Summary: A 12-year-old Mikan Sakura suddenly found an abandoned baby in front of her dorm room. And the next thing she knew, she is forced by Narumi-sensei to take care of it, along with a certain crimson-eyed guy! What will happen then? NxM
Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, but I do own the plot.
Today was also the same as any other days.
The morning sun began to show its light, trying to shine the half-part of the world. The birds were seen fluttering their wings as they were singing joyfully through the dawn sky. The gentle blast of wind waved the green leaves of the big trees standing in Alice Academy's northern forest.
Today might seem the same as any other days, but unfortunately not for this certain 12-year-old girl.
Mikan Sakura was lying on her bed, watching the white ceiling before her as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. The almost unseen, transparent black lines could be seen under both of her eyelids, showing how little time she spent in sleeping. She blinked her big hazel eyes once or twice, but she seemed to be wandering through nowhere. Only God knew what she actually thought right now.
Something—or more precisely, someone poked her shoulder. She immediately turned her face to her right, finding the petite body of a six months old baby. His chubby face met hers. The corner of her lips lifted up as she ran her fingers through his brunette hair, stroking him gently.
"Good morning, Natsuki! How are you feeling?" she asked and as if the baby understood her words, he smiled and caught her finger.
"I guess you are fine then."
It was already a week after the kidnapping incident occurred, she thought. The memories of it kept flashing into her mind. She remembered clearly how panicked she was when she couldn't find Natsuki in his crib. She couldn't describe the complicated feeling in her chest when she knew that Natsume was the one who took her baby. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the horrifying view in the Dangerous Ability Headquarter. And lastly she also remembered how broken her heart was when she saw Natsuki lying hopelessly on hospital's bed, with his reddening face and hot body.
Natsuki was trying so hard to even breath, she said in her mind.
It took him the exact 5 days to fully recover. Subaru Imai, his doctor-in-charge, said that as a baby with the fourth type of alice, Natsuki could go home faster than he expected. No one have an idea how joyful Mikan was when she knew that. Her smile, which was hardly seen after the incident, finally appeared again on her face. That, of course, made Hotaru, Ruka, and Narumi-sensei felt relieved.
Moreover, coincidentally or not, Natsume Hyuuga also went out of hospital the same day as Natsuki did.
It was almost 5 o'clock in the morning, still three more hours before the first period started. Mikan knew that and found it a bit weird for herself to have woken up at this early morning. Not that she never did that. She bet most of her friends were still sleeping soundly and she kind of envied them for that because earlier that night she didn't really have a proper sleep. Or rather, she couldn't even sleep at all.
And that was only because of a simple piece of letter.
Suddenly Becomes 'Mama'
by Yuuto Tamano
Chapter 7: The Jerk and The Pervert
Dear 12-year-old Mikan Sakura,
First of all, I am so sorry to cause you all the problems you have through. My husband got mad at me when he knew I sent Natsuki to the past without him knowing it. Yes, you're right, I didn't ask his permission first before I did that. 'That was the stupidest, dumbest decision you've ever made, Mikan! Do you think the past you wouldn't be jeopardized by that? Do you think the enemy wouldn't be able to come to the past? Do you think I couldn't protect the three of us? Do you even think at all?' were all his barks. The nerve of that jerk husband of mine. As much as I hate it, that jerk was so right.
And then Natsuki's kidnapped. That was what my husband told me two days after I did my clumsy decision. I didn't know from where he got the information and I still don't but that's not really the matter here. So he ordered me to lend him my Time-Traveling Alice Stone so that he could go to the past and save Natsuki, you, and your friends. I guess you have met him there then. Quite awkward to meet your own future husband, huh? Who doesn't?
After he succeeded in bringing powerless Principal Kuonji, Luna, and group of Fuukitai (Persona isn't counted because he's from your time), it took us and our friends a week to completely taking control of the situation in the future. It's quite a long time because we didn't expect their plan B (I bet you don't want to know their plan B). Luckily we could foil it so you can say that the future is now safe for our baby.
That's why I sent this you this letter. It's the time for me to bring back my baby. I will pick him up tomorrow night at 7.00 sharp in Mr. Bear's hut in northern forest. Please bring Natsuki there at that time.
Hundreds of thanks I think is not enough for all the time you and your friends spent with Natsuki.
My regards,
22-year-old Mikan Sakura.
...
"When did you find that letter, Mikan?" Hotaru asked flatly as she heard Ruka finished reading the content of the letter in his hand.
Mikan and Hotaru, along with Natsume and Ruka were now inside Mikan's dorm room. The last period had finished half an hour ago so it was now half past four in the afternoon. Natsume and Ruka were sitting on the couch while Hotaru and Mikan on the bed. A sleeping Natsuki was being carried in Mikan's hand. Hotaru had forced Ruka to read the letter quite loud so that the rest of them could hear him.
"Yesterday night. It was lying on my bed." Mikan answered quietly but didn't miss her friends' ears at all.
"Then 'tomorrow' in the letter is today. Means that you have to return him to his real mother in about two and half hours—"
"I am Natsuki's real mother!" Mikan snapped as she hugged Natsuki tighter in her arms.
Hotaru sighed. It was very clear to her and the boys that Mikan didn't want to be apart from Natsuki. They never expected the fondness which was grown inside her heart for the baby would be this big. Oh yes, of course, Mikan was indeed biologically his mother so it would be weird if she didn't but still, now was not her age to be a mother yet. She was still a child. She got a lot of things to do in her youth life and that didn't count taking care a baby. Furthermore, with her own childish attitude, it's just not possible for her to do the supposedly adult job (even though she miraculously did it well in the past seven days but Hotaru would surely never admit it, not now at least).
Ruka, more or less, thought the same thing as Hotaru did.
Natsume, however, was just like Mikan. He also had the undeniable liking for the baby to the point that deep inside his heart, he didn't want Natsuki to be disappeared in his sight. Though he was aware of it or not, he had grown the protective as well as the possessive side of him towards Natsuki. But in hell he would admit that. So he just said, "So what if you are, Polka. Just return that baby. He doesn't belong here—"
"He does belong here!" Mikan corrected in a quite high tone. "You don't understand how I feel, Natsume! You said that 'cause you just don't!"
Mikan didn't know how Natsume wanted to say that he completely understood what she felt. Though he would kill himself first before he did it.
Then teardrops suddenly started to fall from her eyes down her cheeks. Her shoulders seemed to shake a little and she unconsciously tried to bite her bottom lip. It made the three of her friends turned freeze a little and then glanced at each other. Unknown of what to do. Hotaru even glared sharply at Natsume whom she thought was the cause of her tears.
Ruka, being the sudden smartest guy he was, tried to freshen the awkwardness between them by changing the topic.
"I-I wonder who is this jerk guy Mikan will be married with in the future..." He started hesitatingly.
And unexpectedly for him it worked well. All eyes were now on his. He gulped. Hazel, Crimson, and Amethyst met Cerulean.
"I was also wondering," Mikan, the least person he thought would response, actually became the first one. "I don't believe I will actually marry a jerk in the future. The problem is I can't think of another guy who is also a jerk beside Natsume."
"That's the whole point, Mikan." Hotaru smirked in amusement. "No one can be as jerk as Hyuuga. Right, Hyuuga?"
"I'm not a jerk. I'm better than that." Natsume hissed.
"Oh yeah? Like what? A bastard?"
He glared at her and they started to change mentally curses through their eyes. Seeing them both, Mikan didn't realize that she was no longer crying and even smiling a bit. Yet Ruka did and he was proud of what he had done. Mikan was one of his important best friends and she was also once in his heart. Making her happy was one of his priorities.
"Oh, I get the clue now, Imai!" he said suddenly. All the eyes once again focused on his.
"What clue?" Mikan asked, confused.
"Just like what is written in the letter. We have met him and he was a jerk."
The dense Mikan just blinked in deeper confusion while Hotaru's smirk just got wider. And what about Natsume? He's just lost in this conversation.
"I still refuse to come to that place!"
The sun was already set and it was half an hour before Natsuki's mother would pick up his son. And Mikan was still in her refusal of returning Natsuki back to where he belonged, no matter how much effort Hotaru and Ruka had used to convince Mikan (and she would charge it to Natsume, for a very good reason).
"Don't be such a difficult, Mikan! We're half way to the northern forest." Hotaru exclaimed, feeling half-annoyed. She knew Mikan was such a stubborn, so she pulled out her Baka-Canon and pointed it at her stubborn best friend. "Go with me now to the northern forest and when his real mother come, entrust him to her. You will listen to me or I will punch you with this gun of mine mercilessly and repeatedly."
Ruka's eyes widened in shock, "Isn't that too much, Imai?"
"Don't disturb me, Nogi. This stupidly stubborn girl deserves it."
Knowing that Hotaru couldn't be convinced any more, he glanced at his best friend. Natsume just shrugged and looked away as he putted his hands in his pockets. Ruka sighed. He knew that Natsume indeed agreed with what Hotaru was doing. A stubborn like her needed a little force. But still...
Meanwhile, Mikan stared at Hotaru's Baka-Canon then at Hotaru. Of course she was a bit scared of it. But she still didn't want to be apart from Natsuki no matter what happened. She once again got the urge to cry but she held it back, by nibbling her lips. I have to be strong, she thought. She was about to utter a word or two when she heard a sound that was so familiar to her this past week.
A sound of a cry. Not from her of course, but from the one in her hands; Natsuki.
Hotaru's eyes grew wider and she constantly drew back his Baka-Canon. Feeling somehow guilty about it. Ruka, on the other hand, didn't react. While Natsume tried to reach Natsuki with his hand.
"Don't touch!" Mikan snapped as she took a step backward. Tears finally could be seen in her cheeks. "Even Natsuki doesn't want to be separated from me!"
"Mikan..." Natsume stepped forward as she did the contrary.
"Don't come near me! I will never let Natsuki go to the future! NEVER!"
Then she turned around and ran. She fastened her pace as hugged Natsuki tightly. The sounds of their weeping were most likely the only sound filled this night. The half moon shone dimly, unlike the stars around it. The moon seemed to sympathize her feeling, which was now full of sadness, anger, and hesitation. She couldn't even think straight. Her heart was now like a brain to her—she would follow what her heart wanted her to do. If her heart said to ran away, she would ran away. If her heart ordered her not to let Natsuki go to the future, she would gladly do it, although she knew it very well that Natsuki belonged there. Also she knew that it was just her sorrow which got the better of her mind, yet she let herself be consumed by it.
Like what had just said, she couldn't even think straight.
In her eyes, she saw the very familiar tree—Natsume's and her sakura tree, which was still filled with green leaves because it wasn't the season when the beautiful sakura flowers would all bloom. Though that sakura tree still looked nice in green.
She stopped running and leaned her back on its big brown trunk, feeling exhausted of running and crying. Then she dropped herself down and closed her eyes, before she ran her fingers through Natsuki's face to calm him down.
"Don't worry Natsuki. Mama will always be here..."
She then hummed a song that her grandpa used to sing to her when she was still a toodler. She liked that song even until now, because it was soothing and making her felt happy all the time, no matter how bad her grandpa's voice back then. She giggled for a while when she remembered the memories with her grandpa before she continued to hum.
When she no longer heard Natsuki's cries, she stopped humming. After that, she kissed his cheek twice then his nose, before she found a drop of tears on his forehead. She knew so well that it was hers.
As Natsuki's hand took the strands of her brunette hair, she said weakly, "I'm sorry, Natsuki. I'm sorry. From now on, mama will never—"
"Will never what?" Came a husky voice behind her.
Her eyes grew wider as she could feel shock running down her veins. She looked at where the voice came from and found the crimson-eyed guy staring straightly at her. She was about to run away again when he caught her shoulder.
"Please don't go. I'm not going to force or convince you like Imai will do,"
Mikan paused for a while before she finally positioned herself back under the tree. Natsume also did the same; he sat quietly beside her.
"Why are you also sitting here?" she asked.
"Why do you even care?" he asked and that made her quite annoyed.
"Don't answer my question with another question!"
"Don't question me then."
"Fine!" she frowned, "I hate you and your rhymes!"
As fast as Mikan finished her sentence, silence filled the air between them. None of them uttered a word (except Natsuki who kept mumbling something both of them didn't understand, so that wasn't counted) yet none of them move away from their position. It was such a calming silence for both of them, until he finally broke it.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"Nah! I hate you so I don't talk to you!" she said.
"You're just talking to me!" he smirked, "And that annoying 'I hate you so I don't talk to you' conversation, we also ever had it once before."
"I knew that. It was when Narumi-sensei asked us to babysit Natsuki, but you never did."
"That's me."
She looked at Natsuki and smiled when she tickled him for a while until he laughed, "Until now I still don't believe why Narumi-sensei asked you to help me taking care him in the first place."
"Because we are partners?"
"I knew you would answer that."
Silence once again filled their surroundings, but just for a moment.
"Hey, Natsume, look at Natsuki here." she said when she lift Natsuki's body up so now both of them could see his face clearly. "Somehow he looks so much like you; crimson eyes, pointed eyes, short eyebrows, and thin lips. Maybe his nose is just like me but other than that he has your face."
He stared at the baby's face for a while. "Yeah, he does."
"And he's also strong. Maybe stronger than both of us. Four alices at once! I think this way he can protect those who are important to him."
"Yeah, he can."
"And don't forget about his fourth type of alice! As his mother, maybe I should limit his using of alices per day so that he wouldn't collapse like that time anymore."
"Yeah, you should."
"Then he likes to cry a lot! And he drinks lots of milk. But he also smiles or laughs a lot! That's what I love the most about him!"
"Yeah, that is."
She pouted. "Natsume! Can you please stop saying things like 'yeah, you can', 'yeah, you do', and many other 'yeah's? That is so annoying!"
He smirked and she stuck her tongue out when she continued her talks about Natsuki.
"So Natsume tell me," she took a deep breath for a moment. "why should I let him go when I'm loving him this much?"
He kept his mouth shut for a while as he looked at her who was looking back at him. He could see rays of hopes in her big hazel eyes. He hissed. How much he didn't want to break that hopes in her right now. But, if he wanted the best for her, he would have to do it. No. He had to do it.
"Have you ever thought of 22-year-old Mikan Sakura's feeling?"
Mikan frozen a bit and then looked at Natsume as she raised her eyebrows. That simple question jabbed her right on her chest. For a few minutes somehow she felt like she couldn't voice out what was in her mind. She felt numb in her throat and found it very hard to utter a word.
Seeing how she didn't react, he continued, "And what about his father? It's true that you are his mother but if he lives here he won't be able to meet him. Surely his father is not some 12-year-old jerk who can't even confess what he really feels like to the girl he cares the most."
"W-What are you trying to imply?" she finally questioned and found her voice a bit soaked.
Natsume paused for a moment before he sighed deeply. "Natsuki needs his parents—I mean, both of his parents."
She nibbled her lips when she looked away from him toward the night sky above her then back at a smiling Natsuki. Now that she thought about it, Natsume was right. She never considered her future self's feeling about Natsuki. Just like me, she must be sad when she can't have her baby back, she mentally thought and she totally agreed with that. It had to be such a burden for her not being able to see a baby she had given birth to for a week. Not to mention forever. Yeah, now that she finally had a fresh thought about it, a hint of guilt suddenly scattered on her chest.
What a truly egoistic person she was.
"Are you trying to convince me now?" When she asked Natsume that, she could feel her cheeks getting wet.
He stared at her gently before he sighed, "No, I'm not. It's up to you to make a decision not only best for your sake, but also for everyone's sake."
And with that she closed both her eyes and hugged Natsuki closer to her chest.
7.04 p.m. was what could be read on Hotaru's digital watch. Both of Hotaru's amethyst eyes furrowed as she tapped her foot loudly. It was very clear to Ruka that the girl was a hundred percent annoyed.
"So late. That girl is so late." the Ice Queen lamented as she constantly tapped now both of her foot.
Ruka just sweat-dropped.
They were now already inside Mr. Bear's hut, waiting for the future Mikan to come. Hotaru was lying on the front door while Ruka was sitting on the couch. He smiled when Mr. Bear came to him, offering him two cups of hot chocolate.
"Thanks," he said while taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
Ever since the christmas party 2 years ago, Mr. Bear had been nice to Mikan and her friends (especially Youichi). So it's no longer awkward for them to hang out around Mr. Bear and its hut. Furthermore, its creator, Kaname Sono, was very happy when he learned that Mr. Bear had gained more human friends, much to Mr. Bear's delight.
The Blonde caressed Mr. Bear's head first before he made a glance at Hotaru, "What if Mikan still refuses to let Natsuki go?"
"Don't 'what if' me, Nogi." she responded quickly. "I'm sure Hyuuga can handle it—"
Her words was cut off when suddenly a beam of orange light came flashing through the windows. Without further ado, Hotaru and Ruka got out of the hut and quickly ran toward it.
What came into their view made them widened their eyes. The blurry figure of a woman suddenly made an appearance between the blinding beam of light. Then, within seconds the figure became clearer and clearer, until it showed a face of a very beautiful woman in her early twenties. Her waist-length brunette hair swung gently around her. She wore a sleeveless yellow dress with a v-line on the neck and a thin ribbon knotted on the left waist. The dress itself was patterned with lily flowers and reached almost below her knees.
"Well, the light isn't supposed to come out but whatever—Hotaru!" the woman cried happily as she ran toward Hotaru and hugged her.
The Ice Queen just snorted and felt a bit shocked but alas, she hugged her back. "You doesn't change at all, Mikan."
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you in your little girl figure!" she exclaimed excitedly when she pull out the hug. "And you too, Ruka-pyon! You look charming as usual."
Ruka could feel his cheeks grew hot and was amazed with her grown-up beauty. He smiled back and nodded to her, still with his reddening face.
"So where are little Mikan and Natsuki? I miss him so much!" she questioned as she looked at her left and right, but couldn't find the ones she was looking for.
Both Hotaru and Ruka looked at each other first before Ruka opened his mouth, "Err... Well you see, Sakura-san... Sakura and Natsuki..."
Unfortunately he seemed couldn't finish his sentence.
"What's with the little Mikan and my son?" The adult Mikan asked, still smiling brightly.
Ruka glanced at Hotaru, looking for help. The Ice Queen then sighed deeply. "You see, that baka Mikan is just being stubborn and difficult, she's—"
"WAIT!" Someone shouted from behind them, cutting off her words. The three of them turned around and found someone running toward them. It was Mikan, who's carrying Natsuki safely on her arms. Behind her was Natsume, also running to keep up his face with her. She immediately stopped as soon as she reached the adult Mikan before her.
After she inhaled so many oxygens into her into her lungs for a while, she kept up straight. Her eyes slightly widened when she faced an adult version of her. "I'm so sorry!" she said out of blue, while bowing her body down, "I was such an egoistic person, so I didn't realize your feeling until Natsume told me so."
The 22-year-old brunette lifted her eyebrows, didn't quite understand what the little brunette had just said, but she kept smiling nonetheless.
"Here's Natsuki." the 12-year-old Mikan continued as she handed Natsuki to the woman. "Thank you for sending him here. I had a wonderful days and I will never ever forget any single day when I was with him." When she finished her words, she could feel the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Natsuki's mother smiled, followed by Hotaru and Ruka (and Natsume as well). As she carried her baby on her left arm, her right hand reached little Mikan's head, tapping it. "Thank you for taking care of him. It must be hard for you to let him go. But don't worry, you will see him again in the future."
Mikan's crying just went harder because of that. She held her hands up to hug the woman and kissed Natsuki's cheek for the last time. Hotaru and Ruka the joined her, saying goodbye to baby Natsuki whom he responded all of them with smile and laugh.
"Thank you very much, Hotaru and Ruka-pyon, for helping Mikan took care of Natsuki." The adult Mikan said. Hotaru and Ruka just nodded in response.
She smiled before she glanced up at Natsume, who just kept staring at her and all his friends without saying anything. He straightened up as she came towards him and whispered something in his ear, causing him to widen his crimson eyes and slightly blushed. This, of course, alerted both Mikan and Ruka, and especially Hotaru.
"Thank you, Natsume, for everything. " she thanked him, before making her paces quite far from him and the other children. "So I think now is a goodbye. Please take care of yourself. We'll see you later!"
And, a few seconds later, the 22-year-old Mikan and Natsuki suddenly disappeared.
Mikan fell down on her knees, placing both of her palms on her teary eyes as she cried harder. Hotaru and Ruka tried to soothe her, by stroking her hair. While Natsume just stared at the sky, remembering what the adult Mikan had said to him.
Please confess your love to her as soon as possible, my dear husband. She will surely be happy if you do.
2 months later.
Riing riiiing
She rubbed her eyes as soon as she felt the sunrays hit her eyelids. With her eyes still half-shut, she raised her hand and turned off the damned alarm placed on her nightstand. She was about to go back to her dream world when she realized what time it was.
"Gosh! I'M LATE!"
She quickly got off of her bed and made a run towards her bathroom. She did a quick bath and brushed her teeth. After that, she immediately ran to her closet, looking for her uniform and before she wore it. Then she immediately went to her kitchen to make her breakfast, sandwich, while at the same time tying her brunette hair into pigtails. After those were all done, she putted on her shoes, opened her door, and was about to run to her classroom when suddenly she fell down. Her face hit the floor.
Her nose hurt a lot. What the? Why did she suddenly fall down onto the floor? Don't forget to underline the 'suddenly' word there. It was just not possible to fall down without any cause. She believed that there was some foot out of nowhere stood in the way her feet were. As she rubbed her reddened nose, she tried to get up and straightened her body when she heard a snicker behind her.
"Look who's falling now." uttered a voice behind her. Oh, how she knew so well who that voice belonged to.
It's none other than her one month boyfriend, Natsume Hyuuga.
She turned around and was about to snap at her boyfriend when suddenly her hazel eyes grew wider. There was a guy at her age who was smirking at her, but he wasn't Natsume. His facial appearance might be almost the same as him; pointed crimson eyes, short eyebrows, oval-shaped face, and thin lips. But that guy still wasn't him, she believed, because Natsume's hair wasn't colored brunette.
Then it hit her.
"Na-Natsuki? Y-You're Natsuki, are you?"
The smirk on that guy's face suddenly changed into smile. He nodded slowly as he said, "Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you again, Mama."
Mikan felt like her tears were going to flow soon. The she immediately stepped forward to reach and hug Natsuki tightly, to the point that he could hardly breathe. Not long after that, she pulled off the hug as she smiled broadly and said, "Nice to meet you too, my dear grown up Natsuki."
"Bye the way, Mama, you're still wearing those polkadot panties in this age?"
"Natsuki you pervert!"
The End
Author's Note: So sorry for the very long long long long long update. My school almost killed me and because of that I didn't have the mood nor the idea to write the last chapter of this fic. But now, I finally updated it, are you happy now? Your happiness is simply a pleasure for me. By the way, how did Natsuki still remember about his 12-year-old mother and about his coming to the past when he was still a baby? He has a memory-processing alice, that's the answer. Here's the story. One day he found a box contained stuffs he used to play when he was a baby (and those stuffs also were brought to the past with him. He coincidentally used his memory-processing alice on those and as a result he found out about his past experience. So he came back to the past for a while to meet his 12-year-old mother (he stole his mother time-traveling alice stone to do it). Anyway, please REVIEW!