Notes: It was recently brought to my attention that brunette is the feminine form of the word and brunet is the masculine. Despite all my picking on of Sora over being a girl, I know he's not. I just always say brunette by default. Stopping will probably be a hard thing. And I apologize ahead of time to Sora for this chapter. Poor Sora.

In Life and Death
Chapter 26: Deep in the Jungle

He had never ridden an actual shuttle before. Granted, interplanetary travel was still a very new thing, but he hated it instantly, pretty much the second he stepped onto the rickety thing. It was nothing like his first, and only, experience riding on a Gummi Ship. And it certainly wasn't like manipulating the dark portals to move from planet to planet almost instantly. This trip was taking forever! Deep Jungle wasn't even the farthest planet from his own and still he was stuck on the shuttle several hours after having left Kairi at the dock.

Riku sighed as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He recalled his brief knowledge of the jungle planet. It was aptly named because that's pretty much all it was. Jungle. In the recent year, a small resort had sprung up. Nothing too fancy. A few restaurants, hotels, shops, and a hospital. All done in an effort to get visitors to the mostly uninhabited planet. The latter of which he assumed he'd find the end to his short quest.

Thoughts of his reasons drifted into his head and he let out a sigh as Sora's face slipped in as well. Where was his brunet at that exact moment? What was he doing? Had Kairi succeeded in keeping him distracted for the night? Riku sighed again and leaned further down in his seat. Wherever Sora was, Riku hoped he was okay. And he hoped he would forgive him.

For the remainder of the shuttle ride, he blocked all thoughts from his mind. It worked pretty well as he eventually fell asleep. "Sir… excuse me." Riku opened his eyes slowly as he was roused by the flight attendant. "We've landed."

He mumbled a thanks and an apology as he got up and rummaged around for his bag in the overhead compartment.

"Not a problem sir." She smiled at him, waiting to direct him off the shuttle.

He walked through the small shuttleport. It was pretty much what he expected. It was small, but it was loud. There were a few people running around, but what made the most noise where the various jungle animals in the small port. But with everything else he had seen in the past few years, it didn't faze him when a large gorilla sat at the check-in counter. Intelligent, talking animals were the least of his worries.

"PV?" The gruff animal held out his massive paw. Planetary visa's came into existence about a year and a half ago. The small, computerized identification card was similar to a passport. You couldn't legally leave or enter a planet without one. It kept detailed records in its memory bank about its owner and the places they visited. It took weeks to get them. When they first came out, Sora convinced him and Kairi that they all needed them. Riku wanted nothing to do with any of it. He was perfectly content to remain on Destiny Islands for the rest of his life. But, of course, he could never say no to Sora.

And now, as he fished his PV out of his pocket, he was glad of it. He wouldn't have been able to leave as fast as he had without already having it. With a smile, he dropped the small rectangular device into the waiting paw.

The gorilla looked the visa over for a moment before running his paw under the small scanner beside him. It let out a beep before Riku's information popped up on the computer screen. "Clear." He said, handing the visa back. "Welcome Deep Jungle. Enjoy stay."

"Thanks." Riku slipped the visa into the front pocket of Kairi's pink backpack. "Uh… do you know where the hospital is?" He asked as an afterthought before leaving.

The gorilla turned slightly and pointed at a large, holographic map along the wall to the right. "Map." He said. "Signs follow."

"Thanks a second time." He waved as he moved towards the large map. It showed the whole of the small planet. He touched their current position on the map and it enlarged. The hospital wasn't too far away. He took one last look at the map, committing it to memory, and turned for the door.

It was still rather early on the small planet but he was unsure what the time difference would be for home. He should call and let Kairi know he'd gotten to Deep Jungle fine. Stifling a yawn, Riku dug in his bag for the large, universal contraption Connie had called a phone and lent him. He followed the given instructions and pressed it to his ear.

It seemingly rang forever before her stressed voice answered. "Hello?" She snapped.

He smiled slightly, wondering if the time frame was annoying her. "Kairi?

"Riku?" She sounded surprised.

"Riku? Riku!" An angry voice yelled from her end of the line. "You can fucking call him? You fucking said he was un-fucking-reachable!"

Riku's mouth dropped open as he heard the brunet's voice. And he sounded livid. "So I guess Sora knows." With a sigh, he bit his lip.

"Fucking give me the phone, Kairi. Now!"

There were sounds of a scuffle and she hissed into the phone. "I'll call you back. Sora… get off!"

"Like fuck you will. Give it to me now!"

"Sora… I swear to…"

The line went dead and Riku pulled the phone away and turned it off. "Oh this if fan-fucking-tastic." He had foolishly thought he could go and be back before Sora found out. But clearly that was not the case. The brunet knew. And he was clearly pissed.

Riku pushed Sora from his mind as he turned towards the small hospital. "Hello." He said, flashing a smile at the male receptionist at the front desk inside the small building. "Is Blake Trippin in?"

The man returned the smile. "Do you have an appointment?"

Riku shook his head. "But it's urgent that I see him."

The man nodded and turned towards the phone. "I'll call his secretary and check. Name?"

"Riku."

The nameless receptionist nodded again and picked up the phone. After a few minutes, he turned back around and smiled. "Lucky break. Dr. Trippin just got back from a meeting. Says he has a few minutes to spare."

After he was given a quick, verbal tour of the office he sought, Riku headed down the hall. Despite the lack of signs, to which the receptionist swears are coming, he found the office easily. The woman behind the desk pointed towards the open door with a smile.

Dr. Blake Trippin sat behind his desk with his feet propped up on it. His blond hair had grown in the several months since he'd been inadvertently involved. But he still looked like he was barely out of medical school when he spied Riku in the doorway. He quickly dropped his legs and leaned forward, attempting to take a more professional demeanor. "Have a seat."

Riku stepped inside the office and held his hand out. "Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Trippin."

"Blake." He said with a smile, leaning forward enough to shake the offered hand.

"Riku." He set his bag down and took a seat.

"So Riku… what can I do for you?"

Riku fingered the top of Kairi's bright pink backpack and sighed. "I hardly know where to begin." He stifled a yawn and shook himself. "Sorry. I've been on a shuttle for nearly twenty hours to get here as quick as possible."

"Here? To see me?"

He nodded. "I need someone I can trust… with a medical background. And when Connie suggested you yesterday, I took a chance."

"Connie?"

He nodded again. "Connie Bland. Secretary at Landic Hospital on Destiny Islands. She worked in… whatever department Veronica Verse worked in."

Blake held up a finger for a moment, silencing him. Then he turned and pressed a button on his intercom. "Amber?"

"Yes Dr. Trippin?" Came an answer.

"Cancel all my appointments today and hold my calls."

There was a moment of silence before a laugh could be heard over the intercom. "What appointments? Or calls for that matter? That boy in there was the first call we've had this week."

"Amber!"

She giggled. "Fine doctor. I'll hold your calls."

"Thank you." He shook his head slowly but there was a smile on his lips. "Are you busy?"

"Nope. What do you need?"

"Mind going to the bakery?"

"I'd love to! Coffee and pastries for everyone!"

He rolled his eyes but the smile was still there. "Yes."

"Alright. Back in a half hour."

He switched the intercom off and turned back. "You drink coffee?"

"Normally… no. But I think I could make an acceptation now."

Blake smiled. "Amber will order one of everything on the menu. Always does. Luke, the guy downstairs… she'll probably drag him with her. So… while we wait… would you like to… start from the beginning?"

"It's a long story."

Blake smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Apparently I have all day free." He stretched his arms out behind him and propped his legs up on his desk, much like he did when Riku first walked in.

"Alright." With a nod, Riku leaned back, settling in to relay the tale for the second time in the past short while. And just like with Connie, he started with the night when three young kids built a raft.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Riku talked for hours, only stopping when Amber and the previous unnamed Luke returned with goodies. Blake wasn't exaggerating when he said she'd come back with one of everything on the menu. She ushered them out of Blake's office into the waiting room. There was a large table where the sweets she brought sat and several chairs. "It's a lot more comfortable out here." She explained before pointing at her desk. "I've directed all calls to my phone to one of the ones down in the main lobby. So if you need me… I'll be down there keeping Luke company. If this little conference thing here goes past lunch, let me know. I'll make another run."

With a smile, she had excused herself after that and Riku continued. It was well past noon when he finished with telling Connie, getting Kairi to steal stuff from Sora, and getting on the shuttle. Much like Connie, Blake accepted the story with a nod. When he was clear Riku was finished, he leaned forward and leaned on his knee. "Back up a bit." He said slowly. "A perfectly healthy teenage boy gets told he's pregnant and has some genetic mutation that was never detected before and he doesn't question it or talk to another doctor? Seriously?"

Riku simply shrugged in response. It was true, as weird as it sounded even to him. Sora had believed it, pretty easily too.

"Is he stupid or something?"

"No!" Riku snapped with a glare. "Sora is not stupid! He's just… maybe a bit… too trusting. Veera had him around her finger. He wouldn't let anyone talk bad around her. She had him convinced that if he told anyone, another doctor included, that they'd run off and tell the world and he'd be dissected or studied or something horrific."

Blake laughed softly at that. "Granted… a pregnant boy would be big news. But with the recent discoveries… other planets and talking animals and magic… it would have blown over fast if it had been leaked. But the whole doctor-patient confidentiality would stop most doctors from doing that. Most would probably jump at the chance to have worked with him… get credit somewhere."

Riku rolled his eyes as he leaned back. "That's what I thought! A medical marvel."

"If it were true."

"If… it is true." Riku said loudly, standing up. "What the fuck does that mean? You think I'm lying? I went to the appointments. I felt when they kicked. I held my daughter before she was taken away from me. It happened." He was fuming. He had spent all night on the stupid shuttle to come to this asshole for help. And he was being called a liar? He wanted to strangle the guy.

"No." Blake said quickly, shaking his head. "No, no, no. Wait a minute. Sit back down and calm down. Didn't mean to upset you. You misunderstood me. I don't doubt what you say. I doubt the reasoning behind it. I met with Sora before Veera. I checked him out thoroughly. X-ray, ultrasound, the works." He shook his head slowly. "The blood test came back with pregnancy hormones. I disregarded it as a lab mistake. But… my point is…" He paused for a moment. "Okay. Let's go back through everything Veera said about Sora's condition."

Riku nodded. "Alright."

"I assume you engaged in sexual activity."

"Yes." Riky said with a nod, not missing a beat.

"Ectopic pregnancies happen when a fertilized egg latches onto anything other than the uterine wall. Usually the fallopian tube but in rare cases, it can adhere to the abdominal wall. Highly dangerous and more often than not naturally aborts itself." He paused a moment and smiled. "Still with me?"

Riiu nodded, following easily. He actually knew that from Veera and his own brief research.

"Let's assume what Dr. Verse told you is correct. Sora has a blind uterus. It's a possibility in hermaphroditic or intersex people. Forget for a second that if he was born with such a condition, his doctors would have known at birth and informed his parents." He rolled his eyes slightly, betraying how unbelievable he thought the scenario was. "So… Sora has a working uterus. An extremely rare condition. He gets pregnant and it's ectopic. Again, rare. And to top it off… it occurs not in the fallopian tube as with 98% of cases, but in the abdomen."

"So you're saying it's a long shot."

Blake nodded. "Extreme long shot. But let's say it's possible. Back to the conception. I make another assumption that it was… normal."

Riku shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. "As normal as two guys who were very drunk."

"A uterus that could get pregnant would have to have an opening. I assume he doesn't have a vagina."

"Yeah. You'd be correct." Riku smiled at that. Despite all Kairi's teasing about Sora wearing dresses and being a mom, he defiantly did not have girly parts on the outside.

Blake smiled as well. "And I have to assume that since there was nothing out of the ordinary in his file when he first came in, everything else inside functions normally. So no matter how much anal sex you had, you couldn't have knocked him up."

"So there's no way this happened naturally?"

Blake shook his head. "He had to be implanted."

Riku sighed as he leaned back in his chair. This was a line of thinking he hadn't allowed himself. Because if Sora was a genetically normal boy who was part of some twisted genetic experiment, then he couldn't have been the second father. "You're certain that there's no other excuse? Nothing that Veera said would be true?"

Blake shook his head. "I examined Sora thoroughly. I will admit to missing the fetuses because the option wasn't on my mind. But his insides and outsides are normal. He's 100% male." He paused a moment and leaned forward. "I can tell this isn't what you wanted to hear. Would you rather…"

Riku stopped him when he started to get up. "No! I was always suspicious… so was his mom and our friend. Pretty everyone else involved. But Sora was crazy about Veera. He'd throw a fit if anyone contradicted her or doubted the pregnancy. Whatever the truth is… I have to find out. I just have to." Riku sighed and shook his head, thinking back to that brief moment he held Gliss in his arms. "I saw her. After she was born… I saw her. She had Sora's eyes… and… I thought she looked like she could have been mine… could it have been possible? Somehow? In some unbelievingly complicated way?"

Blake knew the answer Riku was searching for. He wanted to know that it was possible. But Blake didn't know the answer to that. "Honestly… I have no clue. I really don't. Pregnancy results from a viable egg being fertilized by a sperm. Sperm are equipped with either sex chromosome… but… to manipulate one in such a way to create an egg… that would be able to divide and grow… it sounds farfetched. But…" He added quickly. "I'm not a geneticist."

The corner of Riku's mouth twitched into a small smile. "I want it to be true." The voice that spoke didn't sound like his own.

"Let's assume that it is."

"You make a lot of assumptions."

Blake ignored the comment and continued on with his train of thought. "Assume someone kidnapped the two of you. Drugged you, preformed experimental genetic testing, implanted Sora, and released you all without your knowledge. Why?"

Riku thought it over for a moment. But he couldn't think of a reason. "I don't know. But it was her. It was Veera."

"Again… why?"

"I don't know." Riku insisted. He turned and retrieved the forgotten pink backpack. He would think more on the kidnapping point and why later. For now, he had another point. "Do you have a working lab?"

Blake watched him rifle through the backpack with mild interest. "Of course. No working technicians yet. In fact, you've met all three employees already."

"Can you… run the lab yourself?"

"If need be, yes. Why?"

"In a minute. First…" He pulled out a stack of papers, pictures, and videodiscs. "The ultrasound pictures and videos." He put them on the table in front of Blake. "The pregnancy was real."

Blake pushed the videodiscs off the pile of pictures and picked the latter up. "I don't doubt the pregnancy." He said, flipping through the images. "I doubt the natural conception theory." A silence settled as he studied the images. There was no doubt in his mind that they were real. In the long months since his relocation, he had seen many things he once thought unbelievable. But on the natural conception topic, he was certain. There was just no way that a normal boy naturally got pregnant on Destiny Islands over a year ago. It just wasn't possible.

"This is the so called proof Veera gave Sora." Riku said after a few silent minutes ticked by and handed Blake a large pile of printed papers.

Blake thumbed through them and shook his head. "This online journal thing is fake. The way it reads… someone randomly copy and pasted things and meshed them together to make it sound plausible to anyone with no medical background. She could have easily done this in an hour or so."

"What about these?" He handed Blake two paternity tests. One was given to Sora during his second appointment with Veera, naming him the biological 'mother.' The second was done months later, naming Riku the 'father.'

"You're telling me he didn't question this?" Blake looked up at him after a quick glance at the first one.

Riku shrugged. "Naïve and trusting… sometimes easily manipulated… but he's not stupid."

"Did you look at it?"

Riku shook his head. "Not really. I believed because Sora believed. And… I let myself be fooled by Veera too." He admitted softly.

Blake glanced at the second paper. "Sarah and Richard?"

"She was all about secrecy for the reasons we discussed earlier. I now know it goes beyond that. There's no record of any of us ever being at that hospital."

"This one looks real. But this one…" He turned back to the first. "It's fake."

"You're sure?"

He put it on the table and pointed at a series of numbers. "Forget the gibberish on the rest of the page. She must have really been certain he'd never get a second opinion on anything. But the time stamp… these numbers here… it's a date and time. It says in… and here… says out. So she took this to the lab to make it look real… and then left with it after five minutes. There is no way a paternity test could be done this fast. And if it can… not with the equipment at Landic."

"She had to make sure Sora believed her right away… that it was real and that they were biologically his… she was making sure he wouldn't go home and harm himself and them in the process."

"But why?" Blake said, pushing the papers away. "The simple explanation of she wanted a baby doesn't seem right. Way too much trouble to go through."

Riku shook his head. "There's more behind this than just a crazy infertile woman who wants someone to call her mommy. This was done on purpose…. Deliberately." He shook his head again. "Sora and I… that first time was more or less an accident. We didn't talk about it for months. It wasn't like we were chosen because we were in a relationship at the time and would believe it. There was a reason. He's not like a genius savant or anything… I'm good but no reason to brag. Can't be for looks… plenty of hot guys out there. And it can't simply be experimentation and fame. Got to be a ton of gay couples out there looking for an easier way to get kids than adopting."

"So what does make you special then?"

Riku raised his eyes in a duh look. "Were you here when I told you about that little planet hopping trip we took?"

Blake smiled. "You guys saved the universe, witnessed countless things, controlled magic and darkness, and fought monsters. And you are responsible for this whole planetary travel thing… think that makes you special?"

Riku smiled smugly as he linked his fingers together behind his neck and leaned back. "Dude… I'm all sorts of special." Blake let out laugh and was about to comment when the very pink backpack started ringing. Riku stared at it a moment before it registered in his head exactly what that was. "Sorry." He mumbled, bending down to dig around in the bag. "My universal planetary phone."

"Portable?" Blake leaned over to get a better look. "Cool."

Riku pulled the monstrosity out. He hit the on button and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you?"

"Sora?" He stood up and took a few steps away from Blake. "How'd you get this number?"

"I've been trying to call you, assshole."

"Off planet." Riku said as he stepped towards Amber's desk. "Cell doesn't work."

"I fucking know that now! Kairi lied to me! She told me she didn't know where you were. Then you call and she still said she didn't know. I finally stole her fucking phone and checked her call list."

"Well… you got me now. Sorry I worried you." He smiled as he turned and leaned against the secretary's desk.

"Worried? Worried! About you? Fuck you!"

Riku flinched at the hatred he heard in Sora's voice.

"Where the fuck are they?"

"Sora…"

"You had no right to break into my house and take them! They are mine! MINE! And the pictures and videos! How fucking dare you!"

"They're my fucking kids too, Sora." Riku said through clenched teeth. "I have just as much right to them as you!"

"Bullshit! I carried them! I'm the mom!"

Riku rolled his eyes. "You're not a girl, Sora."

"No fucking shit, Riku. I know what…"

"Sora! Shut up for a moment." Riku tried to interrupt him. "I have to tell you…"

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"Sora! Just shut your selfish mouth up for a minute and listen to me once, you little shit."

"Selfish…"

"We had a home. We had a life." He spat. He couldn't stop himself then. "We could have dealt together. But no. You walked out on me. It's all about Sora. You don't give a shit about how I feel." Riku slowed as he realized the line was quiet. "Sora?" He asked softly as the silence lingered. He feared the call was dropped. Which probably would have been a good thing. Yelling at each other over the phone wasn't working too well.

"I'm still here." Sora said softly. "I'll… listen to what you have to say. Just… are… are they okay? Are you… okay?"

Riku smiled and sighed deeply. "Yeah. We're okay." He chanced a look at Blake and found the doctor rifling through the pictures and papers again. Riku knew he could hear most if not all of their conversation. But it was nice for the doctor to pretend he couldn't. "I… don't know where to start…" He confessed softly. "I guess… it started with Connie."

Sora made a displeasing noise at that.

"I know you don't like her… but the work attitude was all a front. She's actually some genius computer hacker."

"Oh yeah. I believe that." Sora snorted.

Riku laughed. "I know. But she is. And she's been suspicious of Veera since she started working there." He stopped for a moment, thinking. "You know what? This is a really long story, all of which I've gone over several times in the past couple days. Can I just give you the quick version and promise to go into more detail when I get back?"

Sora sighed but he said, "Yes. As long… as you come back."

"I will." Riku smiled. "Okay. I know you don't want to hear it, Sora. But Veera's a fraud. She stole a shitload of stuff from the hospital and Connie was keeping detailed tabs on her for me because I was suspicious. So now Connie's in trouble with the police. They think she was in on this big conspiracy they can't figure out. She can't rat me out, or you for that matter, because you don't exist there. Everyone you ever met with at the hospital isn't there anymore. Remember the nurse and doctor you first met with?"

"Uh… I think so."

"Well… the nurse was thrown off planet for something she didn't do and Dr. Blake got reassigned to a planet he's never even heard of. That's where I went, to talk to Blake."

"Blake…" Sora repeated softly. "You're with Blake?"

Riku pulled the phone from his ear, hit the speakerphone button, and held it out towards Blake. "Speakerphone, Sora. Say hello."

"He's there now?"

"Yes, Sora." Blake said with a smile. "Just looking over your non-existent file."

"Oh? What'd you find?"

Riku was mildly surprised the brunet was taking it so well. So when Blake glanced at him, silently asking for permission to continue, Riku nodded.

"I know what Veera told you, but it's all bullshit." Blake said, leaning forward. "I know you have no reason to believe me over her but… if you had been born with such a genetic mutation, there would have been more outward signs. Your doctors and parents would have known right away after your birth. Basically the only way you could have gotten pregnant is if someone intentionally put them there."

"Someone… put them there?"

"Someone kidnapped us." Riku said quickly.

"But… why…"

Riku took the phone off speakerphone and pressed it back to his ear. "I don't know. But I will find out."

"Veera… you think she did it." It was more of a statement than a question. "The way she disappeared afterwards… the quick cremation…" He gasped loudly as he put the pieces together in his head. "They're still alive, aren't they?"

Riku sighed. He could hear the excitement in Sora's voice. This is why he didn't want to tell him. "I don't know Sora. It's a possibility. But I didn't want to get your hopes up in case this is all a fruitless chase."

"You should have told me!"

"Sora…"

"You should have called!" Sora insisted.

"You wouldn't have answered."

"I… might have…." He said slowly.

"Sora…. We both know you wouldn't have." Riku said frankly. It was the truth. The few times Riku had tried to called him since the brunet left, Sora never answered. "And I was afraid you'd fall apart again. You were back to hanging out with Kairi and she said you were almost normal. I didn't want to chance hurting you again until I knew the truth."

Sora was silent a moment. "After everything… you really think I'm so weak?"

"No!" Riku said quickly. "No… well… under the circumstances of the past year… yes."

"I should be there with you!"

Riku smiled despite himself. "Wish you were."

"Where are you? I'll come now"

"No." Riku said flatly as he shook his head.

"But you just said…"

"No Sora."

"You fucking asshole! Tell me where you are!"

He laughed. "I'll see you when I get back. I'll tell you everything."

Sora groaned loudly but finally agreed. "Alright. You had better."

Sora mumbled something after that and Riku missed it. "What?"

"I said I love you, shithead."

Without thinking, Riku pulled the phone from his ear and switched it off. No doubt it was probably the rudest thing he could have done at that moment. For months he had wanted to hear those words from Sora again. But after the past couple of days, Riku didn't think he could mentally handle the precious words. He pushed Sora from his mind, turned, and crossed the room. He settled back down in the chair he said in before and sighed. "Sorry for the interruption. I didn't tell him I was leaving. And I kind of stole this stuff."

Blake nodded. "I kind of guessed that."

Riku closed his eyes and rubbed at his head. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was. "So the lab… can you do a paternity test here?"

"Sure. What am I testing?"

Riku pulled the urn out of the backpack and unwrapped it. "Though maybe you could tell me if this is really them… and if it is… if they are biological."

"Sure. Though it'll be hard without Sora here."

"Hair sample work?" Riku pulled the stole brush out.

Blake laughed. "You thought of everything, huh?"

He shrugged. "I have to find out the truth."

"Alright. I'll do whatever I can to help. Getting to Veera would help me in the long run. I hate it here. But testing will take a couple days. Small lab and it's just me. Let's take a break and pick it back up tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Riku shook his head. "No. Didn't plan for it."

"Come on. You can stay with me if you don't mind the couch."

Riku started packing things back in the backpack. "Not at all. That would be great."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

End of Chapter 26. Stay tuned for Chapter 27: To the Garden!

Author's Notes: I know nothing about nothing. Seriously. Pulled most of this shit out of my ass. Or off various episodes off medical shows I watch.