Author's Note: In case anyone is wondering, the time frame for this story is right after Yuri left Kiba. In terms of the anime, this is about the time when Kiba and the gang are fighting the giant Walrus, there abouts. They haven't reached Jagura's city or keep for that matter, and they certainly have not reached paradise or the final confrontation with Darcia (and if anyone is reading this story and you haven't seen the entire anime, sorry for the spoiler!). That should put things into perspective for you. And, in case anyone was wondering why Kiba hasn't come looking for Yuri yet, it's because she just left and they haven't finished their "mission," so to speak. That's why. And that's also why you shouldn't expect Kiba to pop in any time soon. Well, for another chapter or two, somewhere around there. I'd be able to give you a better timeframe for Kiba's comeback, but frankly, I don't know myself. I don't plan my chapters out, they just kinda come, go figure. Anyway, hmmm, have I said everything I wanted to say? Can't remember…well, I hope that helped and if anyone has any questions or concerns don't hesitate to ask, I'd be happy to oblige!

The tray in Jane's hands fell to the floor with a clatter, spilling its contents all over the white, polished tile floor. "What?" she gasped.

"I'm—oh god, I can't even say it!" Yuri sobbed. "I just—"

An anxious-looking nurse suddenly burst through the door, looking frantically around the room. She took one look and the floor, covered with food, and sighed. "Thank goodness it's just that," she said. "I'll come clean it up later," she added, glancing at Yuri's tear-stained face and Jane's gaping mouth.

The young man strode over to Yuri's side and rubbed her back comfortingly as it heaved up and down in time with her choked sobs. Jane stood stock-still, in the same place she had stood when she turned to give Yuri her food. Her eyes opened wide in shock as was her mouth, and her breathing could be heard faintly, growing steadily more urgent.

"Calm down, just calm down," the young man said, still rubbing Yuri's back. He turned to Jane. "They don't know for sure yet, they said so."

"Huh? Not sure? What do you mean?" Jane asked, crouching down to pick the tray up off the floor.

"Well, I'm not sure," the young man replied, patting Yuri's back gently and kneeling to help Jane clean the mess. "I wasn't actually in the room when they told her. I was sitting outside and when the nurse and the doctor emerged, the nurse squeezed my shoulder and said they weren't sure, so don't worry." Jane and the young man placed the empty containers on the tray and the young man stood up to throw them in the trashcan. When the young man turned back to Jane, she wore a quizzical look on her face. "I don't know," the young man said, as if addressing some unasked question. "She must have thought I was the father or something," he added, blushing.

By the time Jane and the young man finished cleaning the mess on the floor, Yuri's sobs had subsided and she merely lay still in bed, staring at the ceiling with a glazed expression. She blinked and turned her head to see Jane and the young man throwing the last soiled paper towels in the trash.

"They said it was too soon to tell," she croaked, causing Jane the young man to jump. They turned and saw that she was now sitting up in bed. "That's why they were taking such a long time with me, despite the fact that all I had was a bump on the head. They took some X-rays of me and found some irregularities. That's when they started to run some more tests and determined that I must be pregnant."

"Oh," Jane breathed. She was wringing her hands nervously, shifting her gaze from side to side. She wanted to ask Yuri about the baby's father, but felt it would be most imprudent at this time.

Yuri, however, didn't notice Jane's behavior. At that moment, she was regarding their male guest with inquisitive eyes. She took his appearance in. Now that she was fully awake, she didn't know how she could ever have mistaken him for Kiba. Where Kiba had dark, ebony hair, this young man was fitted with brown, shiny locks. Where Kiba's hair seemed to stick out at all ends (a messy quality that Yuri had found to b quite adorable and unique), this young man's hair, although of the same length, fell more neatly around his face, leaving a few stray locks of hair to fall in his eyes. Well, she thought, he was about the same height as Kiba—he too towered over her; it was no wonder he had been able to carry her with such ease. He too possessed fine pale skin only a shade or too lighter than Kiba's (although Yuri thought Kiba's skin was the perfect pale shade, nothing lighter or darker would do). However, the most striking difference between this young man and Yuri's beloved Kiba was the difference in their eyes.

The young man standing before her hade large, gray eyes. Even so, although their color was cold, his eyes were expressive of quite the opposite. Where Kiba's sharp eyes made you nervous whenever he looked at you, this young man's eyes filled you with warmth and comfort. He had a naturally amiable look about him. His eyes told you that you could trust him; he would not harm you. It was perhaps this expression that so easily endeared him to Yuri, why she had trusted him so, right from the start.

In contrast, Kiba possessed eyes with a strikingly brilliant turquoise color, a dream for anyone to stare into. His eyes also bore into you with a piercing stare. Truly, one could not help but feel strained under his sharp gaze, as if one's every movement were being judged and slightest misstep would bring about a torrent of reproach. Still, these same eyes were capable of the deepest sorrow, as Yuri herself had witnessed, and could express the most meaningful love and devotion. Oh, how truly glorious those eyes shone when their light fell upon Yuri; when her form was captured in their depths, no jewel in existence, no stars brilliance, no object fathomable could compare to their magnificence!

Yuri sighed heavily as she surveyed the young man standing before her. He was a handsome young man; indeed he was, extremely handsome. Even as she looked at him, Yuri thought he must have women throwing themselves at him all the time. Although his eyes told you he was a friendly, jovial guy, his features were set with a refined touch, a sort of regal beauty that few possessed. Yes, he must be a man of wealth, Yuri thought.

But he is not Kiba.

The young man coughed suddenly, waking Yuri from her daze. She blinked, blushing slightly at her imprudent actions. "Staring like that," she thought, "he must think I'm so rude!"

A soft knock at the door broke the awkward silence and Yuri called, "Come in," with an appreciative smile.

Miss Ueda's head peeked in. "Sorry to disturb you Miss Yamagata, but have you seen—oh, there you are!" She said, smiling at Jane. "There is a Miss Hitomi Endo looking for you, we asked her to wait in the lobby downstairs, if that's alright."

Jane slapped her forehead lightly with one hand. "Hitomi!" she gasped. "Oh, she must have been looking for me everywhere, I told her I'd be in the waiting room in the fourth floor!"

"Uh, Jane?" Yuri cut in tentatively.

"Yes?"

"This is the third floor, not the fourth."

"What?" Jane gaped at Yuri, wearing a confused expression. "Oh, whatever," she scoffed. "She's still waiting for me, I better for downstairs to meet her. Thank you for telling me," she said, shaking Miss Ueda's hand roughly before darting out the door.

"No running in the halls!" Miss Ueda called after her. "Oh, she's going to hurt herself," she muttered. "They just finished mopping on this floor!" She excused herself politely and left the room, heading in the same direction Jane had run in.

Yuri smiled. Jane sure was a character. Yuri had known Jane for almost no time at all, and yet she already felt the sort of camaraderie with her that one would feel with a lifelong friend. It was strange, she just inspired that much trust in you, as if you knew that your secrets were safe with her—Jane would never betray you, never.

"Your friend certainly is spunky," the young man said, smiling after Jane. He turned to Yuri. "What's her name?"

Yuri chuckled. "Her name is Jane, Jane Elliot. Yes, spunky certainly is one way of describing her, isn't it?" Her expression changed from one of mirth to one more contemplative in nature. "I just realized, I don't know your name," she said.

"That's right," the young man replied. He held his right hand out to Yuri. "Hello, my name is Yoshiro Matsushita, nice to meet you."

Yuri took his hand. "I'm Yuri Yamagata, nice to meet you," she said as they shook hands. "Thank you for saving me, Yoshiro Matsushita."

"Please, call me Shi-kun; all my friends call me that," he said, releasing Yuri's hand. His arms fell at his sides and he sat down next to Yuri. "Yuri," he said. "May I ask you something?"

"I think you just did, Shi-kun," Yuri replied with a sly grin. Yoshiro opened his mouth as if to speak, but Yuri cut him off, chuckling lightly. "But sure, go ahead."

Yoshiro smiled briefly, and then frowned as he asked his question. "When I ran into the street, when the truck was going to hit you, I noticed that you were in an awkward…" he hesitated. "…Pose I guess you could say." Yuri frowned confusedly. "You were- I mean, why…Why were your arms open, as if you were embracing someone?"

Yuri's eyes opened a little and she looked down. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?"

"Yes. I just thought…I thought that was an odd pose for diving out of the way," Yoshiro said, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. But he was the one who brought it up in the first place, he thought.

"You may be blunt with me, Mr. Matsushita; I have no patience for speaking in riddles," Yuri said, turning to face Yoshiro. Her features were firmly set, a dogged look in her eyes. Indeed, she remembered the last time she tried to beat-around-the-bush with Kiba; nothing good had come of it.

Yoshiro sighed. "Was that really an accident or were you purposefully trying to get yourself killed?" His question came out in a rush of words, leaving him slightly out of breath in the end.

Yuri was a bit shocked that he had actually come out and said it. But more than that, she was surprised he had actually caught on to the truth. Not even Jane had noticed the way Yuri had opened her arms wide at the moment she was sure she was going to die—Yuri remembered clearly, the feeling of emptiness and bliss, as if death would bring her to Kiba. She smiled. "Suicide, huh? You're very perceptive, you know that?"

"Thank you for the compliment, but I was really hoping my assumption would be disproved," Yoshiro replied. He screwed his face up in confusion, trying to fathom pain that would make this girl want to end her life. "Suicide?" he asked, sitting back in his chair. "Really? Why?"

"Not really suicide," Yuri sighed. "I wasn't looking for an end to my life, not really. But was really depressed at that moment. And when I looked up and saw that truck bearing down on me, I suddenly realized that death was probably the best answer for me, and I embraced it. Literally." There were no tears in her eyes, yet the light that shone from them was far from conveying happiness. There was an infectious sorrow in her eyes, flowing from the deepest void of their emerald glow to the tips of her long flowing lashes and beyond, touching you, making you feel deep sadness too, yet even so, only a fraction of what she must be tormented by.

Yoshiro shook his head. "But why? Why do you feel that way?" he asked, still shaking his head.

"Well," Yuri replied simply. "I recently went through a really traumatic experience and I lost someone very important to me. It was just that moment, I don't feel that way really, not any more."

Yoshiro looked skeptical, glancing at Yuri unsurely. "Yeah, that's what they always say," he said.

Yuri looked at him with an irritated frown. Just who did this guy think he was, judging her like that? Granted, she had left herself in a peculiar position, but what business was it of his? "Believe me or don't, Mr. Matsushita," she replied coolly. "I know how I feel; the opinion of others is irrelevant. What do you care, anyway? It's not as if you know me."

Yoshiro bit his lip. Clearly, he had touched a nerve. She was angry at him—that was his signal to leave, but not without a parting gift. "You're right," he said, getting to his feet. "I don't know you, so I shouldn't care, really." He took a pen from out of his jacket and turned his back to Yuri, scribbling something on a clean napkin. "But," he said, turning around and taking Yuri's hand, "I am a naturally caring guy." He placed the napkin, neatly folded, in her palm and closed her fingers around it, gently squeezing her hand.

"It's in my nature to show concern, especially over someone as lovely as yourself." He paused, squeezed her hand again, and turned to leave. He turned the knob on the door and stopped, turning back to Yuri. "Don't take offense, I have the best of intentions. Please, don't hesitate," he added, looking sternly into Yuri's eyes. Although Yuri could have no way of knowing what his true intentions were, she was struck by the genuine sincerity shown in his eyes. With one brief last smile, he opened the door and left.

Jane made sure to walk back to Yuri's room. Miss Ueda had happily informed her that Yuri was free to go. The doctors had finished gathering all the data they needed for their tests and they would be sending Yuri the results in a matter of days. As the doors on the elevator slid open, Jane saw Yoshiro waiting in on the other side of the doors.

"Oh," she exclaimed, stepping off as he stepped on. "You're leaving?"

"Yes, I really must be going," he said. "Besides," he added, "I think I may have offended your friend."

Yuri sat in bed, her hand still clutching the napkin Yoshiro had placed in it. She opened her fingers and took the napkin in her hands, unfolding it to read whatever he had written on it.

"Yoshiro Matsushita," she read. "His phone number," she said, crumpling the napkin. She tossed it carelessly on the chair beside the bed, settling back under the covers and pulling them up to her chin. "As if he really expected me to call him," she muttered. "As if I actually would," she thought.

"Offended Yuri?" Jane asked. "Oh, she's a pretty touchy person anyway, don't take it personally," she replied.

"Thanks" Yoshiro said.

"Well, I'll be seeing you," Jane waved, thinking to herself that she would probably never see him again in her life. He waved in return, as the doors on the elevator slid closed, shielding him from view. Jane turned on her heel and walked down the hall, trying to remember Yuri's room number.

"Yes," Yoshiro said, as the elevator gently slid down each floor. The doors opened and he stepped out, smiling genially at the people as they stepped in. He walked out hospital's front doors and looked up at the building, focusing somewhere around the third floor. "The beautiful Yuri Yamagata. I will be seeing more of you, count on that."

Well that's it for now, guys. So Yuri may or may not be pregnant, but if you've been paying any attention at all to the rest of my writing, you can make a pretty good guess at the answer. Yes, Yoshiro will be a recurring character, so get to like him, or not. The characters will refer to him as Mr. Matsushita in the beginning, then Shi-kun, so don't get confused, they're all the same person. Once again, never fear, Kiba will be in this story, so keep your shirt on. Thank you for all the reviews, this is a much better reception than I expected, so all those of you that have been reviewing, you have my deepest gratitude.

Kiba: Once again, another chapter has passed without me in it? What the hell do you think you're doing?

Superninny-chan: Relax; didn't you hear what I said?

Kiba: That's the same thing you said in the last chapter. Lies, all of them!

Superninny-chan: Oh, don't get all dramatic on me, Kiba.

Kiba: You know, I've had just about all I can take of you!

Superninny-chan: Oh yeah? Well you're not a walk in the part yourself, buster!

Kiba: That's it. I quit. You can go find yourself another pretty-boy to worship, good bye!

Superninny-chan: Wait, Kiba! (bites lip nervously, searching frantically for an answer) I love you!

Kiba: (stops)

Superninny-chan: That's right, I knew only you are a big enough ham to actually take that for earnest. Dance puppet, dance!

Author's Response:

To leeleesan:

Thanks for your review! I'm really glad you liked The Lily's Path, my first fanfic. Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but as you can see by now, I'm posting quite a few chapters in this one update. And that's usually how I do it on this site, now update for a while, then a big whopper. I'm glad you're enjoying this fanfic as well, really really glad since I did think of this, the sequel, before I thought of anything in The Lily's Path. Anyway, thanks again and keep readin'!

To fangsire:

Another review! Wow, you're awesome! I enjoyed your commentary. Yeah, I thought Yuri should have something of a sidekick so I thought I'd make her funny, especially since the rest of the story is pretty much depressing or mushy. And sorry if you're not the mushy type, but I am and if you enjoyed The Lily's Path and you're reading the sequel, it must no bother you much so it's all good. Yes, the young man that saved Yuri will be in the rest of the story and I've had plans for him since this little ditty popped into my head one early June morn'. So, once agian, I apologize for taking so long to update! But thanks loads for reviewing again and giving such great reviews at that! Thanks again and keep reading!

To everyone:

Thanks to everyone who reads my stories, even if you don't review. It's alright. Of course, I do appreciate more those readers who do indeed take the time to share their thought with me on my work. But if you like my writing and you're reading it, I appreciate your..erm...appreciation, for lack of a better word. So thanks!