Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive

By Rikku Minouke

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH

AN: I honestly was going to wait to update until I got the 5 reviews. I received three thus far. One in particular was so extraordinary that I felt I should update just for that person. Thank you Vanessia for your review. I appreciate it on so many levels that I can't even begin to explain. So this next chapter is for you. Enjoy it.

Chapter nineteen

If you had told me when I was a teenager that one day, my father would be a different man; I might have punched you in the face for getting my hopes up. Now that I am seeing it for myself, I can hardly believe that he was the man he used to be.

I sat on at the dinner table with my mother and father while Kurama kept my relatives company in the other room. Tremors stretched through my hands. My eyes watching them shake as the nervousness spread. No one talked for a while. Mamma stared at her untouched drink in front of her, watching the bubbles rise through the ice cubes. Breathing deep, my dad looked like he was fighting a battle in his head.

"Is it Kurama's child?" my dad asked, his eyes shooting to the opening of the browning room.

Shaking my head, I said, "No, the father was from St Cloud."

"That boy you dated before moving home?" he asked lowly. I nodded.

My mom's breath hitched. "How far along are you?"

"Twelve weeks," I refused to look up while we talked.

"Botan," my mom scolded me. "Why didn't you tell us?" her voice was full of concern. I wasn't sure what was worse, the hatred I was expecting or the love and support of my parents.

"At first," I swallowed. "I was ashamed and scared. Honestly, I didn't tell anyone."

"Does he know?" My dad asked.

"Who? Kurama?" I asked as his face appeared in my mind. "Yes he does. He found out when I was going through my morning sickness."

"Damn it, Botan," my dad cursed and I knew he was running my hands over his balding head as he let his back bang against the wooden chair. "You are really keeping this baby?"

I was silent for a moment. "Yes. Even if I didn't want to, now it's too late to talk about other options."

"It's never too late," my dad shook his head. "Adoption?"

"I will not abandon my baby," I let the anger slide into my voice. In my head, I could hear Kurama's voice telling me to breath. Slowly I took in a deep breath and let it settle at the bottom of my stomach before exhaling through my nose. "I plan on keeping my baby."

"Do you even understand how hard that is going to be?" my mother asked and I finally looked up from my hands and into her face.

"Yes, yes I do," I told her. "But I am dedicated to make this work." Both were silent for a few moments more as they tried to let everything settle in.

My mother's voice was quiet when she did speak, "Are you… are you planning on going back to St Cloud to be with that boy?"

Before answering her, I thought about the outcome of either decision. "No. I am staying here where I have friends and my family. I know that in order for my child to have the best future, they can't be anywhere near him."

"Botan," my dad spoke with an odd tone in his voice and I couldn't stop myself from looking at his face. "Did this boy… did he…" I could see him fighting with the words. "Did he hurt you?"

The tears welled up in my eyes. My father had never shown me this much concern. Flowing down my cheeks before I could stop the tears, I tried to but on a brave face. Even though the attempt was futile with the tears and red eyes. I nodded when my throat closed up. Coughing enough to speak, I said, "Yes and that's why I can't ever let this child know who their father is."

"Why would you keep this baby then, if he did awful things to you?" my mom asked and reached across the table to clasp my hands. Her tender grip made the tears burn into my skin.

"Why punish a child for the things it's parents did?" I asked and shook my head. "I couldn't do that. I want to raise this child in a happy home and turn into an amazing person, a better person then either of their parents."

Taking a deep breath my dad looked away from me. "This is going to take some time to get used to."

"I know."

AN: just got off of work, so I'll take a nap and then write more to be posted tomorrow.