Amtgard was done and Kouji had taken Chichiri and Tasuki to her house, dropping them off and leaving them in peace.
After introducing her 'boyfriend' to her family, Chichiri was seen into the guest room and left to settle.
A few minutes after he was left alone, Tasuki came back in with a pile of towels for the adjoining bathroom. She returned to the room and gave him a soft kiss before settling onto the bed, watching him unpack. He was still so calm, even when they were upset with each other. She felt comfort at just being in his presence again.
When he had finished she looked at the time and stood, knowing he liked to meditate at sundown. She knew the perfect spot for him to watch the sun set and she leapt from the bed and grabbed his hands, leading him from the room.
"Where are we going, no da?" He asked her when they were putting their shoes on in the foyer. She just smiled impishly at him and continued to get ready. She called out to her mother that they were going to watch the sunset and they left. She led him to a large truck, four door and required the use of the siderunners to get into it. He stared at her as she settled in and they pulled out of the driveway.
She caught his stare and smiled at him "Like my truck?"
He blinked "This is yours?" She nodded and the conversation turned to simple things. He told her of what the others had thought of their gifts and then remembered that he had gifts for her in his bag. She laughed at him, telling him she would open them later. He noticed after a few minutes that they were heading into the mountains.
"Where are we going, no da?"
"Someplace with an awesome view of the sunset. You will love it, Chiri-chan." He nodded and watched her drive. She took the winding mountain road at a speed he wasn't very comfortable with, but she handled her truck with ease and within 10 minutes of entering the mountains he saw a tunnel ahead, with a small off spot before it. She pulled into the turn around and parked, climbing from the truck.
He followed her to the edge of the clearing and pulled her into his arms as the sun set. The view was different from in town, but watching the sun set over the basin and mountains was beautiful. The sky turned various shades and the white sands shone out in contrast to the desert around it.
They were quiet, even tuning out the passing vehicles right behind them on the road. He watched as the sun faded behind the mountains and the various shades of the sky and looked down at her. She looked exhausted to him, still very thin as well.
"Tas-chan?"
"Hm?" She sounded a bit sleepy.
"Are you feeling well, no da?" She blinked and looked up at him. "Why do you ask?"
Chichiri smiled down at her. "You seem tired and thin to me." She frowned. "I think I am having a problem getting over jet lag, are you tired? We could have come up here another day." He cut her off with a kiss and she melted back into him. "I am fine. I think you should rest, no da. Are you hungry?" She shook her head. "I haven't been hungry either lately. I wish Mitsukake was here. I think I'm catching something." He nodded, worry in his eyes. Although he had meant for it to be a surprise when the others showed up, he spoke anyways. "Well, we will have Mitsukake heal you first thing when you see him, no da." She didn't question this and nodded, thinking he meant when they got back to Japan.
The left soon after and returned home. They slept in seperate beds that night, and although he wasn't beside her, Tasuki slept easier knowing he was right down the hall.
The next few days found Chichiri watching his Tasuki closely. She was still pale and tired looking to him and whenever he would question her on it, she would reply that she was just tired and jet lagged.
The 30th of December found them curled up on the couch, watching the history channel, enjoying some cuddle time. The ringing of the phone drew their attention from the television and Tasuki rose from her reclining position against Chichiri and she picked up the phone, then settling back against the monk as she answered it. "Hello?"
"Hi Tasuki, whatcha up to?"
The ex bandit grinned, showing her fangs. "Not much Nuriko. Just about to jump Chichiri's bones." She winked at her lover as he let out a choked laugh. There was dead silence on the other end of the phone and Tasuki chuckled softly as Nuriko cleared her throat. "Ahhh. OH"
"Ah, Nuri, I'm just messin with ya. Chiri and I are watching tv, in the living room, fully dressed." Tasuki got the surround sound laughter, coming from both Chichiri and Nuriko. "What's up?"
"Well, I was going to ask if you and Chichiri would like to go and get some coffee." Tasuki raised her eyebrow and sighed. "Ummmm, Nuriko? I'm still in New Mexico, but we could get that coffee when I return to Japan, ok?"
"Baka, that's too long to wait." With these words, the doorbell rang. Holding the phone to her ear, Tasuki raised up slightly and glanced out the window, seeing an unfamiliar white van, but not able to see who was at her front door. She heard Nuriko's exasperated voice on the other end of the line. "Answer your door, baka." With that the willow seishi hung up and Tasuki bolted off the couch and launched herself for the door, Chichiri rising and following closely behind her.
Throwing the door open, the rest of the Seishi and their priestess grinned at the shocked look on Tasuki's face. Miaka giggled and launched herself at Tasuki. "I'm so glad to see you, Tas-chan." The red head hugged her friend and then glanced back at the satisfied look on Chichiri's face. "You knew about this?"
He gave a nod and she let out relieved laughter and stepped back, letting her friends enter her home. Her mom came out from the kitchen and smiled. "I see your friends made it." Tasuki turned to her mother. "You knew too?"
Mom just nodded "Yep, your boyfriend told me." With these words she disappeared back into the kitchen.
The next few hours were comfortably spent in Tasuki's living room. Tasuki had ended up laying on the couch, suddenly weary and her head in Chichiri's lap.
Mitsukake had watched their wing seishi closely, having talked with Chichiri about Tasuki's illness and he finally couldn't stand it any longer. "Tasuki, can I talk with you outside?"
Tasuki glanced up and frowned slightly, but nodded and followed the tall doctor outside. The rest watched them leave and then turned as one to Chichiri. "What's wrong with Tasuki?"
Chichiri shrugged, his eyes betraying the uncertainty behind the gesture." I'm not sure, no da. She has been very tired and doesn't appear to be feeling all that well." The others nodded. "Jetlag?" The monk glanced at Taka and began to nod when Chiriko's voice cut in. "No, she was sick before she left Japan. It can't be jetlag." With this announcement, the group turned towards the window where the two seishi were having a serious conversation.
Mitsukake listened to Tasuki describe what was going on with her and felt with deep uneasiness that he knew what was going on with her. She finished her small speech with "So, just magic bubble me and heal me up, Mits." He paused and looked into her eyes, catching the fear that lingered there.
"I think I know what is wrong with you, Tasuki. It is not something that we can cure with my Suzaku powers." She frowned at him. "But..." He cut her off with a shake of her head. "If I am right, it won't kill you. How long did you wait after going on birth control to resume your sex life with Chichiri?"
Tasuki frowned and spoke automatically before his words sank in. "One month, like Dr. Dasukin told me too." Mitsukake groaned softly. "I really wish you would have come to me about the birth control. You should have waited 3 months for your birth control to take effect. Are you still taking it?" She shook her head. "I stopped after my fight with Chichiri, I will start again though." Her voice died off at Mitsukake's shaking head. "No, going back on it now is not safe. Tasuki, I think you are pregnant. Don't go back on birth control until we know for sure. It's a good thing you haven't been taking it either."
While he was speaking he had noticed that Tasuki had gone very pale, making her freckles stand out. She swayed slightly and he grasped her elbow, keeping her upright. "Tasuki?"
Slightly unfocussed eyes turned towards him. "How do we find out? I can't exactly go and by a pregnancy test, people will see and it will get back to my family. I'm not ready for that." Mitsukake nodded "Chichiri can check you. He should be able to feel for the baby's ki, no matter how small." Tasuki nodded and suddenly found herself in Mitsukake's arms and she shuddered. "Oh Suzaku."
They stayed like that for a long moment and then Tasuki lifted her head from Mitsukake's chest and glanced towards the living room door and looked at Chichiri's frightened expression and then at the similiar expressions on the others' faces. "I think we should go back in and find out."
Mitsukake nodded and led her back towards the house. As soon as she entered the house, she made a beeline for Chichiri's lap and buried her head in his shoulder. He immediately brought his arms around her and rubbed her back. "Tasuki?" He glanced from her towards Mitsukake, who was sitting back in his seat with a shuttered expression.
Chichiri looked back towards Tasuki as she raised her head and whispered something in his ear. He pulled back slightly, shock on his face and glanced at her. "Are you sure?" She shook her head, as did Mitsukake when the monk looked in the healer's direction. Chichiri gave a small nod and closed his eyes, concentrating on the woman in his lap.
"What is goin..." Miaka's curious question was cut off by the soft shaking of Taka's head and the group continued to watch the couple. After about 2 minutes, Chichiri's eyes snapped open, shock written on his face and he stared at the small woman in his lap. "Oh, Tasuki."
At his words, her eyes filled with tears and she laid her head back on his shoulder and he held her close. Chichiri raised his eyes to Mitsukake and gave a small nod. The healer sighed, knowing the couple was still unable to say it outloud and the others gave him their attention. "Tasuki is pregnant."
The room was met with silence and suddenly Nuriko spoke "Golly, I would have thought Miaka or myself would have been first." The group turned to Nuriko who blushed and Tasuki raised her head to glare at her friend. "Were we having a race to see who could get knocked up first, Nuriko?" Purple eyes narrowed at her hotheaded friend and Tasuki stood and muttered "Gomen" and then walked towards the door, grabbing her coat and slipping on her boots as she opened the front door.
The rest of the group stood and followed her out of the house and watched her climb into her truck, which was parked on the street and she started it and drove off. Chichiri's worried eyes followed her.
"She will be fine, it was just a shock. I don't think pregnancy even came to her mind at all." All turned towards Mitsukake and nodded, returning to the house.
Miaka spoke when all were seated again. "So, what now?" Chichiri glanced up. "I guess we will have to get married, no da." Both women winced and Nuriko spoke "Oh, Chiri, I am so glad that Tasuki was not around to hear you say that." The monk glanced at his friend. "Why not?"
"No woman wants to be proposed to just because she is pregnant." Chichiri gave an understanding nod. "I understand. However, I was going to propose to her tomorrow night, no da. The ring is in my luggage, na no da." The group broke out into smiles and the conversation continued as they discussed the possibility of Tasuki continuing her school year in her condition.
Tasuki drove straight to Kouji's house and didn't even try and stem her tears as she ran to the door and rang the doorbell. Kouji's sister, Karen, answered the door. "Gen? What's wrong?" Tasuki shook her head and managed to gasp out "Is Larry home?"
Karen nodded and cocked her head up towards the stairs. "He's in his room." Tasuki nodded and entered, slipping her shoes and coat off, and putting them away before moving towards Kouji's room. The door was slightly open and she peaked in and saw him playing a video game.
A soft sniff caught his attention and he stared in shock at her face, tears still running down her cheeks. The game was instantly off and he was pulling her into the room and closing his door. "What's wrong, Genrou?"
With these words she burst into harder sobs and he gathered her towards him, comforting his usually strong friend. He had never seen Genrou act so girly before and this scared him. As he rubbed her back in soothing circles, his mind moved over what could have sent her running to him in this condition. Her crying faded and he pulled back a bit to look into her face. "Ok, what is wrong?"
She moved from his grasp and flopped down on his beanbag chair. "I'm pregnant, Kouji."
She raised miserable eyes to him and he nodded calmly "I had though so." Her mouth fell open and she gaped at him. "What?"
He looked away and nodded. "You had all the signs, but I thought it would have been obvious, so I didn't mention it, thinking you had already ruled that option out." She stared at him and then burst into laughter. He glanced at her and sighed. A laughing Genrou was better then a sobbing one.
"Ah Kouji. What would I do without you?"
He smirked "Have a boring life." She gave a nod and sighed, her face falling again.
"What am I going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
She sighed again. "I'm in college, Chichiri and I just made up from the fight, now this." Kouji frowned at her. "Do you think Chichiri is not going to like or love you because you carry his child?" She shook her head.
Kouji squatted to her eye level. "You and Chichiri have a love that has crossed lives, Tasuki. That is very rare. I would be surprised if you and Chichiri weren't engaged before you flew back to Japan. The man is smitten with you and you are smitten with him." Tasuki sniffled and nodded at the truth in Kouji's words.
"Ya always knew how to cheer me up, even back then." Kouji blinked in surprise. "I was around back then?"
She nodded "And my best friend then too. Just as Chichiri and I are destined to love each other each lifetime, we are destined to be best friends too." She smiled and he grinned. "Was I this awesome back then?"
She giggled "More so" watching him frown playfully. "You even did your whole knock knock jokes back then too." He chuckled and pulled her up to her feet. "Come on, Gen-chan. Let's go back and you can introduce me to all your friends." Tasuki smiled and the two left Kouji's house and the conversation was light all the way back to Tasuki's house. They had no sooner put the truck in park when the front door opened and the Suzaku warriors and priestess came running out. Chichiri pulled Tasuki into his embrace and held her close. "Are you ok?"
She gave a nod "Yes, Kouji helped me put it into perspective." She pulled back and smiled at him. "I don't know about the rest of you, but Kouji and I are starving. And by the look on Miaka's face, she feels the same way."
The group laughed and a conversation started about where to go to supper. Kouji was easily accepted into the group and the conversation was light hearted over supper and through the evening.
(A/N When I had started this fiction, I hadn't meant for Tasuki to get pregnant. But I will admit this is something that has been on my mind alot lately cause my husband and i are discussing our last child. It just sort ended up in the story, so i left it and went with it. Also, I tend to put a little of me into the story, and when I was trying to come up with a place that Tasuki is from, I chose the city I know best. Yeah, that would be Alamogordo, New Mexico, my hometown. And I thought he and Kouji would play Amtgard, and Washington park on Sunday afternoons is where they play. So, just thought I would include that. I am moving next week, back to texas now that he is out of Iraq and school is over, had to wait for summer school for my oldest. This story will be up completely before then, unless the cable company is stupid and shuts my cable off before the time they are suppose to. If that happens I will post the rest of it as soon as I get online in texas. Once again, this story is complete on my computer. And thank you to all my reviewers, I am so glad you like the story. Everqueen)
(A/N And I found myself having to add Chichiri's no da's as I editted this story. Sad huh? I forgot to put his catch phrase in.)