Hey it's me! One more chapter left until the ending… here's hoping you'll like this one!

Chapter Nineteen

They decided that they would not leave the island and return home right away. After all, their house had been destroyed so it seemed kind of pointless. Besides, the weather on the island was finally starting to clear up, and it was feeling nice.

The first night, after Yukia had been put to bed, Black Jack told about his escapades throughout Japan and the grim conclusion that it had come to. When he mentioned Kisaragi or the Black Queen into the story, Pinoko visibly seemed to cringe, her smile faltering.

Konomi better not try to come around my husband ever again… she thought warningly as she sipped from a glass of wine.

"It, overall, was a thoroughly exhausting experience, not to mention emotionally draining," Black Jack announced, leaning back against the sofa. He yawned, stretching.

Pinoko, who was sitting next to him, scooted closer towards him and tucked herself beneath his arm.

"That's quite a fascinating tale," Kiriko said, holding up his glass. "Here's to hoping it will hold up in court."

Everyone raised their glasses to that.

Later, when Black Jack was heading up the stairs towards the bedroom that he would share with Pinoko, Kiriko silently pulled her aside.

"You're going to tell him, aren't you?" Kiriko said with his eyes narrowed. "He's your doctor—he knows all that there is to know about your body. I don't."

"No," she said adamantly. "He shouldn't know."

"That is quite a huge risk you're taking," Kiriko mumbled knowingly, watching as she walked up the stairs after her husband.

She headed into the bedroom, where he had already crawled into the bed, and looked to have fallen asleep. She smiled tenderly, standing over him. She stroked her hand over his mismatched white and black hair. He mumbled something, but couldn't move.

She changed into her nightgown and slid into bed beside him with a content smile. She kissed him once, and murmured into his ear.

"I love you, honey."

Then she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. As time passed, she felt him stir behind her, and then he told her that he loved her too.

They spent the next few days on the island peacefully, happily. They practically lived on the shore of the beach, swimming and playing in the water, and for one day they fished, and then at night gathering in the big room in the center of the house and talking over food and drinks rambunctiously.

But somehow Black Jack could sense some sort of tension hanging between Pinoko and Kiriko. And Pinoko, she seemed awfully tight lipped whenever he asked her if something had happened. He was starting to think that the worse had occurred in his absence. But then he dismissed it, thinking, no, Pinoko wasn't like that.

One night Pinoko finally let her guard down and drifted upstairs to bed without waiting for Black Jack. He lingered behind, standing around with Kiriko. Then when she was out of sight, he turned to him and started his interrogation.

"Kiriko, what happened on the island here when I was gone?"

Kiriko was stupefied, and he tilted his head to one side. After a minute then he laughed lightly, and shook his head.

"As sharp as always," he commented. "Black Jack."

"Pinoko isn't telling me anything. So," Black Jack said, taking on a sort of offensive tone, "tell me what you did to her?"

"Did to her? I did nothing lewd to your wife, Doctor. In fact, I saved her."

"Saved her from what?"

"The answer to that is buried a couple of feet beneath the dirt in the back of the house, marked with a couple of stones."

Black Jack's eyes widened and he felt his blood run cold. "W-what?..."

Kiriko then turned on his heel and headed down the hallway, refusing to address it anymore. Black Jack stood there, horrified, and then he started what seemed like an eternal climb up the stairs. When he entered the bedroom, he saw Pinoko sitting there brushing out her long auburn hair.

"It took you a while," she commented with a faint smile on her lips.

He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a miscarriage?"

Pinoko's eyes widened in fear and she looked like she was going to break out in a cold sweat.

"Did… Did Kiriko…"

"Pinoko. That doesn't matter."

"Yes it does! That wasn't supposed to be…"

"What? You weren't supposed to tell me? Your husband?" he demanded furiously. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

She spread her hands helplessly, her mouth suddenly dry, as if forming words was difficult. "I didn't think it mattered! I didn't want to dredge up something sad—"

"—You could have faced afterbirth complications," he said sharply. "You should have told me—
"

"And you wouldn't be upset?" she shot back, throwing off the covers and getting out of the bed. "Really? You wouldn't blame it on me?"

"No," Black Jack said, softening. "I would never have blamed anything on you, Pinoko. That was out of your control."

She crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. "Kiriko looked me over anyways, and he's a doctor. He said that I was fine. I wanted to put it behind me."

She glanced back up at him, her eyes looking red rimmed and tears spilling out of them. "But thank you, darling, for bringing it up again."

She marched out of the room past him, and let the door shut with a slam.