK? Oh, there's an en suite just through there," He pointed at a slightly darker blue door next to the bookshelf I hadn't noticed before.

"Thank you so much," I smiled warmly at him. "Thank you,"

"No problems," Redd returned my grin and left.

I sank onto the bed, still beaming.

I had a home.

I had a job.

I was going to be OK.

pstrongWhew! Long chapter! But I like this one alot. :) OH EM GEE I FEEL SO GUILTY RIPPING THE LITTLE WORLD OF ANIMAL CROSSING INTO PIECES- HERE'S IT'S DARK SIDE! -.- strong

**Anyway, I just want to make a couple of notes;**

**I made Redd say "This room belonged to someone special". I thought that Redd's past would make a good fanfic... Like, if he had a girlfriend or daughter or sister or son or whatever. If you want to write a fic about that, then please PM me because I would love to check it out! I leave reviews... :)**

**Oh, and you know the part where Sable screams at Labelle? I can't seem to help that. I always ALWAYS make at least one character in my fics go out of character at one point- as I did to Hatori in Becoming The Zodiac...**

**I mentioned my poll. It's whether you want Sable's baby to be a boy or a girl and what it's name should be. PLEASE LEAVE A CHOICE! I ONLY HAVE THREE VOTERS {THANKS TO THEM}! ONE NAME IS LOOKING PRETTY LIKELY! Just check it out, it's at the top of my profile (Duh). Speaking of which, I have had an interesting request from FaroreGrimm for the baby... And Ursafish and Robobird suggested things like 'Enable' 'Disable' and 'Table'. XD See you guys soon!**

**Reviews appreciated! strong

8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Tom was the only one who interrupted my dreams that night. His soft, brown fur, he kind, lidded blue eyes, his safe arms that held me tight, his warm breath and soft lips...

I kept replaying in my head when he kissed me. He kissed me, oh so passionately, like he genuinely loved me. How I loved him! A day wouldn't go by when I didn't think of him. His warmth, his sweetness, his cute little habit of saying 'yes?' and 'hm?'. I loved every inch of him.

Untill when he told me he didn't want our child.

I shot upwards out of bed, shivering madly.

Oh... It had all been a dream...

I was still in my rented room, under the clean, white sheets, perfectly safe. I breathed a sigh of relief and flopped back down on to the pillows. Everything was OK. Everything will work itself out...

I sat up again and this time got out of bed. My bristles were stuck up all over the place, and I quickly tried to smooth them. They stubbornly stayed stuck up. With a sigh, I padded over to the desk where I had left my bag. I delved into it and retrieved my notebook and blue pen. Settling myself into the chair, I opened my notebook at a new page,and lifted my pen to write. I stared at the cream blue-lined paper for a minute. How to begin? I nibbled on the corner of my lip before pressing the nib of the biro to the first line. Slowly, I began to write (All spelling below has been corrected).

_17th August Oh dear. I told myself that I wouldn't do this, but here I am doing it anyway! I guess it must be my pregnancy hormones kicking in. Anyway, this is now my pregnancy journal. I found out a few days ago that I was expecting. Its a wonderfully... thrilling feeling, I suppose. But at the moment I am totally un-thrilled. The father, Tom Nook rejected me the moment I told him the news, so I expect he wasn't too thrilled either. I then told my younger sister, Mabel, and naturally she was bursting with entirely positive ones, though. So yesterday night I realised I was causing too much trouble for everyone and decided to run away. So here I am now. In the city, in my rented flat from a rather... Eccentric fellow, Redd. He's very kind, I admit, but he seems a little... Dodgy. But back onto the matter at hand. I think when my child is born I'll post this notebook to Tom and he can read about his daughter/son's coming to be. Not to mention he can relate to how hard this was for me. And... Maybe... Just maybe... He might be so touched I can go back to Wenton, the town I ran away from, and... He can remember... What we were... How special we were to each other... And then..._

At this I felt a pang and snapped the book shut. I was getting ahead of myself. Tom might never come into my life again, and perhaps it would be better that way. I couldn't count on fairytale-like dreams.

Supressing a sigh, I placed the notebook back onto the table and went over to the window. It was quiet again in the square- no one was moving except for the occasional vehicle rumbling past on the road. After all, it was only seven am. I enjoyed this quiet scene for a moment untill there was a sharp rap at my door, making me jump violently.

"Miss Sable? Are you awake yet? It's just me, Redd," The orange fox's voice rang out through the quiet building.

"I-I'm up," I replied, recovering from my initial shock.

"Good! Alright, breakfast won't be ready for a while, 'K? It won't be much either, so don't get your hopes up. I'm just gonna have a shower, so don't turn any water on. It'll send the entire water system CRAAZZYY!"

I listened to his footsteps lead away from my room and then heard a door open, then close. It was soon followed by the woosh of the shower.

I breathed out slowly, finally relaxed. Afterwards, I got dressed in the same maroon number I had worn the day before. I raked the brush through my spines and wandered over to inspect the en suite bathroom.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste. Unlike the clean bedroom, this bathroom was horrible. The once white bath, sink and toilet were now cream and mould crept up the sides of them. The taps were dark with rust coating them, making them hard to twist. The floor was bare except for a thread bare mat. There was also a distinct fug of drain water.

I dithered by the grubby toilet for a few seconds. I had no access to any other toilet. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

After surviving the toilet ordeal, I managed to get a small dribble of water out of the taps to wash my paws. There were two reasons why I didn't use more: one, because I couldn't twist the taps any further, two, Redd was still in the shower in another bathroom, and if I ran too much water, the system with go mad.

Finally relieved, I went back into my room, making a mental note to clean the bathroom when Redd was out of the shower.

Suddenly, my stomach let out a huge rumble. I gripped it tightly, blushing, even though I was alone.

"Quiet," I mumbled. But my stomach only growled even louder in protest. I was about to slap it, cursing myself for being so greedy, but reminded myself I was now carrying a child. My heart dropped like a stone when I thought of this. It only reminded me of Tom and why I was here. You couldn't blame me if I hated my child. But I didn't. Already my world was starting to revolve around the unborn. They were the centre of my heart. I would love and care for them and never leave them like my parents had when they died.

I stared at the wall as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Why, Tom?" I whispered. "Why? I thought you loved me. Am I a quiet distraction? Do you just use me as someone to distract you from your busy life? Do I mean nothing to you? Nothing? And now that I'm carrying your child, do you hate me? Because I mean nothing? And I refuse to get rid of it? Are you angry that your 'distraction' is carrying your child?" At this point tears were slipping down my face, one after the other. I didn't bother wiping them away. The sudden awfulness of the situation had slapped me in the face.

"What did I do wrong? Did I do anything wrong? Why can't you accept this? Why can't we make the best of this situation? This should be the best moment of our lives, and you just throw it away? I... I had so hoped..."

My head was pressed against the wall at this point. Somehow the cool plaster was comforting. I balled my paws into fists and pinned them to the wall too.

"I... Had so hoped... That we'd be happy together... And... And..." I squeezed my eyes tight shut and thumped my left paw against the wall. It hurt, but made me feel better. Over and over again, I punched the wall, harder, harder. I grazed my knuckles and they began to bleed horribly, but it was... Helping.

"Miss Sable?" I was shocked out of my punching when there was another rap at the door. Redd was right outside my door. Did he hear me? I blushed at the thought of him listening to each of my mutterings.

"Miss Sable, are you OK? I heard some CRAAAZZZY loud thumping..."

"I'm fine-" I began, then caught sight of my paw. There was blood dripping off the edge of my palm and the graze on my knuckles wasn't too pretty. I gasped and brought it to my chest, cradling it with my other hand. Only now did it truly begin to sting. My eyes began to water with tears again.

"Miss Sable? I'm gonna get breakfast going, so... You pop down when you're ready, OK?" Redd said kindly from the other side of the door.

"Sure," I mumbled tearfully. I waited untill I heard his footsteps die down the tiny stairs before flinging myself on the bed, still sobbing for England. Once I was able to draw breath I sat up a little, wiping my eyes with the cuff of my sleeve.

"I'm sorry," I said, smiling weakly, and patted my stomach gently. "Mummy's got herself in a right old mess, hasn't she? I'll blame myself if you're all messed up when you come out. I'll definitely still love you though, even if your Daddy never comes." I gritted my teeth as I said this. The graze on my hand had stopped bleeding and the blood was starting to dry. I managed to clean off the blood with toilet paper and managed to squeeze out a few more drops of water so I could wipe the rest of the blood away. Goodness, if my water supply was so slow, how long would it take to fill a bath?

My stomach growled again.

"I'm so greedy," I said aloud. "But I'm eating for two... I wonder if that's a good enough excuse?"

Once I'd checked my face (In the window, the mirror in the bathroom was far too grimy), I left my room and began my slow descent down the stairs. I gripped the banister tightly and took one step at a time, lest I fall down and break my neck.

When I finally got to the kitchen, I saw Redd had the window fully open and was trying to wrestle in a package from Pete the postman. With a stifled gasp I whipped behind the door frame and hid. Pete delivered to Wenton too- and was the biggest male gossip I had ever seen. If he found out I was staying here he would have everyone back home knowing where I was and I would end up where I started, desperately unhappy.

"Just left a little... No, the other way! Now it's CRAAAZZZYYILY stuck!" Redd ordered, then roared as the huge parcel got jammed in the corner.

"Oh, well SOR-REE," Pete replied sarcastically. "I'm not the one lugging it this way and that! Now careful or you'll break it- I don't want to return goods that are so heavy. What's in there anyway?"

"Doesn't matter! Now wiggle it little- there, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Redd retorted, jiggling it around.

"Careful!"

This argument went on for ten minutes or so, where I simply slid down the wall outside the kitchen and sat down, waiting. I started wondering what gender I would want my baby to be. Female? Male? If it was a girl, I could relate to her in all sorts of ways, and when she was older we could talk about life and boys and clothes and... Other stuff.

On the other hand, if it was a boy, it would be completely new to me. Sure it would be interesting. I had always liked things the simple way, so I would probably opt for a girl if I had the choice. Still, I planned to be a good mother, whatever the gender. I could always have a scan later in my pregnancy to determine the gender. Then I could choose colour schemes like blue for boy, pink for girl...

Mind you, I would probably rebel against 'typical' baby wear and sew things myself in duckling yellow or baby white.

I would still need a scan though. I remember sex education when I was very young- a baby must develop in the womb, if it develops any where else, for example the oviduct, if not aborted, the mother and child will die. So I would need to check everything was doing what it should in there. But wait... The only Hospital I knew of was near Wenton. If I went there I would be risking people seeing me. Plus Mabel and Tom knew I was pregnant- they would check there when they knew it was time for me to go have a scan. They would take me home. I gnawed on my knuckles ferociously. Life, or being found out... It wasn't that hard to choose, but I didn't want to end up there again. Life, or being found out, life...

Then I remembered Tom's initial horror at finding out. He would ignore me entirely- and what if I was involved in an accident, what if I died? Our child would have to be his, and as good as a father he would make, this would be a child he didn't want. I fretted to think what he might try and do to our baby to be rid of it.

No, risking my life was definitely safer.

...Somehow.

I would rather die and die with my child than let Tom kill it.

"...There! At long last! Now I must be off, I'm... OH MY GOD, I'M SO LATE! THE BOSS IS GONNA KILL ME!" I heard Pete cry, before there was a loud sound of hurried flapping wings.

"Finally! Wasted a lot of my time... CRAAAZZZY, that's what he is," Redd mumbled, and I could hear him shifting the package around. "Aw, shoot. I forgot to ask for the bills from that CRAAAZZYY pelican... Naw well, better put it of for as long as I can..."

At this I stood up, stretched a little after being cramped for so long, then entered the kitchen. I smiled at Redd, pretending I hadn't heard the scuffle.

"Good morning," I said simply.

"Mornin' Miss Sable," Redd acknowledged me before scurrying to a frying pan sizzling on the hob. It was tiny, I noticed, so small that you couldn't sit on it and fit. He scooped out a fried egg which he dropped on to a plate, then poured some boiling hot water into a cracked mug.

"Sugar, Miss Sable?" He asked, hand inching towards the sugar jar.

"What? Oh... No thanks," I replied. He shrugged and gestured for me to sit down, before placing the plate and mug in front of me with a fork.

"Here we are, breakfast," He said, sounding very proud of himself. I smiled weakly at him.

"Thankyou." I picked up my fork and tried to cut the egg using the edge. The slices I managed to cut were still too large to fit in my mouth so I had to nibble at them before managing to actually eat them. It tasted a little bitter and the white of the fried egg was grey- I guessed the eggs were a little off. After I managed to finish, I brought the mug to my lips and sniffed at the same time. It smelt a little stale, but other than that it was OK... I wrinkled my nose and took a sip- then almost gagged. Not only was the tea stale, it was even more bitter than the egg and I had spotted some unknown substance lurking at the bottom of the mug. Gingerly, I used my fork to fish it out (It looked like a forgotten tea bag) and tried to take another sip. Uh. As bad as ever.

"I thought you said you didn't take sugar, Miss Sable." Redd observed as I got up and practically emptied the contents of the sugar jar into my mug.

"I don't," I replied, sitting back down. "At least, not usually." Ah. That was better. If a little sweet, the tea slipped down easily after that.

"Ah, ha ha," Redd chuckled, downing his coffee (Why he had given me tea and himself coffee, I don't know) in one. I looked up, confused.

"Cravings?" He asked, mockingly.

I clenched my fists under the table. Oh ha ha. Very funny.

"Cravings usually don't start untill four months," I said coldly. Redd raised his eyebrows and I clamped my jaw shut. There was silence for a moment before he stood up and placed a paw in my shoulder.

"I guess I've just learnt not to tease you about your pregnancy." He aplogised. "I'm stupid, see. No, I'm CRAAAZZYY!"

I smiled a little, forgiving him instantly at his shouting 'CRAAZZY!' habit.

"Thanks," I replied. I stood up, taking my mug and plate to the sink and placing it next to the basin. "Well, I'm off to brush my teeth..."

"Ah! Miss Sable, before you go, I got something for ya..." Redd interrupted, then took me by my shoulders and steered me towards the huge package that sat stubbornly near the back door. I breathed in sharply. The package... Was for me?

"Is this...?" I whispered, dropping to my knees to check the label. It simply said, Crazy Redd and then his address. Redd nodded.

"Yup, for you, Miss Sable. Er..." He checked the filthy clock on the wall with a broken second hand (It was snapped in half). "I hate to hurry you, but I'll be opening soon..."

"OK," I agreed, running a finger under the sellotape that concealed the contents of the box beneath. I didn't receive presents often. Mabel usually made things for me on birthdays and Christmas- mittens, hats, skirts, jackets. Tom had given me a present every birthday and Christmas untill he moved away. Small things, a necklace, a book, a roll of new fabric, my current hair brush... A kiss.

With a deep breath, I peeled the tape back and opened the box. I was expecting something like a baby crib- but it was something completely different.

I gazed at it for several seconds in silence.

"Well?" Redd prompted. "Will it do?"

"Oh Redd." I breathed, tracing the white plastic with my paw tip. "A sewing machine!"

Redd nodded proudly.

"I knew you'd like it. I knew it. I knew 'cus I'm so CRAAZZY!"

"Thankyou so much," I gushed. "I've had so many ideas for new clothes in my sketchbook..."

"Look beneath," Redd cut me off, sounding smug. I blinked, before nudging the sewing machine to the side to see layers and layers of different fabrics. Subtle yellows, sapphire blues, emerald greens, neutral tiger orange with black stripes, some fluffy stuff... I gasped and clapped my paws together in joy.

"Thankyou!" I managed to say. "I-I can't wait to get started!"

"And so you shall," Redd replied uncharacteristically. He extended a paw for a handshake. "Today you start work,"

**Ha ha! I enjoyed writing this chapter. Redd has a pretty seedy place, right? I've extended the chapter lengths from around 1,200 words to 3,000. Who likes these longer chapters? Poor Sable... Hurting herself like that! I think her self-abusing stage won't continue further, though! XD Didja guess what Redd had got Sable?**

9. Chapter 8

I flipped through my sketchbook, eyes scanning over design after design. What to make? What to sew?

"I want something classy, popular, Gracie standard!" Redd had told me. "Something that'll sell CRAAZZY fast! I want the entire city folk talkin' 'bout Crazy Redd's brand new designer range!"

That was the problem. All of my designs were so simple. Made for the liking of the residents back in Wenton.

I paused at a fairly detailed sketch. It consisted of a grey cotton dress with black lace sewn round the hem and around the cuffs of the sleeves. There were black jewel-like beads sewn around the square neckline and a deep purple and burgundy rose made out of layered fabrics on the shoulder. In my scratchy writing I had made notes on the layering techniques and sewing on lace and getting the shape of the dress right. This was a pretty elabrote design for me. It had been drawn just before my parents passed away, when I dreamt of romantically sewing away classy garments- an idle fantasy, I know. I had never intended to make it but now...

"Well, let's have a stab at it, shall we?" I muttered to myself, taking out a pair of maroon handled sewing scissors that Redd had also given me.

I had been permitted to work in my room. I found it more peaceful than working in Redd's store downstairs- if I did, there was a risk of someone from Wenton coming along and seeing me. So now, sewing machine on the table and a chair dragged up, I was all set.

Firstly, I took my own measurments and added on a couple of inches or so. I knew that I couldn't continue to measure myself when my pregnancy started to show so I made a note of the numbers on my sketchpad. Next, I laid out a piece of smoky grey cotton over the table and began to sketch out a pattern onto the fabric with tailors chalk. Occasionlly I had to dust the marks off when I made mistakes to redraw them, but eventually I had the desired body shape. Then I cut it out and pinned the two sides together, and, before stitching them together, I fashioned the sleeves (Short ones) and sewed them first to then attach to the main body. After hemming them with lace, I set to work on sewing the actual dress with my new sewing machine.

You could tell from the way it hummed and whirred it wasn't as good as my old one back at home, and much more cheaply made. But I was in no position to complain. Redd hadn't even mentioned paying him back for anything- so I couldn't really demand a new, more expensive one. Not when he had even lowered my rent from 10,000 Bells a month to 800. He must've really taken a shine to me. I had to admit he was a pleasant enough person, but he was nothing more than an acquaintance to me at the moment and my new employer.

I finished the main sewing up the torso's seams and examined my work closely. You could see the row of small stitches getting tighter and tighter as the machine got used to sewing. I picked at the loosest stitch just to check it was still strong enough to hold.

As I examined further I thought how similar my life was to these stitches. My life, starting loosely, living my childhood freely, still loose, and then my world was shaken violently. My parents, dead, the gong of a funeral bell, things getting tighter... The stitches got tight all of a sudden two quarters along the row. Then things just got tighter from there, my whirlwind romance with Tom, the difficulties of owning a shop, money making problems, Labelle running away, Tom leaving for the city, Tom coming back, Tom's child now inside me... At their tightest point... Only now I realised I had gripped the bristles on my head in handfuls. Why was I thinking such weird things? Stitches to my life?

"Can I blame it on hormones?" I asked myself. I was determined not to cry anymore, so I picked up the half finished dress and started to machine the sleeves onto the main garment. This proved to be the best distraction. Soon I was humming a little as if half of the 'tight' things in my life had never happened. Suddenly a thought popped into my head.

Names.

Names for the baby.

I paused in hemming the sleeves. Names...? Names, names,names... What on earth should I name him or her? I nibbled on my lip deliberating as I continued on the dress, my mind blank. Names were so very important. I had to pick a good one. Should I carry on with our family's -able theme? I chanted random -able names through my mind.

"Bable, Dable, Cable, Zable, Yable, Fable, Ohable, Uable, Gable..." I trailed off when my names suddenly started making no sense. I mean, Ohable? That sounded like something from some fancy resturant!

I thought for a moment and tried imagining anyone being labeled with any of those names.

"Only when we were skin-to-skin, I named you." My mother's voice suddenly floated in to my head. "Up untill then, I had no clue what your name would be."

With a soft smile I remembered how wise my mother had been and silently agreed with her. Yes. I would wait untill my baby was in the world before I named it.

_If you live through your pregnancy_, a little voice in the back of my head said. Hurriedly, I went back to the dress, fashioning the layered rose to attach to the shoulder. After that, I would sew up the reamaining seams, add on the lace and then stitch on the black beads.

The whole dress making process took five hours.

Flexing my aching paws, I held up the dress to myself in the mirror.

Oh.

Oh.

You could see my eyes shining with pride as I gazed proudly in the mirror. The dress wasn't anything near Gracie standard...

It was better.

I didn't know I could sew something so complex. The grey of the dress melted into it's wearer making it look so natural, it was form fitting, strong, tight-stitched, flowed out around your ankles, it was so perfect...

Redd would be so pleased.

Lying it aside reverently, I checked the clock on the wall. One o clock. I could make another dress. I had time.

But as I pored over my sketchbook all I could find was my average simple designs that I made in Wenton. Gingham dresses, patterned dresses, simple patterns, easy shapes, nothing like the exsquite dress I had just created.

So I turned to a new page, grabbed a pencil, and started to design.

My wrist relaxed as the lines went looping round the page. I wondered if I could ask Redd to just pay me for my services rather than have him take it out of my rent. Then I could spend that on things that I- and the baby- would need to be comfartable. I mean, I couldn't depend on Redd for everything! That would be letting him take care of me, when the whole reason I ran away was to learn to stand on my own two feet, to rasie a child and prove myself to myself. I was so full of doubt and worry I had to wipe the board clean and start again.

I reached for my coloured pencils and selected the daffodil yellow shade, then started colouring.

Not to mention I was worried about the dangers of pregnancy. I was scared. Scared that either the baby or myself might not make it. The pain of labour also frightened me. I would have to give birth alone, since I was adamant not to go to the hospital and I wasn't comfartable having Redd there to help. Again, he was very kind, but the only people I would really want on the birth scene was myself, Mabel, maybe Labelle (Depends whether her attitude towards me changed from 'tramp' to sister') and... Tom.

I quickly brushed my mind of these thoughts and put down my pencil.

I stifled a gasp.

Without realising, I had quite clearly sketched a baby's sleepsuit in cadium yellow. Paws trembling, I lifted the page to the light, examining every little detail. It had a small zip at the front and tiny embroided pockets with tiny yellow porcupines. There were little buttons going up the side of the attached boots, and sweet little cuffs decorated with laced fabric.

I had created something beautiful just earlier- and now something so cute and so perfect for my future child. Still trembling, I laid the sketchbook aside and delved in the sewing machine's box, looking for anything cadium yellow coloured...

Eventually I found a soft felt-like matireal in duckling yellow that

was close enough. With a second piece of tailors chalk, I drew out my

pattern with a much smaller waist (Obviously!). Strangely, I made no

mistakes like last time.

Soon it was done. Here was the yellow jumpsuit I had designed just two hours earlier, lying in my arms as if there was a baby in it already.

It was perfect.

Smiling, I took it to the chest of drawers and put it in the top one. After pausing for a moment, I went to get my pregnancy journal and put that in the drawer too. I decided to dedicate that particular drawer to any baby things I might acquire in the future. I was so proud of my current achivements for that day.

After basking in self-glory for as moment, I picked up the grey dress and took it downstairs to show Redd.

He was talking to a customer (A peppy blue cat) when I came downstairs, trying to persuade her to purchase the famous painting.

"Come on, Cousin Rosie! You'll love it! Especially at 3,890 Bells- lowered 'specially for you! I'm so CRAAZZY!" Redd pleaded, stroking the fake painting. I sucked in my cheeks at the price. 4,000 Bells for a counterfeit? That was a bit much...

"I don't know..." The blue cat, Rosie, dithered helplessly. "I mean, like, my BFFs would be SOOO jealous if I brought home such an awesomely famous painting but, I'm, like, SO broke, silly!"

"C'mon, Cousin Rosie!" Redd wheedled. "Think of the popularity! The fame! You could be THE Rosie, THE owner of the 100% genuine famous painting!"

You could see Rosie consider this.

"Yeah, but... Redd, silly, don't YOU want the fame?" She asked.

"Naw, I'm just a simple merchant. You, however, Cousin Rosie, with your CRAAZZY good looks and amazing talent, I'm sure this famous painting would put you on the right track to fame!"

"T-that sounds great, silly!" Rosie exclaimed, her eyes shining. She clasped her paws together and bounced up and down happily. I winced at her oblivious nature. Redd was conning her so easily. I knew that painting was a fake, and he was assuring Rosie that it was real? I hated the feel of dishonesty lingering in the air.

"I-I kinda have, like, no choice but to, like buy it!" Rosie gushed. I winced again as Redd grinned widely.

"Thanks so much, Cousin Rosie! So your total is-"

"Who's that?" Redd was cut off by Rosie. She was leaning sideways so she could see past him. It took me a moment to realise she was staring at me!

"Ah! Meet my newest employee," Redd began, pushing me forward. I clutched the dress and looked mortified. My employer continued, " This is the French designer, Aguille!"

"Wha-" I suddenly found the ability to speak. "Redd, I'm not..."

"I'll explain later," Redd muttered into my ear quickly. "Just go along with it, 'K?"

"Oooo!" Rosie squealed. "I've never met a designer before, silly! Unless you count Gracie, but she's hardly at her store! I'm, like, totally Rosie! It's, like, so great to meet you!"

"Er... 'ello, er, Rozee," I replied in the best French accent I could muster. "It is, er, a pleasure to, er, meet you."

"Aguille's making me her new designer range to sell!" Redd said,

before patting Rosie on the arm and giving her an exaggerated wink.

"All at my CRAAZZY good deals!"

"Ohmigosh, I can't, like, wait!" Rosie squeaked again. She clasped and unclasped her paws over and over again. I guessed it was a little habit of hers. "I mean, I can't wait for you to start designing! I heard there's like, the best seamstress for miles back in that li'l town called Wenton! Looks like she has, like, competiton, silly!"

"What, er, is, er, she called?" I asked, still mimicking a French accent, my heart beat increasing.

"Oh, something simple, like, Sable, I think? There's her sister too, silly, Mabel."

"Ah..." I felt my face flushing pink. I laughed nervously and tugged at the neckline of my dress. "'ot in 'ere, don't you zink?"

"Anyways, Aguille, what's that you've got?" Redd cut in. He gestured to the heap in my arms.

"Oh, zees is my lastest, er, crea-shi-on," I replied, unfolding the dress (I was finding it hard to keep this up).

Redd sucked in his breath when he saw the dress. Gently, he took it from me, and examined it closely.

"This... This is just craazzy..." He mumbled, fingering the rose and then running a paw tip along the lace. Rosie peered at it too and froze, her paws still clasped to her chest. She finally broke the silence.

"OH-MI-GOOOSSSHHH!" She shrieked, seizing the dress from Redd and holding it up against herself, twirling around. "I have to have this, silly! I, like have to!"

"Well, well, Cousin Rosie. That'll be 5,910 Bells for the dress and 3,980 for the painting," Redd told her, snapping out of his awe and rubbing his paws together. "That'll bring you to 9,890 Bells. CRAAZZY for two rare items- a designer dress and an original painting!"

"Oh, never mind that silly painting, silly! This is all I want!" Rosie insisted, ceasing to spin around but still gripping the dress to herself. She looked at me gratefully. "Aguille, this is like, sooo perfect, silly! I can finally impress Monique and the others back home! Woohoo, silly!"

I smiled back, glad that I was appreciated. For those few minutes I forgot why I was even there. Why I had run away. What had happened.

"I am glad zat you like it," I dipped my head in appreciation. "Now if you excuse moi..."

"Wait wait wait Aguille- I need to talk to you. So, Cousin Rosie, that's-" Redd interuppted, stopping me from retreating back upstairs by sticking his arm out and blocking my way.

"Oh, sure. 5,910 Bells." Rosie tossed a bag of Bells at Redd and requested fo her purchase to be wrapped up. "Thanks, Aguille!" She waved at me as she left the shop, clutching her new dress. "I'm, like, so pleased, silly! BYE!"

"Thanks for your buisness!" Redd chuckled as the door closed.

I smiled wider, then turned to Redd.

"Did you like it?"

"Say what?"

"Did I do a good job? Was the dress OK?"

Redd blinked a couple of times before bursting out in laughter.

"Miss Sable, it was better than good! It was CRAAZZY! CRAAZZY perfect! If you keep that quality up, we'll be in big buisness soon! And that French accent..."

I sighed in releif, then put on a more serious expression.

"Um, Redd, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right." Redd smoothed out a couple of creases in his apron. "Right. I've called you 'Aguille'- which means 'Thread' in French- and told my Cousin Rosie there that you've come from Paris, who's profession is designing. In Paris-" He held up two paw tips and motioned them up and down- rabbit ears, we used to call them. "you're a famous fashion designer. See Cousin Rosie buy that? She's CRAAZZY!" He snickered.

"But- that's a lie. I'm not from France and I'm not a professional designer," I faltered as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Think 'bout it Miss Sable. A few white lies can't hurt- plus it lines our pockets a bit. See Cousin Rosie? She paid 6,000 Bells, easy 'cus she thought it was designer."

"But..." I faltered. To be honest, I didn't like this deceiving (Or rather conning) but if it meant more money, I couldn't really argue with that. Again, the more I earnt, the better off I would be. I smiled again.

"OK. I'll keep designing for you. But next time, can I keep out of the dealing-with-customers part?" I asked.

Redd simply replied by laughing.

I rubbed at my itching eyes furiously. Midnight. Redd really stayed open for so long? With a groan, I began sewing again. Redd had been prompting that I sew enough garments to make a small display in shop the next day. So far I had made two shirts, one hat, two dresses and I was on the verge of finishing the third. Also on the verge of falling asleep.

Again, I groaned and let my eyes droop. So tired... How could he make me work so long? Redd, meanwhile, was still bouncing around downstairs, alive as ever. I wondered how he did it.

But now I was so tired, practically sleep-sewing.

I was pretty proud of my accomplishments so far. The two dresses were completely different- one was for parties, the other for showing off. The one for parties was of silky rose-pink fabric, with an asymmetric bodice and a Mobuis twist on the shoulder. It's a very couture-istic design; what I mean is that it's got a one shouldered top where the fabric is half twisted and joined back to front at the seam. I know it's hard to imagine, but it looked good and sounded impressive. The skirt was bunched up at the corner (Held up with a bow crafted out of black satin) to reveal two layers of layered white petticoat. There was black lace edging the hem (Just to match the bow) and it's overall effect was 'in your FACE'. The second dress was sky blue cotton and was much more simple. It had a sloping V neck and thick straps for sleeves. It was cinched at the waist with a darker blue bow to adjust the size and flowed to a stop at your ankles. The one I was working one was fashionable gingham. It had strips of several different coloured gingham fabric over a toile- the white cotton base. There were strips of green, blue, sherbet yellow, pink, red and purple gingham fabrics with a dirty yellow band around the waist to seperate the bodice from the skirt. Both of the shirts were blouses (Nothing special) and the hat was pretty complicated- I decided to stick to clothes, even though the hat was OK.

I stretched and groaned.

The gingham would look great, but it sure took a lot of work to sew in the different stripes in the right pattern and get them to fit together. Needless to say, I was almost done.

I blew through my lips frustrated. I figured I would finish it in the morning. I was too tired.

As I got changed into my night dress, my eyes fell on the phone on the table.

I paused.

Phone. I could phone Mabel.

Mabel.

How was she? How was she coping? Had she spent the day running the store? Or had she been running around, bleating my name like a forlorn sheep, asking folks if they'd seen a purple porcupine?

My hand crept over the smooth grey plastic. It was cold under my paws.

It couldn't hurt to call, would it? I gripped the stem of the phone.

But I didn't want to reveal anything about where I was. That was my point of running away.

Or was it?

The sudden thought of Mabel, running around town, getting on the bus to the city, calling my name, asking around, camping in a gutter untill morning so she could continue her search in the morning filled my mind. As her big sister I felt an overpowering urge to protect her. Even though the image was a figment of my imagination it was entirely possible.

My fingers tripped over the keys untill the shop's number was dialled. Should I press call? Just to check she was OK?

Click.

Beep beep.

It was dialling.

I sucked in my breath and gripped the phone tightly with both paws, the plastic buckling under immense pressure. It was late- maybe Mabel was in bed? Or was she truly out, looking for me in some grubby backstreet?

"Who is it?" Mabel's voice suddenly came out from the other end of the phone. My heart leapt then dropped like a stone. She was sobbing. You could tell- Mabel had a very distcintive sob, high and breathy like a child's.

"Mabel, it's me!" I exclaimed into the receiver. There was a sharp intake of breath from the other end.

"...S...Sable?"

"Yes, Mabel, it's me." There was a pause before we both broke down sobbing.

"Sable, Sable, where are you? Come home! I'm so worried!"

"I'm sorry Mabel. I'm so so sorry. I'm so selfish, I know, but please, this is for the best." I gabbled.

"Sable, I don't want your apology! I want you home! Please come home! Sab-"

"I'm sorry, Mabel. I'm so so sorry." I replied, then cut her off and ended the call. I collapsed on to the bed, sobbing like never before. My heart was broken. Torn into thousands of pieces that would never be recovered. I had hurt my sister. I had hurt her so badly. I had hurt myself. I was nothing, nothing more than a horrible, selfish being. The phone began to ring again, but I couldn't bear to answer it. On and on, the piercing trill of the bell continued. Sometimes there was a brief pause, but soon it continued. It went on and one, haunting me right untill I sobbed myself to sleep.

10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When I woke up, there was a hot bubble at the back of my throat. Slowly, I sat up, rubbing my neck with my paw. There was a bitterness in my mouth and I could smell something unpleasant with each breath. I moved my hand over my mouth before retching violently. I only just had time to fly to the bathroom and throw up into the already grimy sink.

I clung onto the edge of the stone basin as best as I could without touching the mould. Eventually when I could draw breath, my legs were weak and shaky. I felt light headed and had the vile taste of vomit edging my tongue.

Great. Morning sickness.

But already? When I'm only at three weeks?

"Doesn't it usually happen later? Like, at three months?" I asked myself, wrestling with the tap, trying to wash down the sick I had produced. After nearly wrenching my fingers off, the tap burst into action and a gush of ice cold water drenched me up to my elbows. I gasped in shock as the freezing liquid splashed against my fur. At least the mess cleared up pretty quickly. I hurriedly dried myself best I could with the the towel on the rail and checked the blue clock back in my room.

It read... Five o clock? In the morning? Had I just woken up to be sick? I heaved at the thought then realised something. Something bad. I had only had five hours sleep. No doubt this wouldn't be any good for me or the baby. But I didn't feel a bit tired. I might as well stay awake now. With a sigh I glanced back at the still-running tap.

My water was running now, right? Might as well take advantage of this moment...

I rummaged in the cupboard under the sink and found a surprisingly clean yellow sponge. Smiling wryly, I wet it under the tap and began to attack mould viciously. It was very stubborn mould. It just sat there, even when I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. How thick was it? It must've been at least an inch thick. Eventually it began to show signs of wearing down, and by seven the bathroom would just about pass as sanitary. Almost. I hadn't investigated behind the bath or toilet and I wasn't in the mood to do so. I doubted I would ever be in the mood to do so- perhaps I could call in a professional, naturally with Redd's permission.

Once I had finished my cleaning, I made use of my almost-sanitary-resources, before getting dressed yet again in my maroon dress.

I plucked at the fabric and sniffed, my snout wrinkled. It was really starting to stink. Perhaps I should make myself more clothes soon. Or get this dress clean, anyways. I paused in thought, toying with the fabric of my dress between my fingers. I'd be quite happy to make my own clothes but I would have to fit it in around work. If my designs were as good as Rosie said, then they'd sell pretty fast. Then I would have to keep supplying Redd with more and more dresses, more and more clothes, barely giving me time to make my own. If I also planned on making all of my child's clothes, then I would have to make some time to do those, too. I already had the duckling yellow creation, which I then glanced fondly at the blue chest of drawers where they were. I would probably have to speak to Redd about this.

Speaking of Redd, where was he? Yesterday he was up at seven, having a shower. So what was he doing now? I shrugged away these thoughts and went over to my sewing machine, figuring I might as well finish the gingham-strip dress I had nearly completed.

In less than an hour, it was done. The casual, slightly daring striped gingham dress was finished. It was the perfect beach dress. With a smile, I took a hanger from the pile on my right and hung the dress up next to the others on a rail that Redd had uncovered.

I glanced at the clock. Eight. Where was that fox? Surely he had his shop to run? Or maybe he had gone downstairs without me?

I pattered downstairs to check.

Still no Redd.

Where could he have got to?

I frowned as I acsended the stairs once again before entering my room. When was he planning on opening? Was he going to open at all?

Instead of sitting down again, I opened my baby drawer and fished out my journal.

_18th August_

_Just started my morning sickness today. I can't describe how horrible it is. Being sick with a full stomach is one thing, but being sick with an empty stomach is an entirely different matter. Besides, I thought it was kind of early for me to start morning sickness. I thought it usually started around three months...? Nevertheless, I'm getting on OK...ish. I have a job and a roof over my head, so I'm fine for the time being. Redd is my employer; basically I'm sewing him garments to sell. He's pretending that I'm a French designer from Paris called 'Aguille' which apparently means 'thread' in French. I'm guessing he does this because if he can tell his customers that he's selling designer products he can charge more money without being suspicious. Still, he sold my first dress for 6,000 odd Bells, and we've agreed to split the earnt money from my clothing in half, so that's a little less than 3,000 Bells I've earnt._

There was a sudden click that made me jump, sending my pen squiggling across the page.

"Good mornin' Miss Sable!" Redd's voice came blasting out. "You up and awake?"

"I'm awake-" I began. This was giving me deja vu. I opened the door and peered out. Redd was about to go down the stairs, fully dressed in his work apron. "Redd, you made me jump!"

"Oh. I did?" Redd screwed up his face and scratched the back of his head. "Well sorry 'bout that."

"It's OK." I giggled nervously. "Um, why didn't you... You know, yesterday... You got up earlier, and, um, you would be open by now..."

"Right, that." Redd turned around fully. "Well, today's a Sunday and for some CRAAZZY reason the city manager of buisnesses run here or whatever insists that every buisness in the city opens later on a Sunday. God knows why. It's CRAAZZY! So today we're opening at eleven."

"Oh." I couldn't think of anything better to say. "Say, Miss Sable, are you hungry? Coming for breakfast?" Redd asked, beginning to go down the rickety stairs. "It's nothing special, again."

"Um, I'll be OK." I assured, nodding. "I'm not that hungry." That was a lie. I was absolutely starving, especially since I had just emptied my stomach of the few contents it held. But I didn't want to be sick again trying to shove down a bitter, grey egg, and stale, disgusting tea. Redd looked at me slightly suspiciously.

"I'm fine!" I insisted. I smiled at him and began to close my door again. "Have a good breakfast."

Back in my room, I sighed, a real, down hearted sigh. I really needed to find a tactful way to point out his food was really bad.

I returned to my sewing machine. But not before I invaded my food bag and helped myself to an apple and an orange. Anyway, back at my machine I flipped to a fresh page in my sketchbook and sharpened my pencil. Redd wasn't going to open his shop untill eleven. It was half past eight now. I had around three hours. I wanted to sew myself some new clothes.

I started sketching a fairly simple dress with a small V neck and no adornments whatsoever- but once it was finished and coloured in pale red, I stared at it before ripping it out of the book and crumpling it into a ball. Why was I so plain? Why should I continue wearing such simple things? I had only ever worn plain items because my mother had told me a seamstress should never look better than her clothes. I guess simplicity was my style. But now I was changing; changing my life, so why shouldn't I change my clothes?

Several styles slipped through my mind but were instantly rejected. I mean, could you see me as a punk? Or a goth? I ruled out cute, too. I wouldn't suit it at all.

Maybe... Classy? I furrowed my brow at the image of myself in 'designer' gear, with Aviator shades and a long silk scarf, clutching a compact mobile phone and a ridiculously tiny purse.

No.

I didn't want to be another classy designer- the city already had one fashionista diva; Gracie.

No, I wanted to be different, different from all of those who already exist. I wanted to be quirky. Different. Unique. I grabbed my pencil and began sketching furiously.

Twice I screwed up the paper in frustration. Twice I ripped the paper in half.

Once I got it perfect.

My new 'me' style.

Here it was: in black and white on a piece of fairly cheap paper.

Feminine.

A floaty, fairly loose dusty rose dress, with a trimmed hem and slight puff sleeves was portrayed in the sketch. There was a small bow tied out of rose coloured string attached to the chest and one attatched at either side of the hips. The skirt stopped about mid-knee.

I liked it.

Smiling, I got out the scissors and got to work.

It was done in less than two hours. I liked it more. I loved it.

Surprisingly it looked good on me- I smiled, then slipped on my black hooded cloak.

I planned to have an hour out or so in the city, get a little fresh air, get to know my new home a little better. My shoulder bag was empty, so I put in 3,000 Bells and my sketchbook- just in case I had any ideas about clothes that needed jotting down quickly.

I took all of the clothes I had made the day before off the rail and folded them casually over my arm, before grabbing my bag and heading downstairs.

Redd was in the kitchen, sat at the table, sipping a a mug of coffee and flicking through the newspaper. The cover portrayed three words, which I couldn't quite make out, and a slightly out of focus grey photo. Redd looked up and saw me trying to peer at the cover and quickly smoothed out the newspaper and laid it flat. He blinked at my black cloak.

"Going somewhere?" He asked. I nodded.

"Just for a while," I assured. Notcing him eyeing the clothes in my arms, I laid them on the small table infront of him. "I made these last night. You wanted to make a display, didn't you?"

Redd swallowed and fingered the fabric of the blue dress. I wondered why he was acting so... Awkward. Usually he was quite forward, friendly and bright, forever blasting out 'CRAAZZY'.

"Yes... Yes, I did." He looked up. "How long do you want to go out for?"

"No longer than an hour."

"OK," His face brightened. "I can allow that. Just be careful out there, Miss Sable. There are some CRAAZZY fellows out there!"

I giggled shyly.

"I will. See you soon."

"Bye,"

I shut the door behind me and breathed in the fresh air. The sun was warm on my fur and the late summer breeze skimmed over my body. I smiled. It was a beautiful day, even though I was in a back alley next to the road that happened to stink of rubbish issuing from a selection of black bags stuffed in a corner.

Wrinkling my nose, I hurried away from the alley before stepping out into the square.

My jaw dropped.

It was hugely crowded.

Animals from all round were milling around the fountain, chatting with old friends, hurrying around, wandering into Gracie Grace, showing off their purchases...

Never had I seen so many animals in one place. I was used to the quiet, idyllic town of Wenton. Not masses of people like this.

"You look like you've never been in the city before!" A nearby voice chirped. I spun around to see an orange bear rubbing his paws together. He didn't look like one of those 'crazy fellows' Redd had warned me about. He just looked like a casual guy enjoying his Sunday.

"Well... I don't come here... Often," I admitted. The bear laughed.

"I LOVE coming to the city, yaaaaaaaaawn." He said. "There's the BEST cafe near here."

"Oh, really?" I relaxed slightly. He wouldn't hurt me. "What's it called?"

"Hm? Oh, er, Copper Kettle or something." He said. "I've just come from it, actually."

"Sounds good." I attempted to make conversation. "Could you... Perhaps point me in that direction?"

"Sure. That way." The bear pointed at a side street off the left hand side of Gracie Grace. "I gotta go now, yaaaaaawn. So, see ya 'round!"

"Sure..." I replied, holding up a paw in a goodbye gesture as the bear literally skipped over to the bus stop.

With a soft contented sigh, I began to stroll down the side street, peering in shop windows as I went. So many different shops! So much variety!

This street was quieter, but still busy, bustling with people shopping and sitting outside cafes, drinking coffee and gossiping with each other.

I paused when I saw a couple sitting close together outside a resturant. They both had a cup of tea, but the tea was being ignored since they were entranced by each other.

There was a grey male wolf sitting next to a female, who had pink fur that was ruffled by the breeze. He had his paw over her belly and it became quite clear why; she was undeniably pregnant. She must've been at least six months along.

I watched as his lips grazed her stomach in a butterfly kiss and her paws clutch him round his head. They were happy. So, so happy.

Why couldn't things work out like that for me?

Why couldn't Tom and I be curled up somewhere together, him tickling my stomach gently and telling me that he couldn't wait for our child to be born? Why couldn't we share such a special nine months together?

I sniffled slightly as the pink wolf gave a small yelp.

"Freya? What's wrong?" Her companion asked. Freya winced a little, simply shaking her head and patting her inflated stomach gently.

"Sorry, false alarm." She said. "Baby's kicking, Wolfgang. Feel." Obligingly, Wolfgang laid a paw over her belly and chuckled, obviously feeling little wolfie kicks.

"I can't wait."

"Neither can I," The two leaned closer together. I looked away, unable to see them kiss. It would make me remember Tom too much. And how we couldn't be like that. How we couldn't celebrate the forming of our child, how we couldn't stay together. I screwed up my face when I realised I would go into labour all alone. Tom would be in Wenton, blissfully unaware I would be screaming in agony while delivering our child. Perhaps he would simply wonder, "Maybe Sable's had that baby yet..." or "I wonder where Sable's gone..." or "What was the name of that seamstress I used to love?"

"Hey, move it or lose it," A prim voice instructed. A rather hefty violet gorilla gave me a small push from behind. She was wearing a designer shirt that stretched over her bulk. I fought not to laugh. She was obviously rich; loaded with cash, expensive clothes, and food.

No wonder she had such a wide figure.

Still, I wouldn't want to get into a fight with THAT.

"Sorry," I mumbled, letting her past, as she clucked crossly (I wondered if she knew she was a gorilla, not a chicken...).

I began to continue down the street, trying to get rid of the image of the wolves. They were so happy...

"Hey, welcome to Copper Kettle!" A voice suddenly cried out from behind me. I jumped violently, whipping around to see a navy blue badger spreading her arms in front of me. She continued, now having my attention.

"Enjoy a cup of tea, a little meal, or come in now for breakfast! All special offers, la la!" I calmed my racing heart and glanced to where she was pointing. There was a retro style cafe with dusty orange signs and bricks with a kettle either side of the sign. It read 'Copper Kettle'.

"Are... Are you-?" I began.

"Oh? I'm just advertising." The badger told me in a very different tone. "I'm Fele. To tell you the truth, la la, Copper Kettle's kinda in trouble. We're struggling for money. It's my family's buisness."

"Oh. Right." I licked my lips. "I guess I'll do my bit to support you!"

Fele's face lit up and she continued in her bright voice.

"Oh, will you really? Thanks so much! La la!"

I smiled warmly in return before entering the cafe.

It stuck to it's dusty orange theme inside, with a bar across the counter in a slightly brighter orange. There was another badger, this time with more rustic fur, behind the counter, chatting enthustiastically to a customer. Beneath the counter,there was a display behind glass, of various dishes on sale. Nearer the front window there were several tables, where various other customers sat, sipping at drinks or nibbling on sandwiches. The overall effect was cosy and cheerful.

I slipped into a seat at the bar and began to study the menu. There were some pretty tasty sounding things- I finally settled on a ham omelette.

"'Kay! Come again, slinks!" This other badger sang as her customer left through the door. She smiled at his retreating figure before turning to me. "Hello, slinks!" She exclaimed, clapping her paws together. I smiled weakly in return. "What can I getcha today?"

"Um, a ham omlette, please." I replied. I scanned the menu one last time. "And... Er, a fruit smoothie."

"Sure thing, slinks!" The badger shot me another beaming grin. Suddenly, her cheerful face was full of surprise. "Oh... Is this your first time here?"

"Er... Yeah." I admitted.

"Well, welcome to Copper Kettle, slinks! I'm Ripple Downearth. I run this cafe with my sisters and my brother."

"Oh. Sisters?" I repeated. "I met one of your sisters... Fele? Outside."

"Oh, right! Fele is such a dear, always advertising for us- we couldn't do without her, slinks!" Ripple chattered away, leaning casually on the bar.

"I... I have a sister." I mentioned, feeling my stomach flip. Mabel running through the streets filled my head... I hurriedly continued. "I ran a clothes shop with her."

"I see, slinks." Rippled reached out and patted me on my arm. "'Ran'? Didja get closed down? Money difficulties? Well, we've been in your position, honey, so don't worry, slinks."

"No, it's not that." I swallowed. "I... Just don't live with her anymore."

"You leave home?"

"No!" I said, sharper than expected. "No, it's just that... we decided that she was capable to set up shop herself."

"So you've moved, slinks?" Ripple was undeterred by my cry.

"Yeah... Yeah."

"Well, all the best to your sister!" She said. "What was it you wanted?"

"A ham omlette..."

"Oh, and a fruit smoothie? You got it, slinks!" Ripple turned to a door behind the counter and peeped round it. "Rerro!" She yelled. "RERRO! A ham omlette and a fruit smoothie! Now!"

"Fine..." I heard a rather grumpy tone answer.

"And cheer up!" Ripple shrieked into the back room. She turned back to me and rolled her eyes. "Brothers! I think he's the reason why we're struggling, slinks! He so...Dull!"

"Oh. Really?" I cocked my head to one side, wondering if my quiet, self-concious personality was the reason why we struggled for money. Some townsfolk would even refer to me as 'emo'. True, I was silent and unsocialable. Perhaps Mabel's sunny personality would brighten the store up-?

"Good morning~" A voice drawled from across the cafe. I turned on my seat to see one last badger walk though a door nearby the counter. This time, her fur was a slightly bright navy blue, reflecting the light beautifully, and she had bright, violet eyes. She was wearing a cute maid outfit, navy blue with a frilled apron. There was a matching cap perched precariously on her head. An electric blue fringe peeked out from below the cap hanging over one eye.

"Oh, morning Nitch!" Ripple chirped brightly. She squeezed out from behind the counter and hurried over to her sister. After giving Nitch a quick hug, she sniffed pointedly.

"You been OK this morning?" She asked.

Nitch shrugged and brushed her sister off of her.

"Not bad." She admitted. "Morning sickness again."

Wait... Morning sickness? Was she-?

"Aw, you poor thing! I'm so sorry about that, slinks!" Ripple said.

Nitch shrugged again.

"Not your fault. I hope I'll stop soon though. It feels like I'm puking my guts out."

"Sounds bad!" Ripple was so overly cheerful. Nitch glared at her silently, then caught sight of me staring.

"Yo." She said simply. I nodded timidly in acknowledgment. My heart was thumping. Yet another pregnant woman? How many were there in this city?

"Where is Rerro with that omlette, slinks?" Ripple demanded, before bursting into the back room (I had guessed that was the kitchen).

Nitch sighed inwardly before automatically making her way over to the counter to take her sister's place. We caught each others eye for a minute.

"Um... Excuse me," I began timidly. Nitch regarded me with a little surprise in her face. "I- I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but... Are... Are you... Pregnant?" I whispered the last word.

Nitch's eyebrows shot right up her forehead.

"Um... Yeah. Why?"

"Oh... No reason... Well, actually so am I." I admitted then looked away hurriedly.

Nitch stayed silent for a moment.

"How far along are you?" She finally asked, brushing her floppy blue fringe out of her face. I chewed on my lower lip trying to calculate how long...

"Well... About three weeks." I admitted.

"Oh." Nitch looked a little surprised. She frowned a little, calculating on her paw tips. "I think... Oh yeah, almost a month for me."

We regarded each other awkwardly for a while.

"Congratulations..." We both said at the same time. There was a pause before we both laughed loudly.

"Jinx!" Nitch said, giggling hysterically. "But seriously, congrats. I'm happy for you."

"Same to you." I replied, fiddling with the hem of my dress. I paused. "Did...you tell the father?"

Nitch shook her head.

"I won't bother," She spat. "He's an idiot. A huge jerk. As soon as I took that test and found out- I also found out he was cheating on me with my sister. Nice bloke, eh?"

I smiled weakly. "You don't mind you're carrying his child?" I asked, feeling like I was asking things that I shouldn't be. Nitch didn't seem to mind.

"MY child," She corrected. "He just enabled its creation. He might even not have anything to do with it. You read about it all the time don't you? Virgin mothers, right? I think. Is that possible? There has been a couple of cases, haven't there? Anyway, I could've been one of them, already pregers before I had sex with that idiot." I winced at her bluntness.

"I...I guess you have a point." I replied unsurely. "I told the father of my baby and...well, he flat out rejected me."

"Harsh world for us women with buns in the ovens, eh?" Nitch asked, smiling wryly. "What the hell, though! We get the bundle of joy, they don't!" I slightly envied Nitch's view of men. She was totally fine, laid back with the fact that she was pregnant and the father wouldn't be around. Perhaps I was too old fashioned. I wanted a mother, father and baby, a real family, like the ones you read about in children's story books. I wanted my baby to have a mummy and daddy, not just a mummy and a slightly unnerving Uncle Redd. I suddenly frowned at this thought... Wait, did I want Redd so involved with my baby?

Nitch, however, seemed totally fine with being a single mother. Then again, she had her sisters and brother there for her. Her baby wouldn't need a father. It would have Auntie Ripple and Auntie Fele, not to mention Uncle Rerro. And a happy go lucky mother. A wonderful mother. I could only hope I would lighten up by the time by child was born- imagine having me, a nervous wreck as a mother.

"Anyway..." Nitch smiled warmly. I couldn't help but smile back. She was so nice. Nitch leaned over the counter and picked up one of my paws to grasp in her own. "Let's go through this together, eh? Me and you. We can be friends. Give each other tips. Ride out morning sickness and stuff. Go buy baby clothes and stuff. Whaddya say?"

I swallowed, a little taken aback by such a sudden offer. Nitch stared at me with bright, glistening eyes. I let a small smile spread over my lips. Nitch wanted someone with her as well. She didn't want to be the only pregnant one. I gripped her paw back.

"Of course," I whispered. Nitch's face lit up delightedly.

"Oh you will? Thank you so much!" She gushed. "Again, I'm Nitch!"

"I'm Sable," I smiled. Nitch grinned at me before beginning to chat as if she'd known me for years.

"I've got all sorts of plans," She began, combing her fringe out of her face. "I really want a boy. I don't know why. I just..." she gestured wildly. "I just... do."

"You want a boy?" I echoed. Nitch nodded vigourously.

"Yeah," she breathed. "There's a cute baby boutique nearby- there's some really nice stuff in there. I'll definitley buy all my baby's stuff from there, even if they're a girl. My family might even all pitch together and buy a stroller. Isn't that nice?"

"Yeah..." I agreed. With a sigh, I clasped my paws together, remembering I had very few family members left. It was just Mabel...

"Where are you planning on buying baby stuff?" Nitch asked. I jumped a little in surprise.

"Oh. I'm making it all."

Nitch's face spread in to disbeleif.

"'Make it'?" She repeated. "Do you sew?"

"Yes."

"Do you... Like, have any samples on you?" Nitch asked, in a soft, breathy tone. I nodded and scrabbled in my bag for my sketch book, before laying it on the counter and opened it at the baby jumpsuit page.

Nitch sucked in her breath when she saw it. She examined it closely. Her eyes flickered over each little pencil mark of lace detail and read every scratchy word on my notes at the side.

"It's wonderful..." she breathed. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly.

"...Nitch...?" I asked.

Suddenly, she slammed her paw on the counter and almost glared at me.

"Sable!" The badger barked. "You're gonna make my baby one!"

"Huh...?" I blinked dumbly. Nitch repeated herself.

"Make me one!" she demanded, more playful now. "Only blue. And with little blue badgers on the pockets. If that's possible. Please?"

"Of course!" I began to laugh. It felt like I hadn't laughed in such a long time. "Nitch, you scared me for a moment!"

"Sorry 'bout the wait, slinks!" Ripple sang as she came through the door, carrying my omlette and smoothie. She paused when she saw us both chatting together. "Oh? Made a new friend, Nitch?"

"Oh, hey Ripple," Nitch casually greeted her again. Ripple set down my food in front of me with a knife and fork. I sipped at my smoothie. An explosion of fruit, citrus flavour exploded in my mouth lathering my tastebuds in foreign flavour. It was delicious. "Guess what, sis!" Nitch continued. "Sable here's expecting too!"

"Really, slinks?" Ripple gushed. I nodded, as she began to squawk how happy she was for me. "Oh, do you live here?" She asked.

"I do now."

"Perhaps you and Nitch could get together often!" Ripple suggested.

"We've already planned that," Nitch told her sister, smiling wryly.

"Oh and she makes the most awesome clothes..."

I grinned widely as Nitch told Ripple all about my designing.

I wasn't alone. I had friends. A job. An employer.

All I needed was family.

**That was long! 4,951 words! And 26,152 characters! Yes, that was Freya and Wolfgang. Cute, ne? And yes, that was Violet the gorilla. And Nate the bear. I made up Ripple, Fele, Rerro and Nitch myself. BADGERS! CUS THERE ARE NO BADGERS IN ANIMAL CROSSING! They were originally swans, but if they were swans, then Nitch would have an egg instead of a baby... So I made them mammals. ^^ I shall update soon! Please review! And THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THOSE WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! Especially those anon ones. "You are the supreme overlord of animal crossing fan fiction," and "Best animal crossing fanfic EVER," God, I'm so happy. Thanks so much you two who posted that. I love y'all. Plus, I'm also already planning a sequel. ^^ YOU GOTTA PROMISE YOU'LL CHECK THAT OUT WHEN THIS IS DONE!**

11. Chapter 10

"I'll see you around, Sable!" Nitch sang as I left the cafe. Smiling widely, I waved goodbye in return, before turning away and walking away down the street. Nitch and the rest of the Downearth family were so nice. I couldn't wait to see them again. Most likely I would becom a regular at their cafe. Not to mention Nitch and I had planned several outings to go shopping or go to the library or just relax in her room above the cafe and complain about morning sickness and other stuff.

It was only half past nine. I didn't have to be back untill ten. I had plenty of time on my paws. I decided just to window shop and browse. I took the first side street I saw and found myself in another part of the city. It seemed more family orienteered- there were a few childrens' toy shops, some kids resturants, but also had other types of shops as well. There were a couple of women with children and their husbands, some with just the kids; but no pregnant women this time.

There was a red squirrel with blonde curls nearby rocking a pushchair back and forth, trying to calm a wailing kit. As I wandered by, I caught sight of the baby; it looked just like it's mother, save a curly mop of blue hair. It was clutching its tiny little fists and waved its arms and legs around, trying to get attention.

"Shush," The squirrel murmured to the screaming infant. "There, there hulaaa. Come on, there now. Shhh. Come on. You kept me up all last night. Get some sleep..."

The kit took no notice and continued crying.

A purple squirrel next to the other patted her friend on the shoulder.

"Poor you, Caroline!" She chirped brightly. "I'm so glad I don't have kids!"

"You're not helping, Peanut." Caroline sighed, rocking the pushchair back and forth, hoping to lull the infant. "Why'd you come anyway? I'm only shopping for Shelly's new clothes, since she was premature."

"I wanna help dress my favourite niece, slacker!" Peanut insisted.

"You're not her biological aunt," Caroline gently corrected her. The kit screamed even harder, and, obviously unable to to bear it any longer, Caroline unbuckled the baby and scooped her up in her arms.

"Stop that silly noise," She playfully scolded. "What's wrong, hulaa? Quiet, Shelly."

At this, Shelly ceased screaming and blurted out a number of random noises, waving her arms towards her mother's face.

"Aw, she just wanted attention, slacker!" Peanut cooed.

"I hope she doesn't do the same tonight," Caroline commented, winding a lock of the baby's hair around her finger. "Static's so lucky, hulaaa. He's such a heavy sleeper."

"I can't beleive you and him finally got together!" The purple squirrel nudged her friend, careful not to knock the baby. "Do you remember that time in high school when I was going out with him, slacker?"

"Yeah?"

"It's hilarious! How you and him ended up together. Not to mention getting married, slacker!"

"Yeah," Caroline breathed, holding out one arm and admiring a diamond ring on her finger. "Then we even had Shelly, hulaa." She took a deep breath after adjusting Shelly's weight in her arms. "Peanut, you're as good as an auntie Shelly will ever get."

"Thanks, Caroline! Slacker!"

I couldn't help but think Mabel would make a wonderful Auntie. She would love a baby to look after and care for...

Blinking away harsh tears, I walked quickly past them, only pausing to nod an acknowledgment towards them. I peered in a couple of shop windows, totally lost in baby mode. There were several baby shops that specialized in clothing and furniture, and I dithered helplessly in front of a cot with ebony bars and a cute little zodiac animal mobile hanging above, with tiny lights inside them so you could flip the switch and the small creatures would glow.

It was lovely, and came with its own little patchwork quilt, blanket, and pillow. It cost 10,378 Bells. It was lovely. I really, really liked it. But it just cost so much... There was a cheaper, oak cot next to it, with no mobile and a simple mattress. That only cost 3,798 Bells. There was no comparison.

But what was the point on getting furniture now? I might not stay at Redd's forever. In the next nine months I could move, and what would be the point hauling around unused furniture?

With a sigh, I made a mental note from where I should buy a crib from and carried on.

When I got a little further, there was a baby's clothing shop, and I couldn't help but be curious. I went inside to examine what they had on offer.

There were lots of parents in there, with a baby in a pushchair of being lugged around on a hip. There were the two wolves- Freya and Wolfgang- there too, giggling over a t-shirt that had a child looking drawing of a baby, which read 'Me', a picture of a mother, which read 'Mummy', and a father which read 'Ass Hole'. Freya pretended to march up to the counter and buy it, but Wolfgang caught hold of her in genuine horror, horrorfied if she actually would buy it.

I turned my back on them and had a look at the other clothing.

There were mainly the baby pinks and blues- girls or boys- and a couple of white garments- nothing special. I wondered what Tom would want his child to be. Girl or boy? Blue or pink? But he didn't care, he left us, and he didn't say a word about anything else.

I was seriously considering buying the 'ass hole' t shirt.

I wandered around and the same things stared back at me. Pink and blue. Pink and blue. Pink and blue. Pink and blue. Pink and blue. Oh, what's this? Blue and pink! A variation! Blue and pink. Blue and pink.

And so forth.

It was quite amusing watching couples buy pink things and then suddenly dither, crying out, "What if its a boy?"

But it also made my heart sink.

No matter how much I thought of Tom as an ass hole, I still loved him, and I couldn't change that fact. He rejected me, and our baby, but that longing for him was always inside of me. It wouldn't go away. I had given him my heart and he still had it; I couldn't reclaim it or give it to someone else. I hadn't loved anyone the way I had with him.

Sure he had taken my heart gladly, and I received his, even if he gave it a little reluctantly. But as time went one he wanted it back, but never gave me mine again.

Now I pressed my paw to my chest and felt every little heartbeat.

That night, two days after he had come back from the city, he came to say hi.

_"Hello, Sable,"_

_"T-Tom! When did you get back-?"_

He had greeted me and we shared plesantries, but something was wrong.

We had been apart for too long. I didn't know how to love him anymore and he didn't with me either.

But then...

He had come back, late at night, two days after, late late at night, and asked for me to come with him. I had obliged. He took me to the beach and we watched the stars together and he pointed out the constellations he knew, and I taught him the ones Celeste had told me.

His paw bumped in to mine. I curled mine around his, automatically, and we were both silent.

_"Sable?"_

_"What?"_

_"What're you doing, hm?"_

_"Nothing."_

But he squeezed back, and we gazed at the moon together.

_"It's beautiful,"_

_"A wonderful sight, yes?"_

It had then led on from that. We sat down and talked, catching up on all of the lost years between us. And then...

_"Sable?"_

_"Yes, Tom?"_

_"I missed you, yes?"_

_"Me too."_

Suddenly, he was kissing me, possibly the most riveting kiss of my life. His warm breath mingled with mine. He stroked my face gently, clasping my cheeks so I wouldn't turn away. Why would I? For a while I forgot the years we hadn't seen each other and melted in to his arms.

We were as one that night, nuzzling each other in the starlight. He took me to the cove, where he kept his boat, a large luxury yacht.

When he first bought it he had told me he was planning on taking me away on a cruise somewhere, maybe somewhere hot, and quiet, or maybe just explore the seas.

On that very deck, we first made love.

And that was when our baby was created.

With a shudder, I slapped my self on the forehead, clearing my mind of these thoughts. It made me feel dirty just thinking about it. But I could still remember the stars glinting off of the surface of the sea, the moonlight reflected in Tom's eyes, the calm whispering of the sea.

Only the sea knew what happened that night. Only the sea knew our little secret.

The days after that he had ignored me, and the few times I left the shop and saw him walking home, he would avert his eyes, and walk away quickly in the oposite direction. Maybe he felt guilty. Maybe he couldn't beleive what we had done.

Then suddenly, two weeks after, I was always tired, always sleepy. It was then the horror struck me- what if I was pregnant? What if, that night, we had...?

So I went to the doctor's clinic. I had taken a pregnancy test, and three days later, I went back and received the results.

I couldn't beleive it. I could remember quite clearly, gripping the paper in my paws, staring at the word 'POSITIVE' stamped in the 'RESULTS' box.

I remember the sick, shaky feeling that rose in my throat, and the weakness that attacked my knees. The feel of my stomach flipping; the feeling that there was a fetus inside of me.

I had thrown the paper across the room and a nurse came and sat beside me.

"Congratulations," she had said gently.

"I...I didn't know..."

"It's alright," The nurse soothed. She patted my back gently. "I'm sure you'll make a great mother. I'm very pleased for you."

"But..."

"You have a husband, right? A pretty woman like you must be married. Go and tell him! He can only say no."

And that was exactly what he had said. In a way. Maybe a little bit more... gentle. It was his way of rejecting us. But it didn't change the fact it was cruel; sharp and cruel. How could he not want the creature we created? How could he just...toss me away like I was nothing?

I felt the tears coming on again, and I gripped my paws tightly.

Don't you dare cry. Don't. You. Dare.

My paws closed around something.

Something soft.

Surprised, I looked up and saw I had plucked a small soft toy off of the shelf and was clutching it tightly. Slowly, I uncovered the object to reveal a soft red raccoon in my paws. I couldn't help but chuckle at the coincidence. The soft toy's bead black eyes stared back at me, reflecting the light the way Tom's had that night. Suddenly the laugh in my throat died and the smile on my face drooped. I hugged the stuffed animal tightly to my chest and snuffled into it's faux fur. It smelt of carpet and shops and fresh stuffing. It wasn't quite Tom, but it would do. I scoured the shelves untill I discovered a little purple hedgehog, eerily like me. I looked at the two soft toys, simpering smiles and glass eyes staring back, before shuffling over to the counter and purchasing them both for 200 Bells each.

I placed the two stuffed creatures in my bag, before leaving the shop, feeling a little better. Somehow it was comforting knowing I had two little replicas of us. The couple snuggled against my hip through the bag's matireal.

I went back to fantasizing about our baby.

Would they have Tom's blue eyes? My royal purple fur? Tom's cute little habit of saying 'yes?' or 'hm?'? I giggled at the thought of a baby squeaking; "Hm?" as a first word.

"So sad,"

This voice made me jump a little. I whirled around to see two men standing behind me; a white tiger and a blue squirrel. It was the blue squirrel who spoke, shaking his head sadly, reading a newspaper.

"So, so sad." He repeated. The white tiger grunted.

"What's sad?"

"This, krzzt." The squirrel answered, handing him the paper, folding over the front page for him to read. The tiger's eyes flickered over the page as he skimmed through the text. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah," he mumbled gruffly. "I see what you mean, grrrolf. Heart-wrenching," His tone was hinted with sarcasm.

"See, I couldn't imagine Caroline running away when she told me she was pregnant," The squirrel began, his eyes growing dreamy. "Let alone me rejecting her, krzzt..."

My heart began thumping. What was in that article?

"You sure have gotten soft since you got hitched, grrrolf." The tiger chuckled and punched the squirrel on the shoulder. "Wassa matter with you, Static?"

Static shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

"Guess its love, krzzt." He answered simply. "It changed me. And Caroline. She's a heck of a lot more responsable lately. Maybe because of Shelly being born but what the hell, krzzt." He wore his dreamy expression again. The tiger groaned softly before Static continued.

"Anyway, I feel sorry for 'em. Them both."

"I guess..." The tiger added. He checked his watch on his wrist before beckoning to his friend. "We need to go now, we said we'd meet the girls at the square around now for a drink, grrrolf," He grunted. He paused, before adding, "Caroline'll be waiting."

Static laughed, dropping his paper on the floor and giving it a half-hearted kick.

"You think you can tempt me by bringing Caroline in to everything, krrzt?" He asked. "Well, what the hell. Gotta go see my daughter too."

"See what I mean?" Tiger gave a wry smile. "Bring your daughter or wife in to anything, grrrolf, and you'll do whatever I say."

The two wandered away, still teasing each other mercilessly. I dashed forwards and snatched up the paper, eyes scanning over the page.

They widened as soon as I saw the picture.

My face looked back at me.

MY face. MINE. My snout, my freckles, my eyes, my spines...

It was ME.

A photo that Mabel had taken years and years ago, of me and Tom in his back yard- we were sitting on his swing and were holding hands. There was a book on my lap, and Tom was amusing himself by nuzzling in to my ear. I was wearing a loose white, knee length summer dress trimmed with a few pink ribbons. Tom had changed from his work apron to a pair of loose beige shorts and a white shirt. He was laughing and I was smiling at the camera, flipping a page as I did so. It had been such a wonderful day; the sun shining, the birds singing, the few fluffy white clouds drifting by. Mabel had run around with her camera, snapping pictures of this and that. She had cried out,

"Sable, Tom! Smiiiii-llle!"

"Not now, Mabel." I had replied, smiling gently.

"Let her, hm?" Tom had encouraged. He wrapped his arms around my waist and let his lips graze my cheek softly.

Now I trembled, blushing a little, knowing that the entire city- maybe the nation- had seen me and Tom together. We were always discreet. Now everyone had seen us, kissing in the garden.

Embarrasing.

I let my eyes wander over the text and began to read.

_Wenton- a small town, humble, simple, your typical, quaint town. You wouldn't guess that a story of grand romance, passion and tradegy was happening behind the scenes of this little place. Tom Nook- a well renowned buisness man- and a the small-town seamstress, Sable Able, turned out to be a pair- and when Sable discovered she was pregnant; she's gone. The purple spined porcupine disappeared the morning after she told her sister she was carrying a child. Where is she now? Did she run away, or has she been kidnapped? I managed to get an exclusive interview with her sister; Mabel Able, to find out more._

_I enter her small shop with a slight wrinkle to the nose; it's a very plain, drab place. There are a line of hand sewn simple clothes at the back of the shop, alongside a couple of cheaply made accsserories._

_Mabel invites me in to the back room which doubles as a kitchen, and makes me a cup of tea before I ask some questions. I ask her about Sable and Nook's releationship, how they met and their past together._

_"They met at high school," she begins, looking thoughtful. "Sable used to go every other day when I was five- I always had someone to babysit me. At first they were friends I guess. Just friends. Acquaintances. I-I guess things just took off from there."_

_This time I ask about recent years._

_"Tom left a while ago for the city," Mabel replies hesitantly. "Six years back. Sable missed him like crazy. At first she would barely talk, barely work. She would just sit at the window, sighing every so often. She missed him. Then after a while, she got better... And soon she could smile again. But then- two weeks? No, three weeks ago, Tom came back. It turned out that his buisness didn't go as well as planned. He came back and set up shop again here in Wenton. I guess we expected them for a wild reunion, all romantic, you know? But it wasn't. They had been apart for six whole years. So... Yeah."_

_I inquire about what had happened when Sable discovered she was pregnant. Mabel blushes bright red._

_"I-I-I don't know," She stammers. "S-she didn't tell me 'till recently s-so..."_

_This time I ask about Nook's reaction. Mabel shrugs helplessly._

_"All I know is that he rejected the idea of Sable having a baby," She admits. "That's all I know."_

_"Any idea why she ran away?"_

_Mabel's eyes suddenly grow misty and tears gather._

_"I-I don't." She whispers. A tear slips down her cheek. "OK, I think you know enough now. Can you just help me find her?"_

_Tom Nook denied an interview, claiming to be 'busy'._

The article went on and on. My eyes flickered over the page as every secret Tom and I had kept and more- lies- plastered the paper. It even described me as a whore, that we must've slept with each other hundreds of times, and it was no wonder I was now pregnant. And, with the shame of it all, I had escaped my life in Wenton to start a fresh.

I dropped the newspaper in shock. How could they tell such filthy lies? Why did Tom- and even Mabel- let them?

This time I couldn't hold my tears in. I pressed my paw to my mouth and gnawed on my knuckle as they slid down my snout, one after another. How could they've found out so much?

Our secrets were public. I couldn't go anywhere now without people pointing and staring, whispering that I was the missing seamstress.

I crumpled to my knees, pressed my cloak to my eyes and wept. My life...when did it get so complicated? Just because we had done...you know. Just because...our baby had been created.

"It wasn't suposed to be this way," I whispered. I dropped the cloak away from my face. "Tom and I were supposed to..."

I shook my head fiercly. My own, personal dreams, had always been the same, ever since I was a little girl, I dreamt I would get married and have children. Later, I changed the wanting to get married to wanting get to know Tom, buy a house with him, move in with him, and then have him propose to me. Then him and I would get married, and THEN I'd get pregnant and we'd have a family.

Fate has a weird way of working, doesn't it?

My fairytale, perfect fantasy had changed drastically into a stark modern drama. Instead, Tom had left, come back, I got pregnant, and he disowned me. Now I was making dresses for Crazy Redd in the city where I had my face over every paper.

Sniffing, I wiped my eyes, and scrambled to my feet. Now I was so...empty. That was how I felt. The most important person in my life had pushed me away. Tom. Oh God, but why did I love him so much?

I checked my watch. It was ten to eleven. Redd would be opening soon- I said I would be back within the hour. With a heavy heart, I shuffled reluctantly back to the shop.

"Have you seen this?" I exploded as I opened the front door of the shop and banged it shut behind me. I had cooled off considerably but now I was angry. I slammed the paper I had brought from earlier on the table. Redd trotted over to see what I was so mad about, and peered over my shoulder.

He was silent.

"Hey..." I began, turning around to face the fox. "You were reading the paper this morning...you deliberatly hid the front cover from me!" I said accusingly. Redd regarded me sheepishly.

"Well..." he began in a small voice. "I...I guess I didn't want you to know...it says some CRAAZZY awful things..."

"I know! I've read it!"

"It's just..." Redd shifted from one foot to the other uncomfartably. "You know..."

Looking at his hunched, embarrassed stance, I felt my anger drain away and sank into a chair and buried my face in my paws. I could feel the tears coming.

"Sorry," I mumbled through my paws. "It's not your fault that that's in the paper. It's because..." I let the dampness seep inbetween my fingers as the beads of salty liquid gathered. "...Because...I'm so scared..." I whimpered. "I can't go anywhere now. Not now everyone's seen the story. Everyone'll whisper and point, and I..." A lump worked its way up my throat, cutting me off.

Suddenly, a warm arm slid around my shoulders and patted me on the shoulder. Sniffing, I looked up with my tear streaked face. Redd had his arm around me and was attempting to comfort me. Granted, his arm was a little stiff, and his face was twitching at little at the contact, but it was a friendly gesture, and I smiled as best as I could at him with moisture in my eyes.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, smiling my watery smile. "All I do is cry...I'm so useless..."

"No, that's not true." Redd clarified, giving me a half-smile in return, one corner of his mouth lifting in a sort of half-hearted grin. "You sew CRAAZZY good clothes! Want to see the display?"

I nodded, after wiping my eyes and standing up. Redd steered me towards the shop and; right next to the stairs, there were three dummies sporting the three dresses I had made. The pink one was accsessorised with a similar coloured clasp-purse, which was being clutched by the mannequin's white, plaster fingers. The blue one's model was posing confidently, one hand on its hip, the other thrown up, grazing the ceiling with a white finger. There was a pair of wedged sandals slipped on to the pointed, plastic feet. The gingham striped dress was wrapped around the third model, who was sporting a pair of dark pilot shades, and a huge straw sunhat. There was scattering of sand beneath the mannequin, suggesting it was a beach dress, and a large beach bag hung over its wrist. I clapped my paws together in delight and let my eyes wander over to a newly-put up shelf, where the shirts and hat was.

"Oh Redd; they look wonderful!" I squeaked. "Thank you so much!"

"No, Miss Sable." Redd put a paw on my shoulder while he said this. I peered at him. "No, Miss Sable, thank you. Thank YOU. For making 'em They look...well, CRAAZZY! In a good way,"

I gave a small grin. He WAS a nice person, despite his over reactive, unnerving exterior; deep down he cared. Even though he conned people and lied, his heart of gold truly shone beneath the layers of lies and dishonesty that had accumalated over the years. Yes; now that I really thought about, beneath it all, he was a good person- it was just that he had to lie, he had to deceive; else his little shop wouldn't do well at all. If he simply ran a little store without pretending that his paintings were the genuines and his furniture top rate, he'd go out of buisness and run out of money.

Slowly, I was beginning to understand Redd.

"That's nice to know..." I murmured appreciatly. "Thank you Redd..." Redd gave an offhand grin and shrugged a little bit. He was obviously embarrassed by my comment. I watched as his fists curled and uncurled slowly- I simply disregarded it as a habit of his.

"Oh..." he suddenly glanced at his watch. "We'll be opening any minute now," He looked up and smiled at me aplogeticly. "Sorry to cut you off, but..."

I shrugged a little casually, taking my cloak off in the process.

"I don't mind." I smiled. "What kind of clothes do you want for your shop next?"

Redd thought for a moment, before clicking his fingers in a moment of inspiration.

"Something sexy," he accented this by waving his paws around as a gesture. "dangerous. Something that the young ones'll love! Ya get what I'm saying?"

Slowly I nodded, letting the initial shock wear down. Sexy! Dangerous!

He might as well ask a cow to produce wool instead of milk! I was too simple for such...modern...things. Imagine me making tight, clingy dresses! Mine currently were classy, and stylish, too, but I already felt that my creative abilties and seamstress skills were snapping at their seams. Even the ones I had created, the ones currently on display, were a challenge to make- I was so used to the clothes I made in Wenton- the same pattern, over and over, with different designs on the fabric.

Still, nothing was stopping me yet, and I needed to prove myself to myself. Another step to learning how to make my own way in life. So as I sat down at my table, retreived my sketchbook, and sharpened my pencil, no worry or doubt clouded my thoughts. I simply wiped my mind of everything- which was pretty hard to do- and let the design take shape slowly.

I started with the top of the outfit. After sketching the model's shoulders, I made a very light outline of the top of my usual pattern, my pencil barely grazing the paper. Then, I made the top tighter, ciniched in, and erased the sleeves, making it strapless. After a moments thought, I added very thin, very delicate loops over the shoulders. They looked far too flimsy to support the rest of the dress, so I added another on either side. And another. And another.

Instead, I grabbed my rubber and erased the straps, then redrew them in a complicated threaded pattern. I was good at braiding. It looked good. A bit tacky, but good.

Next I moved onto the skirt. Insctively, I began to draw a full, blossoming skirt, like the one of a ballroom gown. I quickly stopped though. Ballroom dresses! I could literally hear readers screaming at me that that was a couture design, not sexy, daaaaarrrling!

I quickly rubbed out the outline of the full skirt and replaced it with a much smaller one, so short that you wouldn't be able to bend down in it without public humiliation. It was tight, too, hugging the figure's body on the page- a bit too tight, if you asked me. Then again, this wasn't for me, it was for young, dangerous girls who spent half the night out partying.

I added an elasticated waist, so it could be even more clingy, and a chest piece with a little padding sewn in to enhance the wearers' bosom. After a few more tweaks here and there, I reached under my table to retrieve my box of fabrics. I examined each one, shifting the contents into piles: 'what maybe to use' and 'what not to use'. I dismissed a baby blue piece of cloth, a solid green roll of linen and a sheet of floral print as unsuitable. Russet red, bright orange, and cherry blossom pink were also abandoned- they weren't...right for what I was doing.

Perhaps a proud, cold white...

As soon as I withdrew the length of white silk, I knew it was right.

There was loads of it, at least four metres of it. With a smile, I drew out a pattern for the dress in light pencil, since you wouldn't be able to see chalk. Then I measured some elastic to fit around the dress' waist, and after that, made several bands to be the straps.

This proved to be difficult, and took a lot longer than first anticipated- I had to cut the strips, then fold them in half and sew that together so they wouldn't fray. Eventually I had enough to start, and began to braid them, and once that was done, tie the ends up and sew the strips together so they wouldn't unwind.

After a couple of hours, I had finished the dress, and admittedly, it was far too tacky for my taste. I had found a string of sequins and hemmed the bottom of the dress with them.

I slipped it on and stared at the woman in the mirror before me.

As soon as it was on, it was off.

I hated it.

I really hated it. I looked like an idot.

Admittedly, I wasn't a model, I wasn't attractive; and I wasn't a very good clotheshorse, but somehow...I knew this was a failure. Even if it were on the right person, something in the back of my head was telling me that it was bad. After a day of success yesterday, I had gone into this test overly-confident, and failed.

"Pride comes before a fall," I could remember my father saying this when I successfully managed to make my first few items of clothing- not fit for selling, but clothes, nevertheless. I had been so pleased, and was feeling more confident than ever to get onto the sewing machine the next day. I attempted to make something way beyond my capabilities and ended up with a seriously ingured thumb where the machine had caught it.

I tossed the stupid thing in a corner and went back over to my desk, where I seized the original design and ripped it in two, before scrunching it into a ball and throwing it into the waste paper basket.

I was crushed. I knew that it was mistake to try and make something 'sexy' or 'dangerous' from the very beginning; except my successes from yesterday had clouded my brain with positives and made me forget that things do go wrong, that things won't always right. It didn't help Redd was always praising me over the clothes I had made. Maybe that praise had gone straight to my head. I didn't get many nice comments back at Wenton. It was the first time I had really ever received a compliment when Redd examined the dress that that cat, Rosie, bought.

Redd.

What would he think? He trusted me, and liked my designs.

I should get his opinion.

I retreived the white dress, pitifullly creased now, hurriedly smoothed it out a little, and pattered downstairs.

I peeked round the scrap of fabric referred to as a 'curtain' concealing the stairs just to see if the dresses had sold yet, and- yes! The pink one was gone! So was the hat I had made! I breathed out a smile, before brushing the curtain aside to see Redd waiting expectantly for customers in the centre of the room. Mabel did something similar, so I disregarded it casually.

"Redd?" I said. He jumped a little and whirled around- before smiling when he saw it was me. I continued. "I finished the dress, only I don't think its very good, so I decided to see what you thought, just in case..." The last part was spoken in a sort of burst, so my words came out garbled and undistinguistible.

"You've finished?" Redd's eyebrows shot up. "That was quick! CRAAZZY quick! Let's see it, then,"

"Like I said, I don't think its very good, so I can start again if you like..."

I was interupperuted by the clang of a bell as the door opened, and before Redd could take in the dress completely I folded it over my arm and smiled widely- if a bit earnestly. "Oh well, I'll show you late...er..."

I was interuppted again, only for very different reasons.

This time I interuppted myself.

Because the person who had opened the door to the shop...

It was Tom.

12. Chapter 11

I simply let my jaw drop as I stared at the brown raccoon entered the shop. My legs were frozen in fear. I couldn't move, I could scarcely breathe.

Tom's eyes swept over me for a moment before snapping back at me. There was utter silence. It must've been less than half a second, but it felt like hours. Hours and hours.

Suddenly, Redd shoved me from behind and up three stairs in the process.

"Go!" He hissed at me as he turned back to Tom. "Good morning, Nook, my friend- what can I get ya?"

I bolted up the stairs on the wings of fear, faster than ever before. I could hear Tom's voice downstairs-

"Redd- that…that was Sable! The missing seamstress!"

I winced and fled into my room, banging the door shut and locking it.

"Sable? Who?" Redd asked from down below. His voice carried very clearly in the building.

Panting, I pressed myself against the wall and waited. I could hear a thump, a constant thump, echoing up the stairs and Tom's desperate voice.

"You know full well who!" he barked. "You've got the damn newspaper on the table!"

My eyes widened when I heard Tom trying all of the doors and I knew I had to hide.

Or run.

Both options seemed unattainable- the furniture here was useless to hide behind, and there was no way to escape...not without Tom seeing me, anyway.

For a moment I stopped dead. What if...?

What if he had come here looking for me? What if after the shock wore off, he realised that he did want me and our child?

I floated off into a form of romantic fantasy: I'd throw the door open and fall into his waiting arms. We'd cry into each other's fur, and then Tom would wipe my tears away and aplogise, saying he loved me more than anything and would I please forgive him? Then I'd nod and whisper that he meant more to me than life itself, and then he'd get on his knees and talk to my stomach- or rather the baby inside- and make me laugh instead...

But my ideal fantasy was cut off by the dark reality- the dicontentment as he screwed up his face when I told him, the cold, harsh face of reality...

No. He would never take me back again.

I locked the door quickly, before flying around the room, scooping up all evidence that I'd been here and threw a roll of plain white cotton over the sewing machine to hide it. Hurriedly, I grabbed my journal and the sleepsuit, before clambering onto my bed and wrestling with the window.

As soon as it flew open, I gasped, almost overbalancing and falling straight out.

Ouch.

I glanced back at the door. The handle was beginning to turn. I needed to go.

It wasn't the brightest idea I'd ever had, especially in my current state. I was risking both mine and the baby's life. But...

I threw one last glance at the door before sticking a paw out of the window. I groped around for drainpipe just at the side of the sill. This was incredibly risky now...

Nevertheless, I caught hold of the hard plastic and gripped it tightly. Time to risk it. I closed my eyes; drew a slow, shaky breath and swung round my left leg.

I was out.

As I hooked my limb around it, I grasped the pipe tightly with boths paws, suddenly overcome with the worst case of nausea in the world. The hard concrete of the alley below me...the hard, hard concrete...if I were to hit it...

I shuddered, and mustered all the courage I had, before carefully shimmying down the pipe. It juddered violently and I was terrified, absolutely terrified. If I were to lose my grip now, and fall... It was much higher up here than it seemed on the ground, and every time I moved my paws down my heart skipped a beat as if I was about to tumble backwards.

Eventually- after what seemed like ages- I hit the concrete path at long last. Unfortunately, I had gained a friction burn on both of my palms which were stinging like mad, but now was no time to be concerned over that. I had to escape from Tom.

I had just gathered my self together when I heard a distant cry of, "Sable!"

I whipped around only to see...

Tom.

He had his head stuck out of the window, one paw clutching the windowsill. And did I imagine it? Or did he really have tears in his eyes?

There was a moment, a breif, unimportant moment where our gazes met and locked for the first time in what seemed years. Such a flurry of feelings assaulted me, a torrent of what had built up over the past six years.

But that was the past.

This was the present.

And I had to get away.

I sprinted as fast as I could down the alley, supressing the harsh tears that threatened to overflow. I couldn't look upset in public. I had to look...normal. But get away from Tom at the same time.

I fled like a madwoman through the crowds in the square, hoping desperatly that I just looked as if I was late for an appointment or something.

There was quite a loud cry as I heard someone fall back with a thump behind me, and I knew Tom had taken pursuit. I threw a quick glance over my shoulder to see him tearing after me, crying my name...

People were shouting and trying to block my way, but I had desperation on my side. I skidded around a large grey rhino and ducked away from an orange brid's outstretched wing attempting to slow me down.

I didn't even know where I was going. I just had to lose Tom. I knew that if I faced him, he would persuade me to come home, my heart would melt, and then I'd be back in Wentonwith him still disinterested in his own child.

By the by, I gained some distance between us as some police officer stopped Tom to question him. I guessed our chase looked a little...um...you know...in a way. That didn't mean Tom wouldn't continue his pursuit though.

I was so wrapped up in my determination to flee that I crashed into someone, hard.

"Oof!" I heard them say as they steadied me with a surprisingly strong grip. "Watch where you're going, la la!"

I looked up in surprise- to see Fele looking back at me, concerned.

"Oh, you're the porcupine from this morning! The one who Nitch was talking about, right? Sable, was it?"

I blinked dumbly, before nodding slowly as she released me. Somehow, almost unconciously, I'd made my way back to Copper Kettle.

Coincidence?

Suddenly there was a cry from down the street and Fele narrowed her eyes as she peered in the sound's general direction.

"Oh? Who's that? I've never seen him before, la la. Look at him! In that posh purple tuxedo- what's he doing down here?"

I felt my heart leap into my mouth. I knew without even looking it was Tom.

Without a word I shot into the cafe- usually I would thank Fele first, but Tom was so close that I needed to hide.

As I flung the door open, the bell above it made an almighty crashing sound that made even me jump.

Thankfully, the shop was empty, save Nitch behind the counter, idly playing with a napkin which she tore in half from the shock of my sudden appearance.

"Sable! Back so soon? I-"

"Hide me!" I begged. "Hide me, please!"

For a second, she blinked, before snapping into action. She grabbed my wrist, after calling back into the kitchen,

"Watch the shop, Rerro, will you?" and tugged me away upstairs.

After hurrying into a room, Nitch slammed the door shut behind us and motioned for me to sit down.

It was obviously Nitch's bedroom, with a pale blue duvet and a wooden closet made of slanted pieces of wood. There was a shelf put up on the wall, with a hair brush, comb and various hairsprays and hair dyes. All of her personal belongings were displayed on the bookshelf, which contained only four books and a tatty childhood teddy. The other big clue was the sky blue painted cot in the corner, obviously for Nitch's baby.

"Are you OK?" She asked, coming to sit beside me on the bed. I glanced at her, as her sparkling amethyst eyes bore into my face. They were almost dripping with concern.

I took a deep breath, and began to speak. "I-"

But before I knew, it a lump had lodged itself in my throat, and I burst into tears.

Nitch pulled me into a friendly hug and stroked my spines gently. Oh, it almost reminded me of how Tom stroked my head...

"You can tell me," Nitch said quietly inbetween my sobs.

Never had I been as grateful for friends as then.

After I told Nitch the full story, including the story beforehand (about my history with Tom and the like), and regained my compsure, she bathed my burnt hands in cold water, wrapped them tightly in bandages and comforted me in general.

I smiled a watery smile. "I'm sorry for troubling you. I just had to get away. Why he found me and chose to chase me after..." I broke off, chewing on my lip.

"I know. It's OK." Nitch patted my paw comfortingly. "When I broke up with my boyfriend- the one who got me preggers- after found out he was cheating on me, for days afterward, even though I hated him for hurting me like that, I still loved him in a way. For a few weeks I felt guilty and wanted him back: I wanted to aplogise. Which was pretty dumb.

"Anyway, my point is that's probably how ol' Nook feels about you at the moment. He probably feels guilty, like I did, for treating you that way, and when he saw you he wanted to take you back. You see? After what he's done, he'll be over it, like I did with that douche."

"K-kind of." I didn't add the part that I still had my doubts about him feeling guilty. Part of me was saying Tom wanted to take me back, and I almost beleived it. But I decided it was safest to hide, and not take any risks. I wouldn't face him. No.

I was too scared.

"Anyway," Nitch hooked her leg over one side of the bed. "I think it's best you stay here for a while."

I nearly choked on my own breath after hearing that. "Here?!"

"Yeah. Redd's place'll be investigated, you know? After that newspaper article you told me about. Don't worry," she added after seeing me open my mouth to protest. "We have room. You can hook up with Fele or Ripple. But you do NOT want to go in Rerro's room. Seriously." She pulled a funny face, making me laugh instead.

"Thank you, Nitch. For everything." I glanced down at my bandaged paws. "You'll make a great mother."

"At least someone thinks so!" Nitch laughed. "When I finally told everyone else I was pregnant, Ripple almost had a fit, saying I was too irresponsible- 'cus I'm the youngest- and all of that blah de blah blah."

I giggled again.

"Anyway," I began, smoothing out my dress's skirt. "Do you mind if I could use a phone? I should call Redd. I need to tell him I'm staying here for a while."

"Sure! Go ahead. Phone's outside Fele's room- er, the one with the green door."

I padded out of Nitch's room to make the call. After I dialled the number, I couldn't help but smile a little as it rang.

At least I was safe now.

For the moment, anyway.

I stayed with the Downearths for ten days while Redd's place was investigated. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the newspaper article on the front page on the second day of my stay- 'CRAZY REDD ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF THE KIDNAP OF SABLE ABLE'. For three days I had fit of over anxiousness, to whether Redd was OK. Because, con man as he was, I had grown to like him, and I would never forgive myself for landing him in jail. But, being the skilled liar he was, he managed to bail himself out with only a caution from then authorities. Still, his shop was checked everyday for a week for any sign of me, so I still couldn't return. Nitch, instead, gave me a temporary job in the cafe- just to keep me busy- as a cook in the kitchen. I worked alongside Rerro, whom I met for the first time. His fur was very dark black, with two different coloured streaks in his fringe- red and electric green. He was gruff, if a little 'emo' (as Fele referred to him), but under it all, I think he was just shy of the world. I understood him completely, and because of this we often managed to strike up conversation for at least ten minutes. Ripple was always saying she had never heard him talk for so long.

Rerro taught me to cook, simple things at first, untill I could tackle a rather fancy three course dinner. Now I could do a decent breakfast back at Redd's!

Nitch even broke out their mother's old sewing machine for me to do her baby's sleepsuit, even providing the matireal. She was so delighted when I had finished, tucking it into the cot in her room as if it were a baby itself.

Eventually, when the newspaper announced that Redd had been let off the hook and he no longer had the authorities checking his house everyday, I bid everyone farewell for the moment. I promised to come back soon, and eventually agreed to come for breakfast every Sunday.

When I returned to Redd's, he was overjoyed to see me and showed me that the clothes had all sold out. I got back to work immediatly, starting the next 'batch' of clothing. The white dress I had made had long since disappeared, but having spent ten days with the ultra up-to-date Nitch, I had learnt quite a bit about popular culture and managed to finish some quite decent up-market, popular outifts.

Slowly, the money came, and everyday I could feel myself settling into his new routine.

The only problems I had were morning sickness (such a pain! When I stayed at Nitch's, there was almost a war between us to get to the bathroom first. The worst time was probably when Rerro walked in on us- Nitch had her face over the toilet and I was clutching the sink for support, ready to unload again.), and the nights. As soon as I put my head on my pillow, thoughts of Tom and Mabel barraged my mind, and I always fell asleep with tears running down my face.

But, I was learning to cope, slowly, even though sadness often prevailed halfway through the day and I would break down crying, however I was learning to control the tears and managed to hold it in untill I went to bed.

So, at least for now, I was happy.

Untill then...

**Let me just say, last chapter (Chapter 10) was a little bit of a filler. As was this... T.T**

**I was asked about the Downearths age order, so here it is: Ripple is the eldest. Then it's Rerro, then Fele, and Nitch is the youngest. I might be posting a poll soon, to see which Downearth is most popular...I bet it's Nitch...**

**I've posted a little side-story to Tight Stitches called True Darkness. IT IS NOT THE SEQUEL! I will tell you when Tight Stitches is finished! The sequel will be called 'Sharp Scissors' and won't be posted for a VERY long time! Tight Stitches is nowhere near finished! Anyway, please check out 'True Darkness'.**

13. Chapter 12

"Brrr!" Nitch exclaimed, ripping her scarf off as we entered the bookshop. "It's so darn cold out there, but so hot inside! Why, God, why?!"

I laughed, shaking flakes of snow out of my spines that had gathered in the time it had taken us to walk from the baby store to here. It was late November, and I was almost three months pregnant. Not that I had anything to show for it. My stomach was exactly the same as it had been three months ago. I was definitely a bit heavier, but there was no tiny bump or anything. Nitch, however, was sporting her four month stomach with more than a little self-consciousness. She was wearing the baggiest clothes she could find, especially in front of customers in her cafe. Around me, she was a little more lax, but I could have sworn she added six more dress sizes since I met her.

But even now, wrapped in her light blue padded coat, you could see the curve of her stomach through the waterproof matireal. I tried not to stare- I knew that it would get a lot bigger in the months to come, as would I.

But still, I had been a bit concerned over my lack of belly growth. I had even gotten Nitch to buy me another pregnancy test just to check, but it still came back positive. I was definitely pregnant, just...small.

On the other hand, Nitch seemed to have gotten a bump from the two month mark. It even seemed to be bigger every time I saw her; and now she was being assaulted by the weirdest cravings. Just now she had been desperate for ice cream. In winter. Not only that, but she was particularly partial to ketchup and cherries. Not together, of course- when ever she fancied.

Thankfully I seemed resistant to cravings, and the only real sign of me expecting was the morning sickness. The one thing that hit me harder than Nitch.

Anyway, today we were out, shopping for baby stuff. Nitch had recently had a scan at the hospital (I hadn't been there, of course) to confirm everything was OK. She hadn't been told the gender of her baby yet, it was too early, but she still came back a little fluttery and emotional. If you asked me, I thought it was rather cute. But Nitch's doctor had recommended several baby books worth reading and now she was here to get some.

As we made our way over to the reference section, I peered dubiously into my bag. I had bought a soft white baby blanket with a small teddy embroidered on one corner, alongside a packet of three dummies, several bottles, baby socks, and a maternity shirt for me. It was a simple linen blouse, when spread out looked as if it were made to sail a ship, but I had thought that in six months time I'd be huge. Not at the rate I was going. Maybe I'd give it to Nitch.

As said badger found a couple of baby books, I wandered over to the fiction section and began to browse. With work at Redd's being demanding, I didn't often get time to read but in the few moments I got peace and quiet I liked plenty of choice.

In the past I would have selected a few romance novels- perhaps they comforted me from my heartache- but nowadays after what had happened, I steered clear of all romance. If I read any, be it about foolish crushes or a break-up or grand passion, it would remind me of how I couldn't be with Tom, and I'd break down crying.

Recently I'd been trying different genres. Non of the ones I had tried gripped me like romance had, but there was still time to find something I was partial to. Right know I found it interesting to read fiction about pregnant women, reading their stories, what happened to them. My current favourite one of these was one about a teenage cat who accidentally fell pregnant with a child who's father was her abusive dad. It was slightly gory and almost troubling at the beginning, but once she ran away and learnt to stand on her own two feet, I was hooked. I had only owned it for a month, but already I had read my favourite parts numerous times and the entire novel thrice. It was thrilling, adventurous- I loved the main character- Lacie, she was called- for what she did and how she learned, and when her baby was born she called him Mea Fabula- which was Latin for 'my story'.

I selected two books at random to purchase- see what new worlds lay waiting for me in between these pages- when Nitch made her way over to me.

"Got them," she said languidly, referring to the two baby books she was holding. "But I'm REALLY not looking forward to reading this one-" she held up on with a light blue cover, and a picture of three babies all nestled together- a bear cub, a squirrel kit, and a calf. It said, in bright, fuchsia letters below- 'what you and your little one need to grow, develop and bond between you!'

"Bleh!" Nitch gagged. "It's so sweet it'll give me diabetes."

I smiled, rolling my eyes at her as we made our way over to the counter.

"Well, if the doctor recommended it than it must be useful." I added.

"Probably...once you get past all of the 'babies are cute' part, it'll most likely have useful tips. But let me just say, babies are NOT cute. When I was a cub, Ripple told me I was evil. Apparently I screamed like a tempest and wouldn't sleep if I was alone in the room. I would yell, kick and bite if we were leaving the house and on top of that I was premature, so really short tempered. I hated my big brother Rerro- I would twist away from him if he held me and cry. And my dad, too! I'd have to be asleep to let him near me." She sighed, flipping her blue fringe backwards."I hope my little boy's going to be a lot more docile."

"Still certain it's going to be a boy?" I asked teasingly as Nitch placed the books on the counter to pay for.

"You bet," Nitch grinned. "I couldn't cope if it were a girl- pink and dresses and ribbons...urgh!"

"That'll be 800 Bells, ma'am." The rabbit at the counter said, as Nitch deposited a bag of Bells on the counter in front of the attendant. He smiled kindly as he put her books in a carrier bag, but I watched as his eyes flickered down to her stomach and took in the bulge. For once I was glad I wasn't showing. I couldn't stand having people examine my midsection with a fake grin plastered on their faces. I could tell Nitch hated it too. Her violet eyes blazed as she snatched up the carrier bag and stalked away to wait for me outside of the shop.

I placed my books on the counter to be scanned, and waited to see if the attendant would react to me. Fortunately, he didn't, and just said in a monotone, "600 Bells please."

Within the three months that had passed since Redd being arrested and released again, my story hadn't made the front page again. For a few weeks, I couldn't leave Crazy Redd's, lest I be found and turned in to the authorities. But gradually, news of the missing, pregnant porcupine faded into the background as all cases seemed to over time. Occasionally, there was a mini article, 'SABLE ABLE- STILL MISSING', or 'STILL NO WHERE TO BE FOUND', 'WHERE COULD SHE BE?' inside the paper, but nothing particularly outstanding. Gradually, my face and story simply danced away from folk's minds, leaving me as a distant memory of another 'missing' person. So I was free to walk around now without fear of being caught- it helped that I had developed my own new style, with my feminine clothing and new hair cut. Yes, Nitch had taken me to Shampoodle and I had had my spines trimmed and the tips dyed black. It was gently tousled into loose waves, a hair style that only underlined my femininity. I still had my simple, modest aura, but I was achieving my goal to change myself and my life for my baby, to let go of the past and embrace the future.

"Grr!" Nitch growled as I stepped out of the door. "It burns me up! I can't go anywhere without people staring at me, gawking at my stomach, fake-grinning at me...no one treats me like a person while I'm lugging this around!" She placed a paw on the bulge. I patted her on the shoulder, giving her silent sympathy (she hated people pitying her), but privately thinking that 'lugging' was the wrong word to use. Even though Nitch was showing, her stomach wasn't much more than a slight curve, a small bump. Yet she was right, people DID stare and seemed to find it funny to make jokes about her. A while ago some rude teenagers had sidled past her, saying stuff like, "I hear pregnant women are always horny..." or "I'd make a great daddy..."

Nitch had punched them both, in her tomboyish manner and threatened to do likewise to anyone else.

The rest of the Downearths and I put her out of order behavior down to hormones, another thing which I seemed to be missing.

"Anyway..." Nitch broke off from her rant. "What time is it?"

I checked my watch, "Just gone four."

"Shouldn't we be going, then?"

I groaned inwardly.

"Please, Nitch! Don't make me go! I'll hate it and disagree and...and..."

"Nu-uh," she said playfully. "You're coming with me, like it or not. I am not going by myself to these baby classes!"

I moaned again, burying my face in my paws. Baby classes. A mother-to-be's worst nightmare.

There were several reasons why I didn't want to go with Nitch.

Firstly, I would be surrounded by other pregnant women, and for some reason it always made me feel uneasy. I could just about cope being around Nitch, but about twelve in a room, all at once? That was just...unnerving. Plus it would be embarrassing to go into the class with my non-existent bump. People would stare, wondering why I was here when I wasn't pregnant, even though I was. I hated people thinking about me. It made me self conscious and uncomfortable, desperate to know what they were saying in their minds.

Secondly, I was likely to disagree with what the teacher would say. I had my own ideas about things and wanted to stick to them, not be told otherwise by a stranger who knew nothing of what I had been through.

It was like being corrected, being put down.

Finally, if people were staring at me, wouldn't someone sooner or later recognise me? I had managed so far by keeping a low profile, by being quiet and easy to miss. But if someone was examining me wouldn't a spark ignite, the spark of a distant memory? And what if Tom was haunting every pregnancy class, hoping vainly to find me there?

That still scared me.

Despite the cold, I blushed violently, heat radiating from my cheeks.

"Please Nitch?" I begged. "I'll go to the next one, just not this one. Please...?"

"Nope." Nitch shook her head firmly, gripping my arm tightly and beginning to drag me down the street. "You're coming. I don't care if you scream to high heaven not to come, I'm NOT going alone. Most of the other women'll have a dude with them, I don't want to seen as a sad old loner."

I blushed again at the thought.

"You're not implying that-?!" I said in a sort of horrified burst, images of two women instead of a man and a woman floating in my head.

"What-? No!" Nitch retorted. "I meant just as a friend! Geez, Sable!"

I giggled unsurely, and Nitch gave a crooked smile.

"Besides," she began again. "I'm forcing you to go for your own good. If you're adamant about having a scan, the least you can do is be prepared. Ugh, I sound like Ripple." She pulled a disgusted face, and

I laughed.

"Fine, fine." I said, giving in. "Just the once though!"

"You're a real pushover, Sable. You know that?"

"Hey!"

Nitch sniggered, sticking out her tongue at me in a playful manner.

"Being a pushover'll mean you'll spoil your kid! They'll be rotten and spoilt and a complete and utter brat!"

Three months ago, I would've winced at this comment, letting Nitch walk all over me.

But I was a different Sable now.

The Sable of three months ago was cowardly and weak. Now, I was stronger, better. I could heal over time and I would do so until I became the person I wanted to be for my child.

"Well then, you're just childish," I remarked, giving my friend a gentle shove. "Far too immature and unprepared!"

"'Unprepared', she says? Coming from the porcupine who didn't buy a single baby book and doesn't want to go to baby classes? I- oof!"

I had scooped up a handful of snow and thrown it at Nitch, and the pride and satisfaction of seeing it hit her squarely in the face was wonderful.

It took a few moments of wiping snow away from her face before Nitch reacted.

"...THAT'S IT!" she hollered playfully. "You are so dead, Sable! You forget I'm the youngest of four and have years of experience in snowball fights!"

I laughed, ducking away from the snowball hurled in my direction, before taking off down the street, closely pursued by Nitch with another deadly pawful of snow.

_See Tom?_ I thought, as I Nitch managed to get me on my shoulder._ I'm happy. Nothing you can do can take my happiness away from me._ Nothing.

Breathless, we entered the city halls where the baby class would be held. We must've looked like a right pair: snow melting on our clothes, in our coats, wedged in between my spines, fringing our faces. I have to admit, we got a few funny looks, and Nitch crossed her arms over her bump almost protectively. Maybe she just didn't want more people staring at her, smiling with bared teeth.

I thought on this as we entered Hall 7 where the class would take place. Already it seemed Nitch had a natural motherly instinct, a fierce protection for her small bump.

I had no bump.

No motherly instinct.

No sense to protect, fiercely or otherwise.

It made me wonder what I was missing out on. I had a baby inside of me, so why didn't it give off any signs it was there? I'd had no cravings, no heartburn or indigestion. All this baby made me do was hurl every morning and occasionally throughout the day.

Suddenly I had the most horrifying thought.

What if, after the three months of stress, tears and sadness had messed with my baby so much that...it was...it had...

...died.

It would explain everything. Everything. If my baby had died earlier on that would explain why I wasn't experiencing any type of belly growth or hormonal gestures. I clasped my paws around my stomach as we took a seat.

I didn't want my baby to have died.

Unfortunatley, it might've been the case. It was just so plausible. So self-explanitory.

But if the had baby died, I'd have to go back to Wenton. Explain what had happened. And...all sorts of things would happen. Tom's reaction- it would be fake, he would be sorry for me, but feel no loss for himself, despite the fact it was his baby. He'd act releived to have me back, and then the media would be back on the scene, headlines blasting 'SABLE ABLE- RETURNED HOME SAFE AND SOUND, BUT HARBOURING TRAGIC LOSS.'

I wouldn't want people to read about my loss. It was private. Had nothing to do with them. But with all of the media coverage earlier on, then there would be news stories and papers and magazines plastered with things about me again.

And if the first newspaper article was anything to go by, more lies.

I could suddenly feel hot tears slipping down my still-numb face. I couldn't remember when I started crying, just that I suddenly felt incredibly empty inside. Startled, I wiped them away with the cuff of my sleeve before anyone could notice.

Nitch was flicking through the other baby book she had bought. The cover portrayed an human female with a bear cub slung on her hip, a duckling, foal and kitten crawling around her feet and a young bunny sitting upright on the desk next to her. The title read, 'Entering Motherhood: Award-winning guide by highly commended author Sally Brigdale to learning to cope with your firstborn'.

"Better than the other one?" I forced myself to say, my voice still a little choked up from crying.

Nitch nodded slowly, without taking her eyes off the page she was reading, her face furrowed in intense concentration.

"...Better," she agreed. "It's more...pratical."

I raised my head in agreement, my lips forming a silent 'Oh', before giving the room a quick survey.

The chairs were placed in rows, forming a semi-circle around a screen that I presumed we would be shown something on. Occupying the gap between the first row of chairs and the TV screen, were six rectangle mats placed orderly in the space with at least two feet of space between them and the next one.

Nitch had been right; the people in here were with husbands or boyfriends, and most of them had a curve under their shirt or a bump straining the seams of their tops. It made me feel like crying again, watching the couples talk or hold hands, all the while smiling happily. It was unbearable watching the many kisses in the room, as if the gestures were mocking me, reminding me that I could never feel a kiss like that again from the person who I truly wanted to be with. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and press my paws over my ears, blocking out the sounds of happy chatter.

After the sudden thought of what could've happened to my baby, what I was seeing now was pushing me over the edge. I didn't want to see, I didn't want to hear...

I tugged on Nitch's sleeve.

"Nitch?" I whispered thickly. "Can we leave? I'm...not feeling too good."

Nitch eyed me worriedly. I knew without batting an eyelid that she could read me like an open book, and knew why I wanted to leave, why I was so tense and uneasy.

Yet she forced me to stay.

I hunched up on my chair, still feeling like crying, when suddenly there were two sharp claps from the other end of the room. Everyone looked up to see the leader of the class, a formally dressed cat with dirty blonde fur walked down the aisle between the rows of seats to the front. She was wearing a brown suit jacket and matching skirt, with a purple hued cravat and linen blouse. There was a long golden locket around her neck, and a thick golden bangle on her wrist. She had a solid look about her, but she appeared mature and approachable.

Who better to teach a tense class of parents to be?

"Good afternoon, everyone!" she said brightly. "My name is Melissa Yews, but you can all call me Lisa." Melissa smiled encouragingly at the class. I twitched as I felt her gaze breifly linger on me, then sweep away. She was examining us, seeing what kind of people she was dealing with. I didn't like that. It meant she had methods to deal with different types of people. It meant she had different personalities. "I, myself, have carried and successfully delivered seven children in the past fifteen years with my husband," she continued to a collective gasp. "And I have decided to share my experience with you parents to be in a hope to help you through this experience. Although birth is one of the most joyous things in your relationship, I understand it is a very hard time for you all to go through. Morning sickness, cravings, indigestion, heart burn...the list goes on." She gestured dramatically to accent these side effects to carrying a child. "But at the end of it your little bundle of joy will come through, and I can't describe the wondorous moment you hold him or her in your arms. Even after having seven kittens, I experience it every time...the happiness, the wonder, just how incredible you have created a new life...!" Her voice had risen to a high pitch, before she sighed and contiued in a calmer tone. "Of course, raising your child will be hard. But like I said, there will always be those joyous moments...watching them crawl...starting to walk...seeing them go to pre-school, then primary school, then high school...watching them get boyfriends or girlfriends, as they graduate, learn to drive, to see them leave home...I couldn't be prouder of my litter! And I'm sure you all will be. I'll be showing you some videos of raising children and the like and at the end we'll have some time for questions. OK?"

There was a murmur as Melissa Yews nodded, satisfied with her introduction before inserting the first tape into the video recorder.

I shifted in my seat uncomfartably. This Melissa Yews had neglected to take into account there was at least two single mothers in here, both of whom required different advice. Nitch had family to help her, but me...? I had no one.

I glanced at Nitch, who looked over at me at the same time.

"What do you think of her?" I whispered as Melissa hit the play button.

"I'm not sure about her," Nitch hissed in reply. "This is a bit happy-clappy for me."

I nodded in agreement before the lights were snapped off so we could see the screen more clearly.

The video began with snapshots of a much younger Melissa on her wedding day with her husband, who was labeled as 'Jason' in the photo, gripping her paws as they recited vows. A few photos later, of them moving into their new home, there was the picture of a preganancy test which had a distinct blue line across it. It was a positive one. The next photo was a lineup of six or seven different pregnancy tests- all positive. The following slide was a clip of Melissa talking to the camera.

"I've just done seven pregnancy tests," she whispered, her voice buzzing, indicating this was a home video. "They all say positive. I don't know what Jason'll say, I really hope he's happy, because I do want this child..." the video-clip Melissa's eyes watered with tears, and I found myself sniffing as well. Not for her. For myself. Because Tom had said to me 'No'. He hadn't been happy. He hadn't wanted our child.

The video froze and swirly writing drifted across the bottom of the screen. _The beginning is always the hardest..._

Throughout the following ten photos were pictures of Melissa through various stages of her pregnancy, and at the ninth picture she looked ready to explode. The captions told us about her cravings (pickles and jam?!) and temprement, before the grand finale to the video. There was a short video of Melissa doubled over, panting as she struggled to get to the car, and then a moment later, her laid on her back howling the hospital ward down. The next slide told us she was in labour for nine hours before delivering a healthy baby boy, weighing at seven pounds six. The last photo was of her and her husband holding their first kitten, a little ginger tabby. His name rolled across the screen- 'Mitts'.

Nitch and I shared another glance, and it was clear we thought the same thing.

Poor child.

The video ended and the lights blinked back on as Melissa bounced back into centre stage.

"Yes, that was me and my husband throughout the creation of our firstborn, Mitts. Now, let me see, who's having their first child here? Please raise your hands!"

I surveyed the room quickly to see at least two thirds of the room had their paws in the air. Nitch had raised hers halfway, so I copied her.

Melissa came walking through the rows of seats, turning her head this way and that as if looking for someone. My heart began to thud when I realised she was going to ask some questions.

Please don't pick me, please don't pick me!

Thankfully, she didn't.

She pounced on Nitch instead.

"Well, hello there!" she said too cheerfully. "What's your name?"

I could see Nitch silently curse that cat. "Nitch Downearth..." she grumbled.

"Nitch, I see. Say, Nitch, where's your partner?" Melissa asked, glancing around as if he might pop up at any moment.

Nitch shrugged. "Haven't got one."

Melissa raised her eyebrows. She was trying to look surprised, but I could read the disapproval in her face. Nitch looked ready to tear her throat out.

"How did you become pregnant then?" Melissa enquired. I literally bristled myself. How dare she ask such a personal question!

"Like everyone else did!" Nitch snapped, almost despairingly, as if talking to an idiot. "Sex, of course!"

Several women around us coughed or tittered nervously at the word.

Melissa's expression hardened.

"May I ask what happened to the father?"

"He cheated on me, I dumped him. The baby was unplanned but I'm not giving it up. I'm four months pregnant and have three older siblings who'll help me. The problem is-?"

I could see Melissa's problem was single mothers. She sucked in her cheeks and stalked away to put on another video.

Nitch's face was flushed a deep red, so I reached out and put my paw on hers. She was trembling with rage.

"You OK?" I whispered.

"Let me kill her! I so need to kill her!" she raged. "Poking her nose into my buisness! Disapproving of me because I had sex with someone I loved and thought he loved me! Turning up her nose because my baby was an accident! Let-me-strangle-her!"

I murmured comforting words and stroked Nitch's paw whilist Melissa interrogated other parents untill my friend had calmed down.

"You want to leave?" I asked quietly.

Nitch checked her watch. "It's OK. There's only half an hour left. I'll survive." She gave me a grim smile before we refocused on the class.

After a breif lecture on premature births, Melissa clapped her paws together with another dazzling grin.

"Alright, now does anyone have any questions? No? Anyone?"

Nitch leaned over to me and whispered, "I'll wait outside," she whispered, before standing up and declaring, "Yeah, I have question."

Melissa narrowed her gaze. "Yes, Nitch Downearth?"

"Why are you such a bitch?" Nitch said loudly, before storming out of the room. There was gasps and people tuttng at her language.

"Well," Melissa began again. "I think we'll know who in this room will make good mothers, and who won't. Are there anymore- decent questions? No? Before you leave, please feel free to pick up a copy of my new book, 'Having a baby: Parenthood', here for only 320 Bells!" She held up a thin booklet stapled together that looked more like a pamphlet than a book. I was not likely to be buying that- not after how she'd treated Nitch.

"Also," she continued in a slightly more languid tone. "The nearby clinic asked for me to tell you they're going to have a 'scan day' next week. If you feel the need to get your first scan, the register in on the table on your way out. If you're interested please put your name down to make a booking. Anyway," Her tone brightened. "I hope to see you in a few months for your next parenting class!"

As people began to file out, I bit my lip.

Three months ago I had promised myself I wouldn't get a scan. But with this new fear that my baby might've...died...

I hurried out to meet Nitch waiting patiently outside the door for me.

"Well, it's safe to say I won't be going there again!" she joked. "Sorry I forced you to come, Sabe."

"It's OK." I smiled. "You needed someone to hold your paw."

"That I did!" Nitch laughed. "But hey, what took you so long? You were like three minutes later than everyone else."

"Oh, it was nothing." I said, beginning to walk to the exit.

In reality, it wasn't nothing.

Because, even though I had told myself not to, I was having a scan.

I can't have my baby die on me.

**Hehe, it's finally done! Chapter twelve is finally done, yaaaaay. When Nitch was talking about how she was born premature, I modeled her after my older brother. He was premature too, and had the exact same temprement I described Nitch as having. LOL!**

**Hmmm...this chapter seems to focus on Nitch. Should I be concerned? :/**

**Oh, when Nitch called the baby class 'happy-clappy', I got that from my mum when she went to this weight loss club. She said it was too happy clappy for her. So, in my family, we were always saying, "Are you going to happy clappy tonight, mum?" or whatever XD**

**C'mon people! My poll is proving me right! Get voting and pwn me!**

**Reply to Dingo57: I think Mable is entirely blue, almost royal blue, but if you look at Sable she has a red-purple tinge to her brown fur. Y'see?**

**See ya soon .**

14. Chapter 13

_November 26th Today I'm going to have a scan at a nearby clinic. A new fear has buried itself deep into my mind; suddenly I'm worried that my baby might've...um...I don't want to write it. I'm really scared something might've gone wrong. If my suspicions are confirmed then it would explain everything- why I'm not experiencing any side effects, aside from morning sickness. So...em

I was feeling sick just writing it. I closed the notebook quickly before placing it on the bedside cabinet. I was so scared. I placed my paws on my stomach and closed my eyes tightly, so tight they started to produce tears, try vainly to feel a rush of life, a flutter of a breath...SOME indication my baby was alive. I waited like that, hunched over, my paws clasping my midriff for quite some time.

Nothing.

Frustration welled up inside of me and came out as tears. Several ran down my face in quick succession, one after the other as I sat there, mournful.

I wanted to know if my baby was OK. I didn't want it to be dead. I wanted it to still be inside me, swimming in the darkness, growing to form something that would surely light up my life. If my baby survived and was born, my past- with Tom shattering my heart twice over- would surely disappear, and together- me and my child- could start afresh. I wiped my tears away. Crying wouldn't solve anything- it'd just make me feel worse. Besides, after the scan everything would be revealed and I could cry as much as I wanted to then. I would have no baby tobrhurt.

I stood up, my back aching after sitting hunched for so long, before quietly getting my bag containing my money and keys for Redd's front door, my scarf and winter boots, then slipping on my coat. The black cloak I had worn three months ago was now hung up in the back of my wardrobe- it looked far too suspicious to use so often. Instead, I had treated myself to a turquoise blue jacket with padding sewn in to crimson lining on the inside with my wages. Nowadays, now that the novelty of having a new designer in the city at Redd's had worn off,brbuisness was a little slower, but Redd and I still earnt at least another 5,000 Bells every day. So I didn't have to sew so often.

Redd had left the store early this morning to get some more stock. He went to another city, many miles from here, where apparently black market trade is booming. I was still a bit sceptical with living with a con man, but I was getting paid and had a roof over my head- I couldn't really ask for anything else.p

I shut my door before pressing my forehead to the cool wood of the frame. It was comforting and somewhat calmed the hectic thoughts running through my mind. I started murmuring, "Please be alive," to my baby, then I said it again, and again. I began playing a game with myself; if I could get through saying one hundred "please be alives" without stuttering or making a mistake, then my baby would be living still, not...p

I waited until I got through to one hundred before making my way downstairs. The shop was eerily quiet without Redd. He seemed to be part of the building itself; the very foundations of this place I now called home.

Tom was the very foundations of my life back in Wenton.

Back home.

No. This is home now. Home for me and my child.

As I stepped outside, I got a blast of cold air literally attack me as soon as the door opened. My spines prickled in the iciness. With a shiver, I put my hood up over my ears, before beginning to walk down the alley way.

To my appointment at the clinic.

Snow crunched under my boots as I walked, snow that had not yet been swept aside by the street cleaners. As per usual, there were still people milling around, wrapped up in winter clothing, paws in pockets, chins on chests. Most people were gathered near Gracie Grace, darting in and out of the shop, some leaving with a clothes bag or furniture order, others coming out with a glum look, crying, "I didn't have enough!"

My heart was beating hard. Each step I took made me almost dizzy with anticipation- bad anticipation. Anxiousness.

I was frightened.

I had never liked hospitals, or clinics, or doctors. The first times I went to a hospital was when Labelle and Mabel was born and my father and I went to visit them. At first I saw hospitals as miriacle places. Where else could make babies come into the world so swiftly?

The second time I went into a hospital was when my parents were involved in a car crash and died. That was when my hatred of health centres began to stem. My father had died immeadiatly, his air bag in the car had failed to work, so during the crash he hit his head on the steering wheel and split it open. He had bled to death.

But my mother...she had been dashed into A&E, and was slowly, slowly slipping away. I remember watching her from the other side of a glass window, paramedics and doctors surrounding her like a wall that I couldn't penetrate. I remember seeing the tubes going in and out of her like thin snakes. I remember catching her dim, dying eyes, and the look of pain in them made me want to scream that the doctors were hurting her, they were killing her...but the glass was a barrier, and I could only smash my fist against it and scream.

Ever since then I had had this image of health centres killing people unecessarily. I didn't like them. But unfortunatly, they were necessary.

I glanced upwards, looking at the grey sky. It hadn't been fully light all day. Early Christmas lights were strung to and from buildings along the side streets and shops were announcing Christmas sales in bold festive font in their windows. Bits of the festive season was all around me, such a happy, blissfull time of year...yet it sent a pangbrthrough my heart.

Tom had made every single Christmas special for me ever since we'd been acquainted. On the first year we had decided to become a couple, he had given me a 500 Bell coin attatched to a cord of red ribbon.

_"What's this for?" I asked as he hung it round my neck. He kissed my nose tenderly before saying gently, "When you're starving hungry and have no money or no place to go, use this to buy a loaf of bread. Eat it and think 'Tom gave this to me'." _

For some reason those words seized my heart so tightly I was overjoyed. I should've answered, "I won't ever be starving hungry and homeless if I'm with you." Now that I know it hadn't been genuine from the start. I had been a romantic fool, and now I was paying the prices. I sighed, my breath hanging in the air, before dropping my gaze to mybrstomach. Please please please be alive.

I was swaying on my feet now. Left right. Left right. I tried hard to concentrate on walking normally, but my boots were catching on each other and I was tottering, and suddenly I was feeling dizzy...

Panting, I clutched to a lampost, desperate to steady myself. I was frightened, anxious, lonely...my baby could've died on me, I was facing a life of darkness by myself, abandoned by all I knew...

I held in the tears and refrained from keeling over. I needed to do this. No matter how frightened I was.

A drop of cold sliced down my back. For a moment my fur stood on end, before I glanced up to see it was snowing.p

Snow.

I loved snow, it was white, clean. White symbolised feminity and purity. It was so pretty, so untainted. I reached out with one paw to catch a snowflake, and sure enough one settled immeadiatly in my palm.

I watched as it quickly reverted to water before gripping my paw tightly and closing my eyes.

"Give me courage...to do this. Give me courage...give me courage..." I waited there for several minutes, still gripping the long since melted snowflake, regaining my senses, snow still swirling around me as if it were trying to protect me.

Somehow.

I tightened the scarf around my neck a little, giving me a somewhat stonger sense of security.

Fears would have to be faced.

I was going. ...p

The smell of antiseptic and over cleanliness almost nauseated me as I made my way over to the front desk. I swallowed, before standing before the receptionist- a yellow bird of some sort, dressed in a pale blue uniform- who was tapping away at a keyboard.

"Just a second-" she trilled, punching on the last few keys. "There! All done! Now, what can I do for you, my love?" She turned her attention on me.

"Uh- I'm here for the scans today?"

"Oh, right." I watched as the receptionist's eyes flickered from my face to my midriff. I felt myself blushing self conciously. She must've been thinking, 'Does she think she's pregnant?'

Nevertheless, she opened a new tab on her computer which appeared to be a form of some sort.p

"Then I'll need to take your name," she said perkily.

"Uh...Tessa Berke." I replied, saying the first name that came into my head. If I had told her the truth, she would surely recognise me as the missing woman from the papers three months ago.

She asked me a few other questions about personal information, which I provided her with (all fake of course.) before she directed me to the waiting room down the corridor.

As soon as I entered the room, the first thing I noticed was at least nine women, all sporting a pregnant bump, some of them around the same size as Nitch's, others' definitly nudging the eighth month mark. It looked as if Melissa Yew's advertisement as the end of her class didn't go unheard. I felt very small among them all.

Due to the nine women, six of which were heavily pregnant, all of the seats were taken.

"Oh, I'll shift," a middle aged evergreen bear said, scooting over on her seat. "My bump takes up too much space!"

I smiled nervously at her before taking the seat. "Thank you,"

"That's fine. But I seriously can't wait- next month and I'll finally be rid of this here! Baby bumps are so very impractical." She held out a paw for me to shake. "Pat Gurdling. Nice to meetcha."

"Oh...um...Tessa Berke." I said hurriedly, stumbling over the fake name. I shook her paw, a little unnerved by how forward she was.

A nurse came in and called out a name I didn't register, and a woman got up and left. Pat continued to speak.

"So what're you here for today then?"

"Scan..." I mumbled.

"A scan?" she echoed. "So you're expecting too?"

I bit my lip and nodded. I didn't really want to answer all of her questions- I just wanted to go into the clinic and get my scan! Pat, however, didn't seem to sense this.

"Really!" She laughed. "One glance at you wouldn't make someone think you're going to have a baby, eh?"p

I pressed my lips together tightly and forced a smile. "Yes, but I'm only three months along."

"Ohh, I see. That explains it." Goodness, this woman really was a hardcore gossiper, wasn't she? I picked up a well-worn magazine tatty edges, hoping vainly she'd pick up on the hint and leave me be. But, by an ironic slap of fate the magazine I had picked up was entitled 'Tips for Having Children'.

"Oh no, no, no, noooo." Pat said, easing the magazine out of my paws. "Pfuf! Baby magazines! Nothing but tips that worked for someone but won't work for anyone else. Trust me- everything will happen your way, nothing that any book can teach you. Really, This is my third." She laid an evergreen paw over her bump and winked.p

I blinked. Well, since distraction failed, I might as well've been polite and engage in conversation.

"What was...your first like?" I stammered out shyly.

"Oh ho ho!" Pat chuckled, eying me teasingly. "Somebody's a new mother! Weren't you listening to me just a second ago? One person's experience will completely differ from someone else's. But, since you're interested, I might as well tell you. "It was six years ago- I was freshly married, happy, happy, happy...and then just before the honeymoon, BAM!" She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Found out I had a bun in the oven. Told him, he left me, right then, right there. Literally. He actually dropped his suitcase and walked right out. I was in a right state for the next four months or so. Then I met my second husband- Lawrence. He promised to bring up the baby like it were his own. And he did! When my little girl, Faeila was born, he loved her more than her real father could've. She became his little girl, and why change that? We told her as soon as she understood that her real daddy wasn't Lawrence- and ya know what? I don't think she minds at all. Then my little boy was born three years later- Nickol- and they're just like real siblings, even though they're halves."p

"Do...you know the gender of your...um...third?" I enquired trying desperatly to make conversation.

"Yep. 'Nother girl. Nickol'll be furious, he so wants a brother. But hey! I'm still young! Um...kind of." She scratched her head and sighed good-naturedly. "That's the thing about having kids. You settle down and decide to do all of the exciting things you planned to do afterwards and then suddenly...you're older than you realise. When your last one leaves home I expect you'll be ready to retire!"p

The trueness of her words hit me in the stomach. Literally like someone slammed their fist into me. I brought a finger to my mouth and nibbled on it indescisively. Was I still counted as young? I mean, I was twenty five- Tom was two years older- and yet this baby, even it were unplanned would take away a majority of my life...

But it could be just what I needed. A dose of happiness in this cruel world. A light to find me in my dark corner.

For the next few minutes silence subdued us before another nurse came in and stated Pat's name.

"Well, off I go, to my final scan." she smiled and pushed herself up from the chair. "Nice to talk to you Tessa. And good luck with your first born."

"Thanks..." I trailed off as she left the room, swaying a little on her feet. I assumed that was because she was just so darn big. For a moment I imagined me in the next few months- would I swell up so big I could barely walk? Or would I stay the way I was, with my baby miscarried...

The fear and dread consumed me again and it was all I could do to keep from screaming out loud. Instead, I began to hum an old lullaby my mother used to sing to me, then Labelle, then Mabel. The lyrics were soft and soothing- hence its purpose as a lullaby- but they were deep and meaningful, special to us. emThe hum of the sewing machinebrSlowly, slowly, soothes me to sleep Where I dream of tomorrow, where I'll make amazing thingsbrI take the needle, thread it with care_ emLovingly make stitches and prepare for lifebrOne day, some day, I have big plans But first I'll lay down my headbrAnd sleep And sleepbrI'll sleep and dream Of fashioning new tomorrowbrBut first I must sleep First I will sleepbrAnd when I have slept New dawn will begin, like the first stitchbrIn a new dress The beauty of my life will beginem I hummed this for a long time- over and over, until a nurse came to the door and called out "Tessa Berke."p

I didn't react for a moment, not used to reacting to this name before leaping to my feet and hurrying over in a clumsy emabarrasment, mumbling, "Sorry, sorry," to the nurse for the delay.

The nurse frowned. "Are you OK?" she asked. "You look very pale. Would you like some water?"

"I-I-I'm fine." I stammered. "But thanks anyway." The nurse looked at me sceptically before turning away to lead me to the clinic.

I was trembling like a leaf as she opened the door to the room I was dreading, and nodded as a gesture to say 'go in'.

"T-thank you." I stuttered, before stumbling into the room as if I was pushed.

A fairly young dog was sat at the desk, typing something into the computer. She turned immeadiatly as the door closed.

"Ah! Welcome, Tessa Berke." She exclaimed. She gestured for me to sit down. "Before we get on with the actual scan, I'd like to ask you some questions first."

Yikes. Feeling like a plate of extremely failed jelly that Mabel once made when she was eight, I sat on the hard wooden chair oposite her. Brr, was it just me, or was it cold in here?

"Now," The dog folded her fingers together, making an arc. "I'm Doctor Vanessa Hudsen. I understand this is your first pregnancy?"

"Mm-hm."

"And how long have you been pregnant?"

"Three months, but-" I faltered when she looked up at me, her eyeborws raised. She was very beautiful, black fur with sweeps of white outlining her facial features. I dropped my gaze to the ground. "T-the reason why I'm here is b-because I was worried...um...well I've been quite stressed in the past few months, and I seem to be lacking all of the natural pregnancy symptoms that everyone else experiences, and, um, my stomach hasn't changed size, and I was worried that..."

"You might've miscarried." The Doctor said gently. I nodded and let a few tears fall. "Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough. In that case, shall we get striaght onto it?"

I nodded furiously, tears still stinging the back of my eyes. Vanessa patted the couch behind her and told me to lie down whilst she switched on the monitor and readied the equipment.

My heart was in my mouth as I leaned back on the couch. This was it. The moment of truth. I noticed my paws shaking uncontrollably by my sides. Everywhere else was shaking and my heart was pumping at a million miles an hour.

"Is this your first scan?"

"Mm-hm." It was the one sound I could muster without screaming.

The Doctor shook her head. "You should've really had one straight away when you found out you were expecting. Did you?"

"Mm-mm." I shook my head as I sat up quickly. I swallowed the knot of fear in my throat and choked out, "But I had the pregnancy test at the hospital."

"OK," Vanessa pulled on some rubber gloves. "FYI, these are just for sanitary reasons. I promise you it won't get sticky and messy- not until your due date that is."

She plugged in a tool that looked like a flat iron for uncreasing your clothes to the monitor. Immediatly, the machine began to hum, and the screen blinked on. It showed nothing but a grey background.

"I'm going to pass this over your stomach until I locate the fetus. If there isn't one, I'm afraid yes, you miscarried. But try keep as calm as possible. If you're panicked, the image will blur and it'll also take alot longer to find a baby."

I pressed by lips together as I lay back down, and Vanessa came towards me with her flat iron thing in her hand.

"By the way it's very cold," she said, pulling my shirt up a little so she could place the iron thing on my stomach. I felt a little violated and extremely self-concious. Not to mention astronomically terrified. Nevertheless, I clamped a paw over my mouth and and tried taking deep breaths.

"That's it," Doctor Vanessa said calmly. She placed the tool on my stomach, making me twitch at the cotact.

"Please just do it quickly," I said, closing my eyes tightly. I was feeling sick, ready to faint.

The doctor made no response as the iron slid over my stomach, and I concentrated mainly on remembering how to breathe. In, out, in, out...

I felt so sick. My insides were turning inside out, wrenching my guts around and around like a grisly carousel. Maybe I'd throw up right there in the clinic...I felt like passing out. Oxygen failed to supply enough to me as I held my breath...

"We have a picture," Vanessa announced.

Oh God. Oh God. Just tell me. Tell me quick.

"I'm sorry."

Oh holy mother of God, No!

My eyes flew open as I sat up quickly.

"No..." I whispered, the word dry on my throat.

Vanessa glanced at me- appearing not to have heard.

"It appears your baby doesn't feel like saying hello right now."

What?

Vanessa pointed towards the monitor and I looked.

There it was- my baby- curled in a tight position...with its back to us.

"It's...it's alive...?" I whispered.

"Yep, he sure is." Vanessa said, peeling off her gloves.

"'He'?" I echoed.

"Oh-" Doctor Vanessa pulled up short. "Oh, no, I'm just using the generic term. Y'know, since boys are more common han girls nowadays. It's too early to tell his- its gender at the moment, but at five months, it's possible."

I was barely listening. My baby was alive...My baby was ALIVE!

I stared at the monitor in silence for few minutes. There it was- my baby. Its back was clearly visible, but other than that it looked totally alien at the moment. It's head was bulbous, no spines had started to grow, and it's paws looked so tiny. Just above the fuzzy outline there looked to be a shadow, an imprint of the baby.

"What's that?" I asked, my finger tracing the outline.

"Oh, that's just the monitor. It sometimes 'sees double', if you know what I mean- to be honest, we need a new one." Vanessa stuck her paws in her back pockets. "Either that, or it's a twin."

"A-a twin?" I stammered. Surely not...!

"Hm? Oh, no, no no no no no! It's pratically impossible for you to have twins- if you were having twins, your pregnancy would definitely begin to show by now."

I breathed a sigh of releif. One was...well, one thing, and twins were another. Thank God.

I pulled down my shirt as the doctor removed the scanning equipment and collected my things. I really wanted to ask her for a printout of the ultrasound to keep, but she hadn't offered one, and I didn't want to impose or anything. Besides, now that my scan was over and the news confirmed; I could leave.

"Right then, let's schedule you in for another appointent, say...in two months, for- hey!"

I had already left, running like the river forever flowing back in Wenton.

My baby was alive. ...p

I lay in bed that night, watching the snow fall through my curtains. My paws were laid on my stomach, pleased beyond all recognition. I'd never been more releived. My baby was alive. Mine and Tom's baby was still hanging on.

"I love you," I whispered to my stomach before snuggling under my duvet a little more. I was about to drop off to sleep when I felt it.

A curve.

My stomach was no longer flat.

I couldn't stop my face from breaking into a smile. At long last. Some proof my baby existed.

I knew it before, I'd known it for three months, but for the first time, it felt real and true when I said it.

"I'm going to have a baby."

pstrongI'm back again! Yes, Guest who commented last...I've updated already!strong

**Phew...where to start?**

**Well firstly, I hope you all had a great Christmas. I did as well...and it was my birthday at the beginning of the month! And I got two little gerbils! Which is the reason why some of this chapter is crap...I had the light on at 1 in the morning whilst typing this, so they thought it was time to get up and chew on the bars of their cage and run on their wheel...y'know. So I had to keep getting up and putting em to bed. -.- But Ne'er mind.**

**Also, for Christmas, I got a brand new laptop! This laptop has YouTube and the correct program to upload stuff to ** **so updates may or may not become a little more frequent!**

**And...I'm running out of ideas for this story. If it were't for all my lovely readers who leave the best reviews, I would've probably given up on this story a loooooooong time ago. So, if you continue showing the same amount of support this story always gets by giving meh some ideas, then I will special mention you 'speially. ^^**

**But I'll wrap this up right here. so thank you so much. Criticsm welcomed and all forms of praise and comments, of course. See you soon!**

**Hoehomi-Chan xxx**

15. Chapter 14

Christmas went by quietly for the first time in my life- though I did send Mabel a present from the city- and so did the New Year. Time slipped away slowly, and before I knew it, it was February.

Five months pregnant. When did that happen? It seemed surreal- especially now I knew that my baby was alive and well, and I actually felt pregnant for the first time in the past few months.

My stomach had swelled out further, at long last, and finally people would acknowledge I was expecting. I was still rather small- but I still had four months to go. My symptons of pregnancy had suddenly started as well. Cramps in my lower abdomen, indigestion after I ate too quickly...but at least my morning sickness had finally stopped.

My sewing machine hummed away as I finished hemming a smocked blouse. Redd had decided that we should introduce a Spring range whilst it was still late Winter, so he could put supposed 'discounts' on the products. I tried not to get involved with marketing too much- I was still slightly uncomfartable with Redd being such a con artist- but all I did was make the clothes and collect my share of money. Surely that couldn't hurt. Besides, if one good thing had come of this whole horrible experience, it was my sewing skills improving. Nowadays I could tackle much harder things that I would've shrunk away from in the past. It was a good feeling.

The blouse looked really nice. I was pretty proud of it. It had a loose, floaty look, with airy space in the chest and around the hips that flattered the wearer's body shape. Finally finished, I hooked it onto a hanger and placed the newly finished garment on the rail for Redd to collect later. Currently, he was out- for reasons I didn't know. There were three other pieces of clothing on the rail- a white satin skirt, a pair of slightly flared trousers decorated with a egotistical pattern and a pale pink camisole with a light blue wrap attatched.

Just as I sat back down, the phone at the other end of the room began to ring. I groaned inwardly, knowing I had to get up again. My abdomen contracted sharply when I stood up and squeezed painfully when I remained standing for a long time.

"Sorry," I said, patting my bump. "Inevaitable circumstance,"

I stood up, wincing at the sharp pain shooting through my lower stomach, before making my way over to the table where the ringing phone trilled its bell.

I picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" I said into the mouthpiece.

"Hey, Sable, it's Nitch." Nitch's staticky voice came through.

"Oh, hi. I didn't expect you to call me." I said, blinking in surprise. We'd only conversed via phone a couple of times, so i was a bit of a surprise for her to randomly call ut of nowhere.

"Yeah, I know, sorry for being sudden." she replied. "But Ripple shooed me out of the way, so I'm bored as hell, and I wondered if I could come round to you?"

I paused, deliberating. Redd knew of Nitch and her family, but I was unsure whether or not he'd be content with Nitch coming here, to his building. After all, his biggest fear was being ratted out.

But Nitch wasn't like that. She was stubborn, too- if any of her family asked her where she'd been she wouldn't let on she was at the biggest black market in the city.

"OK, that sounds fine." I smiled. "Do you know your way here? Or do you want me to come to Copper Kettle and we can walk back here?"

"Nah, to tell you the truth, I'm just skulking around the town square at the moment. Using a phone booth that I can barely squeeze in." Nitch said sarcastically, making me laugh.

"Fine then, it's down the alleyway next to the theatre in the city centre. Door at the very end." I explained, mapping it out visually.

"Woah...you live down an alleyway, Sable?"

"Yes? Your point?"

"...creeeeepy..."

"Oh shut up." I giggled. "I'll be waiting,"

"My point exactly!" Nitch exclaimed. "'I'll be waiting'! That is a very creepy line to say!"

"I thought I told you to shut up?" I said teasingly into the receiver. "But hurry on over. See you then."

"Ciao."

I put the hand set down and sighed deeply. Redd wouldn't like having Nitch here while he was out, but she was six months pregnant and out in town whilst it was still one digit temperatures outside. The least I could do was be hospitable.

One good thing about Redd overpricing the clothes I made was the fact I wasn't ever really short on money. Because of this, I had bought a small kitchen set to stay in my room, so my entire room became my kitchen, my lounge, bedroom and working space. I put the kettle onto boil and threw tea bags into mugs (borrowed from downstairs). The water had just boiled when I heard a sharp rap on the door and Nitch's voice through the letter box, "Sable? I have got the place right, haven't I?"

Panicked, I switched the hob off and hurried downstairs as fast as I could allow myself. After all, I had a baby to be concerned about as well!

I opened the door a little breathlessly to find Nitch standing outside looking doubtfully at my window upstairs. She was wrapped in a thick red padded coat and a black scarf that engulfed the lower half of her face. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Hey," she said, flipping her blue fringe out of the way of her eyes. "You had me worried for a sec. I mean, this place looks so derelict. You seriously live here?"

"It's not like I had much choice." I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, away from the cold world out there. "When I first came to the city no other places were availible for rent."

"OK, OK, I've heard your sob story too many times," Nitch rolled her eyes, pulling off her scarf. "Every time I complain about heart burn or indigestion Ripple gets all watery-eyed and starts saying, 'you might complain, but think about how it is for poor Sable! She's been through so much more than you, the poor thing!" She said this in a high impersonation of Ripple's sing-song tone. I scratched my temple, slightly embarrassed by this.

"She says that about me?" I asked.

"Yep. And it's so dang annoying." Nitch frowned at the room we were in- Redd's shop- and pursed her lips. "Odd kinda room, Sable. There's just a chair, a painting and...that thing." She pointed at a yellow triangular object.

"This is Redd's shop. He has very few wares in at a time, and he has yet to add my latest clothing display. My room's upstairs," I explained. "See- stairs are here, behind the curtain."

I let Nitch go first up the stairs. She teetered worryingly with each step, and I was constantly terrified she'd topple backwards all of a sudden. It was such an old, ricketty stair case I was scared it would break under my weight. That, and it very narrow and pretty steep.

We reached the top unscathed (thankfully). I led Nitch into my room and she sat down greatfully on the sofa against the back wall, after she had taken her coat off first, of course.

I went to pour out the water in the kettle, but I couldn't help sneaking a sideways glance at her baby bump as she removed her coat. She was wearing a tight elastic-y light brown jumper and black jeans. Her baby bump was huge. It was straining against the fabric of her jumper, showing the seams quite clearly at the side.

"I'm officially sick of being pregnant," she said as I gave her a mug of tea. "I just want this baby out of me- now. It's irritating having this huge baby bump."

"Three more months," I said, smiling sympathetically at her. "So you still don't know the gender yet?"

"Nope." Nitch shook her head. "Doctors appointment tomorrow. Whop de frickin' doo. My doctor's a bitch."

I sat down in the arm chair across from her. "Poor you."

"Have you had a doctor's appointment anytime recently?" Nitch asked, one eyebrow raised as she took a sip of tea. I hadn't told her about my scan two months ago.

I shook my head, looking down into my mug. "No..."

"Well, Ripple is desperate to try and persuade you to go. You know how she is- acting like everyone's problems are her own. She's my big sister, but she acts like a big sister to everyone, dosen't she?"

"That, she does." I agreed. "But you're lucky. I'M the oldest in my family, and when my parents died, I didn't have anyone to fuss over me like Ripple does. So it's kind of nice when Ripple treats me like family."

Nitch's forehead puckered up. "Sorry!" she exclaimed all of a sudden, placing her mug down on the table next to her. I looked at he, surprised.

"What-?"

"Here I am complaining, and your problems are ten times worse than my petty complaints." Nitch sighed, rubbing her forehead despairingly. "How do you stand me?"

"Quite easily, actually," I raised my eyebrows and cocked my head at an angle. "We're complete oposites- and, you know, oposites attract, as they say."

"Yeah..." Nitch rubbed at her forehead a little more before letting her paw drop.

I frowned, placing my mug on the floor. "Are you OK? Do you want anything?"

"No- no, I'm fine." Nitch looked up at me with a weak smile. "My baby's just kicking me reeeeeeeeally hard and it friggin' hurts."

"Oh- OK," I bit my lip. I didn't really know what to do in such a situation- should I call someone from Nitch's family to pick her up? Should I tell her to go home? Should I offer her something to eat? "I'm sure it'll stop in a minute." Wow. My advice was lame. It sounded so limp and offered no help whatsoever.

"Yeah," Nitch rubbed her lower abdomen as a look of pain crossed her face. "Has your baby started moving yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Ah, well, you're lucky," she nodded knowingly. "Mine started rolling around when I was at three months. It's so annoying, because when I want to sleep, he starts kicking. I get up and have something to drink, he'll stop, I'll go back to bed, he'll start kicking again. Call me impatient, but I just want him out of me."

"Yes, you're impatient. Very impatient." I said teasingly. "Maybe he'll be a footballer?"

"No. Won't allow him to." Nitch shook her head firmly. "Hate the sport. Besides, unless you become a player in one of the big teams, you earn next to nothing. He'll get a proper job and-" suddenly, she clapped her hand to her mouth. "Oh God, I sound like Ripple."

"No, you sound like a mother," I assured her. After all, Ripple was like a mother to all her younger siblings- especially Nitch. Come to think of it, I didn't know much about Nitch's parents at all...

"Yeah, suppose so." Nitch rolled her eyes a little, before frowning again and squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "Mmm..."

"Nitch?" I said cautiously. "Does it hurt?"

"Y-yeah..." Nitch muttered, her voice tight. "A little..." She broke off, panting a little bit. "It's...OK...though. I've...been hurting a little...since this morning..."

"Nitch, are you sure you're OK? If you want, I'll-"

"No, it's fine...honestly." she opened her eyes a little as I stood up and went over to her. "It's probably just fatigue..."

I shook my head at her, squatting down to her level. "Nitch, I don't think that's the case. I think you should get home as soon as-"

I was cut off by Nitch's sudden scream of pain, a tormented, horrible sound. It lasted barely a second, but she suddenly looked very pale, very scared and sweaty.

"Oh God," she gasped. "Oh God, no..."

"What the-" I began, but was stopped when Nitch suddenly whipped around to look at me the most frightened I've ever seen her.

"Sable," she panted. "My water just broke."

I felt the room reel around me. No, she couldn't be- not now, she was only six months pregnant! It wasn't unheard of for a baby to be a few weeks premature, but by three months? That couldn't be good- it couldn't be good at all!

"Thank God you came here when you did," I said as I swooped down on the phone. The thought of her going into labour out on the street scared me.

"Sable, I'm scared-" I was vaguely aware of Nitch's voice behind me. "I'm not ready, not yet- not yet..." A contraction must've interuppted her at this point because she hunched over and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Nitch, what's your house number?" I asked, my finger hovering over the buttons.

"Rrg...really? Now?" Nevertheless, she forced it out, her voice barely controlled.

There was a click.

"Hello, you've reached Copper Kettle. This is Ripple Downearth, can I help you?" Ripple's voice seemed ridicolously upbeat for such a situation. My own voice came out strangled as I replied,

"Ripple, hi, it's Sable..."

"Sable? How are you? I haven't seen you in a while-"

"I'm sorry Ripple, not now, but Nitch just went into labour, and she's at where I live and-"

"WHAT?" I winced as Ripple squawked like a bird at this. "NITCH WENT INTO LABOUR?"

"Yes, and-"

"Let me speak to her-" Ripple instructed so firmly I motioned for Nitch to come over.

"Is...Ripple...stupid?" Nitch growled. "I can barely...frigging...move!"

I glanced at the phone cord helplessly as Nitch dragged herself off of the sofa and somehow staggered towards me to take the phone, almost doubled over. She gripped the edge of the table and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Can't you tell I'm a little tied up at the moment?" she growled.

"Nitch!" I heard Ripple's squawk from next to Nitch. "Are you OK? What's going on?"

"No, I'm not OK...!" Nitch retorted, her face contorted with pain. It hurt me to see one of my friends like this and knowing I couldn't do anything to help her. "Ripple, I'M IN GOD DAMN LABOUR! Of course I'm not alright!" A tear slipped down her cheek. "What do I do? I'm not ready..."

"Nitch, it'll be OK." Ripple's voice was much calmer, yet still rang out somewhat clearly. "We'll all be there for you. Stay as calm as you can. We're coming now."

"What about the cafe?" Nitch whimpered.

"Not important when it comes to our little sister."

I felt my brow crease as my heart skipped a beat. _Little sister..._

The Downearths would always be there for their littlest sister. What had I done to mine?

Left her.

I left her at Wenton to burden the world's worries upon her small shoulders. She was only fifteen, for goodness' sakes!

What had I been thinking back then?

I passed a paw over my face. Not now. I could beat myself up later. I had to help Nitch.

"Give the phone back to Sable," Ripple was saying soothingly. Nitch passed the receiver to me and slid down onto the floor, hunched over, in serious pain. I squatted down next to her and put my arm around her.

"Hello again Sable," Ripple's voice was back to her upbeat chatter, but this time with a sense of urgency. "Where do you live? We're coming over,"

I wasn't thinking when I blurted out the same instructions I gave to Nitch a mere half an hour ago. It didn't occur to me that Redd certainly wouldn't like the entire set of Downearths coming down to his place untill way after. Right now I was concentrating on my friend.

Ripple hung up and I dropped the phone back onto the handset with a clatter before crouching back down to Nitch.

"Sable..." she panted. "Could I...lie down...somewhere..."

"O...of course." I stammered, glancing around the room. The sofa was closest but wasn't too comfartable- and since Nitch was in such pain, the bed seemed like the safest bet. "OK, just give me a moment."

I scurried over to my bed and ripped the duvet off and dropped it onto the floor, then tore off the undersheet and replaced it with a fresh one faster than I had ever in my life.

I hooked an arm around Nitch's waist as she gripped my shoulder tightly.

"On three," I said, licking my dry lips. "One...two...three!"

We both stood up, just as another contraction ripped through Nitch and she grunted loudly, her legs buckling.

"Ugh...it hurts," she cursed. "It hurts..."

I fought not to drop down under her weight. I wasn't the strongest person at the best of times, but Nitch's weight and her baby's was almost unbearable against my shoulder.

"Come on, Nitch," I begged. "You can do it,"

With another undignified grunt, Nitch dragged herself somewhat upright and we slowly began to walk towards the bed. Her breathing was ragged and pained, and I could feel her dragging her feet. There was no doubt. She was having her baby right here, right now.

We finally reached the bed and she collapsed onto it in a heap, her whole body heaving. She was scaring me, this moment was scaring me. Her body shook with each contraction, and the strong, brave, feisty woman I had known over the past few months was completely silenced by such strong pain. And I, all I could do was hold her paw and whisper that everything would be alright whilst she writhed in agony on my bed, screaming and grunting and crying.

There was a sharp rap at the door that could only be Nitch's family. I leapt up from my position next to Nitch, alert, before slowly easing my paw out of Nitch's.

"I'll be right back," I whispered. Nitch looked pained to see me go and her paw flailed helplessly at me.

"Sable, no...come back..."

"I will," I assured her before slipping downstairs as quickly as I could.

I opened the door to see all three other Downearths stood outside, with wide eyes and short, sharp breaths.

"Sable!" Ripple cried dramatically, throwing her arms around me. "Thank you so much for calling me- God knows what would've happened to her if she hadn't come here- thank you, thank you, thank you!" She was almost crying on my shoulder. I patted her on the back gently as she released me from her death grip.

"What ever Ripple," Rerro growled, pushing his way in. "Where is she? Where's Nitch?" He demanded.

"Upstairs-" I began, but they all shot past me before I had blinked. Dazed, I shut the door before following them up the stairs and into my room.

Fele had been carrying a bag which was now strewn on my arm chair, and all of their coats and scarves littered the floor around the bed. There was now a little huddle around Nitch.

"Nitch!" Ripple was sobbing. "Why didn't you say you were hurting this morning? Why didn't you TELL me...?"

"Ripple...ngh...it's...called...fate..." Nitch grumbled through gritted teeth before shrieking in pain.

"Don't you worry," Fele was smoothing out Nitch's electric blue fringe gently. "Everything'll be just fine. Everything'll work out."

Rerro shot a glance over at me. "Where's the phone?"

"Huh?" I blinked.

"The phone?" He repeated. "Nitch needs a doctor, now, else she nor the baby'll make it!" His voice rose as he said this and I winced a little at his fury.

"Hey!" I expected Ripple to be the one reprimanding him for speaking rudely, but no- it was Nitch! My dear friend Nitch was tugging on his sleeve, and as he bent down she grabbed his collar and hissed, "Listen, bro, for one, don't talk to Sable like that, you bastard. She's the one who TOLD you I was in labour, and she's let you into HER house, so I suggest you treat her with damn good respect whilst you're under her roof, got it? And two, there ain't no way I'm leaving today and neither is my child, understand?"

There was silence in the room before Fele suddenly burst out laughing.

"That's our Nitch!" She laughed, ruffling Nitch's fur on her head. "She decides what's going to happen to her, not her dumb ass brother!"

"That aside," Rerro growled as Nitch released him. "We still need a doctor here."

"Um...the phone's right there, by the door." I stammered.

"Right." Rerro nodded curtly at me before making his way over to the table and making the call.

"W-would you like something to drink?" I inquired to my new guests.

"Yes please," Fele said, glancing up from where she was seated, next to Nitch on the bed.

"Oh, don't worry," Ripple butted in hurriedly. I'll make them- I insist- you are pregnant too, after all."

I laid a paw over my jutting out stomach gently, smiling gratefully. It was nice to know not all of the attention was on Nitch, and people remembered my condition too.

Instead, I dragged up all of the chairs in the room- my work chair, the dining table chairs- up to the bed so we could all have a seat.

Fele edged off of the bed and took one of the chairs happily, continuing to slowly stroke Nitch's forehead softly, humming a small tune. I took my seat on the oposite side of Nitch, and her paw reached out towards me. I caught it in both of mine and he smiled as best she could.

"You've been quieter these past few minutes. Are you feeling better?" I asked.

"No...just learning to deal with it. It still hurts like hell and I feel like crap..."

"Shh," Fele said soothingly, still drawing patterns on Nitch's head. "Everything'll be fine."

Rerro put the phone down and came over to us.

"There's a doctor on the way. Says' they'll be ten to fifteen minutes." He said flatly.

"Aw, come on," Nitch lifted her head up from the pillows. "I have to wait that long?"

"It'll come and go," Ripple chimed in as she brought everyone but Nitch a steaming hot cup of coffee. "Oh- Sable, I'm sorry, can you drink coffee? I mean, since you're expecting- Nitch couldn't."

I nodded. "Oh, I can. As long as it's not more than a cup every other day." To prove this I took a sip of the warm liquid, and that seemed to convince her.

"Hey- hey Ripple, I may be in labour, but I'm still pregnant too. Don't speak in the past tense yet," Nitch said wearily.

"Dont fuss," Ripple said to her, patting the back of her paw. "I might as well speak in the past tense, I think our little niece or nephew is definitely going to be born today."

pstrongDun dun duuuuuuuuuun! Betcha can't wait for Chapter 15, eh?strong

**But anyway, I'm open to all suggestions for story ideas! I will specially mention you in an author's note if you do. But please give me some suggestions, and you get a cookie, and you know what? A whole chapter- yes, A WHOLE CHAPTER- in this story will be dedicated to you.**

**So...**

**This is for GeorgieexSuarez! This entire chapter is dedicated to that crazy chick. ;) Thanks so much for your support.**

**Want your own chapter? Get reviewin'!**

**Also...I am announcing Tight Stitches' very own competition! Yes! A competition! I'm sure you've seen my crappy cover, right? Well, here's your chance to make one for TS and have it used as the official front cover! Here's how to enter: 1) Make your front cover 2) Upload it to wherever I can see it (If you have a DeviantArt account, you could put it up on there and link it to me, on Facebook, on your blog...or you can make the cover and publish a story called 'Entry for Tight Stitches Competition' and use your cover as its cover. You can delete it later). 3) PM me, telling me where it is and send me a link 4) Wait for the results!**

**The closing date is March 1st, so you effectively have a little less than two months.**

**Have fun!**

16. Chapter 15

The waiting for the medical team to arrive was unbearable; with Nitch squirming in pain every now and then, the taste of bitter coffee clogging up my throat, not to mention the tension we all felt sat around the bed.

"Ripple?" Nitch eventually asked.

Ripple shuffled foward on her seat a little bit and stroked the back of Nitch's paw gently. "What is it?" she purred.

"Do you know what happens to babies born when they're six months old?"

The look on Nitch's face made my heart want to melt. It was such an obvious question, yet Nitch's pained expression showed she was doubting her baby was going to make it. But lying on my bed helplessy, in pain every seven minutes or so, and this little question made her seem younger than ever.

"Everything'll be fine-" Ripple began to say but was cut off.

"That wasn't my question," Nitch almost snapped. "Do you know what happens to them?"

"Er...no." Ripple looked uneasy.

"I bet you don't either, do you, Rerro?"

"No..." Rerro glanced at the floor, deliberatly avoiding eye contact.

"Fele?"

"Can't say I do..."

The answer was so obvious. I could feel my mouth dry and my throat close up when Nitch turned to look at me. I didn't want to say it. It would surely pervade the mood, no matter how dark it was already, but the extra worry wouldn't do anyone any good, so I didn't want to say the words...

'They tend to die.'

Just as Nitch's mouth opened there was a sharp hammering at the door. Aha! Saved! I hurriedly excused myself, then flew down the stairs for the third time and peered through the peep hole.

A midwife stood outside- a startingly white stork- clothed in a light blue dress with her name embroidered on the top pocket. She clutched a small black bag in one paw and a folded garment in the other. Behind her there stood another midwife, this time a pale primrose squirrel carrying bits of equipment I didn't recognise. Slowly I opened the door.

"Hello," The stork said smoothly in a professional tone. "We were told that a young woman has just gone into premature labour?"

"Y-yes." I stammered. The stork's eyes flickered down to my protruding stomach as I hurriedly added, "She's upstairs."

"OK then." The stork smoothed out the front of her dress. "Can we come in and attend to the patient?"

"Of course," I said, standing aside to let them enter. I led them upstairs and into my room where Ripple immediatly greeted them warmly.

"Oh! Hello!" she said. "Thank goodness you're here- we were getting worried..."

"Ripple, quit flapping." Nitch instructed from the bed as she struggled to sit up.

"Oh, don't bother sitting up," the stork added quickly. "Stay down- it's much more comfy for you, is it not?"

The pair swept over to the bed side and the squirrel began setting up the apparatus she held in her arms. The stork pulled out a notepad and pen and took a seat- the chair that I had been sat on, in fact.

"Alright then, before we do anything else, we need to take some details. So your name is?...Oh, and by the way, I have to write it down- medical records." she quickly explaining.

"Nitch Downearth."

"Nitch? Well it's good to meet you Nitch. My name's Susan, and this is Tunia." Susan gestured to the squirrel who gave us a shy nod, scribbling it down. "OK, and next, who's here with you?"

"My older sisters, Ripple and Fele, and my older brother Rerro." Nitch continued, screwing up her face suddenly. Another contraction must be on its way.

"OK, and next..." Susan added as she jotted this down.

Nitch answered all the questions asked truthfully with Ripple and Fele gripping her paws before Susan put her notepad away.

"Right then. We need to find out if you're able to move out of this building so we can take you to the hospital. If not, you'll have to give birth here." she explained, standing up.

"O...K..." Nitch was panting again. She was trying desperatly not to scream, but you could tell she was pushing herself to her limit.

"Now then, do you have a maternity gown?" Susan asked.

"Yes..." Nitch paused. "But it's at home..."

"You can use mine," I offered. "It's brand new, and I could make another one..." I trailed off as everyone's gaze turned to me.

"Yes please, Sable," Nitch glanced at me gratefully, her face crinkled with pain again.

I rushed to find it in my baby drawer before handing it over to Susan who began to help Nitch undress.

"Don't worry," Susan soothed when Nitch's face flamed scarlet. "I've seen it all a hundred times before."

"You better not look, Rerro!" Nitch snapped to Ripple and Fele's amusement. He complied, holding up his paws innocently and looking at the wall over his shoulder. Out of respect for Nitch I concentrated on her face rather than her body, after all, she wanted to retain some decency after this was over.

"So how long have you been pregnant, Nitch?" Susan was chatting.

"Six months," was the controlled reply.

"Oh? So you're very premature then." Susan nodded knowingly as Tunia handed her a piece of equipment which she strapped to Nitch's wrist. "I've been midwife to at least seventy different premature births in my time as a midwife, and I know that at least twenty of them were at six months when they went into labour. And all of their children survived, so that big sister of yours has nothing to worry about and nor do you,"

Nitch's and Ripple's jaws fell open, almost simultaneously. "How'd you know?"

"Ah, I've been a midwife for a long time, I know the signs. Right then!" she snapped on some rubber gloves and clapped her hands together. "I'm going to check your cervix. Is that OK with you? It's a little uncomfartable, but it dosen't hurt, I promise you that,"

"Nothing...could hurt...more than this...right now..." Nitch gritted her teeth, her cheeks almost turning purple. She eventually gave in and let out a tiny squeak of pain. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, Nitch," Ripple said, putting her arms around her younger sister. "Don't be ashamed. We all know that you're in alot of pain right now and you've done incredibly well."

Nitch's eyes watered with tears as she sniffed pathetically in the arms of her older sister. Fele then leant forward and put her arms around both Ripple and Nitch and rubbed her cheek against Nitch's head, murmuring something into Nitch's ear. When they released her, Nitch looked over to Rerro who was watching her carefully. She held out her paws towards him.

"Rerro?" she whispered. He was there in a second, clasping her tightly whilst she sobbed quietly into his shoulder.

"Don't worry sis," he murmured. "I'll protect you from everything that happens,"

For the first time, I saw just how much Rerro loved Nitch. She was the one sibling who was younger than him, and with Ripple acting like his mother and Fele being so rough and tumble (she was taller than them all as well), Nitch was his little sister that he felt a fierce protection for her. I understood that perfectly- I had two younger sisters of my own. I tried to swallow the lump that had lodged itself in my throat as Rerro retracted his arms from around Nitch and gripped her paw instead.

Susan had been quiet during this touching episode and now snapped her gloves in a more comfatable position.

"Ready?" She asked with a smile. Nitch bit her lip and nodded and gripped Rerro's paw tightly. Suddenly, she looked around wildly before settling her gaze on me.

"Sable?" She whispered, holding out her paw towards me.

I blinked. Me? She wanted me to hold her paw? But what about Ripple or Fele? I had only known Nitch for five months- why me?

I poked myself in the chest and raised my eyebrows, "Me?" I murmured.

Nitch nodded with a tiny smile visible under her snout.

"But-"

"Go on," Ripple said reverently, directing me towards her chair.

Nitch's fingers curled round mine which I gripped in response. Her fingers were so cold.

"Ok then," Susan said when she was finished. "You're barely at one centimetre."

Nitch, whose face had been constantly peeved during Susan checking her cervix, changed back to confused and pained. "And what does that mean?"

"We have to wait until you're at ten centimetres until we can get the baby out."

"How long does that take?" Ripple asked, her paws on Rerro's shoulders gripping even tighter. Rerro's lip curled as Ripple dug her nails into him.

"It depends with each pregnancy- it can take forty minutes with some premature births, with others it can take up to eleven hours...some births can take twenty four hours, sometimes forty-eight." Susan explained. Both Nitch and Ripple paled as Nitch's grip intensified. I winced a little- she was surprisingly strong.

"Forty-eight?" Nitch repeated weakly. She let her head drop back onto the pillows. "Gah, I can barely handle this now!" she cried. "How can I manage for two days?"

"Hey hey- I didn't say that," the midwife hurriedly said. "I said with SOME births it can take two days. With you being premature, I think the baby just wants to get out- it shouldn't take more than five, maybe six hours."

"That still sounds like a lot..." Nitch growled.

"Hey, Nitch?" Fele laughed nervously. "You look like you're about to kill someone." Nitch glared at her older sister as he paws slithered out of mine and Rerro's grip. She looked exhausted- and she'd only been in labour for an hour, if that.

"Um...shall we see if Miss Downearth can walk so we can get her to the hospital?" That was the squirrel- Tunia, who spoke. She had a very soft voice and was watching us from beneath her lashes shyly. I couldn't help but think of Mabel when she wanted something badly. There was a pang in my chest as I hugged my baby bump tight. _It's not the time. Not now._ Well- this family aura was getting to me.

Susan nodded primly at Tunia's statement before turning back to Nitch. She didn't seem to be listening- she was too focused on trying to control herself.

"Nitch? Nitch- listen to me. I want you to try and get up and off the bed. Then we'll take you to the hospital where you can get proper care and have your baby in a sterile enviroment. Is that OK with you?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever!" Nitch snapped. "JUST GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!" Her bellow made me jump- I almost fell out of my chair.

"Nitch!" Ripple cried, apalled. "Don't talk like that! And don't use that tone! She's only trying to help!"

"Don't worry," Susan said smoothly, smiling. "It's perfectly normal to be stressed at a time like this. I've been shouted at with far worse things before."

"I know, but still..." Ripple bit her lip. She acted like a mother to all her younger siblings- so having one snap at someone was like a violation of the Downearth treaty. This thought made my lips perk in a small smile.

"I know, I know..." Nitch said, taking a couple of deep breaths- before bursting into floods of tears. "I'm just so scared," she sobbed as Ripple embraced her warmly. "What if my baby doesn't make it? I'm s-o-o sc-ared," she hiccuped.

"Don't worry," Susan soothed, stroking Nitch's arm. "What did I tell you? Everything'll be fine. The little'un'll be a little under weight, that's all."

Rerro and Fele both hooked Nitch's arms around their shoulders to attempt to help her off the bed. Nitch, panting and sweaty, was already exhausted, and could barely stagger. She tripped over her own feet and her knees buckled before they'd even managed a couple of yards.

After the sixth attempt, as Nitch dropped again and Ripple quickly ran to support her, Fele wiped her brow. "This doesn't seem likely to work out, lala." she said grimly. "Besides, how could we get Nitch down that staircase?"

Ah, the staircase. I had completely forgotten. That would have been a lot of trouble.

"Rerro, do you think you could carry her?" Ripple asked with a fleeting glance at said badger.

"Oi," Nitch said weakly from her position gripping Ripple's arm. "Less of the 'her'. I have a name,"

Rerro tried, but Nitch's weight and her baby's was too much and it just wasn't manageable.

"Well then, look's like your baby will be born at home," Susan said as she helped Rerro lie Nitch back down as she rode out the crest of another contraction.

"This...isn't my home," Nitch said as a couple of more tears gathered in her eyes.

"Oh?" Susan's eyes narrowed. "Then-?"

"It's Sable's," I winced as Fele said my name. Oh my God, what if Susan recognised me from the papers just last year? What if she reported me? Oh God, what if...what if...

My brain was screaming this as I nodded slowly and forced out of my suddenly dry mouth, "This is my rented apartment,"

"I see," Susan nodded, still watching me warily. "And are you a friend of the family? Or just a kind stranger?"

"I-I'm a friend," I stammered.

"A _close _friend," Ripple added, giving me a quick side hug before the attention turned back to Nitch.

"So what do we do now?" Rerro asked.

"Nothing," Tunia said sorrowfully, looking at Nitch hunched up on the bed.

"All we can do is wait."

And so it began...

...a grisly waiting game.

**Ok, this was a filler because I wanted a cliffhanger before we got onto the birth. Then the birth seems really important. ^^ But it will all be updated in one day, so don't worry- you'll get it all at once.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Silence! Thank you for the ideas!**

**By means of explination for my long absence...well...there isn't one...really. ¬_¬ It's just my plain laziness...so I'm sorry! But I got my laptop taken off me for three weeks for various reasons, which sucked, because I was halfway through writing this chapter and couldn't be bothered to re-write it so I could get it posted (on one of the school computers) so yeah...**

**Oh, and because loads of people have said, "What's a midwife? Doctors deliver babies!" like I'm stupid, well, in England midwives deliver children over here, not doctors. Midwives are basically medical attendants who deal with child bearing and birth. Unless there's something wrong with the mother or baby then a Doctor doesn't tend to be involved.**

**Annnnnnd I've extended my competition date! The new date is the 1st of June, because exams tend to be over by then and more people can enter! Yay! *throws confetti* But so far, thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooo much Kitten The Ghost who entered the competition! Your entry is so cute! And thanks for being my first entrant. XD **

**But anyways, see ya soon, and next chapter..baby makes an entrance?**

17. Chapter 16

It was late- something like quarter to twelve at night. Nitch had been in labour for nearly ten hours and she was so tired. During one particularly strong contraction she passed out and for three minutes or so there was chaos; worry that her vital systems were shutting down. But she was woken just before another one began.

It had been a frustrating past two hours. Nitch had been dilated at only eight centimetres for this entire time and she was getting irritated.

"You won't beleive this," Susan said grimly after checking Nitch's cervix for the tenth or eleventh time today. "Nine centimetres,"

Nitch and her siblings groaned.

"S-so close..." Nitch said through gritted teeth. "Oh God, this is taking forever...do you have anything to speed up this?" she addressed Susan. "A drug or something?"

"Sorry, Nitch," Susan said with a sad smile as she dropped the plastic gloves in a plastic bag to be thrown away. "It's all going to have to be natural."

As Susan went off I clutched Nitch's paw again. "Didn't you already have an epidural?"

"Yeah," Nitch glanced over at me slowly. "But it's only half worked...and it's only numbed my hip, not where it..." she was broken off as another contraction rode through her and she growled under her breath. When it passed, she finished her sentence- "...hurts."

All this time Nitch's family had been taking it in turns to hold her other paw, whilst the others waited on the sofa. But Rerro had been the last one to leave and Ripple hadn't come to take his place. I frowned- one of them should be here...for Nitch.

"One minute," I said as I slid my paw out of hers and went over to the slumped bodies on the sofa. "Ripple-"

I was cut off by the sight of all three Downearths fast asleep, curled up together. Rerro was sleeping sat up, his head drooped onto his chest. Fele was taking up a majority of the space even though she was curled up and Ripple had her head on Rerro's lap. At my noise, Ripple stirred with a, "What?- am I needed?- does Nitch want me?"

"No, Ripple," Nitch called. "Go back to sleep,"

"OK..." In an instant, Ripple was softly snoring again.

"They sleep really deeply," Nitch said by means of explination when I returned. "They can't cope with staying up late."

I would've mentioned I couldn't have either, but Nitch needed someone with her. I'd grit my teeth and bear it.

We were quiet for a few moments before Nitch spoke again.

"I'm...pretty worried about him," she said, her eyes downcast as she played wih the blanket's hem. "That he won't come out right...whether he might've died...or a miscarriage."

I felt a pang in my heart. Nitch was so strong. She didn't dissolve into tears like I had, when I suspected I had miscarried, she held firm and faced reality.

"I...I don't know whether or not I could live my life knowing he had died tonight. It would feel...wrong, somehow. Like I was trying to forget him." She put a paw on her bump and gave a sad smile. "I mean, I've been lugging him around for six months, right? I've never seen his face clearly but I...I love him already. From that first glimpse at the ultrasound." she chuckled humorlessly. "I sound so cliche right now."

"Not really," I hurriedly said. "I understand. I mean...I'm pregnant too. I love my child too- even though I've only ever seen a grainy image of them...and after what we've been through, break ups, and rejections-" a lump clambered up my throat that was painful to swallow down. "It seems like the only love in our lives."

Nitch gave me a smile, a real smile, not the ones glitched by pain she had been smiling in the past ten hours, but one that lit up her face and thanked me with all her heart.

"Thanks Sable," she said. A sudden look of pain flashed across her face, before she composed herself again. "Oh God," she panted. "You're gonna hate this when your time comes, Sabe,"

"Hopefully not for another four months, though," I said gently. Still, curiosity tugged at my brain anyway. "So...what does it _feel _like?"

"The worst pain ever."

Thanks, Nitch. Scare me from having my child.

"Like someone's tugging on my guts by the handful."

The thought of having children was rapidly losing its appeal.

"Someone with razor sharp claws."

I couldn't help but glance down at my abdomen poking out onto my lap and think, "Please don't do that to me,"

Susan came up to us to check on Nitch's blood pressure.

"Everything's progressing smoothly by the looks of things," she observed. She pushed a sweaty lock of Nitch's fringe back and continued, "It'll take while yet, so I suggest you try get a bit of sleep. Recharge for all of that pushing," she turned to me with a gentle smile. "And I suggest you do too, for your baby."

I opened my mouth to protest- Nitch needed someone awake- before Susan cut in again.

"I'm a midwife. Take it from me. Besides, Tunia and I are on hand for when Nitch needs to give birth."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep," Nitch hissed. A contraction must've started. "No one could sleep through this..."

And yet, when her contraction passed, she lay, fast asleep on the bed, her eyebrows furrowed.

I was tired, but couldn't sleep. I sat in my chair, watching Nitch's face change as she slept as pain came and went. I wondered whether or not her baby would be her desired boy- but I began thinking of my child. Boy or girl? Which one did I want? I'd asked myself this same question five months ago, but now with everything that had happened in these past few months, I was able to face the thought much more realistically and calmly.

And what would they look like? My colour fur? Or Tom's chocolatey brown? They would probably have his blue eyes. I imagined this, my future child, my child who'd I'd be meeting in four mere months. I had clothes and a few bottles, baby blankets and shoes, several pacifiers...But Nitch going into into labour so suddenly made me realise there was so much I still had to get. Then again, Nitch would probably want to go out shopping after her boy- I mean, baby, was born, because she still needed plenty of things too. I could worry about stuff like that tomorrow...when all of this was over...tomorrow...tomorrow...

I was just about to fall asleep when Nitch jolted awake with a yell of pain. I jumped and snapped to my senses.

"Nitch?!" I cried.

"Oh...oh it hurts...it hurts!" she screamed.

Both Susan and Tunia ran over immediatly.

"It's OK," Susan was saying, pulling on some more plastic gloves. "I'll check your cervix, don't worry,"

Nitch's paw was flailing at me helplessly. "Wake...wake them up!" she screamed.

I dashed over to find that none of the Downearths had stirred during Nitch's scream. I grabbed Ripple's arm and shook her vigourously.

"Ripple! Ripple!" I cried.

"Nnn...tell them to come back...la...ter..." she mumbled, swatting at me aimlessly in her sleep. No good- she was dead to the world.

No amount of pinching or calling or coaxing would get Fele or Rerro to wake up either so I returned to Nitch who was in the middle of another cervix-check.

"None of them'll wake up," I said, eyebrows creased in what I hoped was a pitiful expression.

"Oh God..." Nitch wailed. Her paw was still flapping so I caught it and squeezed it tightly as I sat down.

"I'm here," I whispered.

"Ten centimetres!" Susan barked. "Let's go!"

"Now? So soon?" Nitch barely managed to say before crying out again. How her family could sleep through this?

"Alright, spread your legs, Nitch, we're going to deliver this baby." Susan instructed. "Then, when I count to three, push as hard as you can, then stop when I tell you. Breathe for three seconds then push. Got it?"

Nitch only screamed, which Susan interpreted as a yes.

"Ready? One- two- three- push!"

Nitch's face bloomed bright red and tears streamed down her face. Her hand clenched mine so hard I felt something click- but now was no time for worrying about me.

"Ahh! Make it stop! Make it stop!" Nitch screamed. "Make the pain go awaaaaaay!"

"Stop!" Susan called and Nitch's legs relaxed again. "Alright? Three deep breaths- one- two- three- push!"

We went through this five or six times (whereupon the pressure and pain in my hand intensified) before Tunia excitedly said, "It's nearly out! Nearly out!"

"Nitch, this'll be your last push, as long as you give it your all, OK? Tell me when you're ready and I'll count you in." Susan instructed softly.

"OK...I got it..." Nitch was panting, her eyes still wide with pain.

"Close your eyes," I murmured. Nitch followed my instruction before breathing deeply a few times.

"It feels like something's hanging out of me," she said through gritted teeth.

"Something is!" I said brightly. "That's your child Nitch. And very soon you're going to meet them,"

Nitch's eyes opened a sliver and I saw a glimmer of determination that had been absent for so long. "Yes...I'm going to meet my baby..." she looked at me from beneath her lashes. "Sable, I want you to watch him come out. Tell me about it afterwards."

I nodded, swallowing, before turning my gaze to Susan and nodding. "We're ready,"

"And a one...two...three!"

The sight of Nitch's baby coming out was nauseating. It was more or less watching something roughly the size of a watermelon coming out of a gap clearly not designed for that purpose. But it was all over in less than five seconds.

The ear shattering scream Nitch produced was suddenly cut off by a much smaller one after an odd squelching noise.

The deed was done as Susan raised the tiny, blood-splattered creature into the air.

"Congratulations!" She cried. "It's a boy!"

**This is for foodforfree333! Thanks for your suggestion!**

**There we go- it's a boy. ;) It was going to be a boy ever since I decided Nitch would be pregnant. So there we go! Nitch's baby has been born. Birthday is 23rd February. His name? Next chapter you will find out!**

**And I need to put this here- four more reviews and I'm at one hundred. :O THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm gobsmacked. I never imagined getting one hundred on my story...so...as a thank you...my 100th reviewer gets an Animal Crossing gift fic! Yay! So get reviewing!**

**Once again, thank you so much and I love you all. I'd give you all a hug if I had that sort of time. O.O Pardon my creepiness.**

**What do you want the boy to be called? (I've already decided, but I want to see what you guys think) **

**See you in the next chapter! And enter mah competition!**

18. Chapter 17

The tiny baby boy looked so small in Nitch's arms. He was about the size of her forearm- and, as told by Susan; weighed a little under six pounds. His big, violet eyes mirrored hers, and were light against his deep blackberry coloured fur. Against Nitch's navy, he almost contrasted well with her. Admittedly, he was a bit pinched faced, but he was a newborn- he'd probably lose that as he got older.

Nitch, herself, was clearly exhausted after ten hours of pain and seemingly nothing else, but the pride on her sweat dampened face was unmistakable. Her eyes glowed, tears gathering like crystals against the amethyst of her eyes- matching her son's- and spilled over her cheeks silently.

"Oh my God," she whispered. Her voice was choked. "He...he's so perfect. So beautiful. I can't believe it...it's happened." She sniffed, smiling all the while. "It's such an incredible feeling...I can't describe it..." either she lacked the words to go on or she was over come with emotion; either way she stopped and clasped the baby to her chest.

It felt like the time to say something.

"Congratulations, Nitch." I said. "You did it." I was proud of her- she endured so much for so long, and had actually given birth in ten minutes. Which was incredible- and even more so that her son was here, that she'd brought him into the world so swiftly...it was dizzying to thik about it. Dizzingly beautiful.

Nitch looked at me, tears still gathered in her eyes, smiling a wide as her face would let her. Seeing her and her son almost melted my heart. "Sable, thank you so much for being there." she said, wiping her eyes quickly. "Unlike my lazy family, you really helped me. I couldn't have done it without you,"

A warmth blossomed in my chest. I felt appreciated. It was a good feeling. Nitch reached out with one arm towards me, and I stood up and leaned into an embrace. Her warmth, the general happiness of the situation...it was reducing me to tears. They gathered under my eyelashes, wet and warm.

But not the tears of despair that had brought me down these past few months.

Tears of happiness.

"Heh," I said as I withdrew from her embrace. "I'm really over-emotional at the moment,"

"Be thankful!" Nitch replied. "You're still pregnant- you can blame it on hormones. What's my excuse?" she sniffed again, glancing down at the cub in her arms. "But then again; he's here. It's beautiful."

We watched him for a few moments in silence as he nuzzled against Nitch- his mother- with his eyes closed, quietly grizzling, before Susan came over.

"Quite the handsome chap, isn't he?" she smiled. She was carrying a clipboard with various official looking documents and a bottle, with what appeared to be formula milk in it. "Congratulations. You must be very proud."

"Oh yeah," Nitch wiped her nose with the back of her paw. "You bet."

"Now, before anything else, he's hungry- see? He's opening and closing his mouth, looking for something to latch onto. I've got some milk here and I'll show you how to feed him, OK?"

Getting Nitch's son to feed was a struggle. He was stubborn, despite being hungry, and would close his mouth over the teat of the bottle but not suck. He also kept slouching in Nitch's arms, meaning she had to reposition him before attempting to get him to latch onto the bottle teat, lest he choke.

"Why isn't he drinking?" Nitch demanded after fifteen minutes of trying. "I thought you said he was hungry!"

"He is, he is," Susan insisted. "Just some babies are stubborn. I bet your little man's one of them,"

"Like his mother," I smiled. Nitch gave me a withering look before the baby started wailing in her arms.

"Oh...Oh God," Nitch was clearly mildly panicked as his cry began. He was clearly unhappy the attention had been drawn away from him...

...or just darn hungry.

"W-what do I do?" Nitch asked as her son began squirming viciously in her arms until it looked like a handful to keep a hold on him. His cry wasn't stopping, a continual dismal drone, if you will. It went right through me and wasn't much fun for Nitch either.

"Sit him up," Susan instructed.

The baby's cry accumalated in volume.

"Try rubbing his back firmly."

Nitch rubbed her paw in circles over his back, but he just screamed louder and kicked his legs- flipping himself right out of Nitch's arms!

Thank fully, Nitch was still sat in the bed so he just landed on the soft duvet and no harm was done, but it made us all jump and scared the baby out of his wits. His scream grew only louder as Nitch's arms found him again and cuddled him close to her chest. The bottle was offered; but no avail to him latching; his back was rubbed, but he hated that all the more; they attempted burping him, even though he hadn't had anything to eat, thus no burp: nothing seemed to work. He just screamed and thrashed in Nitch's arms.

"Why won't he stop?" Nitch looked near tears, narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the face by a flailing foot. "Oh God, what if he hates me?"

"He doesn't hate you," Susan assured her. "Your his mother. Isn't that right, little guy? You don't hate her, do you?"

His scream was ear shattering.

"See!" Nitch said, bouncing him in her arms- and was hit in the stomach by his flailing limbs. "Oof!" she cried upon impact. "OK...OK...no hitting mummy in the stomach, please, little guy- not after she's just given birth, 'cus that reeeeeeeally hurt,"

Susan shook her head before looking at me.

"Sable? Could you take him and walk him up and down the room? Let's see if that calms him down."

My stomach contracted sharply at this. Me? I couldn't possibly- he was so violent, kicking and punching- what if I dropped him? What if he screamed all the more? What if...

Too late, Nitch had given her approval and her son was dropped into my arms.

I wasn't a stranger to holding babies- I had held both Labelle and Mabel when they'd been born; especially Mabel as she grew up- I was like her third parent. But I'd never held one kicking and thrashing about like a fish in a net.

He continued wailing as I got my grip on him- supporting his silky little head with my paw, supporting the lower end of his body with my other. Now I was grateful for my protruding stomach- it provided a shelf to balance him on as I adjusted him in my arms before standing up and walking to the end of the bed and back. He wasn't comfortable, like that though, so I put him into a sitting position and his chin on my shoulder before walking back and forth whispering, "Shh, it's OK. Aren't you hungry? If you don't settle down you can't eat. So be good for your mother, won't you?"

Amazingly, it worked.

His screams downed to cries, then grizzles, before finally stopping at a gurgling noise. I pulled him back a little from my shoulder to see his bright violet eyes examining me, almost critically. It was as if he was saying, "You're not my mother, but you'll do." The thought made me smile as I brought him back to Nitch who looked at me gratefully.

"Sable, you natural," she said as her son was placed back into her arms. "What a mother you'll make."

"She's right," Susan said nodding at me approvingly. "That is exactly how to calm down a baby."

"Oh...um...right." I stammered as I sat back down. I didn't quite know how to respond to such praise. But this was Nitch's moment, not mine, so I was grateful when the bottle as proffered to Nitch's baby again. This time, it only took three attempts before he latched on for the first time and began sucking hungrily. Everything else seemd to disappear from his attention: it was solely focused on getting fed.

"There!" Nitch looked pleased. "At long last- wait, he's not gonna be like this everytime, is he?"

"No," Susan said. "He just needs to get used to you feeding him from a bottle. After a few days he'll latch on without any fuss." As Nitch breathed a sigh of releif, Susan picked up her clipboard before resuming speaking. "While he's occupied, shall we fill out the paperwork?"

Nitch groaned inwardly. "I guess so."

"Well, firstly, he needs a name." Susan seemed to like underlining the obvious.

Nitch glanced down at her son, her mouth puckered in thought as he fed. "Well...I thought of a couple before he was born. One was Jasper, and the other was Kaiden."

"It's your choice, Nitch." Susan said, picking up her pen and writing on the papers infront of her. "I'll fill in his medical details whilst you choose. Take all the time you need."

"What do you think?" Nitch addressed me. "Jasper? Or Kaiden? Which do you prefer?"

"Um...personally?" I said. "...Kaiden. Jasper reminds me of a cartoon character."

"Yeah, I guess so." Nitch looked back at the baby doubtfully. "'Jasper', huh...nah, it doesn't suit him. Kaiden does though." She paused. "Yeah. Kaiden. I like that. I think it means 'fighter'..."

"Well, the issue with getting him to feed certainly means he's a born fighter." I added jokingly. 'Kaiden' did seem to suit Nitch's little boy, though. It was fittting.

"...Kaiden. Yep, Kaiden it is." Nitch looked over at Susan. "His name is Kaiden. Kaiden...Landa Downearth. Landa being his middle name."

"Landa?" I echoed.

"Yep. It was my dad's name." Nitch smiled fondly. "I guess he'd be proud his first grand kid is named after him."

I swallowed. That was a thought- should I name my child after one of my parents? But then...

Again, this wasn't the time.

Come to think of it, I didn't know much about the Downearth's parents. I didn't know anything about them, in fact. I'd have to enquire later. Or would that be rude.

"Kaiden Landa," Susan smiled as she wrote it down. "That's a nice name. Right then- he was born at thirteen minutes past one in the morning, he weighs five pounds nine ounces, his blood type is A negative...and there's something I need to talk to you about."

Nitch blinked. "...What?"

"I need to talk to you about something," Susan repeated.

Nitch looked shocked, almost scared. "Is...is he alright?" she stammered. "He hasn't got a mental issue? Down's syndrome? Aspergers? Autism? Is he ill? Does he have a tumor or somethin-"

"No," Susan cut her off quickly. "He's healthy. Unlike any baby born at six months pregnant I've ever encountered." She snapped the lid on her pen and continued to talk. "He's far too heavy to be six months old in the womb. A baby would weigh around four pounds at this time, at most. And he's much bigger than a six month fetus too. When I came into this room and saw you, I immediatly thought you were in your last couple of months of pregnancy. Your baby bump was much bigger than Sable's- no offence intended, Sable- even though she's five months pregnant. You looked about eight months pregnant. If you had been six months pregnant I would have been far more insistent on getting you to the hospital. I wouldn't have let you stay here to give birth.

"So; and this is my professional opinon, as a midwife of thirty years...I think you were seven or eight months pregnant." Susan leaned forward on her knees. "I could be wrong, but like I said- I've seen a lot of babies in thirty years and he's far too big to be six months."

I frowned at this information. It would make sense- Nitch always seemed to be big in her pregnancy. Like I said, she had a bump from the two month mark. But if Susan's theory was correct, then she would've been four months pregnant...

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

"But," Nitch interuppted. "I didn't meet Kaiden's dad until a month before I got- or think I got pregnant."

"Did you have a relationship before then? The month before?" Susan quizzed.

"Uhhh...I ended one." Nitch said. "His...his name was Basque, and we were going out for seven months, I think. But he was doing a language degree or something and had to go study abroad. So we decided to end the relationship when he went instead of maintaining a long distance one. To avoid cheating, and stuff.

"I think we...um...we did it one last time just before he left." Nitch's face bloomed red. "To end things on a happier note, I guess?"

"Did you use protection?" Susan asked.

"No..."

"Nitch," I began. "When I met you, you said you had only...um...done it once with the man who cheated on you with Fele?" I added.

"Yeah, just once." Nitch blinked. "And...I think we were protected...no! We WERE using protection! Ah ha!" Her eyes shone. "I assumed it had just broken or something. But I guess I was wrong, huh." she glanced down at Kaiden, who had nearly finished his bottle. "He's here to prove it."

Susan gave a small smile, as if to stamp the mystery solved.

"Well, I guess I'll have to track down Basque. Tell him he's a father."

"Why?" The question shot out of my mouth before I could stop it. "I...I mean you were totally prepared to be a single mother."

"I know," Nitch replied calmly. "But that's because that guy -his name was Juke- was a total jerk, and he was better off not knowing he had a kid. He didn't deserve him. But Basque's a really nice guy. Kind, down to earth, you know the type. We only broke up because we didn't want to hurt each other. But...but maybe Kaiden'll bring us together again."

Kaiden was clearly full because he had let go of the bottle Nitch had been holding between his gums and knocked it out of her paw.

"Woah!" she cried, caught off guard as Tunia retreived it for her. "He's a stroppy little guy. I guess you were right, he's like me."

I laughed, watching as he settled down in her arms, closing his eyes slowly.

"Aw," I said. "He puts himself to bed!" Pretty soon he was dead to the world, lolling in Nitch's arms.

"He's so cute." Nitch murmured. "I'll never, ever let him go. Not like my parents did."

I paused at this. Nitch's parents...?

"What...what happened? With your parents?" I asked, licking my lips. My throat had become painfully dry.

"They rejected us," Nitch said with a sad smile. "Just when I found out I was pregnant, and when I told everyone my dad called me a cheap slut. Because I'm the youngest. I'm twenty two. He was appalled and disgusted. My mum said the same, except she threw whore in there. She said I should've kept going to school, gone to university, yada yada yada. Said I was throwing my life away, that they didn't want me to work behind the bar at our cafe like Fele and Ripple and Rerro. They wanted me to get an abortion. I told them no; and they both called me names. Horrible, filthy names. Dirty whore. Foolish slut. I mean, my mother sounded hypocrytical- how else did she end up with four kids? Anyway, Ripple, Fele and Rerro all sided with me, said it was my life. And do you know what they did? They disowned all of us, left us with the cafe and- excuse my language, shit all. We literally had nothing. That's why I was so bad tempered when I met you." she looked up from Kaiden's sleeping face. "But, you know, they're my parents. I still love them. That's why Kaiden had my dad's name as his middle. I don't really know where they are currently...so...yeah."

I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach- avoiding my baby- how horrible was that? Nitch's own parents had compared her to dirty women, called her horrible names and left? That was almost as bad as my parents being dead. How could Nitch have gone through that? I only wished I'd known her sooner. So I could've been there for her.

By the by, Nitch fell asleep, with Kaiden sleeping on her chest.

"He won't get crushed," Susan said, tucking a blanket around them both. "Nitch's maternal instinct will tell her not to move in her sleep. Besides, she's sore, so it will be painful for her to move onto her side. Plus it's a good time for mother and baby to bond."

"Um...Susan?" I began, standing up. She turned around, surprised, almost. "Thank you for everything you've done for Nitch. Helping her through everything. You too,Tunia." I nodded towards the squirrel who smiled shyly. "So...thank you."

"That's no problem," Susan said, smiling gently. "Just our job. But that's incredibly sweet of you. I hope your delivery will be as successful as Nitch's."

I nodded, placing a paw over my bump. "I hope so too."

"Out of curiosity- you said you were five months pregnant, correct? Yes? Has your baby started moving?" Susan asked.

I shook my head.

"Ah well." Susan grinned, putting her wing tip on my rounded stomach. "I'm sure he or she'll start soon. It's nice, to feel your baby moving."

The moment she retracted her wing I felt something in my stomach jump. I froze.

What...?

There it was again- a strong muscle twitch, almost. And again. Almost in succession. My jaw dropped as I wrapped my arms around my abdomen. "How did you do that?" I asked in shock.

My baby was kicking.

Susan laughed. "Call it a midwife's talent. See? It's proof there's a life within you."

Yes, there was.

And like Nitch, I loved it more than anything right now.

**This is for Reiz16! Thank you for your ideas and continuing support!**

**Plus- ta tra ta da daaaa! *fanfare attempt* Congratulations, Zora Princess! You were my 100th Reviewer, and a loyal one at that- you get an Animal Crossing gift fic! Leave a review and tell me what you want, OK? XD Review soon, 'cus I'm in a writing mood. ^^**

**And thank you so much to my other reviewer's support, helping me to acheive third place in most popular Animal Crossing fanfics! Keep going! Together, let's reach no.1! XD**

**Sooo...yeah. Baby boy called Kaiden Landa Downearth. And Nitch wants to meet his daddy? Gasp! If you have any questions about it, ask away down below...it's a bit unclear, I was writing this at two in the morning...gah...**

**I re-wrote this chapter THREE times. It was a hard chapter to write...at some points I think I rambled...but anyhoo, constructiv critiscm is welcome, as always. ^^**

**But that should be the end of the Nitch's baby arc. Maybe I'll extend it. :P Who knows. But pleeeeeeeeeeeease keep your suggestions coming! And please enter my competition! There's only one entrant so far! (You rock, Kitten The Ghost!) PLEEEEEEASE. I'm on DeviantArt now, too, so you can contact me through there. (Username is Sakka-Chii).**

**Plus, if you want to see my face, I'm on YouTube too, I go by the name of UsagiUtau. If you're on YouTube gimme a shout. But I'm rambling. :/**

**Who liked Kaiden's antics? XD Naughty baby! Kicking poor Nitch in the uterus (lol) and flipping himself out of her arms...I used to like writing about evil babies who caused their mothers greif when I was younger. As you do. 0.0 I was a strange child...**

**So everytime I write about Kaiden falling out of Nitch's grasp or hurting her, or generally being bad (laugh) I get this strange sensation of deja vu and satisfaction...huh...**

**Nitch: You're weird...stay away from Kaiden!**

**Me: See! Even my OC disses me. . Kaiden's my OC too!**

**Nitch: And he's MY son!**

**Me: But without ME he would never exist!**

**Nitch: Uh...are you trying to say you're Kaiden's dad or something? 0.0**

**Me: HOLY MOTHER- NO! I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY! 0.0 HONEST!**

**Anyway... 0.0' Now would be a good time to go.**

**I just realised...I have to add Kaiden on as a choice for my poll XD**

19. Chapter 18

"If he cries, walk him around, he likes that."

"Um...OK."

"Put him down to sleep just after midday, when he's been fed. Don't let him sleep for more than two hours, then feed him again."

"OK,"

"When he's asleep, make sure he's always on his back. He tends to end up on his front and he can't breathe properly like that, so keep checking on him."

"I see..."

"Feed him every four hours,"

"Got it."

"And...er..." Nitch paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully for a few seconds before Rerro chuckled softly behind her.

"I think she can handle it, sis. You can relax a little, he'll be OK." He patted her on the shoulder gently.

Nitch threw him a distasteful look over her shoulder, "Hey, this is my son, I want him to be OK."

"And I'm sure its nothing Sable can't handle."

I smiled weakly at him as he gave me a grim smile from behind Nitch, before swallowing quietly, "I'm sure he'll be fine, you can trust me, Nitch." I said softly.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Nitch said hurriedly. She glanced down at the baby in her arms who was chewing placidly on the plastic end of his dummy, his gaze elsewhere. "It's just the first time in two months that we'll be apart and I'm just worried..."

Since today, it had been exactly two months since I clutched Nitch's paw as she gave birth, and despite being a month premature Kaiden had grown into a beautiful two month old. He had fleshed out; gone was the pinched-face expression, and replaced by this adorable mini-Nitch.

Needless to say, she had stepped up to becoming a mother almost immediatly. The morning after Kaiden's birth, the Downearths (cooing over their nephew) had gone back to their cafe, and all was peaceful at Redd's again. Not at Copper Kettle, though, it would seem. Kaiden was one for crying; even when there was nothing to cry over- Nitch had called me in the middle of the night in floods of tears when he was eleven days old, completely and utterly stressed with this newborn baby who wouldn't stop crying for her. But, strange as it seems, it was all good for her. She'd matured astonishingly since having Kaiden, and she had changed too. She was so much more patient and accepting, understanding, even. During this time we'd become closer than ever, as Kaiden seemed to particularly like his ''Aunty Sable'' and I liked him too.

Kaiden's appearance in my life had changed me, as well, strange as it seemed. Life, for the first time in ages, seemed to be looking up. Just this mere baby's presence in our lives seemed to have turned the table, starting again, more calmly and lovingly. It no longer felt like life was simply throwing hate and pain at me countless times, but instead extending its gentle hand for me to take. I knew before I could do that there were many obstacles to face, but before then I was content with standing before the gentle hand and smiling back.

Today, however, seemed to be one of those obstacles I had to overcome.

One of Nitch's relations had sadly passed away- one of her more distant ones, and she and her family had decided to attend the funeral in a vain hope to rekindle the relationship between them and their parents. But Nitch didn't want Kaiden there with them- she just wanted to talk to her parents before showing them her son- and Kaiden, today, had been entrusted to me.

I was going to be babysitting.

I bent down to Kaiden's level and held out my paw.

"Hey, little guy," I said softly. "Did you miss your Aunty Sable?"

In response Kaiden grizzled, reaching out for my paw and grabbed a finger, which he then inspected by means of gently chewing on it.

Nitch laughed, taking hold of Kaiden's tiny paw and pulling it away. "Don't eat your Aunty Sable, Kai. She's looking after you today!"

Kaiden deemed this information unimportant and turned away from his mother, straining to get out of her arms.

"OK, he's getting restless, best to go now," Nitch grunted- it looked a bit of an effort to keep him in her arms. "Be good for her, Kaiden. Listen to me! Kaiden!"

"He's distracted," I smiled as he sweetly held out his hands for me to take him. See, I knew he liked me.

"C'mon, Nitch, the taxi's getting impatient," Rerro said, glancing behind him where a car had honked its horn loudly. Fele and Ripple were already inside, making beckoning gestures to Rerro and tapping their wrists, telling him to hurry up.

"OK, OK!" Nitch snapped before turning back to me. "Er- I've got the hotel number where we'll be- its in the bag with his formula milk, his bottles, diapers- you know, everything he needs- so if he gives you any trouble, ring us. We should be back by five this evening- whoa!"

Kaiden had squirmed so much in his effort to get out of Nitch's arms he had very nearly flipped right over her elbow and fallen onto the ground, but Nitch had steadied him at the last moment.

"And as you can see, I recommend not holding him for too long- he nearly leaps out of your arms. Geez, Kai, stop doing that."

I chuckled, but inside felt like a complete and utter mess. The more Kaiden did stuff like that, the more my heart sank about having him with me for the day. What if I didn't catch him like Nitch? What if he fell right out of my arms? The very thought brought sick to my stomach. I had to work today, as well, and despite keeping all of my sewing equipment on my work table I had this horrible mental image of Kaiden getting hold of my razor-sharp sewing scissors...or getting too close to the sewing machine...or my dress makers pins...

Call me paranoid, it was my deepest fear at the current moment in time.

Redd had been somewhat cautious when I asked him if it was OK to babysit Nitch's son- he didn't like the sound of people who weren't members of his shop finding it and was suspicious of them (thinking they were connected to the police) but eventually consented. Where else could Kaiden go? As long as I kept him quiet and met my quota of clothing for the day (I had three days of work each week) he allowed it.

"See you soon, kiddo." Nitch said, giving Kaiden a quick kiss on the forehead. "Be good." She leaned forwards and gave me a quick hug. "Thanks, Sable, I'll make it up to you soon. I hope he behaves himself for you."

"Nitch, he'll be fine." I laughed, returning the short hug.

Rerro reached forward and ruffled Kaiden's rather tufty fur on his head. "Bye bye baby boy. We'll see you tonight. _Now let's go, _Nitch," He said.

"OK, give me a moment, geez- bye Sable."

Kaiden was deposited in my arms and the pair rushed off into the cab that was getting impatient. I waved as Nitch cast a wistful gaze at me, before waving back and hurrying away. They were gone.

I glanced down at Kaiden in my arms- he had snuggled himself against my chest affectionately and was chewing softly and the neckline of my dress.

"It's just you and me now, Kaiden." I said reverently, adjusting him in my arms. He had to sort of drape over my baby bump- now being seven months pregnant meant a much bigger and more inconvinient abdomen size, but it supported him and I was silently thankful for it.

I shut the door and walked back into Redd's shop.

"Oh ho, here's the little fella," the said fox exclaimed as he emerged from the kitchen (I had a feeling he had been lurking there whilst the Downearths were at the door). I smiled back at Redd as he bent down, level with Kaiden's face who murmured through a mouthful of my shirt. "Isn't he CRAAZZY, eh?"

"He's gorgeous," I said in reply, as my shirt was abandoned and Kaiden stretched out his paws to touch Redd's face in curiosity. "Oh- Kaiden wait- there he goes." I added as he very nearly over balanced but my paw stopped him as his tiny fingers made contact with Redd's nose.

"Aww, ain't he cute," Redd commented, and I snorted at the sound of his voice as Kaiden pinched his nostrils together, so his words came out as clipped and echoed. "He's called Kaiden?"

I nodded as I took Kaiden's paw away from Redd's nose which he rubbed gratefully as he straightened up. "I think it means 'fighter'."

"Well, he's CRAAZZY amusing- better take him up, I'm opening in a coupla minutes." Redd addressed me and I nodded.

Hang on- did I just see what I thought I saw? Or was it just me? My brow furrowed- I thought I noticed Redd's deep black eyes flicker down my body, linger on my moon-shaped stomach before coming back to focus on my face...or did I just imagine that...? I...

"Ow!" I was drawn out of my thoughts when the impact of Kaiden's palms thumped into my chest with undeemed force and a cry of "Bah!"

"Hey, little guy, that wasn't very nice!" I retorted. It hadn't hurt me- it was more the impact that made me jump, but even so, now was the time to go up to my room- he was getting impatient.

"Don't think you can misbehave just because I'm not your Mummy," I play scolded as we reached the top of the stairs. "I could be horrible and strict, and you wouldn't like that, would you? I didn't think so..." my voice trailed away, empty and devoid of emotion as I opened the door to my room and closed it behind me. The way I was acting with Kaiden reminded me of how I'd been around Mabel when she was born, and I was ten years old. I had enjoyed playing with her every second of the day, pretending she was my little girl. A lump skipped into my throat as I laid Kaiden down on the bed and sat down next to him, watching as his little feet kicked in the air and his little paws waved around. Painful memories were resurfacing, breaking my happiness that I had felt so comfortable in for such a short time.

The happiness when I was ten years old, with my baby sisters Labelle and Mabel could never be replicated, and this thought made me feel like this entire time- the time I had thought I was content- was nothing but a charade, a game with only one player...me. As if what I thought to be happiness a pathetic attempt at trying to conceal my past, and in reality, I was just as scared as ever.

Scared. And lonely.

I fell backwards onto the bed and rolled onto my side, facing Kaiden, closing my eyes as the soft pressure in my throat pushed hard against my neck. Maybe thats what I was doing. Playing this stupid game with myself- a grisly game of Charades, pretending to be something I wasn't.

_"Sable, come look. Come look at Mabel."_

Stop it.

_"Big sister, I luh- I luh- I luhhhhrve you,"_

Please, stop it.

_"Sable, I'm so proud of you."_

Don't say that- please, I begging you, mother...

_"You're so perfect Sable." _

No- be quiet, father...

_"You have no reason to be unhappy."_

"But I do," I whispered as the tears slipped down my face. My parents were gone, my heart was shattered, my sister was alone, I was posessed with selfishness, I was carrying a child that I didn't even want...

_Do you really mean that?_

There was a tiny murmur next to me, and I felt a warm little paw touch my cold face, and by coincidence, a tear running down my cheek. I opened my eyes, surprised- to see Kaiden, on his front, reaching out towards me, patting my skin gently. His expression was curious and full of wonder. Another tiny noise came out of his mouth, a little louder, but it was doleful and solemn, like a tiny kitten. I couldn't help but smile at him. His innocence was something I couldn't fathom- he was so pure, untarnished by horrors of the world and sadness like I had experienced. It was so hard to recollect the time I was like that- innocent and naive...

"Sorry, Kaiden. I'll try not to cry any more." I whispered, and propped myself up on one elbow, turning him over onto his back like Nitch instructed. He gargled, kicking the air once more before letting his limbs drop and stared at me contentedly, as if waiting for my next move.

I stood up and rearranged the duvet in a sort of nest to put Kaiden in, seeing as I didn't have a crib yet and I didn't want to risk him rolling off the edge of the bed, so putting him in the mound of duvet was both comfy and safer for him. I rubbed his cheek with one finger affectionately.

"You be a good boy now as I get some work done, OK?"

Not OK.

It turned out Kaiden _hated _the sound of the sewing machine and wailed everytime I started it up. I then had to go across to him, shush him, before attempting to sew again, but he would wail...it was ridiculous.

I had to work. I couldn't not work because of his crying- I had no choice, and since he was here with me already, I decided to grit my teeth and bear it. I switched on the sewing machine again and began sewing, hemming the edge of a skirt. Kaiden's cry started almost immediatly- it was worse then when he was newborn. Back then it was a dismal drone that made me feel helpless. Now it was a agonising cry- hard to describe; like a wail, shriek and scream all in one, that made my bones judder in horror and my stomach stir like I was about to be sick. I clenched my jaw and kept going. Maybe he was just attention-seeking.

I hemmed the skirt, and Kaiden was still crying. I let out a deep sigh as I placed the next item- a backless dress with a tie around the neck to hold it up- under the machine foot and began sewing again.

There was no end. He simply wailed and wailed, and eventually I couldn't take it any longer. I switched the machine off with sudden urgency and flew across to the bed.

Poor Kaiden! I don't think I'd ever seen a baby look so sad. His face was a deep purple, his violet eyes glistened with tears and his fur around his eyes were matted from dampness. Snot had dribbled down his snout and edged his lips, which certainly wasn't pretty, and he was thrashing around so violently the bed clothes had formed a tangled mass around him. Hesitant, I slid my arms under him, wary of his flailing limbs before lifting him close to my chest, holding his heaving little body tightly with my hands.

"I'm sorry, Kaiden," I said, walking him towards the bathroom. "You don't have to cry anymore, it's OK- it's OK, little guy."

His screams were quieter now, but he was still hiccuping with sadness, sobs wracking his body as I sat down on the edge of the bath and ran a little warm water from the sink. Using a bit of damp toilet paper, I wiped his nose and dried his eyes, before gently washing his face which seemed to calm him down a lot. He stopped crying altogether and snuggled into my chest, snuffling occasionally. I could feel his little heartbeat slowing down to a regular pace again as he calmed down.

I sat there for a few minutes, watching him slowly drift off into sleep. Tired already- and it wasn't even midday yet. Maybe all of that crying wore him out.

There was a sudden pang in my heart- was it wrong to feel so affectionate towards Kaiden? Nitch was his mother, she had the closest relationship to him possible, and I was with child too- so why didn't I feel the same affection to my own, unborn child?

Was it because I could see Kaiden, hold him and play with him? I stared at my jutting out stomach- it was hard to beleive it would get bigger in the coming months- and frowned. Was that the case?

Suddenly, I felt another muscle twitch in my stomach, and my mind was cleared of all doubt. The baby's kick within me brought with it a surge of love, that easily overtook all feelings I had towards Kaiden. Maybe hormones were just screwing with my mind.

The baby kicked again and Kaiden shifted (I had him balanced on my stomach again) at the movement.

"Oh? Can you feel them too?" I asked as his amethyst eyes opened a crack, focusing on the world around him. The baby kicked again and he squirmed into a different position, slowly waking up.

As I walked him into the bedroom again, he was fully awake now and had figured out where the odd movements were coming from- my stomach. He kept trying to pat it with his paws which made me smile.

Instead of lying him on the bed again I brought him over to where I was sat- infront of my sewing machine- and held him on my lap. Immediatly, he took interest in everything around him- my sketchbook on the table, my sewing machine, the fabrics, the tailors chalk, even an empty spool of thread. Out of curiosity, I pressed the pedal of the sewing machine down to start it, without anything to sew, so it just made the noise to see how Kaiden would react. It was quite the oposite of before. Now, he watched the needle go up and down as the wheel spun and the bobbin moved too. He reached out to investigate further, but I caught hold of his paws before he got in any danger.

Now I put him back on the bed and started the machine up again. The dismal wail returned and everything snapped into place. He wanted to see what was going on, not be away from it...so how could I sew with him nearby?

In the end I pulled out a small drawer from my bedside table, put one cushion on the base of it, and another leaning on the back, before putting it about a foot away from my sewing machine and placing Kaiden within it, his back leaning against the cushion so he was sitting upright. He couldn't do it himself yet, so this was a compromise. I gave him his dummy, some off cuts of fabric to toss around and a small blue bear Nitch had put in the bag she had given me. I started sewing once again, and Kaiden was ecstatic. He smiled and gurgled happily, chewing on his dummy as he watched me sew and I couldn't help myself smiling back.

It was nearly one o clock when he began yelling again- and I stopped, perplexed. What was wrong with him now?

...then I noticed the smell in the air.

I gagged and cast a glance over at the clearly now discontent baby, who was whimpering unhappily. I had completely forgotten about diaper changing.

This would be fun.

I dove into the bag first, looking for supplies- clean diapers, rash cream, wipes...and plastic bags. I silently thanked Nitch for giving me everything I needed and laid out an old towel across my table the other end of the room. Then I took Kaiden, laid him down, undid the poppers on his jumpuit before taking a deep breath and undoing the clasps of his diaper.

It was disgusting, that's all I am going to say on the subject. And Kaiden just would not stop _moving,_ constantly wriggling around, making it hard to actually clean him up. I ended up having to hold his ankles so I could get done cleaning, and then the perplexing part- putting the fresh diaper on. There were so many sticky tabs and misshapen parts that didn't seem to fit anywhere, it was a job figuring out where they went, let alone how to get it on a wriggling, squirming baby.

I had changed diapers before with Mabel when she was a baby, but not with disposable ones. We had used cloth ones, and they are worlds apart. Eventually I got it wrapped around Kaiden and attached more or less right- but it still sagged hopelessly around the front of his legs.

...it was on backwards.

After much fussing, I redressed Kaiden and then got a bottle ready for him. Thankfully he latched on with no problems, so unlike his newborn self, and after I burped him (I knew how to do this part) I laid him back in the drawer again, but put his blanket Nitch had provided over him instead.

I placed him on the sofa, sat down next to him and watched as he slowly drifted off into sleep. His little arms went up over his head and before I knew it he was fast asleep.

I sighed happily, and rubbed my eyes. Three hours of practice being a parent and already I was exhausted. My admiration for Nitch grew- she had dealt with this for two whole months, not just during the day, but well into the night as well.

Maybe I'd be just as good a parent.

**Practice makes perfect, Sable! Keep working at it! :D**

**You gotta love Kaiden. My friend read this chapter and said to me, "He's not Kawaii, he's Kaidaii."**

**Me: ...You're so lame. -_-**

**HOW BAD WAS THAT?! Kaidaii? Really, friend?!**

**So...yah. Sable's practicing being a mother. Cuuuuuute. I wrote this chapter in 1 day! But I was away in Paris and I was thinking about Tight Stitches Sequel- hold your horses, I'm not finished yet- and it got me really wanting to write it. :) But I can't. Not until I finish TS. So I...will write like mad!**

**...'cus I'm on half term. \(^o^)/**

**Keep your ideas coming, and quick! Enter my competitio quick, because the closing date is June 1st! I've had another entry from someone over on Wattpad (I am on wattpad, username is Kureiji) so they rock, as does Kitten The Ghost, for enterin too. :) Both of you guys rock.**

**This chapter was like a filler, I guess...but there was a really tragic bit in the middle. And because I'm not used to writing depressing stuff again I FREAKING CRIED. I was sat there typing away with tears running down my cheeks, because I KNOW what its like to remember when times were so much better. I leave you with a quote from a very touching song that my mum loves (it reminds her of her mum, my grandma), and it makes her cry every time. RIP grandma. :) I love you. **

_**Could it have been that it was all so simple back then?**_

_**-Gladys Knight**_

20. Chapter 19

My eyelids fluttered open to a barrage of kicks in my stomach, signifying my baby's craving for attention. I placed one paw on my rounded stomach and gently rubbed it, as if to assure the child within I could feel it, I knew it was there. I must've fallen asleep...

Goodness, it was three o clock already. That means I put Kaiden to sleep about three hours ago- I'd need to feed him, it was an hour overdue, anyway.

As I glanced to my side where the drawer was with bleary, just-woken up eyes, it took several seconds to register that something was amiss. Or rather not there.

Kaiden was gone.

I scrambled to my feet in shock, wincing as my womb contracted sharply and the baby within jabbed its elbow into my stomach in protest. But my mind barely acknowledged this as I frantically tore the blanket and cushions out of the drawer. _Kaiden was gone. Kaiden was gone. Oh God what do I tell Nitch?!_

Empty.

He hadn't crawled out of the drawer by himself, had he? No, he couldn't have- he was only two months old, he couldn't even sit up by himself yet, let alone _crawl..._I scanned the room with desperate eyes. Nowhere to be seen. How could I? I'd fallen asleep for three hours, and in that time, Kaiden had disappeared. This proved it, I was destined to be an awful parent, not fit for mother hood...

I was about to snatch up the phone and call the hotel where Nitch was when I heard- quite unmistakably, Kaiden's little laugh emitting from downstairs.

_Downstairs...?_

I frowned, opened my door and stepped out onto the landing, listening intently. There it was again- most definitly Kaiden, making the same happy noises he had when he watched the sewing machine. How in the world had he got downstairs? Unharmed?

I descended the stair case (with even more care than usual- it seemed steeper than ever now) and was quite surprised to see Redd's shop without...well, Redd in it. Kaiden's laugh bubbled up again, and this time, I knew where he was- the kitchen!

"Redd?" I called out as I stepped into said room. "Do you know where-"

I broke off when I saw the scene before me. Redd was sat at the table with one arm behind Kaiden, who was perched on the table, so he was sat up. With the other paw, he was gently tickling him under Kaiden's arms, causing him to shriek with laughter every few seconds before Redd stopped again for him to draw breath. Then Redd repeated the whole rigmarole.

They both looked up at my entrance, and Redd's face widened into a smile.

"Oh, hi, Sable," he said, grinning as Kaiden turned away from me, disinterested.

"Hello," I replied warily. What was he doing with Kaiden? "Why is...um...Kaiden down here with you?"

"Oh, 'bout that..." Redd scratched the back of his head as he stood up. "Well, this little one started crying- 'bout an hour ago, and it was CRAAZZY loud. I could hear him from down here! And he didn't seem to stop, so I came up to see if everything was OK, but I saw you asleep and Kaiden...well, crying.

"You weren't waking up, so I took this little fella down here and calmed him down for ya- and I just got distracted playing with this CRAAZZY little one," he shrugged, almost aplogetically. "It seemed like the best idea- he was going blue in the face...I'm sorry."

"Oh no, don't be," I said hurriedly. "If he was blue in the face then he needed comforting. I should be sorry for not waking up sooner, you haven't done anything wrong, it's OK." I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this- Kaiden was Nitch's, and being entrusted with him for the day meant he was solely my responsibility. Nitch knew me and trusted me- but the fact that Kaiden had been with Redd, someone she didn't know...was I in the wrong for not doing what Nitch had expected me to? For letting Redd take Kaiden? It was hard to comprehend. Regardless, though, I trusted Redd, and no harm had come to him, so all was good.

Redd's face broke into a smile as he lifted Kaiden off the table. I couldn't help but notice how wrong he was holding him- he had one paw around his shoulders and the other around his knees, so not only could he not move, but he grizzled unhappily. "Well, thank God for that! thought you'd be angry, and go CRAAZZY at me!"

"No, I'd never be like that," I chuckled, and held out my arms for Kaiden. As Redd handed him over into my arms and let go of the baby, I could swear I felt his paws slide down my stomach before he stepped backwards, in such a way that sent chills racing down my spine. What the...? Oh no- it was just Kaiden's foot, gently brushing my stomach as he swung it back and forth...I hope.

As if in answer, my baby kicked and as I adjusted my hold on Kaiden, I patted my abdomen discreetly before quickly thanking Redd for looking after Kaiden during the time I was asleep and hurried upstairs and into my room, breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed behind me.

I trusted Redd- so where were these doubts arising from? He'd been so kind in letting out the room and putting a roof over my head- providing me with work and letting me baby sit for my friends, despite all of the trouble I'd caused. I cursed myself for thinking he wasn't who he appeared to be- it was wrong, so wrong of me.

I was still cross with myself after feeding Kaiden and putting him back in the drawer behind my sewing machine where I could keep an eye on him. Nevertheless, the hum of the sewing machine drew me away from thinking these things and pretty soon I was engrossed in stitching and pinning and...

An almighty thud suddenly resounded in my room, making me jump and the seam I was sewing zigzag wildly across the garment. I quickly looked up at Kaiden- to see he had upturned the drawer he was sitting in and fallen right out onto the desk!

It was the noise of the drawer hitting the desk that had made the loud thud, and thankfully not Kaiden's head, but he had landed on his shoulder and must've hurt himself because he began to cry.

I snatched him up and unbuttoned his jumpsuit to see if he'd injured or cut himself, but the area just seemed to be a little red and tender. I gently pressed it, and he howled in my ear, so it was probably just minor bruising. That, and the shock of the impact must've scared him, so I held him as gently as I knew how and cuddled him close to my chest as he sobbed, until he slowed down after a few minutes and the intial scare wore off, and when he was snuffling, I ventured to touch his shoulder again. He twitched at every contact with it I made.

"Come on, Kaiden, it can't hurt that much," I said impatiently, tracing tiny circles on his skin. He quivered- before making tiny purring sounds, sounding so much like a satisfied cat I fought the urge not to laugh. At least he was OK now- I'd tell Nitch the details later, just in case it was more serious than he let on.

When I stood up again, my baby shifted in my stomach and Kaiden felt him or her too. He glanced up at me before turning himself over in my arms so he was facing downwards, leaning on my stomach. Maybe my child could feel Kaiden's movement too, because it responded with an extremely powerful kick that I could actually see beneath my clothes. Kaiden, however, was fascinated, and kept shifting positions to see- or rather, feel my baby's reaction, and got extremely excited.

"Are you two friends?" I asked, directed to them both, smiling as Kaiden's mouth widened in joy upon feeling the odd sensation beneath him. "Are you two going to be friends when my baby's born?"

"A-goo!" Kaiden responded, and slammed his palms much too hard into my stomach without warning. The impact was almost painful, upon my abdomen which was tender and slightly sore from its sudden change in size and took my breath away for a second as I regained my composure. I laid Kaiden down on the bed and sat down next to him, placing one hand on my stomach as my baby kicked and rolled for all it was worth in discontent. I hoped dearly that Kaiden had only hit water, and not the baby itself- Nitch had given me her old baby books and one of them stated that seven months along in the womb, they were recognisable as babies, and this meant they should be treated like newborns. So you had to be extra careful during this time in the pregnancy- Kaiden hitting it with such uncoordinated force, however accidental it may be, would not do the baby any good.

As the baby's movements slowly subsided, I relaxed and turned to Kaiden, who was fussing on his back, unable to turn over like he so liked to. I was hesitant. He'd done something bad- was I supposed to punish him? Not severely, of course, more of a discipline...setting right from wrong. Whenever he nearly fell out of Nitch's arms or caused trouble around her she would pinch his ear gently, not enough to be painful, but enough to tell him off. I decided to do that now.

I scooped Kaiden up- away from my baby bump this time, as my child was still moving a little, and I didn't want him to hit me again. He originally purred in satisfaction at the contact, but as I gently squeezed his ear lobe he let out an almost vicious cry, which then ran into his droning wail. I hadn't squeezed _that _hard! Why was he so attention seeking? Why didn't he just _behave...?_

"Just because I'm not your mother doesn't mean you can misbehave!" I snapped, standing up so suddenly that he stopped crying in surprise. Or maybe it was my tone of voice- either way, he glanced up at me in almost shock. But then he relaxed again and for some reason it really ticked me off.

I turned on my heel and nearly threw him down on the bed with anger. "Our lives don't revolve around you! I have to work and do other things, and all you want is my constant attention- do you appreciate how hard it is balance it all out? Obviously not, since you're acting so self centered, and I know you're just a baby, but even so, you shouldn't be so ignorant! I've changed everything I had to do today to fit around having you, which you should be darn grateful for, but as soon as I tell you off for doing something wrong you burst into tears, and that's-so-damn-selfish!"

I stopped, partly because I lacked the fluency with words to go on, and partly because I was running out of breath to carry on. The baby was still lying there, confused as to what I was so mad at, but I was impatient by this time and simply turned around and stalked back to my desk where I began sewing the leg of a pair of trousers. This time there was no crying above the sound of the sewing machine going, just the occasional rustling of sheets. I had felt so lofty and irritated moments before- and yet, all of a sudden, this tragic feeling of despair suddenly rushed at me like a wave crashing on the shore. How could I have said that to poor Kaiden? He was only a two month old, of course he couldn't be taken account for his actions. The feelings of despair became almost too much, a hot pressure, building up, clambering up my throat, stinging my eyes before overflowing as tears. I buried my face in my paws and rested my elbows on the table infront of me and wept silently, along with the continuous humming of the sewing machine.

My emotions were definitely getting worse.

"He's been good today,"

The lie spread over my tongue like the sour taste of lemon as Nitch reached out to take her sleeping son from me. Well, maybe not so much a lie...he just hadn't exactly been all that good, that's all...

"I'm so glad," Nitch replied, taking Kaiden's sleeping figure and cuddling him close to her chest. "And I can see he's worn himself out, too. Good, I can carry him home without having to concentrate on not letting him flip over my arm," she pulled a face and gently tickled his cheek. He snuffled in his sleep, before turning his head to the other side and continued peacefully napping.

I smiled back at her, but was privately wanting her to take Kaiden away already. Not that I didn't want Nitch's company- she was my closest friend, after all, but I was still feeling bad from my rant before and was having a few hours of self-loathing, which I wanted to get over with in solitude. Like I said before, I was definitely feeling hormonal.

"Thanks for having him, though, Sable," Nitch was saying.

"No problem," I replied, smiling as best as I could. "I can always look after him if you're busy," _Lie._

"Really? That'd be great! I'll repay you, of course, when your kid's born...oh?" she broke off when Kaiden snuffled into her again and his big, purple eyes began to open, just a little. "Uh oh, he's waking up. Best keep this quick. Are you gonna say bye to Aunty Sable, Kai? Huh? Are you?"

_Get him away from me right now._

Uh, I blame hormones.

I reached out hesitantly and gently ruffled his hair, tufty, like Nitch's fringe. I said to him silently, in my head, "I'm sorry, Kaiden. I hope this doesn't leave things bitter between us."

It pained me to see him whimper at my touch, as if he was scared of me. I was crestfallen.

I swear, after this, I was never going get pregnant again.

I flexed my paws out to ease the cramp in them after finishing the final item of clothing for the day- a light, airy summer-themed dress made of somewhat flimsy white fabric. It certainly was getting warmer as summer approached; but at least I wouldn't spend all summer pregnant. According to what I had worked out, I would deliver some time in June, maybe late May. So that meant only three more months of feeling volumnious, being an inconvinient size and the inability to sit comfortably for long periods of time. Oh, and constant kicking too.

My initial self-loathing from earlier had died down, but now I was just tired. Obviously I knew taking care of a baby was no easy task- after all, I looked after Mabel from when she was young after our parents died. But Kaiden being Kaiden meant the attention he needed plus balancing out with work was just...exhausting. I couldn't help but admire mothers of twins- _triplets, _even. They would have so much work cut out for them. Thank fully I'd be having just the one child. Because despite feeling so big, my waist measurement was four or five inches smaller for being seven months pregnant, which doesn't sound much, but in pregnancy terms it was small.

I spread my paws out across the desk and rested my chin on it too as I stretched as far as I could reach in an attempt to ease the ache in my muscles...

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

I froze at the three, short noises that followed in quick succession that came from my window. The noises were too rhythmic and sharp to be a pigeon finding a roost for the night, or any late-night creature. It was unmistakably someone trying to get my attention.

What if someone from Wenton knew I lived here? Or maybe Tom was at my windowsill, right this second, to attempt to take me back? Maybe even Mabel...?

Not a moment after I thought this, there was a scuffling, scratching noise, which I most defintiely recognised. Someone was shimmying down the drain pipe. The question was, _who...?_

My mind was screaming at me not to look out of the window; especially how vulnerable in my current state that I was. But my heart was begging to see who it was. After the day's events with ups and downs an dramatic mood changes, I was stuck in old-Sable mode, the Sable who was meek and too forgiving, weak and love-stricken like a hopeless fool.

Slowly, I stood up, as quietly as I could manage, still listening intently. My heart pounded against my chest, and I could almost hear my more logical side shrieking for all it was worth for me to _stay away _from that window at all costs.

But how the heart seduced me.

Before I knew it, I was by the window, and with a deep, trembling breath, I twitched back the curtain and peered outside.

The thing I saw was the last thing I had expected to see.

There, sitting on my windowsill, was a singular, pure, snow white rose just laying there across the ledge.

Frowning, I pulled the window open- and straight away heard a hurried flee of feet. I shot a glance down the alleyway to see a figure, navy in the gloom, dashing away from the building.

I was too stunned to speak. Why was there a flower on my windowsill? And who on earth had put it there?

It was undenialably the person whom I'd seen running away...were they running away from me...? After delivering this flower?

I picked up the bloom and closed the window before ducking back inside, a frown still etched on my forehead. It just seemed so bizarre that now- now, of all times, this randome event suddenly occured, with no warning whatsoever.

As I turned the rose over in my paws I noticed a tiny piece of paper, folded up several times, tucked in between the closed petals.

"What's this?" I murmured, as I picked it out and began unfolding the tiny scrap. It read, in bold, scratchy handwriting,

_You don't know it, but I truly love you._

_So whatever I've done, I'm sorry._

_I hope you don't mind._

**:O OHMIGOSH, HOEHOMI-CHAN! WAS THAT A PLOT TWIST? DO YOU HAVE AN ACTUAL PLOT NOW?**

**Yes, you mut believe you've tumbled down the rabbit hole. ;) Who is the suspiscious character? Just WHO gave Sable that note?**

**OOOOOOooooOOOOOooooOOOhhhhHHHhhh! **

**I have a couple of ideas that might fit in during her 8th and 9th month of pregnancy...maybeh. I feel like I've done a big focus on Nitch and Kaiden, and I should step back into Sable's issues, considering this is HER story. I guess that's how selfless she is...giving up her own story for others...**

**This doesn't mean I'm not open to all of your ideas! Keep reviewing my awesome fans!**

**And I just recently had a load of story favourites. PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU, REVIEW! EVEN IF IT'S JUST SAYING 'good job' or 'I liked it' OR EVEN A FLAME!**

**And it is my solemn duty to inform you I do believe that Tight Stitches only has just about 10 chapters left! :O Where did that go...? Ohhh, I so want to just write the rest of the story! But I can't! Big thirteen year olds like me need to sleep (Writing this at midnight XD)! ...Because Mummy forced me to! :'(strong

**Anyhoo, thanks for your continual support! I love you all sooooooooooooo much! Hugs and kisses to my special fans (and AquamarinTHeOne) and byeeee~**

**Note to Zora Princess: Where have you gone my dearest? If you reviewed the last chapter, it never came through...sadly. :/ Please return with your wonderful feed back! I'm nearly done with your gift fic!**

21. Chapter 20

_I truly do love you._

Somehow those words had sent me into a content and peaceful sleep that night, and when I woke up I still had that vague sense of happiness and anticipation surrounding my mind.

I was loved.

Those words, so tender and sweet...so gentle and caring. Words I hadn't belived to be true in the past few months.

Perhaps Tom really did overreact, perhaps he's come to his senses and realised what he said. Maybe he does- genuinely- want me back, and our child, and we can be happy...get back together, love each other, with our family...

...and maybe have more children...

As I got dressed these faint, whimsical ideas drifted into my mind. _Maybe I'll go back to Wenton again. _I was just so content in this moment. Happiness pervaded my mind, and I let it- things a coward like me would never do seemed so ideal and fitting to carry out.

How happiness addles the brain.

I was convinced Tom had left that rose. It was just like him- when he first asked me to date him he had given me a cake from the bakery that was long gone ow and had had a pair of earrings baked in it with a note wrapped around them, reading- '_I really really like you. Please, go out with me.'_

It hadn't been terribly eloquent, but at the time I had found it heart-wrenchingly romantic. The flower was an extremely similar touch- besides, white roses were common in Wenton. Even the town's flag portrayed one; a singular, fragile bloom.

All of yesterday's feelings of self-loathing had evaporated, and I found myself cheerful and contented, a feeling which was hard to come by when pregnancy hormones hit hard. Speaking of which, the baby was unusually still. I could only feel it gently waving its arms every so often. Perhaps, since I was in such a good mood, the baby had decided to be less vicious in its morning movements. I rubbed the top of my protruding stomach in a circular movement, and smiled at the tiny kick in response.

I sat down at my desk and was just about to start sketching out some new designs when the letterbox downstairs sounded. That's right, it was Saturday- on Saturdays, the bills were posted, my rent was due, and a weekly tabloid magazine which Redd had subscribed to so as to give me constant reference for clothing came through. And Redd was away every other Saturday for 'buisness', as he put it. In other words, getting more stock.

I stood up slowly, and the baby rolled- again, hating me standing up. Best get the magazine, I was running out of ideas of what was popular to wear.

The city noises- the bustling, chattering, movement of various animals- trickled in through the open letterbox, reaching my ears as I got to the bottom of the staircase. A heap of letters were scattered at the foot of the door. Pushing the letter box closed, I crouched down with some effort (It was hard to bend down, and sometimes even painful when you had such a big stomach), and sifted through the mail until my paws met the glossy sheen of the magazine.

I stacked the rest of the mail onto the counter in the kitchen for Redd later, and ascended the stairs once again, the magazine rolled up in my paw. The bubbly cheerfulness existing within me was hard to dampen- the rickety staircase which usually caused me greif seemed effortless and easy to climb. The chipped, rough banister where I tended to get splinters in my paws seemed smoother than butter. And the mouldy, grimy apartment around me as I opened my door again just appeared to be...perfect.

I sat back down at my desk, pulled back my sketchbook, flipped to a new page, cast a glance at the magazine's front page...

My heart literally stopped.

I read the title. I re-read it. I kept reading it over and over again, but somehow, it just didn't make sense. The words kept snaking together, forming a jumbled mess, but somehow I knew the meaning- it was just hard to discern.

My blood ran cold as I forced myself to say it out loud.

"_Tom Nook's Affair with GracieGrace clerk- Labelle."_

Below the bold, black headline, there was a photo of Tom holding Labelle's paw as they walked down a street somewhere. Labelle was laughing and Tom was grinning, in that hopeless, lazy way that struck my heart every time I saw it.

The world had gone insane.

That was my only conclusion. I grasped handfuls of my quils on my head trying to make sense of it all. _Tom and Labelle. Tom and Labelle. Tom and Labelle._

It all seemed so unclear. Tom couldn't be with Labelle- having an affair, _affair..._what did it mean? I knew what it meant, but the words were confusing and didn't make sense. Besides, Tom left me the flower, the note...Surely that accounted for something?

_But you didn't know that for definite._

The icy voice in my head caused my stomach to churn and I gripped my quills so tightly it physically hurt, pushing tears into my eyes. I couldn't comprehend it. My mind was just so...clouded. I cast my eyes down the article and began to read.

_Tom Nook, one of the most well known buisness men in the region, is obviously 'so over' his fling with the seamstress Sable Able whom he impregnated late last year and has moved on- to yet another porcupine. Labelle- no last name given- is known as the one and only clerk in the designer shop 'GracieGrace' and is not unnoticed by many. She has been seen often around Nook's hometown, Wenton, more often nowadays, and even more often out in the open...with Nook. Only yesterday did she pubicly confirm she and Nook were 'official'. _

_Labelle, at the ripe age of twenty seems mature beyond her years and apparently posesses a particularly unique taste in men. This sudden premature 'get together' was all very quick and it is hard to not view this as somewhat suspicious. One of the pair is likely to have ulterior motives to the other- for example, Nook being a very rich man; Labelle's designer jewellry isn't free now, is it? As for Labelle, young and interesting- it could be just what Nook wants to freshen up his life after the rather dulling episode of 'accidentally' conceiving an unwanted child CTD P3_

I couldn't bear to read anymore. It was only now that I registered hot, salty tears flowing down my cheeks, rolling one after another off my chin. The shock and horror- this feeling of betrayal- was almost too much to bear. Tom- my only, true, undenialable love, whom I had held dear for nearly ten years had done it again.

Shattered my heart.

Boy was he good at doing that.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

I winced at Nitch's fierce cry which echoed down the phone, painfully resounding in my ear. She couldn't half yell.

Confused, betrayed, hurt, injured, torn, crumpled, spat-on-and-stamped-heartlessly...I had dissolved into a mess after reading the article, and with no one else to turn to, I had called Nitch; being my closest friend at the time.

And she was angry.

"How dare he! How fucking dare he...! Er...pretend you didn't hear that, Kaiden," She was also working on trying to control her swearing, what, with having a baby, but I guess my news really ticked her off.

I wiped my eyes with the corner of my sleeve, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you with my problems," My voice was clammy and thick. "But I'm just so confused and upset, I just..."

"It's fine, Sable, it's fine! Honestly- oh God, have you been crying?"

"Y-yeah,"

"Geez," I could just imagine Nitch folding her arms in irritation. "I could just fucki- freaking murder that idiot right now. How could he?! With your SISTER?!"

"That's what makes it so terrible," I mumbled thickly. "Labelle, of all people..."

"Hey, Sable?"

"Yes?"

"Can I set fire to his house?"

I laughed humorlessly. It sounded hollow and empty, rolling off the echoing walls. "Be my guest." I choked out. "I don't care about him anymore. He's done too much. Way too much."

A single tear trickled down my face and rubbed it away with the cuff of my sleeve. This..._betrayal..._It was worse than him leaving me, rejecting me, trying to come back for me...

He'd commited the ultimate sin between us.

"Oh, sweetie..." Nitch's voice was full of sympathy. Strange, I'd never heard her call anyone sweetie before. Perhaps being a mother was really changing her. "...I'm sorry, I'm being such a lame friend- I don't know what to say."

"It's OK," I assured her, sniffing loudly- which, actually indicated I _wasn't _OK... "I just...wanted you to know. Um...bye."

It was unlike me to be so rude and abrupt in ending the conversation, but I dropped the receiver back onto the hand set before sinking onto the floor.

I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. Hard. With no concern towards my baby. I was angry, fuming with rage- but more than anything, I was torn with loss and despair. I thought the worst had happened to me. I thought I had rode it out. I thought there was nothing bad left to happen.

But then again, I had thought Tom loved me.

This feeling of betrayal just wouldn't go away- like some uninvited guest sitting in the middle of your house without permission to come inside. I had no reason to feel betrayed; Tom and I were no longer together- it was as clear as day the moment he told me he didn't want our baby- it shouldn't affect me. He wasn't involved in my life anymore and I shouln't be so upset. He's going out with someone else- so what?

So I'm still carrying his child, I'm still pregnant, I'm still existent!

Maybe he thought when I ran away, all his problems did too. And his past. And all connection to our torrid romance.

And Labelle- she was my sister! My sister of all people! I would've been hurt if Tom had decided to have a relationship with any other girl- but my own sister? It just made the situation worse. My own flesh and blood was probably kissing those lips I had kissed so many times this second, whispering things into the ears I had whispered into...the thought made me gag in horror. Tom was _mine._

I only just noticed I was trembling, my entire body shaking in frustration and rage. My taut abdomen was quivering in particular, as if the baby was shivering too within. I wrapped my arms around it, as I hunched up there, as small as I could be. _This was...jealousy?_

No, it was more than just jealousy. I was confused. So, so confused.

I could've sworn that when Tom and I first started going out, Labelle called him 'weird' and 'goofy looking'. She had said, and I quote- "Probably some pathetic idiot not worth your time." Obviously worth hers now.

"How could you, Labelle?" I whispered in horror. Shivers prickled the back of my spine as I said her name. It left a dry, rough taste on my tongue.

And the newspaper article- it had mentioned me like I was worthless. Just an item, and item that was bought, used, lost, and forgotten. And how dare they refer to my child as unwanted?! I wanted my baby- they were mine too, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

I had barely registered the steady flow of tears trekking down my face into the sleeves of my top as I silently wept, tormented. I don't know how long I sat there, I just know it wasn't enough. Eventually I stood up, my back stiff and sore from being not only pregnant but from sitting hunched for so long. My eyes were stinging with the salt from my tears, the fur on my cheeks was mattted...

On trembly legs, I staggered over to the bathroom, where I clutched the basin as tightly as I could. It felt like I was back to the day of finding out I was pregnant. I had cried for so long, mentally cursing myself for letting something like this happen.

How could I have let myself get pregnant?

I glanced upwards at my reflection in the mirror.

A wild, deranged woman that definitely wasn't me stared back. Her eyes were sore and puffy, ringed with lilac like bruises, her face was stained with tear tracks, her fur was matted and clumped, and her quills were sticking up all over the place. Her clothes were crumpled and wrinkled, and the moon of her heavily pregnant stomach shone through the ill-fitted clothing.

It took a second for me to actually register that the crazed woman staring at me was actually me.

I recoiled, before throwing up, every ounce of regret, self loathing and bitterness spilling out over my lower lip.

_So who gave me the flower...?_

**:O OH MI GODS! Tom cheated?! But then he and Sable had broken up...but is it justified?**

**...Wait, why am I asking these questions?! I'm the author!**

**This was kinda short, but if I extended it, I'd been rambling...but hey, its better than nothing and you're reading my master piece *coughcough* for free! XD**

**I came up with this idea. Thought I'd drag Labelle back in. :3 Mwa ha ha.**

**But srsly...I'M SORRY, SABLE! I'M SO MEAN TO YOU! I PROMISE IT WILL ALL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING!**

**Sable: *looks up hopefully* Really...?**

**Me: Well...after some ups and downs...er, scratch that, mainly downs...**

**Sable: *shocked* Eh?! :(**

**Me: You'll be fine! Of course, you have to give birth, which'll be the worst pain of your life...you'll have to raise a baby, which will be much harder than just looking after Mabel when she was a kid...and you'll have to make a decent ending because who wants to raise their kid in a grotty apartment above a black market? :D**

**Sable: x_x**

**Remember to review and tell me what you think! Ciao!**

**(I think I should come up with a name for my fans...y'know, like Lady Gaga has Monsters, and Xiaorishu has Team Spring Roll? What do you want to call yourselves, TS fans?)**

22. Chapter 21

For a full month after reading that article, I became old-Sable again.

But ten times worse.

I barely spoke, I barely ate, I didn't put any effort into anything I did anymore...it was as if my life, which had started afresh- a new page- had been torn into pieces and thrust at my feet.

'This is all thats left for you. Accept it.'

The bitter feeling of betrayal didn't go away; it only intensified over time, not to mention the jealously. It gnawed at me from the inside, consuming every sane thought in my head, changing me, corrupting me- everything I saw now, I saw differently than before. The world seemed so much darker and unpleasant. When you fall in love, they say you perceive everything around you as so much better- or, as the expression goes, you see everything through rose-tinted sunglasses. I guess when you fall out of love you see everything- even the little things, like eating or talking to other people- through black shades.

Nitch and her family had worried about me, and so was Redd. He had lowered my quota of clothing every week by quite a considerable amount, despite the fact I kept up to the amount of garments I normally produced. But they seemed so...lifeless. Lacking. As if, along with my ability to feel emotion again like I usually would, or comprehend the better thinsg in life, my talent as a seamstress had completely evaporated.

It was all Tom's fault.

I passed a paw over my damp face. Despite only being May, it felt like the middle of August outside and inside it was like an oven. Not only was Redd's place stuffy, but more or less airless and it was almost hard breathing. Not exactly the best conditions for someone who was eight months pregnant.

The blinds were still pulled down from last night, because the sun didn't filter through the window like in books and films- it burned its way in. It was so scorching hot with the blinds open I chose to keep the room blanketed in darkness. It was gloomy enough to match my mood. My constant mood.

My baby gave a feeble kick from within my stomach, as if it too were affected by the heat. No surge of affection came rushing forth at the contact. No love for the child I had inside of me. After everything that had happened, it was more than just difficult to love the baby- at times, I was certain I hated it. But now it was too late to do anything. Just another month and I'd be waving goodbye to pregnancy, hopefully, forever.

That's not to say I wouldn't take care of my baby. Hopefully I'd come around within the next few weeks, and I could give birth and we'd feel connected once again. Just at the moment, I couldn't...fathom what love was anymore. As if the way I could comprehend somethings had vanished.

More or less, my current outlook, was that love was the pits. Love was the reason I missed Tom, love was the reason I was pregnant, love was the reason why I felt so dejected over Labelle and Tom being together. Love was the reason my life had been tossed around so badly I didn't know which way was right, and which path I should take. My only solution was to become numb.

And I had never felt more insecure about myself than right now. Every day I felt horrible. I felt ugly, I felt huge. My pregnancy was almost sucking the life out of me. I let my paws wander over my face for a minute. My cheeks felt sunken, and my skin like...paper. The fur was thinning and my snout was definitely narrower. I must've looked so out of proportion- skinny and gaunt everywhere except for what appeared to be a basketball under my shirt.

Stretching, I flicked the switch of the sewing machine to 'off', before cutting off the thread and tying it in a bow to secure the garment. Finished. Again.

With an almost robotic motion, I hooked the blouse onto a hanger before getting to my feet and placing it on the rail at the other end of the room. I was surprised I wasn't waddling or swaying on my feet- I certainly felt big with such a weight in my abdomen, but no. Even swollen ankles were absent, so I couldn't be that big. Maybe I really was just insecure.

But that negative part of my mind disregarded the thought.

The biggest issue about being this pregnant now, however, was the fact my back never stopped aching. It was as if the flesh in the curve of my spine had been bruised- badly- and constantly had a weight pressing against it. The only time I got a breif respite from my pain was when I massaged the area gently for a few seconds (although it was too much of a hassle parting my spines to constantly do it), or take a warm bath. Bathing seemed to be the only soloution to my problems at the moment. For a few minutes, I could forget about all of my aches and pains- both in and out- before I looked down and be met with the moon of my stomach staring right back at me. Besides, it was far too warm for a bath now, and I doubted ice cold ones had the same affect.

I cast a glance around my room. It was, at the very least, messy. Scraps of fabric and offcuts I had discarded were lying around my sewing machine in a littered fashion; my bed was un-made; and my kitchen work surfaces were cluttered with too much...stuff. The fact the room was cast in stuffy darkness didn't help.

Now that I had finished sewing, what should I do with the rest of my day? It was only three in the afternoon, and I had no means of entertaining myself. It wasn't like I could sleep those hours away- most pregnant women jump at the chance of a nap, but if I attempted sleep, it had the oposite effect of restfulness on me. Trying to drift into unconciousness made me all too aware of my aching body, and I felt far too self-concious to just relax. Reading wasn't as appealing as it used to be- the words on the pages just didn't seem to make any sense. I didn't own a TV- something my family had never owned- and besides, with all of these hormones steaming through my body and screwing with my mind, my emotions would be torn apart by every little thing on any channel- be it adverts or news reports.

So I literally had nothing to do.

I was still standing there next to the mirror, inspecting my baby bump when I heard the door downstairs resound. I disregarded the noise I heard everyday, until I heard the voices.

Familiar voices leaking up the stairs, saying things I couldn't make out.

My first instinct was to be curious, but then my current moody exterior waved away the thought. Probably just a normal customer, asking about Redd's shipping schedule. Or when he'll get new products in. Maybe I was just going crazy; there are plenty of people out there who sound similar to others when far away. I needed to stop clinging onto every bit of hopefulness for a happy future and face reality...

No no no! I should remain positive and try my best! It's dark times at the moment, of course, but I could always changes it...

No, I couldn't, what was I saying?! I needed to accept all of this bitter disappointment that had befallen me.

I didn't have to! I could be a better person if I tried-

No, stop it! This hopefulness is what screwed everything up in the first place! I need to be more realistic!

"When did you become so negative?"

I could almost hear my father's words, so true, so many years ago. When I was about twelve, I had failed to sew back over a seam to lock the fabric down and had more or less given up on being a seamstress. After several days of inactivity, Father came into mine and Mabel's room to see me and asked me what was the matter. I told him I was rubbish at sewing and shouldn't be the one to inherit our parent's buisness when it came to their time to retire. He asked me why I thought that, and when I told him, he said exactly that phrase. ''When did you become so negative?"

Perhaps it was the guilt coming back to me, not following up on what Father wished. He'd be disappointed in me- his eldest daughter, cowardly running away from what scared her the most.

What should make her the most happy.

All of a sudden I heard the landing floorboard squeak and I jumped, caught off-guard. I only just noticed I had been leaning against the mirror when suddenly my door flew open to reveal none other than Ripple, laden with three parcels, three bags and one large white box. Despite her load, she still succeeded in managing to throw her arms up in the air with a joyous shout-

"IT'S TIME FOR SABLE'S BABY SHOWER~!"

I blinked dumbly for several seconds as Ripple's gaze found me, and her grin broadened even more.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't scare her." Nitch said as she appeared from behind her sister who was still standing with her paws flung out, as if waiting for a fanfare or tremendous applause. Nitch looked over at me and winked. "Don't want you going into premature labour, like me, eh?"

My jaw muscles were still slack from the sudden surprise of my friends' sudden appearance in my flat. I mean, what were they doing here? I wasn't unhappy that they had come to see me or anything- just why did they turn up out of the blue?

"Um...yes...I gue- I mean...what?" My sentence came out garbled and disorganized.

"We're here for your baby shower!" Ripple announced, throwing her bags and parcels onto the sofa, befor going over to the window and throwing the curtains open. I recoiled at the sudden brightness as she parroted- "You know, you should really let the light in, it keeps the room-"

"Baby...shower?" I echoed. I genuinely didn't know what on earth Ripple was on about. And what did it have to do with me?

"You don't know?" Nitch asked, looking at me in surprise. She knocked the door closed with her foot- she too was carrying several parcels in her arms as well as a baby carrier with a sleeping three-month old Kaiden within hooked over her arm. "What a baby shower is?"

I shook my head and stepped away from the wall, wincing at the pain in my back before moving over to greet the pair.

"Oh. Well, basically, it's a party that the mother-to-be's friends and family host to celebrate her getting pregnant." Nitch explained, before leaning over to hug me in greeting. She whispered softly in my ear as she did so- "Plus, I wanted to cheer you up a bit."

When I moved away, she smiled at me before turning her attention to Ripple who was still tidying away my mess.

"Hey, Ripple- Ripple! Quit tidying up! I swear, it's like you're OCD..." Nitch sighed and a smile- barely a hint of one, the first one in a whole month- pricked the corners of my lips.

"No, no, I'm not," Ripple chirped. "We just need space and light to get started- there!" She swept away some clutter on my sofa and patted the seat before her. "Come on then, mummy- take a seat,"

"'Scuse me, I'm the mother here- Sable hasn't had hers yet-" Nitch began before I interuppted.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"How about thank you later on?" Ripple grinned. "But for now, let the party begin!"

"So...what exactly do you do at a baby shower?" I asked, taking a seat on the sofa and glanced up at Nitch as she set Kaiden down on the floor and sat cross-legged next to him.

"I'm still surprised you don't know what a baby shower is," she replied, shifting her position until she was more comfortable.

I shrugged helplessly. "I'm from a small town with more traditional customs more than anything."

"Yeah, that's true...anyway, Ripple's organised some games and stuff, and we've all gotten you presents- Fele and Rerro would be here, but Fele wants to work, and Rerro's too shy, so it's just us..."

"Games?" My throat dried. "I-I'm not really in the mood today..."

"In that case, let's do presents first!" Ripple announced, gesturing to all the parcels and bags they had been carrying.

My jaw fell open.

"Those are all...for me?"

"Well, technically for your baby, but yeah. They're all yours." Nitch chuckled, rockig the carrier back and forth after Kaiden started fussing in his sleep.

"I can't take all of these!" I cried as my gaze swept over them. "There's so many- I can't-"

"Yes you can!" Ripple said firmly, dropping down beside me and patted me on the shoulder. "I promise, they're all for you, and we didn't go a penny over budget!"

"So get unwrapping!" Nitch teased, and I couldn't help it- I smiled.

The underworked muscles required to move my lips in such a way was nearly painful. But it was almost a...good kind of pain. Almost. As strange as it seemed.

"So...who is this from?" I asked as I picked up the first bag, coloured red with pictures of crayons decorating it.

"That one's from...Fele."

I peeled apart the sellotape sticking the bag together and removed another rectangular parcel wrapped in yellow tissue paper. It was quite heavy and had sharp cardboard corners that dug into my palm as I turned it over to rip away the tape holding it together.

"And guess what?" Nitch announced as I pulled out a white box with a picture on the front. "She chose it all by herself."

It was a baby mobile, with little farm animals hanging down from the main part in a spiral.

"Look- if you wind it up at the back here it plays 'Old McDonald had a farm', and at each animal's part that animal lights up. It's good, isn't it?" Ripple said, pointing out the instructions on the front of the box.

"It's great," I said, the grin on my face huge now. "I love it."

"Mine next!" Nitch said childishly, tossing a bigger package at me. She smiled mischeviously. "I thought this was ideal."

I tore off the wrapping paper feverishly, caught up in the excitement of the moment now. I uncovered a baby bouncer- like a reclining seat you could put your baby into which rocked back and forth at the motion of their bodies. It had a metal spring underneath and a white cover over the seat, adorned with minature balloons. From Ripple, I got a whole set of baby feeding utensils- bottles, dishes, plastic spoons, tippy cups, and tubs of formula milk, already! Everything came with instructions on how to clean certain parts of the child's crockery and keep them safe, along with recipes you could make- or rather mash up- for your baby as they got older. Rerro had gotten me two gifts- two fairly big ones, actually. A bouncing seat thing, if you will, which you could attach to a door frame and put the baby in so they could bounce up and down at their own will. His second gift was a bath set- a dear little plastic tub in the shape of a fish with a removable piece for when they got bigger. Along with that, there was baby shampoo, bodywash, and powders and the like.

In another bag I was greeted by three packs of diapers, which we all laughed about afterwards.

"But seriously," Nitch had said. "You go through them like crisps. One second they're there, the next...the baby's shit in them all."

"And that's your definition of crisps?" Ripple had said with her lips pursed. That had been equally funny.

By the by, I came to the last two presents. One was about half my height and quite thin; and the other was a flat box shape, a little bigger than the baby bouncer box had been.

"Who's this one from?" I asked. They'd all given me gifts by now- who was left?

"That one? Oh, that one was from Redd." Nitch replied casually, tickling the now awake-Kaiden under the chin.

Redd?!

I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks and I ducked my head as I pulled the parcel onto my lap. "R-really," I stammered.

Ripple frowned a little beside me as I inspected the blue wrapping paper ill-fitted over the parcel. "He cares about you a lot, you know. But he's too shy to come and give you this in person."

"Like Rerro," Nitch remarked as I ran a claw under the sellotaped edge of the paper. As it fell away, I stayed silent for some time.

"Oh, how nice!" Nitch suddenly said. "A baby walker! I wanted to get Kaiden one of those!" there was a note of envy in her voice as I stared at the box portraying a kitten kicking his legs happily in the walker. I wasn't sure how I felt about Redd getting me a gift. He was my landlord- and I guess you could technically catergorise him as my friend...?- but receiving this gift from him almost seemed like he wanted to be involved with my baby...and I wasn't sure on how I felt about that.

I swallowed softly before going to open the box. "Do you want to let Kaiden play a bit in it now?" I offered.

"No! It's fine, that's for your kid, Sable." Nitch smiled. "It's OK, really. I'll get daddy to buy Kai one."

"Daddy?" I repeated. My mouth widened in realisation at her comment. "Did you find Basque?!"

Nitch nodded furiously. "I'm going to go see him this Thursday!" she said excitedly. "He's really excited to meet his son! I can't wait!"

"Congratulations, Nitch! That's brilli-"

"Nitch! Stop talkng about Basque!" Ripple cut me off. "Today is all about Sable- all congratulations must go to her,"

Nitch opened her mouth as if to argue before Ripple's words dawned on her. "You're right. Today is Sable's day."

"Oh no, I don't mind, honest-"

"Nope," Ripple held up a paw. "Not another word. Open your last present!"

"This is from all of us." Nitch nodded at the tall, thin box. "Ripple, Rerro, Fele, Redd, Kaiden and me."

I smiled at them before standing up to retreive the box. It was surprisingly heavy so I ended up removing the paper right there and then...

It was a pushchair. Almost a cross between a traditional pram and a more modern stroller- it was arranged with a sky blue hood that could be put up or down as you pleased, with the seating area facing whoever was pushing it. It was white all over, obviously excluding the hood, and had an attachable rain cover and sleek, modern, black plastic wheels. The handle was black too, and you could take away the rail to make it into two seperate handles.

It was perfect.

This is when my hormones decided to affect me and I was struck with an odd mixture of happiness and tragedy. These feelings suffused, and came out as tears, which I assume were because I was so happy.

"I'm guessing you like it, then," Nicth came over and put her arms around me. "And before you say anything, you're welcome."

And now there were the games.

"Pre-warning, these may be awkward." Nitch had said beforehand. "They should be played with more than just three people."

"But oh well, we'll make do." Ripple sang, pulling out a ball of wool from her bag. "First we're going to guess the baby bump size!"

I blushed as she told Nitch and I to cut off a piece of wool that we thought my stomach measurement was. I was still a little insecure over my baby bump, but even so- they had gotten me all of those wonderful gifts. I could at least be a good sport in return.

Nitch's guess was way off- when Ripple wrapped the string around me it was much too big and drooped sadly around my front.

"Aw crud." Nitch said. "But seriously, Sable, even though you're eight months you have a really small baby bump!"

"Really?" I said as Ripple held up her piece of string. "Is that bad?"

"I don't think so. It's just my observation, that's all."

Ripple's attempt was a centimetre too small this time, and even my guess was too big.

"So there's no winner?"

"No winner," Ripple confirmed. "Next game! It's called 'My water just broke'!"

Nitch and I exchanged confused looks as Ripple removed an ice cube tray she had put in my freezer when they first arrived. We would be given an ice cube each and had to make it melt fastest first.

"Technically, they should be in the shape of your baby." Ripple explained as she brought them over. "But I couldn't find a porcupine mould, so...here goes! Three, two, one...melt!"

I cupped mine in my palms and pressed my paws tightly together, hoping to transcend some of my heat into the ice cube. Ripple was blowing on hers, and Nitch?

Nitch tickled Kaiden's chin, and when he opened his mouth, put the ice cube in. Within a matter of seconds it was gone.

"I win!" Nitch announced. "High five, mini me!"

I laughed at calling Kaiden her 'mini me'.

"That was cheating in some form, Nitch!" Ripple said, but couldn't stop smiling at the hilarity of the situation.

Kaiden tossed his head around from side to side, obviously confused at the sudden events, which made us laugh even harder. He waved his arms around as Nitch scooped him out of the carrier and put him on her knee so he too could be involved in our game.

"Ok, ok, fine." Ripple sighed, a grin still plastered on her face. "Nitch wins. What do you want to play next?"

After guessing what my baby would look like (By drawing some rather odd sketches onto a whiteboard), placing bets on the gender and engaging in various other baby shower games, at about six o clock Ripple and Nitch bid farewell and left.

I surveyed the scene around me. Wrapping paper from my gifts was swept up against the sofa where we had discarded it in a tatty pile, rememnants of the games we had played were scattered here and there, and my presents were all stacked up either on or near the sofa. The warm sunlight washed over the room, and with it, came the presence of a guest you had been meaning to invite for a while. The clear, bright yellow light suddenly made the room look happy again, as opposed to darkness.

I stood up, an placed my paws over my heart.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

This sound...this motion...

No matter what Tom does, no matter what happens, as long as my friends were around, my heart would never stop beating.

**D'awww!**

**I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!**

**The story is not discontinued! You will be getting more updates! There is a sequel and a third book planned! SO PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP HOPE!**

**Nitch: Ahem.**

**Me: What?**

**Nitch: Don't you think you owe all your fans/followers/reviewers (whoever and whichever site you're reading this on) an explaination as to why you haven't updated in a SOLID MONTH?**

**Me: Hmph! Fine! I was in Berlin!**

**Nitch: *face palm* **

**Me: WHAT?**

**Nitch: You were in Berlin for FOUR DAYS.**

**Me: Oh...well...I've been watching My Little Pony...? (GENUINE REASON)**

**Nitch: Annnnnnndddd?**

**Me: Oh...well, I kinda...um...finally got Animal Crossing New leaf...?**

**HALLELUJA! HALLELUJA! HALLELUJA! HALLELUJA! HALLE-LAY-LUUU-YAHHH!**

**Srsly, I've been waiting SO eagerly every since I stumbled across this trailer type video in early 2010 on YouTube. When June 14th finally rolled around, however, this year...**

**I was broke. :/**

**BUT I FINALLY GOTS IT! ND BY GOD ITS EPICAL!**

**I might do a review style video on my YouTube channel soon (UsagiUtau) so check it out~!**

**Have faith my dear reviewers! I will see you soon!**

**(Sorry this chapter's kinda boring. Things are getting interesting soon though)**

23. Chapter 22

Too far.

This was too far.

I wiped away the angry tears that had gathered in my eyes. How dare he. How _dare _he!

I was furious, more angry than I had ever been in my entire life. The emotions ran through me at such a pace my heart thumped so hard against my chest it almost physically hurt. The anger and hurt surged through me and I stood up so quickly I immediatly doubled over in pain as my stomach contracted sharply. These pre-labour contractions had started the moment I was officially nine months pregnant. On and off all day, with no respite, not even at night when I was asleep.

But that, clearly, was not the reason I was angry.

I snatched up the magazine on the table before me, and screwed it up in a ball before tossing it across the room with as much force as I could muster. My breath came in hot, heavy pants, and the pain still clenched its iron fist in my stomach. With a cry, I fell to my knees and let the agony of both the magazine and the contractions overtake me as I bawled there, kneeling on the floor, with my arms wrapped around my stomach as if trying to cease the hurt.

I wasn't upset because of the previous magazine article about Tom and Labelle two months ago. This was different.

And ultimately, worse.

The same magazine had published this headline only this morning:

_**Tom Nook and Labelle no longer together...he prefers them younger.**_

_After only this brief period of time, Labelle and Nook's relationship seems to have quietly ended. Clearly, Labelle was not this raccoon's cup of tea...but the younger, blue-spined porcupine from small-town Wenton apparently is. Sixteen year old Mabel Able was seen with Nook on six different occasions; four of which entering his home alone. Other times when they have been spotted together, there is an undeniable air of a relationship. Mabel Able is the sister, and closest relative of Sable Able, the missing porcupine whom also dated Nook for a longer period of time. _

The rest of the article was sickening. Tom...the man I had loved...had not only dated Labelle, but had now gone for _Mabel?!_

Mabel was SIXTEEN. Tom was twelve years older than her! How dare Tom get Mabel involved with him!

I had no doubt Mabel wasn't a part of this. She was too loyal to her family- to me- and hated Tom just as much as I had when he left me and shattered our romance. Tom had clearly seduced her, and...and...

The idea of what he could have done to her, beyond friendly kissing, both scared and infuriated me. Mabel was sixteen- I couldn't get over that fact. Tom had lured Mabel to him...when she was so young...

The rage still spat fire within me as I got to my feet as the pain from the contraction wore off. The craziest, possibly most dangerous idea I had ever thought of in my entire life had come into my head.

And my mind was settled.

I was going back to Wenton.

I had to confront Tom. Talk to Mabel. Decipher what had truly happened. Who knows? I might even feel better about myself again. Maybe all of this unhappiness within me would peter out, and I could have my baby any day now- back together with Mabel- and put all of this dreadful past nine months behind me.

I packed up all that mattered to me in a duffel bag, including all the baby clothes I had made and the smaller things I had received from the baby shower. I could contact Redd to send me the bigger things later. But for now...

Finding out the truth was all that mattered.

I was surprised- scratch that, I was shocked at my own daring. I was going to face the person who scared me most now. The person that had...done this to me. Something I had been too weak to do these past few months. Perhaps it was just a sign of what little good had come of this god awful experience. I had shed this husk of old-Sable- the weak, desperate wisp of a person to become stronger, even if only just.

It was almost pleasant to think about.

But then again, equally of loathsome when you thought of the methods used to attain this.

I picked up a sun hat that lay resting on my chest of drawers. I had taught myself how to weave recently I had been making straw bags and hats to sell along with other summer-y clothing. This sun hat was one of the more...questionable pieces, but with summer in full swing it helped keep my face cool. Besides, if I was going on the bus, it might disguise my face a little more. I didn't want any recognition before I got back to Wenton.

Before I came face to face with Mabel and Tom.

I pulled the sun hat low over my face before picking up my bag and turning on my heel to survey my room. The place I had called home for nine months.

With a small, sad smile, I opened the door and went downstairs, one paw over my stomach to attempt to keep balance. My stomach was still growing rapidly, and I had guessed I would have my baby around next week...maybe the week after. It was hard to determine when the embryo of my child had came to be.

Redd wasn't in the shop downstairs, so I locked the door behind me as I left the building, bag slung over my shoulder. What should I do with the key if I stay in Wenton? I thought to myself as I tucked it into my pocket. Maybe I'd mail it back to him. Or throw it in the river.

Thankfully, Redd's place wasn't far from the bus stop, as walking for a long time provoked more contractions, something I definitely did not want to do. They really hurt, and it was frightening to think that I'd have to endure worse when the time actually came.

I had to admit I would...in a way...miss my life in the city. I had made some amazing friends here, and experienced things I had never thought possible. I had suffered, anyone could see that, but at the end of the day I knew people cared for me. It was a good feeling.

I reached the bus stop, slightly out of breath. It certainly _wasn't _a good feeling when I was this pregnant to have all of the setbacks. Oh well, in a matter of days I'd be back to normal.

Of course, back to normal with another little person joining me. If that counted.

The bus drew up in front of the stop with a belch of smoke from the exhaust pipe as it pulled to a stop. The doors slid open and I took a step forward...before being engulfed by the small crowd of animals wanting to get a seat.

"Hey, Hey!" Kapp'n shouted as I stepped backwards, startled. "Let this 'un get on 'ere first, ye ill mannered sprats!"

Immediatly the crowd receded, grumbling, and I blinked- _for me?_ Why should I of all people get on first?

"Ye alright there, missy?" He asked as I stepped onto the bus, bewildered. I nodded stiffly in response as I gave him the 200 Bells bus fare before turning around to find a seat.

Luckily for me, they were all taken.

I reached out to grasp and handle above, mentally cursing my luck. _Standing _the entire twenty minute bus ride back to Wenton would surely be _great _for my back and frequently contracting abdomen.

Sarcasm, of course.

"Hey, kitty cat? Would you like to sit down?" A quiet, lilting voice asked from behind.

I jumped, caught off guard and glanced around to see a black cat standing up and gesturing to her seat with a questioning look on her face.

"Um...no, it's OK," I stammered. I was still a little surprised from the previous special treatment.

"Oh no, I don't mind at all," the cat chided. "Please, I insist. I'll be getting off the next stop anyway, kitty cat." She grinned and moved out of the way so I could sit down.

"Th...thank you." I replied, taking the seat she had vacated for me.

"Don't worry about it," she said, before her gaze travelled down to my stomach spilling out onto my lap. "When are you due? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"Er...soon." I didn't actually know myself. "Thank you for the seat, though."

She smiled before weaving her way to the front of the bus, just as we jolted forwards and all attention on me was turned away.

So I was getting special focus on me just because I was heavily pregnant? I found it all a little...I don't know, intrusive? If I had seen a pregnant woman on the bus or in any other public place, I would've left her to her own devices. The time I had spent been pregnant was the time I had felt most vulnerable in my life, and contact with strangers just made it worse. Having attention on you is the very last thing you want, especially if you were as insecure as I was.

Despite expecting this baby for quite some time now, I still had mixed emotions about it all. I undeniably loved my baby, with all my heart, and when I met him or her that love will surely intensify. But I was unhappy I was carrying Tom's- the man who had now gone and taken advantage of Mabel, the man who had forced me to become this shy, enclosed person I was, the man who had shattered my heart, time and time again- child. And I thought I was ready, ready to start motherhood, but was I actually prepared for what was to come? After seeing Nitch mature so well and grow into becoming a mother so easily I had doubts the same would happen to me.

I brushed away these thoughts and decided to focus on what truly mattered at this moment in time: going back to Wenton.

I won't lie...I was terrified.

What I was doing had fully registered in my brain now and I was starting to freak out. I was going to see Tom again. I didn't really know what I was going to say to him... somehow, ''Hey, what the heck have you been doing to my sister'' didn't seem the right thing to say when I was the one pregnant.

I had to admit, the idea of leaving the city and returning home had occured on spur of the moment. I hadn't really thought it through and was just doing what I felt was going to be the right choice.

_Ok. Maybe not._

I glanced out of the window and watched as we left the city, and buildings became hills as small, quaint towns, like Wenton, rolled by, slowly getting smaller.

But hey, I'd get to see Mabel again! That thought filled me with warmth and anticipation washed over me. I had been missing her, for nine long months, and getting to see her again would be...just undescribable. Besides, Mabel was excited for her niece or nephew. She'd love to play with a baby whilst I sewed or just needed a break from...well, being a mother.

I had to admit, I was more that slightly remorseful to be leaving the place where I had met my dearest friends- Nitch and her family- but we would definitely stay in contact, at the very least. And there was no rule stating I couldn't go back to visit.

But for now, family presided over friends. Blood was thicker than water. I had to sort this out.

Of course I was still nervous. I was terrified. I didn't want to face Tom, I didn't want to be shamed or embarrassed. But it had to be done.

_Good for you, Sable._ A voice in the back of my mind said approvingly. _Conquering your fears and standing up for yourself. I'm rather taken with this new Sable._

I took a deep breath and took a second glance out of the window just in time to see a sign post, boldly stating 'WENTON' in large, black letters, pointing in the direction of where we were going.

Nearly there. I couldn't afford to chicken out. I had to do this.

My heart was thumping against my chest like never before. My knees were weak, and my paws were shaking. But I had to. I had to.

I stood up, and reached out to press the bell...

_WHAM._

The pain in my gut flared up so suddenly I immediatly toppled over, gasping in shock at the sudden hurt. The crippling sensation had never been as strong as this before, and my vision blurred, with black spots dotting the corners of my eyes. It was as if I had been punched, or had a flame set alight within me, or had spikes drilled into my stomach, or maybe all three...and it just kept hurting.

The agony almost sent me into convulsions that I couldn't control, and maybe I was crying out in pain but I had no idea what was happening. All that my brain had registered was my body was alight with burning, crippling pain and I had to protect my child within.

I think someone caught me as I fell backwards, but I wasn't aware of anything except this mad desire to know my baby was OK.

_Was this a miscarriage? Or had someone hurt me? Oh God, did someone just stab me? Why does it hurt so much?!_

"Stop the bus!"

"I think she's hurt! No- is she in labour?!"

"We need an ambulance!"

"Hey, dear, can you hear me?" This cool, crisp voice cut through the others for some reason, and I opened my eyes to see who had spoken.

I was on the floor of the bus, which was still moving, but someone had their arm under my head, making me sit up somewhat. The pain in my stomach was receding, slowly, ever so slowly, but it was leaving my body. I looked up into the face of the voice's owner.

I was ever so surprised to see Susan, the midwife who had delivered Kaiden four months ago.

At least I think it was Susan. It was a little peculiar to see someone like her in normal, day-to-day clothing. Her wing supported me underneath as I struggled to regain my conciousness.

"Are you going into labour at all? Has your water broken?"

Thank fully, I was dry and it definitely hadn't. I slowly shook my head, before speaking. "I...I just think it was a pre-labour contraction. A s-strong one."

"I see." Susan nodded understandingly before swatting away at someone who went to help me up. "I'm a midwife! I know what I'm doing!" she barked.

I don't think she remembered me.

"What's goin' on back there?" I could clearly hear Kapp'n's voice through the ruckus. "I'm tryin' to drive a bus 'ere!"

"It's OK, everything's under control," Susan called back. "Just a false alarm, that's all. You can keep driving."

She quizzed me a little more before allowing me to sit back up in my original seat, breathing heavily. The pain was still petering out and I was shell shocked at having such a powerful contraction. I had very nearly fainted.

I glanced up to see every animal was staring at me, and just to look away I quickly looked over at the window.

Wenton rolled right passed me.

I was too late, I had missed my chance to amend everything I had planned to. In a split second I had missed my one and only chance to make everything better.

Susan turned back to me. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked.

Trembling, I shook my head.

"Back to the city, please." I whispered. She nodded understandingly before I burst into tears.

"I want to go home," I sobbed mournfully, sad and doleful and all of the depressing words I could muster.

But I didn't want to go back to 'my' home. I wanted to go to the home where I could be loved and content, with my fairy tale ending and someone who I had loved in a way too hard to even fathom nowadays.

I wanted a happy, safe home, with the father of my baby.

~**What did y'all think?~**

**This was...interesting to write. But I don't really have much to say...so yeah.**

**Do you know what species of animal Kapp'n is? No, he's not technically a turtle. He's actually a KAPPA. A Kappa is a mythical Japanese beast from their folklore (like the Loch Ness monster) who lives in rivers and ponds and lakes. These Kappa are mischevious sprites, I guess, but not 'playful' mischevious. They eat children. '-' So that's why some Japanese people, before swimming in a lake or pond, will throw in a cucumber (the Kappa's only other favourite food over children) to keep them safe. It's actually really creepy when you see some people's interpretation of it... look it up, it's legit. It was on River Monsters.**

**Anyhoo, my 3ds friend code is 0834-0959-9694 because I know some people want to play with me on animal crossing new leaf. :3 I'll try and play with you!**

**But please don't go spamming your friend code in the comment section, send me a PM or something! If you don't have an account try contact me through YouTube or DeviantArt or Wattpad! Please please please don't spam!**

24. Chapter 23

"What?!" Nitch demanded. "You've still not gone into labour?"

"No, nothing yet." I said into the phone. "Just kicks and pre-labour contractions, at the moment. Strong ones."

I could hear Nitch blow through her lips in exasperation. "That's one stubborn child you've got there, Sable. Kaiden may be obstinate too but at least he came out quickly,"

I chuckled humorlessly. "All I can do is wait, sadly. It's driving me crazy- ow!" I cried out as a heel dug into my womb. "Sorry, they've just decided to abuse me when my guard's down."

"Ah well. At least you've carried them to full term- Kaiden's still got issues with poor health from being premature...oh? Hang on, Ripple's calling me." I heard a crackling noise as the phone was pulled away from her ear and then a buzz of voices in the background. I drummed my fingers on my stomach patiently in an attempt to keep my child still, at least while I was on the phone. I swear they had doubled in size these past three days since the bus incident. Now, the walk from my bed to my sewing machine felt like a three mile hike.

The crackling returned as Nitch brought the phone back to her ear. "OK! I'll tell her! Sorry about that, Sable. Ripple just wanted to say as soon as you feel like you're in labour call us first, OK? Be it at seven in the morning or three at night, make sure you call us." She snorted when she finished her sentence. "Funny how willing my family are to wake up in the dead of night to be there for you, yet they slept right through Kaiden's birth."

I laughed lightly. "Come off it, Nitch, I'm fine- I'll call you after I have the baby, I don't want to trouble yo-"

"Nope. You don't understand what labour's like, Sable. It hurts like hell, it's not a little bit of pain, it's a lot, and it doesn't go away."

I felt a little bit indignant at this- I had been experiencing pre-labour contractions all week, so I liked to think I had some idea of what was going to happen. But I decided to just brush off her comment for now. After all, she had actually pushed a living, breathing being out of her body before.

"Besides," Her tone was so much softer now. "I don't want you alone to go through that. You were there for me, so I want to be there for you as wel- HOLY CRAP I FORGOT BASQUE WAS COMING!"

That did it, I burst into peals of laughter at the spontaneous outburst as Nitch gabbled into the speaker. "Sorry I'm gonna hafta go, Basque'll be here in less than- SHIT HE'S ALREADY HERE!"

"OK, OK, I get it," I smiled broadly. "We can talk later, I don't mind."

"Right, fine...call us though when your water breaks! Pronto!"

"I get it! Bye." I put the phone down before staggering over to the sewing machine. My breath was coming short and fast in quick little pants. _A few more days of this? _I thought miserably, only to be kicked in the ribs once again. I considered calling Nitch back again and asking her to come and look after me like some poor old dear who needed feeding and watering. Pregnancy really took everything out of you.

I hadn't been outside again these past few days. After the whole having-the-strongest-contraction-of-my-life-in-pub lic-on-a-bus-and-nearly-fainting incident, the front door was an object of terror for me right now. After seeing Wenton go past, my heart flipped and I chickened out at the last second. I couldn't go back. Not right now, anyway. My courage had risen so high it had shattered the moment something went wrong. Even now all amounts of courageous behaviour I had plucked up that day lay about my feet, and it would take some time to pick them all up again. I would go back in the future- I knew I would- I wanted to confront Tom and rescue Mabel. But not now. My main priority right now was to get this baby out of me, first and foremost.

My paws were itching to sew, but it was a pain to lean over my massive stomach to get to the sewing machine, so I was content with just sitting back in the chair, watching the skin of my stomach jump every so often at the baby's contact. I had christened these little jumps of movement 'baby hiccups'. And these 'baby hiccups' were very big today.

I let my eyes wander over my work table, where I noticed a brand new pair of scissors, still in their packet resting next to my sewing machine. They weren't sewing scissors- I could tell just by sight, after being a seamstress all my life. More like scissors for trimming your spines or fur. But I defintely knew they weren't mine.

Curious, I picked them up, only to see a note taped to the back of the packet.

-_thought you might need a new pair soon. You've had the same scissors since you moved here, so this is my gift._

_-Red_

I smiled at the kind gesture. I couldn't possibly use these in sewing, but I appreciated his thoughtfulness deeply. He'd always been thoughtful, from the very moment I met him- taking me in when I had looked like a lunatic, screaming at Labelle in the street. And who was I to judge how shady his buisness was, when he had given me and my child a place to call home?

Meeting him was probably one of the best things that had happened to me in these past few awful months.

And of course, meeting Nitch and befriending her family, expanding my talent as a seamstress, watching Kaiden being born and watching him grow these past few months; and just...I wasn't sure. Learning to cope with the negative thoughts. Learning how my mind worked. Just...learning about myself. Despite all of the bumps along the way, all of the stress and pain and grievances this pregnancy had given me...I had to admit, it would be slightly sad when it was over.

My gaze dropped back onto the scissors in my paws. I wanted to thank Redd, somehow, for all that he had done. I wanted to do something for him...but what?

I sucked in my cheeks as I tapped my thumb against the packet. He had given me a home, a job, and given me such privilges-like letting in strangers to his member's only shop...how could I repay that?

My first thought was to redecorate his shabby little shop downstairs, but I disregarded it quickly. I was too shy to do something on such a large scale. Besides, paint was too toxic for me to breathe, anyway.

Maybe give him a nice dinner? Redd lived off whatever he had in the cupboards downstairs- I'd never seen him eat a full meal. But could I cook something so nice? My thoughts drifted back to those ten days at Copper Kettle, when Rerro taught me how to cook. But I hadn't exercised that talent in a long time, and I could barely remember anything remotely appropriate for a 'nice' meal.

The only thing I could really do was make him something. That was the only thing I really knew how to do, with a guarantee it would turn out at least halfway decent. My drawer was packed full of hand-made baby clothes now, ready for whenever my baby decided to make it's debut, and every so often Nitch would commission a sleep suit or set of pyjamas to envelope Kaiden's ever growing form. I had just finished making the next range of clothing to go on sale- they were hung like limp skins on the rack next to the door, ready for me to take downstairs to be sold. So I had plenty of time.

I reached for my sketch pad and a pencil and flipped it open on a clean page, nibbling decidedly on my lip. So what to make? Nothing outstanding really sprang to mind.

My train of thought suddenly diverted to the grubby old apron Redd was always wearing, printed with his store's logo. Surely...that couldn't hurt to change, could it? Maybe he'd appreciate a new uniform to wear...? I considered this a little longer. He had said to me before now he was tired of getting the same old customers day in, day out, and wished people who frequented places like GracieGrace would check out his wares more often. Perhaps by providing him with the option of a different image, he would maybe draw in this newer audience.

My mind was settled. I was going to make him a new store uniform.

I started sketching out a rough, masculine-shaped form to use as a base when I added on the actual designs. My first thought was to give him the complete three-piece tuxedo, but then I stopped myself before I started drawing the blazer jacket. That would comepletely contrast with his store. I wanted something more subtle, and yet with that air or importance surrounding it.

As I sketched, my thoughts drifted back onto a night, maybe two or three years ago, when I was sat, doing exactly this.

_"Sable?" Mabel's voice drifted down the stairwell."What're you doing?"_

_I glanced up and smiled at the then-thirteen year old Mabel descending the steps in her pyjamas. "Oh, just working on some late-night patterns. Don't mind me."_

_She came over and stood behind me as I drew out big, arching shapes to be used as reference when cutting out fabric. She was quiet for a while before speaking._

_"So what are you going to make?"_

_"A suit," I replied, checking swatches of fabric beneath the table before resuming to sketch._

_"...Why?"_

_I sighed and put down my pencil, before pivoting on my seat to face Mabel."Do you remember when Tom used to run that store next door to us? Well, he always wore the same old tatty work apron, remember?"_

_Mabel nodded, rubbing a corner of purple suede inbetween her thumb and finger, appreciating the suppleness of the fabric. "So this is for him?"_

_I nodded, picking up my pencil again. "Yep."_

_"But he lives in the city now. Why do you still care about him?"_

_I regarded my sister almost confused. She was right, why did I still care about him? It's not like we could maintain a long distance relationship forever. That is, if we were in one. _

_"I...I don't know." I replied, turning back to my designs. "I guess...I just wanted him to have something to remember me by. I suppose."_

Yes, the scenario was clear in my head now. I had sent the tuxedo to Tom when I finished, and a few days later I recieved a thank you letter. It wasn't much- a card, bearing the words 'MY THANKS' printed on the front in cursive. His letter was basic, thanking me for taking the time to make this garment and how he would wear it everyday...but that was it. I had expected a little more- maybe a photo of him wearing it, or I don't know...a remark that one of his customers made?

I think that was the time when we stopped trusting each other.

But then again, he still wore it, all these years later. He had been wearing it when I told him I was pregnant, even though the purple had faded a little and the stitches must've come unravelled a bit. No one made suits back then, not by hand, so my attempt must've been a little shabby.

I gave the design in my paws a quick evaluation. I had decided on making a waistcoat and shirt, along with some formal trousers made of stiff fabric. It was both smart and casual at the same time- exactly what I was going for.

The next issue was the sizing. I pursed my lips, tape measure in hand as I stood next to the dress maker's dummy I had bought a few months ago. I had already adjusted the hips and waist to be more masculine, but compared to the suit I made for Tom all those years ago, the same size strategy would have to be altered to fit Redd's leaner form.

Come to think of it, Tom was definitely not what you called 'handsome'. What, with his lidded eyes from sleeping short hours, his stocky build, his uninteresting stance...

I wonder what I saw in him.

My stomach contracted sharply again as I started rifling through fabrics, looking for suitable shirt material, and I took a quick intake of breath. Of course I knew what I saw in him. He had been the only person to support me after my parent's death- he'd been the only person to show care and concern over my family's wellbeing, he never, ever pushed me into anything and did things with only me in mind...

So why did he do this to me? Make my body blow up like a gargantuan balloon and throw up every morning? Why did he leave me victim to viscious, merciless shocks of pain? Why did he make this being inside me possible to exist?

But then again, we never took any measures to prevent me getting pregnant. It was heat of the moment, what had happened.

I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts as I began draping and cutting and marking here and there with stubs of tailor's chalk. I had decided on a sky-blue piece of fabric for the shirt, and black suede with silky lining for the waistcoat.

I had to stop thinking so affectionately about Tom. It was clear nothing between us woud work out, not after our torrid romance diving in and out of love and hate. It was best to just leave our past behind, and for me to move forward with my life.

_But, I bet you still love him, even if it's just a teeny, weeny little bit._

The sad thing about that was it was true.

I sighed heavily as the contraction pased, and the baby rolled around a little as if to adjust itself. I both wanted him or her to look like Tom and not at the same time. I guess that just proved that no matter how much I denied it or refused to accept the fact...I did care about Tom, even in the slightest. He had broken my heart- countless times- and caused me to run away from what I held dear. I should hate him. And I did.

Just not enough.

I had been working on the waistcoat for the past hour and it was a pain getting the boning to stay put whilst I shaped the God damned things. Needless to say, I was getting a little frustrated and my back was killing me. But I was determined to finish.

Holding six pins in my mouth, I started re-pinning the waistcoat back together patiently. This was my third attempt at making the main body of it.

The blue shirt was finished, and was now over the mannequin, held together with leaf-shaped buttons I had painstakingly hand sewed onto it. It looked casual and quirky- something that I thought suited Redd a lot. I considered adding a tie, but I really didn't know how to go about making one. Besides, it might've made the ensemble look too formal.

I really hoped making this for Redd could equal everything he'd done for me in these past few months- I was trying my hardest and yet this seemed so insignificant. Then again, could I really atone for all he had done for me?

_Susan had left me at the end of the alleyway before bidding me farewell. I must've looked a right state; with matted fur down my cheeks, my spines askew from fainting...no wonder some animals were giving me strange looks._

_I stumbled down the alleyway quickly before fumbling with the key in the door, fresh tears beginning to form as I trembled, too scared and scarred at my own daring._

_To my surprise, the door opened and I fell onto Redd, who looked shocked to see me there, just beginning to sob in fright._

_"Sable!" He had cried, putting an arm around me and leading me inside. The door was slammed shut, and I was still sniffling and crying like a child. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"_

_I shook my head as he eased me into a kitchen chair in the back room. "I...I wanted to go back." I whispered, my shoulders shaking as the sobs threatened to choke me. "But...I'm too-o sca-a-red..."_

_Redd crouched down and exmained my tear-streaked face for a few moments. Then he reached out and patted my knee._

_"Sable, don't force yourself to be someone you're not," he had murmured quietly. "You're perfectly fine the way you are."_

I couldn't remember much after that, but Redd's goodwill and help that day just proved the extent of his genorosity. He shut the shop for the rest of the day and took me into his living room, just across the hall from mine where he had quite a collection of old films and tapes and the like. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching several of them on his brand new television he had recently bought, having finally had the funds to do so.

He certainly knew how to make someone feel better.

I felt bad the day after, for potentially making him lose buisness, but he said he genuinely didn't mind. I detected a lack of truth so I dropped a couple thousand Bells into his wallet, secretly hoping it might make up at least a little bit.

I finished pinning the waistcoat together, and thankfully, it didn't pull apart. I breathed a sigh of releif, and laid it out on the machine's table, ready to sew it up now. But not before my gaze fell on a tube of pale orange fabric paint left over from a few months back. Maybe I could paint on his stores logo onto the waistcoat pocket...?

Smiling, I picked up a piece of paper and went to cut out the stencil, my mind flooded with happy reactions.

I was finished. Everything was still attached to the mannequin- but I was so proud of myself. Not a single seam had torn, nothing had come undone; it had all stayed together...

And it looked so good!

I wanted to hug myself with joy everytime my eye caught it. I could already almost imagine Redd's figure already within it, extending a gentlemanly paw to his customers...

Now all I had to do was give it to him.

I was still in my pyjama shorts and t-shirt from this morning- my current typical mother-wear- and my spines were all sticking up in their unruly bed head. I chuckled when I caught sight of myself in the mirror- I looked like something you might expect to find lurking beneath your bed when you were a child.

I hurriedly freshened up, discarding pyjamas for a slightly shapeless bottle-green maternity dress I had made for myself. That was the thing about maternity wear; you might as well wear a bin bag with holes cut for your arms and legs. But they were, admittedly, more practical than trying to squeeze into big clothing that wasn't designed with pregnancy in mind.

Raking a comb through my spines, I began to plan how I would present Redd's suit to him.

Maybe wrap it up? No, I didn't want to give him a _gift _gift, I wanted this to be the thank you he so deserved for taking me under his wing. Besides- I had no wrapping paper, it was nearing six at night and I was too impatient for tomorrow to come so I could go out and buy some.

I know! I would take down the clothes I had already made and give him the suit last. Of course he'd know it was for him.

I gathered up all seven outfits I had made, folding them over my arm before taking Redd's present off the mannequin reverently. Little shocks of pleasure ran through me everytime I touched the fabric. I was ecstatic over the project's out come. I just hoped Redd liked it as much as I did.

I opened my door, and, supporting my big stomach with one paw, slowly eased my way down the stairs. I was certainly looking forward to being able to climb or descend steps without moving at the speed of a tortoise.

Downstairs, the shop was dark, but a pool of light flooded out from the back room, and I could hear the rustle of a newspaper page being turned. I grinned to myself before ducking through the draping concealing the door way.

"Good evening," I said, smiling with all the charm I could muster.

Redd looked up from his seat at the table. He had the paper spread out in front of him and a steaming cup of, what I assumed to be, coffee, judging from the smell lingering in ther air. His face immediatly brightened up considerably.

"Evening," he replied, folding up the paper quickly. "Are these the next batch of clothes? You sew CRAAZZY fast!"

I shrugged, before handing over the pile in my arms, my heart thumping excitedly against my chest. The waistcoat and shirt was at the very bottom of the pile.

As per usual, Redd quickly rifled through them, pausing every so often to inspect a seam or rub the suppleness of the fabric I had chosen. Suddenly, as he neared the suit, my heart leapt into my mouth. What if he didn't like it? What if my sudden giving him a present made this situation...awkward? I wanted to reach out and snatch it back. All of a sudden I was scared he might think I was trying to...I don't know, appeal to him? Make it look like I was some adoring fan of his?

I immediatly cursed myself for thinking that.

But it was too late, he had already uncovered it and dropped the rest of the clothes, as he held the waistcoat and shirt up as if to fully view the entire thing.

I immediatly dropped to my knees and gathered up the discarded items, perhaps to conceal my face which had defintely increased in temperature these past few seconds. _What if he hates it? What if he thinks I'm imposing? Oh, what if...what if..._

I wanted to blame hormones for making me so carefree one moment, and the next so worried and nervous, but I just couldn't- somethings were just down to my own stupidity. I wanted to stay here, hunched on the floor, folding the garments I had made forever so I wouldn't have to face him...

"What's this?"

I glanced up to see Redd peering down curiously at me, his paws clutching the suede of the waistcoat tightly.

_Oh God. He hates it._

"Um...it's...uh..." The words dried on my tongue as I hoisted myself up, using the table as a support. "I...made it for you. To thank you for everything...you've ever done for me."

Redd's eyebrow's shot up at this. I hurriedly looked away again and laid the heap of clothes reverently on the table beside me.

"I...I guess I'll go to bed." I whispered, and was just about to turn away when Redd spoke again.

"It's amazing." His words made me stop short. He was running his paws over the soft texture of the suede, fiddling with the tiny leaf-shaped buttons, admiring every inch of the thing I had created with nothing but good intentions in my mind. "I- you made this for me?"

Stiffly I nodded. My heart was still pounding.

_Wait...he loved it...?_

Redd's lips slowly stretched into a smile, almost a small, sad, smile.

"It's been so long since I've gotten a gift." He said quietly, and very carefully draped the outfit over the back of his chair before turning back to me.

I exhaled slowly in releif. "I'm so glad you like it." I replied, and the next few seconds were spent in silence as we both looked away, aware of just how awkward the situation was getting.

"Have you ever been on the roof?" Redd suddenly asked me.

I blinked slowly. "The roof?" I echoed. An image of Redd sitting on a sloping, red-tiled roof floated before my eyes.

He nodded, before taking my paw and dragging me upstairs.

"I've been meaning to show you," he smiled as we reached the landing.

I had one paw over my huge stomach to support it, but I didn't want to tell Redd I constantly struggled with stairs when I was pregnant. He seemed excited, all of a sudden, his eyes shining, like a little boy on Christmas morning.

We came to the third faded yellow door that was next to Redd's room. As he unlooped a key from the three he wore on his apron tie, I became all too aware that he was still grasping my paw. With a small squeak, I pulled away without thinking, my entire body suddenly uncomfortably hot. Redd immediatly whipped around in surprise.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"N-no," I stammered. "I just...I...I'm sorry. It's nothing." My heart rate was rapidly increasing in almost panic. No one had held my paw in such a long time. My body was reacting all on its own...the memories of holding paws with whom I loved...the memories of being held tenderly...the memories of his lips pressed up against mine.

_I want to kiss him._

My paws fluttered up to my mouth in shock. That had to be hormones' fault. I had never looked at Redd like that before...how could I think such a thing? My eyes lingered on Redd's lips, pressed together as he finally got the door open.

_So inviting._

"After you, Sable." He said, holding the door open for me. He eyed me almost with concern before looking up into the dark stairwell. It didn't seem much better than the normal stairs.

I set my mouth in the most convincing smile I could muster, before placing my foot on the first step.

_What was going on?_

**Ok, this was longer than anticipated. So I've split it into two. :P**

**I'm sorry for the big delay in updates...I was just telling one of my fans the other day how I've just been back at school for three weeks now, and I get six pieces of homework every week! I'm in Year Nine now, the year where I prepare for my GCSEs. In other words biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig exams that will influence the rest of my life. So I really hafta buckle down this year. I'm sorry, I know TS is really suffering because of it...but I hoped you really liked the little ReddxSable I threw in there? XD I know lots of you now ship them, so imma gonna set you a challenge! I want to see more ReddxSable ships, so go ahead and write a little something for me to see what you think could happen in their relationship... ;)**

**Oh, and before I forget, last chapter was NOT a filler. It was more of a 'FOOLED YA FOOLED YA' but it ties in with the ReddxSable. Ok? Ok.**

***SPOILER* There will be more ReddxSable next chappie, so yeah...something to look forward to?**

**BTW, what do you think of the new cover? I hand drew it and edited it a little on paint. I don't have a scanner so I took a photo of it...yeah. But anyway, Kitten The Ghost (is that still your user name? '3') thanks for your competition entry! You really inspired me to keep going! **

**Oh, and feel free to, I dunno, draw a little fan art? XD I really want to see some people drawing Sable with baby. I don't know why. ^^**

**Anyhoo, look forward to next chapter.**

25. Chapter 24

It took my breath away.

Despite my having to grope my way up the steps (I still blamed Tom for the inconviniences of being pregnant), and Redd helping by literally dragging me halfway up- which was utterly mortifying- the city from up here was beautiful.

The roof was nothing like the sloping, tiled place of my imagination. It was like an open-air room, with railings all around it. From up here you could see the main road, where occasionally cars would roll past, looking like big beetles crawling along with glowing eyes. Dusk was setting over the roof tops. The sky was a deep purple, with veins of pink and crimson running through it, and the occasional inky blue cloud drifting overhead.

From our viewpoint the rooftops were level with us, and several chimneys were smoking a thick, cloudy haze. The gentle city lights weren't offensive in this twilight hour- instead of dimming the night sky, they gave the city a warm glow. I felt like I was in a dream, and this was all but a haze, but the cold iron of the railings and the quiet sound of Redd's breath beside me was enough to remind me this was reality.

A current, pure, sweet reality.

I hadn't seen life like that for a long time.

"What do you think?" Redd asked, leaning on the railing next to me, gripping the metal tightly.

"It's beautiful." I whispered, my words getting lost in the wind. It was still Summer, so warmth wrapped us in its gentle blanket. "I had no idea how amazing the city looked at night."

Redd chuckled and I gave him a small, bashful smile, before hurriedly looking away.

I was still slightly scared of how out of sync my body was with my mind. Every little memory sparked insignificant things...like Redd taking my paw...would make me automatically react, the way I had with Tom.

I inhaled deeply, just as my baby dug its heel into my stomach, and I stretched backwards a little bit to give my aching body some releif.

Redd regarded me strangely for a moment, and I blushed a little bit. "I...I'm just stretching." I stammered by means of explination.

He smiled, just a little bit, before looking away across the rooftops again. "But, yeah, it's pretty craazzy."

I was caught off guard when Redd's paw snaked over and rested on top of mine. A sharp, short shock of electricity sparked through me at the contact and I recoiled uncontrollably.

I quickly turned my head to see him studying every detail of my face; his dark eyes tracing every curve of my facial structure. My heart began racing again, and suddenly my knees were weak. I wanted to run, for whatever reason, but my legs wouldn't move.

"W...what're you doing?" I asked, my voice wavering pathetically.

Redd's gaze snapped back to my eyes at the tone of my words. "Are you scared?" He asked. He reached out to touch my face; and I couldn't help it, I flinched.

"It's OK," he murmured and cupped my chin with his paw, so I couldn't turn away. "I won't hurt you."

_What the...? I don't...understand...Oh God...I just...I...what?_

My brain was inactive, I couldn't compute what was happening. I couldn't control my heart beat, it was pounding so hard and rapidly my baby's kicks couldn't compete with the strength behind each beat.

_Sable, get a grip. It's OK, he's just trying to assure you. He's not going to try anything. He's protected you for so long- just trust him._

I had to admit, my mind was speaking the truth. Redd had seen I was frightened, and was calming me down. I had to trust him. I had to.

Trying my best to relax, I forced myself to speak in the calmest voice possible. "Sorry. I'm just a bit...tense, that's all. No one's held my paw since...goodness, way before I was pregnant."

"It's been that long?" Redd peered at me sympathetically.

I nodded, then shifted my gaze as the night time bus rumbled past on the road, it's quiet, undertone of a roar resounding in the night. We were silent for quite some time.

I felt a few tiny kicks here and there, jabbing me all over from inside. I put a paw to my stomach automatically, and Redd's gaze followed it from the railing to my abdomen. I felt my cheeks flush once again, humiliated. What was he doing? I could see in his eyes, something...I don't know, a look...a look I had never seen before. Something like how an eagle eyed its' prey before swooping down to grab it. But...

"So you've never felt love or affection towards anyone in this entire time?" Redd asked, and I jumped. His question caught me off guard. Wasn't that a little...personal? I didn't really view Redd as anything more than a close friend- or maybe more like a brother...

...but then again, judging by these past few minutes, I didn't really know what to think anymore.

"I...I don't know." I admittedly. My words were rolling off my tongue, but they seemed garbled and strange. I knew what they meant, but what did these strange sounds _really_ mean? "I wouldn't say I haven't felt affection these past few months. I mean, I've met Nitch, Ripple, Fele, Rerro...you..." My throat dried. I licked my lips, just as there was another, quick, forceful movement from my baby inside of me, causing both paws to fly to the area of impact. "...and my baby." I barely whispered the last part.

"Is...can...can you feel it?" Redd asked. I nodded, my lips pressed firmly together as my womb contracted a little. Great, a contraction, right at the most inappropriate moment.

Then, without warning, I felt Redd's warm paw touch my enormous stomach, and press there, almost firmly.

My mouth dropped open in shock, my jaw slack, and I instinctively tried to step away, but he caught my wrist before I could. "Please," he said, his fingers curling around mine. "I just want to feel it."

The look on his face...he was almost begging. My heart rose to my mouth once again and began fluttering uncontrollably. He wanted to _feel _my baby kick? Since when was this something he would do? I mean...Ripple used to do it a lot, especially to Nitch before she told her to keep her paws off her, and I knew most other women liked to touch a pregnant woman's stomach, but this was _Redd. _Of all people, I would think he would be the one to respect personal space. And it was so out of character, and so random, and...and...

My knees felt weak again. We were still entwined, his body pressed awkwardly up against mine, his paw pressed to my navel expectantly as he stared intently at my face, and I at his, in more of a fascinated horror than anything. It was...strange.

But I definitely did not want to kiss him anymore.

We couldn't have stood there for too long, in that awkward position he held me, trapped, in. Yet it felt like hours had passed when he finally stepped away. My baby had stayed stubbornly still in the time we had been squeezed together. But he still had hold of my paw in a vice-like grip I didn't dare break.

My words had died. I didn't know if I was capable of speech anymore. I just had two things in my mind: I was scared, yet weakly mystified. The intense mixture of the two emotions kept me rooted to the spot, with the inability to think or act or even speak.

Redd didn't stop gazing at me. His deep, black eyes stared at me so deeply, it was as if he was searching me...either trying to read my mind or comprehend how I was feeling.

"You know...when I first met you," His words were coated with something I couldn't discern immediatly. "I just wanted to get you away from Labelle. No one deserves how she treats others. But...when you just opened up to me in the shop and told me everything...I started to really like you. You weren't afraid to voice your opinions. You were honest, humble. And you haven't changed, even after all of this time."

The missing piece snapped into place. _Affection. _His words were coated in..._affection._

"And regardless of how much you think you're indebted to me...you're wrong. I'm in debt to you. You've made my life so much richer; you've provided a whole new market in my store, and I've never been more content in life...yet, I feel as if I need to say this now."

I knew what was coming. My vision was blurring. I could feel my legs about to give way.

"It's just become more certain over time..."

_Please don't. Please. Don't say it._

"Sable...I..."

_No, don't. Keep your mouth closed. Don't utter a word. Don't. Stop. Stop before it's too late. We can't go back._

"I love you."

That did it. The world spiralled around me- I felt like I was about to faint, with my vision swirling about me, my body convulsing in shivers, my stomach tight and sharp and painful...

And not because of my baby.

The full impact of his words were like a slap in the face. Redd...loved me.

So that was the reason behind all of those secretive glances, those indiscrimate little makes of contact. He had held this crush on me for such a long time, all these months- and yet now, he was telling me he loved me?

The world wouldn't stop reeling. I couldn't focus. I could scarcely breathe. The shock of it all absorbed me, drowning me, suffocating me. I couldn't comprehend it, or beleive it...it was like some twisted dream, some sick, pathetic illusion...

Because I couldn't be loved again. Love just hurt people. I didn't want to go through it again.

Redd cupped my face in his other paw.

"You don't believe it, do you?" He inquired, studying every feature of my shocked face. "It's the truth. The honest truth. And as crazy as it is, I can't hide it any more. You're the only person that's made me feel this way...it's undeniable...and since you've been such a rough time yourself...I wanted...to be enough for you."

His lips crushed against mine.

I was too shell shocked to do anything but stand there, but I felt every muscle of his mouth move against mine. His tongue poked my firmly closed lips, his own moving at their own will as he begged entrance to my mouth.

But no magic flew from it. No connection sparked at the kiss. Our lips were two mismatching pieces of a different jigsaw, unable to slot together and solve the puzzle.

What should I do...? He loved me...did I love him? My hormones were like a crazy rollercoaster, toying with my emotions so I didn't know what was genuine, or whether or not I really meant what I felt. Just earlier I had been posessed by whatever demon inside me to throw myself at him, to kiss him, to hold him, to love him. Yet now...I didn't want to do anything of the sort.

And what about Tom...?

I had been so angry at Tom beforehand when he cheated on me- no, he didn't cheat, we weren't together any more...but when Tom went out with Labelle, I had been so furious and depressed...who's to say Tom wouldn't feel the same about me?

Redd eventually withdrew when it became clear I wasn't going to respond. His face was soft and tender as he examined mine. I somwhat regained a little of my composure and tried to make my words work.

"I...I jus...I don't..." Why was it so hard to speak? Even when Tom first kissed me, that magical night we had truly bonded as lovers hadn't shocked me into this silence.

"Sable, please. I just...I really need you to know." Redd murmured. "I...want to live my life with you. I can't imagine living it with anyone else. I'll be your shoulder to cry on...your best friend...I...I want to live with you, and spend every second of my day with you...and..." At this, he caressed my stomach ever so gently. "...I want to raise your child as ours. So...Sable...will you marry me?"

No.

That did it. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand the feeling on Redd on my skin, his paws over my stomach...the taste of him still on my lips.

Redd, unaware of my immediate horror, had a ring in his paws. It had a gold band and a diamond in the centre, with two saphires dotted next to it either side. He was slipping it onto one of my claws, and I couldn't take it, I just couldn't...

Redd was looking at me expectantly, waiting for my response. I couldn't muster the words to form 'yes' or 'no' with my lips. I stared at the ring on my claw, absolutely speechless. It was happening all too fast.

Too fast.

"I wanted to prove to you...just how much I loved you." He still had his paw on my abdomen. I wanted to shake him off, keep him away from my baby...protect them...but I didn't have the strength. This was...too sudden. "How far I was willing to go for your sake. Listen...I was the one who left you the rose those three months ago."

His words stabbed at me as I withdrew my gaze from the ring and stared at him my brow creased in my astounded state. Redd gave me the rose...? Well, I suppose it made sense now, considering all that had happened with his confession, his proposal...

Oh God, his proposal. What should I say? I didn't know how to feel. I couldn't even fathom the idea _how _I felt.

"Sable?" I realised I had zoned out in this panicking scenario and snapped back into what Redd was saying. He held both of my paws together in his own, his eyes shining bright now. "And to prove just how strongly I truly feel about you- how much I genuinely cherish your very existence..." He drew breath, as if preparing for an impact.

"I faked those two stories about Nook dating your sisters."

I blinked.

"...what?" I whispered. My throat felt like it was coated with chalk- so dry and thick, and yet my voice seemed to cut through it all. "You...faked them?"

"Yes," Redd nodded furiously. "You still loved Nook so much, and I couldn't draw you away from that without severing your connection to him even more, so I thought that I'd-"

"How dare you."

"Huh?" Redd stopped mid sentence at my interupption. My tone was low and dangerous, icy and fiery all at the same time.

"How _dare _you?!" I screamed, yanking my wrists away from his grip. "You...you deliberately toyed with my emotions like that?! You intentionally tried to tear apart my family? You...you lied to me!"

Fury consumed me in hateful waves. All of those horrible words in those articles...were lies? And given to me by none other than one of the few people I trusted?

"I took them seriously!" I yelled, a torrent of anger surging through my body. "I fell into such depression after reading them! I...I...how dare you LIE to me?!" Tears were swimming down my face, but I couldn't focus on anything but venting my anger.

"B-but...Sable..." Redd stuttered as he took a step towards me.

"I trusted you!" I sobbed, staring in horror at the one man I had thought to be trustworthy and honourable, a true friend...only to have my trust destroyed in seconds. "But you...you tore me apart...I t-thought Tom had forgotten about me...and my sisters...do you have any idea what I've been through?!" I opened my mouth again to vent my feelings, but my words evaporated again on my tongue, and sobs replaced them; ugly, heaving sounds.

Betrayed.

Again.

I buried my face in my paws as I cried, feeling more broken than I had in months. Was my trust really all that worthless? Was it really just an object to be played with by whoever pleases? How could Redd- Redd, of all people- have told such decietful, _hurtful _lies?

I felt something cool make contact with my face.

The ring.

His proffered engagment ring pressed uncomfortably into my cheek and I pulled my paws away quickly as my gaze dropped onto it.

How could I say yes now?

Redd seemed to notice the clear answer I was about to state, and he caught hold of my wrist hurriedly, "Sable- you don't understand...I thought I-I was proving my love to you..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed, slapping his paw away from mine. I was furious. Angrier than I had ever been in my entire lifetime. I had been manipulated; deceived; tricked, hurt, lied to, crushed...and how could he expect me to marry him now?

The eighth month of my pregnancy had been perhaps one of the loneliest, most hateful months I had ever experienced.

All because of some lie?

"I'm sorry, Redd," I whispered. "I can't. I just can't."

And with that, I ran away from the roof top as quickly as I could, ignoring my ragged breath and heaving body.

I slammed my room's door closed, and, with trembling paws, locked it, suddenly aware of the hot tears matting the fur on my cheeks as I sobbed. My throat was hoarse and my entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

I hadn't felt this broken- truly, utterly, broken- in months.

That night, I sobbed under the covers like a little girl, scared of the monsters looming in the shadows.

But then again, little girls don't get pregnant.

pstrongThere we go. ReddxSable, completely shattered by none other than Sable herself. ;) I'm sure I sent a lot of you pretty crazy with this- I know a lot of you now ship ReddxSable. Come to think of it, what would we call that pairing? Rable? Sedd? Reble? Sadd? (OK, I'll stop.)strong

**But don't be mad at me. Pls. It's necessary for the story. If Sable loved him back, then that'd be happily ver after far too soon, don't you think? XD**

**Sable: I wouldn't mind happily ever after too soon. ;_;**

**Me: Nope! Not yet! More suffering!**

**Sable: ...what?**

**Anyhoo, I am aware that Redd is defo OOC in this chapter. It's deliberate, I assure you- it's lack of CRAAZZY that makes that pretty obvious, I think. ^.^ Oh, and if anyone says that Redd proposing all of a sudden is too sudden (too many suddens!) but Redd has previously just been a loner (LOL!) and has no idea how to act when it comes to love. So he's doing what he feels is right. Which is doing the ultimate action: MARRIAGE.**

**But for now, I'll sign off. ^^ Next update will be at 235 reviews. :D I'm getting really greedy here.**

**Sable: Hey, you never answered me-**

**Me: CIAO! *runs for the hills***

26. Chapter 25

I still couldn't comprehend what had happened when I got up the next day.

Sleep had eluded me the entire night in favour of tears, and lying in the same cramped position had given me stiff limbs, so it was a mercy when morning finally came and I could roll out of bed.

But still, my heart thudded at an unnatural pace everytime my mind flickered back to last night's events. I couldn't believe what happened... had actually _happened. _

I felt so much worse than before. Before any of this started- the pregnancy, loving Tom...Redd lied to me.

I had genuinely trusted him. Who knows? If he'd perhaps been a little more gentle in his approach...perhaps not proposing specifically last night, if he hadn't committed what I currently beleived to be the ultimate sin against me, maybe I'd have come to love him back.

To be honest, I really, really wanted my child to have a father. I didn't want them to have to live under someone as frail and weak as me. I wanted them to have both parents, two people who loved them as much as the very fibres of their souls. Maybe I was just old fashioned. But I couldn't imagine living with only one person to call a parent.

I sighed and passed a paw over my face as I leant against the kitchen counter. How could I stay here now? Redd had made it perfectly clear he didn't want me as anything else but someone to call his own. But I couldn't forgive him. I just couldn't.

My eyes flickered around the room. It would take so much packing to shift all of this lot. I had finally bought a crib these past couple of weeks, a modest, white-painting cot with a sliding out drawer along the bottom where you could keep spare diapers, toys, dummies, whatever, I suppose. Then there was all of the things I had gotten from the baby shower- all still on my kitchen table, except the stroller, which was set up next to my door. All of these things were pretty big and would require a lot of work in order to move them. And in my current state, I really couldn't manage that.

My baby had been uncharacteristically still for the past few minutes- my first instinct was to be concerned, but when I put a paw to my stomach I felt a tiny kick and releif washed over me.

"Please come out soon," I whispered, rubbing the area of contact softly. "Please make everything all better."

I was answered by a sharp, crippling pain shooting through my stomach and I could've laughed at the irony of it. Here I was being concerned and loving, and I was repaid by abuse. Oh well. At least it was a way of knowing my baby was still there.

My thoughts suddenly drifted back to Redd's words, last night- "_I want to raise your child as ours."_

The feeling of his paw pressed over my abdomen passed over me again and I shuddered in horror. How could I let someone who was willing to fan distrust and hatred between me and my family, no less, all for their own personal gain help me raise my baby?

I wanted them to have a father, that was true. But I wanted the right father.

_Their _father.

I stood there for quite some time, reliving last night and cursing everything, be it good or bad, before I realised just how painful my body was. My back was aching like never before and my legs were trembling from supporting my additional baby-weight.

I breathed in and out slowly for a few seconds before giving up and staggering over to the bathroom to run myself a comforting bath.

I secretly hoped the warmth would work on other things that just my aching muscles.

I felt myself waddle a little in each step and my face creased in unhappiness. Pregnancy was so unglamorous- I really, really hoped to be rid of this ugly, bloated body by next week.

Come to think of it, I really hadn't imagined what my life would be like post-partum. I contemplated this as I sank into the hot steamy water, very nearly letting an 'Ohhh' slip out of my mouth in releif as the pain evaporated from my limbs. I had thought so often, willed this pregnancy to be over and done with...but I really hadn't considered my life with child. When I had taken care of Mabel, she had already gotten past that baby-stage, and before that I had very little influence on her from the day she was born until our parents died. So this would be a completely different experience. Completely new, completely strange, and completely overwhelming. All I had thought of was getting rid of aching limbs and the huge stomach and distorted stature- I hadn't considered that having the child where I had to do so much more than just carry it around inside me was probably just as cumbersome as being pregnant.

I suddenly noticed flecks of gold floating in the water beside me. Curious, I lifted my paw out of the water to see Redd's engagement ring still on my finger. The golden band was suddenly chipped and rusty, and the sapphires had turned black. The diamond was gone.

I scoffed in astonishment. So he didn't even get a real engagement ring. Just a cheap knock off. He probably didn't even really care about me that much.

No, that wasn't true.

He did. He cared about me hugely...just...too much.

We all had to let go at some point.

I liked how wise I sounded, and leant back in the bath tub, the hard porcelin cold against my shoulders. But then again- wise those words might be- I hadn't acted upon them myself, had I?

I still thought about Tom. I still hungered after him. I still lung on to the vain hope he loved me- when he clearly didn't.

That was when, for the first time in my life, I decided to stop regretting my descisions. I wouldn't be the whiny, self centered little-well, bitch I suppose- I would have to let go. What was done was done. There was no rewind button in life, we just had to push forward.

I'll stop caring about Tom.

I thought that revelation would be a weight off of my chest, but I was surprised to feel more disheartened than before.

No. Positive attitude. Come on.

I shook my head to clear of it negative thoughts, when all of a sudden a pain I had never felt before bloomed in my stomach and I gasped in shock at how strong and quickly it came. I could almost feel my insides compress together as a fiery hand wove itself within my abdomen.

_Just a contraction, right?_

I waited for it to pass, but it didn't. It still hurt.

I was about to lift myself out of the tub to see if it made a difference when I noticed a thin, cloudy shift in the water, as a whitish cloud seeped out from inbetween my legs. Somewhere in my lower region, a small amount of pressure lessened, and I immediatly thought I had peed uncontrollably.

But then an iron fist clenched itself around my stomach and the pressure suddenly returned, ten times stronger, and my eyes widened in realisation.

My waters had broken.

I hurriedly stumbled out of the bath tub, and the pain intensified hugely as the worst cramping I had ever experienced began and ripped through my entire body. I couldn't help it as the yell of pain was torn out of my mouth.

I was in labour. I was in labour.

Oh my God.

I ripped the towel away from where it was hanging and wrapped it around my body as my stomach was set alight with such fiery pain I had to stop and doubled over as another scream took over my rationalized thinking.

Nitch. I had to call her. I promised I would.

I staggered out of the bathroom, still in only a towel and nothing else. But my decency was obviously the last thing on my mind.

I wasn't having this baby tomorrow or next week.

I was going to have this baby _now._

I panted as the strongest of the pain passed, stunned at how quickly everything had happened- but then again, I'd been in pain all night- so maybe I'd been in labour longer than anticipated? Even so, it was the least of my concerns. All I could think of was the pain.

The very walls of my wombe crushed inwards, and suddenly the pain took over; and an iron knife drove into me once again.

Nitch had been right. This was more painful than any of the pre-labour contractions. I really hadn't anticipated this.

My vision was dotted with black and I felt cold sweat trekking down my otherwise searingly hot body.

I couldn't do this by myself.

Forcing my body to move, I pushed myself forward, still bent over, clutching my enormous stomach as tears ran down my face. I had to call them...I had too...

I cried out again as the same tidal wave of pain hit again, stronger, harder...why did it hurt so much?! I, by some miracle of mercy reached the phone, and stretched out to grab the phone, my paw curling around the smooth plastic...

And then I fell to the floor as something I could never imagine coursed through me.

True, utter, agony.

I was screaming, yelling, crying out as thousands of nails pushed into me, as hundreds of bruises were pressed, as the tender, swollen areas of me lit alight and were engulfing me in flames. I was drowning; suffocating- falling from the tallest building, crushed under the heaviest slab of brick.

_Too much._

I fell to the floor as these strangled noises escaped me, and as my body met the carpet, with a resounding thump the phone fell to the ground with me...

...and so did the wire, as it dropped gracefully from the air...

...severed in two.

"No...!" I screamed with a hoarse throat. I had lost my only hope of getting help- I couldn't call them...my heavy body was still on fire, I couldn't move, I couldn't pull myself up...I tried, every muscle in my body screaming as I tried to regain my footing, to absolutely no avail.

Another contraction seized hold of my body and I convulsed uncontrollably as screams of torment fell out of my mouth. The pain flashed before my eyes, and I cried out for help as best as I could.

"Help me! Somebody please! I'm in labour...I'm in labour! Help me! I can't...do this...alone...!" I screamed, trying my best to push myself upwards in whatever vain attempt I was trying to conquer. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, wondering if I'd regret my next statement. "Redd! I need you! I need...your...help...!"

No answer.

I cried out again as the contractions coursed through me, so powerful I could scarcely move. All I could do was scream, and pray for it to be over. They came so quickly, one after another, barely any time between them. How was this labour? Nitch had only had contractions every few minutes! Why was I having them so continously, so quickly?

Something must be horribly, horribly wrong.

My heart was pounding in my ears, numb from the sounds of pain I screamed over and over.

I really shouldn't be feeling this much pain, just while having a baby.

My throat was raw, yet I couldn't control how much I screamed or yelled. It hurt too much as I was stabbed and punched and shook every few seconds.

I was going to die.

That was my last thought, when suddenly my stomach burned with undeemed intensity, provoking the worst, crippled sound to come out of my mouth.

Then I was hit by a train, and all went black.

In the haze, all I could see was the colour red.

**:O **

**That's your face right now. That right up there. Thought I'd show you since you didn't have to grab a mirror. XD I kid, I kid.**

**But anyway, not too much to say here.**

**I was considering putting at the end of this chapter:**

_**''In the haze, all I could see was the colour red.**_

_**Redd.''**_

**But I decided not to...why? Because I has other plans for this story...and the sequel! :D Which both do and don't include Redd somehow!**

**Sorry, I didn't update on 235 reviews, but that's because you guys all reviewed so fast I didn't even have chance to type out the bloody thing! I hadn't even began this chapter when the reviews hit 235. I'm flabbergasted...discombobulated (my favourite word). Before TS finished, though, I'd like to get 260 reviews. ^^ That's my realistic goal. My far fetched goal is 300 reviews, but I don't want to smother you guys with how much I love you all because...gross. I don't like other people. **

**Kidding! You're all pretty cool.**

**Pretty damn awesome.**

**Oh, and I just want to throw out a quick apology to Ghost Soda. I was in a crappy mood at the time, so the review just pissed me off. We were both immature, but oh well. What's done is done. Let's live on Sable's motto: ''we all have to let go at some point.''**

**Sable: ;_; My stomach hurts.**

**Me: You're in LABOUR that's why!**

**Sable: I know...**

**Me: Heyyy...you just blacked out. ¬.¬ Why are you concious...?**

**Next update: 250 reviews! :3 **

27. Chapter 26

The haze shifted for a few seconds...or maybe hours? I had lost track of time. All I knew, pain had passed- nought but pain- not even a unit of time measurement. Just pain. But the red went from scarlet too an off-red, to crimson, to magenta, and then...purple.

The purple of Tom's suit.

I gazed at the colour slipping away from my range of sight. I couldn't focus on it, yet it lingered there, clear in my minds eyes.

The suddenly, in the same hazy-like fashion as a dream, I could focus on the image.

Tom was sat in a chair, a bright red plush armchair contrasting with his work suit, and sat on his lap was...me.

Yet it couldn't be me. I was here, watching Tom, yet there I was, on his lap, my arms around his neck as his were around mine. My eyes were closed. I was asleep.

This moment had never occured before, so it wasn't a memory. Just an...image.

I stared at the image, trying to get a clearer perspective of what it was, but then it returned to a cloudy disillusion.

The next thing I could comprehend was the purple of Tom's suit shifting in colours again, until it was an inky, yet bright blue.

Mabel's fur.

I was sat behind my old sewing machine- I could scarcely remember what it looked like after not seeing it for nine months, and it's patterns weren't exactly the same, but it was definitely mine. Mabel was stood infront of me, leaning on my sewing table. Her lips moved, forming a question which didn't make any sound in the dead ringing of my ears, and yet I could somehow hear what she said.

"_Do you want me to baby sit today_?"

Baby sit? I was confused. What baby? There were no children around here.

And then I looked down and saw my stomach, perfectly flat, with no indication or evidence of pregnancy. If anything, it was flatter than before I got pregnant.

So...I had had my baby?

Mabel moved and I looked up at her again, and suddenly wanted to embrace her, kiss her. Tell her how much she meant to me, how selfish I was when I ran away. Of course she could babysit if she wanted to, she was my dear sweet Mabel, and I would never run away from the closest person to me ever again...

Her blue fur changed back to purple, and Tom was standing infront of me again, but this time he was holding a baby. I couldn't see their face, their fur colour- I couldn't even tell if they were a boy or a girl. But a rush of protectiveness and a surge of love washed over me, and suddenly I knew I cherished that baby more than I did my own life.

I looked down again and saw I was holding a baby too- their face, again, I couldn't focus on, yet the same surge of selflessness came over me, and I clasped them close to my chest. They were beautiful. This must be my child. My baby. And Tom loved him or her just like me, and he loved me too...

I blinked and suddenly I wasn't in this beautiful moment with Tom and my son or daughter. I could see blue skies and green, grassy hills rising up and down, far off into the distance. At the top of the nearest one, I saw two little figures hunched over something. The grass beneath my bare paws was soft and fluffy, perhaps a little distorted in their colour- as was the sky, it seemed more neon than natural- yet it was beautiful.

Then I was closer to the two figures, even though I hadn't moved, and saw two small girls. I couldn't decide on their fur colour, or even what animal they were, yet I knew their gender instinctively, and wanted to run over and hug them close to me.

I wanted them.

They both looked up in sync and seemed to register my being there, and even though I still couldn't tell them apart, they waved at me and both their mouths called to me,

"_Mama! Are you coming over here_?"

My face, uncontrollably broke into a smile, and I started to run towards them...yet the picture was fading, I couldn't get closer...they were disappearing.

"No! Babies!" I felt myself scream. I wanted to meet them...meet my child.

With the feeling of being plunged into icy cold water, my eyes snapped open as the very peak of pain entered my body, my hallucinations disspaitated, as my body lit on fire and squeezed and contracted and my cry loudened to the highest volume it had ever accumalate to...

And in a hot, slippery, hurtful rush, my two daughters were born.

28. Chapter 27

Twins.

Who could've guessed? I had been so lacking in my stomach size throughout my pregnancy- even Nitch commented on my lack of growth at the baby shower- no one could've predicted I could've possibly been carrying _twins._

When I pushed myself upwards, the pressure between my legs releived, I had been stunned to see two, bloody creatures laying on the floor, two umbilical cords snaking back into my body. They were both squirming in discontent at the sudden change in enviroment, the quietest little cries issuing from the 'o's their mouths made, and oh, they were tiny, oh so tiny. Smaller than Kaiden had been. Maybe even half his size.

I had scooped them both up, one in each arm, and clasped them to my bare chest, shocked by the reality. Two, beautiful baby girls.

And they were gorgeous.

Actually, they were probably one of the most ugly things I had ever seen- splattered with blood and whatever had surrounded them inside my womb, with pinched faces and shrivelled bodies. But, at the same time, they were breath takingly gorgeous.

I had sat there for so long, holding them both close to my body as their cries quietened, still disbelieving that there were two of them. Blood smeared over my fur, but I didn't care. I wanted to hold my children close to me forever.

Suddenly, I noticed the umbilical cords still pulsating disgustingly on the carpet, still connected to all three of us, and I shuddered in repulse. How could I cut that? I hardly had any tools ideal for the job- I knew you had to cut off the connection, but how?

With trembling paws, I gently laid my daughters in my lap, my gaze still not shifting from them, and tied both umbilical cords somewhere in the middle, retching at the slimy texture.

I never thought Redd's gift of brand new, not-sewing scissors would come in useful, but they did.

After getting that out of the way, I washed each baby as gently as could, with a wet, warm cloth, wiping away every smear of blood on their fur so I could get a proper look at my twins.

They squirmed and cried out in disdain, and I hurriedly murmured to them,

"Hush, it's OK, mummy's here. It's OK,"

Both were enveloped in a sleep suit I had made, selected at random from my baby drawer. I turned out they were both far too big for them, but even so, that didn't matter, and I prepared a bottle each as quickly as I could and threw on some clothes, not wanting to wait to properly bond with them.

After what seemed like ages, I finally got to sit down in my armchair, as I fed one twin, and the other laying in the crook of my arm, still mewling in discontent.

I stared at the intent on the one I feeding. She had rich, mahoghony coloured fur, that made me think of Tom's, but when she opened her eyes for just a fraction of a second I saw they were the same colour as my deep brown ones. My other daughter had big, blue eyes she blinked slowly as she watched me feed her sister, with a black mask around them.

Again, just like Tom.

Her fur wasn't deep purple, like mine- instead, it was slightly reddish in colour, but definitely with hints of purple in there somewhere. They looked to be exactly the same size- about twice the length of my paw- and, save for the differences in fur colour and only one of them having Tom's raccoon mask, they were almost identical.

I couldn't describe the feeling stirring in the pits of my stomach- strangely flat now- like I couldn't when I felt such intense pain when I was in labour. But I loved these two little strangers- one of whom, I hadn't expected to have existed. I loved them more than my very essence. The connection between me, now a mother, and them was so strong I couldn't fathom the idea of how I detested having a baby throughout most of this pregnancy.

I was surprised I wasn't crying. I touched my eyes, amazed to find them still dry. Of all the times to cry, wouldn't it be now? Now that all of my problems had been solved, now that I held the miracles of newborn life in my arms? Were there no tears left for this?

Though to be truthful, I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to sully this beautiful, enchanting moment as I laid the first twin down and picked up the second for her turn to be fed.

It was impossible to tell who was older. I hadn't seen them being born- I was too pre-occupied, you know, screaming and pushing unconciously on my back. I had a sneaking suspiscion it was the twin I had just began to feed, but it didn't really matter.

I studied this twin's face much more closely. She, unlike her sister, kept her blue eyes wide open as she sucked intently on the bottle I held proffered to her mouth, her right arm waving up and down. Oh God, she looked so much like Tom. The mask around her eyes, those big, sky blue irises...

Even her tail was Tom's bushier one. My other daughter had my average porcupine tail; but even so, her fur was definitely none other than Tom's, that deep brown, thick, soft fur. Perhaps a shae or two different, but it still looked more than similiar. Her sister had thinner, silkier fur, like mine.

I stared at them both, enraptured by their innocence, as they mewled occasionally or turned their gaze on my face watching theirs. Every brush of contact, however accidental sent soft ribbons of energy through me, and I wondered if I could love anyone else. My heart felt so full of love for these two beautiful, perfect girls, I didn't know if I could still love my sisters or any other man again.

Then, of course, I needed to name them.

I definitely wanted to give them the Able family's traditional '-able' ending names. The fact they were female just sealed that- they were my two little Able sisters, like Mabel and I had been, and prior to that, Mabel, myself and Labelle.

I ran a paw through the reddish-coloured one's spines. She wriggled at the unusual contact, nd arched her back as her small mouth- the size of a coin, no bigger- opened in a yawn. She was undenialbly Tom's daughter. Despite the dislike I still held for him, for abandoning us (it was us from here on out), and despite my promise to myself to let go of the past, she reminded me so much of her father, I wanted her name to have something to do with him.

Perhaps something elegant sounding? Like Tom's upmarket, enriching buisness?

"Cl...Clarable." I whispered, tasting the name on my tongue. It spread over it, sending tingles of electricity through to the tips of my fingers, and I knew I'd hit on the right name. "Clarable. Clarable Able. Clarable...Mabel. Clarable Mabel Able." I chanted, and planted a kiss on the newly-named Clarable, who twitched at the feeling. Mabel. She'd be so happy.

Now for Clarable's sister; she looked more like me. It was probably the lack of Clarable's raccoon mask, but even so, her eyes drooped in a similar fashion to my own, not lidded like Tom's were. I rubbed my fingers over the bridge of her snout, wondering if she might get freckles like me, too. Her nose wrinkled, before she sneezed twice, in quick succession. I couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of it all.

No matter how hard I racked my brains, nothing came to mind that really suited my second daughter, and I leaned back in the chair, slightly irritated. But oh well. I'd come up with something sooner or later- she wouldn't remain nameless forever.

I watched as Clarable grumbled in her sleep slightly at my movement, and smiled fondly at them both before closing my eyes with a contented sigh.

That was it. No more pregnancy.

It felt so strange to have a soft, flat stomach that didn't protrude out from my body. Of course, it was even more ugly now, with the loose skin and a few stretch marks here and there, but I tried my best not to think about it.

I was still sore- my stomach burned somewhat, but it was a tolerable pain, and I was wrung out and exhausted after actually pushing them both out of my body. But no more heart burn, no more aching back. No more humoungous stomach. That was it. I wasn't pregnant anymore.

It was strange to think my pregnancy had ended so suddenly, without warning- it was only one in the afternoon, so I had only been in labour for about an hour and a half. That was nothing compared to Nitch's ten. And I had been unconcious for a majority of it.

I closed my eyes slowly, reliving that hour. I had fallen and pulled the phone wire so hard it split in half. How could I do something so idiotic? And at a time like this, when my life could have easily been on the line?

Now that I was really thinking about it, what happened would've been really dangerous had I not been so lucky. I could've easily died from blood loss, one of my twins- maybe both of them- could've easily lost their lives by being born in a completely unsanitary enviroment, right onto the floor...

I chuckled humorlessly as I opened my eyes again to look at my twins. "You've both got pretty interesting stories behind you two, haven't you?" I commented softly. "That, and all my mistakes. Never mind a story, it's more like a fable..." I stopped short. "...fable. Fable?" I repeated, my gaze dropping down onto the unnamed twin. "Fable...yes. Fable...Labelle...Able." I announced grandly. There.

Well, I suppose you could call my daughters a fable. A lesson learnt to me, that there _is _light at the end of the tunnel. A lesson that you don't always know what you think you do. A lesson, that despite the bumps along the way- regardless of how many times you're shattered, broken and hurt, regardless of the brighter times in your life, things can only look up, if you let them.

I still had problems to face- but for now, I was content, sitting here with Clarable and Fable, watching my beautiful daughters in their every movement.

I sat there for six hours- I was oblivious to the time- with the interval of a diaper change and a couple of feeds here and there, but at seven I laid them both in the crib I had. They were so small- the cot swamped the both of them. I didn't want them to sleep in the crib- I wanted to keep holding them and never let go, but I was exhausted myself, having not slept since the exhausting process that was labour. I didn't want to risk sleeping with them both for fear of crushing one.

They looked so helpless on their backs, little fists above their heads in the cot, so alone despite being next to each other I really didn't want to leave them as they were.

Clarable's eyes followed me curiously as I trotted over to my chest of drawers and retreived things I hadn't taken out for a long time.

The raccoon and porcupine soft toys.

I tucked the raccoon next to Clarable, who tossed her head to the side to examine it's sudden appearance, and the porcupine next to Fable, who had already fallen asleep, but murmured something in her tiny voice.

I switched the light off, and hauled my exhausted body into my own bed, expecting sleep to come as soon as my head hit the pillow. But nothing happened. I tossed and turned for a long time, trying to get accustomed to sleeping normally again, without having to be mindful of my stomach. My paws felt so empty all of a sudden, now that I wasn't holding one of my daughters, and I ached for them; I wanted to still be holding them both, both of my daughters, lighter than air. I wanted their warmth against my chest, their soft little bodies pressed up to mine...

I felt as if I'd abandoned them.

I sat up abruptly the moment the first cry of the night issued, and appeared by the cot side in seconds. Fable's face was creased with unhappiness, and I scooped her out of the crib and planted kisses all over her forehead. I couldn't bear to be seperated from either of them, even if it was only a few metres away from my bed to theirs.

I hurriedly burped Fable (I had forgotten to) until she belched in my ear, before picking Clarable up as well and placing them both on my bed. Then I took hold of the cot and dragged it to the edge of my bed, pushed down the railings on the side by the bed and put both my daughters back.

A weak smile spread over my face as I laid down next to them, and I brushed a paw over Clarable's sleeping face. How something- how two things- so pure, so perfect had come out of this whole, horrible experience was astonishing.

Then I cried, for the first time after having them both, as silent, salty tears drizzled down my cheeks, one by one.

**:3 Fuwa fuwa fuwa fuwa...(that means fluff fluff fluff fluff)**

**You like? ^^ Surprisingly, no one ever considered Sable having a boy. Everyone seemed to want her to have a girl, so...I gave you two of em!**

**And yes, I've fallen down the typical twin/more than one baby trap that seems to happen in most fanfics where someone gets pregnant, but I decided there would be twins lonnnngg ago before I read other pregnancy fics. Mainly for reference, though. SO MANY TWINSSS.**

**Oh, and the last chapter was all of Sable's hallucination. I based it off my mother's experience, when she was in labour with my older brother (first born) she passed out at one point and dreamt of meeting him when he was older, for whatever reason, so I played around with that a bit. All the people Sable loves...**

**So, hoped you enjoyed! TWINS!**

**Tom: Oh, and one last thing...**

**Sable: HOLY CRAP WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!**

**Me: HEY HEY HEY! This is an authors note! Unrelated from the main story! ...to an extent.**

**Tom: *ahem*, anyway, plenty of people have been saying they want Kaiden to date one of my daughters, yes? **

**Me: Yep! ^^**

**Tom: I will kill them all maliciously.**

**Me: YAY! Can I help?! I can use my limited edition Vocaloid chainsaw!**

**Sable: *frowns* I can't say the girls are really yours...you said you didn't want them remember?**

**Tom: I...well, yes...**

**Sable: So they-**

**Me: OK NO SPOILERS. They will slip out sooner or later!**

**Next update at 270 reviews! :3 I can reach my goal! Thanks so much, my tailors+seamstresses! (That's what I've called you. If you're a girl, you're a seamstress, if you're a boy, you're a tailor) ^^**

29. Chapter 28

The moment I woke up, before I even opened my eyes, my paw went to my stomach instinctively to feel a kick or slight trace of movement, like I did every morning.

But of course, I had no swollen stomach containing a baby anymore.

Panicked, I shot upwards in horror to find out what on earth had happened to my being pregnant, and I gazed down in shock at my oddly flat abdomen. My just woken-up mind struggled to comprehend what I was seeing: _where's my baby? I thought I was pregnant! Where's-_

A dismal, drone of a wail suddenly rose up from next to me, and I whipped around to see Clarable just beginning to cry. Releif washed over me as my mind finally began to function properly. _No worries. It's OK, they're both here._

I leant on one elbow and stroked Clarable's cheek softly in comfort. "It's OK, Clarable. It's OK. Mummy's just trying to get used to having you both outside of me now." I chuckled as she nuzzled into the warmth of my paw, her mouth opening and closing, searching for a bottle to latch onto.

Her cries had woken Fable, but instead of wailing in response, she was watching me now with her big, brown eyes, almost curiously.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I haven't forgotten about you." I cooed softly, stroking her silky little head. She reached out with uncoordinated limbs, stretching them out until her tiny little paw grabbed onto one of my fingers and gripped it, firmly. I stopped short and stared at her for a few moments. How could she know, barely a day old, that I was her mother? They both recognised me as the person they relied on most, and, even at their young age, surely that was a form of love?

The love that came out of child bearing was almost overwhelming. An unconditional, burning love for the little person- or in this case, _people_- I had never set eyes on before, and yet I was certain my heart belonged to them. A passion. An enchantment.

It was magical.

Clarable whined in discontent, clearly unhappy I had taken my attention off her for the moment, and in a copy cat moment, Fable issued the same doleful wail as they both scrunched up their faces in unhappiness.

"I know, I know, you're hungry." I hurriedly gabbled, swinging my legs out of bed. I scooped Fable up in one arm and rested Clarable on my hip, giving them both a quick peck on the cheek to quieten their wails lest they got any louder, before pulling out the baby bouncer I had gotten from Nitch at my baby shower. Fable was buckled into it whilst their bottles of formula heated up.

I brushed a few stray quills out of my face and blew out slowly. Last night I had been woken up a total of eight times- twice for seemingly no reason at all. Both twins required a thorough burping and lots of walking up and down before their cries of unhappiness reduced even by the slightest. And when one started crying, the other did too, and it was quite panicking waking up to two babies screaming as loud as their little lungs would let them. For a brief moment I contemplated how much more difficult it would be with two small children, managing them all by myself- after all, Kaiden was a handful when I babysat for that one short day. Could I cope with twice that stress day in, day out?

Clarable shifted against my hip and my face broke out in a smile. Even so, if I got stressed, things would be hard, and some would only get easier with time. As long as I never stopped loving them both we'd get by.

"Mummy loves you!" I said, lifting her up into the air and kissing her cheek. I was rewarded with a shout of indignation and I laughed, before plucking the first bottle out of the bottle warmer. I had just about gotten Clarable to latch on to the bottle's teat, when suddenly there was a knock on my door.

"Sable?" Redd's voice, muffled, but unmistakable rose from the other side of the door. I froze in horror as my grip on the bottle I held tightened. "Sable, I'm sorry, I was out all of yesterday, but I wanted to talk to you-" at this the door opened.

I stood next to my kitchen table where Fable was seated in the bouncer, clutching Clarable to my body as closely as possible as Redd stepped into the room.

The first thing he seemed to notice was my lack of midsection. His eyes widened in shock as his gaze fell on my daughter I held tightly in my arms, and his grip on the door knob tightened.

_Oh no._

I didn't know what to say. I hadn't thought about how Redd would react to me now I had actually given birth and was accompanied by my twins. How was I to know? He knew I was pregnant, so I was going to actually have my children sooner or later, so he should've been prepared anyday now to be greeted with me no longer pregnant.

But then again, even I hadn't really thought about what it would be like to actually have the baby and interact with it.

Redd's jaw tightened. "You...you've had...it?"

Stiffly, I nodded, my heart pounding. "T-them." I corrected. "I've had...twins. Clarable and...Fable."

His gaze swept over to Fable who had her paw absentmindly in her mouth, and suddenly his fists clenched. "Twins?" he repeated.

I nodded again, feeling as if my head might snap off my neck if I didn't keep it stiff.

"Sable...is your answer still no?"

This question caught me off guard, and I jumped, scaring Clarable, making her release the bottle and begin to whine in her despondant, crestfallen tone. I snatched up an old towel and threw it over my shoulder before beginning to burp her, and turned back to Redd.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked shakily, just as Clarable spit up onto the towel.

"Do you still not want to marry me? Please, Sable, I'm begging you." Redd walked quickly into the room, knocked the door to as he came closer. I tightened my hold on Clarable as I wiped her mouth with the edge of the towel and threw it in the sink. "I promise, the feeling's one hundred percent genuine. I'll help you take care of them..."

He reached out to stroke Fable's cheek, and suddenly my maternal instincts overtook me.

"Don't touch her!" I snapped, slapping his hand away. Fable whined at the harsh sound, and I hurriedly consoled her, rubbing my thumb over her forehead. Redd looked stunned. I let my over-protective instinct wear off, before beginning to speak again. "L-look, Redd, I really don't want to marry you. I trusted you, and you betrayed it. How could you really expect me to love you back?" Fable nuzzled my thumb appreciatively and I let a small smile perk up my lips. "I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. I don't want someone...who was willing to deceive me...helping me raise my children."

I glanced up at Redd's face to see his features set in a cold, hard, stony expression and I took a step back in shock.

"Fine then," Redd almost hissed. "Who cares about Crazy Redd's feelings, he doesn't need affection or love. This is the thanks I get? For providing you with a roof over your sorry head for the past NINE MONTHS? Comforting you when you let your bloody emotions get the better of you? NEVER once complaining when you whined to me about that bastard Nook." He bared his teeth as he took a step forward menacingly.

I put a paw on the bouncer Fable was in a pulled it backwards with me, my entire body shaking. "R-Redd..."

"No, don't 'Redd' me!" he roared. "I really, genuinely cared about you! And you just stomped all over my feelings like you didn't care! AND YOU BRATS CAN SHUT IT!"

Both of my daughters had started to cry at his alarmingly loud voice, and I unbuckled Fable from the bouncer and held them both close to my chest, shielding their faces from Redd's rage.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, tears beginning to pool in my eyes. "But don't you see? After all that's happened, how can I come to love you? How can I trust you again when you manipulated my feelings?" The tears came down thick and fast. "I can't...possibly...love you. Ever."

My voice sounding like a door closing and Redd's intimidating stature dropped.

For a minute or so, there was silence, only broken by the snuffling of my twins into my chest.

"Fine then," Redd snapped. "Leave. Get out."

An icy cold shard went through me.

"...what?" I whispered.

"Do you really expect to carry on living here?" he chuckled humourlessly. "I don't want to see you again. You and your spawn better be gone within the hour."

"But...but where can I..."

"I don't care where you go. Just don't come back. Ever." And with that, the door promptly slammed shut, and my legs gave out. I sank to the floor, stunned. In those few minutes...that was it? I had lost my home?

I let my gaze drop down onto my twins, who were shivering in my arms and I clutched them tight in an effort to comfort them. "It's OK," I whispered, my voice painfully thick. "It's OK, babies, it's OK."

Even though it truly wasn't.

I hurriedly fed Fable, before dressing them both in as many layers as I could without causing them discomfort. Then I put them both in the stroller- thankfully they were both so small, so they lay quite comfortably next to each other. The soft toys were tucked in next to them, along with all the other clothes I had made, including some of my own. I dismantled the crib, and balanced it precauriously on the lower shelf (thank goodness it fit); and I threw in all the gifts I had gotten from the baby shower, except for the baby walker. I didn't ever want to touch something Redd had gotten me ever again.

I shoved my clothes, my sketchbooks, extra bottles and the like into as many bags as I could find, though I still had to leave things like the kitchenette I bought and had installed, and my sofa and so forth.

My eyes lingered on the sewing machine. No. Redd had gotten me that. I didn't want anything his paws had filthied. Not now he'd shown his true colours. His true, disgusting, selfish colours.

I went about the room, gathering up the remnants of my life, the scraps of the nine months I'd lived here.

All with the beads of regret slipping down my face, one after the other.

It turned out to be one of June's hottest days, and I was sweating profusely just attempting to push this stroller around. Fable and Clarable weren't particularly happy either, and kept fussing in the heat, despite my attempts to keep them cool.

So that was it. I was homeless.

I really didn't know what I should do. What I _needed _to do was find a new place to stay, to house me and my children, but memories of my first day in the city spent stumbling around looking for a flat kept coming back to me. My stomach was churning in worry.

So all I could really do was seek advice from my friends.

I hadn't been to Copper Kettle in a good few months (I spent very little time outside when I was heavily pregnant), and the trek from Redd's to theirs seemed much longer than I remembered. But at least they could meet my twins anyway, since I had accidentally broken the phone when trying to call them.

The cafe was coming up on the next street, just as I passed a coffee shop that seemed to trigger a memory. I glanced up at the bright blue sign, boldly claiming to sell the highest-quality coffee for miles around. I had never been inside, so why did I get this sense of deja vu?

My eyes fell on the outdoor area where I immediatly noticed two wolves, one of them cradling a dark-coloured cub, about six months old.

My memory snapped into place. I had seen this pair- Freida, was it? No, Freya! Freya and...Wolfgang. All those months ago, when I was barely a month pregnant and roaming the city for the first time. I had seen them in this exact same spot before.

I stared at them, laughing and talking as the baby chewed placidly on the corner of a plastic toy, oblivious to it's parents. Well, good to know everything turned out great for them.

Wish my story ended just as happily.

I was just about to walk past them when Freya loked up, just as I was passing by and caught sight of Fable and Clarable.

"Aw, what sweeties!" she cooed. She looked up at me and grinned broadly. "Twins, eh? I pity you,"

"Freya, don't be rude." her partner chided.

"I'm not being rude," she scoffed at him. She turned back to me and smiled again. "They're so cute, uff da. How old are they?"

"Um...just one day." I mumbled.

"Really?" Her eyes flickered down me before returning to my face. "You look great for just giving birth! When I had this little guy here-" she adjusted her son in her arms. "-I was out of shape for months, heck, I could barely walk properly-"

"Freya!" Wolfgang barked at her. "Don't pester her, snarrrl!"

"I'm not!" Freya snapped again. "Anyway, I'll see you around. Congrats, though. They're adorable."

I blinked as she returned to her seat and playfully slapped Wolfgang's shoulder, before giving me a jaunty wave. I smiled a little and returned the gesture before turning away and continuing with my trek to Copper Kettle.

What was that all about? I wondered as I pushed the stroller over an uneven slab, causing a short cry of discontent to issue from Fable's mouth. I hurriedly shushed her as we turned on the next street. I didn't even know those two...why were they so chatty, so familiar...?

But now that I noticed it, quite a few people were peering into the stroller from a distance, or smiling at me, or acknowleging me with a bob of their heads. It was strange. How did the addition of two smaller life forms suddenly make me someone to be regarded friendly towards?

I gazed down into the stroller. Clarable had spread out like a star fish, her little fists clenched above her head as she quietly slept next to Fable who was grizzling quietly, her paw tightly gripping the leg of the soft toy raccoon. My face split into an uncontrollable smile as I reached forwards and readjusted the hood to protect them from the summer sun. They were so precious.

Finally, I reached Copper Kettle, and I was in the process of dragging the stroller through the door when I heard Nitch's voice.

"Don't be stupid, he's only four months old." she said firmly. "It's not like he can handle a long trip somewhere. Besides he-"

I glanced up just as she broke off, and I saw she was behind the counter talking to someone across the bar. Her face widened in recognition when she saw me.

"Sable! Hi! What are you-" suddenly, Nitch noticed the stroller and my lack of pregnancy, and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "You haven't...?"

I chuckled softly as I finally got the stroller through the door and walked up to her with it. "Yes, Nitch. I've had them."

Nitch's eyes widened even more as she saw Clarable and Fable. "TWINS?!" She screeched, causing Clarable's eyes to snap open and her mouth to fly open in anticipation for a cry.

"No no no," I hushed, quickly scooping her out of the stroller. "Don't cry, it's just Auntie Nitch. See?" I glanced up at her still-stunned face and grinned. "Auntie Nitch, meet Clarable and Fable." I gestured to them both as I said their names as Nitch opened and closed her mouth, looking somewhat like a goldfish gulping air.

"Sable...you...wow...hey...why didn't you call?" her words came out as quick and breathy, and I blushed at the mention of calling.

"Well, I kind of...um...accidentally broke the phone?" I mumbled, gently stroking down Clarable's spines. "I was going to! I just...broke it."

"How can you break a phone, Sable?" Nitch asked playfully, her eyebrows knitted together in a mock confusion. "You're one of the most careful people I know, yet you _broke the phone?"_

Someone chuckled to my left, and I turned, surprised to see the person Nitch had been talking to. I came face to face with a badger, his fur coloured a deep, blackberry-purple shade, the white sweeps on his face dramatic. His fur thickened to a bushy black tuft on his head, which was swept to one side and kept under a deep green coloured beanie, and he wore black horn-rimmed glasses which succeeded in making him look both sophisticated and mature.

"So this is Sable?" he asked Nitch, not taking his eyes off of me. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

Nitch nodded in response, flipping her blue fringe out of her eyes with a sweep of her paw. "Yep. Sorry for the delayed introduction, Sabe: this is Basque, Kaiden's dad."

My mouth widened in surprise. "Oh," I said. "Um...nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Basque replied, extending his paw. I tentatively shook it meekly, wary of this stranger (simply my reflex when it came to meeting new people), and quickly averted my eyes.

"Anyway," Nitch said, peering down at Fable still in the stroller, now chewing on the raccoon. "So you went into labour alone? How did that work out? Did your...oh, what's his name...? You know, your landlord- did he help you?"

"Um...well, about that," I began, hitching myself up on a bar stool. "Well, this and that happened, and long story short...I got evicted."

"WHAT?!" Nitch yelped, and I winced, expecting one of the twins to burst out into tears again, but thankfully they didn't.

Instead, however, there was the unmistakable trill of Ripple's voice as she descended the stairs from behind us.

"Hey, what's all the noise about? Nitch, you're so loud, I- SABLE!"

The appearance of my twins sent us into yet another conversation about how shocking it was for me to have been carrying twins all this time, and why didn't I call? and how unfortunate it was that the phone broke, and oh my goodness, _you _broke the phone? And did you really give birth all alone?

I flushed at this question as my words on my tongue died. Usually, I'd comfortably discuss issues like this with Nitch and Ripple, but I was all too concious of Basque being here. I didn't really want to talk about something so private and very...feminised infront of a complete stranger.

Thankfully, Basque seemed to sense this, as he stood up and flashed us all a breif smile. "Well, I'll be going for now."

Nitch pouted playfully. "So soon?" she whined as Basque chuckled.

"Don't worry, we can get together soon. You catch up with your girlfriends, OK?"

"'kay, fine." Nitch replied as he leant down and pecked her on the cheek. She made a kissing noise back at him, and he was gone.

"You gave birth alone?" Ripple repeated. I nodded slowly, suddenly wary of the reactions I might get. Ripple's paws immediatly flew up to her mouth as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "Oh my goodness, that's awful!" she cried. "I feel so guilty we weren't there- or- or..."

"Ripple, less of the tears." Nitch said to her wearily. "Sable's here and all's good, so what's done is done, right?"

"I-I suppose, but even so..."

"_Right_?" Nitch repeated.

"Ripple, I'm honestly just fine." I reassured her. "And so are these two, so it's all good."

Ripple's eyes swivelled from me to the twins, then back to me before sagging her shoulders in defeat. "OK, as long as you're fine, I guess we'll just have to let bygones be bygones...oh, but I still feel guilty!"

I laughed and patted the back of her paw she had on the counter. "I appreciate you care about me, but it's OK, really. It was my own stupid fault for breaking the phone."

"Even so, I kind of annoyed I didn't get to see these two being born." Nitch folded her arms and pulled a face. "I mean, you saw Kaiden being born, so I wanted to see yours, you know?"

I shrugged helplessly. Now I was the one feeling guilty- even though I had been terrified for a majority of the time when Nitch was giving birth, I had to admit, now that I myself had gone through it and could fully appreciate all the emotions and wonders of it all, I could see what Nitch meant.

Ripple disappeared to the other end of the counter as another customer came in, just as Nitch noticed everything in the stroller.

"Hey- Sable- is that a crib on the shelf of your stroller? And what's with all the bags...?" she asked, leaning over the bar as if to confirm what she was seeing. "Are you- oh God, I just remembered, didn't you say you were evicted?"

My heart dropped like a stone, and the cold harshness of reality hit me in a similar fashion to a tidal wave again. These past few minutes had completely distracted me; making me forget I was technically homeless.

I nodded glumly and Nitch bit her lip in surprise.

"_How_ though?" she asked.

"It's...a very long story." I hesitated. Did I really want to tell her I'd been evicted solely because I didn't return Redd's feelings? But then again, that's why I came here: to get advice.

Nitch examined my face closely before snatching the maid cap she still had in her hair out, and slammed it down onto the counter with a quick cry to Ripple, "Ripple! I'm on a break!"

"Grab your kids, you can tell me upstairs." she gabbled, dragging my stroller behind the counter before squeezing out herself. "I've got stuff like newborn formula milk in my room, so don't worry about that stuff for now."

I obliged, quickly scooping Fable out of the stroller, who was still chewing on the raccoon toy, before following Nitch upstairs.

Nitch's room remained more or less unchanged from when I was last in it, except the addition of several toys scattered on the floor and piled up on the shelves, and a pushchair folded up against the wardrobe; far more modest than the one I had received from them. The blue cot was pushed up near the window this time; but with Kaiden in it. His amethyst eyes were wide open as he reached up to try and touch the little plastic shapes hanging down from the mobile attached to the wall, attempting to bat them with his ungainly paws.

"Hey, little guy," Nitch cooed, reaching down to tickle his cheek. "Aunt Ripple was supposed to put you to sleep, wasn't she? What happened, eh? What happened?"

I watched Kaiden squeal in delight at seeing his mother, and couldn't help but glance down at my twins, remembering the time when Kaiden was so fascinated by them moving in my stomach.

Nitch sat down on the bed with Kaiden on her lap and beckoned for me to come over. "Take a seat," she said. "And tell me everything, from the very beginning, all the way up until now."

I was having deja vu. This was exactly what happened when we first met and I came in, begging for her to hide me when Tom found me.

Except this time, there were three little people joining us.

"...and that's pretty much it." I finished, just as Fable released the bottle she had in her mouth and let out a pretty loud belch without me having to burp her beforehand. I chuckled, before sitting her up to rub her back. "Goodness, that wasn't very ladylike."

I looked up at Nitch to see her usually calm face twisted in anger.

Oh dear.

"How dare he!" she exploded. "That bastar- uh...I mean- that nimwit tricked you? That was all a lie?" she looked absolutely fuming. "And he kicked you out solely because you did the right thing?! What a prick! Oh, shoot, I really need to stop cursing..." She glanced down at Kaiden, who seemed pretty distracted anyway, before turning back to me. "So you're homeless now?"

I nodded sadly, stroking the spines on Fable's head as she went back to sucking her paws. "To put it simply, yes."

"That's so wrong," Nitch sniffed derisively. "Personal issues shouldn't affect your housing or job. Redd, was it? That was his name? I can't believe I ever thought he was a nice guy."

"But the thing is, I really don't know what to do...I mean, I have no home...no job...and now I've got my twins, who have certain needs themselves, and I just...I just..." I couldn't finish my sentence as a bubble burst in my throat and I burst into tears.

Nitch's arm went around me as I hugged Fable and Clarable close to my chest.

"How can I p-protect them if we don't even have a home?" I sobbed as Nitch did her best to console me. "I-I don't know where to go-o-o..."

"I'm so sorry, Sable," Nitch's voice sounded thick too. Well this was rare, Nitch on the verge of tears. "I'd offer you to stay here, but we really don't have any room for you and your kids...I mean, I'd let you stay anyway, but I'm worried about you not having space, and...oh, I'm really not helping, am I?"

"No, you're here, that's enough." I sobbed. "I just need someone to...talk...to..."

Nitch patted me on the back as I wiped away my tears. "Listen, Sabe, I don't want to offend you or anything, but do you have any other friends you can go to?"

I shook my head, suddenly depressed at the thought I hadn't made an effort to make any more friends other than the Downearths. But again, whose stupid fault was that? Not even providing my twins with a place to call home now...that was just clearly a sign of bad parenting.

"Family?" Nitch's voice sounded creased in desperation as she tried to think of other places.

I began to shake my head when I froze, as my eyes dropped onto Fable.

_Fable _**Labelle **_Able._

Labelle.

But would she even consider...?

**CLIFFHANGER!**

**Wow, these reviews are shooting up :D I'm so glad you're all enjoying this! But this is the part of the story where things get REEALLLLY interesting! :3 So...hope you had fun!**

**My friend was reading this, and when she got to the part where Sable says "No, you're here, that's enough," she looked up and said to me**

**"I know what's gonna happen!"**

**Me: What?**

**"There's gonna be some girl on girl action, right?"**

**Me: *facepalm***

**Sorry, but Sable and Nitch are straight. Plus Nitch has a boyfriend.**

**THAT REMINDS ME! You finally met Basque! ...kind of. He may or may not come into the story again a bit later. . **

**Oh, and the friend just mentioned, she was the one who said Kaiden was Kaidaii.**

**One last thing: I've decided now to do a little extra fun thing at the end of each chappie for shits and giggles, so I'm going to do a question type thing at the end of every chapter somehow relating in the story.**

**Or not. Depends how I feel. Meh.**

**So here's my question: do you want your first born child to be a girl or a boy? +you have to tell me why! Plus, how many children do you actually want? Do you even WANT children?**

**Answer in your review, and my favourite answer will get a shout out in the next chappie. OK? :3**

**Next update at 290 reviews!**

30. Chapter 29

I rocked the stroller back and forth, desperately attempting to quieten the twins' cries, to absolutely no avail. They seemed adamant to my attempts at soothing them and were clearly more set to screaming on their backs, little faces crimson, their limbs flailing with as much power as their bodies could muster. They were tired, hungry, and cold.

I shivered, stamping my feet as evening drew in closer. How long was this damned shop open? It was already way into the evening, and the temperature had gone right from hot to a cool breeze that gnawed at every exposed piece of flesh.

We had stayed at Copper Kettle for a few hours; and in that time I changed the twins, put them down for a nap and slept there myself as well for short time, before bidding Nitch and her family farewell at about five in the afternoon and made my way back to the main square to wait outside of Gracie Grace.

That's right...I was going to talk to Labelle.

I wasn't going to lie- I was really, really scared to face her. After all, the last time we saw each other we engaged in a screaming match, which, although earned me my previous home at Redd's, I was ashamed and embarrassed by the memory. Besides, I hadn't even mentioned I was pregnant when I saw her, so how would she react now that I had two babies on hand?

Meeting her while I was pregnant was one thing. But seeing her with my twins was something else entirely.

I hushed and rocked the stroller as rhythmatic as I could in whatever vain consolments I could muster so they could settle down, just until I found a place where I could feed them both and attend to their every need.

But for now; I was counting on Labelle to provide that place.

I pulled the stroller's blanket over Clarable and Fable, desperately trying to keep warmth circulating throughout their tiny bodies. Fable's cries had already become shaky and it pained me so much to see them in discomfort. I couldn't do anything but stand there and attempt to console them, but I felt helpless, and it was slowly killing me inside.

My eyes kept flickering to the alleyway where Redd's shop was, and everytime I laid my eyes on it a fresh wave of nerves assaulted me and I hurriedly looked away. I kept expecting Redd to step out at any moment, spotting me across the square and suddenly yelling abuse...

Strange, I couldn't remember the Redd from two nights ago, the Redd who I wanted to thank so desperately for giving me a home and comforting me through the worst. All I could remember was this lying, roaring, cruel fox who kicked me out...

Fresh tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I hurriedly blinked them away. _Not now. Now isn't the time._

The doors of Gracie Grace slid open, and my heart leapt into my mouth as my grip tightened on the stroller...oh, never mind, it was just a customer. Clarable suddenly let out a viscious squeal and I winced at it's volume, and the person did too. They threw me a pitiful glance before hurriedly walking away, and I ducked my head, mortified. I really hoped people didn't see me as incapable of handling my children, even if I was.

I gently stroked Clarable's head. "Clarable, please calm down," I whispered. "Please please please. You don't want to meet your aunt like this, do you?"

The response I got was a bellowing roar, and, out of ideas, I desperately began to quietly mumble the first few lines of the lullaby our mother had sang to us when we were young.

The lullaby I had sung to myself, all those months ago, when I feared I had lost them.

_"The hum of the sewing machine, slowly, slowly, soothes me to sleep, where I dream of tomorrow, where I'll make amazing things..."_

Amazingly, both of their cries died down to discontented murmurs. I carried on, singing softly, memories of that terrifying half hour spent in that clinic's waiting room, dread coursing through me..

_"I take the needle, thread it with care_, _lovingly make stitches and prepare, one day, some day, I have big plans, but first I'll lay down my head..And sleep..And sleep..."_

My voice was getting thick and I stopped, as my mind began to conjure scenarios where I would lose my two beautiful children, and it pained me more than I could ever comprehend. I loved them too damn much.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared down at them both, still fussing unhappily, but at least they weren't screaming anymore.

The noise of the automatic door sounded again, and I leapt to attention.

Just as well I did...

...because it was Labelle who stepped out.

My heart crammed itself into my mouth again and I froze, waiting until she turned and spotted me. I hadn't caught so much of a glimpse of her- nor even thought about her these past few months, except when it came to the tabloid story about her and Tom going out.

But that was fake. So she was innocent.

She was looking down at a list of something she held in her paws, her brow furrowed, not even caring to look up as she began walking towards me.

In that case, it was up to me.

I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Um...hi, Labelle."

Labelle whipped around and as her gaze connected with mine her jaw dropped.

"S...Sable?" her voice barely worked its way out of her lips. I smiled timidly at her, just as her eyes swivelled down to the stroller I was grasping tightly in my paws and the shock she already had etched on her face only intensified.

"So...um...you look well," I added slowly, before she stalked up to me and placed a paw on the hood of the stroller, before tipping it back so she could get a proper view of the twins. I hadn't expected this kind of reaction, and I stepped back in surprise.

Five, four, three, two, one...

"What the hell, Sable?!" She demanded, her cool demenour seemingly non existent. "When did you...?! How...?! Sable...when were you even pregnant?"

"Well...I...was already pregnant when I saw you...nine months ago." I swallowed nervously. "And I just gave birth...yesterday. I-I thought I'd introduce you." With trembling paws, I hoisted Fable out of the stroller and held her out for Labelle to take. "This is one of your nieces, Fable Labelle Able."

Labelle's arms wrapped around Fable's small form before I even let go of her and I gave her a shy smile.

"I...wow. So this is what I missed?" Labelle still wore the same stunned expression. "You've been...pregnant..." her voice trailed off as she took her eyes off of Fable and looked back at me. "I don't even...oh God, I have so many questions, I-"

She was cut off by a whine issuing from the stroller and I quickly scooped Clarable out as well.

"Oh, and this is Clarable," I added, bouncing her up and down. "Clarable Mabel, of course. She's...quite attention seeking."

Labelle's gaze went from Clarable to me, then back down to Fable. We were quiet for some time, only interuppted by Clarable's grizzles of discontent.

"I'm assuming then," Labelle began in a low voice. She seemed to be taking this shock relatively well. "Is Tom the father?"

I nodded slowly as my stomach turned at the mention of his name.

"Then is that from him too?" she bobbed her head at my right paw. Confused, I lifted it, to notice Redd's engagement ring still perched on it. The gold paint had chipped away even more so now, leaving an ugly, scratchy residue, and the once-blue gems were entirely black.

I cleared my throat again as I hurriedly hid my paw out of sight. It made me feel sick just to look at it. "Actually, no. It was...well, it's a really long story."

"How long, exactly?"

"Nine months worth," I replied. My heart was thumping for keeping up such a long conversation with her. I had been anticipating Labelle to perhaps be disgusted or offended that I hadn't told her when we met before. All of a sudden, Clarable cried out again, right in my ear, and I flinched at the volume of noise she produced. Fable's face screwed up in unhappiness too as her jaw opened, ready to scream.

"W-why's she making that noise?" Labelle stammered as Fable began whimpering. She looked almost comical, her eyes wide in confusion as she held Fable as far away as she could in fear, yet close enough so she couldn't risk dropping her.

"She's tired," I said, tucking Clarable into the stroller before reaching out for Fable. I had a feeling this screaming fit brewing would but much harder to quell than with a single lullaby. "They both are- they're cold, tired, and hungry, and...Labelle, please, I'm begging you! We've got no where to go. Please, if you could just give us a place to rest for one night- just one, that's all- so I can feed them and give them a warm place to sleep...just somewhere, even if I have to sleep on the roof, I will, as long as they're safe...I'll tell you everything that's happened, I just really, really need you to do this for me right now. I need you."

I could feel tears burning in my eyes, and I couldn't hold back, I began sobbing, right there, clutching Fable to my chest as she whined too. The thought of Labelle refusing and me being forced to sleep in some dark alleyway or back street, with two hungry new borns I couldn't feed absolutely terrified me.

Suddenly, a soft paw touched my arm, and I looked up to see Labelle staring up at me in concern. I felt so immature and naive as she examined my face- she seemed so grown up in her mannerism and sophisticated.

How could someone so calm and collected be related to someone like me?

"Sable," she began softly as I gulped down my sobs. "You mean...as long as I give these two a roof to sleep under, you'd do anything?" It didn't sound spiteful or like a demand, it sounded like genuine curiousity.

I nodded without hesitation. Of course I would. I'd do anything for my precious little girls. They were my whole world now, even if I'd only known them for a day.

Labelle glanced away and a small smile perked the corners of her lips. "Well...I can't really reject my sister again, can I?" her voice was so soothing and almost sorrowful. "Not now she has to provide for her two kids,"

My mouth widened in happiness. "You'll let us?"

Labelle gave me a somewhat half-smile. "Tell me everything, so come over to my house. I'll do my best to help you guys."

Overjoyed, I threw my arms around her and cried into her shoulder, only to get the response of, "Hey, gerroff me!"

Labelle lived a little way away from Gracie Grace, near the shop's storage room and up three flights of stairs. Lugging the stroller up them all was no easy task, especially not when you have two crying newborns demanding to be fed.

Inside her apartment, she had just the one bedroom and a small kitchen, then the main room, furnished quite simply with a black sofa, a table with some chairs, a wide screen TV and some potted plants dotted here and there.

"Minimalist and chic," she had told me as she let me in through the door. "Or rather...what I can afford."

I immediatly set about warming up bottles of milk for my twins, who were both hoarse from crying and desperately hungry. Labelle bobbed around for a little, before I tactfully said I could manage this, and I didn't mind doing it myself. Eventually, we both settled down on the sofa, and I showed her how to feed Fable by demonstrating with Clarable. When they were both occupied with sucking as intently as they knew how, I took a long breath before reciting the complete events of this past nine months.

I started right from when Tom came back, hurriedly skipped over our heated night on his yacht's deck, and began the full fledged story of my running away. I told her every last detail, how fearful I had been, how angry I was when I met her in the square (which I also skipped past), and everything that had happened, right up to this morning when Redd evicted me.

Wait...it had only been this morning? It felt as if I'd been homeless for days.

When I finished I drew breath and gently eased the teat of the bottle from Clarable's mouth so I could burp her. Labelle had stayed silent the entire time I had been telling her everything, only her face changing expressions, so I wasn't quite sure how she'd react.

"...I didn't know."

I looked up from burping Clarable in surprise. Of all the things...that was the first thing she said?

"When you came to the city...I didn't realise old Nook had gotten you pregnant and then denied your kids. I...I was so cruel to you...and all this time, you've been suffering, and scammed and hurt and I've been possibly the worst sister you could ever wish for-"

"Labelle," I cut her off, and she stopped abruptly. She was blinking hard, and it became apparent why in the next few seconds, as a tear ran down her cheek. I chuckled softly and went to wipe it away. "Hey, don't cry."

"Don't touch my face," she mumbled, brushing my paw away as she tipped her head back. "My mascara'll streak."

I laughed and she regarded me strangely. "Sorry," I aplogised. "It's just...well, we haven't been 'sisters' as such in years, and since I ran away from Mabel- I haven't had this kind of bond with someone...in quite some time."

Now I was getting tearful, and I hurriedly turned my attention back to my twins. "I should put them to sleep,"

"I'm honoured, you know."

"Hm?" I threw her a glance over my shoulder as I stood up, Clarable already slowly drifting off against my chest.

Labelle was sat on the sofa demurely, one leg over the other, but she was cradling Fable's sleepy form as tenderly as if she was her own. Her expression was unreadable, but both her eyes were still wet as she gazed down at Fable's face.

"I'm honoured," she repeated. "That...you named Fable after me...that was so kind of you. Even when your lasting impression of me was this bitchy person who abandoned you when times were at their hardest."

"Well...we all have to stick together." I replied uncertainly. Clarable murmured softly and conciousness left her and I let a small smile spread across my face.

Labelle stood up, Fable on her hip. "Nothing's quite so simple for us Able Sisters, is it?" she sighed, holding the baby out for me to take. "Although, I think I stopped being an Able sister when I ran away."

I shook my head as Fable's limp body nestled up against mine. "That's not true," I mumbled shyly. "You're still part of our family, no matter how divided it is."

After that rather deep moment, we hurriedly set up the crib together again (even as questionable as the final result came to be) and put the twins down to rest for the night at the other end of the sitting room.

"Still, I really can't believe you've been pregnant all this time." Labelle commented as we settled down to talk together for the first time in what seemed like- and, come to think of it, _was, _years. "You always seemed like the responsible one!"

"Please don't talk to me like I'm a teenager again," I giggled softly. "But you're...not ashamed, are you?"

"What?" Labelle's eyes flickered in confusion. "Of course not! It's just so shocking, that's all. Not seeing you for God knows how many years, then you suddenly appearing again bearing newborn kids. It's just...a surprise."

"Sorry," I gave her a wry smile and crossed my legs. It felt weird to be able to manevour freely again without the heavy weight in my abdomen and bulbous stomach.

"I was even more surprised, though," Labelle mused, as she toyed with the end of her necker cheif absentmindly. "When you said you'd do anything, as long as your twins were safe. That was really strange for me to comprehend."

"Well, it's pretty strange for me, too." I replied, tucking my knees up to my chin, staring at the white fluffy carpet. "It's unexplainable. Like...an entity I never knew existed. I feel that I would sacrifice myself entirely for their well being. I can't...put anyone before them." With this, I glanced at the crib where I could only just see their chests gently rising and falling with each breath. "But if I were to think of it that way...I wouldn't want to express it into words. Because words are powerful things. Um, kind of like language has a soul?" I laughed emptily at these words. "That was a little to abstract, maybe?"

"Hnn...maybe," Labelle said, taking a sip from her mug of coffee she had made earlier. I had refused the offer, partly because I knew if I even inhaled it's musky scent I'd be awake all night, and I needed to get some sleep, even if I'd be woken up numerous times by Clarable and Fable. "I still can't fathom the idea of loving someone so much I'd do absolutely anything,"

"Trust me, when you have a baby, you'll understand." I rolled my head around on my neck to look at her.

Labelle's face twisted in disgust. "I really don't want to have kids," she groaned in a low undertone.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to gain weight."

I couldn't help it, at this reply I whooped with laughter, earning me a slap on the arm from my dearest sister.

"What?!" she demanded, her face flushed in embarrassment. "It's true! I don't want to deal with the chore of being pregnant and ending up with a baby that screams at me twenty four seven!"

My mind flickered to the image of my stomach, creased all over and soft, remnants of my pregnancy, and I understood a little where she was coming from. But still, I really couldn't imagine not ever having my twins in place of having a normal body again. I was perfectly willing to gain a little weight and have my stomach misshapen a little for the price of my two, cherished little girls. They were gifts- expensive gifts, but the best quality, most beautiful gifts.

"OK, I understand," I chuckled as Labelle glared at me. "But I wouldn't give up my children just to have a flat stomach again."

"Whatever," she said, downing the rest of her drink quickly. "Anyway, I have work in the morning, so I'm going to bed." she stood up before nodding at the couch. "Er...you'll have to sleep on the sofa, I'm afraid, but there's some blankets and throws in that cupboard over there I use in the winter."

"Um...OK." I nodded, thankful I wasn't sleeping on the floor at least.

I stayed sat on the sofa as Labelle stood there infront of me, the awkward silence between us becoming apparent.

"Uh...good night then." she finally said.

"Good night..." I echoed as she plucked her high heels off of her feet and carried them towards her bedroom. My tongue felt as if there was still something on it, words that still wanted to come out. I twisted around in my seated position before she reached her door. "...Labelle?" I called. She turned around, her eyebrows raised. "Um...you might want to close your door. They're...quite loud." I bobbed my head towards the twins and Labelle smirked.

"OK," she replied, closing her door. "Night, sis."

_Sis..._

The words on the tip of my tongue remained unspoken, and I regretted not letting them out when I had the chance.

_Thank you Labelle. I love you. You're so kind. I really appreciate what you've done for us._

I stayed awake a long time after that, snuggled under two woollen blankets, watching my twins' still forms as they slept in the gloom.

I hadn't felt in this good a mood in ages...

**HAI GUYZ!**

**Sorry I didn't update on 290 reviews. . I got really lethargic and melancholy the past few days, draining my energy and I really didn't feel like typing. Seriously, I wasn't even eating. BUUUUUUT I had chicken to nom today so I'm in a better mood :D**

**Plus, if you've kept up with TS since it began (bout a year and a half ago) you'll know when Sable got her room in Redd's place Redd said "This room belonged to someone special." Well, one of my new(er) reviewers has started a FANTASTIC story based after the recent events of TS called 'Seeing Redd'. She's called **AdoniaAlma,** but she's a great writer, and it'd mean a lot to me if you could go and show her story some of TS's support and love. :3 So yeah!**

**But I hoped you enjoyed le return of ze Labelle...! *insert dramatic face***

**I shall update at 305 reviews, just cuz I'm sorry for being a lazy lethargic bum and not keeping up with my promises. ;_;**

31. Chapter 30

"So what are you going to do?"

This became Labelle's way of greeting me every morning after I'd spent the first night at her place. I would look up at her with bleary eyes from lack of sleep whilst feeding a baby and shrug, mumbling something that resembled an apology for the noise the twins made at night.

Four days had passed since I'd met up with her, and I'd been so preoccupied with providing for my children and taking care of their basic needs I hadn't really thought about my future. I clearly couldn't camp out at Labelle's forever, and of course my money was running tighter and tighter every day. I needed a proper home- my home, a permanent one- and a job; one that would be flexible enough to still allow me to take proper care of my children.

So today was the fifth day I had been living with her, and I glanced up from trying to wrestle a bottle into Clarable's mouth. Clarable had been moody all night, crying seemingly constantly because she couldn't sleep, but she wasn't hungry, she wasn't wet, she wasn't in any pain whatsoever, she just apparently wanted to excersize her lungs. Of course, her noise meant that Fable couldn't sleep, so Fable was almost equally as whiny and discontented as her sister, but at least she could be quelled with a bottle of milk to soothe her aching throat. Clarable was refusing to latch on, and I had to literally do battle with her stubborn lips to force the teat into her mouth.

"I...I'm not really sure." I stammered in reply. Labelle frowned as she combed her spine backwards and out of her face, peering at me almost judgementally.

"You look like death." she observed.

"Thanks."

"But look at yourself!" she proclaimed, thrusting her compact mirror at me. I flicked it open for a quick study of my face- good God, she was right. My face was paler than ever before, and my eyelids were soft and swollen from lack of sleep. Soft purple shadows ringed them like bruises and my face seemed to have sunken somewhat. Well, I hadn't been eating much, that was true. But I didn't really want to impose on Labelle anymore than I already was, and I was certain I was much more trouble than she had first anticipated.

"I...I know I don't look my best." I replied slowly. My words came out thick and blurred in my mind. "But I just have to concentrate on looking after these two, for now. I can't focus on anything else."

Clarable let out an indignant cry and dug her elbow into my stomach, and I winced at her sharp movements. She must've been the one jabbing me in my womb when they really started kicking.

Labelle took her compact mirror back from me and snapped it closed with a sharp slap of plastic. "Try get some sleep," she ordered me, throwing on her blazer for work and hurriedly drawing on long, lush lashes with her eyeliner. "I want to talk to you tonight, and I want to talk to Sable, not my sister the Zombie."

"O-oh, sure." I said, hooking Clarable's mouth open with one finger and poking the teat in the small gap I made. Ha! I win.

"See you soon," Labelle called, waving her fingers at me, before disappearing out of the front door, leaving nought but the sweetly false aroma of her chosen perfume for the day.

Clarable had spat the teat out again and I frowned at her. "Clarable, you have to eat. You didn't eat anything all night, you have to be hungry." she screamed in my ear at that, and I stood up, resting her chin on my shoulder and began to pace back and forth, rubbing her back firmly.

I quickly checked up on Fable, lying in the crib after being fed earlier, but her face was creased with unhappiness and she was mewling quietly in disdain. A quick sniff of the air around her confirmed I needed to whip out the changing mat again, but my main priority was to get some form of sustenance into Clarable's rapidly weakening body.

I cast Fable a pitiful look before Clarable burped in my ear and I looked at her on my shoulder to see if that had solved her problems. She was quiet for a split second before her face wrinkled in despair again and I quickly removed her from my shoulder before she shattered my ear drum with a full-blown cry. Their yelling was getting so much more intense, even though they were only six days old, and I struggled to think how loud and powerful their crying could accumulate to in a few months.

I tried the lullaby, but no avail, she was in no mood to sleep, and Fable was getting impatient waiting for me to clean her up. I tried walking up and down countless times, but still nothing. I held Clarable on her back, her front, her side, and still she couldn't get comfy.

Tears were very nearly overtaking me, and I longed for just a brief moment's silence, just to gather my wits and composure and carry on from there. But there was no escape, I had two children who both needed my equal attention, the dead ringing of their cries echoing in my ears. I laid Clarable down on the coffee table on her back, just to give my aching arms a break from holding her for so long. Her face was blotchy and red, and her eyelids were creased for having them scrunched up for so long. I could hear the slight ragged breath under her cries, and I rubbed her cheek comfortingly, imagining how much her throat wouldhurt by now.

"I'm sorry Clarable, but I don't understand what's wrong!" I cried despairingly. She was kicking her legs around so violently I was worried she'd rip her sleep suit from the sharp forceful movements (I didn't have any resources to fix it, and she only had so many sleep suits I didn't want her breaking them all.) so I caught hold of her tiny feet in my paw and leaned her legs back a little. "Don't kick like that sweetheart, Mummy doesn't want you to hurt yourself."

Clarable seemed to pause in her crying the moment I pushed her legs back and in the slight fraction of a moment, she let rip perhaps the most disgusting sound I had heard either of the twins emit.

My mouth gaped open as her cries switched from the full force screams to much quieter grizzles.

I scooped her up in my arms and eased the teat of the bottle I still held grasped in my other paw into her mouth. This time, she began sucking with all her might and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just gas, then?" I said, gently rubbing tiny circles on her stomach. "Well, absolutely nothing about the either of you seems to be ladylike at all," I chuckled as Clarable's eyes swivelled onto mine and she focused on it for a few seconds before finishing her bottle.

I laid her down in the crib and went to Fable's aid, shushing her with soft hums of their lullaby whilst I changed her, then put her back down next to her sister.

I didn't really know what to do next. There wasn't much you could do with a newborn, to be honest- so far I had just given them their soft toy raccoon and porcupine and they pawed at them or slavered all over them for an hour or so before the next cry issued. But they seemed so awake and alert I didn't really know how to entertain them. I hovered over them for a few seconds, before drifting away and sinking down onto the sofa that had served as my bed for the past few days and laid back, a sigh of exhaustion escaping my lips as I did so.

It was getting hot again; I could feel the warm air seeping in through the open windows Labelle had thrust open beforehand. This wasn't good news- hot days meant cranky children and I really, really did not want to deal with pointless fussing again. My eyelids drooped and I listened to the early-morning sounds of the city filtering into the building as I let myself relax for the first time in quite a few days.

That was the thing with looking after these children: they seemed to cry about the same time, so once I had detected the problems and solved it, there were these awkward in between periods in which they wouldn't sleep, since they had either already had their naps or just woken up, and needed to have something to stimulate them.

I was about to drop off to sleep when a pained screech resounded in the room and I bolted upright, exhaustion evaporating from my body as I flew over to the crib to see what had hurt one of my precious, precious children.

I was surpised to see Fable lying on her front, clearly having just rolled over, with a fistful of Clarable's spines in her clenched paw which she was proceeding to slobber over. Clarable was clearly unhappy with this development as she was wriggling around, whining every time her spines pulled sharply, causing her pain.

"Hey, Fable, that's not very nice." I said softly, unwinding her fragile little paw from Clarable's head. I kissed the area on Clarable's head where her sister had so unwittingly abused her and she seemed satisfied with my resolve.

Fable was tugging the claw she grasped towards her mouth to identify it in the region of her mouth, but I wasn't letting her pull my paw closer enough to her face. Her cheeks bloomed pink as she began to huff unhappily that she wasn't getting her way.

"No tears," I said primly, plucking her out of the crib again and draped her on my hip. "Don't be so moody, Fable! Goodness, I thought your sister was bad enough, but now you're being selfish too?" I pulled away from her grip and stroked the top of her head fondly, and she seemed distracted enough by that rather than crying.

I was about to lower her down into the cot again when their was a sharp knock on the door and I glanced up in surprise. Who would be knocking for Labelle so early in the morning? I automatically went to open it but hesitated.

This wasn't my home. I wasn't inclined to open the door to people who clearly came to see Labelle. I could imagine her fuming with anger if I opened the door for her, even if she had softened up some because the twins were here. Still, she would steam in anger and press me even further to get back out of her life and start my own.

"Hey- uh, could you open the door?"

I whipped around to see someone I didn't recognise at the window, a weak smile over his face.

I didn't know what to do. I had made eye contact with him now, so I couldn't pretend he just didn't exist.

With a shaking breath, I took the door off the latch, still lugging Fable around on my hip, and opened it to be greeted with an awash of warm air.

The person- a soft brown coloured bird of some sorts- was holding a stack of magazines tied up with a twist of string, and as I opened the door his eyes flickered down from my face to Fable's.

"Er...Miss Labelle?" he stammered.

"I-I'm not Labelle. I'm her...friend." The word 'sister' seemed so improper to use with a total stranger, since I was just coming to terms with acknowledging her as my full-fledged sibling by blood myself. I flushed at his mistake, embarrassed how people might mistake me as Labelle. Especially since she was so much younger and more beautiful than me, I didn't want to spoil her reputation by having such a plain person as a relation.

"I'm sorry, you kinda look...alike, a bit." he replied. His gaze dropped from Fable down to the stack of magazines he was holding. "Um, I just came to drop these off. The past few times the Postman's tried to deliver them she's been out, so he left them with me...I live below here, so...yeah."

"I see." I said as he desposited the magazines in my empty paw. "Um...thanks."

"No problem." he replied. We were silent for a brief awkward moment before he dipped his head in farewell and left.

I knocked the door closed with my foot and let out a stream of breath through my mouth slowly. The social gestures between strangers and I had completely evaporated, and it felt strange to communicate with people I didn't know. My people skills had disappeared within the past nine months- even my closed off, lonesome self from when I lived in Wenton could deal with a talkative stranger better than I could now. I had been closed off, isolated from the majority of society, living in one space like a caged animal. I vaguely wondered if Redd's intent was to seal me away from everyone else so I'd only feel affection towards him...but no, it wasn't him, it was my fault, for hunching over that sewing machine day in, day out, feeling sorry for myself.

Fable was grizzling softly, her almost weightless body solid against my hip as she chewed uncoordinately on the fabric of my top. Bless her, she was bored.

Tucking the heap of magazines under my arm, I made my way over to the crib where Clarable was lying on her back, her paws haphazardly feeling their way over the soft toy porcupine. Her big, blue eyes gazed at the ceiling, flickering from side to side every so often as she looked around her. Her raccoon's tail twitched softly from where I could see it.

A lump pressed itself into my throat as I laid Fable down next to her. She looked so much like Tom, it was almost physically impossible to look at her without my feelings towards their father overwhelming me, swallowing me whole.

I internally slapped myself. What happened to letting go? What happened to stop loving him? I had to, I couldn't care about him anymore...I couldn't hold him dear.

But if I stopped loving him, would I have to stop loving Clarable?

I hurriedly turned my glance away from her, and looked back at Fable. She looked more like me- but that was probably her lack of Clarable's raccoon-like features. Neither of their fur colours mimicked either of us, their parents, but differed in the slightest, subtlest shifts of shade in colour. Clarable's was more of an intense mix of a deep red with traces of my much deeper, muskier, purple shade within it. Fable had Tom's fur, thicker, softer, in a deep mahogany shade. No freckles dusted either of their faces and it was somewhat depressing to see the both of them gaining so much from Tom but so little from me, the only one who wanted them.

Clarable's mouth widened in a cute, toothless 'o' as she yawned and I rubbed my paw against her face affectionately and she blinked slowly, used to my random touches.

I wanted to let go, I wanted to look toward the future, but I knew, deep down, I couldn't. Letting go meant leaving all that was precious to me. My home, my family...everyone from my past. Looking forward would be me forgetting the good times...removing traces of people's existence from my life, no matter how much I cherished them.

_Clarable _Mabel _Able._

I hadn't realised it, but soft, salty tears were slipping down my face, and one rolled off my face and onto Clarable's. Her paws went flying up in surprise and her short cry of unhappiness at the strange situation resounded from her mouth. But I couldn't comfort her, I couldn't cease her unhappiness. I leant on the crib as Fable whined at Clarable's noise, watching my children writhe in discontent as the tears slipped down my face, one after the other. No sobs issued from my mouth, just tears fell like tiny, beaded crystals.

Mabel.

I had barely thought of her when I ran away. I didn't want her to worry, so I left. The selfishness of my acts hadn't really hit home until now. She wasn't even an adult herself, she was barely a teenager, yet I forced her into maturity. I had been so wrapped up in my own unhappiness, I had forgotten to think of her- the dear, sweet girl who stayed with me through thick and thin, the girl with not a negative thought in her head. I wanted to smack the person I had been- this Sable from all those months gone by. How could she forgotten her sister? How could she not have even cared to send her clothes to sell? How could she have not even faced her fears and stayed with the person she needed most?

I scooped both of my twins up and sank onto the floor, clutching them both to my chest as we all cried together, the three of us, united in sorrow.

All this time I had been wrapped up in my own selfish desires, thinking the person I needed to live for was my child's father. But I was wrong.

I needed Able Sisters.

Clarable, Fable, Mabel, Label...all of us, us Ables needed one another, more than some of us cared to admit. I still ached for my children to have a father, I still ached to love someone as much as I had Tom, but I needed my family's support more than ever now.

And to think I willingly threw it away.

The last time I had wanted to go back to Wenton, it had been to get back at Tom for seducing my younger sister. Was that really all I thought? Not an ounce of care was apparent in my actions, not in the slightest.

Mabel needed me.

And I needed her more.

**SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTER HOPE IT WASN'T BORING 3**

**And I know I didn't update on 305 reviews, but I started school again this week (I was on half term last week) so my update schedule has gone all BLAGGHDJSHGADHDG. So imma gonna hafta change my updates. I will update every Saturday in UK time AS LONG AS I get teh specific amount of reviews. So, for example, I'll update next Saturday PROVIDED I have 330 reviews. Okies? Okies. ^^**

**The reason why I've started doing this is because I'd update after a period of time, and I'd get maybe five reviews out of the 70 people or so who are following TS. So I want to kind of get something in return for writing my story, if you know what I mean? I don't know why some people don't like it, because you guys benefit in the long run and get more frequent updates anyway, so yeah! ^^**

**Oh, and since someone asked, Clarable is pronounced Clah-rah-bul. So more like Labelle rather than Clah-ray-bul. **

**Anyhoo, update next Saturday when I have 330 reviews!**

32. Chapter 31

I was terrified. Rooted to the spot. I was, and this time, definitely was going back to Wenton. I could scarcely breathe, and Fable and Clarable were whiny and scared, because, well, I was as well. My heart was pounding a million miles an hour, like a boxer in my chest and I felt sick stirring in the pits of my stomach.

Actually, I was lying.

I was actually surprisingly calm. So surprising, in fact, that scared me more than the prospect of returning home.

I was waiting at the bus stop, Clarable and Fable occupying both of my arms, since I doubted I could fit the stroller on the bus anyway, and Labelle didn't feel like helping me haul it down all those stairs.

Last night, she had come home to me- a sodden, crying mess- and once she translated my blabbering, we came to the conclusion that I would return to Wenton the following day to face my fears, once and for all. I was the only person capable of solving my problems, so that's exactly what I intended to do. Most of my belongings remained in Labelle's apartment- she said she's send them to me once I settled in again, but I had a few essentials in a messenger bag slung across my body. It was full, mainly with baby clothes, diapers, bottles, and formula milk, but I had squeezed in my pregnancy journal too.

Before I had, I quickly flicked through it. I was kind of ashamed to admit it only consisted of seven or eight entries actually containing something resembling my unhappiness, and the rest was stupid, winsome notes like 'Morning sickness ended' or 'bought crib today.' I had originally intended to give it to Tom, just so he could fully understand how his bitter rejection affected me, how he pushed me away from my family. But I was embarrassed how lax I had been in filling it out. Oh well. It got the basis idea of what I've been through. He'd get the idea.

My glance was fixed on my twins, who were still rather sleepy from their afternoon naps. Clarable's eyes were closed, as she leant against my chest, murmuring sleepily. Fable was gripping the soft toy raccoon in one paw and was looking up at me, her dark, dark eyes watching my every move. I smiled down at her, wondering how long it would take for them to smile back at me.

I had quickly visited Copper Kettle this morning, to bid Nitch and her family farewell for the time being- and Nitch burst into tears. This had been so unlike her we all hurriedly consoled her.

"I can't stand the idea of you l-leaving," she had sobbed as I held her in a friendly embrace. "Y-you've been such a good friend..."

"So have you," I replied softly. "Without all of you and your family, this past nine months would have been so much harder for me."

That had seemed to quell her unhappiness, and she accepted my going away, provided I would visit as soon as I had time.

I was going to miss them, truly, more than I actually acknowledged. They had been such a support to me, and having Nitch as my closest friend almost tore me apart having to leave her behind. But Mabel needed me more, and I couldn't leave my own flesh and blood struggling in Wenton just to benefit from having friends. I was given more than enough: my two, loving sisters, my two, beautiful children who I would happily die for, and no matter how much more my selfish heart wished for, I knew life was already a blessing in itself for what I had gotten out of it.

No matter what sins we may atone for, life is forgiving, even though we don't realise it.

I liked the sound of my mind at work, and my confidence rose, just a little. I wasn't going to scare myself again into returning to the city, I would ride out the fear, the regrets, and live in the present.

The bus emerged from the tunnel and I stepped forwards, my 200 Bells clenched in my paw.

_There_ was the sick feeling.

The bus juddered to a halt as it's doors wheezed open and a couple of animals stepped off. I walked forwards and asked for a single ticket to Wenton.

Kapp'n punched it into the bus's till as he eyed my daughters in my arms.

"Pre'y lil' lasses you got there," he commented.

I dipped my head in acknowledgement as he handed me my ticket which I awkwardly took from him, since the majority of my arm was holding Clarable's limp form. "Thank you,"

"No problem, lass. Go on, take a seat." He turned away and I hurriedly sat down in the nearest double seat, propping Fable on my lap so I could pay more attention to Clarable for the moment.

She desperately wanted to stay awake so she could see what was going on around her, but she was still tired so her eyelids were drooping. Moments later she opened them wide again, only to slowly close them again as her weariness took over. I chuckled, watching her fighting to stay awake and hummed the lullaby softly to her in a hope of lulling her awake side into slumber.

Fable was distracted however, leaning against my stomach, as her paws flailed up and down for something to hold onto. They were so tiny and fragile. When I was babysitting Kaiden, he was already adapted to things my twins couldn't even fathom yet- like grabbing things, being curious about the world around him...compared to him, my twins seemed so lacking in personality. So far all they seemed to do was cry when they were unhappy and that was about it. That wasn't to say I didn't love them, it was just me looking forward to them growing up.

I looked away from them both and watched the paving slabs of the city recede into dirt tracks as the towns rolled by, one by one.

I could feel nausea stirring in the pits of my stomach, but the anticipation of seeing Mabel again was killing me. I had been so self-centered, I had only spared one or two regards her way, and I had the mindset of 'oh, I miss her', but those were just words. Words have their limitations, but it was the feeling that counted. My feelings at that time were meagre. Now I was doing what was right. I knew it.

The bus rounded the corner, and I adjusted my hold on a now-awake Clarable so I could lay Fable in the crook of my arm. My heart was beating powerfully now, and my anxiousness was getting the better of me.

I willed the bus to get there faster, before I could lose my nerve and turn back...

_No. I won't. I can do this._

My breath hitched in my throat as I reached out for the bell, pressing it firmly. The trill of it resounded in my ears and I could feel my entire being shaking to its very core.

The bus was stopping...

Oh God.

The doors were opening...

Now, this is now!

And with that, I took my first breath of Wenton's air in nine months.

I felt like I was in a dream.

I knew this place so well- it was my home- and yet I didn't. It hadn't changed in the slightest since I'd been gone...so why did it seem so different?

_I had changed._

Every step seemed to add to the river of memories flooding back to me: insignificant things, like listening to the grass crunch beneath my foot steps. I hadn't walked on grass since the morning I ran away.

It was late afternoon, and the sun, although not at it's highest peak was beating down quite mercilessly upon us. I could feel myself getting uncomfortably hot and Fable was fussing against my side. I quickened my step as we crossed the bridge, approaching the town hall.

There was a small yellow bird perched on the town hall's message board, singing it's tune boldly, trilling out it's beautiful notes until we approached. We had barely set foot on the town square when it ruffled it's ochre feathers and flew away. I blinked, surprised it was so sensitive to my foot fall, and tried to remember if I'd seen it before. I think so...had I? Maybe...

I walked up to the message board and let my eyes wander over the many musings of the towns folk and announcements for special events. That's right- it was getting to be firework season soon...I doubted my twins would like the loud noises and flashes of light and I grimaced at the thought of a very unpleasant evening when New Year's came.

Then, one, singular message tacked to the board with a single drawing pin made my blood run cold.

_Able Sisters Closhure notiss._

_Able Sisters will close on 8th August for gud. Thank you for you're continyuss support._

No.

It couldn't be...our family's buisness...ending? Just like that?

My knees were weak and trembling as the world around me spun uncontrollably.

_Mabel..._

I was walking as fast as I could allow myself, tears blooming in my eyes as I stormed towards our shop...quickly, Mabel needed me!

Clarable whined as the breeze hitting them intensified, and I stopped short, momentarily forgetting my urgency to quieten her before she began crying.

Right. I was here to give them a better life, not just for me.

But for Mabel too.

The white shop I knew so well was rising in the distance and it nearly wrung me out into tears. My home. The very core of my family's life. I was coming home. _My _home.

"Fable, Clarable, look." I called softly to them, despite them ignoring me as I reached out to grab the door knob. "We're home."

And with that, I opened the door.

A familiar scent washed over me as I pulled it open. The jingle of the bell was like music to my ears, and seeing exatly the same layout as I had left it in was...amazing.

And...

Behind the sewing machine...

Where I used to stand...

Was Mabel.

She looked up at the noise of the bell, her mouth opening to form her usual welcome to the store but as soon as she caught my eye her mouth dropped open immediatly.

I was shaking. I couldn't believe this. It was like a dream, a vague, fantasy-like world. Mabel, Mabel! The person I had left so cruelly nine months ago for my own selfish reasons, was here! My dearest, closest sister, my best friend, my very source of comfo-

"SABLE!" She screamed and literally leapt over the counter and flung herself at me. "SABLE! SABLESABLESABLESABLESABLESA-ble..." she trailed off as she stopped in her tracks and saw the twins curled up against my body in my arms.

I cleared my throat with a nervous cough. "Hi, Mabel." I whispered thickly. "Um...these are your nieces,"

Mabel's eyes flickered from me to my daughter's her mouth forming a huge smile as she did so. I couldn't help it. Her joy was infectious- a grin was breaking onto my face too.

"You had twins?" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know!" I laughed. "I only found out myself a few days ago when I had them." I cast down a fond gaze on them, before looking back at Mabel who was still staring at me and them as if she couldn't believe it.

Suddenly, without any warning, she burst into tears.

The sudden change from her bright and happy mood to instant tears surprised me and I hurried over to her to console her. Which, I can assure you, is no easy task when you're holding two babies.

"Mabel, it's OK! Don't cry," I said softly. I shifted Clarable in my arm and motioned for Mabel to take her. "Here- this is Clarable. Clarable Mabel Able."

Mabel looked up at me with wet eyes, tears streaking down her bright coloured cheeks. "You...you named her after me?" she choked out.

I nodded as Mabel looped her paws around Clarable's waist, before adjusting to her weight and snuggling her against her chest. Clarable wriggled a little at the change of arms, but she nuzzled into Mabel's apron happily.

"Who else would I name her after?" I replied with a wry smile. I stroked Fable's cheek softly, as she mumbled softly in response. "And this is Fable Labelle Able. Two more Able sisters."

Mabel seemed transfixed by the tiny infant in her arms, and was watching Clarable's every slight movement, her black eyes locked with Clarable's blue ones. I was so happy...to see Mabel, holding one of my children, seeing us as a family again...I was sniffing now, and I hurriedly wiped my nose with the back of my paw before wrapping my arm around Mabel's shoulders, careful not to squish Clarable or Fable between us.

"Mabel," I murmured. "I'm so sorry for leaving you alone."

That did it.

The intense relief of getting such a huge worry off of my chest overtook me. I didn't know which emotion filled me up inside so strongly, but so many were jumbled up inside they overwhelmed me and came out as tears. I sobbed quietly into Mabel's shoulder as her arm hooked around me too, and we stayed like that for quite a long time, softly crying into each other's fur.

Something filled an empty gap in my heart; a gap that had been empty for a long, long time.

It turned out that Mabel had woken up late the morning I ran away, discovered my note and panicked. She told me that now, clearly somewhat ashamed, that she had immediatly gone to Tom and told him straight away about my disappearance.

Her face was extremely bashful as she told me this, and I was quiet as I fed Fable.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Mabel being so reliant on Tom that day. He had so readily been prepared for me to have an abortion- kill our daughters before they had even spent a month alive- and so quickly turned me away when I refused such an option.

"Sorry if that was the wrong thing to do, Sable." Mabel said quietly, tucking her knees up to her chin. We were sat in the kitchen, which seemed so small and cluttered after having my own space for so long- still with the same old creaking shelves, groaning under the weight of various clutter. "I mean...I guess I know how you feel after what happened with him...but I thought he might know where you were..."

"It's fine," I replied quickly. The last thing I wanted to do was make her more upset. What happened wasn't her fault in any shape or form- it was all me, just me being self centered. I decided to shrug off what had happened. The past had happened, and that's why I was here- to fix it. "What did he say, when he found out? And how did _the press_ get involved?"

Mabel shifted on her seat a little more, chewing the corner of her lip indescively. "Well...as for Tom, he seemed shocked. I went over to his house, told him, and he just closed the door after a little bit. Um...I haven't seen him much since. I think he told the media, but I was just sent a letter asking for an interview a while back." she shook her head quickly before leaning forward, placing her chin in her paws. "But tell me what you did! Where did you go?"

I took a deep breath, and recited my entire story for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. I hurriedly skipped over Redd's abrupt proposal, just mentioning he was...inappropriate in his pursuits, but little else. That was something I didn't want to trouble someone else with, something I would keep quiet for as long as I could.

Mabel drank in my entire story, her face crumpling when I told her about the vivid hallucinations that attacked me when I was in labour. She seemed extra touched when I shyly mentioned it was probably because I still held her close to my heart, closer than anyone else. I didn't say that Tom had featured heavily in those visions. I just told her she was there, and that was the only thing that mattered.

"I thought you might forget about me," Mabel said quietly, reaching out to stroke Fable's head. In response, Fable made a happy little noise through the teat of the bottle she had clenched in her toothless gums that brought a smile to both of our faces. "When you left, I assumed you were leaving me behind...but I guess not, huh?"

Her words stabbed at my heart. Embarrassment flooded over my face, as I decided not to mention I had felt less than what I should've towards missing her- I had been too wrapped up in myself.

But I was here to change.

Again.

I was going to become a much more selfless person- so, Tom didn't want our children. Oh well. Happens to millions of mothers. I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. What's done is done. Clarable and Fable were the beings of life that meant the most to me now, and their happiness and satisfaction was at the very core of my behaviour now.

It was all for them.

"T-the only reason why I ran away...was because I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to only concern myself, no one else. But, then again," I let out a hollow chuckle. "That kind of failed."

Mabel looked up from the twins with a grin on her face. Her eyes were still wet, but she looked elated nonetheless. "It doesn't matter, now, though. You're here, and that's what's important. Wait..." Her face clouded. "Are you here to stay? Like, forever?"

I gave her a withering smile. "Of course! This is our home. I should've recognised this is the best place in the world to raise my children- _home."_

We grinned at each other for a few moments, at a los for words, until my mind flashed back to the notice I'd seen tacked on the message board.

_Closhure notiss._

"Hey...Mabel?" I began. "Why was there a closure notice on the town hall's message board?"

"Oh..." Mabel's grin dropped from her face and she sat up straight again. "You...you saw that?"

I nodded stiffly in response.

"Um...well...I'm just going to say I'm really bad at sewing."

My face fell as she continued.

"The clothes I made...failed. And...um...yeah. I'm spending more on fabric and stuff than I'm selling things..."

"You're making no profit?" I summarised for her. Mabel blinked hard and nodded fiercly.

"I'm sorry, Sable." she whimpered.

"It's OK," I said, standing up and handing Mabel my children. She looked up at me, surprised.

"What're you doing?"

"What do you think?" I replied. I rummaged under the table where my sewing machine was and brought out a swathe of white fabric with a flourish. "I'm making amends."

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE**

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**And last weekend I had stuff going on with the Girl Guides at church (basically Girl scouts, but in English terms) so I couldn't update. ;_; Forgive meh! Please**

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33. Chapter 32

The next forty-eight hours passed in a blur of fabric, scissors, and thread, with short intervals of sleep and continuous stress of being a mother.

I had known it was going to be hard after I gave birth, but I hadn't anticipated it to be _this _hard. The fact I had only seen being pregnant as a state of body, and not as this huge change in my life, didn't help either. I had expected the baby to just needing feeding and changing at regular intervals, bathing every so often, putting them down to sleep, et cetera. I really hadn't thought about them being their own little person, with a personality and likes and dislikes. I had just thought of them as...a being, a small entity. But now with two, the understanding had grown and grown every single day, that my children weren't robotic creatures who did these customary functions. The needed me all day, every day- they needed things that only I, their mother, could give.

Of course this was strenuous on me when I had to sew as well to desperately attempt to save the Able Sister's from it's looming closure. I had calculated to make at least a 6,000 Bell profit per week for the next month or two in order to kick-start our buisness again. Originally this seemed pretty easy, and I had finished the first dress within a few hours and was about to write '3,500 Bells' on the price tag when I stopped myself.

_No. That's what Redd used to charge. These aren't designer clothes. They're made by me._

I wasn't going to sink to his level- I wouldn't be a scammer like he had. So, I begrudgingly scrawled _243 Bells _over the label instead, despite my mind screaming for me to over charge.

Now with this mindset, I had to work as much as I could, making as much as I could, before we could re-open. Though, sometimes it felt like only a few minutes had passed when a twin started up her dismal, droning screams of discontent and I had to go and slove whatever problem caused their unhappiness.

Those two days were perhaps the days I had worked the hardest I ever had.

"Sable?" Mabel said on the night of the second day I had been home. She poked her head around the kitchen's archway. "I think Clarable wants feeding."

I looked up with bleary eyes, struggling to focus on Mabel's bobbing blue figure. "Really?" I asked weakly. I went to stand up, forcing my aching body to move it's massively underworked joints. "I'll feed them both, the-"

"No, it's OK!" Mabel said hurriedly. "I'll do it if you want. I don't mind."

"You will?" I sank back onto my stool gratefully. "Thank you, Mabel. Oh, feed Fable too while you're at it. I'll put them to bed afterwards."

"Got it," Mabel said cheerfully, disappearing again. I went back to pinning a bodice together before Mabel called out again. "Sable? Where's the formula?"

"On the shelf above the cooker," I yelled back. There was a dull thud and some rustling, accompanied by a call of 'Thanks'.

Instead of going back to pinning I sat still for a few minutes, listening intently.

"Sable...how do I heat these up?"

I repressed a sigh and heaved myself up again, before making my way into the kitchen where Mabel was reading the back of the tub of formula, her brow furrowed. She held Clarable on her hip, who was grunting unhappily. Fable was laid in the baby bouncer, perched precauriously on the kitchen table, amidst various clutter of fabric, paper patterns, and other junk we had intended to get rid of.

"Here," I said, holding my arms out for Clarable. "I'll do it."

Mabel watched mournfully as I murmured hushes to Clarable and put the formula powder in two bottles and set them up to heat in quick succession. I had only been doing this for a little over a week and I was already getting a dab hand at it.

"I feel so bad for you, Sable." Mabel said, chewing on her claw tip as I turned away from the bottle warmer. "You've been working none stop, and I haven't been abe to help."

I blew out through my lips in exasperation, bouncing Clarable a little. "It's certainly not easy, Mabel." I replied, running my paw through Clarable's spines. "But I'm going to do it, for us."

"You just seem so tired..."

"Looking after children _is _tiring."

"But it shouldn't be this hard, right?"

"Having twins is literally double the trouble." I sighed. I cast a glance over at Fable who was kicking her little legs feebly, her strength too weak as of yet to muster a full blown kick. "I'd say it's a unpleasant twist of fate, but that's like me wishing one of them away, and I really wouldn't change a thing about them." I took a long, shuddering breath, and the bottle warmer made an abrupt click, signalling the bottles were ready.

Mabel picked them both up and I took one, and motioned for her to feed Fable. We stood in silence for a while as Clarable and Fable sucked hungrily on the bottles before I spoke again.

"Mabel, if you ever want a baby, make sure you're married first, OK?" I said, shooting her a knowing look.

She laughed at my serious face. "Sable, I'm only sixteen! I've never even thought of having kids."

"Well, don't, not for a long time." I replied stonily. I hated how grumpy and irritable I sounded, but the thought of her having someone who she loved...only to fall victim to what I had been through...it scared me. I wanted to protect her fragile heart, and not have it shattered like I did.

_No. No self pity._

I gently pulled the teat of the bottle away from Clarable's mouth and began to burp her, watching as Mabel carefully followed what I was doing with Fable.

"I don't think I'll want children for a loooooong time, actually." Mabel added thoughtfully. "After all, I'm happy with being an Aunty for the time being."

I smiled as Clarable spit up over my shoulder and my face twisted in disgust- I hadn't put a towel over my shoulder this time, so it was sliding disgustingly down my back. "Well, things happen," I said, grabbing an old tea towel from the draining board and hurriedly wiped my shoulder and Clarable's mouth. "It's not like I planned this, either."

"Yeah, that's true. But seriously, Sable- when did you get so much better at making clothes?" she nodded her head towards the shop which had literally become my work room with stacks of fabric and finished clothes draped everywhere. "You've made shirts, dresses, skirts, trousers...you only ever made the basics before!"

I gave her a weak smile in response. _Yes. I got better because of Redd. _

I decided to hold my tongue on that particular phrase, and instead mumbled, "I had a lot of practice."

"_Good_ practice," Mabel clicked her tongue against her teeth and Fable grizzled unhappily, wanting to finish her bottle now that she had been burped. Mabel nudged the teat against Fable's lips gingerly and she immediatly latched on again, the level of milk rapidly reducing. Clarable was squirming against me now, bored since she had already eaten, and it was getting to be a handful holding onto her.

"I think we can do it, though."

"Hm?" I looked up from Clarable's wriggling form at Mabel's words. "Do what?"

"Bring the Able Sisters back. Raise your kids. You know." a smile spread across her face as Fable released the bottle and tossed her head from side to side, looking around.

My face clouded with doubt and I pursed my lips. "It's gonna be hard, Mabel."

"I know. But I think we can do it."

"But..." I stopped myself from spewing out the negative thoughts my following words held. I had to be positive. I couldn't be this pessimistic enigma just because I had come home- I had changed, I was better than that. So I swallowed my negativity and spoke. "You're right. We just have to try."

Mabel beamed at me, when all of a sudden Clarable let out a wail which made us both jump in surprise.

"What's wrong? Does she need changing?" Mabel asked as I set her down on the table to check just that, but no, a clean diaper greeted me. No gas, no burping, definitely not hungry, not tired.

"I think she's bored," I said, repressing a groan. I didn't really know how to stimulate her when she was only just a week old. It's not like she'd sit down and play with some toy, it was down to me to keep them entertained.

I passed a paw over my face as Mabel glanced at the clock.

"It's only six, you know." she said thoughtfully as Fable chewed softly on her apron. "What time do you usually put them to sleep?"

"Whenever they're tired," I replied grimly, passing a paw over my face. I really didn't want to handle a screaming fit.

"Well, why don't you take them out for a walk or something?"

I looked up, my brows knitted together as I peered at Mabel. "What do you mean?"

"Put them in the stroller, take them for a walk around town. You haven't been outside since you came home," Mabel handed me Fable, and encourgaing smile spread over her face. "I'll just...I don't know, tidy up, maybe?"

"I...guess. Sure, the fresh air might do them good." I said, scooping up Clarable in my other arm as Mabel lugged out the stroller from in between the table and fridge- Labelle had sent that, along with the crib via post last night.

I carefully laid Fable down and Clarable's wriggling self next to her, cooing softly to calm her down.

"They're getting so big," I commented, stroking Clarable's thick fur gently. It was silky and warm. "They were so tiny when I had them- they've grown."

"Really?" Mabel said, tipping the hood of the stroller back to get a better look at them. "I think they're really small, still. I can't imagine them being any smaller."

"Maybe it's just me," I said. I slung my shoulder bag across my body, mentally checking its contents- _dummies, soft toys, clean bottles..._You would have thought I was spending the night away from home with what was in there. "I might notice every slight change more. Anyway," I carefully wheeled the stroller between the racks of clothes and mannequins. "See you in a bit."

"Don't disappear for nine months again!" Mabel called teasingly as I opened the door.

For some reason, those words stung.

The sun's dim light had streaked the sky with thin, purple veins, on a background of rosy pink and dark purple. I breathed in, the cool evening air swirling up my nostrils and set off, the stroller gently bumping over the uneven ground.

Clarable had stopped fussing and was lying flat on her back staring upwards. I smiled, gently tipping the hood of the stroller back to give them a better view of the sky. I doubted they could see that far, but maybe they could just about distinguish one blurry colour from the other. Fable had her paws over the red raccoon's snout, gripping them with her fragile little fingers as tightly as she could manage. She was watching me, as I carted them around town.

"What?" I said to her after a while. "What're you looking at, Fable?"

She, obviously incapable of speech dropped the raccoon and lifted her tiny arms into the air as if reaching for something.

I think she wanted me to pick her up.

The unconditional love they both held for me was astonishing, almost incomprehendable to someone who wasn't a mother. Actually no, it was impossible to fathom and put down into words how much I held my two little girls dear to me. They were the essence of my happiness, the most beautiful things in life. If I were to lose them, I would lose myself. I would willingly kill myself, solely because they had been ripped from me.

My hardships seemed so trivial now, with that thought in mind. To think I thought my life was over when Tom left me seemed...pointless. Small.

Stupid.

It paled into insignificance compared to holding such precious beings close to my heart. I loved them so much. Written words couldn't truly emulate the protectiveness, the intensity of my devotion to them, without sounding weak.

I shivered as the temperature dropped. It was humid earlier, but with little cloud coverage in the sky, you could just predict the cool air setting in as the night wore on. I stopped for a moment and tucked the blanket of the stroller over the twins, trying to preserve their body heat. I mentally made a note to get around to buying a twin stroller soon- they wouldn't neatly slot into one pushchair or crib forever. They were going to grow up fast, and for some reason that made me somewhat depressed. I already felt a little reminiscent for being pregnant- for holding them so close, where they were mine and mine only. But the future would bring its joys too- like their first words, laughs, steps...

I was shaken out of my reverie when I heard a sharp, scratch-like noise. I looked up, surprised to see a shop I didn't recognise. It was only small, maybe a little bigger than ours, but not by very much. It's roof was made of simple slanted tiles that I knew were cheap, because ours were similar, and it's walls were constructed solely out of wood, which already had dents and some of the boards had been pried off. I let my eyes wander up to the sign, and my heart stopped.

_Nook's_ empreviously Nookingtonsem

I whipped around to see someone throw a burnt out match onto the ground, and my blood ran cold once again. My grip on the stroller intensified, and my heart pressed itself into my mouth.

I was going to faint. My vision was dotted with black.

It was Tom.

My words froze up with the rest of me and rational thinking died. I wanted to run, but I doubted my limbs were connected to my brain properly at that moment, and if I tried to escape I would simply trip over my uncoordinated feet.

He was trying to light a match, striking it over and over- that was the raucous noise I had heard- across the rough side of the box he held clenched in his other paw. He was hunched over- I couldn't see his face- but I knew it was him. How could I not? I remember that back since the day he turned it on me, nine months ago.

The match caught alight, and I watched the flame dance on the tip of the wooden stick. What was he trying to do? The unlikely posibility of him being insane flashed across my mind, and I took a step back, unsure whether or not I wanted to be close to him at a time like that.

He was inspecting the match, watching the flame grow, until it spread right up to his paw.

"Ashes to ashes," I heard him mutter.

And then he threw the match at the shack.

I let out a terrified squeak as flames rose up seemingly out of nowhere and heat washed over me as the crackling, spitting fire began to rise and swallow the entire building.

At my noise of fright, Tom whipped around, and in that instant, our eyes locked.

They perfectly mirrored Clarable's.

That was the last remotely calm thought that ran through my head, when all of a sudden, I felt a impact crash against my chest as Tom ran over, grabbing my shoulders, and crushed his lips against mine.

"MMF?!" I exclaimed as my brain fully registered the situation. I shoved him off of me, anger bubbling through my body. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Tom...oh God, it was Tom. The man who broke my heart.

Kind of.

He looked at me, almost dejected that I had pushed him off of me, but his paws still held me fast. I felt trapped, trapped like when Redd proposed, and the memories of that night made me want to scream and push him away from me.

"Sable..." Tom whispered, his voice ragged and hoarse. I stopped struggling momentarily, to eye him suspiciously. "I...is it you? Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me." I snapped. Hatred was burning up inside of me. _Everything bad that's happened to me is this man's fault. He got me pregnant. He turned me away._

It was hard to try and fight to keep a cool demenour.

"Where have you been, Sable? I've missed you so much...oh my God, Sable...!" Without warning, Tom's arms engulfed me in an embrace that I don't think I could've ever been prepared for.

A tiny piece of anger inside me slipped away.

"I'm sorry." his words were choked in my ear. "I'm so, so sorry."

That's when I noticed tears slipping down his face.

"Are you crying?" I said, rather stupidly.

"Hm? Yes, it would seem so." He withdrew from me a little and wiped his eyes fiercly with the back of his paw.

Strange, he didn't seem like the Tom I knew. Something was...amiss. His fur was matted, and a slightly unpleasant aroma surrounded his person, like he hadn't washed for days. As for the purple suit I had so carefully crafted three years ago, that was gone, and in it's place he was wearing a stained white shirt, that was more grey than original fabric. His lidded eyes were swollen, and...and...

He seemed...depressed.

"Tom." I said gently, before there was a loud snap and I jumped, my paw flying out to grab the handle of the stroller. The fire had swallowed up the entire building and was in the process of eating away at it's very core. The previously darkening sky was dyed in the most hateful shade of red I had ever seen as sparks flew off the fire. A deafening crack resounded as the roof caved in. I yanked the stroller backwards as Clarable and Fable began to whine in distress. "Why have you..._why?_ What happened?!"

Tom's face immediatly darkened as his paws slipped away from my shoulders. "I don't need my business anymore." he said dryly. "I've had enough."

Confusion clouded over my face as I gripped the stroller harder than ever as his gaze landed on it, and at my- I mean, _our_ daughters within it.

"Are...are these...ours?" he asked, placing a paw on the stroller's hood.

I wanted to push him away and yell that they weren't his- _he _didn't want them. _He _rejected them, and me, and pushed us away. They were the people I cherished most, and he couldn't take them from me. Just because he was their biological father didn't make them anymore his, not ever since he said those cold, harsh words. "_You're on your own."_

"Twin-? Twins girls?"

"Yes," I said, before a brief pause. He reached out to touch Clarable's cheek gently, and the fierce maternal beast within me willed me to reach forward and snatch my babies out of his reach.

Where was the love I still held for him, however faintly, that I had felt just a week ago?

I didn't dare move. They were his children, biologically, but they weren't _his._ He didn't want them, so they weren't something to call his own.

It hurt, it sent pangs through my heart as Tom's paw made contact with Clarable's cheek, and she nuzzled into it. His face broke out into a smile and I looked away, my stomach turning. It was painful to see him thankful for what he turned away. As if he had gotten the gifts of life without a fraction of the struggle I had been through.

"What did you call them?"

"This one's Clarable," I replied stonily. "And her sister's Fable. They're twins, obviously, one week old." My voice was listless and dead.

Tom watched m-our daughters for a moment longer before he turned his gaze on me.

"Sable," he began. His voice was low. "I- I regret everything. Everything I said to you that night. Y-you can't imagine what I've been through..."

I turned my gaze on him, my eyes blazing with anger. _He _thought he'd had it rough?

"Oh really?" I replied dryly. "How about the feeling of the one person you loved so strongly pushing you away? How about the feeling of living in a constant darkness? How about having your emotions torn apart, having your feelings torn and thrusted at your feet, how about being manipulated and lied to by someone you considered a friend?!" I was screaming as I pulled the stroller back from his reach. I was fiercly protective of Fable and Clarable, I didn't want his touch to become one they were familiar with. "Tom, I've suffered more than you could have ever imagined! I've had to deal with being pregnant, which isn't as easy as you'd think! I was pregnant with someone's children they didn't even want! Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

The warmth of the crackling shop on fire was burning up my cheeks. Only then did I notice icy cold tears were trekking down my cheeks as I spat out what I truly felt.

"You willingly turned us away! And you expect me to just forgive you? Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not the pushover I used to be." I stopped short, catching my breath. I was running out of things to say, so instead I placed both of my paws on the stroller's handle and gave him a stony glare. "I'll go get some people to help put this fire out. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it because I don't want Wenton to burn to the ground. Then I'm done, Tom. I'm done with obsessing over you."

I turned on my heel (which, would have been easier if I didn't have to push a stroller infront of me) and began stalking away, an odd relief lifted on my chest.

So why had this empty, gaping hole in my heart returned?

I was crying, softly sobbing as we walked away, listening to my children sob quietly in fright. I was frightened too, and yet again, we were united in our sorrow. I felt as if I had turned into the monster I spurned for so many months- the monster who pushes away the person they love over something trivial.

_Was this really trivial?_

"Wait!"

I heard Tom's voice before I felt his paw clamp over mine, and I whipped around in surprise. Almost immediatly his grip loosened, and I saw his eyes drop down onto my fourth finger, his jaw slightly open. I followed his gaze to yet again see the engagement ring Redd had given me, still taking pride of place on my right hand. I couldn't believe I had still neglected to take it off, especially with me sewing- you'd think I would've noticed it by now, but apparently not. The once-golden band was now a dark greyish colour, with only flecks of gold paint surviving, and I was down to one black sapphire now- the other gems had long since disappeared, leaving only their rusting encasings behind.

Tom carefully examined it for a few moments before my paw slid out of his. "I- didn't know you'd found someone else. Um...I guess congratulations are in order, hm?" He looked like he was blinking back tears.

Why would he cry over me? He obviously didn't love me anymore. He made that apparent nine months ago on the beach.

No matter how much my aching soul longed for that to have never happened.

"Actually, no." My voice was underlying with a raspy tone. I nervously coughed it back, before beginning to twist the once-beautiful ring off of my paw. "I kept forgetting to take it off. I don't belong to anyone. Not anymore." I felt my own tears stab at my eyes. "Not ever again."

That truth behind that statement left a bitter, sharp taste on my tongue that I wanted to rip out, but it was the reality, even if I denied it.

I finally pulled the ring off of my finger and held it in my paw for one last, bitter second, memories of Redd forcing himself onto me. I shuddered, before flinging the ring away into the crackling fire. There was a painful silence that could've easily lasted for milennia for all I knew, before words found their way between us again.

"I understand that what you've been through...what I did to you...was terrible." Tom began. I let the tears overflow, and I buried my face into my paws. "I'll never, ever forgive myself. Not for doing what I did. Never. I treated you like...like...an item. Something that could be disposed of when I so desired, yes? And...I didn't realise how much I regretted that when your sister told me you ran away. I've done the worst possible things...I've driven you away from your family, and your home, when you needed it most. I broke the trust we built over so many years. And...I can't believe I denied our children." He broke off, wiping his snout with the back of his paw before he cast his glance over our daughters once again, but this time there was something other than a faint glint of happiness.

There was a sorrow, a longing, almost.

"Well, I'm sure I can say neither of us expected twins." he said, and I shook my head quickly in response as my sobs came out, ruptured and harsh. I had never cried like this before. The tears stung my cheeks and clawed at my throat. I felt worthless. Pathetic. Something to be ashamed of. My heart felt hollow, and all of a sudden all traces of happiness, all evidence of love evaporated from my body, and all that was left was remnants of emotion I could only describe as the last resorts.

"They're beautiful, Sable."

"Don't," I croaked, biting the back of my hand. "You didn't want them. You turned us away."

"I know," his voice was slightly more gentle, but I couldn't not notice the sadness that lay behind it. The silent pain it held. "And I told you I regret it. I wished I had never said those things. The knowledge that this heart-" he laid a paw over his chest. "-willingly did that without shedding a single tear of remorse back then scares me. It worries me. To think I...I could be so cold hearted."

It sounded like Tom almost understood. As if...he had taken the words from my mind. How I'd felt about him for so long- how I perceived him- was how he was perceiving himself.

"I- I want to believe you." I whispered, clutching my arms together as a shudder trembled through me. I met his gaze directly, almost flinching at the striking resemblance Clarable bore to him. "But if you regret it so much, how could you even...even fathom the strength to say it in the first place?" I bit back the harshest words I could muster, not wanting to taint my children with foul language. "Apologies don't make amends, Tom. Just mere words don't fix things, not after what your words originally did. How can I trust you?"

"It sounds pathetic." He mumbled, staring at the ground, awash with orange glow. "But I panicked. I felt...forced, almost. Sable, no! That's not what I meant!" he cried when my face twisted in disgust. "I genuinely, genuinely didn't intend for any of this to happen. I...was shocked. I hate what I did...so..." He drew a long shuddering breath as I shifted my feet a little. I couldn't help but think that this conversation was going nowhere.

"I...I want to start over." He said, looking up and back at his burning store. "But I know the severity of my actions. Just me saying I want to start again...doesn't erase the past, and I know it won't change the future. But seeing you...Sable." Tom was suddenly alarmingly close, and memories of Redd's proposal came flooding back. Yet I didn't want to push him or step out of his way. I felt almost content. Almost safe. "Sable," he breathed. "You're still the same beautiful woman I love."

My tears choked me so hard I was convinced I was about to pass out as he gripped me in a tight embrace, the power, and yet simplicity of his words truly hitting me. I wrapped my arms around his head, willing the past to have never happened, willing life to go back to the way it used to be. I didn't want this rift between us to exist. Both of our lives were thrown into turmoil- therabouts- because of a reason that should have brought us closer together.

Yet it didn't.

I was still the same pushover-Sable from all those months ago- I cursed myself for being so weak willed, for melting in his arms. Even though I tried to convince myself otherwise, I was the same, and Tom was the same.

Our love was the same.

In the flurry of tears, passionate embraces, and bathed in the warmth of the fire, our lips found one another and locked together. I felt as if my world was enveloped in golden light, swallowing us whole, and suddenly I was grateful. Magic flew from our kiss, as the unsolved jigsaw of our lives had it's final piece slotted into place.

Our lips connected together perfectly.

"Tom," I whispered when distance found its way between us again. "I...I lo-"

"Don't say it," I was cut off by his paw covering my mouth abruptly. "I don't deserve your love, Sable. I tore you apart, acting selfishly. Your love is...is heavenly, and I've sinned too much to pass your golden gates."

I laughed tearfully into his shoulder. "What's with all the metaphors?" I said, resting my head against him.

"It's the truth, yes?" he said, somewhat solemnly, but I could hear the smile in his voice. He chuckled hollowly, resting his chin on my head and for the first time since before I got pregnant, I felt relieved and truly, truly happy. "Am I forgiven, then?"

"Well..." I hesitated. Nine months of quiet, meagre lonliness didn't escape my mind, and nor did his bitter first words to us suddenly expecting. I wanted to forgive him, but that didn't gurantee something like this would happen again. What if he took me for granted again in the near future- got bored of us, walked out? What if one of Redd's false newspaper articles became a reality? I wanted to believe he'd changed, and was going to count his blessings twice from now on, but I didn't know.

Trust couldn't return, it had to be built up from it's very foundations again.

At my clear hesitating, Tom's face dropped as his arm slithered from around me. He looked as hopeless as when he was striking the match, and my heart stung.

_What, it's taken you half an hour, a flaming building and his sob story to make you love him again?_

I hated to admit I was weak willed.

"Tom, it's- it's not what you think," I gabbled. "It's just...you have to understand that I'm-" I pointed at my chest for emphasis. "-a mother now, and if something like was has happened happens again, I...I don't want m- our children to suffer." I threw my glance back into the stroller, where Fable and Clarable were mewling quietly after having ignored them for the past few minutes. I felt as if tears would choke me up again, and I swallowed them down painfully.

"I- I see," Tom stammered. I felt bad, but I couldn't bring myself to trust him again. Forgiving is a strong thing. I didn't want to waste it.

"I might do, though, in the future." I mumbled. I took a deep breath. "For now, let's concentrate on the first few months of these two growing up, and...then we'll see what happens."

Tom followed my furtive glance at the stroller and reached out to stroke Fable's cheek. She too nuzzled into the warmth of his paw, but now I didn't feel as envious as I did earlier. I wanted to take a picture almost, to snap these precious moment and capture it in a fragment of grainy pixels.

But even then, I'd remember this night forever.

"To think," he said softly, his eyes interlocking Clarable's ones, blurred with tears as she wept in discontent quietly. "I gave them up at first side, hm."

I was both glad and hesitant that he felt the instant parenting bond with our daughters, but it also made me doubtful. If our relationship were to splinter again, they would be the ones that had to suffer.

But for now, they were his daughters and I wouldn't snatch away his happiness, even if I truly wanted to.

My gaze travelled past Tom, now holding Fable, quietly stroking her fur, murmuring an almost silent shush- and my eyes fell onto the smouldering shop behind us.

"Oh, Tom! Your shop!" I cried, the severity of the damamge sinking in. I took a step forward as Tom caught hold of my arm with his free paw.

"Don't bother," he said quietly. "It'll be ash and cinders before morning comes. I'll tell you all that happened, yes? But for now can we not worry about that?"

I nodded my head slowly, still doubtful, as he smiled gently in response. He tipped my head up with his other paw and stole another kiss from my lips.

"You're still the same old pushover," Tom murmured. "But I wouldn't change you, never again."

**Phew...long arse, late chapter. Sorry. Been trying to type after school every evening last week, but...yeah.**

**So, this was certainly a unique experience. I'm kind off iffy on this chapter...not sure if Sable forgiving-him-somewhat-but-not-at-the-same-time happened too quickly, but in brief, Sable can't deny she still loves Tom- she never has done- even if it's just remnants of their previous romance. And it turns out he feels the same way. He didn't quite understand how much she meant to him untill she ran away. Untill she was gone. ^^ **

**OOOH! And it's my birthday on Monday! :D December 2nd, your beloved TS author will be turning 14~~ awww yeah. XD**

**So, question of the chapter, which has been your favourite chapter of TS (it's not finished yet, don't worry)? It can be the prologue or this one, or future ones, even if they don't currently exist...yeah, I better get onto that. XD**

**Next chapter is in Tom's POV. It won't be as personal as Sable's POV is, since she talks almost directly to you guys, but it's easier to do an analgy of his story in his own chapter. Look forward to it!**

**Oh, and if you plan on sending me a link to your DA page, make sure you put spaces between the letters and symbols you use, else FF won't publish it. So for example- : / / k**

**To see that TS is the 'most loved' (lawl) click on filters in the AC fanfiction archive near the top of the results, filter it by 'most reviews' and bam- 350+ reviews, TS is the most loved fanfiction of the AC archive. :D**

**I'll thank you all when I finish TS!**

**Keep sewing! (My new sign off- it rhymes with 'Keep going', and it's appropriate for TS, so...yeah. Keep sewing, tailors and seamstresses!)**

34. Chapter 33

_When Sable Able told me she was pregnant, my world spun out of control._

_Before I even had time to comprehend what situation we were in, I panicked, and lost control of my tongue. I found myself saying things I still detest to this day. I wasn't ready, didn't want to be ready, but then I couldn't imagine the way my words affected our future. I wanted to escape for a moment, just quietly mull over what she had told me, and the only way to get away was to literally push her away. _

_Only I pushed her too far._

_The next morning, I decided not to go into work. Over night I had thought about Sable, and the child she was now carrying, and I immediatly ached for her love again. I wanted Sable, and our child, and I had made up my mind ultimately that I was completely willing to make the sacrifice she talked about. This baby was unplanned, a total shock, and it would be no easy task raising it. But if taking care of our son or daughter meant that I could prove my devotion to Sable, I was willing to do anything._

_But it was too late._

_Her sister came to my door the next morning, teary eyed and frightened, holding a handwritten note of blotchy handwriting, telling me that Sable had run away. It happened so quickly. Sable had gone, I had missed my chance, and with it, I lost my first and only love._

_A small piece of me died._

_I struggled to comprehend the words 'she's run away', and in my bewilderment, I closed the door without uttering a word. Once inside, away from the outside world, the resentment hit me and I wanted to fall to the ground, scream and beat the floor with my fists. She was gone._

_I had driven her away, by my own acts, wrapped up in self centered thoughts._

_I went back to work the next day, even though I still felt stricken with grief but I didn't want to lose my business as well. Not now that everything else seemed lost. _

_I neglected to welcome any of my customers, I didn't thank them for their patronage, all I mumbled was what was written on price tags and handed out plastic bags in silence. I felt too dejected, too fragile. _

_Imagine how Sable would be feeling._

_Occasionally, one of my nephews came down from the upper floor, looking for new price tags or a pen and paper to write down a customer order. They were my sister's sons, and whenever I saw them, I wondered what it felt like to have a family. My sister was married, had her twins, and potentially future children were planned. I wondered, for the first time, as my mind struggled to understand, what holding your own newborn felt like._

_And I threw away my chance, my chance to hold my son or daughter, to quieten their first screams. Never would I get to watch them crawl for the first time, or lisp 'Mama' or 'Dada'. I would never experience the instant bond you have with your own children in their first few moments in the world._

_So when I saw Sable at Crazy Redd's, I wanted to make amends immediatly._

_I had originally gone there to find to rare furniture to freshen up our product range. With me so solemn and detached, Tommy and Timmy were the only ones who really sold anything these past few days, and they needed as much business as they could get. But when I saw Sable, I instantly knew this was a twist of fate. My second chance. An opportunity to set my wrongs right._

_I wanted to take her in my arms and cry out my aplogies. I would kiss her, wipe away our tears, tell I didn't understand before, but I knew how to feel now. Then I would kneel down and kiss her stomach, aplogise to our baby, and tell them how much I loved both them and Sable, and that I understood now what I was potentially throwing away. _

_But the damage had been done. I saw her shock, the detest that flashed through her eyes. I saw her fleeting glances, as she evaded me- she had clearly learned to move past our situation, and didn't want or need me anymore. She disappeared, the only woman I had and will ever love. _

_I reported Redd for having Sable in his premises, anger consuming me. I thought Redd might've taken her in to try and seduce her, or fooled her into becoming part of his black market schemes. I knew Sable was a pure hearted soul who never set a foot wrong, so if she ever got on the wrong side of the law it was Redd's fault. I never wanted her to be tainted by the cruel underbelly of the city. I knew what it was like._

_Months passed, and with it, both I and Nookingtons slowly detriorated. I couldn't bear to look at my nephews without thinking of my own unborn child, and Sable who was stuck with carrying it around. I sent my nephews home, despite, when it came to monetary reasons, it was a suicidal move._

_I spent most nights after work down at the beach, or on my yacht (which still hadn't been moved out of the harbour as of yet), remembering Sable, and the coming to be of our baby. Even when it was storming with rain or I was being buffeted by snow, I would go there, and silently pray to the sea that our secret would become ours once again._

_I thought about Sable, about her growing stomach that held our child tight. I wanted to feel them kick forcefully, their first sign of life, hear their heartbeat at ultrasounds, and be Sable's support when emotions rode high. I imagined her, thinking how beautiful she was, even with a stomach that must be swollen to the size of a beach ball. But it was proof, that our love, however delicate or fractured, still existed enough to form a life between us._

_A love that I tore apart._

_Buisness go no better. Townspeople were wary of my lacking personality, wary of my depressed state that seemed to taint everyone who came near me. Nookington's rent was rapidly increasing, whereas my funds to pay it were _de_creasing. Eventually, I was forced to downsize quite a considerable amount. That left me with the most recent store- simply entitled- 'Nook's'. I conserved as much money as possible in building it, selling the yacht- and the memories with it- and my old, big-as a mansion house. What was the point, I had thought, having an enormous house with no one to fill it?_

_Business contined to go down hill. It stooped from low, to even lower, and I was literally fighting to survive, resorting to doing errands for the towns folk for money. I was eating just fruit from the trees, shaking the trees in a vain hope Bells would appear. I had even tried the old rock trick more time than I could count, and my shovel sported a long crack down the middle as proof._

_June approached, and as the days got hotter, I realised it had been precisely nine months since Sable had left- that meant our baby would be born in this month._

_Every night was greeted with me standing out under the stars, paws clasped together, praying for Sable's good fortune. I didn't know much about pregnancy, and preferred not to think of child birth, but I knew that giving birth certainly wasn't painless, not in any way, shape or form. I prayed for both her's and the baby's health._

_I waited, and waited, for some sign our child had been born- a letter, a phone call...was it too much to hope for to get her actually coming home?_

_By the beginning of July, I gave up. It was meaningless. Pointless, meaningless hope, that was too farfetched and unrealistic. I had driven away one of the few people in this world who held me dear, by my own actions, my own choice. It was like a child being offered a toy and only accepting it later when it's been given to someone else. Perhaps that was a poor analogy, but it seemed somewhat appropriate. But I had done the wrong deeds, and now I was paying the price._

_I tried to remember that night. It was a little hazy, but did I force myself onto her? Did I persuade her? I couldn't remember, but it seemed likely. If I was capable of denying our baby, then I was perfectly capable of forcing Sable into something she was unsure over. I certainly loathed myself for it._

_Yes. That's right. Tom Nook began to hate himself._

_The so called buisness I now ran was frequented by none other than flies in these hot months, and it was more or less a standing shack, serving zero purpose. The villagers went to the city and other towns for their goods and items they needed. I was nothing more than a waste of space._

_So I decided to burn it down._

_It happened on the spur of the moment, I didn't need this 'Nook's' anymore. The only person I needed was Sable. Her, and our baby. That's all I needed._

_So when I threw the blazing match into the shop and heard that adorable, frightened squeak, and whipped around only to see the woman I cherished more than my own existance, gripping a stroller containing not only our baby, but both of them- I was relieved._

_Elated. Joyous._

_But I can't be forgiven for what I've done._

35. Chapter 34

"Here comes the choo-choo train!"

I smiled over at Mabel scooping a spoonful of baby food into Fable's open mouth, laughing as Fable burbled appreciatively. Mabel chuckled affectionately and wiped the side of her mouth, sticking her tongue out in a pantomime 'yuck' as she threw the tissue away with practiced aim.

I leaned over from where I was sat to get Fable's attention. "Do you like that, Fable?" I asked, still in baby-talk mode. "Is your breakfast yummy? Mm hm, yes it is!"

Fable flailed her arms up and down in response squealing happily, more pureed fruit running out of her mouth in her joy. I turned back to Clarable, who I held in my arms, sucking hard on the bottle I held tipped gently forwards, her face creased in concentration. She had wolfed down her allowance of mashed-up fruit, and now she was onto her bottle with equal vigour.

Five months had passed since I came home, and my twins had grown into two beautiful, bonny girls, with their own personalities becoming more and more apparent every day. Fable was the more fun loving, more gentle one of the two, wheras Clarable was a little bit more rough- though, she was learning to _not _pull the heads off of her soft toys- but all the more inquistive, and friendlier towards strangers. Whenever a customer walked in she would gurgle her approval, not satisfied until they had come over to give her an affectionate pat on the head or hold a small meaningless conversation that consisted of lit tle else other than squealing and giggling.

Watching them grow and develop, becoming a little more dependent with every new lesson learnt...it had been a joy and almost a medicine to my weary heart. It had healed it, and as time went on, we could only feel better and better about ourselves. I loved my daughters more than ever- despite missing the stage where I could cradle them both in my arms, where they relied on solely me, their mother, I didn't want to go back to that time. I wanted to plough forward, dive straight into their future, cherishing every step along the way.

Mabel scraped the last spoonful of fruit out from the little plastic bowl she held, before holding it out to Fable. The proffered food was slurped up quickly, met with the appreciative whine for more.

"No, no more, sorry." Mabel said, standing up from where she was seated in front of Fable's high chair.

"She's getting so greedy." I observed, as Clarable spat out the teat of her bottle with a somewhat triumphant shout. "And, so's this one."

We chuckled as I dropped the bottle into the sink to be washed up later, before buckling Clarable into her high chair- adajacent to her sister's- so I could eat as well.

"And _big," _Mabel added as an afterthought. "They've grown loads!"

"Now you know what I mean about them getting so much bigger!" I said. "I swear, they were this big when they were born." I meaured out a length a little less than a foot long between my paws as Mabel smirked.

She had adapted to having two babies in the house remarkably well, never once complaining about late night crying issuing from my room. We had now switched rooms, since hers was slightly bigger, and I needed all the space I could get to house my daughters- who now slept in seperate cribs- along with their ever growing collection of toys, blankets, diapers, you name it. At least, now that I was home, I had switched to cloth diapering again, a process I was more familiar with, and that was a little cheaper to run. But Mabel had been the Auntie I'd expected her to be, and above and beyond. She watched them while I sewed and ran the shop for a while, she'd help feed them at meal times (like this one) and lend a hand when it came to late night shushing and lulling back to sleep.

As for Tom...

I didn't really know how to put our current relationship into words. I had somewhat forgiven him, but not completely. The past still niggled at the back of my mind, and the memories of being sore and hurt, crumbling emotionally and being torn apart by the excess hormones racing through my body...it had been his fault for putting me in such a state, and no matter how sincere and loyal he seemed now, I couldn't bring myself to put the past behind me. I wished I could, but I just couldn't. However, his apologies did seem genuine, as did his feelings, but I was stubborn, and stuck. If he turned me away before, he was perfectly capable of doing it again. I had been patient and selfless for his sake in the past, but this was too much to forget. I still let him play some role in the twin's lives- they were _our _daughters, after all. But he lived in his house, as we lived in ours, and he came round generally every day to take them out for a walk, or just stay for an hour or so to play with them. I wished he made these little trips for me, but we were effectively single parents now, and I knew he only did it for Fable and Clarable. And to be honest, if I were in his position, so would I.

Nowadays, Tom lived in a small house over on the other side of town he had constructed himself; a modest-sized thing whose roof leaked in these cold, frosty months, and chilled drafts constantly reached through the cheaply built structure. But, Tom was quietly making his way along by selling whatever he could find- be it fossils, rare bugs or fish, gyroids, you name it- at a small market that he went to every Saturday near the city.

Despite life's quality had definitely improved since five months ago, it didn't make child rearing any easier. Once you had lost even five minutes of sleep one night, it took you a whole week to get those five minutes back- so having babies screaming in the middle of the night, two or three times, wasn't exactly helpful when it came to resting. I tried to take naps during the day, but I felt guilty leaving Mabel to run the shop by herself, so within ten minutes I'd be back at my sewing machine, mumbling I really didn't mind to be sewing all the time.

"Anyway," Mabel said brightly. "Do you know what it's going to be in the next few weeks?"

I paused for a moment, my head cocked in thought before a smile spread across my face. "The twins'll be exactly six months old," I replied knowingly, pulling Fable onto my lap as she chewed on the untangled ribbon of my apron.

"No...well, yes, I guess it will be, but I was thinking something else." Mabel leaned forward on her seat as I frowned, not catching her drift. She reached over and gently slapped me on the leg in exasperation, "Christmas, Sable! Christmas!"

"Ohh." I said, my gaze falling onto Fable. She looked up at me in response, and gave me a tiny, toothless little grin, her face crinkling up in recognition at me, which made my heart melt. I loved them so much- even when they woke me up, screaming at three o clock in the morning for no other reason than trapped gas, even when they spat up what little solids they got fed every day, even when I was at my wits end for umpteenth time...they were the core of my exsistence, two suns shining brightly as my world revolved around the both in a cricular orbit.

**((Annnd then my computer deleted the rest of the chapter. -_- Just lovely.))**

"Haven't you thought about it?" Mabel asked, bringing her mug of steaming hot tea up to her face. "I thought you might want to do something special, since it's the twin's first Christmas and all."

I shurgged helplessly. "To be honest, I completely forgot," I admitted. My gaze fell onto the window pane, where I could see torrents of white swirling around outside. There was a pause. "It's the first of December, right?"

"Second," Mabel corrected. She placed the mug down on the table with a resounding thud of ceramic meeting wooden tabletop. "Come on, let's get to work."

I begrudingly heaved myself up out of my chair, suddenly feeling moody and blue. Perhaps it was because I was feeling stupid after misjudging the date, a result from being wrapped up too much in my own- no, in my twin's lives.

The bell to the front of the shop resounded it's merry sound, and a cold draft blew in as Tom stepped into the shop.

"Oh," Mabel said at his entrance. "Hi, Tom."

"Good morning, Mabel. Sable." he dipped his head in acknowledgement towards me and I stiffly returned it. He made his way over and bent down a little so he was level with Fable, who I still held in my arms. "Hi, Fable! How's Mummy treating you?"

"Mummy's treating both her and her sister quite well, thank you very much," I replied, my voice in a teasingly prim voice as Mabel came in from the kitchen, holding Clarable on her hip. "You here to take them out for a bit?"

He nodded as I handed him Fable, who made a happy noise at seeing her father again. "If that's still fine with you, yes?"

"Of course," I said, before hesitating. There was more, more words resting on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't quite discern what I wanted to say. Instead, I just rolled out the words, "Just make sure they've got plenty of layers on."

"I know, I know," Tom said, before reaching over and giving me a quick peck on the cheek. I felt my face flame up at the contact- but no, he didn't mean it romantically...it was a hello gesture, nothing more. Admittedly, it seemed reserved for me, but I generally tried not to think too hard on it when he did.

We hurriedly enveloped my daughters in layer upon layer of jumpers and coats, with woollen mittens, woollen socks and booties, hats and scarves to protect their fragile little bodies from the bitter cold, and wedged them together in the stroller. They were just starting to outgrow lying in there together, and it worried me that I had to buy them a new stroller- a double one- as those certainly weren't cheap, and although we weren't pinching pennies like we had in the past, I was still wary with money. Tom was certainly in no means to pay very much for them- every now and then he bought a toy, or a tub of formula milk, but I could hardly ask him for more.

By the by, Tom bid us farewell, wheeling my daughters off with him for the next hour or two.

I sank down into the stool I perched on when I was sewing, folded my arms on the desk and rested my chin on them gloomily. I was always like this for the first half an hour or so when Fable and Clarable were away from me. I wanted them close all the time, in a strange mixed up fear that they too would leave me alone like Tom had done in the past. I could just tell I was going to be the mother who sobs as her babies graduate high school, and leave home, or get married. Goodness, I was so hopeless. I hadn't had episodes of being glum before I got pregnant. Maybe it was post partum blues.

"Hey, sis, you OK?" Mabel asked, walking around the mannequins placed in the centre of the shop. "You look pretty depressed."

"I know," I said, rolling my head around to look at her. "Just being a mother really takes it out of you, that's all."

The bell jingled again and Mabel leapt into action, chorousing her greeting she used everytime for every customer, and I started sewing up the sides of a rectangle of cloth in preperation for it to be used in future projects.

The customer bought a hat and some gloves, muttering about how horrible the weather was at the moment and she couldn't wait for spring to come, but eventually she ambled out, and silence dropped over us once again.

"What's up, Sable?" Mabel asked eventually. She came over to my work table and leaned on it, her face full of concern. The scene was so startingly alike the vision I had had of her when I was in labour, I had to think twice before I replied. It didn't stop my paw from placing itself on my stomach, remembering how huge it had gotten to be once upon a time.

Mabel, however, seemed to misinterpret this gesture, and her paw flew up to her mouth in shock as she took a step back in genuine horror. "You...you're not pregnant again are you?" she asked, and I almost did a double take.

"What?" I said. "No! No, no, no, no! I haven't done anything remotely romantic since I've been here again. There's no chance I could be pregnant again, absolutely no chance."

She released a slow stream of breath. "Well, that was alarming," she breathed. "Thank goodness though. I don't think I can handle you being pregnant and with two five month olds."

I sighed, before resting my elbows on the desk, cupping my chin in my paws. "You're kind of on the right track, though." I said, almost wistfully. "I just...I feel really...lonely. Which is stupid, because I've got you, and Fable and Clarable. But it makes me sad that things can't be the way they used to be."

"You mean with Tom." Mabel added gently.

"Yes..." I trailed off, before catching her watchful gaze. "I'm sorry, Mabel. It's just me being rambly and pathetic. Don't worry about it." I didn't want to force worries on her, not after the deckload I had when I ran away.

"No, Sable, it matters." she replied firmly, hitching herself up onto the desk, looking thoughtful. "You need to stop bottling up your emotions. That's why you ran away, remember?" Her voice stooped to a low undertone. "And I never, ever want to lose you again."

Her words struck me hard, and I took a deep breath, before exhaling slowly, folding my paws on my lap.

"Talk to me, Sable. Don't treat me like a kid again."

"Aww," I said, the remnants of a smile curving my lips upward as I reached out an patted her paw. "But you're my kid,"

"No, Sable, you've got two kids who need you, always, and you can't help them until you help yourself." she twisted around and fixed me with a meaningful stare. "Spill."

I sighed, my gaze dropping to my stomach again, and I subconciously rubbed it a little. "It's...it's a feeling hard to put into words." I began. "I guess the closest I can say is..re...regret. I regret the past. I just wish...that the love...the bond Tom and I had, for so long, that made us commit ourselves to each other...hadn't been severed so easily. I mean, I still love him." I let out a choked up laugh. "As ridiculous as it sounds. And he loves me. So why...why aren't we together again? Why can't it...why can't it be as simple as I hoped? W-why..." I was sobbing, crying loudly into my paws. "Why isn't it the same? I don't see how something that...that we both love...our twins...could've torn us apart. Nothing will be the same, not ever, and I...I want it to make sense. Why _aren't _we together? It's because," I looked up tearfully. "I can't let go of the past."

"Oh, Sable." Mabel whispered quietly, jumping off of the desk and scurrying round, wrapping her arms around me. "I so wish I can solve your problems for you. But this is a little bit bigger than I imagined." she sighed wistfully in my ear before speaking again. "I...I'm no one to take advice from, but it's not wrong that you feel that way. I can only imagine what you felt like when Tom...yeah."

I sobbed into her arm, ugly, heaving sobs that wracked my entire body. "W-what did I do, Mabel? What have I done to deserve this...this punishment?"

"You haven't done anything," she assured me. "It just happened, that's all."

We were quiet for a few minutes as my sobs quietened to soft, muffled hiccups before Mabel spoke again.

"You know," she began, stroking the top of my head fondly. "I don't think your problem is letting go of the past. I think you're struggling to embrace the future."

I regarded her strangely for a moment.

"You...seem so hooked up on the past, talking about how you wish things were, yet you'e always said we can't change things. So I think...you're struggling to accept and move on with the future." she stooped down so she was eye level with me, before gently flicking my nose.

"Ow!" I cried, my paw flying to the area of contact. "What was that for?"

"A tiny little punishment for being self centered and running away," Mabel chuckled. "Also, I think you should learn to accept your feelings and move forwards."

I blinked slowly, my paw still on my nose. She was acting mature way beyond her years! Why couldn't I have coped rationally and simply like an adult? Like _the adult _I was?

"You...have several points there," I said slowly, lowering my paw. "I mean...I should do everything you've told me, but it's just hard..."

"I gather that, Sable, and I know it doesn't make it any easier having two children between you either," Mabel straightened up before doing a pantomime _phew! _in a comical gesture, whipping her paw across her forehead. "There, that's all the sense I had in me. You're welcome."

I chuckled, shaking my head slowly. "You're so..." I decided not to finish, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

The bell chimed again, and I quickly ducked my head shyly as the next customer came in and Mabel burst into her rigamarole. I pretended to start winding a bobbin, giving the customer as least as possible a reason to talk to me, but inside I was contemplating what Mabel had just said to me.

_Yes...she was right._

About me learning to embrace the future. About everything. Tom clearly yearned for exactly what I did, and the only thing standing between us was my reluctance to move forward.

I deliberated this for a moment. If all went well and...I didn't dare believe it, but we ended up back together, would the feelings be genuine? I wasn't still hooked up on past feelings, was I? I doubted it...but it wasn't like we were going to jump right into marriage. We'd be partners again, open about our feelings, regarded as 'together'. Then we'd see what would happen. It would change our situation- which was pretty much two friends having children together- to a more respectable option.

I glanced up at the photo of our parents behind me. It wasn't my ideal situation, but it was much better than before. Now, not only was our love stronger than ever- the fact it had recovered after such a hard fall- we were also linked by our daughters, strengthing the bond between us as parents.

I think...I think it could work.

The apiphany was like clearing all clouds of doubt from my mind. I couldn't wait for us to make amends. All thanks to Mabel, too- to realize my feelings, to open up my heart once again and see where the future took us.

It was just as well it happened when it did...

Because...

When I took the twins back from Tom...

A note was tucked in the stroller...

_Meet me where you first told me. Help me relight a candle. _

_X X X._

**:DDD **

**Cute.**

**I don't really know what I want to put in the segement, except for...**

**ERMAGERD WE COULD MAKE IT TO 400 REVIEWS :D IT'S LIKE DREAMS HAVE BECOME REALITY**

**Keh heh heh...**

**Question of the chapter! One thing you hate about my writing style and one thing you like! (You have to put both!)**

**Keep sewing~~~**

36. Chapter 35

Snow crunched under my footfall, and I shivered, drawing the woollen shawl I wore across my shoulders around me more tightly. At least it wasn't snowing anymore- all that was left was this- a thick, white residue of winter.

I blew out slowly, my stream of breath forming clouds; before dissapitating in the air into nothing. Christmas lights were strung up on cedar trees, flashing merrily at me, lighting up the rapidly darkening area. The fact it was getting dark so early was depressing- I preferred the lighter, brisk evenings of summer to these icy dusks. But this thought was on hold, as I walked as quickly and as eagerly as I allowed myself to.

I was going to meet up with Tom. We were going to sort everything out. Life would return to normal, right?

_That's what you hope, _this nasty voice in my head decided to snarl at this moment. _But there's no gurantee, right?_

I took a deep breath, stopping short before I spoke, out loud, as clear as I dared. "He said he wanted to relight a candle," I announced grandly, feeling somewhat idiotic.

_And how do you know he won't get bored of you again?_

"I don't."

_How do you know if he actually truly loves you?"_

"I can't tell."

_What if he just wants to use you?_

I hesitated, quiet for a moment, my conscience's point alarmingly strong. I rested a paw on the firm, sturdy trunk of the nearest tree before I spoke, quietly. "T-that's not what Tom's like."

_So you say, but where's your proof? _I could almost see the voice's lips curl upwards into a smug satisfaction. _He used you only for his selfish desires once before. I've been a part of your life for the past year or so, and I've argued with you every step of the way. _

I licked my dry lips, my paw resting on the tree trunk balling into a fist. "So?"

_I'm saying I've always been right._

"Always a first time."

_My, you're argumentative tonight. _

"I've changed, that's why."

_Sable, you're always going on about how cold reality really is. Get a grip and live by what you preach. You need to accept that Tom's not ever going to be yours again. You don't love him, you wish you could, but you don't._

"You're wrong,"

_Sable..._

"Don't say it!"

_...he doesn't love you._

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, slamming my fist into the tree trunk, before crumpling into a heap on the frozen floor. I was going mad- who argued with a voice in their head? Who let something so strange take a handle on their lives?

But, strangely, for the first time in months- my mind was quiet.

I took a few moments to slowly register my thoughts, to regain my composure. The voice that had encouraged me- the voice that had tormented me- was gone, leaving my head oddly silent.

Swaying a little, I scrambled to my feet, somewhat breathless at this revelation. The night sky above me was glimmering with stars, pale and bright against the deep blue canvas of the sky.

"For Tom," I whispered, my head tipped back. "My love is...deep. Unexplainable. But vast. As vast as this expanse-" I threw my arms out, gesturing to the sky. "-bigger than life itself! It's complicated and we've been through a lot...a lot more than we should've."

But we'd perservered, our love was still strong, even after all this time. We still felt for each other, and despite the selfishness, despite the harsh feelings, true joy blossomed for the both of us in the form of our daughters. If we were to acknowledge our feelings lurking beneath doubtful exteriors maybe...just maybe...we'd become untouchable by misfortune.

I began walking again, with an upbeat step beneath each pace. I wasn't going to be deterred. I was going to do this, no matter how much my head argued. I was following my heart, and even though it had led me wrongly multiple times, I was going to take this risk...and maybe fate would bless me for the first time in months.

The ominous noise of the ocean reached my ears, and I could see the small peaks of the water reaching up as if in greeting. The moonlight fractured beautifully on the black water's surface, and I watched as the image slid together and then break once again to the movement of the water.

There he was.

In my mind, he would've been sihouletted against a full moon peeking over the horizon, gazing wistfully elsewhere, waiting for me. But no, the thin sliver of silver was already high above us, and Tom was pacing expectantly- more for warmth than in impatience. I stopped short about thirty metres away as he rubbed his paws together, the mist of his breath hanging in the air. His blue eyes- his eyes, that were Clarable's alone- reflected the stars as he tipped his head back for a brief moment, his brow furrowed.

I wondered if he was praying, silently. Though I didn't know to who.

My heart was thumping wildly. _He was the man I loved._

Summoning up all my courage, I strode forwards. "Um...hi, Tom." I announced. My throat felt chalky and my legs were trembling once again. _No. You need to express yourself. Don't clam up. Don't let him do all the talking._

He looked up at the sound of my voice and relief washed over his face. "I thought you weren't going to come, hm."

I shrugged helplessly, unsure of how to reply when he beckoned me over and sat down on the sand, patting the spot next to him. I made my way over to him and gingerly took a seat next to him, the coolness of the sand permeating my clothes. I hitched my legs up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them, shivering as an icy wind bit into me.

"So...hi." I said again. I internally slapped myself. _Say something! Something worth listening to!_ "It's cold, isn't it."

Wow, Sable. You're great at this.

Tom nodded absentmindly, scooping up a pawful of sand before letting it filter out of his grasp. "Yes, you're right." he replied. "The twins seem to like the snow though."

"I know. Mabel took them out to play in it the other day. Clarable just liked throwing it around, more than anything, though."

Tom chuckled at this before his gaze turned on me. His expression softened as his paw found mine and laid itself on top. My heart fluttered helplessly, like a tiny bird desperate to break free from its cage. I wanted to speak, but a lead weight had laid itself upon my tongue once again. "Fable," he muttered quietly. "Did you know she said 'mama' today?"

I blinked in surprise. "She did?"

"Mm hm." He nodded, before looking out across the water. "When we were coming back to yours. I said 'we're going home to mama now!' and she copied me and repeated 'mama."

Oh. I was unaware of this. And slightly disappointed that I missed that. It was technically her first word, even though it was more like two sounds put together. She'd been saying 'muh' and 'ah' for weeks, and it didn't take much to put them together twice. Even so...my heart ached at missing this.

Silence pervaded us both for what seemed too short a time.

"So...why did you want to meet me here, Tom?" I said eventually. At this his shoulders hunched. I heard him draw a long, slow breath before he spoke again.

"My mother...passed away a few days ago." he mumbled, his eyes fixated on something way over the horizon.

"O-oh." I stammered. I didn't see why I had to know about this, to be honest. "She...she was your last relative, wasn't she?" I seemed to recall comforting him several years back when his father died from leukiamia.

"Other than my sister and my nephews, yes." Tom nodded.

"I'm sorry,"

"You don't have to aplogise, Sable." Suddenly his warm paw slid over my cheek and cupped it gently, oh so gently. "She'd been ill for a long time. It's sad, but I can't change the past."

I wondered what he was getting at. I wanted to stay silent as he revealed his intentions, yet...yet...I had to say something. I couldn't remain silent as someone else swept me off my feet with loving words anymore, I had to show him I was serious.

"Tom," I began, placing my paw over his, still cupping my cheek. "L-listen. I came here tonight...I want us to understand what drove us apart, and what still binds us."

"That's easily answered, yes?" Tom chuckled humourlessly. "My selfishness drove us apart. My shallow behaviour. And what binds us is your devotion."

"I..." I faltered, not sure of how to continue, and he jumped in at this opportunity to speak.

"Sable, you don't have to love me. Just because we have our children doesn't mean you have to devote yourself to one man, hm? You can love again, I'll allow it. It's my punishment, to myself, to see you happy with another man." He sighed, as if he regretted allowing me such freedom, but seemed to hold firm against his emotions.

I studied his face carefully as his paw dropped from my cheek. His mouth way stretched into what I assumed to be an encouraging smile, but his eyes were empty. Full of remorse.

"Don't lie to yourself, Tom." I whispered. "At least not in front of me, anyway. You can deny it all you like but I think we both know. We obviously still in love with each other."

His smile began to droop. "How could I love anyone but you?" he replied. His eyes were watering, and began to blur with tears. "I...I can never deny those feelings. The resolutions will pile up, concealing my crying heart, and yet they're meaningless...and devoid of real intent."

"I...I wanted to know," my throat was sticking together, and I reached up and swiped the tears out of Tom's eyes. "If both our feelings were so pure...why we weren't together again. That's why I came here. I...I can't push away my feelings nor ignore them. I've always loved you, Tom. Even when my heart and soul was filled to the brim with hatred or unhappiness, a small part of me never stopped loving you. But, I think you already knew that."

He smiled, caught hold of my paw and kissed it gently.

"But if that's the case, Sable...why didn't you accept your feelings before?"

His words struck me hard, having a similar effect to slapping me in the face. I opened my mouth to speak, but my words dried up an seemed to lose all meaning. What kind of fool was I? How could I convey my true feelings for Tom through speech alone?

I had told Labelle words were powerful things, yet I couldn't conjure the words sufficent enought to truly tell Tom how I felt...why I couldn't move forward...how I felt about him. The words I lacked disappeared from my minds, and instead a sob rose out of my throat instead.

"Sable?" Tom said quietly. "Sable? I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry,"

"It's O-OK," I stammered, cupping my paws over my eyes so I could capture the tears I produced. "It's my own fault. I...I just...I was scared to think of what the consequences may be, if I embraced my feelings. I didn't want to repeat something that...that tore me apart. But...but I think our daughters will bind us together once again, and...and never, ever, sever that again.

I looked up with a weak smile, catching Tom's gaze. He looked stricken, but not in shock. Stricken with...joy? Forgiveness? Happiness?

"You sound as if you're desperately trying to tell me you need me." Tom said. His arm snaked around my shoulders, and I huddled up close to his warmth gratefully. "But...you're wrong. I'm the one who needs you. You saw me that night five months ago, giving up on everything and setting it alight. If...if you hadn't been there I think...I might've walked into the flames myself." he glanced down at my shocked face before tilting his head down on top of mine. "You told me not to lie to myself, yes?"

I nodded stiffly against his body. A dry silence followed, for only a brief moment, before I spoke again. "So...um...I'm sorry about your mother."

"Ah, that reminds me." Tom replied. His paw was circling in static, robotic movements on my back. "I...I inherited what my parents had. With me being the eldest, yes?"

I twisted around so I could look at him. "Does that mean you can start your buisness again?" I probably sounded more awed than I should've, and Tom smiled softly. I sounded zealous and child like.

"Well, I could. But...Wenton had painful memories." He sighed once again. "It's painful for me on this beach. It's the place where I hurt you, worser than anyone could. Every day, I'll see your shop, or see the foundations of where Nookingtons once was, or the remnants of that shop I burnt down...and...and I feel nauseated, and the memories that come back make me detest myself more and more."

I sat up abruptly, regarding him with bewilderment.

"Sable, I've decided that...I'm going to move away from this town."

This was almost too much to bear. A hot bubble inside me burst, and all the tears I had been holding back erupted from within. I went into full-scale meltdown. My heart severed once again, and everything before me shattered. I had come to accept my feelings- I had decided to embrace the future, and what was lying before me was going to be nought but happiness. But now I was just told I had to live without the man who I had learned to accept? The man who I cherished just as much as my own children? I wanted to hit something, slap him, scream and bawl at more of his selfishness, but all I could do was weep.

Tom pulled me closer to him, holding me tightly as my anger and frustration vented through my tears. I couldn't fight back. Fate had shot me down yet again, after my hopes amounting to nothing but misfortune. It was pointless to try for anything. All I could do was live with sorrow, with next to no luck.

"Tom," I cried as I sobbed, through the flurry of tears and angst my heart was exposing. "Oh Tom, please don't go. Please, please don't go. Don't leave me."

Tom's paw tilted my chin upwards all of a sudden so I was forced to look at him. My vision was blurry from the mass of tears, I couldn't breathe properly as snot clogged up my nostrils, yet...I could perceive him clearer than ever before.

"Who said I was going to leave you?"

I think that's what he said.

But then he kissed me.

It was the kiss of my life. Fireworks exploded within me, dazzling showers of colour raining down over us; as an enchanment he worked so well held me captive in his comfortable shadow. Magic flew from our lips, and his arms formed a protective fort around me, encircling me from harm. My own arms clasped him closer to me than ever before, so much so I was probably hurting him, but I didn't care. I never, ever, wanted to lose someone so dear to me again.

Something in my mind registerd this was our last kiss.

When he withdrew, I wailed in sorrow, never wanting to be parted with someone I wanted to hold close to me forever.

"Sable, please don't cry." Tom said, looking almost begging. "Just...look down. Please."

I blinked, registering his words, before following his gaze locked onto my chest.

I was wearing a locket, a golden locket that I definitely didn't own. It was about the size of a coin, and when I picked it up to look a little closer, it was about the same weight as one too. Etched onto it's front were the words...

_Would you do me the honour?_

I stopped breathing. I looked back up at Tom, who was wearing a somewhat apologetic look on his face, before he smiled encouragingly at me. "Open it." he uttered simply.

So I did.

Inside, there was a little engraving of two almost shapeless figures holding paws. Between them, there was a tiny circle of ruby in the shape of a heart, glistening blood red, even in the dim light. It reflected the stars on every one of its smooth faces, giving the impression the entire locket held the universe trapped inside this one tiny gem. On the other side of the locket, it said in neat, raised cursive:

_Married on:_

with a large empty space beneath it.

My eyes widened in recognition, and I dropped it so it bounced back onto my chest. My paws flew up to my mouth in shock, unable to comprehend what he was asking.

I couldn't breathe properly. I was gulping air in ugly, heaving gasps, just as Tom reached out and took my paw with both of his.

"Do you want me to actually ask the question?" he asked, peering at me curiously. But his cheeks were flushed in excitement, and I could feel the blood pounding through his wrists. "Or did you want an engagement ring instead?"

Despite everything, I spluttered with laughter, squeezing my eyes tight shut as if to trap any tears that dared escape.

"Sable...will you come with me, with Fable and Clarable...and marry me?"

Throwing my arms around him and assaulting him with the most passionate kiss I ever gave, I didn't think I needed to say much more.

Mabel screamed when I told her.

I was elated, on top of the world, and nothing seemed to dampen my mood. I scooped both Fable and Clarable up at the same time, one on either hip and I danced around and swayed with them in my joy and excitement.

The locket was beautiful. And I loved the fact Tom had chosen something that little bit different from a ring- a ring would probably have brought back memories of Redd's false engagement ring that blackened with a week. Just to test, I dabbed a little water on the locket to see what it would do- and nothing happened. Pure gold- fourteen carat, I was later told, with a real ruby embedded within. I adored it, and I was beyond happy. Beyond content. Everything seemed to have happened for this day.

It was really late when I finally decided to go to bed. I put on my pajamas, checked on Fable and Clarable one last time, and was about to climb into bed when the phone rang.

I glanced over my shoulder as it's ring echoed throughout the building from downstairs. It was nearly midnight. Who would be calling at this time?

Unless...something was wrong.

Had the worst happened? Had Tom changed his mind? Had something happened to him?

My heart began to pound and I fled down the stairs (it was so much easier to deal with stairs now that I wasn't pregnant) and snatched up the reciever with a breathless "Hello?"

"Sable? It's Nitch."

That happy warmth flooded through me once again and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi, Nitch. Good to speak to you again."

I had visited the city twice since moving back to Wenton, and Nitch had come down once before and met Mabel. That, and we conversed often via phone. So it wasn't too much of a surprise to have her call me, more of a relief than anything.

"Yes, you too." There was a note of urgency in her voice and I frowned.

"Nitch? Is everything OK?" I asked. "You're calling really late, even for you."

"Well, yes, everything's fine." her voice was quick and energetic. "I've got some really, really great news! You'll never guess what!"

"I've got some good news too," I replied, the smile visible in my voice as I fingered the locket on my chest. "But go on, you go first."

"Are you sure?" Her words were considerate, but she seemed to excited to be sincere. "OK, OK. Are you ready? Right...right...you'll never guess what!"

"What?"

"I'm getting married!" Nitch squealed down the phone. "Basque proposed to me!"

My jaw fell open and I laughed at the irony.

"Congratulations and all, Nitch, but is this coincidence or what?" I replied. "Tom proposed to me tonight as well. I'm getting married as well!"

There was a dim silence before Nitch laughed loudly.

"You're kidding!" she laughed. "Well, that's true best friend style, if I say so myself. Shall we do a double wedding or what?"

"Oh Nitch, do you really think you could stand having to share the limelight with someone else on your big day?" I giggled childishly.

"Hnn, your right." Nitch still had a bounciness in her voice. "Go on, how'd he do it? Basque took me out for the entire day- that's why I'm calling so late- we went outside of the city to this really nice beach town, and then when we were having ice cream before going home- ice cream in winter, I know right? Anyway, he had my ring put on top of the cone like an extra sweet. He was so cute!"

"The beach?" I repeated, smirking even more. "That's where Tom proposed as well. He gave me a locket instead of a ring. I'll show you next time we see each other."

"Wow, we're connected by the red string of fate." Nitch laughed. "Born under the same star, ay? That's brilliant though...and congratulations to you too!"

A resoloution.

Everything seemed to have resolved itself.

I had my children- I had my family, a home, and my now husband-to-be. My life had moulded to be...well, perfect. After all of the drama, the hurt, the hate, the struggles and the doubts- not to mention the intense pain and agony along the way...everything had started afresh.

I wore my locket every single day up until the wedding. And every single day after that. Our family was united- brought together by my two daughters, when you thought about it. They brought me friends, brought Labelle back to our family- they sent me home, and they united the person I loved and I together again. They had taught me so many lessons, I had taken so many morals from my...I suppose I should say 'our', really- twin girls, the world just seemed to be cradling me gently for once in my life. The days leading up to the wedding, although not always smooth, although stressful- we always stopped and counted our blessings twice, and the suffering reduced itself multiple times. Tom came to live with us until the wedding, and until we moved out of Wenton, which although awkward at first came to be yet another blessing. If I woke up in the night to a baby's cry, it was always, always rewarding to slip into the arms that I longed to be held in until the day I die afterwards.

My fractured heart...

...was healed.

**THIS IS TECHNICALLY THE LAST CHAPTER OF TS ;_;**

**There's the Epilogue yet, so don't worry...there's time. But it's pretty much nearly done! Ermagerd!**

**I'm not going to say too much in way of thanks because I thought I might make a YouTube video addressing you all after Christmas, because I thought that was just that bit more sincere. :) I'll thank you all for helping me reach 400+ reviews. That. Is. Just. Phenomanom. **

**That's a word. Trust me.**

**Seriously, I beat my rival fic (Lol) BY OVER 100 REVIEWS?! THAT IS MIND BLOWING!**

**So, this is my Christmas present to all the tailors and seamstresses out there. The finishing of TS. It took me nearly two years, but boy, am I proud.**

**So stick around for the epilogue...and sequel! I'll announce all this in my YouTube video- I'll give you a link in the epilogue. There's not muc left to say except...**

**THANK YOU I'M FLABBERGASTED, DISCOMBOBULATED, IMPRESSED, A LITTLE HEADSTRONG, AMAZED, THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, AND -FUL OF MOST POSITIVE ADJECTIVES!**

**Oh, and Keep Sewing, my beloved readers+reviewers!**

**Happy Christmas!**

37. Epilogue

The morning of my wedding came much too quickly.

One moment I was telling Nitch about our engagement, the next Labelle was shaking my shoulder telling me to wake up or did I want to walk down the aisle in my pajamas and bed head?

Labelle had almost taken it upon herself to plan the entire wedding, and she would've gone as far to choose everything from the venue to the colour of the bridesmaids' nails. I had stopped her at the first hurdle, but she still made faces every time I selected a dress or put two colours together. Actually, there were times when I was willing to send her back to the city, but I constantly reminded myself it was better her talking to us again rather than being ashamed of the family she spurned for their lack of 'fashion aesthetic sense'.

Both her and Mabel were appointed my bridesmaids- but because of our lack of, well, family, there was no one to give me away. And to be quite frank, Tom didn't have many, if any friends, so only his sister and nephews would be attending from his side. I, of course, invited the Downearths and Kaiden and Basque.

More out of concern for lack of guests, I even sent Redd an invitation- to show him I was ready to forgive and forget. But I received no reply, and secretly, I was thankful.

Even so, that only left eleven guests (not including our daughters), so Tom and I went a little bit wild and handed out invatations to all the villagers from Wenton, as a last farewell, almost.

The plan was, after the wedding, we'd have a small reception and farewell do before moving to our new town. Once there, we'd settle in and then have a more private party to celebrate the wedding.

When I would be Mrs Nook.

The thought filled me up with both anticipation and nervousness...but I was going to follow my heart, like I vowed to on the night Tom proposed.

March the 23rd was our scheduled wedding day, and I was so thankful to see the sky was clear and the sun high in the vast blue. Our wedding was going to be outside, near the base of the waterfall, since we didn't want to travel too far just to have my name changed and be joined in union. The mayor, Tortimer, was leading the service, and the mail clerk who worked in the Town Hall, Pelly, was going to handle our signing the wedding register.

"Sable, if you don't get up, I'll tell Nook to cancel the God damn wedding," Labelle warned, prodding me fiercly in my side so I recoiled. "Come _on_! I have to do your spines and your makeup and then get the twins ready, and then do Mabel's dress and stuff...in less than three hours!"

I poked my head out from the covers warily, one eye open. "So go and get Mabel and the twins ready. Let me sleep a little bit longer, 'kay..." I grumbled, sliding back under the duvet.

"Nope, bride first." Labelle instructed, ripping the covers back. "Besides, the twins haven't had their breakfast yet."

I sat upwards abruptly at that. "Really? Then I need to go fix something for them before anything else," I threw the covers back before trotting over to the cribs where eight month old Fable and Clarable were laying. "Go help Mabel get ready or something."

Clarable burbled appreciatively when I came over and scooped her up. She was getting so big, now the size of my arm from shoulder to wrist, and delightfully chubby, as was Fable. They were going to be little flower bearers, as they had just learnt to stagger slowly when someone was holding their paws. The also knew how to keep hold of things, so they would be clutching two little bouquets of cornflower blue flowers. The only risk was that Clarable would throw it, as she particularly seemed to enjoy tossing things around for a certain brown-masked raccoon to retrieve in a repetitive game of fetch. However, if such a thing happened, Labelle's strict regime today would fall to pieces and we secretly joked she'd most likely spontaneously combust in rage.

I took both twins downstairs, and they had a big slice of orange each and some cubes of cheese I diced up whilst they chewed and slurped happily in high chairs.

Needless to say, there was orange _everywhere._

They still had milk, but they had moved on from formula to dairy and they sucked and chewed noisily as I kept them company with a bowl of cereal.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, and there were undenialable butterflies in my stomach. I was more nervous about what we'd do after the wedding party rather than the running time. I wouldn't mind so much if I tripped or stammered my way through the vows or trod on Tom's foot during our first dance. I just didn't want these happy, blissful days of engagement to ebb away into ungrateful partnership.

The twins' dresses were hung up over the shelves here in the kitchen. I had made them, of course, crafted out of light blue satin, with a shin length swing skirt. The waist was cinched in with a thick, darker blue band, with a big bow at the back of the same colour. The square neckline was going to be adorned with candy necklaces so they had something to play with if things got boring during the service. That, and sweets always kept them quiet.

I had made a lot of things for the wedding, including the bridesmaids' dresses (the oposite of the flower girls: dark blue satin with a light blue band and bow, and shorter, petticoated skirts and short sleeves.) and I had even attempted to make my own dress...but crafting a wedding dress was harder than anticpated.

The first attempt was cream and edged with charcoal lace and ribbon (we had a colour scheme change about two months ago) and didn't look too bad, but then I showed Tom. According to Labelle, that was a taboo as far as weddings were concerned and forbid me to wear it. The entire dress was scrapped and sold as a blouse and skirt to a customer.

The second dress was simply too hard to craft- we had changed the colour scheme by then, and I made it from ivory and cornflower blue fabric. But I tried it on, and I was clearly not as small as I thought I was, and the entire thing barely fit over my waist.

That was when Labelle tugged me off to the city- her natural enviroment- and took me dress shopping there. Mabel had tagged along, and they both encouraged me to buy a long, fitted white dress with a lacy bodice and silken skirts.

"I can't wear white, though," I had pleaded desperately, clenching my paws into fists at my sides.

"Why not? It looks great," Mabel insisted, her eyes wide with admiration. Ever since we'd come in, she'd sat perched precauriously on the red velvet chaise longue serving as a seat. She was clenching a stem of a glittering glass of champagne, despite not being old enough to drink- but Labelle had insisted that it was all part of the wedding experience, and she was nearly seventeen anyway- so what did it matter?

"Yes, why not Sable?" Labelle replied, fluffing up the train and tugging the sleeves this way and that.

"I...I can't." I flushed, humiliated. "I'm not a...a...vi...a vir...you know what I mean," I hissed to her, and she smirked amusedly as Mabel cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Fine," Labelle pursed her lips. "If you're going to be old fashioned- next dress please!" she called out before bustling me back into the changing room where the assistant was waiting. She began unzipping and unlacing the bodice. I felt all the more self concious stripping down to my underwear every time we tried on a new dress infront of this complete stranger- after all, I don't think my body ever went back to normal after having the twins, and every stretch mark or extra roll of skin made me cringe everytime I caught sight of one.

Eventually, I found an exquisite champagne coloured wedding dress with a high collar and beautifully detailed embellishments scattered over the chest, in varying hues of blues and greens. The sleeves were cuffed at my wrists, but a wave of turquoise beads swirled around my arms until the sleeve met the bodice. The skirt didn't seem connected to the bodice by any visible seam at all- it flowed effortlessly into long, sweeping, sharp creases of soft, supple fabric twisting fashionably around my form. The blue beads from the chest and sleeves reached low into the skirt, petering out amongst the folds and creases of the fabric.

"Oh, wow!" Mabel had exclaimed when I stepped out of the changing room. "I really, really like this one."

"Me too," I replied breathlessly, catching my reflection in the mirror. The beads captured the bright studio-like lights in here beautifully and I couldn't help swaying from side to side just to watch the reflection shimmer.

Labelle made her way over to me, pinching the fabric this way and that, testing the density and durability. She tugged harshly on the back and I recoiled as her face clouded with doubt.

"Sable, it doesn't flatter your hips," she said, motioning for me to turn around. "And the skirt just makes your legs look short. And long sleeves don't ever look good on wedding dresses anyway. Next dr-"

"No, Labelle, I like it," I insisted, twisting this way and that. "Besides, it matches the colour scheme, doesn't it?"

"True, but look," Labelle smoothed out the fabric over my stomach. "It just widens you out, and since you're not as skinny as you used to be..."

"Labelle, stop it!" I cried out, flushing as she raised an eyebrow teasingly. "I'm not too bothered about looking great in every aspect," I took a deep breath and turned around to the assistant. "How much is it?"

"Oh, this one?" she replied. She quickly consulted the list on the clipboard she held clenched in both paws. Her breath sucked in almost immediatly. "You sure you can afford this?"

My heart sank.

"86,093 Bells." she announced grandly and I winced as if the price was physically painful.

"That's...that's alot." I mumbled, my gaze sweeping downwards, suddenly precautious at wearing something that was worth so much, as if my very breath would ruin it.

"Well," Labelle retracted her paws gently, clearly wary of its expense as well. "And I thought you were cheap, Sable."

I nodded glumly, not exactly deeply saddened by the fact the dress was way out of my price range. Just a little...disheartened.

A few more dresses later, I finally settled on an oyster-hued dress with a minature bustle and a draped skirt that fit most of Labelle's criteria (''Though it makes you hips look fat,'' she had said. ''it'll do.''). That, and it was only 23,987 Bells. There was no comparison.

I was just about to make an appointment for another fitting in order to get the dress at my right size when there was a tinny ring of music. I turned around to see Labelle digging around in her hand bag and retrieve her mobile.

"Don't mind me," she said, nodding her head to the papers I was signing. She flipped it open before answering. "Hello?"

I put the tip of my pen back to the paper to arrange the date when I heard her exclaim, "Tom!"

I whipped around as she spoke, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh- uh, I didn't expect you to call me. You want to speak to Sable? Uh, Sure." she held the phone out to me, and I snatched it from her paw almost too quickly.

"Tom!" I exclaimed.

"Hi Sable," he replied. "How's the dress shopping going? You've been gone for hours, and I think the twins want you back."

I chuckled softly as a muffled squeal resounded in the background.

"Oh- and I think Fable just heard you."

"OK, we'll be home soon." I said into the mouthpiece. "As for the dress, I found one,"

He was quiet for a moment.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" he asked after a while. "You sound disappointed."

"Well, nothing." I paused. "I just...I found another one, one I like better, but it's so expensive it's ridiculous."

"How much?"

"Over...80,000 Bells."

"And you really like it?"

"Yes, but it's OK, I found another one that'll do."

There was another long silence, only interuppted by muffled babbling in the background which I assumed was Clarable pining for Tom's attention.

"Buy the dress," he eventually said.

"What?" I blinked dumbly. "Which dress?"

"The most expensive one. Just buy it. Don't worry about the money, just buy it,"

I turned around, my jaw hanging open as I fixed my gaze on Labelle. She raised another perfectly arched eyebrow at my expression (Mabel, meanwhile, was touring the shop, discussing dresses with another sales clerk in hushed tones).

"What?" she asked.

"He says buy the first dress," I announced reverently.

And buy it I did, although I later realised this had eaten way into our wedding budget, which would be coming from Tom's inheritance- which was _also _paying for our moving to our new town...Inwreath.

It was a little less backwater than Wenton, similair in many ways, but a little bigger, with it's own shopping district which would be where our flat would be. There were two empty units that Tom and I had bought, one for his shop (which we would live above), and the other for the brand new Able Sisters. That, and it was the town where Tom's sister lived, so her sons Timmy and Tommy had already started their own store. There was no need for Tom to run another store, more or less exactly the same as theirs, so instead, he decided he would make his way in real estate, like he used to part time.

It was our fresh new start.

"Fable, Clarable, look how pretty Mummy is!" Mabel exclaimed as I made my way downstairs.

I smiled weakly at Mabel. I had been subjected to Labelle's wrath for the past half an hour, and my head was ringing from being pulled this way and that by her equally as vicious hair brush. A veil was fixed into place, and cornflowers were arrranged around it to compliment the jewelled choker I was wearing. My locket, however, was hanging around my neck, like always.

Ever since that day.

"Thanks, Mabel," I said gratefully, holding my arms out for a baby. "You look really nice yourself. That blue suits you."

Mabel gave me an ironic look as she deposited Clarable in my arms before running a paw through her spines.

"'Blue suits me'?" She quoted, smoothing out her equally as blue fur. I chuckled before turning my attention to Clarable.

"And who looks absolutely adorable herself, Clarable? Who looks adorable? Mm, yes, you!" I parroted in baby-talk as Clarable clapped her pudgy little paws together in delight. She kicked her little legs joyously, whilst Fable solemnly chewed on her necklace in silence, held tightly by Mabel.

"Where's Labelle?" Mabel asked when I had finished with Clarable.

I pulled a face. "She's lost the coordinating bracelets that you and the twins have to wear."

"Bracelets?" Mabel raised her eyebrows. "Should the twins really wear that? You don't want them to choke,"

"Nope," I shook my head. "That's why I threw them away. No, Clarable, don't touch that," I chided when her paws grabbed onto my locket and attempted to pull it right off. I eased the locket out of her fist, earning a despondant whine in response. I sighed as her face crumpled and patted her head. Today wasn't going to be easy, especially with two babies clamouring for attention.

I turned around to the bag we had packed last night, balancing Clarable on my hip, softly jogging her as she mumbled discontentedly. "Right then," I said, sifting through the bag's contents as I listed them out loud. "Diapers, wipes, bottles, baby food, sleepsuits, extra clothes, dummies, soft toys, extra toys...I think we've got everything, right?"

Mabel smirked at my thoroughness. "What about blankets and stuff?"

"I've got the nursing blankets and...oh shoot, their sleeping blankets are already packed." I twisted around, surveying the scene before me. Our former shop was overwhelmed with boxes upon boxes, and several rubbish bags full of old patterns and cracked plates that we didn't need anymore. "Which box d'you reckon they'll be in?"

Mabel shrugged just as Labelle's footsteps resounded on the stairs.

"OK, we've just enough time to-" she broke off when she reached the foot of the stairs when she saw me. "Sable, you're not allowed to hold babies at the moment!" she scolded, sweeping forwards and reaching out for Clarable. "You don't want drool or sick on your 80,000 Bell wedding dress, do you?"

I winced at her mention of the price, as if she was deliberately reminding me of how valuable it was.

"OK, OK, fine. Hold Clarable." I replied. I leant back on the counter as Labelle looked me up and down once again.

"I told you to watch your weight when we bought the dress Sable," she tutted, shaking her head. "Look! You're getting fat again!"

"Don't say that, Labelle." Mabel frowned. "It's Sable's wedding day, be nice to her."

"No, it's OK Mabel, I-"

"You're right," Labelle interuppted. She passed a paw over her face before patting Clarable's skirt in place fondly. "Sorry."

I chuckled softly. "You're more wound up than I am." I said, reaching over to give her an awkward side-hug with Clarable sandwiched between us.

"I want it to be perfect for you," I heard her mumble, before she snapped back into diva-Labelle mode and began ticking me off for not putting concealer over my freckles.

"How's the front, Sable?"

"It's fine, the ground's dry at the moment,"

"Watch out for that pitfall! Oh, Sable, you're going to walk into that tree!"

"Labelle, I'm fine! Don't worry!"

"I'm going to worry whether you like it or not! Why did you choose to have your wedding so far away?"

"We're nearly there," Mabel said, twisting around, her face creased in doubt. She was holding Fable still, as Labelle balanced Clarable on her hip whilst holding up the back of my skirt as I managed the front. So far, it had taken nearly twenty minutes to get across the bridge and down the slopes in town, when normally it would take less than half the time we were taking.

"OK, Labelle, you can let go now. It won't harm it getting a little dusty." I dropped my skirts at the front and clutched my bouquet that I had fashioned out of buttons. With my being a seamstress, it seemed appropriate, and I preferred the unique idea behind it rather than having flowers that would just wilt away within the next few days.

Labelle's lips pursed, but she dropped the hem all the same and I arranged it as best as I could in its twist-like form.

My heart was beating fairly fast now, an anxious rhythm that made my entire body shake. Today was the day I dreamed of since I was little. Today was the day when I proved to Tom how much I loved him- the day where I would pledge my devotion, and he would his, to both me and our children, for all of eternity.

"Ah, look! Here are the buttons!" Mabel exclaimed all of a sudden, pointing at the ground. Beforehand, we had scattered buttons to lead me to the place where we'd be married, so I could enter the makeshift aisle (a strip of blue cloth over the ground) from the best possible angle.

The path twisted and turned- until we finally caught sight of the party.

It was a blur of cream and various hues of blue, with put-up seats set out for our guests, and an archway bedecked in blue roses where Tortimer would stand behind Tom and I as he conducted the service.

Tom had initially been forced into a charcoal coloured suit by Labelle, with an ivory coloured waistcoat and a blue tie.

"No," he had said, catching my eye at the time. "I'll wear the suit Sable made for me."

Labelle scowled and opened her mouth to argue- no one dared to disagree with her, the wedding planner- but Tom was firm, since the suit meant something, and now, it would be he last chance to wear it.

I could see him from where we were standing- a plum-coloured figure standing amidst the blues and creams. He looked out of place in such a starkly contrasting colour, yet quite relaxed, as if he was used to such a ceremony.

Mabel's paw found mine and I gripped it tightly.

"Nervous?" she asked as Labelle gave Clarable and Fable their flowers, giving my paw a reassuring squeeze.

"A little," I replied. "But I'm not terrified."

"Right," Labelle turned on her heel. "Mabel, you know what you have to do, right?"

"Uh...I'll carry the twins halfway, and then help them walk the other half to the altar, right?"

"And then what?"

"Um..."

"Give them to Sable's friends for the time being, then come back down the aisle back to us, OK?" Labelle clicked her tongue, satisfied at the resolve. "It's not ideal, but it'll do. Honestly, Sable, you could've taught your kids to walk earlier."

"Ha ha." I said sarcastically, sticking my tongue out at her. "Well...better now than never, I guess?"

"Yep," Labelle nodded firmly, before handing Clarable to Mabel. Both her and Fable were held draped over Mabel's hips, still clutching their bouquets tightly. "And...go!"

The specified fanfare of music began, before toning down into quieter guitar playing as Mabel walked down the aisle with the twins, smiling her most dazzling smile. The twins looked somewhat confused as they were set down, and, with Mabel clutching their paws tightly, began to stagger down the aisle, painfully slowly, but cute nevertheless.

The next moment came too quickly, Mabel was back at our sides in a flash, and she and Labelle set off together, beaming all the while, and I took a deep breath and followed, about five foot behind them, my mouth turned upwards in a demure smile Labelle had made me practice for this specific purpose.

The guests all watched us proceed, some smiling brightly, others making hushed comments about how different I looked. Since most of them saw me hunched over a sewing machine all the time, they generally misjudged how tall I was, so I must've looked much taller and imposing in my four-inch high heels which- yes- were also Labelle's idea.

We reached the altar, and I caught Nitch's eye (she and her family were seated in the front row) before I took my place before Tom. She smiled encouragingly at me, as Kaiden waved his little one-year old wave at me from her lap. Fele had Clarable on her lap, and Ripple had Fable, but she was crying quietly into the back of her paw. Rerro acknowledged me with a slight nod of the head, and Basque- now Nitch's fiance- was holding up a camera, videoing my entire performance.

Thankfully, I got to the altar without incident, and stood by Tom's side. We didn't have to look at each other- yet he reached out for my paw, and I grasped it tightly in return, concealed between the creases of my skirt.

Tortimer stood from his own chair beneath the altar, supporting himself with his walking cane, and wheezed, "Villagers, family, and friends. You are all here today to witness the union of two people- two people who have lent their skills and provided their services to this town for a long, long time. Love is but a bond- yet words do not do it justice..."

His speech went on for a while, and I had to admit, I was a little distracted. I was mainly concentrating on trying not to slip right off one of my heels. Thankfully I had Tom's paw to hold and keep my balance on.

"Do you accept the terms of such a contract in the form of marriage?" Tortimer croaked.

Tom threw a glance at me, and instantly his gaze softened. "I do," he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, but quiet enough to make the syllables rumble in his throat.

"And do you, Sable Able, accept such terms?"

"I do," I mumbled, completely lost in Tom's gaze. What was he trying to tell me?

"Then let your vows be shared." Tortimer took a step back and eased himself back into his chair so Tom could go first.

"Sable," he began, turning to face me, as I did him. "Despite what we've been through- the rough patches, the happiness, and now the birth of our wonderful children, you've always stayed strong and forgiving. I count my blessings every day now that you're back by my side, and I will never, ever do anything to hurt you, however unintentional. I'll be your shoulder to cry on, your best friend, your lover, and now, your husband. And so I hope you will wear this locket...until death do us part."

The tears were already welling up in my eyes at his meaningful, deep words, that I wanted to hug him and kiss him right there, but it was my turn to recite my own vows, and Labelle would kill me if I stammered or the people at the back couldn't hear me.

The only thing I feared was my vows couldn't live up to his.

"Tom," I stammered. I felt my face flush and I ducked my head shyly. "I...I've never stopped loving you. Never. And I doubt that I ever could. Even if you were to commit the worst crime against me, regardless of the hate, I think...a small piece of me...no matter how small...will always love you. My heart is forever tied to yours, and for now all I can do is be thankful that I found the courage to come back home once and for all. Because you, and our family, are my entire life, and if I were ever to lose that..." A sob choked my throat and Tortimer went to stand up to continue the service, but I waved him down. I had to finish. "Life wouldn't be worth living, would it? I'm honoured to become your wife, and though friends may come and go, though our lives may change...I hope we'll stay the same forever. U...un...until d-death...do us part."

Tom reached behind my neck and unclasped the locket from there, as a jeweller came forward to collect it. He would etch in our wedding day into the gold, and then it'd become my equivalent of a wedding ring as well as a symbol of our engagement. Tom had a normal ring- he said he didn't want anything else- but he also had our wedding day engraved within it to match my locket.

A few minutes passed, and Tom fixed my locket back around my neck, now containing our anniversary date beneath the ''married on:'' , and I slipped his ring over his claw.

"Well," Tortimer said, with a chuckle. "I declare you animal and wife and...you may now kiss your groom!"

A stricken silence fell over the wedding party as we all stared at the mayor. Pelly, who looked agonized rushed over and muttered to him, "Bride, Mr Mayor! It's bride!"

"Oh? Well excuse me, everyone. You may now bride your groom!"

A chuckle rippled throughout the guests and I was struggling to maintain a straight face myself at the hilarity of the situation.

Labelle, meanwhile, was looking daggers at the mayor. He had done the worst thing possible...mess up her strictly planned schedule!

If looks could kill, I think Tortimer would be fine red mist.

Pelly was still muttering to the mayor, but all of a sudden, Nitch marched right up to the plinth where we were stood and faced the audience, throwing her arms out in celebration.

"OK, if the old timer isn't up to it, I'll do it!" she exclaimed, before spinning around to face Tom and I. "Sable," she began. "You can now snog his face off!"

Everyone laughed at this as she flounced back to her seat, grinning widely. I heard Tom chuckle and turned my head back to face him. He caught my gaze immediatly.

"Well?" he said. "You've been told to do something, Sable, yes?"

I blushed fiercly, and leaned forward, and went to peck him on the lips. But before I could pull away he pulled me close to him in a tight embrace, and the only thing I was vaguely aware of was the echoing laughter from outside of the darkness of my eyelids.

"Tom!" I called, lying flat on my stomach over the bed as I fiddled with the alarm clock. "What time are we getting up in the morning?"

The following morning would be when we were going to move out of Wenton and into Inwreath- and we needed an early start. Mabel was coming with us, and Labelle had thought abut it, but her heart still belonged to the city, so the city was where she'd stay.

"The morning?" his voice echoed from the bathroom. "Hm...well we want to get there before noon, so...about five-ish, yes?"

I twisted the knobs into place before setting it on the bedside table carefully as Tom emerged from the bathroom.

"Why, what's wrong?" He asked. "Is Mrs Nook unhappy that she'll have to deal with tired, cranky children?"

I sighed and rolled over onto my back, propping myself up with my elbows. "Don't you know it." I chuckled softly as he sat on the other side of the bed from me. "Mrs Nook! I'll never get used to being called that."

"Well, calling you Sable Nook sounds strange too," Tom said, patting my leg softly. "But we'll get used to it, I promise."

"Oh, speaking of which, I got some wedding photos back already." I said, wriggling up from my position to get them from my overnight bag at the side of the bed. I plucked them deftly from the side pocket, and fanned them out in my paws to show him.

"The photographer's good," he observed.

"You think so? Labelle was really ticked that the lighting emphasised my freckles in this one. She'll be a nightmare when it's her own wedding."

"Hm, really?" Tom put his head on my shoulder to get a proper look. "But your freckles are adorable."

Before I could even blush his lips found mine and kissed me softly, ever so softly. Then he suddenly tackled me to the bed, and the photos went flying up into the air from my grasp as he nibbled on my lower lip, begging entrance to my mouth. I obediently opened it, and, for a while, we French-kissed passionately. But then Tom started to unbutton my pajama top and I gasped for air and pushed him away instinctively.

"OK, OK, Tom, stop," I ordered, gasping for breath. I looked into his deep blue eyes seriously. His irises were swimming wth disappointment and longing. "Remember what happened last time we did this! I don't want anything like that ever to happen again."

"Sable," Tom sighed, almost despairingly. He let himself fall from where he was suspending himself above me, crushing right into my chest.

"Oof!" I cried at the impact.

"Sable, you're so daft," he commented, nipping at my nose affectionately with his forefinger and thumb. "We married now. I just devoted myself to you, through and through. Do you really think I'd make that mistake again, especially now?"

"Well...no, but..." I hesitated, staring up at the blank white ceiling. Fable and Clarable were sleeping in Mabel's room tonight, along with Labelle on a put-up bed, who had drunk far too much champagne in the wedding reception to let her go home to the city at night. She would leave after us, sometime in the morning, and then the former Able Sisters building would be left, just standing, waiting for a new owner.

"Sable..." Tom whispered again. I turned to look at him. "If you really don't want to, I won't force you. It's your choice. But I want you to know that I'll never, ever, in my life run away from our family again."

I closed my eyes and thought about it for a few minutes.

_It IS your wedding night,_ I could almost here Labelle say.

Yet I didn't feel pressured. I...wanted him...almost as much as he wanted me.

Maybe more.

"OK," I said quietly, barely a whisper. "But you better not be all talk."

He kissed me again, more fierce this time, and, as masochistic as it sounds, I enjoyed every second of being in his arms.

And the undying, forever symbol of our love, was born.

**That. Is. The. End.**

**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm so sad it's ended :'( Well, not really sad...but it's nearly two years old and I'VE DONE! WAAAAA!**

**I'm fangirling so hard. :3**

**This was much longer than an epilogue should be...but I thought I'd treat you guys to something extra-long instead of as short as the prologue :P**

**That thing's barely 100 words.**

**OH! So I thank you all in this YouTube video here- **** watch?v=j_ri_amw7ag&list=UUl1ib_Dqf4yTA2kbDYU7xLQ&feature=c4-overview**

**Please check it out! I thank some specific people, so you might be mentioned! ;D**

**But seriously, I'm so thankful for us making it to no #1 AC fanfiction of all time it's just...mind blowing. You're all so incredible. I think TS will stay there at the top for quite a while to come.**

**...unless the sequel exceeds it! **

**Yes, SS (Sharp Scissors) will be posted on the 10th of March 2014! The reason I'm giving it a release date is so I can write a few chapters and then post, like, one a week in order to get the story kick-started. So make sure you check FF on March the 10th! And I'd really like it if you'd check that out when it's up, because I know sequels generally don't get as much love as the main story...so...**

**YOU GOTTA PROMISE ME YOU'LL READ IT!**

**OK, time for some TS trivia.**

**1. I started this on a whim at the same time as my other most popular fanfiction, Becoming The Zodiac, which I haven't updated in like a year :P TS has exceeded it in reviews by over 300.**

**2. Sable was originally going to have twins, one a boy, one a girl, called Fable and Gable, but I didn't like the name Gable, so Clarable instead took his place. :P**

**3. I actually think TS has a really weak plot, because like I said...I started it on a whim. So the fact I got so many reviews changed such a thrown-together story to a structured one was like...really contrasting.**

**4. Sable was going to always go live with Redd, but I didn't anticipate how small a role he'd have. He does very little in the story except when he proposes to her and all, but I found his character hard to convey, so I preferred not to focus on him.**

**5. I've mentioned this before, but Nitch and her family were originally swans with colour-tinted feathers, but then I realised that if they were swans Nitch would have an egg instead of a baby. :P Then I changed them to foxes, thinking about fluffy-faced orange and black and white foxes, and then realised Redd was a fox...or more accurate, a kitsune. But I couldn't use foxes, so they were badgers...because there aren't any badgers in the game! At all!**

**6. Yes, the sequel will be set in New Leaf, but I only planned this after I got the game. It has so many elements ideal to fit into SS's plot that I just HAVE TO use it.**

**7. Sable was going to write to Mabel and they would set up a location between Wenton and the city which they could use as a mail box, almost, for themselves, and Sable would make clothes to give to Mabel to sell, but I just never got around to fitting that into the story. **

**8. I actually never intended for Tom to reject Sable so she ran away. I wrote the first ten chapters totally going off whatever came into my head, so...woah. Imagine the story if Tom had never rejected her! It'd be half its length!**

**9. Ever since writing this I've had a special fondness for the Able Sisters (since I treat them (especially Sable) so badly). But I talked to Sable non stop for three days in ACNL and she still didn't want to be friends...it took nearly two weeks for her to start being more friendly. SHE KNOWS!**

**10. And this is pretty obvious, but I made the midwife Susan a stork 'cus...well, they deliver babies. .-. Witty, eh? If there's a popular enough demand, I might bring her back in the sequel...**

**11. And when Sable met up with Tom, Mabel was supposed to tell her about how Nookingtons closed and Tom rarely came out of his house. Sable would then go to his house and they would talk about stuff...and THEN Tom would give her his own notebook, a journal conveying his thoughts and feelings to how despicable he was. I scrapped this idea, I think the narrative works so much better.**

**12. I've never written anything quite so deep or quite so moving in my life.**

**But that's it for TS! My first ever complete multi-chapter fanfic!** strongI hoped you enjoyed the ride as much as I, and I hope you'll remember this story with fondness. strong

**It's been so much fun.**

**And I'll never, ever forget you, my first 'fans', who gave me this wonderful experience, who encouraged me, and took me all the way to no.1.**

**I'm thankful beyond words.**

**Lots of my deepest, most heartful love**

**-Bekkii xoxo**

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