Author's note: I accidently screwed up and replaced chapter 1 with chapter 2 instead of posting chapter 2 as a new chapter, so this was showing as chapter 1 for a couple hours. If you've seen this one before, please go back and read the actual chapter 1. Sorry!

As she followed Dr. Watanabe into her office, Tohru was twisting her hands nervously in her skirt in a futile attempt to make them stop shaking. Even though the doctor had said she had nothing to apologize for, Tohru couldn't help but feel terrified at the prospect of this interview; while she didn't report to the doctors, they obviously held a good deal of power in the clinic and she hated the thought that she'd been complaining in front of one of them. Was she about to get a reprimand for her unprofessional behavior? A warning? Maybe Dr. Watanabe was going to scold her for coming to work when she wasn't at her best. Or maybe she also though Tohru was sick, and wanted to scold her for being dangerously irresponsible with the health of the patients?

So many possibilities flashed through Tohru's mind that it made her dizzy, and none of them were good. It was practically a relief when Dr. Watanabe gestured for Tohru to take a chair in her office; at least this way, Tohru shouldn't have to worry about falling over!

Dr. Watanabe was watching Tohru as she sat down, and kept watching her as the doctor herself sat down at her desk. Her expression was thoughtful, and it made Tohru squirm uncomfortably. Even though Tohru was a grown woman and had been working full-time for over four years, she'd never outgrown her fear of being 'on the spot.' Some things hadn't really changed since high school!

After a moment, though, the doctor finally put her out of her agonized misery.

"I want to apologize again for listening to you in the break room, Sohma, and perhaps I'm overstepping, now. But I heard what you were saying, and I've seen you this week, and I feel that I really need to ask you; is it possible that you might be pregnant?"

Whatever Tohru had been expecting the doctor to say, it wasn't that. Her eyes flared, and she was suddenly stammering out a somewhat incoherent response. "No! I mean, yes, it's always possible, because these things are always a possibility, of course, but I don't think so because I'm just tired and not anything else and tired doesn't mean anything and so it wouldn't make sense and we just..." she didn't even know what to say, or what to think. It didn't make sense. She couldn't be. It was too soon, wasn't it?

Dr. Watanabe had to smile at the response. She wasn't exactly surprised; Sohma was a sweet girl, but very excitable. And no doubt the idea was a surprise to her; based on the look on her face, the doctor doubted it had even once crossed her mind.

"I ask because it's been a little over a month since I removed your implant, Sohma, so that in conjunction with everything else you've been describing makes me wonder. Extreme fatigue can be one of the early symptoms of pregnancy, you know, even with nothing else."

Tohru did not know, actually. She and Kyo had talked a great deal about this; they had been talking for two years, ever since they got married, about their rough timeline for kids. When they wanted them. When they wanted to start trying. They'd done some research, and both of them knew it could take a while before anything happened. Tohru had been on the birth control implant since shortly after they moved in together, and having it removed had been their first big step towards growing their family. But that was just last month! Barely five weeks! There was no way something had happened already... was there?

Dr. Watanabe could see that Tohru was still processing the idea, and she smiled apologetically. "Again, I'm sorry to overstep, Sohma. But it just seems to me that the possibility is there, and it would be worth checking out. It could be nothing, but I'd strongly recommend taking a pregnancy test."

Tohru still didn't know what to think, or what to say. She was glad she wasn't in trouble, but this was almost too much to think about anyway. Pregnant. Pregnant? She might be pregnant?

Rising to her feet, Dr. Watanabe walked over to open the door to the office for Tohru. "It's just a thought, Sohma. But please consider it. And if you do have any questions, you can certainly ask; we're rather knowledgeable about such things here." Her eyes twinkled, and Tohru suddenly felt able to smile in return. She hadn't been expecting this, any of this, but it was nice to know that she had someone looking out for her.

"Thank you, Dr. Watanabe. I'll...think about this. All of this. Thank you very much." Giving the doctor a little bow, Tohru turned and hurried out of the room.

'Is it possible you might be pregnant?'

'possible you might be pregnant?'

'pregnant?'

The doctor's words kept echoing in Tohru's head as she looked at the drugstore shelves. As soon as she'd left her meeting with Dr. Watanabe, she'd thought about going back to the breakroom and collapsing again. But instead, she'd hurried right out of the clinic and down to the drugstore at the end of the block. Now she was standing in the 'family planning' aisle, staring uncertainly at the rows of colorful pregnancy tests.

She might be pregnant.

It was still almost too much for Tohru to think about, because it had always seemed like such a faraway possibility. A future dream, not something that would be happening 'now,' whenever 'now' was. She and Kyo had been so happy together, just the two of them, but both of them were excited about the prospect of children. Deciding they were finally ready to start trying, to actually roll the dice and see what happened, had been terrifying and exhilarating. But neither of them had expected anything to happen so soon.

Tohru knew she was getting ahead of herself. She'd been tired for five days, and that was it. It could still be nothing. It could be trip fatigue. She might actually be sick like Kyo had thought.

Or she could be pregnant.

With a slightly trembling hand, she reached up and took a box off the shelf, then read the instructions. Put it back, read another. Over and over again. So many choices, how to decide which one to pick? Her head was still spinning, on top of the fatigue fog, and it made the idea of choosing hard.

It was probably best to be prepared, right? Even if this was nothing, now that they weren't using protection it would probably be good to have some tests on hand for later on down the road. So she'd just get a few different types, just to be prepared.

Walking back to the clinic with her purchases in a discrete bag, Tohru felt the strangest combination of emotions. Adrenaline and excitement and nerves were helping lift her out of the fatigue fog for the time being, but she still didn't really feel 'normal.' And she doubted she would, not until she'd had a chance to see a test.

But that would be for later. Lunch time was over, and it was time to get back to work. Somehow.

Every day at 4:30, the clinic locked its doors. No appointments ever started later than four, so during the last half hour Tohru and Ami would finish up filing, tidy the reception area, and get everything ordered for the next day. Today Tohru was on pick-up duty, and she was incredibly grateful; it was a lot easier to shift chairs and pick up magazines than to remember how to alphabetize in her current state.

At 4:20, the bell on the clinic door dinged, and Tohru turned towards the sound. "I'm sorry, there are no-" She broke off, staring in surprise at her husband as he stood smiling at her in the waiting area. "Kyo, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work!"

Kyo was amused at her reaction, and also a little nervous. He wasn't sure if she'd be happy to see him or not; given the way that morning had gone down, he was worried she'd think he was overstepping again. But after watching how clumsy she'd been navigating the bus that morning, he just didn't feel right letting her try to get home on her own.

"I'm here to take you home, you goof. Or did you think I was gonna let you try it yourself when you could barely climb the bus steps this morning?"

Tohru looked at him reproachfully. "You're supposed to be at work, Kyo," she repeated.

He walked up to her and took her hands. "It's fine, Tohru. I already cleared it with Sensei, and Yamada is handling the rest of my classes today. The late class, too." Thursday was normally his second late night. "So I'm going to make sure you get home safely, make dinner, and get some stuff knocked out at home tonight. And you're going to rest." He glanced at the clock, then looked at Tohru. "I'll just sit down and wait until you're done, you won't even notice me."

As Kyo flopped down into one of the waiting room chairs, Tohru felt herself trembling all over again. He was so sweet; so incredibly sweet, worrying about her, wanting to take care of her. He was always sweet, even when he was grouchy. Even when she didn't deserve it.

He was going to be such a good father.

Tohru's eyes flared briefly as she thought about the bag from the drugstore. She was still in such a whirl, she didn't know what to think about all of that. Not exactly. But she'd decided not to mention anything to Kyo, not until she'd actually taken a test. That way she didn't have to worry about him being alarmed, or excited, or hopeful, or let down...or anything. If it was negative, then that would be that. And if it was positive...

Tohru's hand twitched, and she almost dropped the magazines she was holding. If it was positive, what would he think? What would he say? How would he act? Would he be excited? Happy? Scared? She shot a glance over at where Kyo was sitting, one leg crossed over the other, his face propped up in his hand while the other scrolled through his phone. What was he thinking? Did he suspect? Is that why he'd been so worried about her, really?

"Sohma, are you just about-" Ami walked out into the waiting room and blinked when she saw Kyo, then smiled. "Hello! Are you waiting for Mrs. Suzuki? The doctor is with her now, so it hopefully won't be too much longer."

Kyo had lifted his own head at the "Sohma;" even though it had been over two years since they'd gotten married, it was still sometimes hard to remember people meant Tohru and not him. So he quickly realized the other young woman was talking to him, and he shook his head. "Nah, but thanks. I'm actually waiting for her," he said as he gestured at Tohru."

Tohru gave Ami a smile. "Sakoto, this is my husband, Kyo. He decided to pick me up from work today as a surprise."

Sakoto's eyes got round and she sized Kyo up. She probably should have guessed from the hair; Tohru had a small picture of the two of them at her side of the reception desk, and while Ami tried not to pry it was hard not to notice a guy with orange hair. But the real thing was a lot more handsome than the little picture suggested, and as he stood up and bowed she realized he was a lot more built, too. Good job, Sohma!

"Oh, that makes sense! Nice to meet you, Mr. Sohma! I'm Ami Sakoto, and I'm a receptionist here like your wife. She's a great coworker," Ami was a little flustered; how had she not realized how attractive Sohma's husband was? Not that it mattered, he was married, but damn!

Tohru was used to that sort of reaction around Kyo, especially from young, single women like Ami. Kyo was usually oblivious, but Tohru could always tell immediately when someone was looking him over and it always made her smile. In the earliest couple years of their relationship she had been self-conscious; was she herself really deserving of being with a person like Kyo, so handsome in addition to every other amazing quality he possessed? She had never felt exceptional, not like the Sohmas. Not like Kyo.

But every time, he'd choose her again. In so many small ways he'd show her he loved her, remind her that to him, she was always the most beautiful. That she was the one he wanted.

Ways like showing up to bring her home when she wasn't feeling well.

These days, seeing other women make eyes at her husband only made her proud; he'd picked her; he was hers, just like she was his. And because she was his, he wanted to take care of her.

Suddenly Tohru felt a lot better about everything. It had been selfish, pushing back so hard when Kyo had only been trying to look out for her. Just because her coworkers had been too polite to say anything until today didn't mean they couldn't tell she was struggling, and wasn't making things harder on them, too. And while she might not agree with Kyo skipping out on work on her account, she couldn't deny she was grateful. The idea of getting to the bus stop, getting on and off the bus, and the ride itself felt particularly daunting today, but with him to support her she'd be fine.

Just like she'd always be fine, with him looking out for her.

Kyo had smiled at Ami as he straightened up from his bow; he always liked to hear people compliment Tohru, and he had heard Tohru mention Sakoto enough that he knew they were friendly. "Nice to meet you, too, Ms. Sakoto. And thanks, I'm glad to hear it. Sorry to barge in when you guys are working like this."

"Oh no, it's no trouble. You just make yourself comfortable, and Sohma- Mrs. Sohma," Ami quickly corrected herself, "and I will just finish getting everything done. It shouldn't be that much longer." Then she ducked back into the reception area, shaking her head in amazement. Where had Sohma found him, and were there anymore?

Kyo and Tohru exchanged a smile as Kyo sat back down and Tohru went back to work. She didn't have much left to do, but she felt that she was moving especially clumsily whenever she noticed Kyo's eyes on her. Probably worrying about her. Wondering about her.

It was a relief when she was able to head back into the reception desk area herself, conveniently out of Kyo's line of sight. She needed to figure out what to do about her bag of pregnancy tests; they definitely wouldn't fit in her handbag! It was a pity she'd never jumped on the train of large bags, she thought sadly as she looked at her small purse.

"Hey, Sohma?" Tohru jumped again, and turned to look at Ami. Realizing she'd surprised Tohru, Ami smiled apologetically, then closed the filing cabinet she'd been standing at. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. But why don't you just clock out and go? We've got everything done except for closing out Mrs. Suzuki, and I can manage that just fine by myself. You might as well let that guy of yours take you home, since he's here and all."

Tohru couldn't deny that that sounded nice. She was still dog tired, and it was technically closing time. But she felt bad, abandoning Ami in the lurch. "Are you sure you don't mind, Sakoto? I don't like the idea of leaving you alone for who knows how long." While the clinic was officially 'closed' now, they normally stayed until the last patient was done and every follow up was handled. It could get boring, sitting around and waiting.

But Ami was sure. "It's no trouble, I'll be fine! You go. And maybe try to sleep," she added with a sympathetic smile.

Tohru sighed. Sleeping felt like all she'd done this week, but she couldn't deny that it sounded good. "Thanks, Sakoto." She pulled up her time card on the computer and punched out, then gathered up her purse and drugstore bag. "Oh...just as a head's up, I might not be in tomorrow. If I'm still feeling like this, I'll probably be calling in."

Ami waved her away. "Don't worry about it, it'll be better for you to get some rest. And maybe think about seeing a doctor, too."

Tohru gave her a small smile. "Kyo has been saying that all week, too. Don't worry, I have an appointment already scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll be right as rain by Monday! Have a good evening, Sakoto."

"Good night, Sohma!"

Tohru stepped back out into the waiting room and walked up to Kyo. "Ok, I'm ready to go! Thanks for waiting."

He smiled, giving her a kiss as he stood up. "Sure thing." Automatically, he reached to take the drugstore bag, but Tohru pulled it closer protectively.

"No, it's fine. I can carry it, it's not heavy."

He raised a brow at her, surprised by her reaction. "I didn't say it was, I was just going to take it."

"Well, you don't have to. I'm fine carrying it myself."

That was all fine, except for the fact that Kyo almost always carried the bags whenever there were any bags to carry. So while he trusted that it wasn't heavy, her refusal to let him take it was odd and he was suddenly looking scrutinizingly at the bag. Realizing, Tohru shifted it behind her, and Kyo turned his now narrowed gaze to her.

"Tohru's, what's with the bag? Why are you trying to keep it from me?"

Tohru had never been good at lying, and even with her advanced preparation she hoped she'd be able to carry it off. "It's nothing, Kyo! I just realized I had to pick up some...feminine products, that's all. And I'd rather carry them myself, if it's all the same to you." She was blushing furiously as she spoke; at the fact she was lying to Kyo, at the fact she was lying about feminine products to Kyo...and the fact that in a way, she was actually telling the truth. It was still somewhat mortifying, but she hoped the blush would lend some authenticity to her story.

Kyo looked from her crimson face to the drug store bag she was trying to hide, then he rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Fine. Carry it yourself, but you know it doesn't freak me out to deal with that stuff, Tohru. And you should have just told me you needed some, I could have gotten it for you in Hibe. There's no reason you should be going shopping when you're not feeling well."

He took her other hand and the two of them started off for the bus stop, Tohru letting out a big sigh of relief. She hadn't been sure that would work, but he seemed to have accepted it; and as an extra bonus, her cover story would allow her to get the bag up to the bathroom without question. One obstacle down.

With Kyo at her side, the trip home went by quickly. Kyo's hand in hers was strong and encouraging, keeping her moving even when she felt like simply dragging along the ground. He even offered to carry her at one point, but she had shaken him off. She had two working legs, and she would walk!

But she was thoroughly worn out by the time they got home, and she was pathetically grateful when he told her to go upstairs and take a nap.

"I mean it, Tohru. You go and rest; I'm going to take care of everything else today. Grocery shopping, dinner, laundry, dishes, you name it. I just want you to focus on feeling better, ok?"

She had smiled and given him a kiss. "Thank you, Kyo. It really means a lot to me, you doing all of this. I just wish you didn't feel like you had to!"

Kyo had returned the kiss, cupping her face and caressing her cheek as he pulled away. "You're my wife, Tohru. Of course I want to take care of you; I'll always want to take care of you. And this is my home, too. So now," he said with mock sternness, "You go to bed. If I see you or hear you when I get back from the store, I will be very annoyed."

"Oh no, Kyo is going to be mad at me!" Tohru meant to tease back, but both of them ended up wincing at the exhaustion in her voice. She didn't have any desire to protest more, and shuffled up the stairs.

As he watched her go, Kyo sighed. Hopefully she'd feel better tomorrow, but if not, he was happy she'd finally made that doctor's appointment.

Tohru heard the front door close as she reached the top of the stairs, and she let out a sigh of relief. Before heading into their room, she made a quick detour to the bathroom at the end of the hall and carefully unpacked her drugstore bag. Three different brands of pregnancy test, all with the same basic instructions. And all three recommended testing first thing in the morning.

She looked at the boxes for a long time, then slipped them into the back of the drawer where she kept her actual 'feminine products.' Tomorrow morning felt like a long time off, but it was probably better to be sure.

Now she just had to hope her nerves would let her sleep.

When Kyo came to check on Tohru after returning from the grocery store, she was already asleep. Again. This was feeling an awful lot like déjà vu, he thought as he looked at her, the top of her head barely peeking out from the top of the blankets. But at least she was resting. No matter what else was going on, sleep had to be doing her some good.

He'd decided before he and Tohru even got on the bus that he was going to let her sleep herself out again, so for supper Kyo made an easily reheatable curry. Food was important, and he wanted her to have a hot meal ready when she wanted one. But another quick check when he was done cooking showed Kyo she was still sleeping, so he'd crept downstairs to eat alone, again.

As he stood at the counter cleaning up the dishes, Kyo's thoughts kept returning to Tohru. He'd been relieved they were no longer fighting, and even more relieved that she finally seemed to be agreeing with him about maybe being sick. It had to be pure stubbornness on her part that had made her dig in so long that she wasn't; there was no other logical explanation. Still, he wished she'd gotten moving on getting a diagnosis sooner, because whatever this was it seemed to be kicking her ass. Any concerns he'd had about overstepping had been gone the moment he walked into the clinic waiting room and seen Tohru dragging along under the weight of a small pile of magazines. A person who couldn't even manage magazines really had no business navigating public transport by themselves.

He hadn't told Tohru yet because he knew it would upset her, but he had also arranged to take the next day off from work, too. He was going to be picking up Yamada's two evening classes and a Sunday class the following week in exchange, but this way he'd be able to go with her to her doctor's appointment and make sure she got there and back safely. And hopefully, she'd get some good answers.

And that reminded him, he'd wanted to look up some other things that might be causing this fatigue. It would have to help, going into the doctor's office the next day with some specific questions to ask.

Finishing the dishes, Kyo wiped his hands on a towel, then walked into the living room and dropped down by the table. Resting his face on one hand, he took out his phone and typed in a search 'extreme fatigue in young women,' then scrolled through the answers. Poor sleep...sleep apnea...mono...autoimmune disease...heart disease...

Ok, maybe looking this up was a bad idea. Some of these were downright terrifying! That was why it was best to go to the doctor and get an actual professional opinion, the internet was too much of a pandora's box of concerns. Kyo was just about to close the window when one option on the list caught his eye: pregnancy.

Kyo suddenly grew very still, and his eyes flicked up to the ceiling. But then he shook his head and shut down the phone display. There was no way. It was too soon. Just another option from a multitude of options, all of them crazier than the one before. Besides, she was only tired, it wasn't like she was puking or anything.

There was no way she was pregnant.

Right?