"Pregnant!" Naki sputtered, swinging his head to stare at Eto with mouth agape. "So why's there three?"
"Simple," the nurse said. "Twins."
"Twins," Naki said slowly. "So, two babies in her tummy?"
"Yes Naki, two babies," the nurse said. "Congratulations."
"Come grab asians?" he asked, cocking his head.
"Oh, um," Nijuhachi said, rubbing her neck. "No. I meant I'm happy for you."
"Why?"
"Well," the nurse said. "You're going to be a father."
"They're mine?" Naki screeched.
Ju San started laughing. "N-no no no!" she said, doubled over. When she caught her breath she corrected the nurse. "They're not Master Naki's kids."
Nijuhachi looked confused. "They're not…" she pointed at Eto and Naki.
Ju San giggled and shook her head.
"But doesn't he go sleep in the same bed as her every…"
Ju San shrugged. "They ain't his."
"O—oh," the nurse stammered. "I'm sorry Master Naki, they're not yours. Master Naki?
The blond ghoul was down on his knees, talking to Eto's stomach.
"I'll name you Yamori," he crooned.
Eto said nothing. Ever since the nurse had 'diagnosed' her condition, she had been staring at the wall, eyes wide yet blank.
"Eto," Nijuhachi said. "The heartbeat develops after 3 to 4 weeks. So, whoever you were having relations with then was the father."
Eto stared at the wall, eyes unblinking. Something deep within her had cracked. She was completely motionless, like one of the many marble statues that adorned Naki's mansion. The only sign she was not a wax figure was the slight rise and fall of her chest.
"Eto?" Ju San said softly.
The half ghoul did not move. The servant gently placed her hand on her shoulder, and Eto lurched.
Snapped from her trance, she stared and the three ghouls around her with mournful eyes. Her eyes were like glass, like her very existence could shatter with the lightest brush.
Eto slowly stood up. "I'm going to my room," she said, and left without another word.
Eto opened the large door and stepped into her room. The bed was torn apart. She sighed and curled up under the sheets.
"Pregnant," she said to herself. "Juuzou's… children. I'm going to have his children."
What would she do? Could she go back to Aogiri? How 'ghoul' exactly would the children be?
All of these questions swirling through her mind was to much. Eto decided she would feel better if she slept some of her stress off, and that's what she did.
When she awoke, it was dark. The clock read 10:51 p.m. Moonlight poured in from the open balcony doors, and a man stood outside, leaning on his elbows on the balcony railing. The full moon made his white suit almost glow in the moonlight, and his nicely combed blond hair looked almost silver.
"Naki," Eto croaked.
The man turned his head, and quickly wiped away the tears that were running down his face. He shuffled inside and over to the bedside. He hung his head and bit his lip.
"You're having the doves babies?" he asked.
Eto sighed. That was the question she had been asking herself. But deep inside, she knew the answer. "Yes."
Naki sniffled. "Wh—what are you gonna do?
"I don't know," Eto said quietly.
Naki was silent, and he rocked on his feet the way he did when there was something he wished to say.
"Naki, what do you want to tell me?"
He blushed. "When you have the babies," he said. "I—I can help you. Take care of them. I could be like their…" he trailed off.
"Thank you, Naki," Eto said. closing her tired eyes.
Naki nodded and began to walk out of the room.
"For everything," she finished. He looked over his shoulder at her and gave the half ghoul a tearstained smile. He then closed the door, and his footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Eto laid away for two hours. She didn't want to continue to stay at the mansion; Naki had done enough for her. And the children— they did not deserve to be thrust into Aogiri the way they would be. They would be more human than ghoul.
Eto sighed. She knew what she had to do. The half ghoul allowed herself to lay in bed for one more hour. She listened to her own heartbeat, and the two smaller ones.
She thought about Suzuya. Sure, he might be gone… But in a way she still had a little part of him with her.
When the clock read 2:17, Eto climbed from her bed. She pulled her suitcase out of the closet and stuffed her belongings into it. She tugged it outside to the balcony. She looked over the railing at the vine covered trellis. Below her was a courtyard with statues, fountains, and flowers.
She took a deep breath, and tossed her bag over the railing. It landed on the ground below with a loud thud. Eto winced, and looked around at the dark mansion to see if the sound had awakened anyone. No lights flicked on.
Eto's hands trembled. She took one last look at the mansion, and descended down the trellis. She struggled to grasp the rungs, vines catching in her hair, eventually, her feet hit the ground.
She grabbed her bag and walked quietly across the courtyard. On the other side was two giant pine doors. From her balcony view, Eto knew that if opened, they would lead to a path through some woods and then into the outside world.
She neared the doors, and then halted. A figure, cloaked by the darkness, stood in the shadows next to the door.
"Eto," the figure said, speaking.
"Wh—who are you?" Eto stuttered.
The figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a teenaged girl, with messy brown hair and bangs. Her round brown eyes were cold.
"Ju San," Eto breathed.
"Where are you going?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Eto sighed. "I can't stay here anymore. Naki's been so good to me but… I just can't."
Eto cringed, waiting for Ju San to holler for her master. But she didn't.
"I understand," she said softly.
Eto was silent. She stared at this poor girl. She had been a servant all her life.
"Come with me," Eto said.
Ju San's eyes widened, shocked. "What?"
"Join Aogiri," Eto said. "If you are brought there by me, you can be a high ranked official. What type of kagune do you have?"
"R—rinkaku," Ju San stuttered.
"Come with me!" Eto said again, pulling at the girl's hand. "You're more than a servant!"
Ju San smiled. "Ya think so?"
"Yes!" Eto said.
"Then I'l—," she stopped mid sentence, and her smile faded and a sad look came onto her face. "I can't."
"What?" Eto asked, confused by the girl's sudden change.
Ju San hung her head. "I can't."
"Why not?" Eto asked. "I could teach you to fight! Well, maybe not me, but my friend Tatara has kagune like you! He can teach you! Why in the world would you want to stay here?"
"Master Naki," Ju San said meekly.
Eto examined the young girl's broken expression. "You love him?"
Ju San's eyes got cold, and she glared at Eto. "Don't toy around with words like love. You, of all people, should know that."
The nineteen year old girl's words hit Eto hard. However, she maintained her composure. She gave the servant a curt nod and opened up the heavy door. She stepped out of the courtyard and off of Naki's property. Ju San's cold eyes followed her. Eto picked up her bag and walked to the edge of the woods, stopping to look back at the mansion. Ju San still stood in the doorway. She gave her friend's home one last look, and then melted into the forest shadows.