Note: NightimeRoseOX has very perceptive reading skills. Either that, or I'm becoming too predictable, lol. Speaking of perception, did anyone know that Code Red in a hospital actually refers to a fire? Haha, Alex and Martha aren't the smartest doctors, are they? Oh yeah, I married Dia in my guy-MM file today! Yes, I freed her from Alex and Martha's prison of medicine! Just kidding. XD

Chapter Nineteen: Lotsa Ranting and More Stuff

"This isn't my house," I said flatly upon arriving at the building. This was my land, yes, but that wasn't my house. It just couldn't be. I mean, since when did I have a second story?

"I took the liberty of hiring Woody to upgrade your house for you," Ray explained. "I remembered that you'd missed your last opportunity, so I thought I'd help. Did I…do something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" I exclaimed. "That was really sweet of you."

To my disappointment, Ray didn't blush at the compliment. Dang it. How come now that I wanted to flirt with him, he was acting all indifferent? This was worse than Jamie's straight-out insults and Maria's twisted cunning!

"Shall we go inside?" Ray asked finally, watching me wrestle with my inward thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, spaced out for a sec there," I laughed nervously. Fish it all, could I act any more like an idiot?

Coming inside, we sat at my table, avoiding eye-contact.

"So…you want something to eat?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"Alright," he shrugged. "You don't have to, though."

"No, I want to," I insisted, going to my refrigerator. "I think I can whip up some Sashimi….I've got some Rainbow Trout I need to use before they go bad."

"…Heh," Ray chuckled to himself.

"What?" I demanded, slicing up the Sashimi. "What's so funny?"

"It's just…the last time you made Sashimi, you blew up in my face," he smiled.

I blushed. He remembered that?! Oh, fish, why did I have to be so short-tempered? Did that mean he remembered all those times I shouted at him and acted selfishly spiteful? That was gonna swing back to hurt me later…stupid karma.

"Well, today I'll try to act more civilized," I replied, putting the plate before him.

Ray smiled and took a bite…then his expression turned sour as he swallowed it.

"Was that… Rainbow Trout you used?" he sputtered, trying to regain a sense of taste in his mouth.

"I think so… Wasn't it?" My mind reeled back to what I had taken out of the refrigerator…I had opened it, Ray laughed, and then….Aw, fish it all!

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" I gasped. "That was a Dace! I totally wasn't thinking at all, I am so so sorry! Do you want some water? Do you need me to do the Heimlich maneuver?! I can Heimlich!"

"Harley, calm down," he laughed. "It just didn't taste all that good, that's all. No need to Heimlich. I'm fine."

"Of-of course," I stammered. "I knew that." NOT.

"You're acting pretty jumpy today," Ray observed. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Yeah, actually," I agreed as I sat down. "I guess I'm just…stressed out."

"Well, you have a lot to do around here," Ray nodded. "When I took care of all those crops and animals, I couldn't imagine you doing that pregnant."

"Well, I've managed so far, haven't I?" I smiled. "I'm an independent, modern woman!"

"Is that what you are?" he grinned. "I always thought you were the cute farmgirl with pigtails and a big mouth."

"H-hey! You're just jealous," I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

"Of your maturity?" he teased.

"You know it!"

"Alright, you caught me," he laughed. "I'm jealous. Happy?"

"I guess so." I leaned back in my chair and bit my lip. This kind of conversation felt so…weird. Ray had always been so quiet before; he wouldn't have engaged in playful teasing like that with me when we were first married. He really had changed after all.

Had I changed, too?

"Hey, Harley," Ray said softly. "About our son…I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe I'd just get in the way," he admitted. "Look at me, Harley. I'm a wandering fisherman with no constant paycheck or roof over my head. I want our son to grow up to be someone special…someone that could be a good role model. I'd be a negative influence on him, I just know it."

"What are you saying?" I whispered, my heart in my throat.

"I think…I should leave Flower Bud. I've heard this place Mineral Town has good fishing, and—"

I'd heard enough.

"Good fishing?!" I shouted, standing up. "Is that all you can think about, Ray? Good fishing?!"

"Calm down—"

"I will not calm down!" I screamed. "You think you can get away with all that 'I'm a bad influence' junk? Now you listen right now, Mr. Ray Fish Fanatic! You are smart, funny, and incredibly kind, and if anyone would be a horrible parent, it's me!"

"But—"

"No buts!" I insisted, continuing my rant. "Our son can grow up to be the craziest person in this whole psychotic village, but it won't be because his father decided to leave him for good! It'll be because we tried our best to raise him, and somehow it wasn't good enough. You and I are a team, Ray. I don't want you to leave…no, I won't let you!"

"Harley…you can't stop me," Ray murmured. "This is what I believe has to be done."

"You're such a fishing idiot!" I yelled. "Don't you understand?! You're perfect just the way you are! You are the best, most sensitive guy I've ever met here in this town!"

"Yeah, right," Ray muttered, unconvinced.

"Stop acting emo!" I ordered. "Seriously, our son is lucky to have you for a father. Dan gambles too much and cheats on his girlfriends, Louis doesn't even have the backbone to quit his insanely hard job, Carl talks like a girl and is crazy enough to hire Katie, Alex is secretly an evil mastermind intent on keeping his patients prisoner, Joe is a corn-obsessed loser who thinks he's a "true American," Kurt spends his time conspiring with Dia on ways to escape her fish-hole of a Sanatorium, Bob is abnormally muscular, Blue is depressingly silent, and Jamie is the absolute most annoying and wicked creature on the face of the planet!"

For a while, there was a long, stunned silence from Ray. Man, ranting felt so good! I should do it more often!

"…Wow," Ray whispered. "I—I had no idea. But—"

"But what?" I retorted.

"You forgot Basil."

"Who?"

"You know, that plant researcher who dates Nina. He's a hobo like me, only he leaves every winter," Ray explained.

"Ya see? Anyone crazy enough to date an airhead like Nina definitely deserves to be on the list of psychos previously mentioned," I smiled.

"….Do you…really believe what you just said?" he asked me softly.

"Ray, of course I do," I answered, taking his hands in my own. "And you want to know why?"

He simply shrugged, speechless.

I brought myself close to his ear and whispered, "Because I love you."

And then, I kissed him. It wasn't as passionate as our kiss on the beach, but it was gentler, and subtly beautiful. And besides, he wasn't the one kissing me; I was kissing him.

But he didn't break away. When I finally ended our kiss (reluctantly, I might add), his face had turned a soft pink, much to my satisfaction. Aha! He did care about me!

"You know…" he said finally, clearing his throat. "It's strange."

"Hm?"

"When we were first married, you never, never kissed me like that," he stammered. "And now, you're pregnant, and somehow, even though you're almost due, I feel…like I've never seen you look so beautiful."

"Well, I wasn't in love then," I sighed. "I…I was stubborn and selfish, Ray. I couldn't see past my own ego."

"…I never had much of an ego to look past," he admitted. "I guess I didn't love you before, either. I was just…so happy, you know? That someone cared enough about me to propose. I never felt then the way I feel about you now…no, I've never felt like this, ever."

"You know," I smiled, "we're still married."

"You're right," he laughed. "It doesn't feel like it, though, does it?"

"We've been fighting too long," I sighed. "I just…want to go to bed. It's exhausting just to think about."

Ray smiled.

"Yeah…let's go to bed," he agreed.

And just as I started to climb onto the bed, I froze.

"Argh!" I exclaimed, wincing.

"Something wrong?"

"No, of course not."

I started to climb up again, then screamed in sudden pain.

"Harley, are you all right?" Ray gasped, taking my hand.

"Kind of," I laughed nervously. "I think…I think I'm having contractions."

"Whaaa?"

"Ray…you won't believe this, but I'm…I'm gonna have the baby!"

"You what?!"

Oh, fish. This wasn't good at all.