Author's Note: I am determined to finish this fic, even if it costs me my life! (Maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea.)
Sorry for the much slower updates, but I am getting a bit busier. I'll try my best to finish this though, because I can already see the ending in sight...
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except the plot. :)
Family Planning
By Onkiu
Chapter Fourteen: The great escape
Returning to the hospital the very next day with their 'horde of treasures', Akira and Soujiro handed them over to Dr. Shouichiro Nishikaido to help them interpret his horrible handwriting on the labels and find a sample suitable to be used as if it were Tsukushi's. As predicted, Shouichiro was thoroughly annoyed at the fact that the two playboys had turned his clinic inside out and looted every single sample, sparing none.
"But," protested Soujiro, "We only took all of it because we couldn't read your handwriting! If we could, do you really think we would carry a few litres of other people's body fluids on our back? And risk getting caught?"
"You could have rang me," said Shouichiro scathingly. "I was on night shift yesterday night."
If the night shift and the subsequent lack of sleep did not make him irritable enough, the fact that his tidy arrangement of patient's blood and urine samples was disrupted by two young men looting his clinic sure did. And if that was not enough, he was bogged down by calls from his receptionist early this morning because there was 'a weird guy and a pervert in the clinic last night, and when I checked this morning, I found that they had stolen all your urine and blood samples!' - thus ending his beloved sleep. And if that wasn't enough either, Shouichiro now had the task of secretly sneaking the unused samples back in, lest he be found to have been an accomplice in the plan.
Tsukushi smirked at their argument, and couldn't help but feel a great sense of satisfaction from the fact that Soujiro and Akira, two of the masterminds and supporters of this plan, were finally facing justice - in the form of getting into trouble with Soujiro's older brother. She perused the morning paper as she ate her hospital issued breakfast - and it felt satisfyingly delicious after a few days without food. This morning's headlines was as she had predicted - the capture and the upcoming trial of her captors. There was a massive amount of detail about the whole operation, and luckily for Tsukushi, no 'exclusive' interview with her.
But, hidden in the middle of the thick paper was a small column, barely worth noticing, about a robbery last night. It was very vague. All it said was that a small suburban clinic was broken into last night by two young men, one believed to be a pervert. Nothing of value was stolen, however, some patient's samples have gone missing, and that if there were any witnesses to this event, they were urged to call the police because they may be a part of a greater crime network dealing with body fluids on the black market, or that the strange pervert had stolen the samples because he had some strange fetish.
Tsukushi couldn't help but laugh at the fact that one of them was believed to be a pervert and that they may have dealings on the black market. She showed the article to the F4, much to the amusement of Domyouji and Rui who had quite a good laugh about it, but none the too pleased by Akira and Soujiro. Soujiro, in particular, did not like the fact that he was called a 'pervert' and to add salt to his wounds, he was laughed at by the very people he had sacrificed his dignity for by pretending to be a flasher.
But thanks to Akira and Soujiro's great sacrifice, and with a little help on the part of Soujiro's brother, Tsukushi was finally discharged from hospital after passing all of her medical examinations. If she thought that that was the end of all her troubles, she was quite wrong. Because of her new-found fame, firstly as the girlfriend and soon to be mother of Domyouji Tsukasa's child, and secondly as the unwitting star of a real life police drama, her discharge from hospital meant that she had to fight through a media contingent to leave, and fight through a second media contingent gathered outside the Domyouji estate in order to get in.
But finally, after battling two different hordes of media, she stood triumphant on the grand steps of the Domyouji mansion, feeling satisfied with her win, even if she and the limousine were slightly battered from the sortie. It was good to be home.
Wait. Did I just call this place home?
Am I so certain of my marriage to Domyouji that I can start calling this place home!
What's wrong with you, Tsukushi!
"What's wrong, Makino?" asked Domyouji, looking quizzically at her as she started punching and kicking the unseen demons around her. Snapping back to reality, Tsukushi took one glance at him and couldn't help but flush up and scream. Somehow, Domyouji's head had just turned into a ten thousand yen bill and the handsome features of his face had turned into coins of varying value.
Domyouji's brow twitched dangerously as he said, "Don't point and scream at me. It's very rude."
"Don't you start teaching me about manners!" said Tsukushi, brought back to reality by Domyouji's deliciously dangerous look. "Take a good look at yourself first!"
Blushing very hard, Tsukushi charged into the foyer of his mansion and walked right into Tsubaki, who had been waiting for her to arrive.
"TSUKUSHI!" she cried, binding her in a tight and unbreakable hug. "You're okay!"
"Gnnnn!" came Tsukushi's muffled reply from the depths of Tsubaki's stranglehold.
"My, my! You look positively anorexic!" cried Tsubaki, holding her at arm's length and inspecting Tsukushi's withered figure.
"I -" began Tsukushi, but Tsubaki cut in again.
"You need more food," said Tsubaki, diagnosing her apparent thinness from starvation. "And rest. You need time away from this whole mess to gain back some weight. You're going to need the padding during labour."
She smiled at Tsukushi as if she were speaking from experience.
"Well, sister, I-" said Tsukushi, but was once again intercepted by Tsubaki. It was as if Tsukushi's absence had pent up so many of Tsubaki's thoughts that she was now letting them out as a verbal flood that did not allow Tsukushi to speak.
"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki assured Tsukushi, as if Tsukushi had been worrying at all. "I already called Eitoku and submitted your leave of absence. All you need to do is spend some time around here and recuperate! The chef has orders to serve you rich, hearty and fattening foods, and I've hired a nurse to be on call in case some complications arise. "
Tsukushi felt grateful for Tsubaki's inspired move to get her away from the hordes of Eitoku for a few days. Having just fought through the media contingent, she realised how very unprepared she was to face the questions of the Eitoku groupies, who, to her, were by far the greater of two evils. And, despite her strong exterior, even a tough weed like her needed a break every now and then.
To her dismay, however, Domyouji had also applied to go absent on the very days that she was to be absent. Tsukushi didn't want him to disturb his education on her account because, frankly, he needed all the education he could get. Surely she enjoyed his company, but to every minute with him, without break, in his vast and unwelcoming home was far too daunting. He had meant well to spend the next few days with her, but she really desired to have a few days of rest, some time alone to reflect on the past few days.
Tsukushi spent part of her days in Domyouji's watchful company, and the other part avoiding him. She did this mostly by wandering around the complex interior of the Domyouji mansion. She had always wanted to explored the inside of the residence of the richest family in Japan, but never quite had that chance whenever she had been here - she had been prevented for vary reasons such as trying to escaping from various Domyouji family members, or being on duty as a maid.
It was when she was wandering around some unused part of the Domyouji home (though exquisitely furnished, the furniture was covered with plain white clothes to prevent dust gathering on it) when she got the call.
"Makino!" cried Akira's uncharacteristically agitated voice over the phone.
"Hi, Mimasaka," said Tsukushi, not sure of what to make of it. Akira, unlike Soujiro, was not quite a drama queen, though he was still a rather good actor.
"I have bad news," he said, pausing so that Tsukushi could ask him what the bad news was.
"What's wrong?" she replied, as he had hoped she would do.
"Well, my mother is returning from Europe today. I just got a call from her. She said she had wanted to surprise me."
"So...?" continued Makino, not quite sure why Akira thought she would be interested at all.
"Remember what you left at my place?" hinted Akira.
Tsukushi thought for a moment and then realised the horrible truth.
"MY TUMMY!" she shouted, blasting Akira's eardrums with the sheer volume of her voice.
"Yes... yes..." winced Akira. "Can you come over?"
"When?"
"Perhaps right now? She's landed at the airport, but is, thankfully, clogged up at customs. But you still need to hurry. See you here."
Tsukushi hung up, and immediately bounded down the vast corridors of the Domyouji mansion that she had become so familiar with in recent times. She ran into foyer and looked around for a tall, curly head.
"Domyouji! Domyouji!" she called desperately, hoping that he hadn't gotten sick of trying to look for her every time she hid from him.
"Where were you?" Domyouji's scowling face popped out of nowhere. He sounded flustered and frustrated. Clearly, he had been looking for her.
Upon seeing his red and angry face, Tsukushi momentarily forgot her urgent quest. She stifled a laugh. It was too funny - the sight of a tomato with curly hair!
"Were you looking for me?" she giggled.
"No," lied Domyouji, in a manner that plainly meant yes. "Who said I walked all over the east and west wing looking for you?"
"So you did!" snorted Tsukushi.
"NO, I DIDN'T!" snapped Domyouji.
As she was about to press this matter further, she suddenly recalled why she was looking for him so urgently.
"WE GOTTA GO TO MIMASAKA'S PLACE!" declared Tsukushi, albeit a bit too loudly.
"Why?" said Domyouji coolly, his eyes narrowing slightly. The thought of the girl he loved most declaring most adamantly to go to another guy's place was a bit suspicious. Quite frankly, he did not like this. He was a man who easily became jealous.
"Because -my stomach -Mimasaka's mum - Europe...!" said Tsukushi in a non coherent manner, grabbing Domyouji's sleeves and trying to pull him out towards the door.
"Calm down, woman!" said Domyouji, grabbing her by the shoulders and getting her to stop to tell him everything. "So you have to go to Akira's place because your stomach and his mother want to go to Europe together?"
"No, idiot!" cried Tsukushi, wishing that Domyouji had a greater ability to put together pieces of information into something more obvious. "His mum - she's coming back from Europe - and she's going to discover my fake tummy standing in her little cottage!"
"Oh," said Domyouji, a look of enlightenment dawning upon his face. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure. Let's go."
Tsukushi loved how he could be so calm and collected in such a dire situation. He really was a boy and a man at the same time - desperately looking for her and denying that he did, as if he would lose his pride that way, yet calmly tackling this disaster head on.
He took her by the hand and was about to lead her out the door when Tsubaki suddenly bounded from the corridor of the east wing and cried out, "Don't go!"
"Why!" said Tsukushi, puzzled and, suddenly, a bit afraid. Did Tsubaki just hear everything we said?
"There's a whole mob of paparazzi hanging around outside," sighed Tsubaki, sounding rather annoyed. She folded her arms across her chest. "You're going to have to fight your way through them if you want to get out."
"But I have to! It's urgent!" said Tsukushi. "But..."
If there are paparazzi outside ... then they will definitely follow me to Akira's home. And if they do, they just might discover my secret, thought Tsukushi. She felt as though she was being further cornered.
"What's so urgent that you have to leave the house even while you're recovering?" said Tsubaki, a look of concern on her face. Tsukushi felt some relief flood over her for the first time during this whole mess. At least Tsubaki didn't hear what they said.
"I..." began Tsukushi. She really hadn't thought of a good story for this one.
"She has a bedwetting problem," smirked Domyouji.
"WHAT!" cried Tsukushi, aghast. How on earth did Domyouji ever think that one up? How on earth do the F4 always think of the most stupid of stories to explain things?
"We have to take her to the bedwetting research clinic because she's due for a checkup," said Domyouji, his face looking very serious indeed. "Lately, she's stopped, but all that recent stress has caused her to have a relapse in this condition."
Tsukushi couldn't believe how very truthful he sounded, how very informed he sounded, and how little of the vocabulary he got wrong for once.
"How did you cook this one up?" whispered Tsukushi in the angriest tone possible. She did not want to be thought of as a betwetter at her age.
"I watched this on some documentary they had," Domyouji sniggered back as quietly as possible.
"Oh, Tsukushi, Tsukushi," whispered Tsubaki fondly, giving her a rather sympathetic look. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would've helped you with everything I can!"
Tsukushi couldn't believe how Tsubaki, a very intelligent woman, would believe this load of bull her brother was dishing out.
"We can't have the media finding out, can we?" said Tsubaki thoughtfully. "If you go out the front gate, they'll follow you for sure! And if they find out you have a betwetting problem - oh, that'll be the end of your reputation and the reputation of the Domyouji family! Oh, the media will have a field day!"
"So I can't go at all?" cried Tsukushi desperately.
"Yes... yes. We can, actually," said Tsubaki, her brows furrowed in thought. She traced her fingers in the air, as if drawing up a blueprint. "I have a plan."
"A plan?" said Tsukushi, surprised at how quickly Tsubaki managed to cook something up. She seemed very excited about this. Too excited, in fact. It looked as though Tsubaki was going to have fun.
"Yes," smiled Tsubaki, her pretty eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wasn't Miss Teen of Japan for nothing, you know. Ooh, I haven't had this much fun since.. a while ago! Tsukushi, give me your uniform!"
"It's in my room," said Tsukushi, looking very puzzled. She tried to figure out why on earth Tsubaki would need her uniform.
"Tsukasa," ordered Tsubaki. "Get me a blueprint of the house and a marker, now!"
"Yes, ma'am," said Domyouji sarcastically. The two of them left to fulfill the tasks that Tsubaki had set for them, and upon coming back to the foyer, they found Tsubaki holding a maid's uniform in her arms, which she thrust into Tsukushi's arms.
"Okay, troops," she declared in a militaristic fashion. "Here's the plan."
She pulled the blueprint that Domyouji had returned with and started drawing on it with the marker.
"The media contingent is here," she said, circling a large area around the front of the house. She drew arrows here and there. "Obviously, they are after Tsukushi. They will be drawn away from the front of the house by a Tsukushi decoy who will be dressed in her trademark uniform. Preferably, she will go with Tsukasa, so it will look more genuine. After that, with a stagger of around five minutes, the real Tsukushi will leave and make her way to the bedwetting clinic, disguised in a maid's uniform. Brilliant and simple, no?"
"It's good!" said Tsukushi, feeling relieved that someone among them was such a genius. Tsubaki really should have become a tactician in the army.
"Yeah," snorted Domyouji, "And who's going to be the Tsukushi decoy? There's no one here who looks as skinny and as commoner as her!"
"I will," said Tsubaki.
"What?" chorused Domyouji and Tsukushi, not sure they heard quite correctly.
"I WILL." snapped Tsubaki, whacking Domyouji on the head for not listening properly the first time around. "Give me your uniform, Tsukushi."
Tsukushi handed it over and said, most truthfully, "But you don't look like me at all, sister..."
"Doesn't matter," smiled Tsubaki. "It's hard to notice the difference from far away, and especially if we're inside a car with slightly tinted windows. Anyway, I've always wanted to do this - reminds me of the time when mother was monitoring my movements back in high school. I used to disguise myself so I can leave the house without many people noticing. Of course, I had help from Tama..."
She sighed wistfully. Trust Tsubaki to find being spied upon exciting, thought Tsukushi.
"Anyway, let's get changed," said Tsubaki. "See you here in five minutes."
Tsukushi put on the familiar maid's uniform, and felt rather nostalgic as she made her way back to the foyer. I, too, have once served this house...
However, her trip down memory lane was shattered when she noticed Tsubaki standing there, in her own uniform.
"How do I look?" said Tsubaki, giving a little pose. "Just like Tsukushi, eh?"
She understood why Domyouji was stifling a laugh. His face was all red from just trying to hold it in. Tsukushi really wanted to tell Tsubaki the truth that she looked absolutely NOTHING like Tsukushi, but found speaking too hard. She, too, was trying not to laugh.
The difference between Tsubaki's and her figure was plainly obvious. Whereas the shirt hung loosely on Tsukushi's flat form, it was now stretched a bit too tightly against Tsubaki's ample bosom. The shirt also hung too far up her torso to be tucked in, and it threatened to show off Tsubaki's belly button every time she stretched. The skirt, too, was too short, and showed far too much of Tsubaki's long and slender legs to be deemed modest. And the blazer - Tsubaki hadn't bothered with the blazer since she couldn't fit into it at all. Tsubaki could not fit her feet into Tsukuhi's plain school shoes either, and thus, had opted to wear expensive designer stilettos instead.
All in all, she looked more like a glamourous actress playing the role of a high school student more than someone trying to look as much like Tsukushi as possible
"You... uh, look fine," lied Tsukushi.
"This idiot here lied to me and said I looked nothing like you," scowled Tsubaki. Tsukushi noticed a raw slap mark on the side of Domyouji's face. "Tsukasa, let's go. You can leave once the coast is clear. Go on foot like a real maid, because if you go in a limousine, anyone left here will realise you are someone important. Just go upstairs and observe from the balcony there for now. Make sure they're all gone before you leave, okay?"
She pulled him by the collar and lead him out of the house.
"I'll catch up with you later, okay?" Domyouji called out.
Tsukushi made her way to a balcony facing the front of the house on the second floor, where she found Tama already there with a pair of binoculars. It was plainly obvious that Tsubaki, a true tactician, had commanded that she take up that position.
"The things the young miss and young master will do for you," said Tama, her eyes still fixed into the binoculars. "They will do anything to protect you."
"Yeah," sighed Tsukushi, leaning on the railings. She felt very bad for having to lie to Tsubaki and Tama, and even cause Tsubaki to run around Tokyo dressed in a way unbefitting of her.
"But it's all thanks to you that the household seems to be normal again," said Tama. "Look at you. You've made the young master happy. And the young miss too - she looks like she's having fun. This is the first time I've seen her sound so excited since her high school days. Anyway, looks like the coast is clear. You'd better get going now before they realise that Tsubaki isn't you."
Tsukushi made her way out of the house and walked briskly in the direction of Akira's home. Without a car, however, she realised how very far it was. She sat down in the middle of a bustling shopping district, her legs tired and aching, her mouth dry from the lack of water when she most gratefully received Domyouji's call.
"Where are you?" he said, his voice sounding annoyed again, as if he had been driving around looking for her.
"I'm near-" Tsukushi said, looking around for a distinct landmark near her. "- the fountain of the giant pigeon. Are you coming?"
"Yes. Don't go - stay there and wait for me."
True to his word, he arrived a few minutes later and picked her up, for which Tsukushi was most thankful for.
"Where's Tsubaki?" said Tsukushi, looking around. She realised this was not the limousine that Tsubaki and Domyouji had escaped earlier in.
"Oh, turns out sister really had a plan," shrugged Domyouji. "We went to one of the Domyouji skyscrapers that we owned and changed cars in the underground parking. Turns out she hid a car there already, and so I escaped distinctly. The media is hounding her outside, but they're being pushed back by the Domyouji security forces."
"You mean you escaped discretely, right?" teased Tsukushi.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
They finally arrived at Akira's home, where they found him outside, looking rather agitated.
"What took you so long!" he demanded, looking very anxious. "She's already in a car on her way back!"
"Sorry. Got held up because I'm so handsome," said Domyouji, flinging his head back. "The media couldn't get enough of me."
"Whatever," said Akira, rolling his eyes. "Follow me. This way, please."
He lead them around the vast gardens full of blooming roses towards the homely cottage tucked way in a corner at the end of a long and winding path. He took out a key and unlocked it.
"You guys go in first," he said. "I'll hold mother off when she gets here."
A feeling of deja vu came over Tsukushi.
"This isn't another sneaky plan of yours, is it?"
"No. Not this time," sighed Akira. "It's for real. Soujiro isn't here, anyway."
He left them as he rushed back off outside to hold off his mother's advance. Tsukushi walked into the dim room, trying to find where her tummy had been hidden.
"Here it is," said Domyouji, carrying a large parcel back towards her. It was still sealed inside the box they had originally purchased it in. He pulled it out.
"Try it on."
"Right now?" said Tsukushi. "I have to take my clothes off to put it on."
"Then take them off," he snickered.
"Get out!" said Tsukushi, blushing. She rushed off towards the bathroom, pulled off her maid's clothes and put them back on. Unfortunately for her, the maid's clothes had their buttons placed most inconveniently down her back so that she could not do them back up after she was able to undo them. She walked out of the bathroom, and advanced backwards towards Domyouji.
"Help me do these buttons up!" she said. "Quickly!"
He hastily buttoned it up for her, but once he had reached the top button, he did not let go. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, and leant his head on her shoulder.
"You look like a goddess," he whispered into her ear. She could feel his warm breath tickling the tips of her ears. "If only that was a real baby in there. We could be starting a family."
Tsukushi couldn't help but blush. The silence was getting awkward. Domyouji did not seem like he wanted to be letting go any time soon. But thankfully, the heavy atmosphere was suddenly broken by voices getting louder and louder.
"You can't go in there, Mother!" cried Akira, his voice travelling very loudly over the garden, obviously trying to hint to them their impending approach.
"Why not, dear?" cried Akira's mother melodically, her sweet voice oozing across the heavy atmosphere so that it got even more stickier and sweeter. "I just want to put my parcels down. I got this absolutely darling little vase from Spain! It will look absolutely perfect in my cottage, I've been dying to see how it'll look inside! Don't worry, dear, I also got you a little present. You won't miss out, just let me put this down first!"
"No, mother, it's just that-" began Akira, but it was too late. Akira's mother had already opened the door to find Domyouji and Tsukushi locked in a very intimate embrace.
"Oh," she gasped. "I'm so sorry!"
She quickly backed out to leave the two of them alone in their own little world, but Tsukushi pulled away from Domyouji, blushing, and said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Mimasaka! I don't mean to stop you from entering your own cottage!"
"Oh, don't be silly, dear," she said. "Romance is best served during youth! Keep going, I promise I won't disturb you any more. I'll just set down my vase and go give Emu and Memu a bath."
She quickly bustled around, trying to get everything done, but Tsukushi was adamant. "No, don't worry about us! We're finished, I promise!"
Akira's mother smiled sweetly at Tsukushi and tried to reassure her that it was fine to be romantic.
"You don't need to be so embarrassed, dear," she said, eyeing Tsukushi's tummy. "I had my first baby at your age as well. And look at how tall and handsome he is today! As I've always said to my beloved, it's best to have 'em young."
If she was trying to ease Tsukushi's embarrassment, it wasn't working. It was making her feel more and more self conscious of the small baby bump tucked under her clothes. Akira's mother seemed to be aware of that, and tried to reassure Tsukushi that romance and babies before twenty was a good choice. When Tsukushi seemed to look more and more embarrassed, Akira's mother decided that her embarrassment was a result of something else unrelated to the age at which she was to have babies.
"Don't worry about differences in social class," she said, smiling. "Akira's first time was with his maid as well. Mind you, he was much younger as well."
"What! How did you know, Mother?" cried Akira, looking very embarrassed.
"Oh, I know everything," she giggled.
Tsukushi felt like toppling over in sheer mortification. Akira's mother, in the end, did not seem to understand that her embarrassment did not stem from pregnancy at such a young age. It was, rather, from being caught in such an intimate embrace and being mistaken for being pregnant at all. And to top it all off, she was absolutely bowled over for being mistaken as being a maid caught fornicating with her employer.
Thankful that, despite all the strange happenings she had to go through today, that her secret was not leaked any further, Tsukushi and Domyouji made their way back to the Domyouji mansion. Drunk with bliss at the success of their little escapade, they made their way up the stairs and through the grand front doors of the mansion. However, Tsukushi found that her bliss was soon to be shattered.
"I do not expect for my daughter, the heiress to Domyouji Media, to run around Tokyo, masquerading as a high school student in a uniform far too small for her," snapped a coldly familiar voice. "You are a daughter of the Domyouji family, Tsubaki. I expect more refinement from you. I am absolutely disappointed to see my daughter to running around looking like some girl working in a schoolgirl fetish club."
They found Tsubaki standing in the foyer, still in Tsukushi's uniform, looking defiantly back at none other than Domyouji Kaede.
"And, what do I have here? A rowdy commoner," she said, staring piercingly through Tsukushi. "Is she the source of all that unruly influence on you?"
"No," snapped Tsubaki. "As a matter of fact, I got my sense of adventure from the time you started restricting my movements back in high school, when you wanted me to stop seeing Jun. In fact, this is just a revival of one of those plans I devised from high school. Don't you dare blame Tsukushi for that."
"Don't you dare talk back to me, your mother," said Kaede. "I will not condone such behaviour. As for you, tramp, you are to leave my house immediately."
With Kaede back, it wasn't as if Tsukushi wanted to stay anyway. She wanted to leave just as much as Kaede wanted her to.
"No," said Tsubaki. "You can't ask her to leave. She's carrying the next Domyouji heir."
Next Chapter: The evil Domyouji Kaede steps into the scene! Will she set her evil plans for world domination into motion? Is she going to kick Tsukushi out of the house? Will she find out the truth?
Find out next chapter! (Haha!)