Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Chapter Three: Confront

As she was only three months along, Inoue's pregnancy didn't show yet. But Uryuu kept catching quick moments when she'd place a delicate hand on her abdomen and smiled to herself. He found that this made him smile too, until he caught her doing it lunch-time the following Friday at school. And he saw the eyes of a friend Tatsuki looking her over curiously.

"Inoue," Uryuu started, "Is that stomach ache back? The one you told me about this morning?"

"What? Oh!" Inoue's eyes got large for a moment before she screwed up her face. "Yes, it's pretty bad! I think I'm going to go to the restroom." She excused herself and walked off in the directions of the bathrooms. Tatsuki's eyes followed her across the lawn.

They didn't see Inoue for the remainder of lunch, but Uryuu found her in the hall on their way back to class. She was leaving the girl's bathroom, her eyes rimmed with red as if she had been crying.

"Inoue," he grabbed her elbow and pulled her out of the corridor and into a nearby utility closet. There was very little space left in the small room, and they stood with but a few inches between them. He could even smell the coconut scent of her shampoo. "Inoue, what is the matter?"

"I almost," her shoulders began to shake with sobs, "I almost ruined everything. I was so stupid. I let such a simple thing…"

Uryuu, reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Inoue, you are not stupid. It was a small slip. Just be a little more careful. Besides, no one is any wiser as to what is happening."

"Only because you saw and made an excuse before anyone could ask question! I wish I was more like you Ishida. Then I wouldn't have to worry about giving myself away!"

Uryuu quickly pulled his hand back from her shoulder and used it to place up his glasses. "Nonsense. Don't be so hard on yourself Inoue. You have a lot on your mind."

"Hmm… I guess you're right. Still maybe we should come up with some sort of secret code or something." A finger came up to rest on her lips while her eyebrows lowered in concentration. "We could use it when I did something stupid. If I were placing my hand over the baby, you could… rub your stomach and we could pretend we had just eaten something really tasty. Oh then we'd have to bring something to eat everywhere. Well what if you did a sign like pull your ear or touch your hair. But what if I don't see it and then…"

"Inoue," he cut her rambling off, "why don't we just wing it like we did today?" He made a note to be more careful about mood swings in the future.

"Oh," she looked a little disappointed, "sure. Well, maybe we could make up a different secret code just for fun!"

Uryuu laughed. "Well see. Now quick! Dry your eyes or we'll be late back to class. Don't worry so much about the little things. Just get through the day and I will bring you some ice cream tonight to make you feel better."

A smile lit her face. "Oh! I do love ice cream! Will you bring sprinkles too? The chocolate kind not the rainbow ones!" At that she made a face.

Laughing once more Uryuu opened the closet door and led them out of the room. "I'll try to remember that."

As they walked down the hall Inoue started rambling, "And on top of the sprinkles, it's great to put hot sauce and salami. Sometimes I like to use sardines or tuna fish and…"

"This is why I don't let you cook," Uryuu laughed as they got to the classroom door.

They just made it into class on time.

Later that afternoon, on the way home from school, Uryuu was lost in thought. Eventually people would notice, there was no stopping that. What would they do about it?

Uryuu stopped short. Someone was blocking his path—he looked up. "Oh, hello Tatsuki! Do you need something?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, and the she sighed and shook her head. "I know that four of you have been quite close since that summer you disappeared. But I had no idea you and Inoue were so close." Tatsuki looked down and Uryuu watched her curiously. "Before. She turned so inward. I could no longer reach her. And then you came along and… she smiles again."

Uryuu opened his mouth to talk, but Tatsuki cut him off. "No, don't say it wasn't you. Even if you can hide it from others she can't. I've seen the way she looks at you. She's found her hope again and she's placed it in you. You helped her when I couldn't."

"Tatsuki,"

"But it's alright you make her happy, and for that I am glad. But be careful with her."

"It's isn't like that with us. I'm just helping her…"

Tatsuki put a hand up to silence it. "I don't want to hear it. If you hurt her, you will answer to me. A promise is a promise."

Uryuu bowed his head. He doubted that Tatsuki could harm him despite her karate prowess, but there was something in her tone that he respected. He would not deny her the fulfillment of her promise.

"Tatsuki, I assure you if I hurt her, I won't even fight back, because it will mean I too have broken a promise."

There eyes met for a moment. Uryuu's gaze was full of determination and it must have satisfied Tatsuki because she turned and left as suddenly as she had come. The Quincy shrugged and kept walking.

When he showed up to Inoue's house that evening, he brought the ice cream and sprinkles as promised and somehow she managed to convince him to skip out on dinner entirely and just go straight to the sweets.

They were sitting on the sofa, bellies full, empty bowls of ice cream in their hands. "I can't believe I let you talk me into that. We'll both be sick for sure!" Uryuu teased as he took the dish from her hands.

"But it was so worth it!" she stretched as she talked, which made her words come out elongated and sounding funny. Uryuu smiled as he washed the dishes. When he got back to the living room she was yawning.

"Looks like all the ice cream made you sleepy. I guess I should head out then." Uryuu looked at the clock it was already after nine. "It is getting late."

Inoue sat up quickly, "Ishida! It is not late! It's Friday. You can stay for longer. We could watch TV or a movie or something. Please?"

For a moment, he just stood there. He had come to watch over Inoue and help her with the baby, and he knew that his help was much needed and appreciated. But he had never stopped to think that his presence was simply wanted now. Here she was asking him to stay, not for dinner, or baby planning, or doing school work, but just because. Pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose he said, "I suppose I could stay for a little while."

Inoue reached for the remote, while Uryuu took his place beside her on the sofa. They spent the rest of the evening watching programs on the television. Every now and again when Inoue laughed she would turn and look at him. Maybe it was to see if he thought it was funny too. Uryuu relaxed and leaned on the arm of the couch propping up his head with his hand.

Though Uryuu had friendships before, he had never had an interaction like this. He had always been busy. If he was with friends there was a purpose to it a task, or a goal. The way they were just sitting around now and doing nothing was different—nice even. It was especially nice because Inoue seemed to be enjoying herself.

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Uryuu awoke the next morning with a crick in his neck and a pain in his back. Stretching to relieve his body of the strange pains, he found that his range of movement was quite limited at the moment. When had he fallen asleep? This was so embarrassing! He was still sitting on Inoue's sofa leaning on the arm. But the worst part was that she had fallen asleep too—with her head in his lap!

He tried to think calmly even as his face was growing hot with mortification. What should he do? He couldn't move, because he'd wake Inoue up. The fact that Inoue's head was closer than anyone had ever been to his manhood was distracting him. He couldn't think!

Soon after Uryuu began his mental panic, Inoue yawned, stretched, and rolled over, her hand coming to rest on his leg as it would a pillow. Now, Uryuu really started to panic. How did he let himself end up in such a compromising position?

She must have felt Uryuu tense up because shortly after she pushed herself half way up and took in her surroundings. "Mo-orning Ishida!" she yawned.

A short nod was all Uryuu could manage as her hand was still on his thigh. Thankfully she pushed herself up the rest of the way and rubbed her still sleepy eyes and then looked up at the clock. "Ten thirty! I never sleep that late."

Uryuu noted that she sounded happier than did annoyed at that and he wondered why. He also wondered why she was acting so naturally after they had just spent the night sleeping on the same sofa. For his part, Uryuu couldn't stop acting awkward about it.

"Inoue I must apologize about last night. I didn't mean to fall asleep here." He looked down at the floor adverting looking directly at the girl next to him.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I don't mind the company. And beside, I slept wonderfully! Hmm…" Inoue surveyed the room for a minute. "There's eggs in the fridge. I will scramble some for us. You can take a shower if you want, and you can borrow some clothes from my brother's old room too. I will put something on the bed that might fit you. Towels are in the closet next to the bathroom." She stood up as if to go to the kitchen.

"Wait!" he called stopping her in her tracks, "You aren't even a little bit angry that I stayed here all night?"

Inoue turned and fixed him with her gray eyes, "Why would I be angry? You're my protector. With you here, I feel safe."

Her reply was so honest, that it caused his breath to catch in his throat. There was something else too—a look behind her eyes that spoke of need. So much had happened that she needed someone to look out for her. To keep her feeling safe. Uryuu had no idea that before he approached Inoue that she had been close to a breaking point, but he knew now that he would never let the traumatized look come back.

"Thank you, Inoue."

She smiled and turned back toward the kitchen.

After a shower Uryuu felt much better and he dried off and dressed in the clothes Inoue had left for him on the bed. Her brother had been broader than Uryuu and a bit taller, so Uryuu had to roll the sleeves of the button-up shirt for them to fit. When he was outside Inoue told him that she had never gotten around to getting rid of her brother's clothes, so it was good that they were useful. That way she didn't feel so silly for keeping them.

The rest of the day was divided between school work, chores, and looking in baby catalogues.

"Now that we know the baby is a boy, it's easier to think of how to decorate," Inoue said cheerfully while looking at the crib bedding and mobiles.

All too soon it was time for Uryuu to leave and head home. "Sleep well, Inoue!"

"Good night, Ishida!"

Uryuu was so lost in his thoughts about Inoue that he didn't even see his father sitting in the living room when he got home.

"It's about time, Uryuu," his deep voice called.

Uryuu froze, the tone in his father's voice meant trouble. He turned and fixed his eyes on his father waiting for the impending verbal blows.

Author's note: I know I'm terrible to leave it there! But it breaks up better this way. Next chapter up soon! Thanks for reading! And thanks for the reviews! :D