Tohru giggled, laughing at something Yuki had told her. He flashed her a smile, lowering his hand down to her. She gratefully took it and let him help her up from her spot on the ground.

It was time to return home.

They had been at their secret base for over two hours now, and they had hardly gotten any gardening done. Actually, they hadn't even touched the watering can or any of the other tools they had brought with them. The gardening tools remained on the grass, still sitting beside the small garden patch. Scattered clumps of snow still covered the brown dirt. It was a tad early for Yuki to begin returning to garden, but how could she decline an offer to go with him to his secret base, even if he made her wear about three sweaters and a thick jacket that made her feel more like a walrus than an actual person.

Nevertheless, it was still odd for them to be going to their garden in February.

She couldn't help but be grateful for the cold weather though. The chilly winds tend to darken her cheeks, making her frequent blushes hard to distinguish. He didn't mind or comment, unless he was teasing her, but she hated to let him see her blush. It was bad enough that she had to wear all this clothing which doubled her size at the least, while he stood there perfectly handsome and thin in a black jacket. Being pregnant, she was a lot larger than him already. There was no need to make her over triple his waist size with such thick clothing. Regardless, he wouldn't let her remove a layer, and for that, she was grateful. She was cold, even with all her clothing, but at the moment, she was hungrier.

"Come on, Tohru. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are too."

She nodded, feeling her stomach grumble in agreement. Yuki chuckled as he led her back to Shigure's house with a mysterious smile. He hardly spoke to her on the journey back, which was unusual. Instead, he kept eagerly looking ahead, clearly fighting to keep from sprinting the rest of the way back. Tohru watched him obliviously, unable to figure out what had him so excited. He had never seemed so jubilant over just returning for lunch before. She could only assume he was extremely hungry.

However, it all made sense as soon as Yuki opened the front door, and she spotted the decorated living room.

A mixture of pink and white balloons was strung around the walls of the house and hanging with ribbons across the ceiling and over door frames. A large table, covered with a light rose colored table cloth, dotted with baby rattles and teddy bears, sat in the center of the creation, and on top of it sat a pile of colorful presents and beside that, platters of entrées and appetizers. Her friends all stood aimlessly scattered around, chatting and obviously waiting for the two of them to arrive. She glanced up at the large streamer strung over the table. It's a girl! was written in bright pink letters, centered between several more balloons repeating the same message.

Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at Yuki, almost angrily. He lifted his hands up innocently, signaling his complete and utter lack of role in the party other than distracting her for the morning. Tohru glanced back inside of the house in horror before looking back at Yuki, but she didn't get a second to question Yuki about the party.

Momiji spotted them first, jumping up and down and excitedly announcing their presence. Everybody she knew was standing before her, yelling congratulations and other random things. Even the Yuki fan club was here, although they had remained quiet during the cheers. Tohru flushed instantly, a blush even they could see from where they were fifteen feet away in the back of the room. She was hoping they thought her face was red from the chilly air, but by the sounds of their laughs, they were well aware of her embarrassment.

Yuki peered at her, wondering why she was still standing there and gawking at the sight before her. He took her hand in his, pulling her along, but she yanked her hand out of his before he even got her to take one step forward. She clutched her hands to her chest, staring ahead with wide eyes. Yuki waved his hand in front of her for a minute until her eyes slowly drifted over to him. He gazed at her worriedly when she turned her head towards the floor.

"What's wrong, Tohru?"

"B-Baby shower… W-Why?" Tohru stuttered in a quiet voice.

"Because you're having a baby?" Yuki answered, not sure why she was even asking.

"But I-I don't want one…." Tohru whispered.

"Why? It'll be fun," Yuki assured her.

"For you… But not for me…"

"Why won't it be fun for you? You get to open presents and your friends are here," Yuki pointed out.

Tohru slowly shook her head back and forth. Yes, her friends were here, and she liked that. She liked being around Yuki's family, Uo, and Hana, but she'd rather not be around various classmates of hers that she wasn't well acquainted with. They were the ones who would whisper about her behind her back, calling her a prostitute and criticizing the relationship she had with Yuki. They had no right to assume such things about her or disapprove of her status as Yuki's girlfriend, only Yuki could, but he never did.

Besides, he also mentioned presents. She didn't exactly enjoy receiving gifts if she had nothing to compensate with, even if the gifts weren't technically for her. They were for her child, and she couldn't feel more guilty. Yuki bought her enough things. He had already purchased a few outfits for her and the baby and various toys. She didn't need any more than that, yet she could see the pile of colorful, wrapped boxes from where she was.

"B-But I don't want presents. You already bought me all I need… And I don't want a party… People stare at me enough…" Tohru murmured.

"They stare because they think you're pretty."

"No… You know they stare because I'm pregnant."

"That doesn't mean they can't think you're beautiful," Yuki pointed out.

Tohru looked down at her feet, too shy to respond to his flattering. She thought she'd get used to his continual compliments after dating for over two weeks, but she still couldn't handle looking him in the eye after he said such things about her. However, he still found her reactions amusing. In this situation, he normally would have chuckled at her, but he was getting tired of trying to persuade her into entering the house. Taking one look at her expression, Yuki gave up on trying to convince her to go to the party willingly.

"You can walk there or I can carry you. Do you have a preference?" Yuki inquired.

"Don't carry me!" she exclaimed.

"So you'll walk. Come along," Yuki concluded with a smile.

"No! I'm not going!" Tohru squeaked.

"Tohru, you have to. Uotani-san and Hanajima-san spent hours setting up for you. Besides, everyone knows you're here, and they're wondering why we're just standing here."

Tohru shook her head again, turning her face towards the floor again. She appreciated all the work her friends did, but she didn't want to attend. The Yuki fan club was there, and they bothered her more than anything else on the world. Besides, a baby shower meant that everyone was going to gather around her, watch her, and pat her stomach. She had never been one for attention, and this baby shower would definitely revolve around her. She didn't want all the attention. She already got enough of it walking around school pregnant.

Yuki peered at her a second longer before sweeping her off her feet. Tohru squealed as he took a step forward. She quickly locked her arms around his neck before flailing about. She didn't think he'd really pick her up, especially since she was over six months pregnant. They probably looked ridiculous, and the last thing she needed was more embarrassing things in her life. Nevertheless, she was sure she was too heavy to be carried around now.

"Put me down, Yuki!" Tohru cried.

"So you'll walk there?"

"Yes!" Tohru frantically agreed.

He set her down with a smile and let her walk along a foot ahead of him. If it were possible, her face was even darker than before. Yuki chuckled to himself, hiding his laugh from Tohru with his hand. He followed her as she walked straight through the living room and past all her guests. Baffled, everyone watched her leave the room. Yuki shrugged to them and chased after her, following her to her room. He was bemused to find her digging through her closet with her coat and all the sweaters he had made her wear tossed about on the floor.

Tohru, not having heard Yuki's footsteps behind her, was shocked to find Yuki standing in her room after she pulled her head out of her closet. She hardly held back her scream.

"What are you doing, Tohru? If you want to hide, you'll have to pick a better place than your closet," Yuki teased.

"I'm not hiding! I'm changing," Tohru told him, holding out an outfit he had bought for her last week.

"May I ask why?"

Tohru gestured to the wet splotches coating her skirt. The snow still loitering on the ground had somehow managed to dampen her outfit, despite all the clothing barricades that were supposed to keep her dry. She smiled before turning around, revealing to him the wet stains covering the back of her white shirt and lilac skirt. Yuki's eyebrows furrowed with concern. If she had been wet outside, she must have been cold. He was beginning to regret distracting her outside, but his fears of a possible sickness were brushed off with a smile from her.

"So you're not mad?" Yuki asked.

"No, should I be?"

"No… I'm just glad you're not…"

Tohru beamed, blushing as he stepped towards her. He brushed his fingers against her cheeks, gazing into her large eyes momentarily before leaning towards her and kissing her. Seconds after Tohru had dropped her outfit to wrap her arms around Yuki's neck, Uo and Hana barged in. Tohru released Yuki instantly and hopped away from him, her face a bright shade of red as she glanced at her friends' surprised faces. It took a minute before the utter shock faded from Uo's face, and she could speak again.

"She'd rather do this than go to our party? Let's go Hana," Uo muttered.

Uo made a disapproving sound before making a move to leave the room with Hana trailing closely behind her. Tohru gasped and flailed her arms about in protest.

"No, no, no! Wait! That's not it! I'm just changing! I do want to go to your party!" Tohru squealed.

Uo slipped back inside and winked at her, "Ha! Gotcha! Now you gotta come, and you can't look miserable!"

Tohru blinked in confusion, not realizing what Uo meant until she had taken Yuki's hand and dragged him out of the room with Hana. She could vaguely hear Yuki ask Uo what she was doing and Uo accusing him of wanting to watch Tohru change before their voices dimmed. Tohru's face didn't lighten a bit after hearing that comment. She hurriedly shuffled into her clean outfit and scurried out of her room to go find Yuki and the rest of her friends.

She skidded right past the kitchen before stumbling back when she caught sight of Yuki sitting at the table, waiting for her. He watched her fretfully, afraid that she'd fall. Yuki was obviously relieved after she steadied herself and made her way over to him. He stood up and took her hand in his as he led her towards the entrance of the living room. She hesitated, pausing before entering. Yuki stood beside her patiently, having no worries she'd try to convince him not to make her go. She was never one to break a promise, and she had already told Uo and Hana she'd go.

"Did you get something for the baby?" Tohru asked warily.

Yuki glanced at her face with an innocent smile.

"Kind of…" Yuki admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise," Yuki grinned.

Tohru frowned but made no comment. She had had enough surprises already, but there was still a pile full of more surprises awaiting her. She reluctantly let him lead her into the room and seat her in a chair with a banner that had Mommy written on it at the head of the table. There, she was forced to sit and stay as Yuki went to fetch her food and everyone crowded around her. With a red face, she peered around herself, shocked to see all of the Sohmas she knew here along with her grandfather and her aunt and uncle. Even Rin was here, even though she was sitting in the corner of the room by herself.

Kisa was the first to approach her, followed by a grudging Hiro. Hiro kept his distance as Kisa tried to hug Tohru, but her short arms couldn't reach around Tohru's stomach. Tohru laughed as she wrapped her arms around Kisa with a grin. Kagura followed, practically leaping on the two of them and locking them both in a tight embrace. It took two seconds before Kyo and Yuki decided to free Tohru and Kisa before either of them suffocated.

"Kagura, could you do me a favor and just hug Kyo like that, please?" Yuki asked.

Kyo's eyes widened in terror as he shouted, "Damn rat!"

The red-haired teen made an effort to leave before Kagura could reach him, but he failed miserably. Kagura nodded with a wide smile before leaping onto Kyo. Kyo glared at Yuki for a split second before darting off, muttering a threat to Yuki as he tried to get Kagura off of his back. Yuki chocked back a laugh as he handed Tohru her food, but he couldn't contain his chuckles when he glanced up from Tohru's concerned face to the dumbfounded expressions of his classmates. After being entertained by that for a minute, he sat down beside Tohru, getting bored of the comments of his school mates.

He shoved Tohru's food towards her and placed her chopsticks in her hands, making her eat. She obeyed, eating while trying to get a chance to greet everyone.

For a moment, everything was pleasant and tranquil. That is until Uo and Hana announced it was time for Tohru to open her gifts. Tohru, reminded of the towering stack of gifts, cringed. She glanced at the mountain of presents for a split second before covering her eyes with her hands. Yuki could hear her take in several deep breaths in attempt to calm herself. He pried her hands off her face, but she still refused to even look at the gifts, keeping her eyes shut firmly.

"Tohru, open them. There's nothing to feel bad about…" Yuki urged.

"Then you open them…" Tohru whispered.

"You're the mother."

"And you're the father…" Tohru reminded him.

"The baby is inside of you. Having you open them is the closest we'll get to the baby opening them herself. Please?" Yuki asked hopefully.

Tohru didn't get a chance to reply. A present was tossed onto her lap as soon as her eyes opened. Peeking up at Uo's stern face, Tohru decided there was no way around it and started to tear the wrapping paper off. Yuki took the crumpled paper from her as she pulled off the lid, revealing an orange stuffed animal. She grinned, taking the plush cat in her arms and turning back around to face Kyo with an appreciative smile. She was delighted to receive twelve more stuffed animals, each from its respective zodiac member.

Repeating the present opening process several more times, she soon had a pile of toys, stuffed animals, picture frames, and blankets beside her. She also had enough rubber duckies to bathe her daughter with a different one for an entire month and more dresses than her daughter could wear before she outgrew them. After numerous thanks and smiles from Tohru, there sat one last box in front of her. She eagerly tore through it, beaming widely when she saw the mobile with thirteen zodiac animals hanging from it inside.

She held it out, dangling it on her arm and letting the mobile spin around.

"I told you she'd like it," Haru said to Yuki.

"I never said she wouldn't," Yuki responded in a slightly irked manner.

"Where did you get it?" Tohru chirped curiously, "I've never seen anything like it."

"We convinced Rin to make it."

Tohru gasped, "She made it?"

Haru nodded nonchalantly, and as soon as he did, Tohru raced off, mobile in hand, to where Rin was sitting. Rin flinched when she saw Tohru racing towards her, or more like stumble over towards her as quickly as she could with a baby still in her abdomen. Tohru dropped down beside Rin and threw her arms around her. Rin flinched, leaning away from Tohru. She would have run away when she saw Tohru, but being in the corner limited her escape options.

"Thank you Isuzu…" Tohru smiled.

"No problem… Now get off of me," Rin replied awkwardly, trying to her best ability to fulfill her promise to Haru to be nice.

Tohru released Rin, holding the mobile close to her chest. Rin didn't say anything, wishing Tohru would leave her alone so everyone in the party would stop staring at her already. Seeing Rin's exasperation, Yuki rushed over to Tohru and pulled the oblivious brunette away before Rin lashed out. A promise to Haru to be kind wouldn't keep Rin from snapping for too long, and Yuki didn't want Tohru anywhere her if that were to happen. Tohru followed him, cradling the mobile in her arms gently.

Passing Shigure on his way back to the table with Tohru, Yuki whacked his cousin on the back of his head. Shigure whimpered, rubbing his head as Yuki rolled his eyes at his female classmates that were surrounding Shigure.

Yuki had originally been suspicious with Shigure's quick agreement to allow the baby shower to take place in his house, doubting his true intentions, and now, he had a feeling he had a reason for his suspicion. He was sure Shigure had only given his approval so that he could be around teenage girls for the duration of the party. Come to think of it, Yuki couldn't even recall Shigure saying a word to Tohru, the star of the party. Even each of the Yuki fan girls, who despised Tohru more than anyone else, had said a few kind words to Tohru, though they were covering malice intents.

It didn't matter.

He'd rather not have Shigure making crude comments to Tohru during the party. Yuki sat her back down at the table where Tohru was soon joined by her friends, Kagura, Kisa, and Ayame who started to discuss with her what plans she had for the baby so far. He kept quiet, not participating in the conversation. Instead, Yuki listened to what she wanted as she answered the questions from her female friends and his brother.

It was all the answers he needed as to what else she wanted as toys, clothing, and other necessities, and she was listing everything he needed to get for the baby's room. He smiled to himself, mentally recording what to shop for next week.

The baby shower dragged on into the evening, although most of the guests not particularly close to Tohru had left a couple of hours earlier. Uo, Hana, and the Sohmas had stayed a bit longer, having more than enough topics to talk to Tohru about. They wanted to know everything, from what names they had picked out to what a kick felt like, and Tohru's throat hurt by the end of the party.

By the time she and Yuki had finished cleaning up the mess, both were eager to get to bed.

Tohru brushed her teeth and made her way to her room tiredly, finding a box on top of her pillow. Curiously, she approached the white box with bright orange and pink ribbons wrapped around it. She sat down slowly, pulling the gift onto her lap and yanking off the wrappings. Slowly she lifted the lid and gawked at the dress inside. Only one person would have gotten this for her, and that was Yuki. She pulled out the silky material gingerly, not sure how to react.

It took her a minute to realize that something had fallen out of the box when she took out the dress.

She picked up a small piece of paper beside her feet, reading the message with a small smile. Five simple words were written across.

I am not returning it.