Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, but here it is now. And this time, I added three chapters in one day. :D (Kinda like a 3-in-1 surprise..) And yeah, school.

This chapter of the said story has been revised.

7 Weeks

"What? No period yet?" Misaki's co-teacher and friend, Yori, nervously peered at her from the table beside her.

Misaki shook her head.

"Oh dear, morning sickness?" Yori anxiously asked.

Misaki nodded.

"How about that little, err, red—"

Resting her chin on her hand, Misaki sighed, "Showed up last night. I didn't have the guts to burn it though…"

"Oh my. Well, you better get that checked. You know...to be sure," Yori advised.

"You sure?"

"Yes I'm sure."

"Shouldn't I tell Tsubasa first?" Misaki asked, dubious.

"Don't worry, he'll know. But first we'll have to take you to the doctor's," her friend reassured her.

"'M'kay. You really have no idea how nice it is to have you as a friend, Yori," Misaki admitted, relieved at the fact.

All her kindly gray-eyed friend could offer was a small modest smile and a shy thank you. "I can come with you, if you want."

"Thanks, I would really appreciate that," Misaki said, smiling in spite of her nervous self.

[At the doctor's]

A strained silence fell over the room. "So you're saying I'm knocked up by my husband?"

"Why yes, yes you are. Two months, Mrs. Andou! Congratulations!" the doctor told her in an overly-enthusiastic way, as if he was used to it all too much. But anyway, of course he was.

Misaki was lost for words. She felt like she was about to faint.

"Err, she doesn't know how to take it, but I'm guessing she must be really happy!" Yori interceded, interpreting Misaki in the best way she could.

"I'm sure she is." The doctor patted Misaki's shoulder.

Yori awkwardly tried at feigning a nice, big grin. "Right you are, doc!" she agreed fake-perkily.

After the doctor put away his apparatus and Misaki got to her feet (shakily at that), some pre-natal vitamin prescriptions were passed and routine appointments were set.

"Again, congratulations," the doctor attempted at his second commendation the moment he was down to scribbling his last tip for combating seat legs. Misaki, dazed and all, managed a weak nod.

Yori coughed uncomfortably. "Ok, thank you for everything, we'll be leaving now!" she said hurriedly and grabbed for Misaki who was still frozen in her thoughts.

What if I won't be a good mother? What if Tsubasa isn't ready? What if I'm not ready myself? How would Tsubasa react? What if he, or she, grows apart from me like... Oh, bother. What would happen next, then? Anxious thoughts swirled in Misaki's mind in a whirlwind of distracting worries.

"You ok?" Yori looked at her. They were now walking on the busy streets of Tokyo, where people have started to quickly get back home.

Misaki nodded.

"You look a little pale."

"No, it's just…" She looked down. Yori felt the sadness in Misaki's voice, and being the good friend she was, she knew exactly what to do.

"Come on now," she chimed. Spinning around, she dragged the bewildered Misaki behind her.

"Where are we…?"

Yori pushed open a door to what seemed to be a bookshop. Misaki felt the atmosphere shift from tense to calm as she entered with her friend.

The bookshop was a cool relief compared to the hot and heavy June air that hung on Tokyo that afternoon. She looked around and noticed that quite a number of people were coming in. But compared to the common busy and preoccupied Tokyo dweller, these people looked carefree and relaxed, as if going to this bookstore was their way of escaping the noisy world outside. The shop wasn't pretty big either, but it managed to squeeze in at least over a dozen shelves, a small reading area, and a counter where an engrossed female clerk reading a book was sitting at.

Misaki didn't have enough time to take in her surroundings because Yori started to pull her, to a secluded section of the bookshop, where only a woman with a huge belly stood, scanning a book.

"Err…"

"Yes, Misaki my dear?"

"Are you taking me out to buy baby books?"

"Yup."

"Ok…"

Yori let go of Misaki's hand as she started to explore the entire aisle in search of the perfect baby book. Misaki smiled as she rolled her eyes at her over-energetic friend.

Might as well look too while she's at it, she mused to herself. Chortling, she began to absently slide her fingers down each book spine she came across to.

Then she glanced over at the pregnant lady who appeared to be enjoying the book she just picked up. The lady read for awhile while Misaki continued to observe her, noticing her smile grow bigger as she turned each page. When she stopped reading, she placed it aside and reached for her wallet. As she opened it, she somewhat fell disappointed. She sighed and returned the book back to its shelf.

Misaki waited for the lady to leave, pretending that she was looking for something else in a different shelf. The second the pregnant woman was out of sight, she walked over to the spot where the lady placed the book and took the book out to have a look.

The book was small, pale yellow and ring-bound, like a notebook. It was no bigger than a regular pocketbook. On the cover, the words 'My Baby-Bearing Diaries' in red letters were embossed into it. Misaki flipped to the first page.

To all mommies and daddies to be,

In this book, I hope you decide to put in your deepest thoughts and feeling about the joys of child-bearing. Feel free to write and jot down anything from mommy's waist line growth to her constant cravings and mood swings. There are also some pages provided for parents who wish to take down notes and observations, plenty of tips for the expecting mommy, and a very, very special surprise at the very last part of the book, just for daddy himself. Please don't hesitate to be very open and reflective in writing down this diary. With that, I really do hope you may see this as stepping stone for great parents who wish to become closer with their child.

Hoping you'll enjoy your nine-month journey,

Baby

Somehow, after reading, Misaki found a smile slowly creeping into her face. It truly was remarkable how people could still come up with ingenious things like this.

"Yori, I found something. Let's go."

"Ok, be right there."

[In the apartment…]

"What's that?"

"Baby book," Misaki stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh…what fo—BABY WHAT?"

"Baby book. A book for babies," she replied in the same tone. Tsubasa finally caught on. Misaki hoped for the best.

"H-how far are you?" Tsubasa asked, feeling slightly uneasy, kind of hoping this was all a dream.

"Doctor says seven weeks," Misaki said, retaining her cool and collected composure as she chopped some carrots, her back to Tsubasa.

Tsubasa counted on his fingers. "HOLY—"

"I'd rather have it that no swearing would be said around the baby from now on, dear," she told him pointedly.

"This is too hard to believe…" Tsubasa slumped down on the couch, placing his hand on his eyes. Misaki stopped chopping, but he didn't seem to notice.

She feared this would happen. She wanted to tell him she wasn't really ready either, but she wanted to assure her husband that they were in this together, and she was going to take the first step.

Misaki went over to Tsubasa who was lying down on the couch. He was staring at the ceiling, but his eyes looked like they were staring off at something else distant.

"Tsubasa?"

"When did you know?"

"Since last night."

"…So you're telling me that thing in the bathroom trash actually wa—"

"Tsubasa…" Misaki started, though she was running out of words to say. "It's ok to be scared." She knelt beside him, effectively out of things she could possibly tell him.

"I – I'm not quite ready yet, ok?" Tsubasa admitted, closing his eyes. "And I for one thought that that little...stick was an iPod Shuffle."

Misaki tried not to laugh. Lucky for her, fear and uncertainty were bigger feelings to her at the moment. "Me too. I'm not quite ready. But this baby…he just came. So we'll have to be ready," she said gently.

"But – but what if I can't be a good father to him? I've never been a good role model to my kouhais back then, either. What more now?" he asked.

A knot formed itself in Misaki's throat. Her words somewhat got stuck, but nonetheless, she managed like how she had all-throughout the day. "Tsubasa, we're in this together. It's ok if we're not quite ready yet, but we will be," she consoled him. Her voice breaking wasn't doing much of a good job in convincing herself, but she still continued anyway. "A-and if Tsubasa Andou was the best senpai ever, why can't Tsubasa Andou be the best otou-san too?" She gave him a weak smile.

Tsubasa opened his eyes. Then he held Misaki's hand. It was the warmest pair of hands any guy could ever dream of holding.

"You're right, we're in this together."

Misaki shed a tear. Then Tsubasa squeezed her hand. She kissed his forehead.

Well, hope I made you smile even just by a bit in this chappie.. It's gonna be a mushy chapter in chapter 3. :D Just saying. Please R&R. :)

2010 self-commentary: I kind of really revised that. I didn't go all out but I just did some work with the content and whatnot.