"So why have we been called here Lazard?" asked Sephiroth sitting before Lazard's desk with Angeal and Genesis.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Lazard pacing before them behind his desk.

"Is this about Zack again? 'Cause if it is I can assure you we had no part in it this time," said Genesis.

"Oh I'm sure one of you's involved," said Lazard shaking his head.

All were confused as they looked at each other to see if anyone had any idea what was going on. None did and so they looked back at Lazard as he placed both his hands on his desk just glaring at them all rather strangely.

"So I'm sure Zack has told you about her little 'predicament'," he said eyeing them all.

"What predicament?" asked Sephiroth.

"Of course only one of you must know," said Lazard.

"Zack hasn't told us anything lately," said Angeal.

"You mean she hasn't told you she was pregnant?" he asked crossing his arms.

"Pregnant?" asked Sephiroth as all men cocked their heads to the side.

"Yes," said Lazard shaking his head. "And I have come to believe it was one of YOU who have done this to him!"

"Why would we do that?" asked Genesis.

"Because he is closest to you three!" pointed Lazard. "Now I swore to myself I'd find the perp so one of you must confess or else I'll find out other ways."

"It could have been someone he met one night," said Genesis. "To be honest I never thought Zack would go so far with a man."

"Neither did I," said Lazard. "But I am partly to blame."

"What do you mean?" asked Angeal perking his head up to Lazard.

"He was having problems, as you know, with feminine feelings and so came to me for advice. I gave him the best I could and so told him to see these as experiments. That's how he's been so good at acting like a woman and manipulating men," said Lazard crossing his hands.

"I thought as much," said Sephiroth leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.

"But anyways," said Lazard coming closer to the men. "I want answers now or I will be forced to find out through the DNA."

At that Lazard turned around and picked up a piece of paper. He looked at it for a while and glanced back at them saying—

"Ahha! What do you have to say for yourself—Genesis?"

"What?!" Angeal and Genesis said at the same time.

"Oh sure, just because I wear scarlet doesn't mean—" started Genesis ready to stand up and defend himself.

"You don't have the DNA results yet Lazard," said Sephiroth. "You just took Zack back for some tests."

"So what," said Lazard throwing the paper behind him and looking rather aggravated. "I WILL find him, mark my word. Either you man up and confess or be snuffed out like a rat!"

Crickets.

Lazard seemed to pop his lid. This had gotten the best of the man and it seemed as if he was going insane. Poor man.

"May we see Zack?" asked Angeal.

"Why?" asked Lazard peering at him suspiciously.

"He's my student. I want to make sure he's alright," said Angeal.

"He's being taken care of don't worry," said Lazard.

"Can we see him or not Lazard?" asked Angeal getting frustrated with the man.

"I suppose it won't hurt," sighed Lazard. "I have some searching to do."

And so the 1st class all headed to where Zack was being tested. Once they came to the room they could hear Zack screaming and squealing behind the door. All looked at each other a bit confused, but once they opened the door Zack came running out and jumping right on Genesis pointing back at the doctors saying—

"Don't let them stick that thing up me!!!"

The men turned to see the doctors holding a thing device for Zack to place how-knows-where. By the way Zack clung onto Genesis it probably wasn't pleasant.

"You know, you wouldn't have had to go through all this Zack if you wouldn't have gotten pregnant,' said Sephiroth with a slight shake of his head.

"I didn't mean to!" she spat at the silver-haired man.

"Like women don't overuse that excuse," Genesis said with a slight chuckle.

Zack just frowned at the red-haired man. She then glanced at Angeal who now knew she was with child. She cast her eyes down as she got off Genesis and stood on the ground.

"Please Zack. You need to perform these tests," said the doctors coming up to her. "It's important for someone in your condition."

"Did Lazard tell you?" she asked still casting her eyes away from them all.

"Yes," said Sephiroth.

"I guess he suspected you all then—right?" asked Zack clasping her hands together.

"How'd you guess?" asked Genesis with a smile. "I was the one mostly blamed as Lazard tried to guess at us."

Zack then looked up at them all and said—

"I'm sorry."

She then turned and went back in the room with the doctors. The men just stood outside the door and sighed. This was something never heard of, but they did feel sorry for Zack—having to go through all those tests and all.

"Why didn't she tell us before?" asked Angeal his eyes cast down and scanning his thoughts.

"Perhaps she tried to," said Genesis. "Or it could just be that she didn't know until recently."

"Yeah—I guess so," said Angeal still with his eyes cast down.

Angeal and Genesis then noticed Sephiroth's silence and so turned to look at him. He was thinking and so they asked—

"Do you suspect something Sephiroth?"

"I have a bad feeling Hojo has something to do with this," said Sephiroth.

"What do you mean?" asked Genesis.

"You mean that he planned on Zack conceiving a child? That's why he kept breaking the reactors. Is that what you mean Sephiroth?!" asked Angeal rather loudly as he took a step forward.

"Precisely," said Sephiroth looking at the raven-haired man.

"I see," said Genesis. "He must have known he was secretly seeing someone and hoped that one day she would become pregnant with a child."

"So Hojo wanted this?!" asked Angeal turning to Genesis.

"It appears so," said Genesis. "Must be what he had planned on doing all along before Shin-Ra took away his rights on Zack."

"That son of a bi---!" cursed Angeal scrunching his hands into fists.

"I might just go have a word with him," said Sephiroth looking down.

"No!" stopped Angeal. "He might not know. If he did—"

"All hell would break loose," said Sephiroth reading Angeal's mind. "He'd be right on Zack trying to claim that child."

"Right," said Angeal.

"There's no way to stop him from finding out though," said Genesis.

"True, but it could give Lazard enough time to find the father and sort out this problem so Hojo can't get his greedy little hands on Zack or the child," said Sephiroth.

"I'll stay here and wait for Zack," said Angeal.

"Very well," said Sephiroth. "We'll meet up with you later."

And so Genesis and Sephiroth left. Angeal waited until Zack was done with all the tests for the day, or done with all the tests she could take. She came out an hour later quick upset. She saw Angeal, but didn't really want to talk to him. Angeal turned to her and let her have some minutes alone before he softly asked her—

"Why didn't you tell me Zack?"

"I don't want to talk about this!" she said with her back turned to him.

"How long have you known?" asked Angeal trying to be as calm as he could even though deep down inside he was so scared.

"No Alright!" she said turning to him. "I found out yesterday! I tried to tell you but I kept forgetting. I'm sorry alright."

"No it's just . . . how could you be pregnant Zack?" asked Angeal.

"Hojo," she said rolling her eyes and flapping her arms to her sides. "He turned me into a perfect girl remember? . . . I just didn't know how 'perfect'."

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Angeal just wanting to help her through this hard time.

"Yeah—I think you've done enough," said Zack rolling her head a bit.

"All right Zack—but I'll be here if you need me," said Angeal deciding to leave her alone now.

Zack just rolled her eyes again as Angeal left. Later she slumped her shoulders and sighed. She bowed her head and sighed again just trying to stop feeling so ashamed as if she had let Angeal down. She then remembered how Lazard told her to think of theses things as 'experiment's'. What a fine mess those got her into.

Zack picked her head up and cleared her throat. She was going to try to not think of it like that. Yeah, right—it was just an experiment and that's all, nothing more—nothing less.

Zack was allowed to go home but when morning came she just wanted to stay in bed. She had her covers over her just hoping to escape reality, but it didn't work. She was called in to Lazard's office and once she saw Angeal already there sitting down in a chair a hard lump developed in her throat—something she couldn't manage to swallow.

"Ah Zack, please have a seat," said Lazard motioning to the chair next to Angeal who didn't seem to want to look at anyone at the time.

"I'd rather stand if that's okay," she said crossing her arms.

"Very well," said Lazard standing up. "As you know I swore to find the father and when I swear to something I follow it out—and do you know what I found Zack?"

"I could take a guess," said rolling her eyes and shoulders.

"Well I found evidence of the men's showers on late one night. I know of only one person who likes to train that late Zack—Angeal Hewly."

Zack just bit her lip feeling so sorry for Angeal at the moment. She never meant for him to get caught along with her—especially not like this.

"But another thing is," said Lazard holding up his index finger. "I found out that you like to pay him visits too—late at night in the training room."

"So," said Zack. "That doesn't mean—"

"I have an audio tape of you—and him—in the men's showers one night," said Lazard holding up a tape.

Zack just bit the inside of her bottom lip. There was no arguing with that. She clearly remembered that day. That was the day she made love to Angeal in the men's showers and then at her apartment until they decided to take it to bed.

Her eyes glanced down at Angeal who sat silently in the chair like some child how had been caught doing wrong. She then looked at Lazard whose face wasn't the most pleasant to look on.

"Zack what were you thinking on seeing Angeal?—your teacher!" he said holding out his hands.

"I—I," she tried to find the right words, but nothing seemed to come to her then. "I was just following what you said on the experiments thing."

"I didn't mean to go fooling around with your comrades though!" said Lazard. "Is Angeal the only one you've—?"

"Yes alright?" said Zack placing her arms stiffly at her sides. "He was the only one who gave in to my bugging and threats."

Zack couldn't help but smile as she gazed at Angeal. He turned slightly to her, but soon looked back away. Zack then turned her gaze back to Lazard and said—

"Just count this as an experiment. That's all this thing is."

"How could you say that?" asked Angeal turning to Zack.

"Huh?" said Zack looking at Angeal who didn't seem too happy with her at the moment. "What do you mean Angeal?"

"How dare you refer to your child as a thing—why can't you just care for once?" asked Angeal.

"But Angeal I told you this was all nothing but experiments," she said trying to figure out what was wrong with him. "Why are you so uptight?"

Angeal didn't say another word. He just turned in his seat and looked away. Zack then realized what it was. Her mouth opened slightly as she said—

"O-oh . . . do you—do you like me Angeal? . . . that's it isn't it?"

Angeal still didn't say a word. Lazard just crossed his arms and let them sort out their differences. At least this way he was getting some answers about their relationship with each other lately.

"Angeal I told you this was just an experiment. You went along remember?" asked Zack.

"Of course I remember Zack!" said Angeal standing up and looking at her.

There was a slight silence between them before Lazard decided to speak up and say—

"The child is about three months along. Dos this mean anything to either of you?"

"Yeah," said Zack nodding her head. "It's around the time Angeal agreed to make love to me."

"So I take it it wouldn't have mattered if you decided to continue this affair," said Lazard.

Angeal just looked at Zack not saying a word. Zack just wrinkled her brow and said—

"I guess it wouldn't have."

Angeal just couldn't take this anymore. It seemed this woman Zack had no respect for anything maternal or feminine. Angeal shook his head and left.

"Angeal," said Lazard, but he was gone.

"Eh let him go," said Zack plopping in the chair. "I just want this mess to go away."

"So do I Zack," said Lazard turning to her. "And so does Shin-Ra."

"So what about Hojo?" asked Zack. "Is he gonna take me away and I be his guinea pig?"

"You know he wanted to get you pregnant?" said Lazard.

"Figures," she scoffed. "Well I guess it's only a matter of time before he finds out."

"Don't worry Zack. We'll protect you from him—unless you want to go on your own free will."

"Never," said Zack. "But what about Angeal?"

"If I was Hojo—I'd say he's done his part," said Lazard with a sigh.

"Yeah . . ." sighed Zack casting her eyes down to her feet that hung off the chair. "I guess so."

Hot Shot's girl: Duh dum! The secrets out and it's causing some drama. Yeah, you see this is why I can't write good humor 'cause drama gets in the way and I don't know, but I'm better with serious stuff at least I think so. Anywho don't know if it will get funnier 'cause some bad stuff happens later on and it's not funny. That's all I'm tellin' ya though ;D See ya next chp :D