Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh FD's.
Pink was never a good colour for Carly. It paled against her complexion, washed her out, and doesn't suit her at all, which was why she preferred blue, green, and orange to wear. The only time she wore pink was when she was a baby. Besides, it was a girly colour, and she wasn't much of a girly-girl.
Her lack of fondness for pink only increased by the sight of the two pink lines on the pregnancy test.
Her hands shook.
"How can this happen?" She shrieked, and then she blushed remembering a certain night between her and Jack Altas.
The best Valentine's Day of her life.
Still, the test could be wrong.
"Congratulations, you're ten weeks along! Now, when is it convenient for your next appointment?"
Now that the doctor had confirmed it, Carly wondered how to handle her pregnancy. There was a life inside of her. Another human being. The doctor told her gently he can refer her to an abortion clinic, though she wasn't sure just yet. She needed time to process the situation.
Does she abort it? Put it up for adoption? Raise it?
Who can she tell? All her closest friends were busy or lived faraway. And Jack…
...Jack...
"Jack deserves to be the first to know. It's his baby after all."
In her opinion, abortion, adoption or raising her baby didn't seem right without the second opinion of the father. She must let him know first.
Her hand reached for her phone, her fingers quickly pressing buttons and ears listening to the dial tone. Then her husky voice answered.
"Yeah?"
"Jack, we need to talk."
"Carly? W-Wha? W-W-Why we need to talk? What's wrong."
"I...just need to see you. As soon as possible."
"OK…let me sort out where and when, I'm kinda busy at the moment."
"Ok, then. Bye."
He made the plans, rather his secretary arranged a booking at a fancy restaurant. Carly wore her nicest dress while she sat at a table, patiently waiting for Jack to show up and listen to her news.
Time passed.
The candles died, the chatter descended, the wine bottle empty.
He never came.
She was asked to leave by closing time.
"Sorry, Carly. Something came up last night. I'll make it up to you. Bye."
He stood her up.
Odd. He sounded so concerned for her on the phone.
Despite the heartbreak and humiliation she suffered, Carly persisted in pursuing him to tell him of her pregnancy.
Countless times she attempted to tell him, but he outright refused to face her, giving her the 'too busy duelling' excuse.
She called him, she wrote letters, she texted him, she even went up to the arena where he was and bantered with his secretary.
"Mina, please. I need to see him."
"I'm sorry, Carly, but Jack made it clear that he doesn't want any distributions from anything and anyone unless its big news."
"But it is! I have to tell him that I'm-"
She stopped herself from blabbing.
"You're what?"
"He needs to know first."
"I'll put in a note to call you."
She never got the call.
Day bled into weeks. Weeks became months. Abortion wasn't an opinion anymore.
"I can't have a pregnant reporter waddling around!"
At three months, she started to show her baby bump. Her co-workers recognized the signs of pregnancy and word spread like wildfire, ultimately reaching the ears of her boss.
"You barely got interviews in the first place!"
She felt new feelings burning inside of her. She already disliked her boss since the first day on her job, but his brazen ranting lit a new flame within her chest, flaming throughout her body, setting off a blazing fire she never had before.
"That's it! You're fired!"
"You can't fire me! I QUIT!"
Blame her hormones to promote her to fight back and scare her ex-boss out of his skin.
She turned her back on him and stormed out of the office, co-workers stepping out of her way. But once she stepped out of the building, she broke down crying.
It was not just her hormones. It was the horrible realization that she was now jobless. And the fact that Jack was still ignoring her, no matter how hard she tried to break the news to him.
She can't stay if the father of her unborn child won't acknowledge them. She'll swell with the baby, all of her friends will know and Jack will learn from them and get angry why she hasn't told him earlier.
Another sad realisation. Jack Atlas only cared about himself.
All this stress was wielding down on her hard, which was unhealthy for her condition.
Only one option.
Leave Neo Domino.
Carly did the bold move to act on her idea.
She promoted herself as a freelance photographer in Josephville, two towns over from Neo Domino. It was a small town. She found a good apartment within walking distance to town. No need for her van so she sold it, getting a hefty payment for her future.
The side effects of her pregnancy were taking its toll on her. The fainting, the vomiting, the mood swings, the odd food carvings.
She ate pickles and strawberry ice cream on her own, alone at the table and broke down crying.
To deal with her loneliness and get support for her body and coming child, she joined a Lamaze class.
The room was filled with pregnant women like her, apart from the instructor. She took a mat beside another heavily pregnant woman who smiled at her. She was a pretty woman with smooth dark skin, black curly long hair, warm brown eyes and wearing a mauve long-sleeved top and grey sweatpants.
"Hi. I'm Louise."
Carly smiled back. "I'm Carly."
She made a new friend. Louise was a month earlier than her in her pregnancy. By the end of the class, the pair were planning to raise their children together as childhood best friends like Rugrats. Carly also met Louise's husband, Austin who offered her a ride.
Despite the good day, Carly felt lonely being the only pregnant woman in the Lamaze class with no husband, boyfriend, surrogate father, wife, or girlfriend.
"What a jerk, ignoring you like that."
"That's just how he is."
"But what if he comes back?"
"He won't. That Jack-Ass wanted no part in my life or my child's, he lost that right when I wanted to tell him, and he chose to turn away."
"But-"
"I said he won't. Now pass me the cherries."
For the next four months, Carly's new job as a freelance photographer was booming. A lot of magazines, newspapers and even businesspeople wanted photographs for their work. She found it to be better than being a reporter. The job paid more, taking photographs was much more relaxing, there was no stress, and she was her own boss, no more horrible bosses for her.
She enjoyed it.
Carly was in the park, taking pictures of everything she saw. People jogging, dogs walking on leashes, teenagers giggling on the benches, children having fun in the playground.
"If you were a guy hiding in the bushes, I would've thought you were a prevent."
Carly jumped. Turning around, she was immediately met with a woman smirking at her.
"How far along are you?"
Carly rubbed her stomach. "7 months."
"So, 2 more months of peace and quiet."
The woman pointed to the playground. "My kids are the ones swinging."
Carly followed her direction. There were three children on the swings, two boys and a girl. But they were different from each other and their mother. Different skin tones, different eyes, different face and body shapes, even different ethics.
"I know what you're thinking. No, they're not adopted. They have different fathers."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yep."
"You're not married?"
"Don't see the point, getting married to a man who knocked me up on the first date."
Memories of Jack came flooding back.
"My body is made to give birth, so I've done my job. I'm raising them by myself. They were unexpected but I wanted them all. I love them more the opinion of others who think I'm a bad mom just because I'm not married and been with more than one guy." The mother then saw one of her kids had fallen off the swing and was crying. "Hold on, sweetie, mommy's coming!"
She ran, leaving Carly in thought. Thought of remembering Jack.
RANG!
The phone rang shrilly, disturbing Carly from her nap. She scrambled to her swollen feet and answered it across the room.
"Hello?"
"Carly! Carly!"
"What the?"
The panicked voice belonged to her old boss. The boss who fired her for being pregnant.
(Granted, she quit as well but that was beside the point.)
"Thank God it's you! I'd spent weeks looking for you! Now listen, Jack Atlas has agreed to do an exclusive interview! He doesn't do interviews! This is gold!"
"Good for you. Now goodbye."
She almost hung up but her ex-boss kept talking.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Don't hang up! Didn't I tell you already? I need you back, big time!"
"Excuse me?"
"Jack will only do the interview if you're there! He only wants you!"
"I thought you said you didn't want a pregnant reporter waddling around."
"Well, I couldn't tell him that! I just said you're not working here anymore. I tried to refer other reporters to take your place, but he turned everyone down! If he can't have you, he doesn't want anyone else!"
"Well, I can't travel due to my condition, so sorry, the answer is no."
"Are you kidding me? You're gonna let this chance slip? You're letting me down again!"
"I no longer work for you. And there's if one thing I know, it's that life is not fair. Good. Bye."
She hung up, shutting up her monster of an old boss for good and sighed heavily. The call really stressed her out.
Besides, if Jack really wanted her, he should've looked for her himself. She secretly wished for him to show up at her door, begging on his knees for her forgiveness.
But she knew him.
He would never do that.
Against her better judgement, Carly called Aki.
In her defence, she wanted to see her friends again, even listen to their voices. It has been months since she saw any of them.
Including Jack.
The phone rang before it was answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Aki."
"Carly? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Where are you? Have you been kidnapped?"
"I wasn't kidnapped. I just...left."
"Well, ever since you left, Jack has been more ill-tempered than usual. He's grumpier, meaner, lazier."
"He's always grumpy, mean and lazy."
"He has gotten worse. He almost killed Crow! Literally! With his bare hands around Crow's throat! It was like you disappeared off the face of the earth. Why did you leave?"
"Jack...stood me up."
The memory stung.
"I know that hurts, but I don't get it. It can't be because of that. There's gotta be more. What's wrong?"
Carly rubbed her swollen stomach.
"I just...needed to be alone for a while."
"Why did you call if you wanted to be alone?"
"I wanted to hear your voice again."
"It's great to hear from you too."
"Doctor Izayoi, you're need in room 22!"
"I have to go. I'll call you later. Bye!"
"Bye."
The call hung up. Carly rubbed her stomach again.
She was heavy of 9 months when she received another phonecall.
"Hello?"
"Carly!"
"Mina?"
"Thank goodness you're alright! I never thought I would be so happy to hear your voice!"
"How did you get my number?"
"From Aki. Now down to business, I need your current address."
"Why?"
"I need to send you a ticket for Jack's duel."
"Jack's duel is coming up? I've forgotten about that."
"Usually you're Jack's biggest fan."
"Well, I decided to retire. Why be his biggest fan if he won't even acknowledge me? If Aki gave you my new number, Jack must've known, and he didn't call me at all himself?"
"He's busy training. This duel is a big deal. Besides, Aki said you needed space. Doctor's orders."
If only the doctor knew why she needed space.
"He really wants you here. Carly, please. Jack will kill me, like really kill me if I don't get your new address."
Carly sighed and gave Mina her current address.
"Thank you! Can't wait to see you soon! Bye!"
The call hung up. Carly numbly let her hand down, clutching the phone.
How lovely was it for her ex-lover's assistant contact her on his behalf.
At least she got the call.
7 months too late.
The ticket came in the mail a week later.
But Carly was in no condition to chase after Jack anymore. She was due in a fortnight so she can't travel.
The day came for Jack's highly publicised duel.
It was a cool November afternoon. Carly could not help herself from putting on the TV, listening the commercials roll on while she made a big sandwich of pickles and mayonnaise and a tall drink of cranberry juice. She barely sat down on the couch when she felt a pain just as Jack's televised duel came on.
Her drink crashed down on the floor, staining the tawny carpet in a great big spill. The baby always kicked like crazy over the weeks but today the kicks were harder.
She steadied herself from falling, groaning.
"Want to see your daddy duel?"
SPLASH!
She looked down. A puddle formed at her feet.
"Oh God. Of all days, you decide to come out today."
She could feel the contractions coming on.
She reached for her phone and called an ambulance, and then she called Louise.
"Louise, the baby is coming!"
"Now? But you're not due for another 3 days!"
"Well, the baby has other plans!"
"Austin, call for an ambulance!"
"I already did that. Just come to the hospital, please! I need the support."
"I'm on my way! Austin, get the car!"
Carly just sat in the couch, breathing deep throughout the contractions. But as she did so, her vision went blurry, and her skin sweated.
She didn't hear the paramedics opening her door and taking her to the hospital.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Ms Izayoi. This is St. Serenity's Hospital from Josephville. I am calling on behalf of Carly Carmine, she has listed you as her emergency number."
"She did? Is she ok?"
"Wait, Carly is in the hospital?"
"Alright, I'll be there! Take care of Carly!"
"Wai-"
"JACK! JACK!"
Crow ran down the hall, pushing pass eager fans in a hurry.
The stadium was filled with people awaiting the greatest duel of the decade.
"You blockhead, you can't go in there!" Mina cried too late as Crow literally crashed through the door to Jack's dressing room. The blonde was hunched over a table, looking at his cards.
"JACK!"
"What?" Jack snapped. He was already in a bad mood because Carly hadn't turn up today or even contact him at all, just as he didn't contact her. "Can't you see I'm busy? I spent a bloody year training for this day."
"But Jack, you gotta hear this! I just heard from Luna who heard from Leo who learnt from Yusei who overheard Aki-"
"Out with it!"
"CARLY'S IN THE HOSPITAL!"
Jack looked up, shocked. Then he stood up and left the room in a flash.
"Jack! Your duel!" Mina cried.
"Tell them I forfeit!"
"Get in the car!"
"WE'RE COMING, CARLY!"
"Wrong way!"
"This is the way to the hospital!"
"Not that hospital! The other one!"
"Where?"
"St. Serenity's!"
"That's in Josephville!"
"What's she doing there?"
Jack gripped the car seat in front of him, sitting in silence as everyone around him chattered.
So that where she was all this time...
I'm coming, Carly...
After driving for two hours, the gang burst through the doors of St. Serenity's Hospital.
Aki headed straight for the receptionist's desk.
"I'm Dr. Aki Izayoi. I've been listed as Carly Carmine's emergency contact. You told me you have her."
"Yes, she's in room 22."
"Where is it?"
"Down the second hall on your left."
As soon as the receptionist said it, everyone darted down the hall. Especially Jack.
"Don't run!"
Jack was in the lead, heading straight for room 22, just dead ahead.
"Wait, you can't go in here! They're prepping for surgery!"
He didn't listen to the cry as he barged through the door.
He didn't want to see Carly half-dead. He wanted the woman who was driving him crazy to be at least in a hospital bed with one of her limbs in a cast, hooked up to a monitor and laying in a state of unconsciousness.
She was in a hospital, she was being monitored, she sort of unconscious but he certainly wasn't expecting her stomach swollen to the size of a pumpkin.
He froze.
A dark-skinned couple was in the room with Carly, both sitting in chairs.
The woman gasped while the man stood up, demanding answers from Jack.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Jack ignored Austen, walking over to Carly's side, and taking her hand, eyes stuck on her ballooned stomach.
"Carly...Why didn't you tell me?"
"Jack!"
Jack's 'friends' burst through the door.
"Jack, is she- Whoa!"
Everyone stared at the pregnant woman lying in the hospital bed, holding hands with Jack, ignoring the other pregnant woman in the room.
"She's put on some weight." Crow said finally.
Misty immediately slapped him at the back of his head.
Mina gasped, shaking with the horrible guilt she realised she had.
"Mina, please. I need to see him."
"I'm sorry, Carly, but Jack made it clear that he doesn't want any distributions from anything and anyone unless its big news."
"But it is! I have to tell him that I'm-"
"You're what?"
"He needs to know first."
"I'll put in a note to call you."
"I'm so sorry, Carly…"
Carly's chest rose with each heavy breath she took. Her vision was still blurry, though she could see blurbs of white, yellow, and purple.
She only knew one person with that colour palette.
"Jack…?"
"I'm here, Carly."
"Why isn't she screaming curse words and telling Jack to never touch her again?" Leo quietly asked. "I imagine it's painful to push a baby out her v-"
"Ya think?" Luna retorted.
"Who are you?" Louise demanded, standing on the other side of Carly, and glaring at Jack.
The latter glared back. "Who are you?"
"I'm her best friend, now answer my question. Who are you?"
Jack was about to retort when doctors and nurses rushed in.
"Everyone, can you please leave?" One doctor ordered.
Everyone walked out as ordered. Everyone but Jack.
"Sir, you need to leave."
Jack tightened his grip as gently as he could on Carly's hand. He intensely watched her slipping in and out of consciousness.
"I'm not leaving her." He grumbled.
And he meant it.
"Sir, we need to operate on her, and we can't do that when you're in the way. Go outside so we can save her life. Please, leave."
"Come on, Jack." Yusei came back in the room and had to drag Jack away from Carly. Jack's eyes never left her until the door closed in his face. He just stared at the closed door while Aki went up to another doctor.
"I am a doctor and Carly is my friend. I was her emergency contact. Now what is wrong with her?"
"Dr Izayoi, as well as being 9 months pregnant, your friend has toxaemia." The other doctor explained.
Aki gasped. "Toxemia? Why would she have toxaemia? This isn't the 1960s!"
Luna made a bigger gasp as well when she looked up toxaemia on her phone. "Oh my God! She could die from that!"
"We're well equipped for this. We need to do a c-section."
"YOU'RE GONNA CUT HER OPEN?!" Everyone (but a frozen Jack) screamed.
"It's a very simple operation, although the toxaemia proved a problem. We'll let you on any update."
The doctor left, going into the room treating Carly. Her friends just stood in the hall. Jack was still staring at the door when Austin approached him.
"So, you're the Jack-Ass."
That made Jack switched his attention onto him. "Jack-Ass?"
(Behind his back, Crow snickered.)
"Austin, don't." Louise pleaded.
But her husband egged on. "So why are you here? You're one of those deadbeats who only want to know if you have a boy?"
Jack snarled. "Why you-"
Leo jumped in, stopping the men from fighting more. "How do we know if Jack even is the father? She could've met someone else."
"Yeah, someone better than him!" Crow cracked, pointing at Jack.
Then Jack's hands shot out, caging themselves around Crow's scrawny neck.
"Hey, break it up!" Yusei cried. "Tell him that!" Crow squeaked, losing air.
It took Yusei and Kalin to pull Jack off Crow. The blonde man breathed heavily as he gave Crow death glares. Crow gulped in fear.
"Aki, you're a doctor. Whats the odds of Carly and her baby making it out alive?" Misty asked.
"Considering all I know she has toxaemia and in active labour, I have to admit the chances are slim." Aki explained grimly.
"Slim?"
"It's all I got! I don't know Carly's health history! I didn't even know she was pregnant!"
"Did anyone know she was pregnant?" Yusei asked.
"No."
"I didn't."
"Same here."
"Only today."
"Jack?"
Jack was silent again, guilt eating him up.
"She tried to see Jack a few months ago but I didn't let her see him." Mina confessed, on the verge of crying. "She almost told me she was pregnant, but she wanted to see Jack first."
Now more guilt consumed Jack.
"So, Jack dumped Carly for getting pregnant with his kid?" Crow gawked. "Classic Jackass!"
Again, Jack tried to choke Crow and it took all the men and women to pry him off.
The group sat in the waiting room, anxiously waiting for any update their dear friend. Then they all stood up when a nurse approached them. The look on the nurse's face was stoic which scared them all.
Especially Jack.
"Ms Carmine delivered a healthy baby boy."
Everyone silent cheered. Jack even smiled, releasing a heavy breath.
"Can we see her?" Stephanie asked.
"We are still operating on Ms Carmine, but so far, everything is going smoothly. When we are finished, you can see her but only one at a time. She is still disoriented."
"Jack, you should see her first." Yusei noted. "Jack is the father."
"You're the father?"
"…I am."
"Do you have proof you are the father?"
Once again, Jack went quiet. Aside from his feelings and the opinion of others, he doesn't have any physical proof he and Carly had any kind of relationship. He doesn't even have a photo of just the two of them.
"You can see him in the ward, but you can't hold him without the mother's consent."
The nurse led the group to the maternity ward, where they cooed at the newborn babies on the other side of glass window.
But Jack only had eyes on one baby with its crib labelled 'BABY CARMINE', wiggling in a blue blanket, wailing for all to hear.
A son.
He had a son.
A tiny, living, breathing, newborn son.
He couldn't believe it.
If the hospital never called Aki…
If the nurse had said Carly had died…
Carly could've died. Their son would've been placed in an orphanage, and he would have never known.
And he can't even hold his son because his mother didn't give consent.
That is, if she could ever let him.
"Carly…"
Everything was dark. All she could do was listen to the echoes of shouts and yells, and felt the worst kind of pain any woman could go through, followed by a baby's cry.
Her baby…
Just before she fell into darkness, she must've hallucinated that Jack was at her side, holding her hand. As much as she wanted him here, she was certain it wasn't real.
It couldn't be…
Her eyes slowly opened and then shut again when blinded by the searing light. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness. Her vision clearing up, she saw that she was in a hospital room, no sign of her baby anywhere.
And Jack was standing at her side, towering over her, arms crossed over his broad chest and his handsome face set in a glower.
In the flesh.
She wasn't hallucinating after all.
"Jack…"
"Carly." He replied, sounding a little angry.
Carly sat straight up, squinting at the pain shooting toward her.
"My baby…where is my baby?" She asked, wiggling, and groaning at the pain, especially in her pelvis.
Jack reached out and grabbed her arms, stopping her from rolling around.
"Calm down. He's ok."
She halted her movements and stared at him. "He? I have a boy?"
"Yes. The nurse said he's perfectly healthy. He's just perfect…"
Carly laughed, a smile breaking her tired face. Jack was even cracking a smile of pride. For a moment, the estranged lovers were proud, loving parents.
Until Jack asked a big question.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"…Excuse me?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" Jack asked again, barely containing his rage.
Carly went silent.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
The silence turned deadly.
"Just answer the question, woman."
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Why didn't I tell you?"
Her quiet voice rose with anger.
"Why didn't I tell you?"
"Yes. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you want me to tell you? Why didn't you listen?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I have been trying to get you to for weeks! I called you, I emailed, I wrote to you, I even tried to see you in person, but you always turn me away! I gave you so many chances! It's not my fault you never took them!"
"You should've tried harder!"
"I tried harder than I ever did with anything else! You're the one who showed up at the last minute!"
"You made me look like a fool!"
"I made you look like a fool? You made a fool out of me! God!"
They both stopped arguing to take heavy breaths. Jack had calmed down, but Carly was even more furious.
"You're impossible talk to. You only listen to what you want to hear. The only reason you're upset isn't because I didn't tell you first, no matter how much you refused to listen. It's because you didn't want to be the last to know. As if that was my fault."
"Carly…"
"I could've told one of our mutual friends but no, you'll have a tantrum because I didn't tell you first. I could've told Mina and she'll tell Kalin who tell Yusei who tell Aki and Crow and then you, and you'll get mad because you were the last to know. Or I tell Aki who tell Yusei who tell you and you'll get mad because you would be the third to know. Or I tell Yusei and he'll tell you and you'll get mad because you were the second to know. Hell, even my ex-boss would've told you and you'll have a fit. It's always about you. You have to be the first in everything. There's no point in telling you if you won't listen. You got my new number from Aki, and you didn't make any contact with me."
"Carly-"
"Don't interrupt me! Listen to me for once! Jack, I could have the cure to a rare disease you got and you still won't talk to me! I know I wasn't your top priority, but I thought I held a little place in your heart, no matter how small, as long as you acknowledge me. But I thought wrong. You don't even have a heart."
"Carl-"
"Just go away, please. I don't want to see you anymore. I only want to see my baby."
He wanted to say our baby but didn't want to stress her out even more.
He stood up and stared her down.
"This isn't over."
And then he left.
Carly sighed, dropping her head on her pillow. The argument was more exhausting than the labour.
But soon, a nurse arrived, holding a bundle in her arms.
"Someone here wants to see you." The nurse said softly, careful not to wake the baby.
Carly held her tired arms out, mustering up every drop of her draining strength to hold her baby for the first time. As she gazed down on her newborn's pink cherub face, she found her liking the pink colour more. Pink would always remind her of her baby. Holding her son made her whole after months of emptiness.
From the open door, leaning against the frame, was Jack smiling. Yes, he was smiling. Genuinely.
He never felt so happy.
Not even winning a duel made him this good inside.
Mina crept carefully up to him, cautious to tell him something. But even she fawned over the scene of a new mother and her precious baby.
"Jack…We need to talk about your duel. There's still time to plan a rematch. You have been preparing for it for the last 9 months."
Jack didn't take his eyes off his one-time lover and their newborn child.
"I should've been preparing for my kid's birth."