Wooooo, a middle-of-the-week update! All of my lovely readers must FEEL SPECIAL! NOW!

Eh heh. Sorry, feeling a little weirder than normal...I've had this splitting headache all freaking day. I've done nothing but lay on my bed, read magazines, and watch Disney movies. YAY DISNEY MOVES! –falls over-

I shall shut up now, because who reads my author's notes anyway? :P

Chapter Forty-Eight

"So can you come over?" I asked into the phone, trying to speak over the fuzziness that was emitting from it. The cordless was not meant to be taken into a pasture dozens of feet away from the house.

"Not unless you can—ow!—get me," Ivy replied, cursing under her breath. "Mom's gone off the deep end. It's spring cleaning season, you know, and I have to help 'or else'."

"Or else what?"

"Exactly."

I bit my lip. "Ivy, this is really important. Please, please, please?"

"What's so important that you can't tell me over the phone?"

I winced as I heard her psycho mother yell something in the background. "It just...is. Please?"

"Okay, okay...I'll find some way out of this madhouse." Click.

I sighed and pushed the 'Talk' button to hang up the phone. Why was I waiting until now to tell them? Over a month had passed since that time I tried not to think about too much. Mom had taken me to the hospital once to confirm what I already knew was true: I really was pregnant with Darrell's child. After she had gotten the official verification, both she and Dad had pretty much ignored me. Even though I was going to have this baby—I had to, if that stupid Dragon Law was right—it was a Forbidden Subject. Mom ignored my morning sickness and sudden cravings for pie and pizza. It was as if she didn't want to believe I fell in love with a man that was pretty much hated by the rest of my family.

So, in my mental and dizzied state, I decided to put off telling Steve and Ivy for as long as possible, in case they had the same reactions—even though I knew they would be more accepting about it—but what if they didn't?!

I sighed again and thwacked the phone against my head, telling myself not to be an idiot. I had to tell them, and that was that. They would probably figure out soon, anyway—my body was already starting to prove it. If I thought I was busty before, well—let's just say it was nothing compared to how I looked now.

I sat on a fence and stared up at the cloudy blue sky—was it going to rain today? I hoped not. I was planning on telling them on a trail ride in case they actually did get mad or something so I could gallop off. I didn't know if galloping was really good for the baby, but I figured I could take a chance.

I was so busy staring that I didn't see Steve suddenly sit up next to me. I jumped a little, but he didn't notice.

"I saw you out here from the kitchen," he said. "Iggy was growling. He threatened to bite my head off if I didn't come see you."

Steve. My silly, goofy, awkward, klutzy, best friend Steve. How on earth would he react to the news? I was pregnant with his rival's child, for crying out loud. I was sure he wasn't going to just shrug and think of it as nothing.

Without thinking, I suddenly reached over and squeezed his hand. "Who do you want to ride?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, who needs the exercise?"

It was my turn to shrug. "All of them but Blaze, really. Mom's been throwing herself into training him since..."

"Yeah." The wind made some of his bangs dance in front of his face. "Is Ivy coming?"

"Uh huh. I don't know how soon though. Her mom's on her annual spring-cleaning spree."

"Does she know it's not spring?"

"Probably not. Anyway, pick one of the Rapidash. I'm going to tack up Joker."

"Okay." He gave my hand a squeeze back before we both jumped off the fence. Steve picked an older, basically retired Rapidash named Itsumo (A/N: 'Forever' or 'Always' in Japanese) and started grooming him. I lugged all of Joker's stuff out of the tack room and walked into his paddock, prepared to chase him—but to my surprised, he walked right up to me and allowed me to slip on his halter without any fight.

"You know, don't you," I whispered, a single tear spilling from my eye. He gave a low whicker while I wiped my eyes, feeling stupid. I led Joker into the barn and quickly tacked him up, noticing how much more quiet and gentle he was with me.

"Wow, what's up with Jo?" Steve asked, leading a fully-tacked Itsumo and raising an eyebrow. "He's..."

"Behaving," I smiled. "Yeah, weird, huh?" Jo snorted, and I rolled my eyes. "Can you get out Pluto's tack? Ivy's riding him whether she likes it or not. I don't want to wait around for her to remember which way the bridle goes."

"Sure...but what about—"

I grabbed Itsumo's reins from him and tied the Rapidash and Ponyta to a post. Mom had always told me you're not really supposed to do that, but Itsumo was so old and sleepy, there's no way he would try to run off, and Joker...well, I had a feeling he just didn't want to cause me extra stress.

"That solves that," he grinned. His stupid, silly, lopsided grin. It pierced my heart. "Back in a flash."

"Okay," I called, going off to a father paddock, and promptly tripping over something. Of course. The cordless phone. I groaned and ran to the house, knowing I had to put it back or one of the Pokemon would trample it or something.

"Mom?" I asked once I replaced the phone in the charger. She was in the kitchen, hacking some cheese with more force than was really needed. "Umm...Steve and Ivy are coming with me on a trail ride...once she gets here, that is...they're using Itsumo and Pluto...that okay?"

"Fine," she said, her mouth in a straight line. She didn't look at me.

I stared at her. I had no idea what caused her to be so...against the child. I mean, sure, the father brought up memories she would rather have repressed, and I supposed the fact I was only sixteen had something to do with it. But still...she was my mother. Shouldn't she be just a little supportive? And Dad was even worse. I felt like I hadn't talked to him at all since that day in the hospital when they confirmed it.

"Fine," I sassed back, slamming the door behind me. I stomped over to Pluto's paddock, angrily put his halter on, and yanked him back over to the barn.

Steve raised his eyebrow again. "What's got your panties in a pinch?"

I grabbed the saddle pad from Steve and threw it on a very confused Pluto's back. "Mom's being stupid," I grumbled.

"How so?"

I looked over at him, only realizing that I couldn't tell him. Not right that second, anyway. His look grew more and more concerned as I continued to stare at him without saying anything.

"Lindsey? You awake?"

I blinked, turning around and readjusting the saddle pad. "Yeah. It was nothing...just one of those mother-daughter things, I guess." His concern was melting my heart, and I hated myself for it.

"Oh," was all he said before handing me the saddle. Geez, you could cut the humming silence with a Slash. No, it wasn't tension...something else entirely that I wasn't quite aware of. I cleared my throat and quickly tacked up the rest of Pluto, and led him out near the other two.

"I'll just lead Pluto next to Jo," I said, mounting into the saddle and grabbing Pluto's reins.

"That seems safe, considering he's being good," Steve teased, getting on Itsumo.

"Very funny. C'mon, let's wait out in the front yard."

Twelve hooves slowly clip-clopped down the driveway and a bit down the road before we stopped and waited for Ivy.

Steve and I were silent. It was a little windy—the breeze was blowing my long hair back, and I wished I had put it in a braid. The clouds had covered the sun. I hoped it wouldn't rain. Joker may be behaving now, but the rain might be too much for him. He'd probably want to stay and play in it until I got pneumonia or something.

"Lindsey?" Steve suddenly asked.

I wasn't startled for some reason. Damn freakish hormones. "Yeah?"

"Have you been feeling okay lately?"

"If you mean mentally, then what kind of question is that?"

He snorted. "No...I mean, I don't know." He was staring at me now. "Something about you is...different. I dunno...but you even look kind of different."

I hoped he wasn't referring to my now freakishly-huge bust. "How so?"

He shrugged. "I'm not good at explaining stuff like that. I'll wait until Ivy gets here."

"No, because when Ivy gets here, we're just going to go on a nice trail ride like nothing ever happened," I declared. "We're just going to forget life for awhile, and pretend we're ten years old and saying we'll be best friends forever and ever till death do us part."

Steve burst out laughing. "You remember that?"

"Hell yeah. Do you?"

"Obviously."

I genuinely grinned for what felt like the first time in ages. "Oh look, here comes Ivy." I sat up in the saddle, watching her Mom speed up towards and suddenly slam on the brakes with a death-defying squeal.

I raised my eyebrows as she got out of the car yelling, "Yeah, yeah, same to you!" and slammed the door shut. Her expression brightened once she saw us—and her Mom drove out of there.

"Geez, she's really hyped up about her spring cleaning, isn't she?" I winked.

"Is it that obvious?" she mumbled, taking Pluto's reins from me and hoisting herself in the saddle. "Next time, you're picking me up, Steve."

"And go near that madwoman? No thank you," he replied, sticking out his tongue as we moved the Pokemon into a slow walk.

"I don't know what would be worse—being in a car with you or being stuck in the house with my mother," Ivy retorted. "Honestly, who gets a ticket for going a mile over the speed limit? And forgets where they parked when their car is bright orange?!"

Steve shrugged good-naturedly. "Hey, Goldenrod's a big city. Any one of those weirdos could've had an orange car."

"No, just you." Ivy rolled her eyes.

I smiled, thinking of what they were 'arguing' about—Steve had gotten his driver's license two weeks ago, and managed to get a beat-up old orange car, so to celebrate, he took Ivy and I to Goldenrod City for some 'hardcore karaoke-ing'. That city, after all, did have the best karaoke bar, with screens all over the huge room so you could see exactly who was singing. Steve said he thought it would get our minds off of everything, at least for awhile.

He was right. I felt almost normal, belting out some random pop song while everyone danced to my... 'amazing' voice.

I couldn't sing 'Power of Love' though. Too symbolic or something.

We were on the trail we normally took now, and the three of us spread out, giving the Pokemon some space. Steve and Ivy were done sniping about his car, so it was silent except for the steady clip-clop of hooves and the occasional Pidgey or Tailow squawking.

"So Lindsey," Ivy finally coughed. "What's this thing that you absolutely had to talk to me about that you couldn't say over the phone?"

I froze. Steve looked over at me curiously; Ivy, impatiently.

"Um..." I stuttered. "Let's trot!" I kicked Joker, and he snorted and plunged into a trot that I could barely keep up with. Ivy yelled something very inappropriate, and I heard the other two pound over to me. Joker slowed down a bit, and somehow, we all managed to trot in tune.

Without warning, I gave the canter cue and Joker plunged forward. Why, why, why was I doing this?! I couldn't tell them. I wasn't ready. I was going to have to wait until I was eight months along and waddling along with a bulging stomach so I would be forced to tell them. Or better yet, when the time actually came and I had to go to the hospital. Then they would be sure something was up.

"LINDSEY!" Steve yelled over the thundering of hooves. Fighting back tears, I slowed Joker to a walk, and then a halt. Steve and Ivy came up on either side of me, looking completely confused and out of breath.

"Lindsey, what is up with you?" Ivy demanded to know. "First you tell me there's something totally important that you have to tell me, and then when I ask you, you just run off!"

"If you took us on this trail ride to tell us whatever you have to tell us...then now's the perfect time," Steve said.

I stared into space, knowing that they were right. Duh, my friends were always right. That's how they kept me in line. Tell them, Tamer. Just spit it out, like you did when you had to tell them you were moving. You survived that, didn't you?

"I..." I whispered so lowly, even I could barely hear it. Sure, thinking about telling them was one thing. Actually saying it was another.

"I…" Aw man, I couldn't do this...

Joker gave a low whicker, and somehow I knew...he was telling me it was fine to tell them. Get it over with. They had to know.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm pregnant."

Everything was literally silent. I practically hear my hair growing, for crying out loud. Geez, I knew they'd be shocked...but for them to be not-saying-a-word surprised...well...

After what seemed like forever, Ivy cleared her throat. "Darrell?" I could only nod.

I expected myself to gallop away on Joker to home and run to my room and bury my face in my pillow, but to my shock, Steve suddenly whammed Itsumo in the sides and yanked him around, galloping away faster than I have ever seen that fat Rapidash run.

It took me a second to register what he was doing. "Steve!" I called. "Wait a second!" I was prepared to gallop right after him, but Ivy reached out and touched my arm. "Lindsey, just...leave him alone for awhile."

I was horrified. "Why?!"

She responded by gathering up the reins and putting Pluto into a slow walk, retracing our steps back home. I don't know if it was the hormones, but I was madder than I have ever been...at both of them. Steve for running off and Ivy for holding me back.

"Wait a second," I cried, catching up. "Don't you have something to say about this?! I mean...my god. One of your best friends has a freaking human inside of them at this very second."

Ivy fidgeted with the reins. "First of all, congrats...I mean, after he...um...died...you know, it must have been nice to find out..."

My shoulders fell. "I knew before I..."

Ivy looked up. "You did? How?"

"It was when I had the sword," I whispered. "And I kept feeling this fluttering in my stomach, and I just...knew. It also explained the constant puking and dizziness," I added, and Ivy managed a chuckle.

"But I just got it checked out awhile ago by a doctor. And it's true...a little girl. Part me, part Darrell." I couldn't say his name without a quiver in my voice.

"How do you know it's a girl?" Ivy asked. "I thought you couldn't tell this early."

I sighed. "It's basically part of being a Tamer...when Lynn had her daughter, it sort of set off this whole chain. Girl falls in love, girl has daughter, girl's daughter falls in love and has daughter, and so on."

"Oh..."

I halted Joker. "Ivy, there's something I didn't tell you guys back in the Den." I stared at Joker's flaming mane, knowing he was probably a little peeved at all of the stops. Ivy stopped and looked back at me, waiting to hear the rest of the story.

"I...well, there's basically this Law," I said, wanting to just go home, curl under the covers, and never have to live again. "Basically...once a Tamer falls in love, she becomes destined to be with whoever that guy was." My eyes grew hot. "She gives her heart completely to him...and can never love anyone else like that ever again."

Ivy's mouth dropped open. "What?"

I wiped a tear that had formed. "So, lucky me, huh? It wasn't just chance that I fell for Darrell and got pregnant. It was fate. And since that stupid Prophecy said I was going to have to kill that stupid Hunter...the stupid Law made sure I had an heir or whatever you want to call it before I had to—had to—"

I was sobbing now, unable to form any more words. I held my face in my hands, letting the tears come, knowing that I was never going to be able to forgive myself. Ivy inched Pluto closer, and reached over, wrapping me in a hug. I leaned on her shoulder, soaking her shirt with tears, but she didn't seem to care.

When I had finally calmed down, I looked up at her with my bloodshot eyes. I sniffled, gathering Joker's reins. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," she sighed. "I...we had no idea. That's horrible. I...I'm the one who should be sorry." I just sighed back.

"You know what you need?" she asked after we put the Pokemon back into a slow but steady walk.

"What?"

She grinned. "Chocolate." I burst out laughing, and she scowled. "I'm serious! It cures anything. Once we get back, we'll get Steve to take us to that new bakery in Cherrygrove. My treat."

I managed a smile. "Okay. Sounds good."

LTP

Unfortunately, the chocolate was not meant to be. Instead of seeing Steve in the driveway, or even in the backyard, untacking Itsumo or whatever, we found a slightly panicky Itsumo tied to a fence post, saddle and all, sidestepping nervously.

"What the hell?!" were the first words out of my mouth. I quickly dismounted Joker and ran over to the Rapidash, untying him. "Where the hell is he?!"

Ivy got off of Pluto, leading both him and Joker up the driveway. "No clue. Maybe—" she broke off.

"What?"

"Lindsey..."

"What?!"

"His car's gone."

I whipped my head around to glance at the Mochiles' driveway, and sure enough, Steve's beat-up orange car was nowhere to be found. I froze.

"What do you think it means?" I asked, my whole body shaking.

Ivy was silent for a few seconds before replying, "He couldn't take it."

That was all I needed to hear before I fell to my knees, once again sobbing uncontrollably.

LTP

EEK! Bad thing. BAD STEVE! BAD RUNAWAY CHARACTER!

And darn this headache.

I LOVE YOU ALL, MY LOVELY REVIEWERS! –glomps all reviewers-

Robin Ryan—Well, my goal is to have my readers enjoy all the chapters, so I would hope you did. :P Heh heh.

Karania—How's college life? ;D

ZeroChan—Yes...it does seem far, far away...-sigh- Darnit, that's the end of the first week back at school. Bah, humbug. I hope you, uh...didn't Totally Lose It in this chapter. –falls over-

LoneHowl—If I told you, it would spoil the surprise :P

The Almighty DB—I feel for ya. How was your first day back? Hopefully not bad...because bad is...bad? Yes. Wow, this stupid headache. –dies-

Hakura0—Haha, well, you've got time to check when there's a middle-of-the-week update. ;D And haha, yes, I did notice. I actually have quite a fondness for the name Danny...that was the name of my first crush (no, not cartoon boy; it was this really, really cute kid in fourth grade). Which, really, is how I came up with that name in 'April'. –sweatdrops-

Adriel—Well, QuickEdit apparently hates any chapter separating methods, so I used LTP for it instead...you know, the initials of the title of the fic? ;P And as you know, I started writing the fourth one already, so there might be a small hiatus, but it won't be for that long. Unless this darn writer's block goes away. And get out of my Recycle Bin!

Well, y'all know the drill...another update shall commence on Friday –cries-, and it's technically the last chapter, but as you know, there's an epilogue after that, so it's kind of silly to call it the last chapter. Bah.

Review and hopefully it will make my headache go away! YAY!