30 August 2019: Hello faithful readers! Hope everyone has had a lovely summer (or winter)! I'm just dropping by with this month's update. It was a bit of a fight to get this how I wanted it, but I think I am pleased with the result. Many thanks, as always, to DOWN (dragon of winter nights) for the detailed edit.

Content Warnings: In this chapter we get more details on the background gross misconduct trial happening in the Mage's Guild, so there are a few more details on the abuse, but nothing graphic.

Chapter 25
In which someone else learns of Cephiro

Umi glared at the pile of clothes on the bed and the cat that was trying to make himself a nest out of them. He might as well, they were no use to her. She'd tried everything in her wardrobe that she would be willing to wear to Fuu's birthday celebrations that night, but it all either highlighted her growing bump or was uncomfortably tight. The aggravation had started an agitated vibration in her belly.

She stalked through the house to her mother. "Nothing fits!" she wailed. "How am I supposed to go out if I have nothing to wear?"

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you pushed that nice young man into bed," Mama said, taking a sip of her tea.

Umi crossed her arms and glared. "There are so many things wrong with that statement."

Mama smiled. "Nice old man, then." She got up from her chair and hooked an arm through Umi's, leading her back upstairs. "Come along, we'll find you something."

They spent the next half hour going through Mama's wardrobe until they found a pretty little dress with a full skirt that disguised her new waistline. A month ago, Umi wouldn't have had enough chest to fill it. That wasn't a problem anymore.

It wasn't that Umi was really trying to keep the baby a secret. Fuu and Hikaru knew, anyway, but Fuu's sister was coming out with them, and Umi just didn't want it to become the only topic of conversation, like the afternoon she'd told Mako and Huki. This evening was supposed to be about Fuu.

Finally dressed, Umi rushed out to the car. She was already going to be late picking the other girls up, but hopefully not so late they would miss the reservation Kuu had arranged at Fuu's favourite restaurant, just for the four of them - there would be a couple of parties with Fuu's school friends later in the week for her actual birthday, but she'd wanted to do something smaller with her closest friends, and Kuu had got behind arranging it; a meal out, some karaoke, and a sleep-over.

Thankfully they'd agreed to all meet at Fuu's house, so she didn't need to detour to pick up Hikaru. That definitely would have left them needing to come up with an alternative dinner arrangement.

"Sorry!" Umi called to the others as they piled into the car. "I should have let Mama take me shopping this week, nothing I have fits anymore."

"I almost forgot to do that. It's been ages since we've needed anything nice to wear out." Hikaru grinned. "I almost ended up wearing my kimono from last New Year, at least those are pretty forgiving when you suddenly start growing curves."

"I had to borrow something from Mama." Umi slumped back in her seat. "I'm still not as tall as she is, so half her dresses drag on the floor even if I wear heels."

When they got to the restaurant, Umi was distracted from her contemplation of the menu by Kuu turning to her across the table to ask, "How much truth is there in that little magazine article?"

Hikaru stifled a snicker when Umi groaned. She should have been expecting that to come up again. "Which one? Not that it matters. Everything about me and Huki is complete lies. Nothing ever happened between us."

Fuu coughed delicately behind her hand but didn't say anything.

"That kiss was a drunken mistake and should never have happened! I wish I could wipe it from my memory. And everyone's photo collections."

"So you have been married off in a bid to take over a European electronics company, then, if only the parts about your friend are lies?" Kuu put her hand to her chest and sighed with mock sympathy.

Umi rolled her eyes. "You know my parents wouldn't do that. Come on, let's eat - Fuu, you like it here, what do you recommend?"

.*.*.*.

The fortnightly Council meeting had run over yet again, leaving Clef only enough time to grab a piece of bread and throw some spread on it, literally eating while he walked to his next meeting.

The timing of this one was partially his fault. His guild was organising this process, and Council days were the easiest time to get all the guild heads in one place. And though all of them had agreed that something needed to be changed in the general safeguarding procedures, that didn't make them any less irritated at the shortened dinner break - more than one person seemed to have brought a full tray with them.

Ferio caught up with Clef just as he reached the conference room, glancing sideways at Clef's outfit. "You are actually Guru for this meeting," he muttered.

Clef shrugged. Ever since he'd declared his intention to resign, he'd refused to wear any of the Guru's robes. "Sandero's representing the Guild tonight. I'm only here in support."

Ferio rolled his eyes. "We both know all the Guild Heads were invited to this meeting."

"And some of them delegated that responsibility. Why shouldn't I?"

Ferio gave him a sharp look at that, and Clef winced. He knew full well why the head of the Mage's Guild should be present and supporting the reform of safeguarding processes. "Sorry, Ferio." He sighed. "It's not as though taking the robes off ever stopped me being Guru before."

"Given you spent half the fall of Cephiro in your nightclothes because you kept refusing to sleep, I'll agree with that." Ferio shook his head. "Does it actually make you feel any better being stubborn about it?"

"What would make me feel better is being home and in bed after that mess of a debate this afternoon."

"Well, you insisted we schedule this as soon as possible," Sandero said, appearing beside them at the table. He had a stack of paper in his hands that Clef didn't envy at all. "So I did."

"Because it needs doing." Clef eyed Sandero and the dark shadows beneath his eyes. "How are things going?"

"As well as they could be. At least the financial investigation is being wound up now - remind me I owe your friend Caldina a year's worth of drinks."

Ferio and Clef glanced at each other. "She's still helping out, then?" Ferio asked.

"I've no idea how she's fixing the holes in the paper trail, and I'm not about to ask her," Sandero said with a grin. "I need to talk to the Clerks about who is going to minute this, I'll grace you with my presence again in a minute."

They took their seats as the others shuffled in. Most of the Guild heads were present, Presea and Lafarga included, along with an additional person or two. Miura had been called away to an emergency midway through the Council meeting, so Clef wasn't surprised to see three other healers in her place. But Dart, the head of the merchants, was also missing, his place occupied by a woman Clef didn't recognise with her guild insignia about her neck.

Sandero swooshed back into his seat and called the meeting to order. "Now then, we have received apologies from Yaru Dart, who had a prior engagement, and I see that the Naru has been called away. Is anyone else missing? If not, let's start with the proposed terms of reference for this working group. They were circulated last Thirdday so, hopefully, everyone has had a chance to familiarise themselves with them, so does anyone have any comments?"

There were a couple of wording tweaks, then the priest with Torneo - a woman Sandero addressed as Zafira - pointed out an issue with the clause about how they would agree the group's work was finished, before saying "I also do not think it is correct for the mage's guild to chair these meetings, as they are in large part in response to the current case regarding Arnage. Another guild would give the proceedings a measure of independence from that investigation, and spread the burden of these changes."

"Especially when the guild head is also guilty of sleeping with one of his students," muttered the head of the Herders, Catera, deliberately loud enough to be heard and with a defiant look across the room at Clef.

The comment incited a flurry of noise, Verna's call for order cutting through several muttered agreements (Torneo's prime among them) and a couple of indignant shouts.

"She is not my student," Clef bit out.

Catera stared hard at him. "And who is it that gave her access to magic?"

Presea spoke out at that, frowning. "Granting magic has never been considered as creating an educational duty on the individual who does so. Not all mages who teach have the ability to create that connection; those who can are required to ensure any new mage has access to education, not to provide it themselves!"

Nodding sharply, Clef glared back. "In any case, I did so only at the order of Princess Emeraude, and under protest."

"That hasn't stopped you from teaching her," Catera countered. "You've had multiple training sessions with the Magic Knights since the reformation."

"Some sporadic lessons here and there do not add up to a studentship! There is a given number of hours anyone can be helped before they become formally your pupil, and I have not reached them with Umi." While true, the excuse felt weak even as the words left his lips.

"But how close are you to that limit?" Torneo muttered. Clef didn't think he'd even meant to say it aloud, but once it was said, it was out in the room to be responded to.

He flinched. "I would have to grant her at least a dozen more lessons before I hit it. And hardly any of the time has been in the past six months."

"A bare dozen hours short of a guideline of, what, a hundred and fifty?" Catera pounced on the point. "The numbers aren't even meant to be exact, they're a general measure, and a handful of hours certainly rounds up to an apprenticeship! We have these rules for a reason, and the reason is not so you can edge within a hair's breadth of them then shirk your responsibilities to this girl!"

"The Guru isn't allowed to have a relationship with her at all, student or not," Torneo added with a glare across the room.

"I thought you were all allowed to have sex now? Obviously not with a student," said one of the healers, then looked about and flushed hard, ducking their head.

"I don't think anyone really believes continued relations with someone you have spent at least a hundred hours teaching is really just-" Torneo muttered, only to shut himself up with a sigh and a look at Verna.

At least he'd stopped short of an outright accusation in public.

Sandero's voice cut through the chatter as he forcefully dragged the meeting back on topic. "If she's anyone's student, she is mine," he said. "I am the one who has agreed to mentor her through her entrance to the Academy. But I agree with Priest Zafira's point, that the Mage's guild is not the most appropriate to chair these meetings, given the circumstances. So! Who would like to volunteer?" Then he beamed about the room as the other guild heads all looked like they wanted to recoil away from that responsibility.

The mantle of Chair eventually passed to Avenir, as Verna outright refused, saying she already chaired more than her share of the Council sessions and she refused to take on any more responsibilities. The head of the Clerks looked disgruntled, but administrative procedures such as information sharing really did fit in with the Clerks and as their deputy had already been talked into taking the minutes for Sandero, all Avenir actually did was ask that Sandero continue to lead this first meeting on their behalf.

Sitting back in his chair, Clef gripped his hands tightly together and made himself breathe steadily until his hands stopped shaking.

.*.*.*.

By the time they made it to the karaoke club, Umi got the feeling that Kuu knew. Since Fuu wouldn't have told without permission, Umi assumed it must have been something she'd done or said. Maybe it was when they were ordering snacks and Umi requested they not get anything with cheese - the smell was still turning her stomach.

When Fuu and Hikaru stepped up to the screen to sing a duet, Kuu slid over. "When did things get so serious with your boyfriend?" she asked, voice gentle.

"I don't know what you mean," Umi said, carefully.

Kuu nodded her head at the hand Umi had absently let rest on her middle. "If you used protection, it is highly unlikely that anything will happen," she said. "But I know it can be worrying after your first time. There are tests, if you think that would set your mind at ease."

Umi flushed, quickly moving her hand. Her first time hadn't made her fret at all - she'd been fine until Clef started worrying at her a month later. If she had been more concerned, maybe… well. "I know," she murmured, hoping Kuu would drop it.

"If you ever need to talk, I'll listen," Kuu said.

Swallowing hard, Umi nodded and turned back to watch the others. She wanted so much to tell Kuu everything, not just the watered-down version she'd told Mako and Huki. But to do that, Kuu would need to know about Cephiro, and Umi was pretty sure Fuu hadn't told her about that either - though Umi sometimes wondered just what Fuu's older sister had guessed over the past few years.

Once the thought was in her head, Umi couldn't shake it. When it was time for them all to head back to her house for the night, Umi caught Fuu's hands, pulled her to one side, and excitedly suggested an alternative sleepover arrangement. "We should take Kuu to Cephiro!"

"But your parents are expecting us?" Fuu said, slowly, but that wasn't an outright dismissal of the idea

Umi waved that concern off. "I have my mobile phone; I can let them know where we're going."

"Are you sure you're okay to do that?" Hikaru asked, coming over and looking slightly worried.

"It shouldn't be too much stress if we stay the night," Umi said. "Sleeping there would probably even give me a chance to recharge what it takes to travel. Clef did say that a decent night's rest in Cephiro would probably be better for me than resting at home."

Fuu gave her a measuring look. "And this has nothing to do with wanting to see Master Clef?"

"He's probably gone home, he usually does after Council meetings if we're not visiting and it was Council this afternoon," Umi argued. "Don't you want to be able to talk to Kuu about everything finally? And who better to give advice on how to tell your parents than your sister? It'll be fun!"

Fuu looked at Hikaru, who shrugged.

"May I ask, what exactly is Cephiro?" Kuu asked, having come close enough to overhear the not-that-subtle conference.

"It's complicated to explain," Umi answered. "I think we should just show you."

"Only if your parents agree that it's a good idea," Fuu said.

Umi rolled her eyes and dug through her bag for the phone to call home. Papa answered, momentarily worried that something had happened. Umi assured him that everything was fine and explained her suggestion to him. There was a pause as he went to confer with Mama, and she took the phone.

"Is there a way Hikaru and Fuu can take the weight of the spell?" Mama asked.

"Probably," Umi answered, hoping the good report from her doctor had actually allayed some of their worries.

"Let me talk to them."

Umi passed the phone to Fuu, who had a brief conversation before passing it on to Hikaru.

Hikaru promised "Yes, of course I will," before returning the phone to Umi.

Mama firmly said, "Don't stay up too late, and make sure you eat a decent meal before you come home."

"I will," Umi promised, rocking on her feet excitedly.

"And don't forget to ask Clef about Kyoto if you manage to see him," Mama reminded before her voice softened. "Have fun, Umi-dear."

Ending the call, Umi dropped the phone back into her bag and grinned at her friends. "Okay, you ready to go, then?"

Kuu wasn't that startled by stopping at Tokyo Tower, Fuu had brought her enough sweets from the concession stands over the last few years that she knew they had some connection with the place. But she was startled by the girls clasping her hands as they talked her through what she needed to do, and probably remained that way once they'd landed in the castle receiving hall, but Umi wasn't paying attention at that point.

Despite Hikaru and Fuu trying to take the brunt of the force, the spell had painfully ricocheted through Umi, leaving her with the now all too familiar headache. Umi closed her eyes and took a few slow deep breaths. The fidgety nervous feeling in her belly had returned and was making the headache-induced nausea even worse.

The other three asked if she was alright, and Umi just waved them off. "I'll be fine. I just need a sit-down and a cup of tea. Go - go show Kuu around. I can catch up."

"No. We're staying with you," Hikaru told her. "We promised your mother we wouldn't let you be alone."

"They worry too much," Umi grumbled. "Everything was fine when I saw my doctor."

No amount of protesting would get the others to leave so she could be sick and miserable on her own. They insisted on taking her up in the lift, so she wouldn't waste energy on walking halfway up the tower. Kuu spent the time holding tightly to Fuu's hand, eyes going a little wider every time someone said the word 'magic'.

When they reached Clef's rooms, Umi's heart picked up slightly. Opening the door, she also opened her mouth to call out a greeting, but the main room was dark. She hadn't actually expected him to be in, but that didn't stop a wave of disappointment so strong it left tears pricking at her eyes as it crashed down on her.

"Is this your apartment?" Kuu asked, as they walked in and Fuu took her over to one of the chairs by the window.

"Umi's, maybe," Hikaru laughed. "Ours is upstairs."

"I need the toilet," Umi muttered and left them to their own devices.

She leaned back against the door and gave up trying to stop the sudden flood of hot tears pouring over her cheeks.

Coming to Cephiro hadn't been about seeing Clef. That would have been a bonus, but she really had wanted to bring Kuu in on the fantastic, secret world the three of them shared. So why was she so upset?

A few minutes later, Hikaru knocked on the door. "Are you alright?" she asked, gently.

"I'm fine," Umi sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes. "I'll be out in a moment."

When she came back out, Fuu had two teapots - one large and one small - out on the worktop and the tea cupboard open. "Which tea is it you have?" she asked. "The kettle has just boiled. I know this one is our normal drink, but Master Clef keeps more varieties than I am familiar with."

Umi pulled down the tin and handed it to Fuu, then flopped into the nearest chair. She rubbed her hands over her face. Her head and her body ached. How long would it take before she was able to feel normal after the jump between worlds?

"You do not look well at all," Kuu said, looking rather shaken herself, though she smiled and wrapped her hands about the mug of tea Fuu handed her.

"It's just a nasty headache," Umi said. "The tea's a headache remedy. I'll be better after I have some."

Hikaru sighed. "Umi has a magical injury from using too much power a few months ago."

"Which is why Master Clef asked us not to leave you after you make the leap." Fuu brought over the tea tray.

Umi looked up at her. "I thought that was my parents."

Hikaru poured a cup of tea from the little pot and held it out to Umi. "Clef asked us too. When you were ill last week."

"Clef's a worrier," Umi said, taking the cup.

"Who is this Master Clef?" Kuu asked as she was handed a cup of tea by Fuu. "Is this tea we are helping ourselves to his?"

"He's Umi's husband," Hikaru announced, cheerfully. "But he's more a politician than a businessman."

Kuu looked over at Umi, and Umi shrugged. "I never said I wasn't married. He just happens to be a wizard from another world. Though, his fake passport says he's British."

"And your parents approve of this?"

"They want me to be happy. They've met him - they got the passport and the documents so we could get married." Umi took another drink of her tea and let out a relieved sigh as the sharp edge of the headache began to recede. She curled tighter in the chair and focused on emptying her cup.

"Did you give any thought to our sleeping arrangements for tonight?" Fuu asked after a moment. "I assume you weren't planning to stay down here alone."

It wouldn't be very polite to make Kuu share a bed with any of them. Besides Fuu's sleep-tickling and Hikaru's sleep-adventuring, Umi was waking up twice a night to use the toilet. Maybe she'd have stayed down here if Clef was around, but not on her own. Besides, it was a sleepover. That meant everyone at least trying to fall asleep in the same place.

There was another option.

"We could take another bed upstairs," Umi suggested.

"I don't think we should borrow Clef's bed," Hikaru said. "What if he does come back tonight? He might just be stuck in some meeting - everyone's been so busy lately."

"I didn't mean that one," Umi laughed. "There's a single bed in the spare room. If we store it in a gem, we can get it upstairs easily."

"One of us could go upstairs to get a gauntlet," Fuu said, glancing at Hikaru.

"You don't have to. I have some bracelets here that would work fine." Umi gestured toward the bedroom. "There are also extra toothbrushes and things in the dressing room. I can go get one." She moved to get up, but both Hikaru and Fuu waved her back into the chair.

"We'll get them. Where are they?" Hikaru said.

"Bracelets are in the little jewellery box on the right bedside table, and toothbrushes are in a basket on one of the shelves, I think."

Hikaru headed for the open bedroom door, and Fuu left the other way to the dressing room, leaving Umi with Kuu and the tea. Umi reached for the little pot, but Kuu picked it up.

"Allow me."

Umi sat back with her tea and waved Hikaru toward the little bedroom when she reappeared with one of the bracelets Umi had worn to Ouran's ball..

"Hey, Kuu," Hikaru called as she touched the door handle. "Do you want to see something cool?"

"What is it?" Kuu asked, getting up.

Umi let out a soft laugh remembering just how weird it was when their weapons first disappeared into the gems of their gauntlets. Then she remembered there wasn't just a bed in that room and scrambled to her feet, nearly dropping her cup as she hastily tried to set it aside to follow.

"Oh, wow! How cute!" Hikaru exclaimed as she disappeared through the doorway. She was holding up a delicately embroidered baby dress when Umi caught up to them. "These are adorable."

Kuu looked less than excited about the pile of baby things. She turned to Umi with concern. "Are your parents aware this person is expecting you to have a child soon?" she asked.

"Why does everyone keep jumping to conclusions?" Umi complained. "Our baby's due in May, so he's just being prepared." She took the dress out of Hikaru's hands and put it back on top of the other things, as Kuu suddenly eyed her figure again, eyes widening. "Can we get the bed and go upstairs, please?"

Hikaru nodded and slid the bracelet on her wrist before reaching out.

Kuu let out a gasp as the bed dematerialised in a swirling flash. She stared at the empty space where it had been. "How?"

"Magic," Umi said. "I can't get Clef to explain the physics of it to me. He keeps saying I need to understand more of the base theory first. Oh! Nightgown!" She bolted from the room before Kuu recovered enough to start asking questions about the baby and hurried into the dressing room to get one of Clef's spare nightshirts off the shelf.

Fuu was tidying up after them, putting the cups and teapots in the sink.

"Don't worry about washing them," Umi said. "The cleaners will do that. Let's get upstairs before your sister starts asking any questions about the baby."

On the way out, Umi stopped by the table, pulled the baby book pouch out of her handbag, and left the newest ultrasound printout down in place of a note.

.*.*.*.

Presea caught Clef on his way out of the meeting. "Don't think I've forgotten about that book you've been hoarding," she said. "I'm not letting you disappear off to Mazda for half a week without handing it over. You've had it long enough."

"Obviously not long enough to read it," Clef said with a laugh. "You'll have to come up to my rooms with me if you want it. I doubt I would remember to bring it down to breakfast tomorrow."

"Oh no. Whatever shall the busybodies think about that?"

"Whatever they want, I don't care." Clef glanced at her. "Thank you for speaking up earlier about the duty to teach."

"Catera might be pissed off she's stuck here overnight, but if she's taking it out on the rest of us, she should at least get her facts straight." Presea shrugged, as they made their way up the central spiral.

Clef reached out to his door and stopped. He'd expected the cleaners to have been in earlier in the afternoon, but the last signature on his door was Umi. His breath caught slightly in his chest as his heart-rate picked up in the sort of giddy enthusiasm. He pushed open the door and let out a disappointed sigh when there was no one waiting to greet him.

Stumbling out of his boots, he hurried across the room. It was late, perhaps she'd gone to bed.

The bedroom was unfortunately just as empty as the main room. He turned and took another glance about the living room, his eyes alighting on the bit of paper in the centre of the table.

"Everything alright?" Presea asked, a sudden reminder he wasn't alone.

"I - yes. Yes, of course." Clef strode over to the table and picked up the little image. He traced a fingertip over the features of the tiny face. "Everything's fine."

Presea peered over his shoulder. "What's that?"

Clef let out a huff of laughter. "Treason," he said and handed the picture over, so Presea could see.

Shrugging off his outer robe, Clef draped it over the back of the nearest dining chair and turned to the kitchenette in mild confusion before walking over to put on the kettle while he tried to remember what he was actually going to do.

"Is this your baby?" Presea asked. She stared even harder at the paper in her hands when Clef nodded. "How do they print that?"

"There's some sort of technology they use in Umi's country that works like the spells to monitor the baby's growth," Clef said and gave a little shrug. "I don't know too much about it except it's apparently a little… uncomfortable in the first month or so."

"You shouldn't leave this sort of thing laying about," Presea said, handing it back.

"I didn't. This is a new one." Clef smiled down at the picture. "Umi's been here this evening."

"I thought the girls weren't coming this week?"

"They weren't supposed to be. But I think they're here now." Clef glanced up at the ceiling and then back to the nearly boiling kettle. "Would it be strange to take some tea up to them?"

Presea stared at him. "You don't need an excuse to see your partner, Clef."

"Yes, I know, but - but what if she wanted to spend time with her friends, not a stodgy old man like me."

"I think Umi would like to see you. She wouldn't have been here if she didn't," Presea said, taking a step forward and gently flicking the picture. "Now, where have you been hiding that book?"

"It's in my study, you can go look for it." Clef waved a hand in permission, and Presea disappeared into the next room

Clef found his largest teapot had been left dirty in the sink along with four cups instead of the usual three. He bit back the impulse to ask Presea if it would be considered more of an intrusion if they had a guest, but he knew perfectly well that if roles were reversed, Umi would come see him without hesitation. He just wasn't Umi.

His hands were still covered in soapy water when Presea called him from the other room. Grabbing a towel, he tried to dry them before going to see what she wanted. Hopefully, she hadn't toppled that stack of papers in the corner, he hadn't thought to warn her about the lack of structural integrity. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if Caldina was actually being helpful." Presea held up a sheaf of paper. "I recognise her handwriting."

"Yes, she has been. Especially when it comes to piecing in the missing accounts; Sandero is full of gratitude."

"But is she being civil?"

"So long as we avoid being alone together." Clef let out a hollow laugh and shook his head. It wasn't like he really disagreed with Caldina. It was entirely his fault that Umi had been put into such a complicated position. "She's mostly been dealing with Sandero directly, I didn't know she was doing half of this. But did you find the thrice-cursed book, or are you just going through my paperwork?"

Holding up the novel, Presea grinned at him.

"I can have another chat with Caldina," she offered, setting down the accounts and walking toward the door. She took the towel from him and dried the cups while he made a fresh pot of tea. "They must have brought Fuu's sister with them, I think their little party was today."

Clef looked up. "Fuu's sister?"

"Four cups," Presea said, setting the last down on the tray.

"Ah, yes. I noticed that. Are you sure-"

"I'll go up with you," Presea told him, and reached up to the cupboard and pulled down two more cups for them. When Clef put the lid on the teapot, Presea tucked the book onto the edge of the tray and picked it. "Come on then. Let's go see our friends."

.*.*.*.

The brightest of smiles boomed on Umi's face when Clef walked in with Presea, melting his worry that she wouldn't want to see him. Umi patted the empty space beside her.

"I thought you'd gone back to Mazda," Umi said.

"I had a meeting." Clef smiled. "And you weren't supposed to be here."

"There was a slight change of plans." Umi grinned back at him.

Clef reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Umi's ear, a thinly-veiled excuse to touch her. The soft wash of power that flowed from her skin at the brush of his fingers was reassuring. "You're feeling better, I take it?"

Umi nodded. "Yeah."

"And the little one?" Clef glanced down.

"I had a good report from my doctor this week," Umi told him proudly, a warm flush in her cheeks that he could feel as she leaned into his hand. "We're both doing just fine."

Clef had to bite back the nearly overwhelming, desire to kiss her. He huffed out a soft laugh at his ridiculousness and dropped his hand. "So there's no reason you couldn't clean up after yourself?" He poked her in the shoulder, doing his best to feign disappointment.

"How else would you know I'd been to see you?" Umi shrugged, her smile only grew wider.

Clef pulled the little picture she'd left out of his ring. "I should have thought this made it rather obvious."

Umi snorted out a laugh. "I'm guessing you didn't notice we took the bed too."

"You what?" Clef blinked at her.

"The bed." Umi pat the mattress they were sat on. "We borrowed it. Hope you don't mind."

"Huh. So you did," Clef said, looking down at the familiar blue coverlet. "Of course I don't mind."

"Well, it seemed a bit rude to make Kuu share with any of the three of us." A fresh blush of pink coloured Umi's cheeks. "Right. I forgot to introduce Fuu's sister, Kuu. Kuu, this is Clef."

A flush heated Clef's face as he was also reminded they weren't alone. He turned to find four amused faces watching him over cups of tea. Hikaru murmuring sideways to Kuu, "You should see them when they argue. The baby's not actually that surprising."

"Nice to meet you," Clef said with a nod.

Kuu smiled all too brightly at him. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh! Tea!" Umi exclaimed. "Did you bring snacks too?"

"How can you possibly still be hungry?" Fuu asked.

Umi rubbed her belly. "It takes a lot of energy to grow another person."

"I didn't even think to bring anything." Clef sighed and moved to get up, but he paused when Presea drew something out of the gem of her headband - a few paper packets of biscuits and a jar of spiced preserve.

Hikaru practically bounced as she said, "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"I'm sure that's not the only one," Presea grinned back before passing one of the packets to Umi with the jar. "So, what was it that you girls were giggling about when we came in?"

"We were discussing baby names," Kuu said.

Umi laughed, nearly choking on the crunchy biscuit. "No, Hikaru was giving 'suggestions'," she muttered around her mouthful. "And they were awful."

"It's a little early to be talking about names, don't you think?" Clef asked. "It's only been fourteen weeks."

Swallowing, Umi stared at him. "I'm sixteen weeks along," Umi argued.

With a quick count back on his fingers to make sure he hadn't misremembered, Clef shook his head. "It's only been fourteen weeks since conception. Or thirteen, in the old way of counting."

"That's not how you count it." Umi crossed her arms.

"That's how we count things here. I don't know where you get those two extra weeks, but either way, it's still a month too soon to be making plans."

Umi wrinkled her nose. "Well, I'm sixteen weeks - nearly seventeen weeks - how we count in Tokyo, which means I'm almost out of the danger window. Mama and I are going to the shrine next Sunday to pray for a safe delivery." She fixed her eyes on him. "Because it will be time to start planning."

Taking a deep breath in, Clef let it out slowly. "Here, you traditionally wait until eighteen weeks from conception. Halfway."

"And yet you have all those baby things downstairs." Umi dipped one of the little round biscuits into the jar of preserves then shoved it into her mouth.

"Things I haven't even touched since Aveo sent them over." He was several centuries too old to be concerned with 'bad luck' but there wasn't much else he could do while Umi was carrying the full weight of what they'd done. "Those already existed. I didn't go out and get them, they're family items."

Umi opened her mouth to respond but Presea raised her voice.

"In my family," she said, "we start making plans after quickening. Have you felt the baby move yet, Umi?"

Chewing more slowly, Umi looking down. "I - I don't know." She pressed a hand to her belly. "I mean, my insides have been feeling kind of fluttery and weird lately."

"Fluttery, how?" Presea asked with interest. "My sister always said it felt like a little fish swimming around inside her at first."

"I didn't know you had a sister," Hikaru said, quietly.

"She's dead." Presea looked at her cup of tea. "But I have several nieces and nephews - if you manage to get to Festival next year, I can introduce you to a couple of them, they've promised we're having a bit of a family reunion."

Hikaru reached over and lay her hand on Presea's arm. "I'd like that," she said. "And I think we're all planning on being at Festival all three days, if we can."

After a moment, Umi said, "Well, I'm sure whatever I'm feeling is probably just gas or nerves or something. I mean there's plenty of stuff in the papers to be stressed about."

"Stuff in the papers?" Clef sat up straighter. He didn't think Umi knew about the pamphlets questioning his fitness to be Guru that were circulating.

"Someone caught Umi filing her marriage form and made up a complicated story about her parents selling her off for the rights to a foreign business," Hikaru explained.

Fuu nodded. "The whole story is printed in one of the big gossip magazines."

"And it feels like everyone is talking about it," Umi sighed, tucking her feet up under her. "The most annoying part of the whole thing is that they used the photos of me and Huki from the party last year - you know the one. And they've gone and made it sound like I've broken his heart by marrying someone else. Obviously, you aren't some nasty old businessman, and it's not like Huki really cares, but he keeps calling up to tell me how utterly devastated he is. While cackling."

Letting out a huff of a laugh, Clef gave Umi's hand a squeeze. "If it makes you feel any better, there seems to be an assumption that you're my student."

"Only a few people actually seem to believe that," Presea argued. "And Sandero taking responsibility for Umi's training will assure most of them."

Umi's grip on Clef's hand tightened as she turned toward him. "What's she talking about?"

"Ah," Clef said, running his free hand through his hair. "I may have secured you a tutor."

"A tutor?" Umi sat up on her knees.

Unable to stop himself grinning, Clef said, "Well I did say I'd get you your education."

Personal space disappeared as Umi moved toward him excitedly asking questions like "When can I start?", "Who is this Sandero?", and "Do I know them?"

"I think you've met," Clef answered. "And you know perfectly well that you're not going to begin formal training until you've moved. No matter how many times you ask."

"What if I ask very nicely?" Umi slid her fingers into his hair and moved in closer.

The cool chill of her magic against his scalp sent Clef's heart racing and he struggled to catch his breath. A slight tilt of his head was all it would take to kiss her, and there was nothing else he'd rather be doing.

A stifled cough brought Clef crashing back to the present, and he carefully pulled himself away from temptation.

"It's not as if you two have ever acted like master and student," Presea said, shaking her head.

Hikaru burst out giggling. "Umi's been shouting at you since we first met."

Presea waved the novel as she said, "I think some people have just been reading too many romance novels."

"What's that book about?" Hikaru asked.

"It's just a little love story, that someone has been holding hostage for three months," Presea said, handing the volume over.

Clef crossed his arms, grateful for a shift change of topic. "I had every intention of finishing it. I simply hadn't managed to yet."

"Which is why you should have returned it, instead of keeping the only copy in the castle library when some of us have been waiting for it to be returned."

Umi poked Clef in the shoulder. "Are you hoarding books again?"

"I do not hoard books."

"Of course not." Umi nodded and then turned to her friends. "He has a mountain of books as tall as me on his bedside table."

"You'd know." Hikaru laughed.

The conversation continued on for perhaps another hour until Umi had gone from giggling to stifling yawns as she sank heavily against Clef's side.

"We should probably go, and let you girls get some sleep," Presea said.

While Clef agreed, he was reluctant to leave. Then Umi clutched at his tunic as he moved, keeping him firmly in place. "I'll see you at breakfast, right?" she asked.

"Of course." Clef dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well."

Presea practically dragged him out of the room. Once the door was firmly shut, she hit Clef on the arm with the book. "Do you have no self-control?"

He pulled a rueful face. "If I did, Umi wouldn't be pregnant, would she."

.*.*.*.

Umi sat on the end of her bed and rubbed her hands over her face for a third time. Her bladder might have woken her, but it was most definitely the rainstorm that was now keeping her awake.

Proper downpours rarely happened on their weekend visits, but when they did Umi was left feeling overwhelmingly restless. The sudden charge to her magic was like a rush of caffeine. An overflow of energy was perfectly fine during the day, when afternoons could be spent running about and getting into mischief with her friends. At night, when she should be sleeping, it was infuriating.

The wind gusted, whistling against the window, and Fuu rolled over and grumbled in her sleep. She still didn't wake up. None of the other girls did.

A shiver ran up Umi's spine as the rain pelted even harder against the windows. She wanted nothing more than to feel that cool spray on her skin as she danced under the clouds - an impulse she'd only given into once, over a year ago.

Flopping back, Umi dragged a pillow over her face to stifle a loud groan.

She really should be sleeping. She'd promised her mother. But there was no possible way she was going to get back to sleep right now.

On a normal visit, she'd go down and visit Clef. They'd had a few long conversations over a pot of tea during late-night storms. Those visits had ended with him giving her a potion and sending her back up to bed once the worst was past. But if she went to find Clef tonight, she wouldn't want to come back up here, and the other girls were bound to tease her about vanishing.

Still, going to visit her husband was probably better than running about in the rain in the middle of the night.

Umi threw herself out of bed, grabbed a dressing gown, and slipped out of the room.

She was so used to finding Clef in his office, she wondered if he might not even be in. It felt weird being at his rooms this time of night, but the moment she touched the door it swung gently open, welcoming her in.

The lights of the main room only came on the slightest amount as she stepped in. Maybe Clef was asleep? But the bedroom door was open, and Clef normally slept with it shut. Umi stood still trying to decide what to do.

The door closed behind her with a click just as a voice in the dark said "I wondered if you'd come", startling her so badly she shrieked.

With a clap, the lights came up to show Clef sitting in one of the tall-backed chairs by the window, blinking at her.

"Don't do that!" Umi crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Clef said, but there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. "There's tea, if you want it."

There was a cup waiting beside the teapot. The warming charm laid over the pot made the handle buzz slightly in Umi's hand as she poured it. She bit back a grin.

He'd left it for her.

She took a sip as she walked toward the window, pulling a face. "Ugh, flowers," she complained, and then forced herself to drink a little more of the tea. It would hopefully settle her magic, even if it did taste terrible.

"Sorry. It's still the only sleep one I have that won't-" He sighed. "I'll try to get something else soon."

"It's fine." Umi perched on the arm of his chair and stared out the window

Lightning flashed across the sky, and the air about them prickled with Clef's magic. It had never occurred to her that storms probably affected Clef too.

A sudden jolt of magic crackled between them as Clef reached out to touch the small of her back.

"Forgive me," Clef said, pulling his hand back. "Storms, you know."

Umi caught his hand. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care?"

"It's not quite the same as that," Clef argued, trying to take his hand back.

The surge that accompanied the next lightning flash stole Umi's breath away, but she held firmly. Clef looked up at her, eyes almost unnaturally bright. The sweep of his thumb across her wrist made Umi shiver.

Umi looked from Clef to the half-empty cup of tea in her other hand before leaning across Clef to set the cup on the little side table beside Clef's. As she sat back up, Clef brushed his lips softly against her cheek. Bracing herself against the back of the chair, Umi turned to kiss him properly. The burst of power that rushed through her left her trembling so hard she needed to hold on to his chair with both hands until the surge passed.

Clef's fingers tangled in her hair and shifted in his chair. His other hand slid up her back with the sharp snap of electricity that was building with every lightning burst outside as the storm grew closer. That same jolt left Umi gasping when his mouth found her neck, and she slid off the arm of the chair and into his lap.

Clef breathlessly murmured "Come to bed with me?"

"I'm pretty comfortable here," Umi declared, sliding a hand under the hem of his nightshirt. She didn't see any reason to move. "And we've not used this chair before."

Letting out a laugh that tickled Umi's neck, Clef pulled back to look at her. "I'd rather not chance a fall right now, but I'll do anything you like next year."

"Is that a promise?"

"Of course."

Umi didn't stop herself kissing Clef as they stumbled out of the chair together. And she continued to catch his lips as he drew her toward his bedroom.

As the lightning flashes grew more frequent, so did the bursts of sparks from Clef's touch. They lit up his fingers as he traced them over Umi's skin. Every touch was magnified by it, making Umi's heart race and her breath catch.

It was definitely a better way to deal with the magic excess than tea and a potion.

Afterward, they lay tangled together catching their breath as the storm moved further down the coast. Clef absently stroked Umi's hair, his touch still crackling slightly against her skin. It would have been so nice to just drift to sleep like that, but Umi had to get up. She moved to crawl out of bed and Clef caught her arm.

"Don't go," he said. "Please stay the night."

Umi pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm just going to the toilet; I'll be back in a moment."

She tapped on the bedside light and picked up one of the nightshirts off the floor. She couldn't remember which was the one she borrowed - not that it really mattered.

When she returned a few minutes later, it had obviously been too long. Clef was sitting on the side of the bed staring down at the nightshirt in his hands, looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Umi asked.

"Do you ever think of me as your teacher?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Of Sex? No, I learned what I know from books. You were just practical experience," Umi teased, poking his shoulder.

Yanking his nightshirt over his head, Clef gave an exasperated sigh. "Of magic!"

Umi sat down beside him. "You taught us how to access it, and you mostly answer our questions, but I've always thought of you as a grumpy upperclassman." She studied his face. "Why do you suddenly care tonight?"

Clef shook his head and sighed, climbing under the covers. "Don't worry about it."

"What is it? Something must have happened." Following him across the bed, Umi poked his shoulder again.

"With what happened in Arnage-" Clef cut himself off.

"What happened?" Umi asked. She couldn't remember where Arnage was in the new Cephiro, but she wasn't sure if that mattered.

The look that passed over Clef's face as he turned back to her was heartbreaking. "An instructor was coercing one of his students into a sexual relationship."

Umi stared at him. She'd always enjoyed reading stories with secret relationships between students and their favourite teachers, but those were always consensual - and very fictional. Umi sat back against the headboard. "What's been done about it?"

"He's been arrested, of course." Clef closed his eyes. "Rank and power stripped, and he'll be in gaol for a very long time. We're sorting out the mess he made of an entire ward's paperwork trying to hide various bits of corruption, and making changes to the safeguarding practices across all guilds."

"And what about the student?"

"She's continuing her training elsewhere, and she should be having regular counselling with the priests, but it shouldn't have happened to start with." Clef angrily shook his head.

Pressing a hand to her belly - the irritable fluttery feeling was back - Umi asked, "Would it be better if you didn't come with me to Chizeta?"

Clef let out a hollow laugh. "I'm obligated to go even if you don't, actually."

"What?"

"Your friend wrote such a good invitation, I have no choice but to visit - whether or not you're declared fit to travel."

"So, I need to do my best to be healthy enough."

Clef wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Which means you should sleep."

"Not until you've stopped fretting," Umi tugged him with her out of bed. "I'll put the kettle on. Do you have any snacks?"

.*.*.*.

Despite the few hours he actually managed to sleep, Clef woke feeling not exactly well-rested, but more relaxed than he had in several weeks.

He and Umi had talked until first light. They discussed everything that had happened with Corvair and the utter disaster of records that had been left in the wake of his arrest; Umi complained to him in detail about all the things that people were saying about her in Tokyo, and then declared very firmly that he had never been in a position of power or influence over her. Everything he had given her or promised her, she knew she could have got for herself, if she really wanted to. Everything but, well. Him.

Even if it would have taken a bit of work and some careful business dealings to buy herself quite as many ridiculous outfits as he'd put together.

In some ways it hadn't been very different from any of their usual late-night conversations, yet, at the same time, it wasn't at all the same; when they were both falling asleep, Umi hadn't left.

Clef rolled over and Umi grumbled beside him as the mattress shifted. She lay curled tightly on her side with an arm flung over her eyes against the light pouring through the window. How he wanted to stay here, just drowsing with her, but he had work he ought to be getting on with.

And she needed sleep more than he did.

Carefully extracting himself from the bed, Clef went to have a quick shower.

He'd dressed, taken delivery of Umi's belongings from an amused Hikaru, and put together some breakfast for them by the time Umi surfaced.

She flopped onto the settee and stifled a large yawn.

"Do you need to go back to sleep?" he asked.

Umi grimaced. "No. I need to get dressed and go find the others." She turned to look out the window. "I didn't mean to sleep so late."

"I didn't mean to keep you up so late," Clef said. "Hikaru's been by and brought your clothes - they're on the chair. She and the others should be in the gardens when you're ready to meet them." He scooped the porridge into two bowls and carried them to the table. "Come eat. I'm sure you're hungry again."

Umi pulled a face at him, but didn't argue. She'd eaten what was left of his stash of snacks last night, and he'd nearly thought he'd have to go down to the all-night canteen near the Guard rooms to find something else for her before they went back to bed. Considering how enthusiastically she tucked into her porridge, she was just as hungry as he'd assumed.

"I'm probably eating too much," Umi complained. "I'm getting so big now I had to borrow my mother's dress last night because none of mine fit."

"That just means the baby's still growing well."

"Maybe, but I don't know what I'm going to take to Chizeta if nothing I have fits by then."

"You have plenty of clothes here," Clef reminded her.

"We may be going to visit a couple of princesses, but I hardly think we're going to be constantly attending fancy parties." She held up a hand. "And don't say all that stuff's not that formal. Everything has some sort of elaborate decoration; it's hardly simple clothing for relaxing on holiday. I can't even get most of it on by myself; it's too complicated."

Clef's lip twitched as he fought back the grin and any number of the terrible joke he was tempted to make about being just as capable of getting her into her clothes as he was at getting her out of them.

Instead of innuendo, he offered another solution. "We could get you some other things while we're away."

"What happened to not wanting me to feel like I owed you something for all the things you've given me?" She shook her head. "I'm going shopping next week. I'm not sure what I'll find for hot weather in December, but I'm sure -" She stopped and looked over at him, spoon halfway to her mouth. "I almost forgot. I'm supposed to ask if you could possibly take another week off after Chizeta."

Going over that week in his head, Clef pulled a face. "I could probably manage a few days, if you have a pressing reason to have me in Tokyo?"

"Not exactly Tokyo," Umi said, dropping her spoon back into her bowl. "Granny wants to meet you. She invited you to stay over New Year."

Looking at her rueful expression, Clef said "I'm assuming this is less an invitation and more an obligation?"

Umi nodded. "She's - well, the head of the family. And she doesn't know anything about Cephiro, so you'd have to pretend you were just a regular foreigner,"

"We can sort the details later," Clef assured her. "After you eat."

Once they finished breakfast, Umi disappeared into the bathroom and Clef went to his study to make a note in his diary about attempting to book off some more time. He dropped into his chair and stared at the jumbled mess of meetings that filled that week.

He wasn't the only person in charge of the Guild restructure. It wouldn't be a disaster if he took two weeks instead of one of what was likely a century's worth of holiday time he was now likely owed. Enough people complained that he was terrible at maintaining a healthy work-life balance that they should be pleased he was starting to take time off.

Umi appeared a short while later, freshly clean and smelling faintly of shampoo. She crossed her arms and glared down at the report in Clef's hand. "Are you working on your day off?"

"You're off to show your friend about the castle," he countered. "I have things I didn't finish last night because I had an unexpected visitor."

"Nobody made you stay upstairs with us for hours." Umi grabbed his hand. "But I am going to make you come with us this afternoon. We need a knowledgeable tour guide."

Clef was tempted to argue that Ferio would likely be better suited to the title "Tour Guide" given his job description, but he was more than happy for the excuse to spend another few hours in Umi's company before she returned to Tokyo for the next fortnight.

Hopefully, she was well enough to travel then, because he'd rather not have to spend a week in Chizeta without her.

But if he did, no one could stop him buying her as many presents as he felt like.

.*.*.*.

to be continued...