"What do you want, Ran?" Shuuhei asked as he sat on the bench beside her. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to see her. Rolling Star had a two week break in the tour, and he didn't want to waste his time. "You said it was important."

"What happened to you, Shuuhei?"

"It's a long story I'd rather not get in to right now." He glanced at the kids who played nearby. "Where's Renji?"

"I don't know. We aren't together." She sounded sad, and Shuuhei tried his best not to care.

"I can't stay long. What did you want to see me about?"

"Her. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Who?"

Rangiku pointed toward one of the children. "Your daughter."

At first Shuuhei was too stunned to think. "My daughter?" He watched the little girl with strawberry blonde hair. There was no doubt she was Rangiku's daughter. "Are you sure?"

"She looks like you, Shuuhei."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"You don't believe me?" Rangiku pouted.

"Not after I wondered how many times you lied to me so you could be with him."

"Shuuhei, I never lied to you."

Shuuhei stood. "As much as I want to believe that, I can't. I need to know for sure that she's..." he gulped. "Mine." He thought a moment. "We'll set up a paternity test. I'll call you with the details." As he walked out of the park he saw Kana. She was frozen in place, and her eyes were wide.

"Shuuhei," she began quietly.

He took her hand and kissed her lightly. Kana could feel his need for her. "I'll explain at home."

"At least tell me who she was."

"My ex-girlfriend."

Neither of them realized that Rangiku had watched Shuuhei walk out of the park and kiss the pink haired woman.

On the way home, Kana let him brood. "What did she want?" Kana asked when he sat on the couch.

"She claims her daughter is mine."

"Do you believe her?"

"I don't know, Kana. It's convenient that she waited until our album released. But the kid could be mine." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I need to set up a paternity test. Kyoraku is not going to be happy."

"Do you want her to be yours?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I want kids, but I've missed so much of her life already. Why did she wait so long to tell me?"

Kana looked up at him. "Shuuhei, if she's yours, we'll take care of her."

"I couldn't ask you to do that, Kana."

"You don't have to ask me. I'm telling you. If she's your child, we'll take care of her."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, and I know you would want to make sure she was raised right."

Shuuhei smiled. "I love you, Kana. Why do you always seem to know what I need?"

"I just do." She kissed him softly, giving herself to him and getting from him just what she needed.

...

Shuuhei stared at the envelope. It had been a long week waiting for the results, and now he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. He hadn't slept well in days, even with Kana beside him. The contents of this envelope could change his life.

Kana walked in to their apartment, startled to find Shuuhei sitting on the floor by the door. She bent down next to him.

"I can't open it," Shuuhei muttered.

"I will if you want me to."

"Yeah."

Kana took the envelope from him and read the letter. "Oh." Shuuhei looked up at her. "We regret to inform you that the child in question does not share your genetic makeup." She paused. "I'm sorry, Shuuhei."

He let out a breath. "It's ok." Shuuhei reached out and took Kana's hand. "Is it bad that I didn't want her to be mine so I didn't have to be tied to Rangiku?"

"No. I understand, Shuuhei." Kana leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Has she always been that busty or was that brought on by the pregnancy."

"She's always been all boobs no brains."

"She had to have some intelligence. You were interested in her."

"I lusted after her in college, and when she finally gave me the chance, I took it." He studied Kana. "Proposing to her would have been the biggest mistake of my life." Shuuhei touched Kana's cheek. "I never would have met you, Kana. Never would have fallen in love with you. I wouldn't have been happy." He kissed her softly. "How was your fitting?"

"Good," she replied, standing up and turning away from him.

"I know this can't be easy planning a wedding while we're on tour."

"No it's not, but the last concert is here and our wedding is two days after it. This break helps, and Nanao's helping with some of the details." She sighed and tried to fight back the feeling of guilt. She was losing. "Shuuhei, I'm sorry."

He shrugged and stood up. "It's ok." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. "Besides, I'd rather have a child with you."

"You what?"

"I've been giving it a lot of thought. Do you want to have kids, Kana?"

"This isn't what I was sorry about." She paused. "I mean I am sorry but..."

"I'm not sorry, Kana. Not really."

"I didn't have a fitting today." She couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry."

"Where did you go?"

"I had a doctor's appointment," she said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me? I'd have gone with you."

"I didn't want to worry you any more than you already were."

"Kana," he began. Then it hit him. "Did you find out why you're so tired lately?" She nodded. Shuuhei tilted her chin up and met her eye. "What did the doctor say?"

"It's not the tour making me tired. I'm pregnant."

"You... You're pregnant?"

"I'm sorry I went without you. A few days ago, I thought it might be a possibility, and I didn't know how to mention it. You were already thinking you might be a father, and it seemed wrong to take away from that." There were tears in her eyes.

"You're pregnant?" he repeated.

"Shuuhei, I'm sor-"

He put his hand up to her lips. "Don't apologize for this, Kana." Shuuhei wiped the tears from her eyes. "Unless you don't want..."

"Oh. No. I do." She smiled at him. "I just thought it might be later like after we were married maybe."

Shuuhei smiled at her. "That might have been ideal."

"The doctor said that it's common to be tired during your first trimester. The tour doesn't really help though."

"How far along are you?"

"About five weeks. I should be able to finish the tour before I start showing. My wedding dress should be ok. It's form-fitting but not like tight or anything. I shouldn't be telling you about my wedding dress."

Shuuhei chuckled and picked her up. "If it makes you feel any better, I was only half-listening." She looked up at him. "I was trying to figure out when we conceived."

"Right before the tour started."

"That's what I thought." Shuuhei laid her on the bed. "You sound tired, Kana," he said as he lay next to her.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

"I don't think either of us did. Go to sleep, Kana."

"But we have our meeting with Kyoraku."

"In a few hours." Shuuhei set the alarm on his phone. "We'll rest a bit before we go."

...

"You don't love me anymore!" Rangiku screamed as tears streamed down her face.

Shuuhei took a deep breath. "Ran, I care about you. That's why I said I'd do this. If she was mine, you know I'd take full responsibility for her."

"You faked those tests."

"How do you fake a paternity test?"

"She looks just like you."

"She looks like you, Ran. She doesn't look like me." He glanced back at Kana and wondered briefly if their child would look like him.

"The child is not Shuuhei's." Kyoraku stated with finality.

"What about Renji? Did he know about her?" Shuuhei asked.

"No. He left right after you did."

"Ms. Matsumoto, we need you to sign confidentiality papers concerning this." She huffed but signed the papers. Without a word to Shuuhei, Rangiku left the room.

"Shuuhei," Kyoraku began.

"Find him."

"What?"

"Find Renji Abarari. I'll pay for it."

Kyoraku nodded. "Very well. Anything else?"

Kana spoke for the first time. "I'm pregnant."

"Congratulations. Are you planning on making an announcement?"

"Not until after the wedding. I'm not that far along."

Kyoraku nodded, and they left his office. As they stepped on the elevator, Kana looked at Shuuhei.

"You still care about her," she said quietly.

Shuuhei shrugged. "I spent over a year of my life with her." He sighed. "I still don't fully trust her."

They were quiet for a moment. "My mother was wrong. If you still care about Rangiku, then you would still care about me and be friends with me if this ever fizzled."

Shuuhei smiled. "I hate to break it to you, but this is never going to fizzle."