Chapter Three:

Memory Lane

"Alex? What—"

"Merry Christmas!" She gasped in delight, her hands leaping to cover her mouth before reaching out to take the wiggling parcel.

"Alex! He's adorable…but—" She didn't get to finish, at first, because the puppy was desperately trying to get at her face with his huge wet tongue. I laughed and ruffled its ears. She pulled it into her lap so she could look up at me, "What am I going to do with a dog?"

"Love it, I hope," I settled down on the couch next to her, reclining in the comfort of her joy, wondering how long it would take her to discover—

"Alex? Why is he holding a diamond necklace?"

"Because he loves you already," I winked at her, "He insisted he bring you a present, too."

"That was very sweet of him," She closed the distance between us, hugging me with her free arm and keeping the puppy still with the other. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, returning the embrace. I leaned down to kiss her hair, but ended up getting her nose when she looked up. We both dissolved into laughter.

I can almost recall the warmth that bubbled up in my chest, that inescapable, indescribable emotion.

Radiant Gardens was in a sorry state of disrepair. I'd heard Xemnas mention once that the name had been changed to Hollow Bastion. Looking around, I decided that it was much more fitting this way. The place was depressing and bleak.

I was careful to keep to the alleys and shadows as I picked my way around the piles of rubble. I didn't want to be seen.

"Well?"

"I…wow…I can't…wow…" I stared around, mouth agape.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, but…can we afford it?"

"Daddy's already made the first payment!" She bounced, holding my hand tightly, her excitement spilling over almost unbearably. "We can move in anytime!"

Tutu barked, jealous of being left out of out embrace. She laughed and let go, bending down to stroke his forehead. I took in the home before me, still slightly overcome.

"So…it's really happening?" I heard myself ask, my voice shaking. She looked up from teasing Tutu, moving to wrap herself around my arm, intertwining our fingers and laying her head on my shoulder.

"Yes, Alex. It's really happening."

There. That house. I hadn't meant to come here. Well, that was a lie. I hadn't meant…I don't know what I meant. I was moving without thought. Of course, you do that a lot when you're a Nobody, I'd noticed. You just…exist. It's hard to make connections between your mind and your body.

I slipped in silently, still stealthy. It would be so hard to explain what I was doing here. Especially to her.

"Merciful gods…" she groaned.

"Are you sure you don't want to call in sick today?" I asked, concerned. I was braiding my hair, and in the bathroom behind me, I could hear her retching.

"I'm…not sick," Her voice was shaky. I heard the toilet flush.

"Funny, it sure sounds that way to me," I finished tying the holder, and went to push the bathroom door open. She was spitting in the sink, having just rinsed her mouth out.

"Alex…I'm not sick." She looked back at me, searching my face for comprehension.

"Look, I know you're a workaholic, but seriously, taking one day off won't kill you."

She sighed, laughing. I didn't get it, still. She gave me about thirty seconds to figure it out, and when I didn't, she laughed all the louder. How she could laugh so soon after hurling was beyond me. She hugged me quite suddenly. I was totally unprepared for it and backpedaled as I tried to regain my balance. It failed; we fell in a tangled heap onto the bed.

"Alex, I'm pregnant." She whispered in my ear, biting it. I pinched her, rolling away when she squealed.

"Wait…" So it took me a second to process the information. "Wait. Wait. Wait. Hold on." She sat up, watching me patiently. Actually, she was probably counting, watching the cogs turn behind my emerald eyes. "Wait." I said again, "Did you say…you're…"

"Pregnant." She finished for me, drawing the syllables out slowly. "I'm pregnant."

I may have blacked out.

I knew as soon as I stepped inside that my suspicions were correct. I was almost glad I didn't have a heart, because it would have shattered. The house was too quiet, too dark, too still. A mother and her child and their pet didn't live here. There was no disorder to the cabinets, no toys scattered on the rug. There were a few crayon sketches taped to the fridge, I noticed as I passed through the shadows in the kitchen, but they were faded—they had been there for a long, long time.

Still, I studied them.

They were clumsy and awkward, difficult to decipher, busy and full of color. I felt a sad smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. In each picture, there were two slightly humanoid figures. In some, there was a third, but I was sure that figure was Tutu.

Of course…how could I expect the child to include in her photos a man that the child probably hadn't even discovered existed?

"M-Mommy?" I heard the front door open, and drew further into the shadows. I wasn't afraid, exactly. I don't have that capability. Fear isn't what I would have felt then, even if I could. I think the word is apprehension. "Mommy…" There was a scuffle as a large dog pushed into the house, his claws clicking on the wooden floor. "B-bad T-T-Toot-toot! Toot-toot!" The voice was that of a toddler, formed with difficulty, as if speaking around cotton. And that stutter. I remembered that, certainly.

The child hurried past my hiding place. I studied her. She was tiny, though walking and running admirably. She seemed healthy. Her hair was a strawberry blonde, and curled in wild ringlets around her ears.

"Erin?" Another voice. Not an adult, though. A teenager. I recognized her, though she had been much younger the last time we'd met.

"Shhh, Y-yoof." Erin stopped, turning to blow past her index finger at Yuffie. "M-mommy's s-s-sweepin' an' sick!"

I followed them into the master bedroom, feeling my chest pang. Again, I was almost grateful that I have no heart. This sight would have killed me.